Su Yu’s mind buzzed. Surely she had heard wrong. She had only met this man a handful of times. How had he suddenly proposed marriage? He was a noble young master who attracted admiration wherever he went. Why would he want to marry a powerless village girl like her? Was it like Zhao Li? Had he taken a fancy to her looks and wanted to bring her home as a concubine?
Su Yu snapped back to her senses and instinctively stepped back.
But the man before her seemed to see through her doubts, and he explained himself immediately. “Miss Su Yu, my surname is Ji, my given name is Xuanyue. I am twenty-seven years old and have never married.”
“My parents have both passed away. I have no brothers or sisters, and I have no concubines or bedchamber attendants. When I ask for your hand in marriage, it is as my lawful wife.” His tone was solemn. “You need not answer me immediately, nor should you feel pressured.”
“I am not using this proposal to force your grandmother’s treatment. Whether you accept or refuse, your grandmother will continue to receive the same care. You need not bear any burden because of this.”
His gaze settled on the corners of her eyes, still faintly marked by tears, as he spoke with complete sincerity. “I simply saw the traces of tears at the corners of your eyes and could not bear it. That is why I spoke so rashly. If I have offended or startled you, I hope you can forgive me.”
As he spoke, he stepped back, giving her more space.
Only then did Su Yu realize he hadn’t actually been standing close to her while speaking. Yet his gaze had been so intent that it had made her feel enveloped by his presence.
“You and your grandmother may stay here in peace for the next few days. Wait until your grandmother’s condition has fully stabilized before giving me your answer.”
“Marriage is a matter of great importance and should be considered carefully. Take your time to think it over.”
After a pause, he added, “Someone will bring you a change of clothes and some daily necessities shortly. They are only ordinary items, so please do not refuse them.”
He gave a slight nod, lowering his eyes respectfully. “Miss Su Yu, I shall take my leave for now.”
Su Yu sat beside the bed, holding her grandmother’s hand in both of hers.
Ji Xuanyue’s words continued to echo through her mind, leaving her restless and unsettled.
As she sat there in a daze, the hand in her palm suddenly twitched. The small movement instantly pulled her out of her tangled thoughts.
Su Yu hurriedly leaned closer, her voice trembling slightly as she called out, “Grandmother? Grandmother?”
Madam Chen’s eyes slowly opened to a narrow slit. Her cloudy gaze lingered on Su Yu’s face for a moment before she spoke weakly, “Yu’er… Yu’er…”
Fighting back tears welling in her eyes, Su Yu took her grandmother’s hand and pressed it to her cheek. “Grandmother, it’s me. Your granddaughter is fine. Aunt Wu exaggerated things. Nothing happened to me at all. Please don’t worry, Grandmother, I’m really fine…”
“It was Grandmother who truly frightened me.” In the end, Su Yu could not hold back her tears. They fell one after another. “I almost lost you, Grandmother…”
“Yu’er… cough, cough. That Young Master Zhao… he really didn’t bully you?”
Su Yu shook her head desperately. “No, Grandmother, he didn’t.”
“Do you remember? Two days ago, when I went up the mountain to gather herbs, I came back and told you that I’d rescued a young gentleman who had been bitten by a snake. It happened to be that same gentleman who came across me and saved me, then escorted me home.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Chen finally seemed to relax somewhat, though she still looked exhausted and weak.
“Grandmother, wait here. I’ll go fetch the physician right away.” Su Yu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and rose to call for the doctor.
The physician soon arrived and took Madam Chen’s pulse again. When he finished, he placed a thin slice of ginseng beneath her tongue. “The old lady’s pulse is much steadier than before. She should rest quietly for the next few days and avoid any strong emotions. Let her keep this ginseng slice in her mouth to replenish her vitality.”
With the ginseng beneath her tongue, Madam Chen slowly looked around the room and asked in a hoarse voice, “Wh-where is this?”
“This is Renxin Hall,” the physician replied. “Fortunately, you were brought here in time. Had you arrived any later, even I would have been unable to help.”
Renxin Hall? Madam Chen immediately frowned.
The physician saw through her concerns at a glance and smiled. “Just focus on recovering, Old Madam. Young Master Ji has already paid all the consultation and treatment fees.”
“And remember, you absolutely must not become angry or overexert your mind again. I will come personally every day to administer acupuncture.”
“The Ji family…?”
Seeing her grandmother’s confusion, Su Yu quickly explained, “Grandmother, Young Master Ji is the gentleman I rescued in the mountains. Today, I truly had no other choice, so I sought help from the Ji family…”
Before she could finish, a pharmacy apprentice entered. He carried a food box in one hand and a bundle in the other. “Miss, Young Master Ji sent these over just now. He said they contain some daily necessities for you. If there’s anything else you need, just let me know.”
Su Yu accepted the food box and bundle, lowered her head, and murmured her thanks.
The apprentice set down the items and left.
Madam Chen watched the direction in which he departed, a thoughtful look appearing on her face. “Yu’er, has this Young Master Ji behaved improperly toward you in any way?”
“No, he hasn’t.” Su Yu placed the bundle at the foot of the bed. “Young Master Ji has always treated me with courtesy. He has never crossed any boundaries. What he did today was simply out of gratitude because I saved him that day. I know the limits, Grandmother. You don’t need to worry.”
Madam Chen studied her granddaughter’s face for a long while before sighing. “You’ve always been the sort to share good news but hide your troubles. Do you think your grandmother doesn’t know you?”
“From what you’ve said, that Young Master Ji already repaid the debt he owed you when he rescued you from Zhao Li yesterday. But everything he’s done today… every bit of it costs money and favors.”
As she spoke, she slipped the silver bracelet from her wrist and placed it in front of Su Yu. “Tomorrow, take this bracelet and pawn it. Whatever amount it brings is better than nothing.”
“Grandmother…” Su Yu’s throat tightened. This bracelet had been part of her grandmother’s dowry. She had worn it her entire life.
Picking it up, Su Yu gently slid it back onto her grandmother’s wrist. “Grandmother, this bracelet is your most treasured possession. We can’t pawn it. Don’t worry. I will remember every kindness Young Master Ji has shown us. I will repay him myself.”
After helping her grandmother eat some porridge and drink a bowl of medicine, Madam Chen soon grew tired and fell asleep.
Su Yu kept watch at the bedside for a while, but her thoughts remained in complete disarray.
Images flashed through Su Yu’s mind one after another. First, Aunt Wu cried and wailed in the main hall. Then Second Uncle Su stood silently by the doorway. Then Su Yansong sneaked to her courtyard gate to give her a sugar figurine. In the end, a figure dressed in moon-white eclipsed them all. Ji Xuanyue lowered his eyes to her and earnestly told her he wished to marry her.
The bundle was still sitting at the foot of the bed.
Su Yu opened it and found two neatly folded sets of clothing inside, both simple and modest in style. Underneath them were handkerchiefs, soap pods, a comb, a drinking cup, and a small copper basin. Everything one might need for daily life had been thoughtfully prepared.
Looking at the bundle’s contents, Su Yu felt even more conflicted.
He had not tried to impress her with silks, satins, or extravagant gifts. Instead, he had sent her the ordinary things a person genuinely needed. None of them were particularly valuable, yet somehow that only unsettled her heart more.
Picking up the copper basin, she left the room.
The front of Renxin Hall was used for consultations, but behind it were numerous side rooms where patients could rest. From time to time, apprentices hurried between the rooms carrying bowls of medicine.
She found the water room. Steam filled the air, and several elderly women tended the stoves. As she entered carrying the basin, one of the women looked up, studied her for a moment, then broke into a smile. “Could you be Miss Su Yu?”
Su Yu paused, surprised, and nodded.
The woman immediately rose, took the copper basin from her hands, and began ladling hot water into it while fussing over her. “Careful, miss, it’s hot.”
The other maids nearby, who had been washing handkerchiefs, heard the commotion and looked up at her curiously.
Those seeking treatment at Renxin Hall were usually from wealthy families, yet none had ever seen the old water-heating woman treat a visitor with such warmth and attentiveness.
Su Yu quietly thanked her and carried the copper basin out of the water room.
The moment her figure disappeared from the doorway, someone inside could no longer hold back their curiosity.
“Granny Zhang, whose family’s daughter was that? She looks unfamiliar. Why are you being so attentive to her?”
“You don’t know, do you?” Granny Zhang replied. “Word is that the young lady has some connection to Young Master Ji.”
“Young Master Ji?! Which Young Master Ji? Our master’s Young Master Ji?”
“Is there a second Young Master Ji in Qingyang County?” Granny Zhang shot the maid a look.
“But isn’t Young Master Ji…” The young woman lowered her voice. “…famous for having no interest in women?”
“He’s already twenty-seven and still hasn’t taken a wife. He doesn’t even have a bedchamber attendant. Why is he suddenly paying so much attention to a young lady? What’s her background?”
“I heard that a few days ago Young Master Ji was bitten by a venomous snake, and it was this young lady who saved him.”
“So it’s a life-saving debt…” The maids suddenly understood.
Even so, they still found the matter puzzling.
“But there are so many ways to repay a favor. He could have given her silver or arranged some work for her. Someone as noble as Young Master Ji… why would he come personally?”
“I couldn’t say. Now, enough gossiping, get back to work.”
Su Yu hadn’t gone far yet. The remarks about how he had “never allowed women near him” and “didn’t even have a single bedchamber attendant” had already reached her ears. Her thoughts became even more tangled, and she left carrying the basin of water.