Chapter 23

"The young madam adores the master greatly," said Heng Ping, suddenly feeling a pang of sympathy for Rong Shu. He nodded, following her instructions and even, unusually, offering a word of advice, "The master is difficult to attend to; there's no need for the young madam to force herself."

Of course, Rong Shu had no intention of forcing anything. Half-sitting at the bedside, she gently stirred the medicine in the bowl before lifting a spoonful. As she fed it to Gu Changjin, she said, "Ying Que, prepare the handkerchief."

The warm spoon touched Gu Changjin's lips, and his teeth relaxed, allowing the spoonful of medicine to slide smoothly into his mouth.

A gulping sound echoed as he swallowed it.

Rong Shu was taken aback.

So was Heng Ping.

Chang Ji, who had just brought in the second bowl of medicine, also froze. Lowering his gaze to inspect the freshly prepared dose in his hands, he swiftly turned and left the room.

Chapter 11

After feeding Gu Changjin the entire bowl of medicine, Rong Shu wiped his lips with a handkerchief. Addressing Chang Ji and Heng Ping, she said, "Stay here and keep an eye on the gentleman. I'll be going to the eastern chamber for a moment."

Chang Ji promptly bowed and agreed, his smile sincere and attentive as he gazed at Rong Shu as if she were a revered goddess.

"Madam must be weary from your journey. It's best you rest. Heng Ping and I will attend to everything here. Master's medicine needs to be administered every two hours. May I ask when would be convenient for me to fetch you?"

He was entrusting the crucial task of administering the medicine to Rong Shu.

Rong Shu glanced at the hourglass in the corner; it was just past noon.

Assuming no unforeseen circumstances, Gu Changjin would awaken as night fell, which meant only one more dose of medicine was needed.

With this in mind, she replied, "I'll return in two hours."

Her visit to the eastern chamber was solely to check on Mother Zhang.

After three days of rest and over ten doses of herbal medicine, Mother Zhang's cold had subsided significantly.

Noticing Rong Shu's exhaustion, Mother Zhang said with concern, "My dear, would you like to lie down on the couch for a bit?"

Indeed, Rong Shu was tired. At Mother Zhang's suggestion, she removed her butterfly shoes and squeezed onto the couch with Mother Zhang. Listening to the tune Mother Zhang hummed, she soon drifted off to sleep.

Nanny Zhang gazed at the sleeping young miss with a bittersweet smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Rong Shu had slept for a full hour. After waking up, she changed into a comfortable outfit and rearranged her hair into a simple bun. Only then did she leisurely make her way to the main chamber.

A steaming bowl of medicine was already placed on the table inside. Chang Ji was the only one present; Heng Ping had sustained some injuries and had likely retired to rest and recover.

Chang Ji stood by the medicine, and upon catching sight of Rong Shu, he nearly blurted out, "Lady, you've finally arrived."

Seeing how effortlessly the young mistress had administered the medicine earlier, he couldn't resist trying to feed a spoonful to his master. However, Gu Changjin's teeth were clenched tightly, and the medicine ended up in the pillowcase.

His hope now rested solely on Rong Shu.

Bowing his body, he scurried over and eagerly said, "Young Mistress, this medicine has just been boiled for a quarter of an hour. The temperature is just right now."

Rong Shu nodded, picked up the bowl, and walked to the bedside. Under Chang Ji's astonished and complicated gaze, she skillfully fed Gu Changjin his second bowl of medicine.

"Chang Ji, go and rest. I'll send for you if there's anything."

Given that she now carried the title of "young mistress," it wouldn't be appropriate for her to simply leave after administering the medicine as she did before.

Chang Ji promptly agreed and left the room with an empty bowl in hand.

Once he was gone, Rong Shu rubbed her shoulder and said to Yingyue and Ying Que beside her, "Go to the small kitchen and ask the servants to prepare dinner. I'm hungry."

Yingyue glanced at the sky, realizing it was already three quarters past the seventh hour of the day. Normally, Miss would have finished her meal and been strolling in the courtyard by now. After some thought, she fetched the candy jar.

"Miss, have some pine nut candies to hold you over until dinner. I'll instruct the small kitchen to start cooking for you right away."

The pine nut candies in the jar were made in Yang State Prefecture's style, using premium malt syrup with added flower nectar, simmered to perfection, then coated with fragrant and crispy pine nuts. Upon biting into one, a sweet and aromatic crunch filled the mouth.

In Yangzhou, Rong Shu would often indulge in a small jar from time to time. But after returning to the capital, where noble ladies found such candies unrefined, she had consumed them less frequently.

She picked up a pine nut candy and slowly chewed on it, causing a few quiet 'crunch' sounds to echo in the peaceful room.

Absorbed in eating, Rong Shu didn't notice that the man lying on the couch had woken up, his eyes open as he gazed at her contemplatively.

The sight of the young lady holding the candy jar and popping candies into her mouth reminded him of the tail-enders he had seen in the dense forest before.

A hint of sweetness perfumed the air.

Suddenly, a few images flashed through Gu Changjin's mind:

In a dimly lit inner chamber, candle flames flickered, and curtains hung gently. A lady dressed in a moon-white nightgown glared at him, her face flushed with intoxication and anger. "Gu Yunzhi, you even threw away the pine nut candy I made for you."

The man by the bed glanced at her indolently. His expression, which usually hid his emotions, slowly revealed a hint of a smile as he scoffed, "Rong Zhaozhao, the way you eat pine nut candy is like a tail-wagging creature."

Upon hearing this, the lady's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't fathom that the dignified and restrained Lord Gu would utter such words. Through hiccupping, she struggled to come up with a retort, "Gu Yunzhi, if I'm a tail-wagging creature, uh, then you...you are..."

After all, she was a young lady confined within the depths of her chambers. Despite her efforts, she could not think of an insulting term and finally blurted out, "A big-tailed wolf."

...

Gu Changjin's eyebrows twitched.

The man on the couch was him, yet not quite him.

These inexplicable memories invading his mind felt eerily real, as if they had truly taken place.

Even the dream he had just now didn't seem like a dream; it was more like a fragment of memory.

In that dream, he was ambushed on his way to the Cheng'an Marquis Estate, and she was sitting right beside him. When the carriage was overturned, she threw herself at him, yelling, "Gu Changjin, watch out—"

Her clear, almond-shaped eyes, resembling blossoming peach flowers, were filled with panic. In her haste, she didn't realize that a hairpin had fallen from her disheveled bun. As she rushed towards him, her soft tresses brushed against the back of his hand.