After Su Mei caused another scene, Princess Jiaxi gave orders as if driving away a plague, and she was directly carried into the prepared guest quarters, completely out of sight.
Having hit her head, she was not supposed to move and needed rest. After all the commotion, she no longer had the energy to speak and sat listlessly in the sedan chair, still clutching Lin Yian’s sleeve tightly with one hand.
The two sedan chairs moved side by side, their sleeves brushing against each other, floating lightly in the air. Lin Yian caught a glimpse and felt an unusual warmth. He felt embarrassed for thinking that way, so he turned to watch the sparrows hopping among the branches.
The sedan chairs entered the guest quarters, and Huimama, who followed them, instructed that they be set down in the courtyard. She wore a forced smile as she began to scold Lin Yian: “Third Master, look at Third Miss like this. The room inside is not as wide as the road outside, you cannot carry the sedan chair in.”
Outside the courtyard, a row of orderly footsteps could be heard. The sound was precise and unbroken, showing that those people were well-trained. Lin Yian tilted his eyes and realized his stepmother intended to confine them here.
He raised his phoenix eyes slightly, feeling disdain for her methods, but he smiled faintly on the surface. “Mama, I will try to persuade her.”
Su Mei, however, was far from persuadable. Before he could speak, she shouted, “Where my husband goes, I go!” clutching his sleeve even tighter.
Huimama’s expression darkened instantly. She suppressed the urge to speak, unwilling to provoke Su Mei. With so many of Su Mei’s family members present, she could not risk giving the impression that the Lin family was harsh toward her.
In the end, Huimama ordered the tables, chairs, and screens moved aside, and the two were carried into the room.
Su Mei was helped onto the bed by Zikui, still clutching his sleeve, and Lin Yian was set down in front of her. He looked down, noticing her knuckles had turned white from gripping his sleeve, unsure of how much strength she had used.
“My husband, am I really not pregnant? Could it be that the doctor is incompetent?” Su Mei leaned against the pillow, still worrying about the earlier incident. She felt dizzy and nauseated, convinced she should be pregnant.
After the recent chaos, Lin Yian was calmer when facing her words. He spoke gently: “You are uncomfortable because of the bump on your head. Rest well for a couple of days, and you will recover.”
She pouted unhappily. “Maybe he really is incompetent.”
The so-called incompetent doctor, Xue, stood nearby, looking both angry and helpless.
Huimama coughed lightly and said, “Third Master, the doctor should examine Third Miss’s pulse carefully again. Do not delay treatment.”
Lin Yian noticed that Su Mei’s grip on his sleeve tightened further at the word “illness.” Her knuckles protruded more, showing a stubbornness that came from fear. Her condition could not be neglected.
Lin Yian sighed inwardly. They had all suffered through this incident, and Princess Jiaxi and Lin Henglǐ still had hidden things regarding her injury. A young girl barely of age had been confined in an unfamiliar place and trusted only him. He had to think more for her.
“Third Miss…”
“Call me Mei Mei!” she corrected unhappily.
Her insistence was cute. Lin Yian smiled and complied. “Mei Mei, let the doctor examine you. I will stay nearby.” Calling her by her given name was not inappropriate for a senior relative.
After a moment of hesitation, Su Mei finally nodded. “I will listen to my husband.”
Lin Yian saw her resistance and struggle, and his heart softened. She was exceptionally obedient.
Only then did Doctor Xue cautiously approach, ensuring Su Mei had no extreme reaction before placing his hand on her pale wrist. Lin Yian turned away, following the principle of propriety. Even Huimama, glaring from the side, softened her expression.
The process went smoothly. Doctor Xue prepared the prescription, and once the medicine was brewed and delivered, Su Mei reluctantly accepted it. Seeing Lin Yian take a sip first, she complied without fuss, only insisting that he feed her.
Exhausted from her earlier scenes, Su Mei soon dozed off after rinsing her mouth. Lin Yian removed his sleeve from her hand and, without needing Huimama to say so, ordered it to be carried out.
He exchanged a glance with Zikui, who watched silently, still anxious. She sensed Lin Third Master’s kindness but could not yet understand his intentions. For now, the priority was ensuring the girl’s safety.
Zikui straightened herself and gathered the servants who had attended the banquet earlier, instructing them not to speak a word of what they had seen. These were experienced household staff, loyal and aware of the situation, willing to help the young mistress through hardship.
The guest quarters consisted of two small sections. Su Mei occupied the upper room of the second section, while Lin Yian was placed in the first section’s west wing.
Lin Henglǐ, waiting for him, noticed his arrival but did not greet him. With a cold remark about respecting his status, he returned to his east wing. Huimama, following Princess Jiaxi’s orders, scolded him for a while.
“Third Master, now that you know the situation, work harder these days to comfort Third Miss, so she recovers sooner. Remember your place. She is the legitimate daughter of the Zhongyi Marquis, and in the future, she will call you Third Uncle.”
Lin Yian listened calmly. This was not the first time his stepmother had lectured him using his status. He had long grown indifferent to it.
After Huimama left, his servant Shitou was allowed into the guest quarters. Shitou had worried about Princess Jiaxi taking out her anger on his master but relaxed when he saw Lin Yian safe. Lin Yian lightly tapped his knee, saying, “Just help take care of the patient.”
The situation stabilized, and the servants quickly settled matters, keeping it known only to a few. The Wei Family household remained unaware of Su Mei’s accident until later.
Du Shi learned of the incident from her daughter and was so frightened she collapsed in her chair. The servant women, broad and strong, exchanged looks and placed the blame squarely on Su Qin, claiming that such tactics from a young girl could have endangered the young grandson. They reassured Du Shi that Third Miss was being cared for in the household and that the young lady of the house would be guided in etiquette by Huimamas.
Thus, Su Qin’s actions were controlled entirely by Princess Jiaxi’s orders.
However, one oversight remained: Su Mei’s maternal family, the Wu household. Despite Du Shi’s arrangements, the Wu family had eyes on the situation, ensuring Su Mei’s well-being. The moment the servants left, they secretly sent word to the Wu household in Baoding.
Su Mei drank her medicine and slept until near dusk. Zikui stayed by her side, hoping she would wake with her memory restored. Upon waking, Su Mei immediately asked, “Where is my husband?”
Zikui, suppressing disappointment, replied, “The Third Master is in the west wing ahead. He has an injury and is resting too.”
“I want to find him. Why isn’t he resting in the room?” Su Mei tried to get out of bed, her head wound throbbing. She stumbled, nearly knocking over an antique vase. Zikui panicked and called a servant to help her move carefully.
Lin Yian was sleeping soundly when a sudden weight on his chest woke him. Before opening his eyes, he heard a mournful voice: “Did my husband abandon me because I am not pregnant?”
He groaned inwardly, fearing if she cried more, he would become a heartless man in her eyes. He had no choice but to get up and comfort her.
Fortunately, Su Mei still trusted him blindly. After a few soothing words, she smiled, and since it was mealtime, happily took him along to eat.
Lin Henglǐ watched from the opposite wing. Lin Yian left the doors wide open to avoid suspicion, and Lin Henglǐ saw everything. He called for the medicine to be brought over.
The medicine had a mild sedative to ensure a good night’s sleep. Su Mei insisted that Lin Yian feed her but after tasting it, she frowned and leaned back.
“This medicine is bitter, but after drinking, there will be sweet dates,” Lin Yian said, patiently coaxing her. She drank the medicine properly and even said, “I will do it myself. Husband, you eat,” taking the spoon seriously.
At the end, she accidentally knocked over her soup bowl. Covered in soup, she returned to change clothes, taking some time. By nightfall, Lin Yian did not hear her return.
He put down his book and woke Shitou to help clean up before resting. Lin Yian suspected the post-meal medicine contained a sedative to reduce contact with him, which would continue to protect her health. He resolved to move her out of the Wei Family household as soon as possible.
“Tonight you do not need to stay up. Rest well and come back in the morning. No need to lock the door,” he said irritably, handing Shitou away.
Night deepened, with the sky devoid of stars. Lin Yian remained awake, seemingly waiting for something. At the third watch, he heard the door creak open.
He put down his book, the weak candlelight illuminating his calm profile.
“I thought you could not find your way…” he said toward the footsteps, only to widen his eyes in disbelief at Su Mei peeking from behind the screen.
Su Mei was supposed to be asleep!
Believing he spoke to her, her eyes curved with two dimples appearing. She ran up and grabbed his sleeve, proudly reporting, “Husband, the medicine tonight was wrong! I was afraid if I called out, they would harm me, so I secretly poured it into my sleeve. When I changed clothes, people kept asking if I had rested. I pretended to sleep and finally found a chance to come out!”
Her bright eyes looked at him expectantly, waiting for praise.
Lin Yian froze. Was she really not in her right mind? No one was more alert than her. Lin Henglǐ might have died from frustration!
He scratched her head, praising genuinely: “Mei Mei, you are very clever.”
She truly exceeded his expectations.
“Two days without Third Master, yet a beauty is beside me. Am I arriving at the wrong time?”
A teasing voice suddenly sounded. Lin Yian quickly wrapped Su Mei with his outer robe, leaving only her eyes visible, facing the latecomer calmly.