Chapter 74 Scars
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Liu Zhongming walked out the door with the eight treasure exquisite box.
A few days ago, he lost Dan Lang’s bet and he needed to concede his defeat.
Five hundred taels of silver was nothing to him, but Qu Chenzhou, who had always been self-confident and calm, when he got the silver notes, was extremely happy, like a child who had never seen anything in the world.
Out of curiosity, Liu Zhongming followed him to the east wing and saw that he had pulled out an old carton that used to contain pastries from the cabinet, solemnly wrapped the silver notes in paper, and carefully placed it at the bottom of the carton.
The things he gave him—a few red ropes, a small sachet for repelling mosquitoes, a handkerchief, and two pens were all placed in the carton, there were not too many things. The carton was mostly empty, and he had mixed feelings in his heart. The taste was unpleasant.
He didn’t know if it was because he sent too few things or because these things were properly collected.
The identity of this person was even more confusing. Since he had lived in the palace for a long time, what good things had he not seen? How can he be so excited about a mere hundreds of taels of silver?
Seeing that he was looking seriously, Qu Chenzhou became alert and covered his treasure box.
“Shizi, you need to concede to your defeat.”
Liu Zhongming laughed. What does it mean to be obsessed with money? This has turned an extremely smart person into a fool, is it possible that he would go back on his words for a mere five hundred taels of silver?
The more Qu Chenzhou cared about it, the more he wanted to do bad things.
“I heard Steward Lin say, you used to have rules, you are forbidden to hide…”
He regretted it before he finished speaking.
When he noticed that he was about to withdraw the bank note, the smile on his face just now clearly showed a hurt expression, which made him panic for a moment.
Although he didn’t know why Qu Chenzhou thought money was so important, the words in his mouth quickly turned a corner before he thought about it.
“Even if you stash it, don’t use such a broken box to pack the things this Shizi gives you.”
After that, he got busy and forgot to find a decent box for someone. Today, he chanced upon a suitable box.
Liu Zhongming approached the east wing with familiarity, the door was closed, and before he reached the window, he heard the slightly anxious voice of Steward Lin from inside.
“Chenzhou, be patient, don’t move, it’ll be fine in a while.”
Then Doctor Qin’s voice also seemed to be panting from exhaustion.
“Little Brother Qu, bite harder, if it’s crooked again, your face will be really disfigured.”
Liu Zhongming banged open the door.
There was a chair between Steward Lin and the resident doctor. Qu Chenzhou was leaning on the chair, his raised face biting the sweat towel tightly, blood dripped from his face dying both sides of the sweat towel red.
“What’s the matter!” Liu Zhongming threw the box on the table and walked over in three steps, seeing the scar on Qu Chenzhou’s face cut open from the middle again.
Without any further explanation from the resident doctor, he could see clearly—yellow-white pus flowing down with the blood.
“Shizi.” Doctor Qin wiped his sweat and hurriedly bowed to him.
“I’ve always just used medicine. However, looking at how Little Brother Qu was seriously injured in the past and because last time, we only removed a layer of pus on the surface, after it healed, it resurfaced again inside.”
“I was wondering why it didn’t disappear and swelled up instead.”
“This time, I’m afraid it will take more time. I’m guessing it will take around New Year’s time to see if it’s okay.”
Seeing Qu Chenzhou’s pale face, Liu Zhongming opened his eyes to look at him. He didn’t even have the strength. Steward Lin kept wiping his sweat with a damp towel. His heart tightened and his voice softened, as if he was afraid that if he let out a breath, he would hurt someone.
“Can it be cured?”
“I’ll give it a try. If the scar doesn’t go away this time, then I can only…”
“No need.” Liu Zhongming dragged the chair from the side, and put his hands around Qu Chenzhou’s one hand: “This time do your best, take as much Yulin ointment as you need, don’t be stingy. This time remove the pus, don’t leave the root of the disease. If the scar is still not healed, there is no need to treat it.”
He leaned over and instructed softly: “Chenzhou, hold my hand.”
Qu Chenzhou bit his sweat towel and hummed vaguely.
This was the second time Liu Zhongming had seen the resident doctor use a knife on this face, and he can’t remember how he could watch it calmly the first time.
His face was not much better than Qu Chenzhou’s currently.
The medicine-soaked knife made a stinging sound on the fire, and the moment the blade landed on the scar, his hand was clenched.
“It’ll be alright soon, don’t be afraid.” He squeezed his hand firmly, staring intently.
“It’ll be over soon, okay, it’s coming out.”
“One breath, three more, not long.”
“Inhale and endure, he is about to use the knife.”
He didn’t know when he became so talkative, But after reciting it like this, Qu Chenzhou was willing to cooperate with his breathing and relax. For the next few knives, he insisted on remaining motionless, all in one go.
“Okay, it’s over, it’s over.” He touched Qu Chenzhou’s forehead, and found that his hands were sweaty: “Don’t be afraid.”
When the last knife stroke was lifted, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The pain was not over, and after being tense for too long, Qu Chenzhou froze in the chair for a moment, but when Liu Zhongming wanted to hug him up, he stretched out his hand and pushed him, taking a sigh of relief.
Just now, he was pushed away by the hand he had clasped earlier.
Liu Zhongming stared blankly at his empty palm. The tip of his nose suddenly felt a little sour, not very comfortable.
——In fact, yes, this person’s true identity may be comparable to him, or worse than him. Now that he was stuck in the body of a low-ranking member, it is only an expedient measure to turn to him for help.
Why can’t he help himself from being sentimental again and again, adding to his troubles.
The doctor warmed up the plaster, and while applying it one by one on Qu Chenzhou’s face, he instructed: “Shizi is kind, next time I will mix Yulin ointment in the plaster for you. I will give it to you every five days.”
“Don’t wash your face every day, try not to get water on it, and don’t get caught in the wind. You should wear the cover you used to wear. The plaster around your face will be scary wherever you go.”
It was inconvenient for Chenzhou to speak, and he asked vaguely, “I want to take a shower, is it okay?”
His clothes were soaked with cold sweat.
The doctor thought for a moment, then said, “It’s fine if you don’t touch your face. Remember to take the medicine in the bottle every day.”
Giving his longwinded instructions, Steward Lin was on the side helping out. Seeing Liu Zhongming, who was silent, he hurriedly pushed Qu Chenzhou in secret and reminded him in a low voice.
“Chenzhou, go and thank Shizi.”
Liu Zhongming waved his hand to stop Steward Lin’s movements: “You all withdraw, Chenzhou stays.”
Qu Chenzhou had been pushed to his feet, but listening to him say this, he closed his eyes and sat down again. This time the blade penetrated deeply and hurt more than the last time, he really didn’t want to move.
The door slammed, and the room dimmed and quieted down.
“Does it hurt that bad?”
Liu Zhongming tried to soften down his tone as much as possible, feeling a little irritable in his heart. He thought he had comforted Qu Chenzhou before, that they had been close, that their relationship was closer than before, but he was once again avoided.
Every movement of Qu Chenzhou clearly reminded him – it’s just him being enthusiastic while the other was indifferent.
“Shizi, do you know what I was thinking just now?”
It was this manner that had him hooked and couldn’t get up and down and with the indifference of pushing him away, Liu Zhongming felt that his teasing wasn’t that abhorrent. But then seeing the plaster tightly attached to Qu Chenzhou’s face, him unable to speak clearly while forcing himself to speak to him, the pent up frustrations just now became not so strong.
This person was not as silent as when he first arrived, could it be… that he had changed because of him?
Exactly why was he so worried about gains and losses.
He persuaded himself in his heart, and reluctantly became interested: “What are you thinking about?”
“I was thinking, the appearance of Shizi just now doesn’t seem to be watching me heal, but…”
“What does it look like?”
Qu Chenzhou crossed his arms over his chest and relaxed, still leaning against the back of the chair with his eyes closed.
“It’s like an official who is guarding the bed when the Madam is giving birth.”
Liu Zhongming sneered. No matter what the other party thought, a little bit of laughter and intimacy in these words was enough to dissipate his moodiness, and that little worry also became a little bit superfluous – people like Qu Chenzhou did not need his sympathy.
“Have you ever given birth?”
“Sorry to disappoint Shizi, but no.” Qu Chenzhou asked him, “Is there something wrong with Shizi? Why did you come here suddenly?”
“…”
Qu Chenzhou didn’t hear an answer, so he opened his eyes and looked over but it passed him and landed on the table behind.
Liu Zhongming couldn’t hide it, so he followed him and looked over, smiling as if joking: “It was just a coincidence. I found a broken box, thinking that it would be perfect to hold your rubbish stuff, I brought it for you.”
Qu Chenzhou didn’t seem to listen to his words, his eyes were glued to the box. He walked over step by step, slowly rubbing the patterns on the lid of the box.
Eight treasures exquisite box.
Every pattern on it has been touched countless times by him, every day and every night.
The box was not locked and can be opened lightly. Although the brocade inside was a little old, it was not the rotten yellowed appearance in his memory.
He tried his best to open his eyes, glance around the room, making sure that he was not in the Star Gazing Pavillion, and then lightly touched the corner of his eyes with his fingertips.
Just now he forgot to ask Dr. Qin if he could cry while applying the medicine.
“What’s wrong?” Liu Zhongming noticed that something was wrong when he saw his shoulders trembling slightly.
Qu Chenzhou’s breathing quickly calmed down. He touched the brocade, and asked, “Where’s the key?”
“I lost it, so it’s a broken box.” Liu Zhongming took a few steps and said, “Why are your eyes red? “
“I’m touched,” Qu Chenzhou sat on the bed with the eight treasure exquisite box, and then took out the cardboard box from the cabinet and put it down, his words were cold and light.
“This eight treasures exquisite box is so precious, Shizi willing to give it to me, I’m so touched.”
Liu Zhongming couldn’t see his expression blocked by the ointment, but pondering those words, it didn’t feel right, it sounded ironic, like he was stingy with money.
“Qu Chenzhou,” he sat at the table, looking at the opposite person packing up his things, hatred in his heart: “You are…”
“Really annoying.” Qu Chenzhou helped him finish the words, and said humbly: “Many people say that.”
Liu Zhongming didn’t want to have his thoughts guessed by another, so he turned a corner, full of selfishness: “Does anyone really like you?”
Qu Chenzhou’s hand paused for a while. He propped himself on the exquisite box, and rubbed the brocade with his thumb.
Perhaps he had ulterior motives, but Liu Zhongming was afraid that this question was asked too deliberately. He looked away and pricked up his ears, but what he waited for was a long silence, which made him uneasy, yet he did not want to change it to another topic.
After a long while, Qu Chenzhou spoke slowly.
“He…was the person who treated me best in the world. If that doesn’t count as liking, I don’t know what it means to like.”
He was silent for a while, then asked with a slight smile, “Did Shizi want that answer? Did Shizi like it?”
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