Chapter 6 Feeding Medicine by Hand

Leng Qingtang took another two steps and was suddenly attracted by the things placed on the table. A white gourd-shaped teapot and four matching tea bowls were placed on the small square table. They were all simple blue and white porcelains. There were two dishes next to it. One was the Osmanthus rice balls that choked Gu Yunjin just now. The other one was fried hawthorn with white sugar. The eyes of Leng Qingtang were stagnant for a moment. It seemed that he had thought of something. The expression on his handsome face looked deep and complicated. Slowly reaching out his hand, Leng Qingtang picked up one hawthorn and put it in front of his eyes. The red and round hawthorn was wrapped by white sugar icing. The two colors, white and red, were contrasted with each other. It was like the red lanterns hanging outside the doors in the Spring Festival, which were stained by the white snow. The flames rendered the world and also warmed the dark eyes of Leng Qingtang for a moment. Memories haunted him and they were all occupied by that figure. He clearly remembered that he was just over eight years old when he met the girl in the imperial palace. He was severely punished by the leading eunuch for his mistake in serving the emperor. After that, he met her under the blossoming laurel tree. She held a plate of fried hawthorns wrapped by sugar in front of him. Her dimpled and smiling face was so attractive. At that time, the hawthorns were covered with white icing. They were bright and attractive, just like this one in his fingers. In the twinkling of an eye, 19 years had passed. Now, he held the highest position of Imperial Ceremony Office. He was paramount and powerful. No one dared to punish him except the emperor. Leng Qingtang couldn't help opening his mouth and put it in his mouth. The white icing of the sugar met the hot air in his mouth. When it instantly melted, he felt a sense of coldness. Before dipping in the sugar, the core of the hawthorn had been removed and the hawthorn had been fried. It was so crisp, sweet and sour, just like the taste many years ago. Leng Qingtang couldn't help picking up the second one from the plate after finishing the first one. There was rustling over the bed. Gu Yunxi woke up and slowly got up. At first glance, she saw Leng Qingtang, who was so tall and majestic. "Master..." She called him in a low voice. Seeing him standing by the table and holding a hawthorn in his hand, she said to him, "They have been there for two days. They are not fresh. If you like it, I will make some for you later." "Did you make it?" Leng Qingtang looked at her with a surprised expression. "Yes." Gu Yunxi nodded slowly, looking ashamed, "Unlike my smart sisters, I'm dull. I can only make small things to pass the time. This snack is not good enough..." "I have just tried it and it tastes pretty good..." Leng Qingtang smiled appreciatively and put the hawthorn back into the dish. Then he wiped the sugar ice on his fingertips and said, "When you are well, do remember to make more for me." When Gu Yunxi heard his praises, embarrassment on her face was gradually replaced by surprises. Her bloodless cheeks began to blush. "Yes! I will remember it!" "Okay, it is a promise!" He looked at her and blinked his eyelashes slowly while nodding: "Put on more clothes. You are in the periods and don't catch a cold anymore." It was too straightforward. Yunxi blushed immediately and not dared to look at him directly. Gu Yunxi both respected and feared him, the Master of the Eastern Depot. In her impression, he was gorgeous and handsome but didn’t talk much. There was always a sense of coldness on his indifferent face, which made it difficult or even impossible for people to approach him actively. He did not come to the Garden much. Every time he came, he mostly got together with the three girls and Nanny Gu. When suddenly she was alone with him, Gu Yunxi felt extremely nervous. Leng Qingtang's voice was sounded again, "When I healed you just now, I found you are too weak. Isn't there a doctor in the Garden taking care of you?" "Whenever I get ill, Nanny Gu will fetch the doctor and I will take medicine. I'm so weak, causing too much trouble for everyone." "You can be healthy if taken good care of. In a few days, I will call the doctor in the Palace to treat you carefully." "Thanks a lot." Leng Qingtang took a chair and sat down by the bed. The distance between the two was very close and he looked at her carefully. She was slender. Her small face was too pale. Her beautiful eyebrows and eyes were manifested her sickness. Her lips were also pale and dry. On the forehead, there were some scabs surrounded by a circle of bruises. Some tender emotions suddenly rose in Leng Qingtang's heart. He didn't know whether that feeling should be called "pity". If this girl was healthy, she was also a beautiful lady. The girl standing under the Osmanthus tree again past through his memory. They were too alike...Indeed, she should be like her... Leng Qingtang couldn't help but stretched out his hand. His soft fingertip lightly touched the bruised place on her forehead. The slight moan made Leng Qingtang stop. He was stunned and aware of the abruptness of his behavior. "Does it hurt?" He asked, withdrawing his arm. "Not too much..." She looked at him anxiously and whispered. "I would send some external medicine for you later. It would not take several days before you recover." "Master..." Gu Yunxi hesitated for a moment. She then looked directly at Leng Qingtang and asked, "Can you allow me to see Yunyao? I want to see her!" "For what? She is sinful." Leng Qingtang said lightly. "She used to take care of me. Now she is in trouble and I will not stand aside. Till now, she may not have eaten anything. I will give her something to eat and soon leave." Gu Yunxi was still pleading shyly. "You were very dangerous just now due to the backflow of blood. You need to rest in bed. I will accompany you to see her tomorrow morning." — That night, Leng Qingtang rested in the side garden. Xiao Xiaoshen and a dozen of guards followed him. The rest of the guards were brought back to the Eastern Depot by Cheng Wanli. Gu Yunxi did not have a sound sleep that night. In a trance, she opened her eyes and reached the unknown world again. There were no mountains or rivers. The sky was red, and the high-hanging moon was like dripping blood... Mounds of people were sleeping. There was scarlet and thick blood oozing from their static body. They piled up and formed many hills on the endless road. They were all dead— Gu Yunxi opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound. She panted across the hills of cold corpses. Finally, she was exhausted. She sat on a piece of ground with dried blood. Looking in horror, she found there were still corpses on the road ahead. Was this a dream? Was this a dream? Gu Yunxi cried and looked down at her body. It was hard to believe that her blood-stained body became so small, just like a little child. Despair, endless despair... "Little girl, hold me." The soft voice was from the top of her head. The sound was beautiful but cold, like a command and a redemption. Gu Yunxi looked up. She saw that the person who reached out was Leng Qingtang. But he was younger, like a handsome teenager. She stopped crying instantly and handed her hand to him obediently. Dragged slowly by him, she treaded the blood on the road but no longer felt fear. The warmth that the big hand sent to her immediately filled her with incomparable relaxation and peace. She instantly missed her step and fell... "Master--" Gu Yunxi was awakened from her dream, screaming and opening her eyes. "Yunxi, I'm here." Leng Qingtang was sitting by the bed, wearing a robe with golden embroidered chrysanthemum and a brocade gauze hat. He looked at her and responded gently. He was dragged by her little hand. A slight ripple appeared in his black eyes. Gu Yunxi realized that she was pulling his robe sleeve and hurriedly withdrew her hands. She looked around and recognized that she was lying on his bed. "Since the first half of the night, you have been in a fever. The imperial doctor has been here and prescribed a prescription. Get up and take medicine later." "Have you been here all the time...?" Gu Yunxi was surprised. She glanced at him and looked away. "Well. There is nothing important at the Eastern Depot. So, I lived here for some time. I have promised you to go to see Yunyao with you." He helped her to sit up slowly and put the pillow behind her, then covered her with a quilt. At this time, a young maid came into the house with a long plate. "Master, the temperature of the medicine is appropriate for drinking." "Bring it here." Leng Qingtang took the medicine bowl and covered it with his palm. Indeed, the bowl was not so hot, and the temperature of the medicine was just right. He took a spoonful of the soup and blew it a few times carefully before his mouth. Then he handed it to Gu Yunxi, whose lips were somewhat dry. Gu Yunxi was wide-eyed involuntarily and forgot to open her mouth because she felt so flattered. Since she was a little girl, nobody cared about her. He was the second person holding a bowl and feeding her medicine patiently except her eldest sister Gu Yunyao! However, wasn't he the powerful Commander-in-chief in the Eastern Depot? Why would he feed her medicine by hand... "Come on. Have a break after finishing the medicine. Then we go to see Yunyao." The gentle voice rang again without any hint of urgency. On the contrary, the slow and melodious tone showed his indulgence. Both his fingers and the porcelain spoons were pure white, which made people feel sudden tranquility in the heart. Gu Yunxi stopped guessing. She immediately opened her mouth and swallowed a bite of soup. Suddenly, she could no longer bear the bitter taste of the medicine. Her face was screwed together, like a pitiful little bun. "Very bitter?" "Well. It's a bit more bitter than the medicine I usually take ..." Leng Qingtang couldn't help laughing: "Dear, finish the medicine and I will reward you." After she finished the medicine, Leng Qingtang put the empty bowl back on the tray holding by the maid. Then he took a piece of preserved fruit from the porcelain plate next to it and delivered it to her mouth. "Is it sweet?" He asked with a smile and watched her chewing it. "Yes." After Gu Yunxi finished it, she no longer felt bitter. Later, she was lying on the bed with his support, and he wrapped her quilt tightly. Somehow there was an extra fox fur blanket on the quilt. It was warm, light and soft. "Get some sleep when the medicine takes effect later. I will not leave until night. I’m waiting for you here." Leng Qingtang continued to stay by the bed. Soft light flashed in his dark eyes. Warmth rose from his light smile. He was sturdy but looked more handsome when he chuckled. Gu Yunxi kept staring at his face. It seemed that she had forgotten to remove her eyes when sleepiness rose a little. She felt that his peaceful expression was the most beautiful thing, making people not want to look away. In a moment, she felt drowsier and slept again.