Chapter 35 After a Short Separation

Chapter 35 After a Brief Separation

Before the meal, Madam Li had instructed Jin Rong and her younger brother to take a good bath and change their clothes upon returning to their room to ward off any sickness they might have carried back.

Jian Ru had told Xiao Ning to heat the water first after finishing the meal.

By the time they returned, the water was already heated and simmering in the large pot.

Ever since the two had become a true married couple, Jian Ru no longer excused himself when the Second Young Master bathed.

When the water cooled from a long bath, he would bring over a basin of hot water to top it up, and he would use a cloth to help the Second Young Master wash his back and his smooth, long hair.

Once the bath was finished, when the Second Young Master rose from the tub, Jian Ru would avert his eyes shyly, holding clean inner garments and waiting nearby.

After the other had dried off, he would help him put on his clothes.

Jian Ru had bathed just last night and hadn’t planned on bathing again today, but there was still some hot water left. Not wanting to waste it, he simply took a basin and gave himself a quick sponge bath.

He glanced back and saw the Second Young Master propped against the headboard, drying his hair. Those beautiful eyes looked at the basin of water on the stool, then slowly shifted their gaze to him.

The window was covered by a curtain, but the afternoon light was still bright, so the room was still fairly bright.

Jian Ru turned back, bit his lower lip, and with his back to the bed, undid the ties of his robes, slipping out of them one piece at a time.

The stove kept the room warm, but the sudden contact of his skin with the room’s air still made him feel a chill, and he gave a slight shiver.

He didn’t see that, at that moment, the cloth the Second Young Master was using to dry his hair fell to the ground.

Jian Ru bent over, dampened the cloth, and began washing himself.

Just as he was about to wash his back, footsteps drew near and paused behind him.

A slender, fair hand took the cloth from him and gently wiped his back for him.

"Let me help you," a slightly hoarse young male voice said.

Jian Ru dutifully bowed his head, shivering slightly when the person behind him held his waist.

After a while, the cloth was dropped into the basin with a soft splash, and a heated body pressed against his bare back—skin to skin.

The arm around his waist slid around to his front, holding him.

Jian Ru’s eyes reddened, and he wanted to cry.

Li Jintong kissed his ear and cheek, asking softly, "What is it?"

Jian Ru said, "I want to, too, but during the day… we shouldn’t during the day…" As he spoke, his voice caught with emotion.

Li Jintong pressed tender kisses to his eyelids and led him to the bed. Jian Ru didn’t dare look at him, keeping his head down as tears fell.

Li Jintong turned and picked something up from beside the bed. Jian Ru looked up and saw him holding a hair ribbon, gesturing to his own eyes as he said, "Help me tie this, okay?"

Jian Ru blinked, another string of tears falling. Li Jintong affectionately kissed his eyelids several more times and whispered, "If you don’t want me to see, I won’t look."

Jian Ru gazed at him in a daze, finally stopping his tears, and nodded. He took the ribbon and tied it around the Second Young Master’s head, snug but not tight, covering his eyes.

The two embraced and lay down on the bed. The Second Young Master kissed him slowly, while Jian Ru’s hands hovered between clinging and pushing against his shoulders.

When the Second Young Master lost strength, Jian Ru pushed him down onto the bed and switched positions.

But perhaps because he had just cried, it wasn’t long before Jian Ru wearied as well.

The Second Young Master, however, was different from usual and quickly recovered. Jian Ru’s back ached and tingled from the friction, and his head was dizzy from the movement. He thought hazily that the Second Young Master must not have stopped exercising these days—his endurance had gotten better.

Unconsciously, the ribbon covering his eyes loosened and fell onto Jian Ru’s flustered face. He realized and froze.

The Second Young Master kissed him with his eyes closed. "Don’t worry, I won’t open them."

Jian Ru cried again, lifting his head to meet the kisses.

……

Jian Ru was exhausted. After it was over, he couldn’t keep his eyes open. He was terribly thirsty but too tired to get up for water, so he was given water mouth-to-mouth while being held.

After drinking, he fell asleep. When he woke again, it was already dark, and the room was shadowy.

He moved slightly, and the Second Young Master moved as well, reaching out from under the covers to touch his forehead, then down his neck and shoulders to his wrist.

Jian Ru closed his eyes, feeling the Second Young Master check his pulse. He remained still and heard the other breathe a soft sigh of relief. Without overthinking it, as soon as his fingers were released, he turned over.

Li Jintong pulled him closer and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"

Jian Ru shook his head.

Pressed skin to skin like this, Jian Ru sighed contentedly.

The two held each other for a while.

"Mother said everyone at the clinic has been praising you," Li Jintong said.

Jian Ru burrowed into his chest and replied, "They’ve all been very kind to me."

Li Jintong kissed the top of his head and said with a smile, "Since when has Xiao Ru become so modest?"

Jian Ru gently bumped his forehead against Li Jintong’s chin. "I’ve always been."

Li Jintong laughed.

After laughing, he whispered in Jian Ru’s ear, "The lotus leaf cakes from Second Uncle’s house are delicious. I brought some back in my bag, didn’t tell Qiao Zhi and the other one. I’ll get them for you later."

Jian Ru was both amused and exasperated. "What sort of uncle does that!"

Li Jintong chuckled. "That’s why, compared to their little uncle, they prefer their little aunt."

Jian Ru loved being praised but said, "Not at all."

The two made small talk for a while. Li Jintong glanced at the sky outside the window and asked, "Are you still sleepy? Do you want to rest a bit more?"

Jian Ru shook his head. "If I sleep now, I’ll be up all night. Xiao Ning should have dinner ready. Let’s get up and eat."

As he spoke, he tried to get up, but his body was still held tight, unable to move.

Jian Ru asked, "Aren’t we getting up?"

Li Jintong said, "Let’s lie here a bit longer."

Jian Ru thought the Second Young Master wanted to sleep a little more, so he lay back down.

But as soon as he settled, Li Jintong turned over and kissed him. After a while, Jian Ru craned to look over his shoulder. The Second Young Master asked hoarsely, "What’s wrong?"

Jian Ru leaned close to the second young master's ear, feeling extremely embarrassed as he asked, "Why... why do you always touch me there? It hurts."

When he heard this, the second young master didn’t let go at all. Instead, he also leaned close to Jian Ru’s ear and whispered, "I just like it."

Jian Ru let out a soft whimper.

The second young master soothed him, "I’ll be gentler next time."

...

Jian Ru had slept too much in the afternoon, so when he lay in bed that night, the second young master fell asleep quickly, but Jian Ru remained wide awake for a long time.

He lay on his side, gazing at the faint silhouette in the darkness beside him, listening to the other’s soft, even breathing as he got lost in thought.

Jian Ru rarely cried, but that afternoon, he had cried several times.

He felt wronged in his heart, and he also felt wronged on behalf of the second young master.

Wanting to be intimate with his husband, yet having to worry about that half of his face that was disfigured.

He knew the second young master didn’t mind, but he just couldn’t get past that hurdle in his own heart.

He could tell that every time, the second young master wanted to light candles, but each time, he compromised because of Jian Ru’s reluctance.

Was he really going to let him suffer like this for the rest of his life?

How could he bear to do that to someone as good as the second young master?

Jian Ru touched the uneven scars on his face, his heart twisting with pain.

He also recalled the days he had spent helping out at the clinic. The doctors and workers, having gotten to know him, had asked about the origin of the scars on his face. Never one to shy away from the topic, Jian Ru had told them the truth.

They all asked if he had let the second young lady take a look, and they all urged him, saying that Jin Rong was highly skilled—whether it could be cured or not, he should at least give it a try.

They didn’t know that, right after Jian Ru was injured, he hadn’t given up. Though he didn’t have much money, he had tried many folk remedies. Once, he nearly ruined his face—the skin peeled off layer by layer, frightening him so much he lay awake half the night.

He never had the courage to tell his second sister, Jin Rong, about these attempts.

Time after time, he had held onto hope, only to be disappointed. After that incident where his face nearly rotted away, Jian Ru realized that he had only just managed to emerge from the shadow of losing his parents—he couldn’t continue to harm himself like this.

So, he finally gave up, no longer dwelling on the idea of restoring his scars. From that point on, his life began to return to normal.

Jian Ru was terrified of falling back into that state, and even more afraid of dragging the second young master or even the entire Li family down with him. He didn’t want them to worry about him and feel sad over and over again.

He always urged the second young master to be more accepting, not to fear burdening the family, but in truth, Jian Ru himself couldn’t fully let go either. He was willing to give everything to care for his family, but he couldn’t bear the thought of being even the slightest burden to them.

The longer he spent with the second young master, the more he understood the helplessness and difficulties hidden in his heart.

Thinking of it this way, his refusal to light candles during their intimate moments felt even more unforgivable. The second young master had been cooped up at home for almost the entire winter, with few things to bring him joy.

Jian Ru shed a few more tears, wiped them away, sniffled, and eventually drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

...

After the second young master returned, he spoke to his mother about letting Jian Ru continue helping at the clinic. Since the free clinic event was approaching and the clinic was busy, Madam Li agreed.

The Li Family Clinic held free clinics twice a year, in February and August, each lasting three days. The dates were fixed, and people from nearby villages and towns all knew about them.

During these three days, not only were consultations and prescriptions free, but common medicines were also provided at no cost.

On such occasions, those who were reasonably well-off and didn’t have urgent illnesses would voluntarily stay away. Those who came were truly impoverished and had no other choice.

Even if a few who could afford it showed up to take advantage, the Li family didn’t make an issue of it.

Jian Ru finally understood why his mother-in-law was always so frugal. After helping the Old Accountant take stock of the medicines and calculate the expenses, he realized that the estimated cost of medicines given away over those three days was no small sum.

If the money had been his, Jian Ru honestly doubted he would have been willing to spend it all on strangers. Because of this, he admired Madam Li and the entire family’s generosity even more.

During these days, Madam Li was also busy at the clinic. Taking a break to rest and drink tea, she was accompanied by Granny Jin, who glanced toward the front hall and remarked, "I see the Old Accountant trusts Jian Ru a great deal. He’s entrusted quite a few tasks to him alone."

But Madam Li’s expression was somber, and she sighed.

Granny Jin looked at her, puzzled.

With no one else around and Granny Jin being someone she had brought from her family home—someone she could speak freely with—Madam Li said plainly, "The better Xiao Ru performs, the more uneasy I feel."

She even regretted having asked Jian Ru to help at the clinic earlier.

Granny Jin frowned slightly, beginning to understand.

Madam Li continued, "I’m getting older. When it comes to medical skills, the children in this family are all competent, but none of them are cut out to manage the clinic. Jin Hui is the best of the lot, but barely adequate. When I’m no longer able to manage, if both clinics fall to her, she’ll likely struggle."

"As for Xiao Ru, he hasn’t been helping at the clinic for long, but I can see he’s capable and adaptable. The doctors and workers all admire him. His manner and approach are almost exactly like mine when I was young—though I was even less patient back then. I’ve noticed that even when dealing with difficult patients, he remains calm and patient, unlike me, who sometimes couldn’t control my temper."

She looked at Granny Jin and patted her hand. "I know you adore this child, and I do too. But as a mother, I’ve carried guilt ever since my youngest was born with his condition. Jin Hui always says I’m biased, but I feel I’ve failed my youngest. If Jian Ru stays at the clinic, how much energy will he have left to care for him when things get busy?"

"I know I’m being selfish, but what else can I do?"

Granny Jin frowned deeply, her face showing clear distress. Madam Li heaved a heavy sigh and said, "Perhaps my youngest sensed my hesitation and worried I’d wrong Jian Ru. That’s why he asked me to let Jian Ru continue helping. I was afraid that, having just returned from helping my second brother’s family, he was already tired. If he got upset, it might trigger his illness again, so I had no choice but to agree."

"Once these few days are over, Jian Ru will have to go back," Madam Li said firmly.

Granny Jin hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "And for this free clinic, will you still not allow the second young master to see patients?"

Madam Li glanced at her. "Did he ask you to plead on his behalf?"

Granny Jin shook her head. "No, I’m just meddling. Ah."

Madam Li said decisively, "My stance remains the same: if he wants to practice, he can wait until the weather warms up."

Granny Jin’s expression darkened, and she fell silent.