Chapter 103 Illness: “Stay with me.”

Chapter 103: Illness: "Stay with me."

When Tian Qin woke up the next day and finished dressing, she saw that Xie Tanwei was still fast asleep. The sun was high in the sky, well past the hour for the morning court session, which was extremely unusual. Last night he had been running a fever, and after a whole night, she had no idea how he was doing.

Wan Cui and Zhaolu were at a loss. With such a big shot parked in the Garden of Paintings, its normal order had been completely disrupted.

Zhaolu hesitated, "Miss..." If the Lord was truly ill, should they call a doctor? If anything happened to the Lord in their courtyard, the people at Autumn Crabapple Residence would tear them apart.

Tian Qin knew that Xie Tanwei might not actually be seriously ill; calling a doctor was simply unnecessary. Besides, she and he were adversaries. If something did happen, she was not willing to waste her kindness to save him.

After thinking it over repeatedly, Tian Qin quietly stepped forward and nudged Xie Tanwei, softly calling, "Brother-in-law?"

His sleeping eyebrows and eyes were handsome and classical, his complexion extremely pale. There was no sharp calculation, but rather an elegant scholarly air, as gentle and soft as moonlight.

Tian Qin pushed him twice in succession, but he showed no response. Her heart pounded. Shakily, she reached out to check his breath. At that moment, he suddenly opened his calm eyes and looked right at her.

Tian Qin's temples pulsed sharply. "You're awake."

Xie Tanwei was like a stone dropped into a deep lake without a ripple. The illness seemed to have dulled his thinking. After a long pause, he answered slowly, "My head hurts a little. I slept a bit longer."

His voice was hoarse and intermittent, as usual for a sick person.

Tian Qin's hand hovered before his breath, as if in a dream. She was the one who seemed adrift. After a moment, she quickly withdrew her hand.

"They were all worried about you, Brother-in-law," Tian Qin said haltingly, as if she had done something guilty.

"It's good that you're not feverish anymore."

She stated his condition, speaking to herself.

Xie Tanwei propped himself up on his elbow and leaned against the headboard. With a faint smile and a look of mock regret, he said, "Disappointed?"

He hadn't died from illness. She was disappointed.

For a moment, Tian Qin's feelings couldn't be turned into words.

No? She couldn't bring herself to say those two words against her conscience.

Xie Tanwei's eyes were deep and dark. A flicker of scorn passed through his eyes. "Tian'er, don't hope for my downfall."

In this house and in this world, it was he who protected her.

Without him, her life would also be very difficult.

They were symbiotic, mutually beneficial, and entangled.

Xie Tanwei was still listless, lounging lazily on the bed. Tian Qin touched his forehead; it was still slightly warm, but better than last night.

He didn't take medicine, didn't handle official business, and didn't bother to dress properly, as if he were taking this opportunity to rest properly.

This bedroom in the Garden of Paintings had been completely taken over by him.

Since she couldn't mess with him, she could at least avoid him. Tian Qin used the excuse of decocting medicine to slip away, but Xie Tanwei grabbed her wrist. Even while ill, his strength was still formidable. He said firmly, "No need to decoct medicine. Stay with me."

Tian Qin was a bit frustrated. "Why should I stay with you?"

He wasn't a child, and there was no danger. What's there to keep me company for?

He lowered his long lashes slightly, cool yet soft. "...No reason."

He just wanted her by his side.

He kept staring at her, his gaze moving from her red lips, to her neck, her waist, and down to her heart, where the Love Gu lay.

She was his; even his gaze was possessive.

He cared about her, with emotions deeper than mere care. In his vulnerable state of illness, he hoped she would be by his side.

Tian Qin was frozen.

There was nothing else to do; the medicine could only be left to Nanny Chen and Wan Cui to decoct.

Xie Tanwei was very refined in his illness. He didn't cough or vomit loudly like ordinary patients, nor was he panting or feverishly disheveled. His face remained coolly pale. He leaned motionless, quiet and still, with very shallow breathing.

Tian Qin didn't find him frail at all, nor did she entertain any thoughts of taking advantage of his condition, because her wrist was gripped tightly by him like a claw, more solid than any shackles. The eerie coldness and the impressive strength in veins like pine branches pulsed through her arm. This sent a clear message: he wasn't truly defeated by a major illness; it was just a minor illness.

"Let me apply a cold towel to your forehead." When Zhaolu handed her a cool towel, Tian Qin snatched it at the right moment, smoothly freeing her wrist from his grasp, and carefully placed it on his forehead. "The temperature has dropped a lot now."

Xie Tanwei half-closed his eyes, savoring her rare attention. He quietly tilted his head slightly toward her, moving closer, while pretending it wasn't a big deal, "Is that so? I'm actually getting more dizzy now. I'll need to change the towel a few more times."

"Okay," came Tian Qin's voice from above.

Xie Tanwei grinned slyly. His fingers hooked around the ribbon winding at her waist, and suddenly a strange thought occurred to him: if only he could remain sick like this forever.

Even he was shocked by the thought.

He was being that irrational.

Guess the fever really fried his brains.

Xie Tanwei's thoughts were complex and tumultuous, inwardly sighing and laughing at himself. But Tian Qin held the opposite intent. He was wholeheartedly trying to get close to her, while she wanted nothing more than to get away from him.

"Get some sleep," Tian Qin urged, not because she cared about his health. Since he was squatting in her room, she wanted to gain more free space for herself.

Xie Tanwei readily complied, as if he were entrusting his life to her. He leaned his head on her shoulder and fell into a deep sleep, one arm still around her waist. His head felt heavy and anchored her in place. Tian Qin couldn't move at all, let alone leave.

He was sick for one day, and Tian Qin was trapped alongside him for that whole day. She'd never met such a clingy patient.

The next day, Xie Tanwei regained his energy, looking radiant. The light cold might never have existed.

Now it was Tian Qin's turn to be listless. First, he had bothered her all day yesterday; second, her hope that he'd die from his illness was crushed.

Spring arrived. The lake in the Garden of Paintings shimmered with golden light. The frost on the towering giant pines was melted by the warm earth's breath, leaving snail tracks behind. The cold swallows' mournful cries gave way to the chirp of reviving insects, filled with the warm, vibrant energy of spring.

Wearing a thin, light spring garment, Tian Qin marked another year in the Xie household. She huddled with Nanny Chen, Zhaolu, and Wan Cui in the small kitchen, rolling spring pancakes, preparing spring platters and spring wine.

The Garden of Paintings lived up to its name, with picturesque scenery. The few of them closed the bamboo fence and spent a peaceful and pleasant time in the spring breeze.

In the small kitchen, they had lined up homemade spring wine, and all kinds of collected petals—magnolia, pagoda tree flowers, peach blossom, baby's breath, crabapple, and so on—filling everything. They pulled up small stools and sat, tied up their sleeves, and plunged their hands into cool water to wash rice. They were going to make spring cakes by hand. Tian Qin's were peach blossom flavored, while Zhaolu's and Wan Cui's were crabapple flavored.

They were chatting and laughing when suddenly everyone felt a chill down their backs. They all stopped their work simultaneously.

A sense of dread washed over Tian Qin. She slowly turned her head, and was shocked to find Xie Tanwei standing by the door, though no one knew when he had arrived.

"You girls seem to be having a good time."

He said flatly, coming over to grab Tian Qin's bare snow-white arm, not even giving her time to untie her armbands, and walked straight out.

Tian Qin stumbled, saying over and over, "What are you doing? Let me go."

Xie Tanwei pulled her into the main hall, pointing at the empty room, and admonished, "The Lord arrived and waited a long time, yet no one came to greet him; instead, you all went to the kitchen to fool around. What kind of behavior is that?"

"We weren't playing," Tian Qin complained, rubbing her pinched wrist. "We were making spring cakes."

Xie Tanwei curved his finger and wiped the peach blossom smudge from her brow, his demeanor cold as the pre-dawn air. "What, the spring cakes made by the mansion's head chef aren't good enough for you?"

Tian Qin murmured, "It's the start of spring. Making them ourselves has more meaning. That's how it is at Nanny Chen's home."

"This isn't your nanny's home."

Xie Tanwei turned a deaf ear. Since he had arrived, she should drop everything and accompany him.

Tian Qin lowered her sulky yet bright eyes, cursing under her breath, "Picking a fight."

Xie Tanwei raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

Tian Qin felt a chill and clamped her mouth shut.

Xie Tanwei smirked and gave a soft snort. He really hadn't come to pick a fight today. To reward her for nursing him when he was ill that day, he had arranged a spring fishing trip. In the eyes of the nobility, cooking oneself was considered unrefined; fishing, horseback riding, hammer-ball, incense appreciation, and playing the zither were the refined activities.

The spring fishing spot was very close, on a piece of land newly acquired by the Xie family. It was nestled between mountains and rivers, elegant and picturesque, as spring burst forth. They could fish while gazing at the vast northern sky.

Tian Qin was dragged here and forcibly taught how to fish. The pond was stocked with live fish. Whether she caught any or not didn't matter; the main thing was to enjoy the pleasure of fishing.

"I don't know how to fish," she said, trembling like a flower in the wind, feeling sympathy for the fish when she thought of the hook piercing its gills, her own mouth aching in sympathy.

"I'll teach you," Xie Tanwei said, as if it were routine.

The words sounded familiar; he had taught her many things, like horseback riding, fishing, burning incense... even how to hold her head high and be a noble. He truly was a teacher to all scholars under heaven, his manner always carried an air of a teacher. What she had missed in the Yu family was made up for in the Xie family. The Xie family had essentially raised her a second time, a process both sweet and painful.

Whether Tian Qin liked it or not, she was indeed integrated with the Xie family. If one day she were to leave the Xie family, she would likely find it unexpectedly difficult to adjust.

Xie Tanwei bent down and half-knelt by the riverbank, tying up the white gauze hem of Tian Qin's skirt to keep it from getting muddy. Then they each put on their armbands and prepared the fishing gear.

He was absolutely thorough, doing everything for her. On the surface, he seemed like an excellent companion.

Tian Qin didn't dislike fishing, but she disliked fishing with Xie Tanwei. Any happy time spent with him would only turn sour.

"Lower the rod," Xie Tanwei said, coming up behind her and tapping the back of her hand, patiently and carefully correcting her posture.

His breath fell as lightly as snowflakes on her sensitive neck, immediately causing bloodshot streaks to appear in her eyes, framed by delicate brows, so tense she couldn't bear even the weight of a snowflake.

This wasn't fishing; it was torture.

"Forget it..."

Tian Qin kept giving up.

Xie Tanwei knew her habit of backing out easily and showed no mercy.

"Behave yourself, or you're not going home."

He left briefly to change the bait. Tian Qin felt something bite the fishing line, extremely powerful, pulling the entire rod toward the river.

"Brother-in-law—" she shouted instinctively. In her panic, she lost her footing and fell into the shallow water by the riverbank, splashing water all over herself. Her white gauze skirt was thoroughly soaked and caked with mud.

Xie Tanwei heard the commotion and rushed over, a cool, helpless smile on his face. He hardened his heart and stood by, arms folded, saying, "What am I going to do with you?"

Tian Qin's waist hurt from the fall, and she was soaked in spring water, but she still found an excuse: "The bank is too slippery. Ouch, can you stop gloating?"

Xie Tanwei reached out and picked her up, peeled off her dirty, wet outer garments, and carried her toward the carriage. Fortunately, he had prepared for this, knowing Tian Qin's clumsy habits, and had brought dry clothes ahead of time.