Chapter 24

Gu Changjin could even sense that slight itch vividly.

This scene in the dream was identical to the illusion he had seen in the carriage.

Whether it was a dream or an illusion, the moment she lunged at him, his heart pounded fiercely, as if he had a cardiac condition.

Gu Changjin frowned. He disliked this feeling of losing control immensely, let alone experiencing it in a dream.

He forcefully pulled himself out of the dream, but upon waking, the sight of that face made his heart race again.

"You're awake?"

A pleasant voice suddenly sounded by his ear, and Gu Changjin snapped back to reality, pressing his lips together even more tightly.

He... had actually lost focus.

This was unprecedented for him.

His expression was terrible, and Rong Shu assumed it was due to the pain from his wounds. She put the pine nut candy she had just picked up back into the sugar jar and continued, "Shall I call Chang Ji and Heng Ping in?"

He awoke earlier than she had anticipated, and she initially thought it was because his injuries this time were less severe than in his previous life. However, the ashen complexion he wore suggested otherwise.

Gu Changjin gazed at her silently, his dark eyes reflecting her bright face.

The young lady was in the prime of her youth, with delicate features and a beauty akin to a blossoming peach flower in February or a radiant moon surrounded by countless stars.

After a moment, he lowered his gaze and said, "Yes, let them in."

Rong Shu carried the candy jar out and called for the servants before settling down under the wutong tree to enjoy the cool breeze.

As the golden sun sank in the west, a gentle wind blew, and a streak of red light illuminated the clouds in the distant sky, making them appear unusually magnificent.

Yingyue and Ying Que arrived with two maids from the small kitchen. Seeing Rong Shu leisurely sitting beneath the tree, they hurriedly asked, "Why have you come out here?"

From afar, Rong Shu could already smell the aroma of chestnut chicken stew. She waved with a smile. "We'll eat here today. Second Master has already awakened and is discussing matters with Chang Ji and the others inside. Let's not disturb them."

Wicker chairs and a table were set up under the wutong tree, barely suitable for dining, but they couldn't compare to the comfort of the main house's eight-legged table.

"Are you not waiting for Lord to eat together?" Ying Que gestured towards the main house. "I just asked Chang Ji, and the doctor said that Lord can only consume porridge for the time being. A maid from the small kitchen specially prepared a yam and job's tears porridge for Second Master."

"Are you suggesting that Second Master should watch me enjoy a hearty meal while he sips his gruel?" Rong Shu fanned herself leisurely and said, "For someone who's ill, the sight of food they can't have is the most tormenting thing."

If Madam Shen were present, she would surely scold Rong Shu for her twisted logic.

Gu Changjin wasn't one to indulge in culinary pleasures; even if Rong Shu were to devour dragon's marrow and phoenix's liver before him, he wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Ironically, the two maidservants nodded seriously in response to Rong Shu's words, "Miss is always so thoughtful."

Their conversation, separated only by a wall, had long been overheard by those inside the room. The three of them, having trained in martial arts since childhood, possessed exceptional hearing—Gu Changjin's being the keenest.

Chang Ji expressed his gratitude sincerely, "Madam is truly as compassionate as a bodhisattva."

Gu Changjin glanced at him nonchalantly.

Among his attendants, one was a drunkard, another a glutton, and the third a sleepyhead. Chang Ji was the glutton, hence he resonated with Rong Shu's words.

Gu Changjin had no intention of engaging in conversation with Chang Ji. He rubbed his temples and said, "Fetch the medicine."

Whenever he was injured or fell ill in the past, the first thing he would do upon waking up was to take his medicine. This time was no different. However, just as he spoke, Chang Ji exclaimed, "Medicine? Oh, the medicine! Madam has already administered it to Master!"

With two fingers raised, he added teasingly, "Twice, actually."

The atmosphere in the room froze.

Gu Changjin lifted his eyelids and looked at Chang Ji, asking meticulously, "While I was unconscious, it was Lady who fed me the medicinal soup, and I... drank it?"

Chang Ji nodded fervently.

"Madam fed me much better than any of us, not even dampening the pillowcase once. Speaking of which, it's quite remarkable, isn't it?"

Indeed, how remarkable?

Ever since the Master was seven years old, few had managed to feed him anything while he was unconscious, be it water or medicine. He always had to wake up on his own to consume them.

Chang Ji recalled that when the Master was ten and severely injured, he was burning with fever and oblivious to his surroundings. In an attempt to feed him medicine, he, Heng Ping, and Shiiun almost dislocated the Master's jaw. Even then, they couldn't get a single drop of medicine into his mouth.

Over the years, Chang Ji feared feeding the Master medicine more than getting injured himself. Whoever could successfully feed the medicine would be like his father – no, a deity to him.

Scratching his head, he turned to Heng Ping and asked, "Could it be that we three, along with Shiiun, failed because we're too rough? Madam is meticulous and gentle, which is why she could feed the medicine so smoothly."

Heng Ping was deeply displeased with being labeled as "crude and unrefined." His gaze at Chang Ji was as if he were looking at an idiot.

Upon being stared at by Heng Ping, Chang Ji suddenly recalled that in the past, Madam had also tried to feed medicine to Miss Wen Xi...

Of course, it hadn't worked.

Listening to Chang Ji's recollection, Gu Changjin fell silent for a moment before saying, "If I should fall into another coma, do not let her enter the room or allow her to feed me medicine."

Chang Ji refused to comply. It was rare to encounter someone like a compassionate deity who could feed medicine to their master while they were unconscious. How could he possibly turn such a person away?

He hurriedly signaled to Heng Ping, but to his frustration, the dullard acknowledged with a blank face, "Yes."

What 'yes'! Chang Ji glared at Heng Ping in anger.

Ying Que carried a bowl of mountain yam porridge to the veranda. Hearing no noise from inside the room, she assumed they had finished their discussion and knocked on the door, saying, "Second Master, Young Mistress has sent this servant to bring you some porridge."

Both Chang Ji and Heng Ping turned their attention to Gu Changjin.

Gu Changjin replied coolly, "Bring the porridge in, and we'll head to the study later."

Chang Ji hesitated, "Master, your wounds have yet to fully heal. Why not rest and recuperate in the main house for a few days? At least you'll be able to sleep more comfortably."

Gu Changjin shook his head. "The case involving Xu Li'er cannot wait. If I don't attend the morning court session tomorrow, delaying it for a few more days, the Jin family might not be able to hold on any longer."