Qingdai answered quietly, “Yes. The day before yesterday, the second young miss said Dongju was meticulous at brewing medicine and had her serve there as well.”
Su Ruoxi turned to Minghui. “That bowl of medicine from earlier. What would it do to an ordinary healthy woman?”
Minghui lowered her head. “By its nature, it is only a mild tonic. A single dose would not harm a normal person. But it contains placenta and scarlet flame grass. Both are fierce and fire-feeding. Taken over time, the womb grows dry and hot and its walls thin, making miscarriage easy.”
Su Ruoxi’s eyes flickered. Her fingertip brushed the dark pattern at the edge of her cloak. “If Dongju is brewing two medicines at once, it would be easy for her to mix up the two prescriptions. Qingdai, from now on, go ‘help’ her a little.”
Qingdai understood immediately. She answered in a low voice and quietly slipped away.
Su Ruoxi walked slowly through the corridor. Faint laughter drifted from the front courtyard.
Lu Jinghan’s voice was clear as spring water, carrying through the ornamental gate. “Ruolan, this orchid of yours blooms beautifully. It seems to have caught your immortal grace.”
Su Ruolan laughed softly, her voice like a warbling oriole. “The Marquis’s heir flatters me. Orchids are noble by nature. I would not dare compare myself to one.”
Her fingertip tapped a leaf. A drop of water rolled off, catching the smile in Lu Jinghan’s eyes.
Su Ruoxi stood deep in the corridor’s shadow, watching the two smile at each other. A look of disgust tugged at her lips. These two, flirting so obviously. In my previous life, I was so blinded I couldn’t even see this.
Su Ruoxi put on a different face and stepped forward with a smile. “The Marquis’s heir and my sister are in fine spirits. This orchid is so serene, it makes you two look like figures in a painting.”
Lu Jinghan’s smile faltered slightly at the words. His eyes flickered. Then he cupped his hands in greeting. “Ruoxi, you’ve finally come…”
His smile did not fade, but inwardly he hesitated. How could he not hear the hidden mockery in her words? This Su Ruoxi had once sent him sachets and handkerchiefs, attentive to the point of servility. She had clearly been deeply in love with him. Now she seemed like a different person, her words sharp and exposed. It put him on guard.
Even yesterday, when Su Ruolan proposed settling a betrothal between them, she had refused. In the past, she would have eagerly thrown herself at him.
Could a scorpion bite have made her smarter? Probably not. A person’s nature doesn’t change overnight.
Lu Jinghan switched to a smiling face and stepped closer to Su Ruoxi, asking with concern, “Ruoxi, are you feeling better?”
“Thanks to the Marquis’s heir, I’ve kept my life.”
Su Ruoxi lowered her eyes with a faint smile. With Minghui’s support, she sat in the rosewood chair in the flower hall. Her fingertip lightly turned the tea lid, unhurriedly pushing aside the floating leaves. The tea rippled slightly, reflecting the cold light in her eyes. Yet the smile at the corner of her lips grew gentler.
Just then, Grandmother Wang entered the flower hall, supported by a maid. Her expression was kind. “The Marquis’s heir has come calling, and this old woman arrives so late. Do not take offense.”
Lu Jinghan cupped his hands in salute. “It is I who have intruded.”
After Wang sat down, her gaze swept slowly across the three faces, finally settling on Su Ruoxi. A flicker of approval passed through her eyes. “Ruoxi’s complexion is much better today. It seems you have recovered a great deal.”
Su Ruoxi rose and curtsied, answering softly, “Greetings, Grandmother. Thank you for your concern. Your granddaughter is fine now.”
Wang nodded with a smile, then turned to Lu Jinghan. “The Marquis’s heir is thoughtful, visiting daily. Truly a blessing for the younger generation of Duke An’s household.”
Su Ruolan quickly rose and moved behind Grandmother Wang. She clenched her hands into fists and began pounding Grandmother’s shoulders. She said softly, “Grandmother, this shows the Marquis’s heir’s feelings for Sister are sincere. Why not grant Sister and the Marquis’s heir this fate?”
Su Ruoxi’s fingertip paused. A cold smile pulled at her lips. She put it off yesterday, and today she brings it up again. Far too eager.
She raised her eyes to Su Ruolan, a trace of mockery passing through them. “Sister is truly considerate. I see you approve of the Marquis’s heir so much that you would speak of marriage even with your parents absent. Grandmother, why not betroth Sister to the Marquis’s heir? It would unite the Su and Lu households for a hundred years, and repay the Marquis’s heir’s one dose of medicine on my behalf.”
At these words, the hall fell silent.
Lu Jinghan’s expression shifted. The teacup in Wang’s hand paused slightly. Su Ruolan’s face went instantly pale, her hands frozen mid-air over Grandmother’s shoulders.
“Sister’s words… are not appropriate. How could I steal Sister’s marriage fate…”
Su Ruoxi sneered inwardly. Haven’t you two already cooked the rice? And you still say you won’t steal it?
“What do you mean, my marriage fate? The Marquis’s heir and I are completely innocent. How has he become my marriage fate?”
“It is you, Sister, who keeps the Marquis’s heir on your lips all day. I fear you are the one who has developed true feelings…”
Before she finished, Su Ruolan had already covered her face and begun to sob. “Why must Sister humiliate me like this?”
Wang’s expression darkened slightly. She set her teacup down heavily on the table with a sharp clink. The hall went silent. Only Su Ruolan’s soft sobbing remained, making the air feel even more stifled.
“Enough! One after another, young ladies of the inner chambers, discussing marriage here. What sort of behavior is this!”
Lu Jinghan’s expression was complicated. His gaze moved between Su Ruoxi and Su Ruolan. Finally, he spoke. “The two young misses are as close as sisters. Do not let me create a rift between you. It would distress me.”
His tone was gentle, but he could not hide the flicker of displeasure in his eyes.
Wang spoke slowly. Her tone remained gentle, but her eyes had gone cold. “Marriage is a grave matter. How can you all treat it so lightly and make a joke of it?”
At these words, the atmosphere in the hall turned tense. Even the rustle of wind through the bamboo outside the corridor seemed harsh.
Lu Jinghan saw that the awkward atmosphere was all because of him. He rose at once and cupped his hands, his tone apologetic. “I came to call today and never expected to cause a rift between the two young misses on my account. That was not my wish.”
Then he took a card from his sleeve. His eyes lowered, his bearing respectful. He offered it to Wang with both hands. “Thank you, Old Madam, for the ginseng you sent yesterday. My grandmother’s old ailment has healed. Her seventieth birthday is approaching, and my household intends to celebrate grandly. To thank you, Old Madam, I invite you and your household to attend.”
Wang took the card. Joy spread across her expression, her smile blooming at the corners of her brows. “For the Lu Old Madam’s birthday, the Su household will naturally attend to offer congratulations.”
She paused. Her gaze swept past Su Ruoxi and Su Ruolan, seemingly by chance. “We will certainly bring the younger generation to congratulate her and complete the friendship between our two households.”
Seeing Old Madam Wang accept the invitation, Lu Jinghan showed a proper smile. But from the corner of his eye, he quietly swept over Su Ruoxi’s calm profile. “In that case, I will not intrude further. Three days from now, I will await your honored arrival. Farewell.”
As he turned, he shot Su Ruolan an imperceptible look, as if a thousand words were hidden in it. Then he lowered his eyes and stepped back, his sleeves catching the wind, his back straight as a pine.