Old Madam Qi instantly burst into tears, and no one knew where she got the strength, but she shoved the spirit medium aside and rushed to Qi Yuan’s bedside. She grabbed her hand and choked out, “Yuan Jie’er! You’re finally awake!”
The Second Madam was crying so much she couldn’t make a sound anymore. She had sat by Qi Yuan’s side weeping every day, to the point that her voice had long gone hoarse.
It was Lai Chenglong who, hearing the commotion from outside, immediately pushed open the door and entered. When he saw Qi Yuan’s open eyes, he felt his entire body relax all at once and slumped against the doorframe.
These past few days, he had checked her breathing over and over in the dead of night, just to confirm she was still alive.
A man who didn’t believe in gods or Buddha had knelt down in temples in the middle of the night, praying for mercy from any deity who would listen, begging them to let Qi Yuan recover.
Liujin had already sent word to Xiao Yunting.
Old Zhao had initially worried, “This might not be a good idea, right? His Highness is in a pit of tigers over there.”
“What do you know?” Liujin sniffled, on the verge of tears. “If something really happened to Miss Qi and we didn’t tell His Highness, that’s when he’d hate us forever.”
Old Zhao said nothing more. He looked over at Beize, who was squatting in the corner, and patted his shoulder: “This isn’t your fault. Every physician has said it, no poison, no illness, and yet she just wouldn’t wake up. How could anyone blame you for that?”
But Beize was not comforted.
He muttered, “If something really happens to Miss Qi, then I’ll go with her.”
He had promised His Highness: as long as he lived, Qi Yuan must come to no harm.
Lai Chenglong didn’t have time to listen to what the three of them were saying. After catching his breath, he strode quickly into the inner room.
Qi Yuan was awake, but after lying in bed for so long, her body was weak and limp.
Thankfully, Old Madam Qi and the Second Madam had cared for her with great diligence, wiping her down, helping her turn, changing her clothes, so though she looked pale and exhausted, she did not appear disheveled.
Old Madam Qi spoke a few sentences to her, but Qi Yuan seemed to barely register them, which made the old lady anxious: “Imperial Physician Hu! Imperial Physician Hu, come quickly and take a look!”
Imperial Physician Hu’s face contorted.
When they needed him, it was “Imperial Physician Hu,” and when they didn’t, he was that useless quack again!
None of the Qi family or that Lai Chenglong were good people!
Especially Lai Chenglong, he was the worst!
Lai Chenglong didn’t even speak. He just grabbed Physician Hu and dragged him to the bed to check on Qi Yuan.
Physician Hu waved his hand grumpily in front of Qi Yuan’s face. “Can you see this?”
Qi Yuan’s gaze followed his hand slightly, and finally, she asked once more: “How long… was I asleep?”
Oh my heavens, she can talk!!
Imperial Physician Hu snorted, and grumbled, “Seven days! You were unconscious for seven full days and nights!”
Seven days and nights.
But in that time, she had lived an entire lifetime of Xiao Yunting.
She used to think she was the most pitiful person in the world, switched at birth by her foster mother, abused for over a decade, even lusted after by her foster father. When she finally returned to her real parents, her birth mother still refused to look her in the eye.
She thought she had no one but herself.
But it turns out, she was wrong.
Those who truly suffer don’t even have the right to say they’re in pain.
The Tiger Fang in her hand was still faintly warm. It gave her a bit of strength, enough to lift her hand and glance at it, then she solemnly placed it around her neck.
From this moment on, Xiao Yunting was also half her life.
Lai Chenglong watched her carefully. Seeing her speak with the physician clearly and freely, his heart finally relaxed.
Then he asked, a little cautiously: “Are you hungry? Want to have some rose dew jelly? I just got some from Duke Cheng’s manor, it’s really fresh!”
She’d just woken up, and her mouth was full of bitterness. She was indeed uncomfortable, so she gave a faint smile: “Sure. Thank you, Lord Lai.”
Lai Chenglong had been addressed as “Lord” by countless people, but no one had ever made it sound as pleasant as she did.
He thought… he probably could never bring himself to tell Qi Yuan to look at someone else.
He just wanted to look at her.
Whether she liked him was her choice. But that he liked her, that was his.
He didn’t ask for much, just to be able to help her from time to time, just to be able to talk to her like a friend, that would be enough.
That wasn’t too much to ask… right?
Physician Hu, however, thought Lai Chenglong was way out of line.
He had been locked up like a prisoner for seven days and nights just to save someone who wasn’t even really dying!
And now he looked like a beggar from head to toe!
But could Lai Chenglong spare him even a glance?
Didn’t he need a bath too?!
Was he not worthy of a bowl of rose dew jelly?!
Infuriating!
He was going to stab Lai Chenglong with a needle! Stab him to death!
Old Madam Qi gently touched Qi Yuan’s hair, both relieved and frightened: “How did you just pass out like that and sleep for so long? Yuan Jie’er, you nearly scared your grandmother to death…”
She was so old, and yet she had not left Qi Yuan’s side for days, guarding her every moment.
Qi Yuan was deeply moved.
She also remembered the last moment before she vanished, Xiao Yunting had used his Tiger Fang to make a wish for her.
That she would have someone to rely on.
That all would go smoothly for her.
That she would be safe and well.
And now, she really had all of that.
She quietly closed her eyes and clutched the Tiger Fang, whispering Xiao Yunting’s name in her heart.
Just saying his name seemed to fill her with infinite courage.
She patted Old Madam Qi’s hand: “I made you worry, Grandma. It was my fault.”
The Second Madam clutched her chest and choked up: “No, no, don’t say that! Yuan Jie’er, you don’t know, your grandfather even knelt before His Majesty and begged him to invite Master Huineng from Emperor’s Awakening Temple!”
Master Huineng, renowned leader of the Mahayana Buddhist school.
Old Marquis Qi had truly put his heart into it.
In this life, Qi Yuan realized she had so much love and good fortune.
All of it, bought with Xiao Yunting’s heart’s blood.
She wouldn’t waste it.
And she wouldn’t allow those dire “costs” that Celestial Master Zhang had warned about to ever come true.
She would live a full, happy life with Xiao Yunting.
“I’m fine now,” she said, turning to Old Madam Qi. “Grandma, I’m a little hungry.”
Old Madam Qi snapped back to attention and hurriedly told Huaping, “Quick, quick! Go tell the kitchen to prepare some vegetarian food, no, no, she just woke up, it needs to be light, tell them to make congee!”
Then she looked at the Second Madam: “Send one of our own down to the village and buy a chicken to make soup.”
But before Huaping could leave, she came back in with a strange expression: “Madam, Lord Lai… Lord Lai has already prepared everything.”
Rose dew jelly, white congee, side dishes, vegetarian noodles, and chicken soup.
Everything was ready.
Old Madam Qi froze for a moment, then nodded without hesitation: “Bring it in!”
She was awake, and she needed food, what was there to hesitate over?
Physician Hu glared fiercely at Qi Yuan: “I’m hungry too! I want a bath! I want out of this house! I need clean clothes!”
Qi Yuan blinked at him, a little surprised. People just waking up often feel mentally sluggish.
It took her a moment to realize: Imperial Physician Hu was like this because of Lai Chenglong.
She couldn’t help but laugh and cry all at once.
