HXC Chapter74

“The injury to his eyes is a result of the wound on the back of his head. Once the blood clots in his brain disperse, his sight should be restored,” Divine Physician Sai said as he pulled the silver needle from the top of Shen Yanqing’s head. “Lord Shen is a man of great fortune, but these past six months have taken a toll on his health. You must be careful with everything and avoid sadness or anger. You have shown me kindness, so for the next five or six years, I will meticulously continue to treat you until you are fully healed.”

 

It had been five days since Ji Zhen encountered Shen Yanqing outside the capital. Divine Physician Sai came every day to give Shen Yanqing acupuncture.

 

Upon learning their son was alive, the Shen parents went to a nearby temple for several days to fulfill their vows. Today, they had left before dawn and had not yet returned.

 

Ji Zhen looked at Shen Yanqing’s clouded eyes and asked anxiously, “Then when will he be able to see?”

 

Divine Physician Sai stroked his beard. “At the very least, half a month. At most, two to three months, and it’s also possible for it to take a year or two.”

 

When Ji Zhen heard this, his face fell and he became silent.

 

However, Shen Yanqing, the person in question, smiled softly and said, “Divine Physician Sai’s medical skills are exceptional. There is no need to rush this matter.”

 

Ji Zhen couldn’t bring himself to be happy about it. He scurried outside to get the medicinal decoction, then returned to the room to feed it to Shen Yanqing.

 

Since Shen Yanqing couldn’t see clearly and never liked being served by servants, Ji Zhen had been taking care of him for the past few days.

 

Ji Zhen held the rim of the bowl to Shen Yanqing’s lips and instructed, “Drink it slowly.”

 

After Shen Yanqing drank the medicine, he used a damp cloth to wipe his lips. Even though Shen Yanqing was right in front of him, he still couldn’t feel at ease. He needed to watch him constantly to barely suppress the anxiety in his heart.

 

Shen Yanqing held Ji Zhen’s hand, feeling the raised bumps on his palm. He gently rubbed them and asked, “What happened here?”

 

Ji Zhen’s palm had been burned by fire. He hadn’t cared about it afterward and didn’t apply any scar-removal creams once it healed so the scars on his palm were quite severe.

 

He whispered, “It’s nothing, it’s all healed…”

 

Ji Zhen tried to curl his unsightly hand away, but Shen Yanqing opened his palm, placed a kiss on it, and then pressed his hand against his cheek, saying, “You’ve suffered.”

 

Ji Zhen’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. The night before, he had just helped Shen Yanqing apply ointment to his back and lower legs, which were covered in burns. Because they hadn’t received proper treatment for so long, several small patches of flesh had even started to show signs of decay. Yet Shen Yanqing didn’t mention the pain and torment he had endured day and night for the past two months. Instead, he even cared about Ji Zhen’s scars that had already healed.

 

He couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears began to fall and he threw himself into Shen Yanqing’s arms while sobbing, “Just get better quickly.”

 

Shen Yanqing gently patted Ji Zhen’s back in a comforting manner, savoring the tranquility after their hardships.

 

For the past few days, the two of them had been inseparable and almost like conjoined twins. When they were alone, it was as if they couldn’t get close enough, and when Ji Jue walked into the room and saw the two of them embracing.

 

He stopped in his tracks. Although Shen Yanqing couldn’t see, his hearing was excellent. He held Ji Zhen and tilted his head slightly, saying, “Someone’s coming.”

 

Ji Zhen quickly turned around. Seeing it was his elder brother, he didn’t feel embarrassed at all. He wiped his tears away and stood up as he called out Gege.

 

Ji Jue nodded, looked around, and said, “Zhen Zhen, I have something I need to discuss with Shen Yanqing.”

 

Ji Zhen hesitated. “Can’t I listen?”

 

Ji Jue just looked at him. In the end, he listened to his elder brother and although he was puzzled, he obediently went out, closing the door and looking back with every step.

 

Inside the room, only Shen Yanqing and Ji Jue remained.

 

Relying on his memory, Shen Yanqing stood up and slowly walked to the table. He raised a hand and said, “Lord Ji, please have a seat.”

 

Their meetings were mostly tense and full of conflict in the past, but after so many changes, they were able to talk calmly.

 

“During the time you were missing, Zhen Zhen went through a lot. Everyone thought you were gone, but only he relentlessly searched for you,” Ji Jue said thoughtfully. “If you two hadn’t been fated to meet outside the capital, you would have probably missed each other for a long time.”

 

Shen Yanqing’s expression was calm. “I am also grateful that we were able to meet sooner.”

 

“I came to see you today for only two reasons,” Ji Jue continued. “First, you two have endured so much, and Zhen Zhen still has you in his heart. As his elder brother, I will not dwell on the past. Now I only hope that you will treat him with sincerity in the future and not disappoint his true feelings.”

 

Shen Yanqing said solemnly, “Please rest assured, Lord Ji. I will cherish Ji Zhen for the rest of my life.”

 

“Secondly, it’s for His Highness the Third Prince.”

 

The room fell silent for a moment.

 

“After His Majesty’s enthronement, he placed the Third Prince under house arrest at the Youming Terrace. During this time, he has repeatedly tried to see Zhen Zhen. I’m sure many things happened on my way to exile that I’m unaware of, but I don’t want to dig into them. Regardless, I will not let Zhen Zhen get involved in the court’s conflicts, and it is even more impossible for me to let Zhen Zhen see him.”

 

At this point, Ji Jue stood up and sighed, “You once served the Third Prince; this is an undeniable fact. Even if you made up for your past mistakes and even if the current emperor is magnanimous, you know in your heart that it will be difficult for you to achieve great things again.”

 

Shen Yanqing understood. “Lord Ji, please speak directly.”

 

“It’s not that I look down on your talents; it’s just that the capital is treacherous, and every step is dangerous. I’m afraid that all your hard work and effort will ultimately be for nothing. Once your eyes are healed, I will petition His Majesty to appoint you as the governor of Jiangnan. What do you think?”

 

The governor of Jiangnan was a fourth-rank official. Although it was not as prestigious as an official position in the capital, and Shen Yanqing would no longer be close to the center of power, he would still be a local official who could live a peaceful and stable life. Ji Jue had his own selfish motives. It was true that Ji Zhen and Shen Yanqing loved each other, but if Shen Yanqing were to become entangled with power again, it would be difficult to guarantee that one day the court wouldn’t bring up the past and implicate Ji Zhen.

 

It would be better to leave and get away from this noisy place to ensure a lifetime of peace.

 

Shen Yanqing also clearly understood Ji Jue’s intentions. To alleviate his worries, he said, “Lord Ji, we are of the same mind. After going through so much, my only wish is to be with Ji Zhen for the rest of my life.”

 

He continued, “Yanqing believes that since everyone in the world already thinks I’m dead, there’s no need to offer any more explanations.”

 

Ji Jue looked at him with some surprise. Finally, he nodded. “That’s for the best.”

 

“Lord Ji, there is one more thing I’d like to ask.”

 

“Speak.”

 

Shen Yanqing stood up and bowed respectfully. “I would like to go to Youming Terrace to see the Third Prince.”

 

Ji Jue stared at Shen Yanqing, seemingly trying to read some hidden meaning from his expression but Shen Yanqing’s face was calm. He said, “I will report this matter to His Majesty.”

 

“Thank you so much, Lord Ji.”

 

At the doorway, a blurry figure was visible. Ji Jue glanced at it, lowered his gaze, and chuckled softly. Finally, he stood up and said his goodbyes. After a few steps and with his hands behind his back, he said, “You and Zhen Zhen have been married for many years. From now on, don’t call me Lord Ji. Just call me brother, like he does.”

 

Shen Yanqing was stunned, then smiled faintly and said, “Yes, Brother Ji Jue.”

 

Ji Jue opened the door, and Ji Zhen, who was eavesdropping, was caught red-handed. He stood awkwardly and said, “Are you leaving so soon, Gege?”

 

“If I didn’t, you probably would have crashed through the door.”

 

Ji Zhen’s cheeks flushed slightly at Ji Jue’s teasing. He glanced at Shen Yanqing in the room and said in a clear voice, “There’s squab soup simmering in the small kitchen. Why don’t you stay and have some with us, Gege?”

 

“I have official duties to attend to, so I must go.”

 

Ji Zhen looked a little disappointed. “Then I’ll see you off.”

 

He called out twice, telling Ji An to look after Shen Yanqing, and then he went to see his elder brother out of the mansion.

 

As they walked out of the courtyard, he looked at his elder brother’s thin figure with heartache and said, “Even though you’re busy with work, don’t overwork yourself either, Gege. You’ve lost a lot of weight. The day after tomorrow, when I’m back at the mansion, I’ll have Ten-Tonic Soup cooked for you to nourish your body.”

 

Ji Jue joked, “You’ll cook it yourself?”

 

Ji Zhen laughed sheepishly. “What I make is truly inedible. It’s better to leave such things to the cooks.”

 

The two brothers talked and laughed and in no time, they arrived at the main gate.

 

Ji Jue gently patted Ji Zhen’s shoulder. “This is far enough. Go on.”

 

Ji Zhen leaned his head out the door, looking very playful. “I’ll wait until I see Gege on your carriage before I go.”

 

Ji Jue smiled, walked down the steps, and then turned to wave his hand beside the carriage.

 

Only then did Ji Zhen smile and jog back into the manor.

 

Ji Jue watched for a long time until Ji Zhen’s figure was no longer visible. It was only then that a shout of “Lord Ji” from the coachman brought him back to reality. He slowly retracted his gaze, elegantly stepped onto the small stool, and sat in silence, gradually clenching his open palms into fists.

 

This was for the best.

 

After Ji Zhen returned, before he even entered the courtyard, he heard Ji An and Yu He bickering loudly.

 

“Why did you have to take down the bird’s nest? It’s not easy for it to build a nest.”

 

“This bird chirps incessantly every day, keeping people from sleeping well in the morning. I’m going to teach it a lesson today!”

 

They were making a huge fuss over a trivial matter.

 

When Ji Zhen entered the courtyard, the two insisted on pulling him over to arbitrate. Ji Zhen hadn’t even sorted out his own affairs so he had no time to mediate their disputes. He quickly ran into the room and hid behind Shen Yanqing while saying loudly, “If you want to ask, ask Shen Yanqing.”

 

How could the two dare to bother Shen Yanqing? They both widened their eyes and fell silent.

 

Shen Yanqing was sitting at the table sipping tea. He held Ji Zhen’s hand and said with a smile, “Yu He, I heard from my mother that you met a girl named Xiao Ru in the countryside. You’re almost old enough to get married, and if Xiao Ru saw you like this, she’d laugh at you for being so unreliable.”

 

As soon as Yu He heard this, he quickly mimicked his master and put on a serious face. “That’s not it. Xiao Ru likes, likes me just the way I am.”

 

Ji An burst out laughing. “Why are you blushing?”

 

“Who says I’m blushing? You’re the one already in your late twenties. Tell me, what girl would even be interested in you?”

 

At these words, Ji An was so angry that his teeth were grinding. He snorted, “You have no idea how popular I was in the desert. I’m not going to talk to an ignorant person like you!”

 

Seeing the two were about to start bickering again, Ji Zhen felt his head getting bigger. He discreetly kicked Shen Yanqing’s foot.

 

Shen Yanqing understood and said, “The Young Madam and I are going to rest. You two can go now.”

 

Yu He and Ji An huffed at each other and end their harmless argument.

 

With a smile on his face, Ji Zhen helped Shen Yanqing to the bedside and said with a chuckle, “Ji An is not young anymore. After a while, we should find a match for him as well…”

 

He was about to bend down to take off Shen Yanqing’s shoes and socks when Shen Yanqing caught his hand first and pulled him onto the bed to sit down and whispered, “You don’t need to do these things.”

 

Ji Zhen glanced at his deep, dark eyes and mumbled, “But I want to do them for you.”

 

Shen Yanqing took off his own shoes, embraced Ji Zhen and lay down on the soft bed. He held Ji Zhen tightly in his arms, smiling with a hint of satisfaction. “If Brother Ji Jue finds out, he’ll definitely come looking for me to settle the score.”

 

It was meant as a joke, but Ji Zhen took it seriously and said anxiously, “Gege wouldn’t…” He paused. It took him a moment for him to process the title Shen Yanqing used as he looked up. “What did you call my elder brother?”

 

Shen Yanqing’s handsome face was only inches away. He didn’t answer but instead found Ji Zhen’s lips and gently pressed his own against them, then moved his tongue inside to suck and kiss.

 

Ji Zhen quickly forgot his question and passionately kissed Shen Yanqing.

 

The cicadas chirped in the early summer, and from a distance came the sounds of their bickering.

 

“You lonely, old bachelor!”

 

“Say that again, and I’ll really hit you.”

 

“You wouldn’t dare. My Young Master won’t let you get away with it…”

 

The author has something to say:

A happy ending after hardship!

Lord Shen (sneering): We’ve been suffering for over 200,000 words, hehe.

Zhen Zhen (nodding like a pecking chick): Exactly, exactly… hehe!

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T/N: No, I thought Yu He and Ji An gonna be a pair xD