Seeing that she was about to cry, Xie Zhi shut his mouth.
Yuan Yingti's eyes were red as she fought to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.
A cool breeze stirred in the courtyard, drifting gently between the two of them.
Xie Zhi glanced at the sky and suddenly said, "It's time to make dinner. What would you like to eat tonight, miss?"
Yuan Yingti replied sullenly, "Whatever."
"…Chicken or fish?"
"Fish."
Xie Zhi grunted in acknowledgment and turned to go back inside to cook.
He had bought a sea bass earlier and kept it in a vat. He bent down to scoop it out, struck the fish on the head with the back of his knife, and it passed out. With a swift cut, he deboned it, sliced the flesh, and cut a piece of fragrant bean curd.
His knife skills were excellent—the fish slices were uniform in thickness, and the bean curd was diced into neat, square cubes.
As he heated the oil in the pan, he stole a glance outside.
Yuan Yingti was still standing in the same spot, her emotions seemingly settled.
When the oil was hot, he lowered his eyes and slid the sea bass into the pan. The skin contracted in the hot oil; he seared both sides until golden brown, added boiling water, tossed in the bean curd, and covered the pan.
After simmering for about half an hour, the fish soup was ready. He ladled it into a bowl and brought it to the table, then stir-fried a plate of greens and a dish of scrambled eggs with scallions.
As he turned with the scrambled eggs in hand, he noticed that Yuan Yingti had at some point already seated herself at the table.
As if nothing had happened, she lowered her head and sniffed the fish soup on the table, then said in a soft, gentle voice, "A-Nu, your fish smells so good."
Xie Zhi studied her expression, then ladled a bowl of fish soup and set it beside her hand, his voice unconsciously softening as well: "Try it, miss. Be careful, it's hot."
Yuan Yingti nodded with a hum, picked up the small porcelain-white spoon, scooped up a bit of the milky-white soup, held it to her lips, and patiently blew on it.
Once the soup had cooled, she took a small sip, and her fine eyebrows immediately arched upward. "A-Nu, it's so good."
It seemed she no longer minded the unpleasantness from earlier.
Xie Zhi quietly let out a breath of relief.
Thankfully, her moods came quickly and went just as quickly. All he had to do was cook her a meal—he didn't even need to coax her.
…
That night it rained, the fine drizzle tapping on the roof tiles and continuing for most of the night.
The next morning at breakfast, Xie Zhi heard Yuan Yingti coughing quietly.
He frowned. "Did you catch a cold, miss?"
Yuan Yingti rubbed her somewhat stuffy nose and pinched her seemingly swollen throat, then said weakly, "I think so."
Xie Zhi reached out to feel her forehead—it was a bit warm.
"Let's go see a doctor."
But Yuan Yingti shook her head. "I don't think it's serious. It'll get better in a few days. There's no need."
"No, we're going."
"That's not a good idea. If I go see a doctor and someone from Prince Qi's household sees me, what then?"
She was always so cautious. Xie Zhi said, "I'll go bring the doctor here."
Peach Blossom Town had only one clinic, and the clinic had only one old physician who saw patients. Xie Zhi paid triple the consultation fee before the old physician agreed to come home with him.
Fortunately, it was just a minor cold—the fever wasn't high and it wasn't serious. The old physician took her pulse, prescribed a few herbs, and instructed, "Decoct and take it. Three days and she'll be well."
As the old physician packed up his medicine box, seeing how young the two of them were, he couldn't help but add a few more words to Xie Zhi: "Your wife's constitution is too weak. Young man, you need to take better care of her."
Xie Zhi followed the old physician's gaze toward his "wife." "Please advise me, sir."
"The body is too weak, so she easily falls ill. Her pulse is weak and floating — one try tells you she doesn't like to move. She doesn't move, she's frail as a breeze, and one rainstorm lays her out sick. You need to get her moving more."
The old physician prattled on: "Now it's spring, when all things come alive. Such a fine time — you two should go out for a walk, climb a mountain, visit a temple. Get out more, and her health will naturally improve day by day."
Xie Zhi seemed to ponder this, then nodded and thanked him.
He paid double the consultation fee, and after seeing the old physician off, he fetched the medicine and set it to brew, then went into the room to check on Yuan Yingti.
She was still feverish, her cheeks flushed red, and even her breath came out hot.
"Did you hear what the physician said, young miss?"
Yuan Yingti had heard it all, of course. She lay in her quilt, hands neatly folded one over the other on her stomach, looking listless. "Resting will fix it. Prince Qi is still hunting for me. I'm not going out."
On a personal level, Xie Zhi didn't want her going out either. She was something he had stolen through great hardship and peril — he had no desire to flaunt her about.
Xie Zhi looked at her, then paused. "We don't have to go anywhere crowded."
"Then I'm still not going." Yuan Yingti's voice was a little hoarse.
"We'll climb a mountain. There are few people there — no one will see you."
"A-Nu, I really don't want to go out." Yuan Yingti gazed at him with a pitiful look.
"Why?" Xie Zhi stared at her. Counting carefully, he had kept her shut up in this square little courtyard for over half a month now. "You haven't gone out for so long, young miss — doesn't it bother you at all?"
"Why would it bother me?" Yuan Yingti pressed her slender pale fingers to her lips and gave a muffled cough. "When I was at home, I never went out either."
Xie Zhi picked up the kettle to pour her some water, and asked, "When was the last time you went out, young miss?"
"Not counting the time you rescued me — the last time was at the Lantern Festival."
The Lantern Festival had been three months ago.
"And before that?"
"The Lantern Festival last year."
The sound of pouring water stopped abruptly. He looked up. "You only go out once a year, young miss?"
"That's right." Yuan Yingti didn't see anything wrong with it, and answered in her soft voice. "My eyes aren't good. Father said going out would only cause trouble."
A fire suddenly kindled in Xie Zhi's chest, rising up into his throat.
If not for the memory of Yuan Yingti's red-rimmed eyes from yesterday, he would have cursed aloud again. He swallowed it down, set down the teapot, and carried the cup to her bedside.
"I'm at your side, young miss. Going out with me won't cause anyone any trouble."
Yuan Yingti braced herself on his arm and sat up, her dark hair spilling across her back, a few strands loose at her temples. She hadn't the strength to brush them aside, and listlessly took the cup, sipping from it in small mouthfuls.
Her throat felt a bit better, and she lay back down. "A-Nu, I don't want to go out. Don't try to persuade me anymore."
"Young miss needs to heed the physician's words."
He was starting to push her hard again. Yuan Yingti didn't know what to do. She burrowed a little deeper into the bedding and said in a small voice, "Why would I go out? Just to make a spectacle of myself…"
Xie Zhi stared at her, his tone turning cold. "Did your father say that too?"
"Yes. I'm a little good-for-nothing. Going out would only make a mess — embarrassing and shameful."
Yuan Yingti was muddled from the fever, not entirely clear-headed. The words came out purely on reflex, like reciting something she'd heard so many times she knew it by heart.
"Your father is a goddamn—"
Yuan Yingti blinked her unfocused eyes and looked up at him in a daze.
Xie Zhi swallowed the "egg." He said no more, standing in place to recover for quite a while, then silently cleared away the teacup she had used and turned to leave the room.
The medicine was already brewed. Without a word, he poured it into a bowl.
A bitter, medicinal scent dispersed through the air. His eyes were pitch-black, his lips pressed into a flat, straight line, making him look sharp and imposing. Only when the scalding medicine gradually cooled did his expression slowly return to calm.
Xie Zhi carried the medicine back into the room. Yuan Yingti was drifting in and out of sleep, hazy and half-conscious. He called to her softly, "Miss, time to get up and take your medicine."
She obediently sat up and, in a daze, drank the medicine. It was very bitter, but she only frowned without making a sound.
Xie Zhi brought warm water for her to rinse her mouth, and she lay back down. This time she fell asleep quickly.
Her cheeks were flushed red, and the heat from her body seemed higher than before. Xie Zhi fetched hot water and soaked a cloth in it.
The warm cloth was gently placed on her forehead, and she let out a soft murmur. Her nose was congested, her breathing labored. Her lips were slightly parted, and the breath she exhaled was hot, brushing against his wrist.
Very itchy.
Xie Zhi lowered his gaze, staring at her face. Her sleeping expression was serene, her cheeks flushed red, the skin along her neck tinged with pink as well, looking unbearably fragile.
He washed another cloth and gently wiped the artery on the side of her neck.
The damp water against her dry, warm skin was uncomfortable, and Yuan Yingti murmured softly again in her sleep.
Even though she was so miserable, she only let out weak little whimpers, without the slightest resistance—she didn't even pull a hand out from under the blanket to push him away.
…
Xie Zhi cared for her the entire day, changing the cloth and feeding her warm water at regular intervals. Fortunately, her fever lasted only a short time. By evening, her temperature had returned to normal.
Xie Zhi cooked a thin porridge and fed it to her himself. She soon drifted back into a hazy sleep.
He closed the door to her room and went outside to wash the dishes. Just then, a banging knock suddenly came from the front gate.
"Brother! Are you home?" It was Qing Shao's voice. He had returned.
Xie Zhi finished washing the last bowl and went out. He opened the door, and sure enough, it was Qing Shao's dark, travel-worn smiling face: "Brother, I'm back!"
"This trip wore me out, but I got everything figured out." Qing Shao had been saving up words the whole journey and was about to speak, but Xie Zhi made a gesture for him to be quiet.
He glanced back at Yuan Yingti's bedroom. It was silent inside; she was sleeping soundly.
"Let's talk somewhere else."
Xie Zhi walked out of the courtyard and gently closed the front gate.
The door ring swayed, and his gaze involuntarily fell on the brass lock hanging to one side.
The heavy brass lock weighed about eight catties. He stared at it, and for some inexplicable reason, his eyes ached.
Back then, he had spent a great deal of money on this lock because he wanted to lock her up, to keep her from escaping.
Now it seemed he had really overthought things.
The young miss was timid and weak, practically wishing she could spin a cocoon around herself. Even if he left the gate wide open, she would never take a single step outside.
What use was this big lock?
Xie Zhi crossed his arms and sneered.
Qing Shao had no idea why he suddenly laughed. Puzzled, he reached out and waved a hand in front of Xie Zhi's eyes.
Xie Zhi raised his hand and smacked his paw away.
His face was expressionless as he still hung the brass lock back up and locked it firmly.
This time, it wasn't that he was afraid she would run away. He was afraid someone would break in. After all, that young miss was muddle-headed and delicate, easy to bully, and completely defenseless against anyone.