Tang Zhou reached up and touched the towel on his forehead, his long eyelashes fluttering as he breathed a sigh of relief.
So, it was just a dream.
Yet he was surprised that he could have such an absurd dream. Even in the past, he had never had such a ridiculous erotic dream.
It seemed he really was badly injured, so ill that his mind had become muddled.
He had actually dreamed of Bai Linglan… kissing him!
“Oh.” He removed the towel, holding it lightly in his hand. “I… I suddenly fainted. Did I scare you?”
“Of course you did.” Seeing that he didn’t seem to have noticed her stealing a kiss, Shen Zhixi finally relaxed. She stepped forward to take the towel from Tang Zhou and added, “Herb was terrified too, especially since you fainted from anger while trying to save us.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tang Zhou instinctively apologized, his brows furrowed with guilt.
“You locked the door to keep me inside, all for my own good, but I let you down. I even aggravated my injury and fainted, making you worry and panic. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize. That’s not what I meant.”
Shen Zhixi placed the towel in the basin, soaked it in warm water, wrung it out, and pressed it back onto Tang Zhou’s forehead.
“If it weren’t for you, I would have been taken away today.”
“Then…” Tang Zhou’s eyes shifted. Even if it might upset her, he still had to ask—the matter needed to be properly resolved. “What about them…”
He had barely started when Shen Zhixi interrupted him.
“You just woke up. Let’s not talk about this now. You haven’t eaten all day, so you must be hungry. There’s porridge in the kitchen. I’ll go get you a bowl. Wait here.”
“Lily.”
Tang Zhou was determined to resolve the issue. It was no small matter, and he feared her aunt might come back to cause more trouble. But Shen Zhixi insisted on avoiding the topic, leaving only two words to forcefully end the discussion.
“Wait for me.”
With that, she hurried out of the room.
When she returned, she was indeed holding a bowl of steaming sweet porridge, with red dates added.
“Today’s porridge doesn’t have any medicinal herbs in it. You’ll have to take medicine later, and I was afraid the properties might clash, so I only added some sugar and red dates. It’s just a bit hot.”
Tang Zhou had no choice but to suppress his earlier words and sit up with effort.
“Take it slow. Be careful not to reopen your wound.” Shen Zhixi sat down by the bed, blew on the porridge, and said, “Don’t move. Let me feed you.”
He was startled, naturally feeling embarrassed.
“No need, I can…”
“Are you being polite again? You fainted from relapsing while trying to save me. What’s wrong with me feeding you a bowl of porridge?”
Tang Zhou opened his mouth to say something more but ultimately held back, softly replying, “Alright.”
She chuckled playfully. “That’s more like it.”
“Here, open up.”
A spoonful of sweet porridge was brought to his lips. His eyelashes fluttered as he opened his mouth, and the white porridge slid in. It wasn’t too hot, likely because she had blown on it earlier. Sweet with the fragrance of dates, it slid down his throat and warmed his entire body.
“Is the sweetness just right?” Shen Zhixi asked.
“Yes.” He nodded, the hair at his temples swaying gently. In the candlelight, he looked especially beautiful, leaving Shen Zhixi momentarily entranced.
“Then eat a bit more. If you like it, I’ll make this sweet porridge again tomorrow.”
Tang Zhou didn’t refuse. Since this porridge didn’t contain those expensive medicinal herbs, he could eat it without feeling so burdened.
One spoonful, then another.
Shen Zhixi, full of smiles, fed him with great patience. Watching the bowl of porridge gradually empty, she felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. As she looked at his gently chewing lips, she couldn’t help but recall the kiss from earlier.
The softness of his lips left her longing for more.
She wanted more.
And deeper.
After feeding him the last spoonful of porridge, she gently set down the bowl and took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth. He instinctively flinched, but quickly stopped himself, worried she might misunderstand.
“Thank you.”
“What for? You just finished the porridge, rest a bit before taking the medicine. I’ll go get you a clean set of clothes to change into later.”
The bamboo cabinet held the bundle from that day. The clothes he had changed out of in the morning had already been taken to be washed. She took out another set of moon-white clothes and placed them by his bedside.
She always felt that white suited him best.
He looked good in white, and every time she saw him, she felt as if he were a celestial being from the heavens, a truly pleasing sight.
After Tang Zhou expressed his thanks, Shen Zhixi closed the door and left.
“Miss, it must be so tiring for you to go through all this just to have a child with Tang Zhou. I’ve never seen you serve anyone like this before, not even Qin Mu from before.”
“That’s not called serving.” Shen Zhixi tapped her head lightly and glanced toward Tang Zhou’s room through the window. “Anything that deepens feelings is called romance.”
“Alright, whatever you say, Miss. But what about the fabricated story about Steward Liu? How are we going to handle that later?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow. Is the hot water ready? I’m going to bathe first.”
“It’s ready.”
By the time she finished bathing, the medicine on the kitchen stove had just finished brewing.
Shen Zhixi brought a bowl of medicine and a piece of candy to Tang Zhou’s room. He was just getting out of bed, the moon-white clothes faintly embroidered with emerald-green bamboo leaves, making him appear even more graceful and elegant.
“The medicine is here.”
Shen Zhixi placed the bowl on the table and helped Tang Zhou over to sit down.
“Here, some candy.” She pushed the candy on the table toward him.
He took the candy and thanked her.
The medicine in the bowl was no longer hot, just right for drinking. He endured the bitterness and swallowed it in large gulps, but the candy remained clutched in his hand, just like the previous two times, not eaten immediately.
“You’ve been sleeping all day, so you probably have no desire to sleep now, right?”
Hearing her question, Tang Zhou quickly replied, “Don’t worry about me. You should go and rest.”
“I slept late last night and woke up early this morning, but I also rested during the day. The moonlight outside looks lovely. How about we go sit outside?”
Tang Zhou, still holding the candy, nodded.
“Let me help you.”
Shen Zhixi supported him as they walked to the doorway, sitting side by side on the steps.
“The moon tonight is so beautiful, round and bright. The clouds are like a light veil, like a scene from a painting.” Turning to look at him, she seemed to suddenly remember that Tang Zhou couldn’t see and quickly comforted him, “The doctor said that as long as you recover well, your eyes will naturally heal too. Besides, the moonlight in the mountains isn’t all that special anyway. Men in this world have always been freer than women. You must have seen many beautiful sights that I’ve never had the chance to see. Unlike me, trapped in this small place, living a monotonous and dull life.”
Hearing her words, Tang Zhou felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.
Just as he was about to comfort her, Shen Zhixi continued.
“What is the most beautiful scenery you’ve ever seen? Do you still remember?”
Tang Zhou’s thoughts drifted far away, his vacant eyes lifting upward as if reminiscing.
“Maple leaves,” he said.
His expression grew more wistful, and his tone shifted.
“Every autumn, the maple leaves on Cloud Mountain turn fiery red, covering the entire mountain slopes in crimson. From afar, the sight is breathtaking…”
Shen Zhixi’s mind wandered.
Cloud Mountain Maple Leaves—it was a maple-covered mountain outside Moon Capital.
Was he from Moon Capital, the imperial city?