"I've noted it all down, Madam. Can I avoid going out these few days? I..."
"I understand. You should rest well in your room. Just let me know if you need anything."
Feng Jin, knowing her worries, agreed to Yun Niang's request and gave her a few more instructions before leaving.
...
As soon as Feng Jin returned to her room, she saw Ling Mohan sitting there with a dark expression, while Lu Shi stood obediently beside him, not daring to make a sound, like a wronged young wife.
"Why are you back so early today?" You usually don't return until noon. This is truly unusual.
"Didn't I tell you not to go out?"
Ling Mohan suppressed his emotions as much as possible, his tone as gentle as he could manage.
"I just went to check on Yun Niang. I can't rest easy until her condition stabilizes."
Feng Jin understood Ling Mohan's meaning and explained, "I know what you're thinking. But I am a physician, and I must consider my patients. I will do what I can, and I will absolutely not harm myself."
Lu Shi sensed the subtle shift in their atmosphere. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, he discreetly withdrew early.
After Feng Jin's explanation, Ling Mohan felt a little better, the frustration in his chest easing.
"In any case, you are not allowed to push yourself anymore."
This morning, when he woke up and Feng Jin wasn't there, he searched the entire mansion to find her.
He had called out to Feng Jin several times without a response, which frightened him into calling for a doctor. He then learned that Feng Jin had fainted from exhaustion.
If something like this happened again, his heart condition would surely be aggravated.
"I know. I just wanted to treat Yun Niang's face as soon as possible. She's a young lady who has endured much mockery due to her appearance. I want to heal her face and let her appear before others beautifully."
Feng Jin had seen many people deeply affected by their appearance, and she genuinely wanted to help Yun Niang.
"Even so, you must prioritize yourself," Ling Mohan said with a solemn expression. He pulled Feng Jin into his arms and said in a low voice, "I cannot bear the pain of losing you."
Feng Jin's heart trembled violently, and a similar emotion surged within her. Her hand instinctively wrapped around the man, and she promised, "I will not leave you."
Ling Mohan gazed into Feng Jin's eyes and couldn't help but kiss her, a gentle, fleeting kiss.
Feng Jin's eyes suddenly widened. She was stunned for a long time, but her body responded to the man's embrace.
As if encouraged, Ling Mohan began to grow bolder, his hands becoming more intimate. He suddenly swept Feng Jin into his arms and carried her towards the bed.
...
"Gu Shizi, the Young General has ordered that no one is to enter. Please wait outside."
Lu Shi blocked the door, his expression firm and allowing no room for doubt.
"You've grown quite bold. Do you know who I am, yet you dare to stop me?" Gu Beichen was furious. Lu Shi's audacity had grown considerably, learning from Feng Jin.
"Please forgive me, Shizi. Your subordinate is acting on the Young General's orders. If there is any punishment, the Young General will deal with it."
The implication was that it had nothing to do with you, so please be quiet.
Gu Beichen was so angry he felt his lungs would explode. He had been experiencing one misfortune after another these past few days, as if he hadn't consulted the almanac before leaving home.
"Fine... fine. Lu Shi, you are truly remarkable. Bring a chair. I, this Shizi, will sit here and wait. I want to see if Ling Mohan will come out today."
He would wait here, like a hunter waiting for prey, and refuse to believe that the man wouldn't emerge.
As dusk fell, Gu Beichen remained sitting there, alone and dejected.
Lu Shi, after finishing his meal and returning for his shift, felt a flicker of surprise seeing Gu Beichen. Why was he still waiting here?
"Gu Shizi, why don't you go back first? Once the Young General comes out, I will personally inform him that you waited all afternoon."
Lu Shi's tone was earnest; he just wanted to get rid of this troublesome guest.
"Bring me some food," Gu Beichen ordered, pointing to the guard beside Lu Shi. He refused to believe that Ling Mohan wouldn't come out for the rest of his life.
The guard looked at Lu Shi with difficulty, then at the imposing figure of Gu Beichen, finding himself in a dilemma.
"Prepare some food first, and then get a pot of good wine for Gu Shizi."
Lu Shi instructed, deciding he had to placate this noble lord.
He had thought he could rest today, as the Young General wouldn't need him. Who would have thought this esteemed guest would show up, causing so much trouble?
Once the food was served, Gu Beichen drank cup after cup, as if venting his frustrations.
After a few drinks, Gu Beichen transformed into a verbose drunkard, his tongue loosened.
"I truly don't understand what's gotten into Ling Mohan. Why is he so infatuated with Feng Jin? He's neglecting his friends for romance; he's inhuman."
Gu Beichen felt aggrieved, lamenting his misfortune in having Ling Mohan as a friend. It was as if he had accumulated bad karma for eight lifetimes.
Especially whenever he encountered Feng Jin, nothing good ever happened.
"Our Young Madam is such a good person. It's understandable that the Young General likes her. Shizi, you are simply too biased against our Young Madam."
Lu Shi was now completely loyal to Feng Jin and would not permit anyone to slander her.
"How can you also betray me? Didn't you also dislike Feng Jin before?"
What was happening to this world? Everyone was betraying him.
Gu Beichen felt his world collapsing. He suddenly felt like an abandoned, solitary figure.
"Shizi, don't talk nonsense. I have never disliked the Young Madam from beginning to end. These are all your assumptions. Don't force your assumptions onto me. This is called... this is called slander."
Lu Shi had learned many peculiar words while following Feng Jin, and now they were all being put to use.
"Where did all these strange words of yours come from?"
Gu Beichen knew exactly how much knowledge Lu Shi possessed. These words were definitely not something he could come up with on his own.
"These were all taught by the Young Madam. The Young Madam is learned and talented, possessing vast knowledge and excelling in everything. The Young General is truly fortunate to marry the Young Madam."
More importantly, the Young Madam treated each of them with genuine sincerity, never differentiating them based on their status.
She always considered them, even gifting him several bottles of the valuable Qingfeng Delux Cream and sharing their candied hawthorn.
Truly, she paid attention to every detail, no matter how small.
Having such a master was his good fortune.
"Alright... alright, please shut your mouth. It irritates me whenever I hear you praise Feng Jin."
If it hadn't been for Feng Jin's trickery last night, he would have been surrounded by those women and unable to escape.