“That little girl, Xiao Huan, how did she bring these people here!” Lu Wushuang exclaimed, breaking into a cold sweat, secretly lamenting in her heart. These aunts and concubines were notoriously gossipy, spending their days in the deep courtyard with nothing to do but gossip. If they saw the scene in the room, who knows what kind of rumors would spread throughout Shanyin City about her reputation.
Song Qingshu stood up, clearly having heard the voices outside. “I should step aside for a moment.”
“Mm,” Lu Wushuang nodded, her gaze falling on the basin nearby. She hurriedly said, “Quick, hide that basin. Otherwise, I won’t be able to explain later.” The maid was sent out, and given her current appearance, she certainly could not fetch water. It was evident that someone had been there, and if those people started asking questions, she truly would not know how to fabricate a lie.
At this moment, Song Qingshu could not care about much else. He directly tore off the cloth strip covering his eyes, glanced around, and found that the basin was indeed difficult to hide. After thinking for a moment, he could only shove it under the bed.
Seeing him remove the eye mask, Lu Wushuang gasped and instinctively shrank back into the quilt, causing Song Qingshu to roll his eyes. “I’m worried that not being able to see will waste time, not that I’m trying to take the opportunity to look at you.”
“I know,” Lu Wushuang replied, biting her lip. Seeing him prepare to hide behind the screen, she quickly said, “There are too many of them; you will be easily seen hiding there.”
“Then where should I hide?” Song Qingshu scanned the room. The layout was simple, and the ceiling was low, making it impossible to hide in the beams. Besides behind the screen, the only place left was under the bed, which he was absolutely unwilling to do, as it felt rather ominous.
Hearing the footsteps of those people, who were about to enter the room, Lu Wushuang was extremely tense and blurted out, “Quick, get on the bed!”
Song Qingshu was slightly taken aback, but he reacted quickly, springing onto the bed with a push of his toes. Without hesitation, Lu Wushuang grabbed the quilt and covered him, while also lowering the bed curtain. Just as she concealed Song Qingshu, the maid led a large group of aunts and concubines into the room.
“Miss, I found the doctor. On my way back, I happened to run into someone from the household who informed me of your illness. The ladies from each room have come to see you,” the maid said as she entered. It turned out that the reason she had been gone for so long was that she did not know whom to find at such a late hour. Eventually, she asked the steward of the household, who directed her to find Doctor Qiu, and then informed her master.
After learning this, Lu Zai did not find it convenient to visit his daughter’s boudoir in the middle of the night, so he instructed his wife to check on her. However, since Old Madam Tang had treated her that way before, it was not appropriate for her to come face to face, so she sent her daughter-in-law, Lu You’s wife, to visit instead. News in the deep courtyard spread quickly, and the other rooms, not wanting to fall behind in terms of etiquette, rushed to pay their respects. Whether this was genuine concern or merely a matter of face, everyone was well aware.
It was still Lu You’s wife who understood the situation, knowing that a sick person could not be disturbed. If one person after another came to visit, the healthy ones would end up feeling unwell. Therefore, she decided to wait until everyone had arrived before going together, which was why it had taken so long; otherwise, they would have come much earlier.
Seeing so many people enter, Lu Wushuang rolled her eyes and nearly fainted, thinking that this little Huan was truly more trouble than she was worth. Once today was over, she would send her away tomorrow.
As the group of women entered, they gasped in surprise, all rushing to the bedside to express their concern, fearing they could not adequately convey their care. Lu Wushuang’s heart leaped to her throat. Although she had covered Song Qingshu with the quilt and lowered the bed curtain, if these people sat on the bed, how could they possibly not discover him?
At a loss for what to do, fortunately, Lu You’s wife cleared her throat and stopped the group of women, saying, “Alright, alright, Wushuang is sick right now and cannot withstand your fussing. Let Doctor Qiu check her pulse first.” The group of women then reluctantly found places to sit in the small room. If Song Qingshu had been hiding behind the screen just now, he would surely have been discovered.
“Your heartbeat is very fast; are you nervous?” Just as Lu Wushuang breathed a sigh of relief, she suddenly heard Song Qingshu’s voice beside her, nearly startling her into a scream. She thought to herself, with everyone here, isn’t your voice going to get me killed? But strangely, the others in the room seemed completely unaware, their attention focused entirely on Doctor Qiu. Just as Lu Wushuang was puzzled, she heard Song Qingshu’s voice again, “Don’t worry, I am using sound transmission; they cannot hear me.”
With Song Qingshu’s warm breath brushing against her neck, it felt both ticklish and slightly numbing, causing a strange emotion to rise within Lu Wushuang. “Please extend your hand, young lady; I will check your pulse,” Doctor Qiu’s words interrupted Lu Wushuang’s wandering thoughts. She hurriedly extended her hand from beneath the gauze curtain, and a nearby maid brought over a prepared silk scarf to cover her wrist. Doctor Qiu examined her pulse through the scarf, not touching her skin at all.
Lu Wushuang really wanted to pull on Song Qingshu’s ear and show him how others conducted examinations, not daring to overstep at all, unlike his earlier… antics. Not to mention that at this moment, Lu Wushuang’s heart was racing; even the battle-hardened Song Qingshu felt his heart flutter. The bed was filled with the sweet fragrance of a young girl, and since the quilt was not very large, to avoid exposure, Song Qingshu could only press closely against her back. Lu Wushuang was only wearing a nightgown, and large areas of her smooth skin were fully exposed to him, the captivating sensation making Song Qingshu feel a bit parched.
With their bodies pressed so closely together, how could Lu Wushuang not feel it? Her entire body softened a bit, and she felt a slight regret in her heart, thinking that if she had known it would be like this, she should not have let him onto the bed. “How strange, how strange~” Doctor Qiu murmured, stroking his goat beard with a puzzled expression.
Everyone in the room was startled, and Lu You’s wife quickly asked, “May I ask, Doctor Qiu, what is so strange?” Doctor Qiu explained, “Miss Lu’s illness must be due to a recent significant blow, causing her to harbor pent-up emotions that have led to illness…” The entire room of Lu family women nodded secretly, thinking that the divine doctor was indeed a divine doctor, as he had quickly identified the cause of the illness. Previously, when Old Madam Tang ordered her to kneel and bow to Song Qingshu, it must have been a significant blow to her pride… Unfortunately, these people had no idea what the real blow to Lu Wushuang was.
Doctor Qiu continued, “Normally, with such symptoms, the young lady’s pulse should be weak and slow, but now it is beating extremely fast; how strange, how strange!” Lu You’s wife felt a chill in her heart and asked tremulously, “Can the divine doctor treat it?” Doctor Qiu frowned slightly, “I will prescribe a remedy first. If Miss Lu’s high fever subsides after taking the medicine, then there will be no major issues; if the symptoms do not improve, then…” Although he did not finish his sentence, everyone present understood his meaning clearly.
Lu Wushuang also heard it clearly, her heart instantly feeling much colder. She thought to herself that at such a young age, she might die, her parents’ great revenge unavenged, and she had not yet been with the one she loved… The more she thought, the sadder she became, and tears began to fall. She did not hear any of the aunts outside comforting her.
“Don’t listen to this quack’s nonsense; you will be fine.” At that moment, Song Qingshu’s voice came to her ears again. Lu Wushuang wanted to tell him that Doctor Qiu was a renowned divine doctor in Shanyin City, not some quack, and even if he were a quack, he would understand more than an outsider like you.
Unfortunately, her skills were insufficient, and she did not understand the technique of transmitting sound secretly. A belly full of words could not be expressed, and she could only hold them in her heart. *”If I die, then so be it. Anyway, Brother Yang has a fiancée, and I do n0t wish to live anymore.”* A thought crossed Lu Wushuang’s mind, and she immediately felt relieved. However, even if she were to die, she wanted to die with a clear conscience. If these people saw Song Qingshu hiding under the bedcovers with her, while she was disheveled and squeezed together with him, it would be impossible to clear her name, even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
Song Qingshu continued, “Actually, the key to your illness is to reduce the fever. The effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine in this era is too slow, and the fever-reducing effect may not be great. But you need not worry; I have a way to save you.” Lu Wushuang could no longer hold back and reached out to explore under the covers, grasping his hand. She began to write in his palm with her fingers: “What method?”
Song Qingshu pondered for a moment before saying, “If I tell you this method in advance, it will be useless.” Lu Wushuang was confused, thinking that if he told her the method, it would become ineffective, and he was being so mysterious…
While she was puzzled, her expression suddenly changed, as she felt his lips kiss her neck. His lips were dry and warm, as if they carried a slight electric current that made her skin tremble. “What are you doing!” Lu Wushuang felt both shy and angry, quickly writing in his palm.
Song Qingshu did not answer; instead, he held her hand and slowly moved his lips down, showering gentle ki$$es like raindrops on every inch of her skin behind her. *”How can he do this?”* At that moment, Lu Wushuang’s mind went blank, completely unprepared for such an outcome. How could this be? He was such a renowned hero; how could he do something like this? Lu Wushuang’s thoughts were chaotic, but the unusual sensations coming from behind her forced her to believe it.
Although she felt a bit angry, she had previously held a good impression of him, and for a moment, she did not feel disgust. Lu Wushuang was, after all, an innocent girl, not a match for someone like Song Qingshu, a seasoned flirt. Under his skilled hands, it was not long before her breathing became heavy, her skin flushed, and a layer of misty water appeared in her eyes, clearly a sign of arousal.
*”Is he crazy?”* Lu Wushuang bit her lip tightly, suppressing the shame rising within her, not daring to make a sound. The room was full of people, and if this were to be exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
At this moment, Doctor Qiu had already prepared the prescription. Lu You’s wife instructed the maid to go to the house to prepare the medicine for decoction and then arranged for Doctor Qiu to rest in the guest room of the Lu residence tonight, in case anything happened here, so he could be called at any time. Although Doctor Qiu was somewhat reluctant, the Lu family was the local authority in Shanyin, and with a generous consultation fee, he ultimately agreed.
Once she had arranged everything and turned back, she saw that the group of sisters-in-law had gathered around Lu Wushuang’s bedside, chattering and asking questions. She could not help but frown and quickly said to them, “Alright, since you have seen her, you should all disperse. Wushuang needs to rest, and I will take care of the rest.”