VBNWDW - Chapter 109
Chapter 109
But no matter how much Luo Yueqing resisted, the medicine still had to be drunk.
She sat on the bed, holding the bowl with both hands, her pale face set with determination, as if she were heroically facing an army of thousands. She took a deep breath, and then…
Her expression turned miserable. "I don't want to drink it," she said.
Standing beside her, Zhong Jueyu paused, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
She wasn't one to take care of others. After all, she was a princess, waited on since childhood. It was only in the military camps that she had grudgingly learned to look after herself, and even then, she was hardly overworked.
In the past, if a subordinate was injured, she would at most pay them a visit and offer a few words of instruction, which was enough to make everyone feel immensely grateful.
So, she truly didn't know how to coax someone into drinking medicine. Even the care she had provided earlier was done clumsily, following the doctor's orders to the letter.
If anyone else were to learn of this, they would be utterly astonished that their Grand Princess would do such a thing for someone she had known for only a day.
Luo Yueqing wailed a couple more times. Only when she saw that all resistance was futile did she pick up the bowl again and take a huge gulp. The sound of her swallowing was loud and clear, and she somehow managed to drink it with the bravado of someone downing strong liquor.
Seeing this, Zhong Jueyu let out a small sigh of relief. But before she could relax, she saw Luo Yueqing slam the empty bowl down and shout, "Water, water, give me water!"
Zhong Jueyu had only ever seen such a display when interrogating prisoners. But even with Luo Yueqing acting like this, she still refused. "You can't drink yet."
She explained, "The doctor said you can only have water after an incense stick has burned, otherwise the medicine will be less effective, and you'll have to drink two more doses."
Sitting on the bed, Luo Yueqing froze. Her head instantly drooped. "It's so bitter," she said listlessly.
She was like a pitiful, abandoned kitten.
Anyone else would have immediately offered candied fruit to soothe her, or at the very least, brought half a cup of water for her to rinse her mouth.
But the Grand Princess could only manage to squeeze out, "Good medicine is bitter to the taste but good for the illness."
Luo Yueqing shot her a glance, her expression saying it all.
Zhong Jueyu had no choice but to cough twice. "I've already spoken with the temple master," she said. "You should rest well for the next two days. You don't need to attend classes. Someone will bring you your meals and brew your medicine."
She reached out to take the medicine bowl, adding, "Since you're alright, I'll be heading back now."
The moment she finished speaking, Luo Yueqing grabbed her wrist. "You're leaving?" she retorted immediately.
Zhong Jueyu didn't think much of it and answered with a calm affirmation.
Luo Yueqing's expression grew even more pitiful. She held onto her wrist, wanting to say something, but then let go and mumbled a soft "oh." Her reluctance was plain for anyone to see.
But her fever had broken, she was awake, and she had taken her medicine. There was no reason to keep someone by her side any longer.
All she could say was, "Once I'm better in a couple of days, I'll visit you personally to thank Your Highness for your care."
"It was nothing," Zhong Jueyu said, unconcerned.
The person on the bed nodded, silently wrapping the blanket around herself and watching her with wide, pleading eyes.
She looked terribly pitiful.
Her frame was already delicate, and the loose clothes hung on her. There was a fresh water stain on her collar. As she pulled at the blanket, a section of her wrist was revealed, the reddish-purple finger marks not yet faded. It was so slender it looked as if it would snap with the slightest force, reminding one of a tree branch swaying precariously in the winter wind. A little, unwanted kitten.
Zhong Jueyu averted her gaze and turned to walk out. Her steps were not as steady as usual, carrying a hint of her fleeing in disarray.
It wasn't until the door closed, cutting off the gaze that had been fixed on her, that she inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.
Luo Yueqing was unaware of the other's turmoil. She waited until the footsteps had completely faded before lowering her head again and muttering sullenly, "System, do you have a one-click cure for the common cold?"
The answer, of course, was no.
Luo Yueqing's tone became disdainful. "You're a little useless."
The System, long accustomed to being scolded, remained silent.
Helpless, Luo Yueqing could only wrap the blanket tighter and fall back onto the bed, hoping this illness would pass quickly.
But the bitter medicine had chased away her drowsiness. She lay with her eyes closed for a long time, yet she was still wide awake. She couldn't help but let out a mournful cry.
The sunlight outside grew brighter. It was the busiest time for visitors. Whether they were admiring the flowers outside the temple or coming in to offer incense, people were crowded together.
Even hidden away in the back courtyard, she could hear the jumble of voices. It wasn't exactly noisy, more like the chirping of insects in the background.
The closed room was a bit stuffy. The bitter scent of Chinese medicine couldn't escape, lingering in the small space and making one feel irritable.
Luo Yueqing rolled from the edge of the bed to the wall at the back, then rolled back again. The wooden bed creaked and groaned under her torment, making quite a racket.
She didn't want to read, and she couldn't go out. She was utterly bored.
She even dragged the System, which she usually couldn't be bothered with, into a conversation, making it repeat the rules she had already heard before.
It wasn't until footsteps sounded outside the door again that Luo Yueqing propped herself up on the edge of the bed, clutching her blanket, and looked out.
She had expected a fellow Daoist bringing her meal, but to her surprise, it was Zhong Jueyu, holding a book.
"Your Highness!" The name flew from her lips, her voice rising with a joy anyone could detect.
The hand gripping the door frame tightened slightly, then relaxed. Zhong Jueyu's expression softened. "Why aren't you lying down properly?" she said.
Luo Yueqing was delighted by Zhong Jueyu's return. Her dark eyes reflected the other's figure as she said with a beaming smile, "Why did you come back?"
The pitiful kitten from before was now happily batting at a ball of yarn.
Zhong Jueyu pressed her lips together, recalling the excuse she had prepared. "The phrasing in this scripture is complex. I fear I may misunderstand it, so I thought I would come and ask the Little Daoist for some guidance."
Luo Yueqing's eyes lit up. She reached out, grabbed a stool from the side, and pulled it over. "What don't you understand?" she asked.
The original owner of this body had spent two years in the mountains, often reading scriptures out of boredom, so she naturally knew quite a bit.
Seeing her like this, it was obvious how bored she had been just moments ago—so bored that Zhong Jueyu could hear her tossing and turning from the next room.
Zhong Jueyu had no choice but to sit down beside her again. She opened the book and randomly pointed to a few lines.
It was just an excuse to come back in, but the person next to her took it seriously. She actually adopted the air of a teacher and began to explain, word by word, with great earnestness.
Her voice, originally clear and crisp, was now a little low and raspy from her illness, like a kitten's paw scratching.
It was scratching at the person who had intended to play the part of a good student, causing her mind to wander.
Her gaze shifted to the side. Luo Yueqing was completely oblivious. Eager to show off and keep her guest from leaving, she was practically pulling out everything she knew, explaining in meticulous detail.
Her thin lips opened and closed, covered in a moist sheen. Occasionally, she would reveal small, shell-like white teeth. The strands of hair falling by her ear swayed back and forth, and her long, thick eyelashes fluttered, revealing a childlike earnestness.
Zhong Jueyu's hand, which was resting at her side, suddenly clenched. Her fingertips dug into her palm, which inexplicably began to itch again, just like it had last night when she had covered the other's eyes.
"Do you understand now?" Unaware, Luo Yueqing turned her head to look at her. She was still in the same position, sprawled ungracefully over the head of the bed with the thick blanket draped over her shoulders.
Zhong Jueyu nodded, then pointed to another line.
The Little Daoist glanced at it and began to chatter on again.
Zhong Jueyu's gaze drifted downward, landing on the half-open collar. The faint blue veins beneath the slender neck were vaguely visible, and half of her straight collarbone was exposed. Further in…
She turned her head slightly, a complex emotion flashing in her downcast eyes.
It wasn't as if she hadn't seen it before. When Luo Yueqing had a fever, she had followed the doctor's instructions, using a damp cloth to wipe her down from her forehead and cheeks, across her neck, and inside her collar. Although she had deliberately tried to avoid looking, after wiping her down again and again, there were bound to be moments of error.
Indentations formed where her nails pressed into her palm.
It was said that a long stay in a Daoist or Buddhist temple could calm the mind and spirit, but for Zhong Jueyu, it was not only ineffective but was making her thoughts more chaotic.
She let out a soft breath, trying to suppress her jumbled thoughts.
But the person beside her misunderstood, thinking she was doing a poor job, and began to explain with even greater detail.
The ink on the pages was heavy, and a rich, inky fragrance always wafted up when the book was opened, lingering in the air. This time, however, it was overpowered by the smell of medicine.
Zhong Jueyu's mind wandered again. No wonder Luo Yueqing didn't want to drink the medicine, she thought. It really does smell terribly bitter.
"Your Highness?" The person finally noticed, looking at her with some confusion.
Zhong Jueyu's eyes flickered, but she showed no sign of panic. "I suddenly remembered a candied fruit shop in the capital," she said. "Their products are quite good."
Luo Yueqing grew even more bewildered, wondering how she had suddenly jumped from Daoist philosophy to candied fruit.
But Zhong Jueyu continued without missing a beat. "One of my subordinates happens to have business back there. She'll be returning tomorrow afternoon."
"Ah?"
"I'll have her bring some candied fruit back for you later, so you won't complain about the medicine being bitter."
Luo Yueqing finally understood. "Really?" she asked, pleasantly surprised. "Would that be too much trouble for her?"
She had already forgotten about the other's lapse in attention. Her eyes curved into crescents, filled with anticipation.
"It's no trouble at all," Zhong Jueyu replied easily. "Is there anything else you'd like to eat? I remember there was a shop in the south of the city that specialized in osmanthus cakes. I wonder if it's still there."
She tried hard to remember, but her memories of her hometown were already shrouded in a gray mist. Two years wasn't a long time, but it wasn't short either—long enough for a bustling capital to transform into something else entirely.
She could only promise, "I'll have her go and check. If it's closed, she can buy some from somewhere else."
Luo Yueqing, of course, agreed. She picked out pastries that she remembered tasting good and listed off quite a few, as if ordering from a menu.
The person beside her was very patient, nodding and committing each item to memory.
Only at the very end did the little Daoist nun have the conscience to ask, "Am I asking for too much?"
"It's fine," Zhong Jueyu said succinctly, with the air of a princess.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" the little Daoist nun exclaimed, looking as if she were already halfway cured.
Zhong Jueyu was infected by her joy and couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile. "Think of it as thanks for the Daoist clarifying my doubts," she said.
Her tone shifted as she asked, "I have a Go set in my room. If you're feeling bored…"
She was interrupted before she could finish.
The little Daoist nun blinked and blurted out, "I don't know how to play Go."
Zhong Jueyu was taken aback for a moment, not expecting that someone wouldn't know how to play.
"I only know Gomoku," Luo Yueqing's voice grew quieter as she spoke. Neither her original self nor her current one had any interest in Go; she only knew a little of the children's game, Gomoku.
"It's been a long time since I've played Gomoku, too," Zhong Jueyu quickly replied. "If you're not sleepy right now, shall I go get the set?"
Luo Yueqing let out a cheer. With a sudden burst of energy, she threw herself into the other's arms. "Your Highness the Grand Princess, how can you be so wonderful!" she exclaimed happily.
She was so delighted that she even blurted out the long, formal title.
Zhong Jueyu's body tensed instantly, then slowly relaxed. She only repeated in a gentle voice, "Think of it as thanks for the Daoist clarifying my doubts."
"From now on, you can ask me anything!" Luo Yueqing immediately declared.
"I promise to tell you everything I know and hold nothing back!"
Zhong Jueyu smiled and nodded.
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