Chapter 50: Healing

Chapter 50: Healing

After Madam Yang left, the bedroom fell into an eerie silence.

A Yuan sat in a daze on the chaise longue, her face as pale as a sheet.

Wei Xun held her hand, his eyes filled with deep pity and guilt.

He had only assumed that A Yuan disliked the bitterness of the contraceptive soup, never realizing it would damage her health.

"Make sure to take the medicine prescribed by Madam Yang on time. Even though it may be difficult to conceive, she also mentioned that with proper care, there is still a possibility... If we truly cannot have children, we can always adopt one."

Adopt a child?

A bitter smile played on A Yuan's lips.

An adopted child would never truly be her own. After all, it was just her misfortune.

But considering Madam Wei's words, perhaps it was for the best not to have a child.

A Yuan blinked away the tears in her eyes and looked up with a soft smile.

"I will follow your wishes, my lord."

Her smile was gentle and compliant, but Wei Xun's heart felt as if it were being crushed, a sharp pain piercing through.

"Things will get better... everything will improve..."

He held A Yuan's hand, speaking with resolve, as if it could hide the fear in his heart.

He had once dreamed of having a daughter with A Yuan, but now that dream was shattered.

......

Madam Yang stayed to assist A Yuan in her recovery, preparing the medicine daily and bringing it to her.

Wei Xun, aware of her dislike for bitterness, prepared two large bags of candied fruits and personally watched her drink the medicine.

After downing a large bowl of bitter medicinal soup, A Yuan's mouth was filled with the taste of bitterness.

She frowned, her small face scrunching up.

Wei Xun quickly fed her a candied fruit. "Open your mouth."

A Yuan obediently opened her mouth and bit into the candied fruit, but perhaps because she had drunk too much of the bitter soup, even the candied fruit couldn't mask the bitterness.

The concubine's eyes were misty, and Wei Xun's gaze darkened.

He wasn't used to having servants around, so the bedroom was just the two of them.

A Yuan's eyes reddened from the bitterness, and Wei Xun cupped her face, leaning down slightly to ask, "Is it very bitter?"

Their faces were less than an inch apart, and when A Yuan nodded, her hair brushed against his palm.

Her hair, like her person, made his heart tingle.

Wei Xun could no longer resist and lowered his head to capture her lips, his tongue entwining with hers, slowly taking away the bitterness in her mouth.

A Yuan's tongue went numb, her arms clinging to his shoulders, standing on tiptoe to nestle in his embrace.

The man's lips and teeth seemed to carry tenderness, from her red lips to her snowy hills, down to her jade feet, their clothes scattered on the floor. A Yuan's body softened, gradually melting in the warm spring water.

......

When she woke up again, it was already the next morning. A Yuan's throat was dry, and her body felt weak.

Young Master Wei was not by her side. Chun Tao, hearing the noise, pushed the door open and entered.

"Lady Xie, Young Master Wei had some matters to attend to and will be away for two days. He saw that you were sleeping soundly and didn't want to disturb you."

The young maid helped her get up while relaying Young Master Wei's instructions.

"...Understood."

A Yuan nodded. For some reason, hearing that Young Master Wei was not around made her feel somewhat relieved.

"Young Master Wei said that even in his absence, you must take your medicine properly. It's getting colder now, so wear more clothes when you go out and don't catch a chill..."

Chun Tao also knew about A Yuan's inability to conceive. Her mistress was such a kind person, yet she couldn't become a mother.

Chun Tao turned slightly, her eyes reddening, and when she spoke again, her voice was choked with emotion.

"Lady Xie, please take your medicine properly. You will surely get better."

"Silly child, why are you crying? I'm fine, don't worry."

A Yuan took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from Chun Tao's face, comforting her instead.

"Go and bring the medicine, and while you're at it, ask Young Master Wei's attendants if I can go out for a walk. I've been cooped up here for too long and feel quite stifled."

"Yes."

Chun Tao responded and left.

Now, A Yuan was the most favored person by Young Master Wei's side. If she wanted to go out, the servants naturally wouldn't dare to stop her.

However, A Yuan's status was noble, and if anything happened, they couldn't bear the responsibility.

Fortunately, A Yuan only mentioned that she wanted to take a walk around the estate, with maids and elderly women accompanying her, so there wouldn't be any danger.

After A Yuan finished her medicine, Chun Tao helped her put on a fur-lined cape and a veiled hat, ensuring she wouldn't catch any wind before letting her go out.

Outside the manor, two rows of sycamore trees stood. By autumn, the leaves had already been knocked down by the frost, leaving only leafless branches.

A Yuan stood under the tree for a moment, gazing through the leafless branches as if she could see the verdant splendor of spring and summer.

"Is there a place selling steamed buns around here?"

"Does Lady Xie want to eat steamed buns? We can have the kitchen staff prepare some. The street food isn't as clean as what we make ourselves."

The servants accompanying A Yuan were all from the manor. They weren't familiar with A Yuan's temperament, but they all knew that Young Master Wei doted on her immensely, so they served her with great care.

Hearing that A Yuan wanted to eat steamed buns, they instinctively wanted to order the kitchen staff to prepare some, as the masters were fragile and street food could easily cause stomach trouble.

"It's alright. I just want to sample some street food. I won't overindulge. If I do get a stomachache, it's my own fault, and Young Master Wei won't punish you for it."

"Well..."

With A Yuan saying so, the servants didn't dare to persuade her further. A portly matron stepped forward.

"Lady Xie, there's a Zhang's Steamed Buns on Baolin Road ahead. Their pickled cabbage and pork buns are renowned. If you want to sample them, you can go there."

"Zhang's Steamed Buns..."

A Yuan murmured under her breath, her hands hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly.

"Let's head to her house then."

Baolin Street was only two blocks away from the hot spring estate. The servants wanted A Yuan to take a carriage, but she refused.

She didn’t often get the chance to go out and wanted to stretch her legs.

Luckily, this area was sparsely populated, so there was no commotion. The servants followed behind her as the group headed towards Zhang's Bun Shop.

The southern district was mostly working-class, and the vibe was far livelier than in the imperial city.

Zhang’s buns were big, stuffed to the brim, and still cheap. Every day, the line of customers would stretch all the way down the block.

"Lady Qiu, one more basket, please!"

"Me too! I want the pork and scallion filling."

The customers were chatting up a storm, but the bun seller stayed cool and collected.

Her calm, gentle face was lit up with a smile, and even her plain clothes couldn’t dull her beauty.

"We’re out of pork and scallion buns. The next batch will be ready in about seven minutes."

Her soft, gentle voice quickly calmed the impatient customers. The man scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "Seven minutes? That’s nothing. I’ll wait."

Zhang’s buns were tasty, but a lot of folks lined up just to see Lady Qiu.

In this out-of-the-way southern district, a fairy-like woman had appeared out of nowhere, setting the hearts of single men racing.

"Madam, that’s Lady Qiu..."

A Yuan and her group stood at the corner of the street. Chun Tao, seeing the woman selling buns, whispered to her.

A Yuan hummed softly. Their voices were hushed, and the servants trailing behind didn’t catch a word.

With the crowd at Zhang’s Bun Shop, the servants were worried their mistress might get bumped.

"Lady Xie, I’ll get in line. You and Miss Chun Tao can stay here."