Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 88
by Little PandaVolume 4: The Perils of the Jianghu
Elder Sister is truly lucky.
“Elder sister, and who are you?” The young man who had fallen to the ground rubbed his red and swollen ankle, his eyes, dark as inkstones, holding a few tears, like stars in a clear night sky.
Yue Ling pressed her sword down a bit. “Stop with the nonsense. Answer my question first.”
The young man immediately looked like he was about to burst into tears, like a frightened little rabbit, and said fearfully, “Elder sister, what are you going to do…? I just came to gather herbs. My home is right nearby.”
“Your home is right nearby?” Yue Ling looked around; the area was desolate and uninhabited.
This young master said his home was nearby, and he was carrying a medicine basket. Could it be that he was from Changsheng Valley?
Thinking this, Yue Ling slowly sheathed her sword. “Are you from Changsheng Valley?”
“Yes.” The young man bit his lip, shrinking back slightly. “Who are you, elder sister?”
“So you’re from Changsheng Valley. My apologies for the disrespect.” Yue Ling performed a fist-and-palm salute in apology. “We’ve come to seek medical treatment.”
“Seeking medical treatment?” Hearing this, the young man looked behind her.
Magnificent carriages, tall, sleek fine steeds, a troop of well-equipped guards—such a grand procession. If they were truly here for medical treatment, then they must be important people.
The young man lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes fanned against his eyelids, looking like butterflies about to flutter away. “I know the way. Elder sister, do you need me to show you?”
“Oh, no need. We have a guide.” Having clarified the newcomer’s identity, Yue Ling was about to go back and report when, unexpectedly, the young man, quick of eye and hand, grabbed the hem of her clothes. “Elder sister, I just sprained my ankle. I can’t get up. Can you help me up?”
Truth be told, this young master spoke and acted in a very soft, delicate, and soft-spoken manner. His tone was a bit like those concubines in her Father Emperor’s harem she had seen vying for favor, who had a very practiced way of talking, which made Yue Ling’s skin crawl.
Yue Ling was a bit reluctant to move, but seeing that his ankle was indeed very red, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain, his eyes red-rimmed, tears welling up but not quite falling, he indeed didn’t seem to be lying.
So Yue Ling walked over and lifted him up with one hand.
“Thank you, elder sister…” Who knew the young man would be like he had no bones, and just went limp against her arm.
Yue Ling, “…”
She wanted to slap him, but the young man looked completely oblivious and gave her a shy smile. “Sorry, elder sister. My foot hurts, I can’t stand.”
Seeing Yue Ling frozen there, not moving, he looked up at her in confusion. “Aren’t you going, elder sister?”
“You’re clinging to my arm, how am I supposed to walk?”
The young man lowered his eyes, looking pitiful. “Elder sister, my foot can’t walk anymore. Could you… could you take me with you?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Yue Ling pitifully. “Elder sister, I’m begging you.”
As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling face1. Considering he was from Changsheng Valley, and they had come to ask for their help, it was better to be polite. Yue Ling took a deep breath and half-dragged, half-carried the person to Ji Qingchi and Su Yi’s carriage.
Yue Ling had originally been sent to check the situation, but instead, she dragged someone back.
Ji Qingchi pointed at the young man practically hanging off her arm. “What’s this?”
“Miss, this young master says he’s from Changsheng Valley. He was startled by the carriage just now and sprained his ankle. He says he wants to travel with us and hopes we can take him home.”
Ji Qingchi frowned and looked the young man up and down. The young man hid somewhat shyly behind Yue Ling, but couldn’t help peeking at Ji Qingchi in the carriage.
Confirming he posed no threat, Ji Qingchi nodded. “Since he’s from Changsheng Valley, let him stay. See if there’s any spare room in the carriages behind, let him squeeze in somewhere.”
“Yes.” Yue Ling carried him to the back, found a carriage with some extra space, and stuffed him inside. She then rode her horse back and commanded the convoy, “Continue forward.”
In the carriage where Feng Lin2 was placed, there were three people; they were maids responsible for Su Yi’s daily life and meals. Seeing the handsome young master brought over by General Lin, they were all a bit curious and asked him where he came from; after all, they hadn’t seen such a person when they set out.
Feng Lin answered them one by one, looking out of the carriage somewhat shyly. “Sisters, what do you all do? The elder sister who brought me here said you’ve come to seek medical treatment, but you all look very healthy to me.”
The maids were trained and wouldn’t easily reveal their master’s secrets. They only said that the Young Miss was ill and told him no more.
Feng Lin bit his lip, knowing full well3 they wouldn’t reveal anything more. He gazed out of the carriage, his eyes dimming slightly.
He had seen clearly just now. In the first carriage, there were only two women. The one who had lifted the curtain and spoken looked healthy at a glance, not like someone who was ill. So it was probably the woman sitting behind her who was sick.
How nice. Just for being sick, so many people would go to such great lengths to bring her for treatment. Unlike him…
Feng Lin lowered his eyes, hiding the emotions within them.
The maids were still talking to him, but he no longer tried to fish for information. He excused himself, saying he wasn’t feeling well, closed his eyes, and leaned back in the carriage to rest.
Feng Ruoqing didn’t lead them the wrong way this time. They traveled forward for a hundred li4, and entered a valley.
In the valley, it was like spring all year round. The climate was pleasant. There were waterfalls on all sides, water splashing down from high places, creating a cool mist. The valley walls were covered with vines. Inside the valley, flowers and plants were fragrant and lush. Large patches of unnamable flowers and plants grew there. Waves of fragrance drifted into people’s noses under the sunlight.
There were small paths beside the flowers and plants. Many people dressed in cyan clothes were carrying medicine baskets and picking herbs.
The style of these people’s clothes was identical to the one on the skeleton they had encountered.
Feng Ruoqing lifted the carriage curtain, saw the familiar scene, and was very excited. “We’re here, we’re here! This is it.”
As the saying goes, the closer to home, the stronger the feelings5. Seeing familiar junior martial brothers and sisters among the herb gatherers, she felt even more excited. She couldn’t wait to get out of the carriage, rush into the crowd, and talk to her long-unseen junior martial brothers and sisters.
But just as she started to get up, she was pulled back by her collar.
She turned back, puzzled. Hua Wuying gave her a helpless smile. “Doctor Feng, have you forgotten? You’re in disguise. Right now, you’re a stranger. Even if you stood in front of your junior martial brothers and sisters, they wouldn’t recognize you.”
After Hua Wuying said that, Feng Ruoqing remembered that she was indeed a stranger in the eyes of her sect6 now. Her heart tightened. She didn’t say anything more and obediently stayed in the carriage with Hua Wuying. Only when Yue Ling came over and said they could go out did she jump down from the carriage.
Many of them had arrived. The men and women gathering herbs saw them, and one after another put down their work and began discussing animatedly7, looking at them curiously.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd said, “Hey, look, isn’t that Little Junior Brother?”
“It really is! What’s he doing there?”
“His health isn’t good, why is he running around again? Didn’t the Valley Master tell him to rest properly in the valley?”
Little Junior Brother? Feng Ruoqing heard this and frowned. She turned her head and scanned the crowd. Sure enough, not far away, amidst a sea of bright red dresses, Feng Lin’s cyan clothes stood out.
“Little Junior Brother.” The crowd was murmuring. A tall woman with handsome brows and elegant eyes walked out from behind the crowd, holding a medicine hoe, and said to Feng Lin, who was squeezed in among them, “Why are you with these people?”
Feng Lin lowered his head and said pitifully, “I went to gather herbs and ended up spraining my ankle. It just so happened that these elder sisters were coming to the valley, so I came along with them.”
Hearing him say this, the woman thought Su Yi and her group had been led here by him. She had been about to say something like, “Changsheng Valley is a place of tranquility; outsiders are not allowed to trespass,” but she swallowed her words.
The woman frowned, didn’t pursue the matter of them arriving uninvited, and only looked at Ji Qingchi, who was leading them. “May I ask who you are?”
“We’ve come to seek medical treatment.” Ji Qingchi pushed Su Yi, who was in a wheelchair, had someone present the gold and silks they had brought, and said sincerely, “We are merchants, and we have plenty of treasures. As long as you can help cure my dear friend, I am willing to offer a thousand pieces of gold as a gift.”
Su Yi lacked vitality8, her face was pale, and she leaned listlessly in the wheelchair. While Ji Qingchi was talking to these people, her eyes roamed back and forth, observing every plant and tree in Changsheng Valley.
She wore a light blue dress, was slender and graceful. When silent, she appeared quiet and gentle. Her sickly appearance added a touch of moving pity, captivating one’s soul.
When the woman saw Su Yi leaning in the wheelchair, a look of amazement and pity appeared on her face.
She is beautiful, but unfortunately… one look at her physiognomy9 tells you she won’t live long.
Many people came to Changsheng Valley seeking medical treatment, among them, not a few suffered from terminal illnesses. The woman could well understand the feelings of these patients’ families. She glanced at Su Yi with considerable compassion. “Since you’re here for treatment, wait for me to inform the Valley Master. If she agrees, you may come in.”
“Thank you, young lady.”
The woman called over a junior martial sister also dressed in yellow clothes and asked her to pass on the message. After a short while, the junior martial sister returned. Besides bringing the Valley Master’s words, she also brought back a wheelchair.
“The Valley Master said, since you are seeking medical treatment, you may come in.”
After saying this, she pushed the wheelchair in front of Feng Lin. “Little Junior Brother, your health isn’t good. Sit on it, and we’ll push you back.”
Feng Lin glanced lightly at Su Yi, who was surrounded by many people in the center.
She hadn’t done anything, just leaned there quietly, and had effortlessly captured everyone’s attention.
“Thank you, Senior Sister.” He bit his lip and slowly sat down in the wheelchair.
Following behind the woman, the group slowly pushed the two wheelchairs towards the medical hut in the valley.
On Feng Lin’s side, only three senior martial brothers older than him were looking after him. Everyone else was very curious about Su Yi and her group’s origins. Plus, Su Yi, Ji Qingchi, and the others were truly very good-looking, so they couldn’t help but gather around Su Yi’s wheelchair, chatting with Ji Qingchi and the others from time to time.
Ji Qingchi answered the questions of these curious young doctors one by one, while keeping an eye on Su Yi’s condition in the wheelchair.
When they encountered steep slopes or large stones on the path, worried that Su Yi would be jolted, Ji Qingchi would use all her strength to lift the entire wheelchair slightly to prevent Su Yi from feeling uncomfortable.
In contrast, Feng Lin didn’t receive such good treatment. His senior martial brothers were careless, didn’t pay attention when they encountered stones, and just pushed recklessly. He was jolted so much along the way that his stomach churned.
When his stomach had settled a bit, seeing Su Yi’s treatment beside him, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of envy and jealousy.
That elder sister is truly receiving preferential treatment. I don’t know how she got to be so lucky, to meet such good friends.
Su Yi was originally listening quietly as Ji Qingchi chatted with the disciples of Changsheng Valley, when she suddenly felt a strong gaze on the back of her head, staring at her.
She frowned and turned her head, meeting Feng Lin’s eyes, which were filled with anger and jealousy.
Elder sister is truly lucky.
Why is elder sister so lucky?
I wish I could be like elder sister.
To do nothing, and yet receive everyone’s attention.
His gaze was too intense. Su Yi didn’t know what he was trying to express, but she could tell it definitely wasn’t friendly.
LP: Brother what
Footnotes
- 伸手不打笑脸人 | shēnshǒu bù dǎ xiàoliǎnrén | A proverb meaning one does not hit a person who is smiling; it’s hard to refuse or be harsh to someone who is being polite or friendly.
- 风霖 | Fēng Lín
- 心知肚明 | xīnzhīdùmíng | An idiom meaning to be well aware of something, to know it inwardly without it being said.
- 里 | lǐ | A traditional Chinese unit of distance. One lǐ is officially 500 meters (about 1/3 of a mile). So, a hundred lǐ would be approximately 50 kilometers or 30 miles.
- 近乡情浓 | jìnxiāngqíngnóng | A saying that means the closer one gets to their hometown, the stronger their nostalgic feelings or homesickness becomes. Often a variation of 近乡情怯 (jìn xiāng qíng qiè) meaning ‘fear of returning home after a long absence’.
- 师门 | shīmén | Literally “teacher’s gate”; refers to one’s martial arts school, sect, or the tutelage lineage under a particular master.
- 七嘴八舌 | qīzuǐbāshé | An idiom meaning “seven mouths, eight tongues”; describes a lively discussion with many people talking at once.
- 血气 | xuèqì | Literally “blood and qi (vital energy)”; refers to one’s vitality, energy, and complexion, often indicating health. 血气不足 (xuèqì bùzú) means lacking in vitality, often manifesting as paleness or weakness.
- 面相 | miànxiàng | Physiognomy, face reading; the practice of assessing someone’s character or future from their outward appearance, especially the face.
What is up with this dude? Is he a knucklehead or something much worse than being jealous to a sick patient who’s nearly in a critical condition.