Qi Zhenzhen lay down, sat up, and lay down again, repeating the action several times, still completely clueless.
This was a rigidly hierarchical ancient era, not a place where one person's strength could make things easy. She didn't even have any autonomy. She could imagine the kind of life she would have back at the Changping Marquis Manor. She couldn't stay with Yun Shi forever; what would happen if they were separated?
She didn't even dare to think too deeply. Her head was about to explode from thinking, and then she drifted off to sleep in a daze.
In her dream, Qi Zhenzhen was still troubled. One moment she was in a scene of carrying out a mission, and the next she was back at the Changping Marquis Manor. She even dreamed that Yun Shi was caught by the main wife on some fault and was being punished. Yun Shi was beaten until her flesh and blood were blurred, and she was tied up nearby, unable to protect Yun Shi.
"No—"
Qi Zhenzhen woke up with a scream. The first thing she saw was Yun Shi's worried face and Song Mingyue's round face.
Song Mingyue reached out to touch Qi Zhenzhen's forehead. It was sweaty, and her temperature had gone down.
"Auntie, Zhenzhen's head isn't hot anymore," Song Mingyue said cheerfully.
Yun Shi nodded, "Are you hungry? There's white rice porridge kept warm in the kitchen. Mother will get you a bowl."
Her stomach rumbled in perfect agreement, and Qi Zhenzhen nodded, "Hungry."
After Yun Shi left, Qi Zhenzhen learned from Song Mingyue that it was already noon. This meant that after she returned from going out with Gu Sinian that night and fell asleep, she hadn't woken up the next morning. She had a high fever and was unconscious. She was given medicine, and after a whole day and a whole night, she woke up at noon on the third day.
"Your body has always been very good. How did you suddenly fall ill? You don't know how worried your mother was!" Song Mingyue handed Qi Zhenzhen a large half-bowl of warm water, "Moisten your throat, your voice is hoarse."
Qi Zhenzhen drank the water sip by sip. The burning sensation in her throat lessened considerably, and she asked, "Where is Gu Sinian?"
"You ungrateful child, you still say you have no feelings for him, yet as soon as you wake up, you're thinking of him," Song Mingyue chided.
Qi Zhenzhen covered her mouth, "Be careful my mother hears. I was just asking casually. He suddenly appeared, and didn't say what his purpose was. I originally wanted to ask him, but then I got sick?"
Before Song Mingyue could speak, Yun Shi came with the porridge. Qi Zhenzhen took it and drank it spoonful by spoonful. After a bowl of porridge, she felt a little stronger. Da Feng Novel Network
"Mother, I'm fine now. You should go back to your room and rest. Look at the dark circles under your eyes. You stayed up all night guarding me, didn't you? Let Mingyue stay here to keep me company, and you go get a good night's sleep," Qi Zhenzhen handed the empty bowl to Yun Shi, saying with some heartache.
"The medicine the physician Mo prescribed is still warm in the pot. In a while, Mingyue, you can bring it to Zhenzhen for her to drink. Physician Mo said she needs to drink three doses," Yun Shi instructed.
Song Mingyue responded, "Auntie, don't worry. I'll definitely make sure she takes the medicine."
Yun Shi gave a few more instructions and then left.
"I heard from your mother that Gu Sinian left early yesterday morning, so he didn't know you were sick. When he came back at night and found out, he insisted on taking you to the capital to see a doctor. He clearly didn't trust Physician Mo's medical skills. If Little Niu hadn't persuaded him, you would be in the capital right now after waking up," Song Mingyue said.
Qi Zhenzhen felt inexplicably guilty and didn't know how to respond.
Song Mingyue continued, "He was still lingering by your room door this morning. Since there's a difference between men and women, and your mother is quite wary of him, I saw that if it weren't for your mother, he would have rushed into your room long ago."
Song Mingyue's tone was full of teasing. Qi Zhenzhen shrank her neck, "Then where is he now?"
"Before you woke up, Little Niu came to find him, and they went out together. They didn't say when they would be back. Oh, and not just Little Niu, there were several other people too. They were all very respectful when they saw him," Song Mingyue said.
Although she didn't know Gu Sinian's ultimate purpose for being here, it seemed now that he wasn't here specifically to say those things to her, but rather he had official business.
"Zhenzhen? What are you spacing out about?" Song Mingyue waved her hand in front of Qi Zhenzhen's eyes, "Still thinking about that Gu Sinian? He's indeed very handsome. My mother even said that in her half-century of life, she's never seen a man as handsome as Gu Sinian. But Zhenzhen, have you thought about it? He's the heir of a noble family! I heard from Little Niu that he's a very remarkable person..."
Qi Zhenzhen rolled her eyes at her, "When did your imagination become so vivid? What does his handsomeness have to do with me? What does his being remarkable have to do with me?"
Song Mingyue pouted, "Clearly, your eyes lit up when you asked about Gu Sinian."
Qi Zhenzhen sighed, "I am clear about my own status and position, and that heir's life will have no intersection with mine. As for your saying my eyes lit up, you're mistaken. I asked him purely out of courtesy. Someone like him staying in my home, if I didn't serve him properly, and somehow offended him, his wrath is not something we could bear."
After sleeping it off, she somewhat understood. No matter what feelings Gu Sinian had for her, they were something she couldn't afford. She couldn't respond, let alone foolishly believe that he was her destined partner. This was not an era of free love. She would return to the Changping Marquis Manor. Even if her engagement to the Lu family couldn't be honored, it wouldn't be her place to decide her own major life events, let alone her mother's.
As for Gu Sinian, perhaps it was because she was different from the young ladies he usually met that he developed such feelings?
"I'm also quite conflicted. I advise you to see clearly, but I also feel that you are worthy of that heir," Song Mingyue drooped her face and mumbled.
Qi Zhenzhen reached out and pinched Song Mingyue's face, "Alright, alright, little girl, you worry too much."
Song Mingyue put her hands on her hips and glared, "What little girl? I'm a year older than you. You should call me Sister Mingyue. When we first got acquainted, you still called me Sister Mingyue, but after we got familiar, you call me Mingyue every day!"
Qi Zhenzhen made a face at her, "Just Mingyue, then."
As the two of them bickered, Qi Zhenzhen temporarily put aside all those annoying problems. Song Mingyue teased her for a while, then went to the kitchen to get the medicine and watched her drink it. She tucked her into bed, made sure the corners of the quilt were tucked in, and then left the Qi family's home.
Song Mingyue had worries in her heart. She had originally intended to confide in Qi Zhenzhen, but seeing that she was ill, she couldn't bear to trouble her.
However, some things were difficult to bear when kept inside. Thinking about her cousin's and aunt's plans, and then seeing her mother's daily solicitous inquiries to her cousin, she felt it was not worth it for her mother. Therefore, she found it difficult to give Ge Yusheng a good look. Song Mingyue couldn't help but question Ge Yusheng about the village girl. Unexpectedly, Ge Yusheng became relentless, saying that Song Mingyue was slandering him. The girl's father was a Xiu Cai (a scholar who passed the lowest level imperial examination), and Ge Yusheng's initial education was with that Xiu Cai, making him half a teacher. The girl was like his own sister, Ge Yusheng said many such things, and also belittled Song Mingyue, saying she was jealous, that she was inhospitable, and that she judged a gentleman with a petty mind. Song Mingyue retorted, but she couldn't speak her rebuttals smoothly, and ultimately fell into a disadvantage, feeling wronged and resentful.