Chapter 37 Coaxing

Chapter 37 Comforting

During the days of the free clinic, Jian Ru steadfastly refused to go out and help, despite the Second Young Master’s repeated pleas. Madam Li, upon learning this, said nothing. Instead, in a rare display of generosity, she sent Granny Jin to a renowned town shop to buy an abundance of expensive treats, which were then delivered to their home.

The Second Young Master maintained his usual routine: rising early for exercise, having breakfast, and then proceeding to the main house to pay his respects. After seeing the family off, he would return with Jian Ru to their room to study and practice calligraphy. They would read together for a while, take a stroll after lunch, enjoy an afternoon nap, and then spend the rest of the day chatting and reading. Another day would pass in this manner.

He appeared outwardly unchanged—still gentle, mild-mannered, and quick to smile when teased. Yet, Jian Ru sensed an underlying unhappiness in the Second Young Master.

Lying in bed that night, Jian Ru resolved to cheer him up.

On their wedding day, Granny Jin had imparted certain marital techniques, which Jian Ru had committed to memory. However, he hadn't had the opportunity, nor the courage, to employ any of them. Tonight, determined to comfort the Second Young Master, Jian Ru cast aside all reservations.

He rose, extinguished the candle, and returned to bed. Drawing the bed curtains, he plunged beneath the covers, allowing no room for hesitation.

At first, the Second Young Master thought Jian Ru was merely being playful and chuckled, playfully dodging him.

But his laughter soon faded. What Jian Ru was doing, he had glimpsed in erotic albums, but each time, he found it too… and would quickly flip past, not daring to linger, never imagining such a scene would one day become reality.

Panting, he reached under the covers, attempting to grasp Jian Ru’s shoulders to pull him up. But Jian Ru’s skin was too smooth and delicate, offering no purchase.

Just then, perhaps finding the confines of the covers stifling, and emboldened by the extinguished candle and the absolute darkness within the bed curtains, Jian Ru suddenly flung the quilt aside.

Li Jintong looked down, and a rush of blood immediately surged to his face, his mind reeling. He felt an itch in his nose, as if a warm liquid was escaping, and instinctively raised a hand to cover it.

Jian Ru, still oblivious, was awkward and unskilled in his first attempt. He found it both suffocating and exhausting. Yet, hearing the Second Young Master’s gasps, he felt a profound sense of satisfaction.

It was the Second Young Master’s first experience of such intimacy, and he couldn't sustain it for long.

Jian Ru, lacking experience, didn't retreat in time. Overwhelmed with shame, he dared not utter a sound, forcing himself to swallow it. Afterward, he gasped for breath, his lips reddened, unaware of the lingering traces.

Before the Second Young Master could fully recover, he quickly sat up and, without hesitation or fumbling, wiped the residue from the corners of Jian Ru’s mouth.

Jian Ru sensed something was amiss. "You… you can see?"

The Second Young Master hesitated before replying, "No…"

Jian Ru relaxed, accepting his answer without suspicion, believing it to be a mere coincidence.

The Second Young Master cupped his face and leaned in to kiss him. Jian Ru struggled, "I need to rinse my mouth."

Li Jintong released him and got out of bed. Jian Ru lay facing inward, still overcome with shyness, and instructed, "Don't light the candle."

Li Jintong assented and returned shortly. Jian Ru sat up, rinsed his mouth in the darkness, had his lips meticulously wiped clean again, and then drank a cup of warm water.

They embraced and lay down once more. The Second Young Master shifted downward, intending to reciprocate, but Jian Ru quickly pulled him back, firmly refusing.

However, Li Jintong had just released once and wouldn't be ready again so soon. Moreover, given his delicate constitution, he couldn't be reckless in such matters.

Feeling a debt to his husband, he persisted.

Jian Ru simply held him tightly and comforted him, "There's no rush. Let's wait… for later."

But Li Jintong still whispered in his ear, "When is 'later'?"

Jian Ru was at a loss for an answer, yet a subtle thought emerged: if his face were to heal, perhaps they could keep the candle lit. He yearned to witness the Second Young Master with his own eyes…

Jian Ru eventually persuaded the Second Young Master to postpone it. After such an emotionally charged encounter, neither could sleep immediately, so they nestled together and talked.

Their conversation eventually drifted to the free clinic of the past few days.

The Second Young Master's mood noticeably dampened. Jian Ru held him like a child, repeatedly stroking his hair, and softly asked, "Do you like being a doctor?"

Li Jintong murmured, "Yes, I do."

"When I was very young, my father compelled me to read medical texts. Gradually, I found myself growing more familiar with medicinal herbs. The elderly servants working at home would playfully ask me to check their pulses. When my diagnoses matched those of my older siblings, the surprised delight on their faces has always stayed with me."

"Later, as I grew older, whenever I felt well enough, I would help my father see patients and write prescriptions. When patients recovered and brought homemade food to the clinic to thank us, their expressions of gratitude also remained etched in my memory."

"I like being a doctor. I like healing patients," the Second Young Master concluded.

Jian Ru's heart ached. Stroking the hair of the person in his arms, he said, "Mother said that once the weather warms, she'll let you see patients at the clinic. Elder Sister mentioned another free clinic in July—you'll definitely be able to go then."

The Second Young Master remained silent for a long while.

Jian Ru looked down at him, but in the darkness, he could only barely discern his beautiful silhouette.

"Mother won't let me go," Li Jintong suddenly said.

"What?" Jian Ru exclaimed in surprise.

Li Jintong spoke slowly. "She always says that. Only once, during a summer when I threw a terrible tantrum, did she let me go. But I only lasted half a day before fainting from heatstroke. I haven't been since."

Jian Ru's heart trembled. "Then… then the plan to go to the clinic when it warms up—that's still true, isn't it?"

In the darkness, Li Jintong nodded, then shook his head. "It's true, but I can't go when it cools down, or when it's windy, rainy, or overcast."

"There are very few days in a year when I'm truly well. What I fear most is a change in the weather."

Jian Ru's heart ached terribly. He wished he could trade places—be the one bedridden at home, allowing the Second Young Master to live a life of freedom and abandon.

…

The next morning, the weather was splendid, the sunlight warm and gentle, even softening the ground.

The couple, as usual, went to the main house to pay their respects and see the family off.

On their way back to their small courtyard, they walked slowly, side by side.

It was the last day of the free clinic. Madam Li's expression had been somewhat strained when she saw the Second Young Master earlier—likely she was also distressed—but she still hadn't relented.

Despite Jian Ru's efforts to comfort him the night before, the Second Young Master was particularly quiet today.

The free clinic was short-staffed, so the Old Madam had called Xiao Ning to help. Today, only the two of them remained in the small courtyard.

Jian Ru had made a plan before going to bed the previous night. Listening to the fading sounds of Qiao Zhi and Xian Yu's commotion from the neighboring courtyard, he remained unhurried. He and the Second Young Master stayed in their room, diligently practicing character recognition and writing.

When it was almost noon, he finally tugged the Second Young Master’s sleeve, his eyes shining, and said, "Let me take you somewhere."

Li Jintong looked at him in surprise. Jian Ru tugged his sleeve again, and without asking anything, he nodded.

Jian Ru rummaged through the wardrobe—this one wouldn't do, that one wasn't suitable. After searching for a while, he finally found an old set of clothes from the Second Young Master's past years and had him put it on. He also found his own old outer garment to wear.

The Second Young Master didn't understand his intentions but complied.

The air outside was still warm, but it would grow cold when the sun set in the afternoon, so Jian Ru made sure they were both bundled up tightly.

They slipped out through the back door, where a carriage was waiting. Just as the coachman was about to speak, Jian Ru quickly shushed him with a finger to his lips. The Second Young Master climbed into the carriage first and reached out a hand to pull him up. Peeking cautiously through the curtains on either side like thieves, they watched as the carriage clip-clopped its way out of the alley.

Inside the carriage, Jian Ru covered his mouth to suppress a giggle. The Second Young Master chuckled too but couldn't resist asking, "Where are we going?"

Jian Ru replied in a bright, clear voice, "I'm taking you to buy groceries."

The carriage swayed and rattled as it left the alley, turned a corner, and disappeared from sight.

At the back gate of the neighboring courtyard, Li Jinhui craned her neck to look down the back street for a while before frowning and returning inside.

In the room, Zhao Pin sat by the table. Qiao Zhi and Xian Yu had both gone for their lessons with the tutor, leaving only the couple alone.

Zhao Pin had already fetched the hot water and was holding a cloth towel. After washing her hands, Jinhui walked over, took the towel from him, and was about to rinse it in the basin when Zhao Pin quickly stopped her, saying, "The water's hot, let me do it."

Jinhui didn't pull her hand back but instead moved it forward, so Zhao Pin's hand ended up grasping the back of hers.

Jinhui laughed softly. Zhao Pin looked up, staring at her in a daze.

Jinhui asked, "Silly you, what are you looking at?"

Zhao Pin's ears turned red. He glanced at her again and said, "You're beautiful." Then, lowering his head, he smiled faintly.

Hearing this, Jinhui pinched his earlobe and rubbed it gently. "No backbone. Isn't everyone in the family better-looking than me?"

Unlike others who might flatter their wives by saying they're the most beautiful, Zhao Pin didn't respond with such words. Instead, the redness spread from his ears to his neck, even tinting the fading bruises on his face.

Jinhui felt her own face grow warm but acted as though it were nothing and very naturally went to rinse the towel, applying it to his face while it was still hot.

After a while, Zhao Pin noticed Jinhui sitting across from him, lost in thought, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Jinhui snapped out of it and said, "I think I just saw my younger brother and his husband sneaking out. When we go to the clinic later, I should tell Mother."

Zhao Pin listened but remained silent.

Jinhui looked at him. "What, you don't agree?"

Zhao Pin shook his head. "I was just thinking how hard it must be for the Second Young Master and Jian Ru. These past few days couldn't have been easy for either of them."

Jinhui fell silent, staring intently at him.

Zhao Pin touched his face and smiled. "What is it?"

Jinhui pinched the uninjured side of his cheek. "Trying to charm me? No chance!"

Zhao Pin laughed. Jinhui shot him a half-scolding, half-amused glare, added hot water to the basin, carefully removed the towel, rinsed it, and reapplied it.

Though she said "no chance," Jinhui ultimately didn't tell her mother about the incident.

...

The Second Young Master followed Jian Ru out of the carriage and ducked into a narrow alley. After walking a short distance and turning a corner, they reached their destination.

The Second Young Master had never been to such a place. Even before entering the alley, he could smell the odor of animal waste, and grimy water gurgled along the ground.

He finally understood why Jian Ru had insisted on dressing them in old clothes and shoes.

Jian Ru tugged his arm, peering inside with a sly smile. "Old Lady Wang and the others come here every morning to buy groceries. They've probably already gone home to prepare lunch, so now's the perfect time for us to come."

The Second Young Master asked, "How did you know about this place?"

Jian Ru replied happily, "When I used to come to town from the village, I'd always stop by here."

The Second Young Master looked at him with a strange expression. Jian Ru thought he might be reluctant to enter the alley and asked, "What's wrong? If you don't want to—"

The Second Young Master shook his head. "I was just thinking that if I had come here with Old Lady Wang and the others back then, I might have met you here earlier."

Hearing this, Jian Ru felt inexplicably embarrassed. Then, his mood soured as he said, "If we'd met back then, and I hadn't fished you out of the river, you probably wouldn't have given me a second glance."

The Second Young Master didn't deny it. If they had met back then, he certainly wouldn't have paid Jian Ru any attention—not because of the scar on his face, but simply because it wouldn't have mattered.

Though he had often wondered what kind of person he would marry someday, he had never truly understood love until he met Jian Ru after their marriage.

The Second Young Master asked softly, "What about you? If you had met me back then, what would you have done?"

Jian Ru looked at him, taking in his exquisitely handsome face and the way his old clothes still seemed to flow elegantly around him. "If I had seen you back then," he said, "I would have been so captivated, I'd have lain awake thinking of you."