Chapter 45 Biding One’s Time

Chapter 45: Lying Low

Lei Ding wasn't able to see Wu Qiu until the day after the punishment.

Li Gan's skills were truly no joke. Although Lei Ding's wounds looked gruesome and terrifying, in reality, not only were his internal organs unharmed, but even his bones and tendons were undamaged. Lei Ding's constitution was robust, and he regained consciousness that very evening after returning to the clinic from the magistrate's office.

But he still wouldn't allow Wu Qiu to see him immediately. Firstly, while his wounds weren't fatal, they were still gaping and bloody, saturating the room with the smell of blood and medicine. Wu Qiu had been on edge these past two days and it might be too much for him. Secondly, the pain was so intense he couldn't find a moment's peace; the bedding beneath him was drenched with sweat, and his appearance was truly wretched. He didn't want Wu Qiu to see him like this, afraid it would only make him worry more. The room he was recuperating in after returning was the very one Wu Qiu had stayed in when he first arrived at the clinic. Although Wu Qiu's belongings had all been moved to the East Wing courtyard now, just thinking that Wu Qiu had once lived, walked, sat, and slept here brought Lei Ding a bit of solace. This thought alone got him through the first sleepless night.

Cui Nanshan told him about what had happened during that time. Only then did Lei Ding learn that Wu Qiu, carrying his child, had interceded for him with the constables, and that he could only fall asleep at night clutching Lei Ding's clothes. Though the injury was on his body, Lei Ding's heart ached fiercely too. He had originally planned to wait a few more days before seeing Wu Qiu, but hearing all this made him feel so wretched he couldn't wait any longer. Early the next morning, he had Mrs. Liu open the windows to air the room out, gave his face a good wash, and after Lei Xun changed his bandages, he forced himself to sit up.

Before he could even ask Lei Xun to go fetch Wu Qiu, he heard a light knock on the window lattice outside, followed by Wu Qiu's voice: "Brother Ting, it's me. I want to see you. Just let me take a look, alright? Papa said I'm fine, and I just drank the prenatal tonic. Can I come in?"

Lei Ding hurriedly agreed. Lei Xun went out first, leaving them alone. Hearing Lei Ding's consent, Wu Qiu didn't even wait for Yang Shu to help him. He hurriedly pushed the door open himself. This small room wasn't as spacious as their room in the East Wing, and it didn't have separate inner and outer chambers. Although Wu Qiu had mentally prepared himself, the moment he entered and saw Lei Ding sitting on the bed, his eyes welled up again. Suppressing the urge to throw himself into Lei Ding's arms, he first turned to close the window: "Why is the window wide open like that? It's only April, the morning air is still cold. What if the wound catches a draft?"

In truth, he suddenly didn't dare turn around, didn't dare look at Lei Ding's wounds. Lei Ding saw him leaning against the window frame, standing with his back turned, closing the window but still not facing him, his shoulders trembling with suppressed emotion. Knowing he couldn't bear it, for a moment, the pain from his wounds was overshadowed by the continuous ache in his heart. He called softly, "Qiu Er, come here. Let me hold you for a while."

Wu Qiu turned around, his face already streaked with tears. He saw Lei Ding's pale complexion, his thin lips bloodless, dark circles under his eyes—likely from a night of pain without rest. Then he saw Lei Ding's torso wrapped in white bandages, intermittently from his shoulders all the way down to his lower abdomen. Tears rolled down like strings of pearls as he choked out, "It must hurt so much..."

Lei Ding took his hand and pulled him onto the bed to sit in his lap. Wu Qiu saw faint red seeping through the white bandages in some places on his back. Not daring to touch his shoulders or back, Wu Qiu wiped his tears and urged Lei Ding to lie down and rest: "Brother, you shouldn't be sitting up. Be careful of your wounds."

Lei Ding smiled. "It's fine. Just sitting won't touch them." Then he pulled Wu Qiu against his chest again, letting him nestle in his embrace. "This is good. Qiu Er, don't cry. It's just flesh wounds. They'll heal in a few days."

Hearing Lei Ding's voice, lacking its usual strength, tinged with the weakness of severe injury, made Wu Qiu even more heartbroken and speechless. Leaning against Lei Ding's chest, he pressed desperately against him, seeking comfort in his warmth. He sobbed and cried for a good while longer before gradually calming down. Taking a handkerchief, he wiped the sweat from Lei Ding's brow. "What can I do? Even if it eases your pain just a little..."

Lei Ding lowered his head, kissing his thin, soft lips, a faint smile appearing on his face. "This is enough."

He deliberately tried to steer Wu Qiu to talk about other things and quickly added, "I heard from Father about what happened the day before yesterday. It's all thanks to you pleading for me, Qiu Er. If not for that, I wouldn't be alive. I haven't even thanked you yet for saving my life."

Wu Qiu shook his head, rubbing his face against Lei Ding's chest. "Between us, there's no need for such words. This time, it really scared me to death. Yesterday, lying in bed alone, I just couldn't get warm no matter what. The baby was worried about you too, restless the whole time."

He took Lei Ding's hand and placed it on his own belly, saying softly, "Comfort him. Tell him you're alright."

Now that Wu Qiu was further along, the baby was very active. The moment Lei Ding's hand touched, the little one squirmed incessantly under his palm. Both of them couldn't help but smile. For a moment, Lei Ding felt the fiery, lacerating pain in his back seemed to fade a bit. He smiled, "Qiu Er, don't let the wounds scare you. They're mostly for show to outsiders. They're not that serious. They'll heal completely in less than a month. By then, the baby will be almost due, just in time for me to take good care of you."

Wu Qiu's face was still wet with tear tracks, but the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile as he whispered, "You coming back safe is the best thing."

They stayed like that, intimate and tender, for a long while. Worried Lei Ding was straining himself by sitting, Wu Qiu only held him for a short time before urging him to lie on his stomach. Wu Qiu sat by the bedside keeping him company, and when he got tired, he lay down beside him. He hadn't rested well these past two days either, crying a lot. When he came in today, his eyes were swollen and red. Now, with Lei Ding by his side, he finally relaxed a great deal. He had only meant to lie down and rest a bit, but unexpectedly, he fell asleep.

Lei Ding looked at Wu Qiu lying on his side facing him, both hands still clinging to one of his arms, his heart swelling with tenderness. But in his current position, even trying to kiss Wu Qiu's face was an effort. So he just extended the arm Wu Qiu was holding and lightly stroked his chin with his fingertips. He was utterly exhausted too. The pain in his back had become somewhat numb. Coupled with Wu Qiu's presence, which eased his heart considerably, he closed his eyes slightly, originally intending to rest his mind, but ended up drifting into a heavy sleep.

When Cui Nanshan came in carrying a food box, he saw the two of them squeezed together on that small bed, both asleep. Lei Xun followed behind him with medicine and, seeing him retreat, quickly asked what was wrong. Cui Nanshan wiped his eyes and smiled, "They've finally both fallen asleep. Let's go in later."

Lei Xun hadn't been punished, but he'd endured a day in jail, and after returning, he'd been watching over Lei Ding without proper rest either. After feeling sorry for the younger ones, Cui Nanshan turned to worry about the older one, pushing Lei Xun to go eat first. "Don't make me worry about one more person. Go eat."

That day when Lei Xun and Lei Ding were imprisoned, for Cui Nanshan, one was his husband of decades, the other his own flesh and blood whom he treasured. At that time, he was the only one left at the clinic to hold things together. He had to care for Wu Qiu, arrange household matters, lead Yu Yuan and the others in preparing everything needed for the next day. He didn't even dare cry loudly, fearing it would panic the others and cause chaos. Now that the dust had settled, seeing Lei Ding and Wu Qiu safe and sound, he finally couldn't hold back anymore. He had only said one sentence to Lei Xun before lowering his head, tears welling up uncontrollably.

Lei Xun led him into the main room, took the food box from his hands along with the medicine he himself was carrying, and placed them on the table. Then he pulled Cui Nanshan into a tight embrace. "These past two days have been hard on you too."

He looked into Cui Nanshan's eyes and sighed deeply. "I've let you all down."

It was he who had treated Liu Yu's leg. Every time Lei Xun thought about it, he felt regret, replaying the scene of that day over and over in his mind, imagining various ways, wondering how he could have avoided this disaster. But no matter how he thought, he couldn't find an answer, only feeling more self-blame. He even thought, if he hadn't become a physician in the first place, how could he have implicated his whole family in such a calamity, nearly costing his own child's life.

Cui Nanshan shook his head through tears. "How can this be blamed on you? The Liu family deliberately framed us. We were harmed by them. What does it have to do with you? The ones who truly suffered are you and Ting Er!"

Lei Xun wasn't very skilled with words. Now, with his emotions in turmoil, he couldn't speak either, only silently holding Cui Nanshan tighter.

Lei Ding's wounds indeed healed quickly. Within a few days, he moved back to the East Wing courtyard to continue recuperating. Friends like Yu Yuan and Sun Xun often came to visit, bringing newly acquired good wound medicines. Several relatives of the family living in Yongning City also visited frequently. Knowing the clinic had given out all its available silver to bribe the constables, they brought many items for urgent needs and even lent them some money. Even Ling Geer, who came to play with Wu Qiu, heard about it and the next day secretly brought over a good number of eggs and brown sugar from home.

There was also an unexpected visitor. On the third day after Lei Ding's punishment, a young, handsome lad came to the clinic, saying he was looking for Wu Qiu. Cui Nanshan and the others hadn't seen this young man before, so they called Wu Qiu over.

Wu Qiu was also puzzled, unable to recall when he had such a friend. But the moment he entered the main hall, he immediately recognized the person before him, feeling a bit pleasantly surprised. "Su Su! What brings you here?"

Su Su grinned and came closer. "I came to see you, and to ask how Lord Lei is doing? That day, after my husband returned home, he thought about it for half the day. One moment he insisted he absolutely hadn't messed up, the next he said Lord Lei had coughed up blood from the beating. He's been worried sick but didn't dare come visit himself, afraid the Liu family might see. So I'm his scout, coming here to gather intelligence."

Wu Qiu was amused by his words. "Thank you for your concern. My husband is doing well. You know the medical skills of our clinic. Thank your Lord Li for his kindness. If not for him, I'm afraid my husband's life would have been in danger. Once my husband's wounds are healed and he can get up, we must personally visit to express our gratitude!"

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