The person speaking was Lu Yanzhi’s personal guard, Cang Feng.
Song Zhiyao opened the embroidered box in her hands. “I brought the thousand-year ginseng. Let me in.”
Cang Feng glanced at the box. After confirming it was indeed the ginseng, he said, “Just give it to me.”
“I want to go in,” Song Zhiyao insisted. “I just want to watch Jian Shen. You can keep an eye on me—I won’t do anything. I just want to see him.”
Her tone was polite.
After all, she had pushed Lu Jian Shen into the ice lake; it was normal for the people at Zhi Mo Courtyard to be on guard.
Cang Feng hesitated.
Song Zhiyao simply stepped forward and walked in.
Being a woman—and the master’s wife—Cang Feng couldn’t stop her, so he followed closely behind.
She handed the thousand-year ginseng to the doctor. The doctor quickly verified it was genuine and immediately had his assistants start preparing the medicine.
Song Zhiyao went straight to the main room.
Soon, she saw Lu Jian Shen.
Perhaps it was a mother-and-child instinct, but her gaze stayed fixed on him.
The five-year-old boy was tiny, his face flushed, lips pale, and even in his unconscious state, his brows were furrowed.
“No… no… not me… I didn’t push…”
Song Zhiyao couldn’t hold back. She grasped Lu Jian Shen’s hand.
His hand was tiny and bone-chillingly cold. Perhaps sensing warmth, he instinctively clenched her hand in return.
Cang Feng had intended to intervene, but seeing the boy’s reaction, he hesitated.
There was a hint of sarcasm in his eyes, though.
She was the one who pushed the little master into the ice lake, and now she came here acting all maternal.
The doctor soon finished preparing the medicine.
The person delivering it was none other than Song Zhiyao’s personal maid, Lan Xin.
“I’ll take it,” Song Zhiyao reached out for the bowl.
Lan Xin instinctively recoiled. At the same time, Cang Feng spoke up, “Not allowed.”
Their caution toward Song Zhiyao was obvious.
Realizing this, Song Zhiyao could only step back.
Lan Xin fed the medicine to Lu Jian Shen spoon by spoon, and Song Zhiyao watched the entire time.
Her brows were furrowed, her face full of worry.
She had woken up to find Lu Jian Shen already five years old. She had missed all of his growth.
By all rights, she shouldn’t feel much attachment to him—but looking at the unconscious child on the bed, she couldn’t help but worry.
“The little master has taken the medicine. He should wake in one to three days at most,” the doctor said.
“But since he fell into the ice lake, he may have recurring high fevers. That is normal.”
“If the little master feels unwell in any way, call me immediately.”
The doctor finished giving instructions and left for the side room to rest.
Lan Xin and Cang Feng didn’t leave.
They stood there, eyes fixed sharply on Song Zhiyao.
She seemed oblivious, focusing entirely on Lu Jian Shen, not even noticing when she had fallen unconscious herself.
When Lu Yanzhi returned to the manor and heard that Song Zhiyao had entered Zhi Mo Courtyard, he hurried inside.
As soon as he entered, he saw Lu Jian Shen still unconscious.
Song Zhiyao was bent over the bed, seemingly asleep, her hand tightly holding Lu Jian Shen’s.
At first glance, the scene even looked a bit warm.
For a moment, Lu Yanzhi almost forgot… except he remembered exactly how it had come to be.
Thinking of how Song Zhiyao had pushed Lu Jian Shen into the ice lake, his gaze turned icy cold.
He hurried forward, lowering his voice to avoid waking the boy. “Song Zhiyao, out.”
This wasn’t a place for her.
Song Zhiyao didn’t respond.
Lu Yanzhi called her two more times. Still no answer. He frowned and reached out to push her.
That’s when he noticed something wrong.
Her face was flushed unnaturally. When he touched her, she was burning hot.
He hesitated for a moment, then scooped her up. “Call the doctor.”
“The madam has a blocked spirit. I have prescribed a medicine. Once taken, the fever will subside,” the doctor explained.
When Song Zhiyao regained consciousness, those were the first words she heard.
Then Lu Yanzhi’s voice: “You’re welcome.”
The doctor left.
Turning, Lu Yanzhi saw Song Zhiyao had already opened her eyes and was struggling to sit up.
“Song Zhiyao!”
He stepped forward and effortlessly pushed her back down.
Seeing the clothing Lu Yanzhi was wearing, she breathed a sigh of relief—it was the same set as before.
There should be… no one else occupying her body.
“Where’s Jian Shen?” she asked.
Lu Yanzhi ignored her, merely gesturing toward a bowl of dark medicine at the head of the bed. “Drink it if you want to live.”
Of course she wanted to live. She looked at him and asked, “How am I supposed to drink this lying down?”
Lu Yanzhi: “…”
He withdrew his hand.
Song Zhiyao sat up with difficulty but didn’t rush to drink.
Instead, she looked at Lu Yanzhi. “Lu Yanzhi, I may have done many bad things in the past.”
“But now I have seen the error of my ways. I know what was wrong and I won’t… anymore.”
“Song Zhiyao,” Lu Yanzhi interrupted, “I’m tired of hearing that.”
Had the person in her body said the same thing before?
Her mouth felt bitter, but she still said, “This time, it’s true.”
Lu Yanzhi sneered. “Drink the medicine and leave Zhi Mo Courtyard. The divorce papers you asked for are already prepared. Leave the Lu household as soon as possible.”
He turned to leave, but Song Zhiyao said, “I won’t leave the Lu household!”
She had returned. She wouldn’t abandon her children.
But Lu Yanzhi heard something entirely different.
Thinking she meant Lu Jin Yu, he sneered as a warning. “I said it before—you cause chaos in the city, I won’t let you off.”
Even if it was just for the two children…
A mother with such a reputation—what future would her children have?
“I won’t… absolutely won’t,” Song Zhiyao said firmly.
Lu Yanzhi met her eyes, his rationality wavering for a moment. Could it be…
No. Impossible. She was the best at pretending.
He looked away. “Better be.”
With that, he turned and left.
Song Zhiyao picked up the dark medicine, pinched her nose, and drank it all in one gulp.
She had to live well.
Returning to the main room, Lu Yanzhi saw Lu Jian Shen still unconscious. He held the boy’s hand.
Perhaps because Song Zhiyao had held it earlier, it felt slightly warmer.
“Mom… mom… it wasn’t me…”
The unconscious Lu Jian Shen muttered. Lu Yanzhi lowered his gaze, heart full of pain.
After taking the medicine, Song Zhiyao was forcibly sent back to Gui Pu Courtyard by the manor staff.
She tried entering Zhi Mo Courtyard two more times but couldn’t get past the gates.
Lu Yanzhi remained inside. She couldn’t force her way in.
The next day, Lu Jian Shen developed a high fever again. Lu Yanzhi frowned and asked the doctor, “Why is his condition worse than yesterday?”
The doctor hurriedly replied, “Sir, perhaps the little master should hear from someone he cares about—more conversation might help awaken his mind.”
He naturally didn’t know the full story of the boy falling into the ice lake. Lowering his voice, he added, “Yesterday, when the madam was here, the little master’s condition seemed to improve.”