“Feng Che!”
Gao Zhi hurriedly stopped his train of thought from going off in the wrong direction.
“What I mean is, your bed is too narrow. It won’t be comfortable to sleep on, and it could affect the recovery of your legs.”
Feng Che froze. An unreadable trace of gloom flashed through his eyes, almost like disappointment.
“Don’t worry. Shang Lu has already arranged for someone to replace the bed. I also care about my own health.”
Although it wasn’t what he had hoped to hear, he still nodded slightly.
“And thank you for your concern.”
Seeing that he had put it that way, Gao Zhi couldn’t very well argue with him.
Forget it.
In any case, she would be returning to her parents’ home tomorrow. Once they arrived at the Gao residence, with everyone watching, she wanted to see how he planned to sleep in separate rooms from her then.
Doctor Shi arrived at the Prince’s residence before the Shen hour the next day and first treated Feng Che with acupuncture.
When half an hour had passed and the treatment was nearly finished, Gao Zhi had Chan Yi bring Wen Yan over.
She hadn’t had the chance to pay close attention before when there were more people around. But today, as she watched the child approach from a distance, she noticed that his gait was somewhat strange. His balance was unsteady, and the way his heels touched the ground was also abnormal.
Then she looked at the boots on his feet. The leather was brand-new, and the patterns were exquisite. They had clearly been made recently…
“Mother.”
Wen Yan’s voice brought Gao Zhi back to her senses.
“Did you ask me to come for something?”
The eight-year-old spoke in such a serious, measured manner that he seemed like a miniature version of Feng Che.
Gao Zhi found it amusing and took his hand herself, causing the tips of Wen Yan’s ears to turn red.
He was already a big boy and couldn’t cling to this new mother and act spoiled like Wen Ting did. Gao Zhi’s touch made him feel a little awkward.
“Don’t be nervous.”
Knowing that children generally disliked seeing doctors, Gao Zhi tried to explain the matter to him as gently as possible. To her surprise, Wen Yan simply nodded obediently after hearing her.
“Mother is doing this for my sake. I’ll listen to you.”
Gao Zhi froze.
It was as though she were looking at a smaller version of Feng Che. She couldn’t resist reaching out and rubbing his head.
“A-Yan is such a good boy.”
Wen Yan’s cheeks grew warm as well. He obediently held Gao Zhi’s hand and followed her inside.
Seeing that his father was lying on the couch while an elderly gentleman removed the silver needles from his legs, Wen Yan turned his head to look at him.
“Doctor Shi, this is my child. I’ll trouble you to examine him.”
Shi Ji had practiced medicine at Lisheng Hall for many years and had practically watched Gao Zhi grow up. When he heard that Feng Che had returned to the capital with three children, he had initially felt sorry for Gao Zhi and refused to treat Feng Che. It was only after Madam Shao persuaded him that he agreed to come.
Now, seeing Gao Zhi bring in such a thin and frail child, he knew the boy must have suffered greatly and let out a sigh.
“Why is he so thin?”
“His appetite is very poor.”
Gao Zhi explained what she had observed to Shi Ji.
Shi Ji glanced back at Feng Che, who was temporarily asleep after the acupuncture.
“Let’s go next door and take his pulse.”
Wen Yan remained calm. Perhaps after everything he had experienced during that year of fleeing, he had developed the composure of a little adult. He simply sat quietly while Shi Ji examined him from head to toe.
“There’s nothing physically wrong with him.”
Shi Ji packed away his medical case.
“I’ll prescribe some medicine for him to take every day to regulate his body. That will be enough.”
“But…”
Before Gao Zhi could finish, Shi Ji gave her a look.
She immediately understood and said to Wen Yan,
“The doctor says there’s nothing seriously wrong with you. I’ll have the medicine you need sent over later.”
Wen Yan nodded obediently and left.
“Doctor Shi, is there something wrong?”
Even Gao Zhi couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Shi Ji nodded toward his chest.
“This child has a problem of the heart.”
Gao Zhi froze.
“A heart problem?”
Shi Ji hummed.
“He’s still so young, yet when I press deeply to take his pulse, it feels sluggish and obstructed. His qi is stagnant and his blood is congested, with his emotions knotted up inside. He’s carrying a great deal of weight in his heart, and his spleen and stomach are also not in good condition.”
Gao Zhi was shocked.
“How could this happen…?”
“It’s difficult to say. Among the patients I’ve treated, some suffered because their families underwent major changes, while others encountered traumatic events. In a child like this, the symptoms likely didn’t develop overnight.”
Shi Ji pondered.
“I’m afraid he may have had trouble eating for years. As for exactly what happened, you’ll have to find that out yourself. But you can’t rush it, or you may provoke the opposite reaction.”
Since Shi Ji had said this, Gao Zhi couldn’t immediately question the child. She first sent the prescription he had written for regulating Wen Yan’s spleen and stomach to the small kitchen, then instructed the servants in Wen Yan’s courtyard to make sure he took his medicine on schedule from that day onward.
By the time Feng Che woke up, it was already time to return to her parents’ home.
Gao Zhi thought carefully about it. Wen Yan clearly had something troubling him, yet he hadn’t told Feng Che, which meant the matter might have something to do with Feng Che.
Although Wen Yan was still young, a child his age already had his own pride.
Until she understood the situation, it was better to keep his secret for now.
Once they returned to the Prince’s residence tomorrow, she would see whether she could find a way to learn more.
At the main hall of the Gao residence, Gao Zheng and Madam Shao had been waiting early. After welcoming them inside, Gao Zheng chatted with Feng Che for quite some time before going to arrange dinner.
Madam Shao, meanwhile, took the initiative to examine Feng Che’s legs.
Gao Zhi waited nearby. After Madam Shao finished examining him and lowered the man’s trouser leg again, her gaze fell on Gao Zhi.
“Gao Zhi, go see how your father’s preparations are coming along. He’s always been rather careless when handling things. Go see if there’s anything you can help with.”
Gao Zhi froze when she heard this.
Was Madam Shao trying to send her away?
She instinctively looked at Feng Che.
Earlier, he had said that Doctor Shi considered his condition fairly good. Could there be something else going on?
Her heart tightened with unease.