Whether it was the overwhelming shock of rebirth or the chill wind that had caused her to catch a cold, Ji Mingzhu developed a high fever shortly after returning to Xiaoxiangyuan.
First came nausea, followed by a splitting headache so severe she couldn’t even sit steadily.
Before she could bathe, her maidservant helped her to bed.
In her dazed state, her mind was flooded with scenes from the past.
At a family banquet, she had fallen in love with Xie Yunzheng at first sight.
As an inexperienced young girl, her feelings were written all over her face.
Junzhu Niangniang looked down on her from the bottom of her heart and, to crush her hopes, began arranging potential matches for Xie Yunzheng.
At this critical moment, she and Xie Yunzheng shared a chaotic night.
From then on, Xie Yunzheng despised and loathed her.
He believed it was all her scheme.
No matter how she explained, it was futile.
Junzhu Niangniang suggested she become a concubine, but Xie Yunzheng flatly refused.
That cold, clear male voice echoed in her ears again, “Ji Mingzhu, I will not accept a woman with malicious intentions who climbs into bed to advance herself.”
“Not even as a concubine!”
After that, she didn’t see Xie Yunzheng for two months.
Until she discovered she was pregnant, and Xie Yunzheng appeared before her once more.
His expression was icy, filled with a brewing storm.
His gaze was like a knife, cutting her until her whole body ached.
“Why didn’t you drink the contraceptive soup? Getting pregnant before marriage, concealing a child—is this the result you wanted?”
Ji Mingzhu shook her head helplessly, “I didn’t know.”
She had just reached Ji-ji and hadn’t even had time to learn about marital matters.
Everything happened so suddenly; she was left disoriented, and with no one to remind her, she forgot to drink the contraceptive soup.
Xie Yunzheng didn’t believe her. No matter what she said, to him, it was all excuses.
The man’s face was cold and indifferent, “Then let’s get married. I can’t let my child be born a bastard.”
Ji Mingzhu felt as if she had grasped a lifeline.
Xie Yunzheng hadn’t abandoned her, nor had he abandoned the child.
Didn’t this mean that, in his heart, she held a place?
After marriage, Xie Yunzheng remained as cold and distant as ever, not even spending their wedding night in her room.
Ji Mingzhu consoled herself, thinking Xie Yunzheng misunderstood her.
One day, she would warm his heart.
They still had a child; everything would get better.
As if in self-delusion, she failed to see the indifference in Xie Yunzheng’s eyes.
Day after day, she tried to please him.
Until Xie Yunzheng went south to manage flood control and returned with his childhood sweetheart, now a widow.
She was the daughter of Taifu.
Xie Yunzheng had been the Crown Prince’s study companion in his youth, and Taifu was also his mentor.
Everyone said they were a perfect match, a talented scholar and a beautiful lady, but fate had played its tricks, keeping them apart.
Only then did Ji Mingzhu understand why, no matter how hard she tried, she could never enter Xie Yunzheng’s heart.
It turned out his heart had long belonged to another.
In her dazed state, she stumbled and fell, immediately seeing blood.
During her difficult labor, she heard someone ask, “Has Shi-zi-ye returned? The mistress is having a difficult birth; the situation isn’t good…”
“Shi-zi-ye said he couldn’t help, and then… then he accompanied Miss Du out of the city to enjoy the autumn scenery.”
Before her consciousness faded, this was the last sentence Ji Mingzhu heard.
In Xie Yunzheng’s heart, she might not even compare to the wild grass by the roadside.
Otherwise, how could he be so heartless, turning a blind eye to her suffering?
Warm liquid seeped from the corners of her eyes.
Ji Mingzhu couldn’t distinguish reality from dreams and began to sob softly.
“It hurts…”
Someone wiped her tears and asked softly, “Where does it hurt?”
Ji Mingzhu slightly opened her eyes, her almond-shaped pupils brimming with a pool of crystal tears, looking pitiful and heart-wrenching.
Tears blurred her vision.
Since her parents passed away, only one person had ever shown her such heartfelt concern.
“Aunt, my body hurts, my heart hurts… everything hurts.”
Madam Guan was startled.
It was common to feel bodily pain from a fever.
But why was her heart hurting too?
Could there be some other illness that hadn’t been detected?
She quickly called for a servant woman, “Go and ask Shi-zi-ye to request his physician friend to come and take Mingzhu’s pulse!”
“This servant will go right away.”
Xie Yunzheng had a close friend named Xi Yu, whose medical skills were exceptionally superb.
When Xie Yunzheng went on the campaign this time, the accompanying military physician was this very Master Xi Yu.
Ji Mingzhu’s consciousness was already very muddled, but the words “Shi-zi-ye” still clearly fell upon her heart.
She struggled to shake her head, “Don’t…”
Don’t want to see him.
In this lifetime, she never wanted to have the slightest connection with Xie Yunzheng again.
Madam Guan didn’t understand Ji Mingzhu’s meaning, thinking she was just too shy and didn’t want to trouble others.
Holding Ji Mingzhu’s hand, she gently coaxed, “A Zheng is not an outsider.”
Ji Mingzhu couldn’t speak of her past life.
She could only shake her head, “Aunt, I’ll be fine after a good sleep.”
“You silly child, you’re truly delirious from the fever.”
Madam Guan wiped her face while complaining, “Our family isn’t so poor that we can’t afford medicine, why must you endure it?”
After wiping her face, she went to check the temperature of her forehead.
As a noble lady from a high-ranking family, being so hands-on to this extent was no different from treating her own children.
In her past life, Ji Mingzhu and Xie Yunzheng had that foolish incident.
For a long time, she shut herself in her room, afraid to see anyone.
Feeling that she had caused trouble for her aunt and brought shame upon her.
It had been a long time since she had been this close with her.
She affectionately nuzzled against Madam Guan’s palm, “Aunt…”
“Hmm?”
Madam Guan waited for her to continue.
Unexpectedly, Ji Mingzhu suddenly fell unconscious.
Madam Guan was greatly alarmed, “Quick, quickly call the physician to take a look. Didn’t they say it was just a common fever? Why has she fainted again?”
Xiaoxiangyuan was thrown into chaos.
Dongyuan.
An attendant entered to report, “Shizi, Madam Zhao from the Second Madam’s side is outside requesting an audience.”
Xie Yunzheng was tending to his wounds.
The battlefield was perilous; bleeding and injuries were unavoidable.
He had been stabbed in the chest by an enemy general, the wound too deep and still not healed.
“What is it?”
The man’s voice was deep, as unapproachable as his appearance.
“The young lady residing in Xiaoxiangyuan has fallen ill. They wish to request the divine physician’s help in diagnosing and treating her illness.”
Young lady.
Xie Yunzheng’s mind immediately conjured an image of a delicate figure.
He had always had a good memory; with just a casual glance, that person’s appearance had left an imprint in his mind.
Xi Yu clicked his tongue, “Young lady… Could it be that the drinker’s heart is not in the cup?”
It wasn’t that Xi Yu overthought things; it was just that this fellow was too bewitchingly handsome.
Countless young ladies had thrown themselves at him, wanting to pluck this unattainable flower.
Someone had once tried to use him as a means.
Under the pretense of seeking treatment, they pursued the man.
Now that Xie Yunzheng had just returned to the mansion and had crossed paths with that young lady, such an incident followed closely.
It was hard for him not to think too much.
Hearing this, Xie Yunzheng’s expression turned several degrees colder.
He exuded a chilling, icy aura, as if even the air had frozen.
Xi Yu rubbed his arm. “I was just saying, no need to be so frightening.”
Xie Yunzheng’s slender fingers tapped on the table.
He had no intention of marrying or taking concubines. Whatever Ji Mingzhu was scheming, it would not succeed.
Just as Xi Yu thought Xie Yunzheng would refuse, the man spoke calmly.
“We must give Second Aunt some face. Then I’ll trouble you to make a trip.”
Nothing was settled yet; it was unwise to speculate recklessly.
If Ji Mingzhu was smart, she would not provoke him.
As long as she knew her place, he would not trouble himself with a young woman.
Xie Yunzheng picked up the gauze and, with deliberate care, wrapped the wound himself.