Crap.
I should have called him Shuang Jiang…
Shi Yue thought to himself, How on earth did I naturally blurt out his real name?
Pei Xuan stared at him with the gaze of a little wolf cub, making his scalp tingle with unease.
Shi Yue hastily scrambled for an excuse, saying, “I was interested in you, so I looked into your background. Otherwise, why would I have spent three thousand taels to save you?”
Despite the explanation, Pei Xuan’s probing gaze did not dissipate; his deep, fathomless eyes carried an ambiguous meaning. After a short while, he let out a sudden, soft chuckle. “What is the young master so nervous about?”
Just as Shi Yue was racking his brain for something more to patch up the slip, Stone rushed over leading a physician in tow.
“Second Young Master, the physician has arrived.”
“Please trouble the physician to examine him.” Shi Yue stepped aside, clearing space for the physician to take Pei Xuan’s pulse.
The physician pressed his fingers against Pei Xuan’s wrist. After a long moment, furrowing his brow, he spoke in a soft voice, “The young master’s pulse is floating and erratic, and his high fever persists. The most crucial matter right now is tranquil repose and recuperation; he must slowly nourish his vitality back to health.”
Shi Yue asked hurriedly, “Is it serious?”
After completing the diagnosis, the physician withdrew his hand and shook his head. “The young master’s pulse remains relatively steady, and his physical constitution fundamentally has no major issues. It is merely a slight deficiency of vital energy and blood, so there is no need to worry. He simply needs to convalesce indoors for a few days to properly nurse his qi and blood back to health. Remember that during this period, he must not exert internal martial energy to drain his primordial vitality. Combined with the prescribed medicinal decoctions, once his qi and blood are fully replenished, he will naturally recover as before.”
Only then did Shi Yue nod in relief. “Sorry to trouble you, Physician.”
The physician quickly jotted down the required medicinal ingredients.
“Stone, go with the physician to collect the medicine and host the physician properly.”
“Understood, Second Young Master.”
Stone instructed, “This way, please, sir.”
The two departed one after another, and the room returned to its previous tranquility.
Although Shi Yue had slept with him a few times in his past life, besides that physical intimacy, they hadn’t exchanged many words. Suddenly left alone together like this, Shi Yue found the atmosphere extremely awkward.
With no other choice, he lowered his gaze and began absentmindedly tracing a jade pendant he carried on his person.
Suddenly recalling that when Pei Xuan had collapsed earlier, his hand was still tightly clutching the jade pendant he had given him, Shi Yue asked, “The jade pendant I gave you why didn’t you pawn it to exchange for copper coins to pay for medical treatment?”
“How could I pawn the very first item the young master ever gave me?” Pei Xuan tilted his head, the corners of his lips curving upward into a teasing, mischievous smile. “If I had pawned it, how could I have found my way here today to be rescued by the young master once more?”
The pendant Shi Yue had given him was inscribed with the character “Ding” (安定 – Anding), and anyone with a bit of common sense knew it belonged to the Marquis of Anding’s Estate.
Had he simply collapsed outside the front gates of the Marquis’s estate, no one would have bothered reporting it. However, because he was clutching that jade pendant in his hand, the guards had hastily rushed inside to report the matter.
Seeing Pei Xuan’s cheeks flushed crimson from the high fever, Shi Yue picked up the basin of cool water and the handkerchief Stone had brought earlier, soaked the cloth in the cool water, folded it neatly, and placed it across Pei Xuan’s forehead.
“Your body suffered severe injuries; you’ll need to rest and recuperate for at least seven or eight days to recover. I don’t feed idle people here for free.”
Pei Xuan currently felt his head spinning, so he closed his eyes to feign sleep. Hearing those words, he replied in a languid, unhurried tone, “I know a bit of crude fist-and-kick martial arts, and I can read and write a few characters as well. Whether it’s keeping watch as a guard or copying books and doing accounts, I’ll let the young master decide how to put me to work to pay off this debt.”
Who would dare employ the future Grand Chancellor holding supreme authority over the court as a gate guard?
Yet… it didn’t seem entirely out of the question either.
Shi Yue curled his lips. Still, getting on good terms with him now was ultimately far better than completely ticking him off.
Carrying a bowl of pitch-black, steaming medicinal soup, Stone walked inside. “Second Young Master, the medicine has been brewed.”
“Alright, leave it here first. You can step outside.”
Shi Yue looked at Pei Xuan who could not tell whether he was truly asleep or just pretending and reached out to give him a gentle nudge. “Wake up, drink your medicine.”
Pei Xuan was indeed not asleep, though his mind remained drowsy and lacking in clarity.
Frowning, Shi Yue handed the medicine over to Pei Xuan. The pungent, bitter aroma of Chinese herbs immediately drifted through the air.
Yet Pei Xuan behaved as though he had lost his sense of taste; his brows didn’t even twitch as he picked up the porcelain bowl and tilted his head to drain it all in one go, acting as though he were drinking ordinary tea rather than bitter medicine.
Even just watching him made the base of Shi Yue’s tongue feel bitter.
As expected of someone destined to accomplish great things in the future—he has incredible forbearance.
Shi Yue casually set the empty bowl down on the table, turned his head toward the person on the bed, and said, “Alright, go to sleep for now. I’ve ordered guards to keep watch outside the door so no one will disturb you. If anything comes up, just call them to find me.”
“Okay.”
This time, Pei Xuan nodded obediently.
Shi Yue pressed his lips together, said nothing more, pushed the door open, and departed.
Returning to his own chambers, Shi Yue summoned Stone.
“Second Young Master, did you call for me?”
“The task I gave you a few days ago to investigate his background did you find anything?”
“Found it!” Stone replied promptly. “Shuang Jiang’s real name is Pei Xuan, though very few people know it. His father’s identity is unknown, while his mother was a dancer from Yangzhou who unfortunately passed away four years ago due to unknown causes.”
“Ever since his mother passed away, Shuang Jiang was sold to the beast-fighting arena to become a brawler, until he was redeemed by you the other day, Young Master.”
Shi Yue lowered his gaze in thought; the timeline matched up. “What about before that? Did he ever visit Mount Qingluan?”
“Never. Before the incident, Shuang Jiang had always stayed with his mother in Yangzhou.”
That was strange indeed he had never been to Mount Qingluan at all.
Furthermore, he could be certain A’Yao was not a demon, because back then, fearing that A’Yao’s unknown identity might pose a danger, the Marquis of Anding had specifically tested him, and no demonic aura had been detected on his person.
Yet Pei Xuan was undeniably a genuine demon… even though what specific kind of demon he was remained unclear.
Well, in my past life I never had the time to investigate, but since I’ve been given a second chance at life, I’m going to look into all of this thoroughly.
After a few days, the damp chill gradually dissipated. The willow buds sprouted fresh green, peach blossoms bloomed in shades of powder, the breeze carried floral fragrance through the corridors, dew glistened upon the tips of the grass near the stone steps, and the spring sunlight shone with just the right warmth.
Today marked the seventieth birthday of Song Huaian’s grandmother.
As Song Huaian’s “bosom friend,” Shi Yue naturally had to attend to offer birthday greetings.
Aside from Shi Yue, numerous high-ranking officials and noble dignitaries in the capital arrived to extend their congratulations partly on account of Song Huaian’s father, the Grand Tutor, and partly due to his immensely wealthy mother.
And Shi Yue still owed that fellow a massive debt of three thousand taels.