Zhao’er, come outside with This Father for a moment.
Hearing Cheng Xi’s words, Lin Xizhao steadied her frantic heart and immediately began calling to Qu Sheng. “Sheng’er, Sheng’er, wake up. Sheng’er, Sheng’er…”
The name, spoken with such tenderness yet so heart-wrenching to hear, left Lin Xizhao’s lips endlessly, but Qu Sheng didn’t react.
Cheng Xi watched as Qu Sheng’s face began to turn purple. Her brow furrowed. She set down the hand with the pricked fingers and took the other, pressing the fingertips together and piercing them one by one to draw blood.
After Cheng Xi had finished, the color slowly began to return to Qu Sheng’s face. Lin Xizhao, having called out for so long without a response, looked to Cheng Xi with pleading eyes.
Cheng Xi’s expression, once hurried, had gradually calmed. She looked at the tear tracks on Lin Xizhao’s cheeks, which Lin Xizhao herself hadn’t even noticed. Her soft, slightly dry lips parted. “I’ve done my best. The rest is up to you.”
At her words, Lin Xizhao’s eyes blinked, a flicker of helplessness in them, but she quickly resumed calling Qu Sheng’s name.
Cheng Xi stood to one side, watching. Xiao Bingying’s heart was also twisted with anxiety. Lin Xizhao’s cries sounded as if she were weeping blood. By now, the entire Qu family knew Qu Sheng had fallen unconscious again. They all gathered, their tense figures making the atmosphere in the room plummet.
Leaning on Zhao Jiayu for support, Jin Yunfei’s face was etched with worry and regret. She shouldn’t have brought this up with Qu Sheng at a time like this.
Qu Sheng had never caused her a moment of worry growing up. Who could have imagined that when trouble finally came, it would be such a monumental dilemma?
Lin Xizhao was still calling to Qu Sheng, and Zhao Jiayu was beside herself with nerves. When Lin Xizhao’s voice was nearly gone from hoarseness, Zhao Jiayu walked over to the bed. “Xiao Sheng’er, you have to wake up! Xizhao has agreed to marry you! Eldest Paternal Uncle and Eldest Paternal Aunt have both consented! What a waste it would be for you to die now! Get up! Wake up for me!” As she spoke, Zhao Jiayu reached out and grabbed the collar of Qu Sheng’s robes.
Seeing this, Xiao Bingying hurried over and pulled her aside. Looking at the tear stains on Zhao Jiayu’s face, she felt a pang in her own heart.
Zhao Jiayu looked at Xiao Bingying through blurry, tear-filled eyes, then buried her face in Xiao Bingying’s embrace and began to sob quietly.
Cheng Xi glanced over at the sound of crying. Xiao Bingying was looking down, comforting Zhao Jiayu. When she looked up, she met Cheng Xi’s gaze just as Cheng Xi was turning away.
No one had the mind to dwell on Zhao Jiayu’s ill-timed words. All they wanted was for Qu Sheng to wake up. Everything else could be dealt with later.
Not long after Zhao Jiayu had spoken, Lin Xizhao picked up where she had left off. “Jiejie promises Sheng’er she’ll never leave you again. Sheng’er… Jiejie can’t live without you.”
Her mournful, pleading voice echoed in everyone’s ears. Qu Jinian and Jin Yunfei watched Lin Xizhao’s nearly hopeless expression. As they pitied her, they also seemed to give their tacit approval for her to continue speaking to Qu Sheng this way.
Lin Xizhao repeated her promise not to be separated from Qu Sheng. In that moment, she truly understood the pain of impending loss. She had thought that parting in life was the most painful decision she could ever make, but she never imagined that separation by death1 was a torment that could claim a person’s very soul.
Cheng Xi remained motionless, standing by until even the Qu family began to lose hope. Then, she raised a hand and glanced at her own injured arm.
“As long as you wake up, Jiejie will promise you anything. Jiejie will never lie to Sheng’er again. Sheng’er…”
Lin Xizhao was still trying to rouse her. Her pleading words reached Qu Sheng’s ears. She heard every one of them.
Cheng Xi lowered her gaze for a moment, then walked over to Lin Xizhao, who was slumped over the edge of the bed. “Let me try again.”
Hearing this, Lin Xizhao’s damp lashes didn’t even flicker. She immediately moved out of the way.
Cheng Xi took out a silver needle. She looked down at Qu Sheng, then glanced back at the others in the room. Lowering her eyes, she inserted the needle into the side of Qu Sheng’s neck.
As the silver needle slid in, Cheng Xi twisted the head, and Qu Sheng finally reacted. Cheng Xi’s movements were unhurried. After a few rotations, she withdrew the needle with incredible speed.
Setting the needle aside, she turned to the people behind her. “I must trouble you all to step outside. I need to perform another treatment.”
They all looked momentarily confused, but Xiao Bingying quickly explained, “Sheng-meimei is an unmarried maiden…”2
Her words trailed off, but everyone understood instantly. All of them, men and women alike—even Zhao Jiayu—left the room.
Cheng Xi had Lin Xizhao undo Qu Sheng’s inner robe and began applying the needles again. Without Cheng Xi’s signal, Lin Xizhao didn’t dare make a sound, afraid that speaking might interfere with the treatment.
A silver needle was inserted into Qu Sheng’s spine. After studying Qu Sheng’s head for a moment, Cheng Xi placed the final two needles on either side of her skull.
Lin Xizhao stared at Qu Sheng, her body pierced with silver needles. The areas on her back that had been struck by the small rod3 and the Water and Fire Cudgel4 were beginning to show deep bruises. Her heart clenched with regret. She wished she could have taken those blows for her.
When she was finished, Cheng Xi turned to Lin Xizhao, who was staring intently at Qu Sheng. “She’s awake,” she said. “But it will be an hour before she can open her eyes.”
Qu Sheng had been conscious the entire time. She just couldn’t open her eyes, couldn’t speak, and couldn’t move a muscle.
After letting her blood, Cheng Xi had chosen the perfect moment to apply the needles again. Only by letting Qu Sheng hear what she needed to hear, by giving her the will to live, would the treatment be effective.
Lin Xizhao nodded and moved closer to Qu Sheng. Cheng Xi and Xiao Bingying stood by for a while before removing the silver needles from Qu Sheng’s body and leaving the room.
Hearing that Qu Sheng had been saved, the Qu family breathed a collective sigh of relief. The two women had been about to take their leave, but Qu Jinian begged them to stay.
“My young daughter’s illness is unpredictable. This Uncle hopes you can stay for a few days.” As he spoke, Qu Jinian had completely shed the demeanor of an elder. He was just an old father, pleading humbly for his daughter’s well-being.
Xiao Bingying glanced at Cheng Xi. It wouldn’t be a problem for her to return, but she worried that if Cheng Xi went back, Xiao Yaocai would try to capture her again.
Cheng Xi knew martial arts and medicine, so she wasn’t afraid. But Xiao Bingying had promised to protect her. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Then we will impose on Uncle Qu.”
By this time, the medicine brewing outside was ready. As Qu Yu carried it into the room, Qu Ting was leading Cheng Xi and Xiao Bingying out to arrange their lodgings.
Qu Yu rushed over with the bowl of medicine, but Cheng Xi stopped him. “Let the medicine be for now. Wait until she wakes up to give it to her.”
Qu Yu, who had been spinning like a top, finally paused. He realized his throat was parched. He nodded, swallowed hard, and asked, “How is Sheng-meimei?”
Cheng Xi was the one treating Qu Sheng; Xiao Bingying didn’t know the details, nor did she possess such medical skill. She exchanged a look with Cheng Xi, and after Cheng Xi gave a slight nod, Xiao Bingying said, “Sheng-meimei is out of danger, but you must not let her get agitated. She’ll be much better after she wakes up and drinks the medicine.”
Qu Yu nodded. When he’d heard Qu Sheng had fainted again, he’d been like ants on a hot pan5 by the medicine stove, praying ceaselessly to the gods for their protection. Hearing that she was fine now, he let out a visible sigh of relief.
Qu Ting had someone arrange for Cheng Xi and Xiao Bingying to stay in a side room in Qu Sheng’s courtyard. It was the same arrangement as in Shoulin, and out of habit, they were given a single room.
A maid from the Marquis Qu’s Residence poured them tea and stood by, awaiting orders. Xiao Bingying looked up at her. “You may go. I’ll call you if I need anything.”
The maid curtsied and left.
After the maid was gone, Xiao Bingying turned to Cheng Xi, who was sipping her tea. “Is Xiao Sheng’er really okay?”
Cheng Xi paused, the teacup halfway to her lips. “Don’t worry,” she replied. “She was never in any real danger.”
Hearing her say ‘never in any real danger,’ Xiao Bingying’s mind went blank. She stared at Cheng Xi, confused. Recalling Qu Sheng’s condition just moments ago, she had clearly been at death’s door. How could she say she was fine?
Seeing Xiao Bingying’s baffled expression, Cheng Xi pushed the other cup of tea toward her. “It was the needles. I added two extra needles to her acupoints earlier. It causes this reaction whenever she gets agitated, but it’s not life-threatening.”
“Then just now, you…” Xiao Bingying started, then suddenly thought of the reactions of the Qu family and Lin Xizhao. “You did it on purpose?”
Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow. “Not entirely. It’s better for this symptom to manifest sooner rather than later.” She lifted her own cup again, taking a sip to moisten her lips. “We can’t be by her side at all times. If the illness flares up early and is treated promptly, there won’t be any major problems.”
As Cheng Xi patiently explained, Xiao Bingying stared at her, at a loss for how to describe the woman before her.
It was as if Cheng Xi had once again become someone impossibly out of her reach. She had once compared Cheng Xi to a celestial fairy in the clouds and herself to mud from the earth. Now, she felt even more unworthy of her.
“Why did you give Xiao Sheng’er your blood earlier?” Xiao Bingying’s spirits fell as she remembered Cheng Xi cutting her own wrist.
Cheng Xi subconsciously glanced at her still-aching arm, then looked up at Xiao Bingying. “I was frail and sickly as a child, so Shifu6 fed me medicines to strengthen my body. My blood has been steeped in those medicines for years, making it a great tonic for the internal organs.”
Xiao Bingying’s eyelashes trembled. The memory of Cheng Xi bandaging her own arm on the road back from Shoulin flashed through her mind.
“Then the snake blood I drank?”
“It was my blood,” Cheng Xi admitted, no longer hiding the truth.
Hearing this, Xiao Bingying felt a mix of all five flavors7 in her heart. She stared at Cheng Xi, utterly speechless.
In Qu Sheng’s bedchamber, Lin Xizhao was still talking to her nonstop. Cheng Xi had said it would help her wake up sooner.
All the women of the Qu family were inside the room, while the men waited in the antechamber. Everyone could hear every word Lin Xizhao said, yet no one stepped forward to stop her or voice any objection.
Lin Xizhao took a handkerchief and gently wiped the fine beads of sweat from Qu Sheng’s brow. Her voice was low and soft. “When Sheng’er wakes up, Jiejie will make your favorite water chestnut cakes. Whatever else Sheng’er wants to eat, just tell Jiejie when you wake up, and Jiejie will make it for you.”
She spoke of trivial things, just as she used to when coaxing Qu Sheng. The others listened, exchanging glances. They had all watched these girls grow up; none of them wanted to make things difficult.
Now that Qu Sheng had nearly lost her life over this, as long as Lin Xizhao was willing, all they could do was open one eye and close one eye.8
Sansao9 had known about their relationship for a long time. She neither supported nor opposed it. She had assumed they would keep it a secret for much longer, but to her surprise, Qu Sheng had laid everything bare the day after they returned.
Now, seeing Lin Xizhao’s worried state, she felt a dull ache in her chest. She had seen them struggle with their feelings. She knew that Qu Sheng, feeling inferior because of her blindness, had tried to push Lin Xizhao away, and that Lin Xizhao, because of that same blindness, had refused to leave her for a single step,10 indulging her madness and letting her cross every line.
The affection between women was the purest of feelings. It would be a true pity to tear apart a bond so deep.
Qian Shuangying gently patted Lin Xizhao’s back. When Lin Xizhao looked over, she said softly, “Xizhao-meimei, you should rest for a bit. Didn’t Miss Cheng Xi say she would wake in half an hour?”
Lin Xizhao knew Qian Shuangying meant well, but she remembered Cheng Xi saying that talking to Qu Sheng would help her wake sooner. She shook her head. “It’s no trouble.”
“Zhao’er, let This Mother11 speak with Sheng’er for a while,” Jin Yunfei said from behind them. She knew that Lin Xizhao was the person Qu Sheng cared about most, but she couldn’t let Lin Xizhao keep talking like this.
Her voice was already raw.
Lin Xizhao looked over, forcing a smile. “Let this daughter do it.”
It was our conversation that put her in this state. What if Jin Yunfei says something else to upset her… I can’t bear it again.
Hearing Lin Xizhao’s gentle refusal, Jin Yunfei thought of the harsh, pragmatic words she herself had spoken earlier. As Lin Xizhao turned back to Qu Sheng, Jin Yunfei lowered her head, her eyes filled with sorrow and regret, and sighed softly.
Qu Ting came in to check on Qu Sheng. He had just come from seeing Cheng Xi and Xiao Bingying and had specifically asked; it wasn’t necessary for Lin Xizhao to keep talking. Besides, having so many people crowded in the room wasn’t good for Qu Sheng’s recovery.
After greeting the elders, Qu Ting said, “We younger ones are here. Sheng-meimei will be fine. Esteemed elders, please go back and rest. If Sheng-meimei wakes, Ting’er will inform you immediately.”
Qu Jinian considered this for a moment. “Everyone, go back for now.” They couldn’t be of any help here. Yesterday, Qu Ting had told him that Cheng Xi was the apprentice of the traveling physician who had treated Qu Sheng’s eyes. He now understood the whole story and trusted Cheng Xi’s diagnosis.
At his word, everyone filed out of Qu Sheng’s room. Supported by Zhao Jiayu and Qian Shuangying, Jin Yunfei left as well.
Once outside, Zhao Jiayu didn’t immediately follow the others out of the courtyard. She and Qu Yu walked together toward the side rooms.
Zhao Jiayu looked at the closed door, then at the maid standing guard beside it. “Is Ah Jie12 staying in this room?”
“Replying to the Fourth Young Mistress, the young miss of the Xiao family is staying here,” the maid answered respectfully with a curtsy.
Zhao Jiayu nodded and knocked on the door.
Xiao Bingying was sitting at the table, unsure of what to say to Cheng Xi, when she heard the knock.
Both women looked toward the door. “I’ll get it,” Xiao Bingying said, rising quickly.
Cheng Xi nodded. Xiao Bingying straightened her dress, walked to the door, and pulled it open.
“Ah Jie.” Zhao Jiayu peeked inside and saw Cheng Xi. She had been puzzled after seeing Cheng Xi treat Qu Sheng, but now, seeing her here, her eyes lit up. “Cheng Xi is here too!”
Cheng Xi stood and gave a nod of acknowledgment.
Qu Yu also entered, offering a cupped-fist salute. “Thank you, Miss Cheng Xi and Bingying-meimei, for your help today. Otherwise, I fear my sister would have been in grave danger.”
“We’re all family, no need for such formalities,” Zhao Jiayu said, cutting off his pleasantries.
Xiao Bingying could only offer a helpless smile at her cousin’s bluntness. Cheng Xi’s lips curved as well; she didn’t find Zhao Jiayu’s words rude.
“Cheng Xi, when did you learn medicine? Did you learn it during your trip to Shoulin?” Zhao Jiayu was still unaware of what had happened in the Haichao Kingdom; no one had told her.
Cheng Xi froze for a second, then looked at Xiao Bingying.
An hour later, Lin Xizhao sat by the bed, gently stroking Qu Sheng’s pale but smooth cheek, singing a lullaby she used to sing to her as a child.
Qu Sheng used to think it was childish, but over time, she had grown to love it. Now, listening to Lin Xizhao’s low, sweet song, her eyelids twitched. She desperately wanted to open her eyes and see those soft lips, which she was sure must look incredibly alluring as they moved.
Lin Xizhao felt a slight movement under her fingertips. She quickly looked down and saw Qu Sheng’s head stirring faintly, her eyelids struggling to open.
Lin Xizhao’s eyes widened. She immediately grasped Qu Sheng’s hand. “Sheng’er, Sheng’er, don’t rush. Slowly, there’s no hurry. I’m right here.”
Cheng Xi had said Qu Sheng was awake, just unable to move. She must have struggled so hard just to be able to move at all, Lin Xizhao thought.
She didn’t want her to struggle so much. She was here. She would never leave her again. They had all the time in the world.
Lin Xizhao watched as Qu Sheng’s eyelids fluttered a few times without opening. Then, she suddenly felt a faint pressure from the hand she was holding.
She glanced down at their joined hands, then back up at Qu Sheng’s face, her voice gentle. “There’s no hurry. Jiejie is right here with Sheng’er.”
Qu Sheng felt as if she had drunk several jars of wine; her eyelids were too heavy to control. She had heard every word Lin Xizhao had said earlier. In fact, she had been able to hear ever since Cheng Xi had let the blood from her fingertips.
She remembered everything.
After a long while, under Lin Xizhao’s eager gaze, Qu Sheng finally fought against the weight and lifted her eyelids.
Lin Xizhao’s figure slowly came into focus, shifting from a blur to perfect clarity. In that moment, she saw the smile on Lin Xizhao’s face, and the tear stains on her cheeks.
In a daze, Qu Sheng saw the Lin Xizhao from years ago, the one who had cried her heart out in her arms after her mother passed away. Even when she cried, Lin Xizhao was the most beautiful person in her world.
“Xizhao…” Qu Sheng forced the name through her teeth, the sound indistinct.
Hearing her voice, tears spilled from Lin Xizhao’s eyes. She nodded frantically, her voice trembling. “It’s me, it’s me, Sheng’er…”
After calling her name, Qu Sheng’s lips parted a few more times, but no more words came out. She tried to raise her hand, wanting to wipe away Lin Xizhao’s tears, but she didn’t have the strength. Her arm fell back to the bed before it was halfway there.
Lin Xizhao saw the movement and quickly took Qu Sheng’s arm, pressing it against her own cheek. She nuzzled the palm of Qu Sheng’s hand, feeling its warmth, whispering her name. “Sheng’er, Sheng’er…”
Lin Xizhao had never felt such conviction from the faint pressure of Qu Sheng’s fingers. She didn’t want to leave her. If leaving meant separation by death, then she would rather defy her elders and live with Qu Sheng.
Qu Sheng gazed at Lin Xizhao’s devoted expression, remembering the words she had heard after she had lost consciousness and woken again.
She said she would never leave me again.
She said she couldn’t live without me.
Perhaps only in a situation like this could she hear what was truly in Lin Xizhao’s heart. And she believed every word was true.
When Jin Yunfei had told her to consider Lin Xizhao, to think of Lin Jianhai, it wasn’t as if she had no plan. But right now, she first needed the support of the Qu Family before she could take the next step. Otherwise, with a wolf in front and a tiger behind,13 she and Lin Xizhao would surely be forced apart.
But Jin Yunfei had been right about one thing. If she and Lin Xizhao were to be together, the intolerance of the capital and the world at large would be the most difficult obstacle.
She didn’t care what they thought. But she had to consider whether Lin Xizhao could be as indifferent as she was.
After Qu Sheng woke up, Cheng Xi and Xiao Bingying came to check her pulse. When they left the room, the entire Qu family was already standing outside. Cheng Xi marveled inwardly. In this residence, Qu Sheng was truly cared for like all the stars cupping the moon.14
Cheng Xi gave some instructions, telling them to reheat the medicine and have Lin Xizhao feed it to her. She also warned them not to let Qu Sheng be agitated again. If something else happened, there would be nothing she could do.
As the two went back to rest, the Qu family stood in the antechamber, watching Lin Xizhao give Qu Sheng her medicine.
Qu Sheng leaned against Lin Xizhao and drank the medicine. Her body was utterly exhausted; just sitting up for a moment had left her drained. But seeing her worried elders, her brothers and sisters-in-law outside, she looked up at Lin Xizhao.
Lin Xizhao saw Qu Sheng’s lips part and close a few times, saw the helplessness in her eyes, and quickly understood what she meant.
She gently helped Qu Sheng lie back down, then went to the antechamber and let the others in.
Qu Jinian stood before the bed, studying Qu Sheng’s face. After a moment, he heard Lin Xizhao’s voice from behind him. “Sheng’er can’t speak right now. Cheng Xi said she needs to rest quietly for a few days.”
Qu Jinian turned and nodded at Lin Xizhao. Although he was no longer angry with Qu Sheng, he still felt an unshakable guilt toward Lin Xizhao.
“That’s good, that’s good.” Jin Yunfei stood to the side, her heart finally settling a little. But when she saw the way Qu Jinian looked at Lin Xizhao, her heart felt shrouded by something heavy.
How can I get him to accept two girls being together? she wondered.
She didn’t want to lose her daughter. The moment Qu Sheng had collapsed, the moment she heard Lin Xizhao say those things that made even her blush, she had accepted their love.
The others followed behind, offering words of encouragement for her to rest well. The bedchamber was spacious, but not large enough to hold so many people.
Qu Sheng had let them in simply to ease their worries, to let them see that she was recovering so they could be at peace.
Qu Jinian tucked the corner of her blanket in. In that short time, new wrinkles seemed to have appeared at the corners of his eyes.
Looking at his suddenly aged appearance, Qu Sheng felt a pang of guilt. She had infuriated him this morning, and now she had made him worry for so long.
But she had never made her father or mother angry before. This was the first time, and it would likely be the last. Because aside from Lin Xizhao, there was nothing she couldn’t give up.
Qu Jinian said nothing, only watched Qu Sheng with a gentle expression.
The others waited behind him. After a few moments of meeting Qu Sheng’s gaze, he saw her eyes searching the crowd for Lin Xizhao. He sighed inwardly, slowly turned, and said to Lin Xizhao, who was standing not far behind him, “Zhao’er, come outside with This Father15 for a moment.”
When Qu Sheng heard Qu Jinian tell Lin Xizhao to go outside with him, she immediately forced her body to lift slightly. A voice, so quiet it was barely a whisper, escaped her lips. “Fa-Father…”
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