Chapter 89 The Wind Fills the Tower as the Mountain Rain Approaches

When a loved one falls ill and needs care, how could Qiu Shuzhi possibly leave at this time?

“It’s alright, I’ll stay with you a bit longer. Yu Lian, go brew a bowl of brown sugar ginger water,” Qiu Shuzhi instructed.

“Yes.”

After Yu Lian left, she set Qiu Qiushuang down to lean against a soft pillow, using a handkerchief to wipe the beads of sweat on his face: “Tomorrow I’ll invite the best doctor to come and treat you.”

Qiu Qiushuang shook his head, gesturing: “No need, I’ll just take some medicine myself. I’m already weak, I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Cousin, when did you become so polite? You weren’t like this before with me.”

Qiu Qiushuang laughed bitterly in his heart, isn’t it you who’s become polite?

Over these years of taking care of her, watching her rise step by step, the courtyard growing larger, more and more gold and silver being carried into the mansion, she had grown more and more distant from him. Sometimes it was difficult to even see her once.

He smiled sickly, his fingers flying: “Yes, I really want to go back to when we were young.”

Although life was poor then, he felt so happy.

“That winter, when I washed clothes for other families, my fingers were frozen red. You were afraid I’d get chilblains, so you put my hands on your chest to warm them… You would copy books for others in exchange for a few coins of silver, run across half the city to buy freshly baked chestnut cakes for me, your hair covered in snowflakes, your clothes wet, almost falling ill…”

Tears welled up in Qiu Qiushuang’s eyes, his pale, colorless lips trembling slightly, his fingertips shaking: “But I still want to go back to that time, when it was just the two of us, you hadn’t taken a husband yet, you weren’t out all day, I wasn’t trapped in this narrow world, looking at the door every day, waiting for you to remember me on some idle day and come see me.”

“I’m sorry…” Qiu Shuzhi hugged him tightly, the person in her arms so thin only bones remained. She felt infinite guilt in her heart: “I neglected you, ignored you, I’m sorry.”

Qiu Qiushuang’s tears wet his collar, looking at her through blurry eyes: “Now that you’ve taken a husband and servants, it doesn’t matter if you don’t come to me, I just hope you can live well, then I’ll be content… But tonight, can you stay and keep me company? Tonight, don’t mind anyone else, just belong to me alone?”

Qiu Shuzhi nodded hurriedly. Years of relying on each other for survival made her see Qiu Qiushuang as more important than family. It was only today when he fell ill that she realized how much she owed him.

Qiu Qiushuang leaned weakly on her shoulder, waves of abdominal pain making it difficult for him to even raise his hand: “Shuzhi, I’m in so much pain.”

Qiu Shuzhi reached out her hand, gently rubbing his lower abdomen through the thin blanket, her warm palm transmitting heat through the thin quilt: “Is this better?”

Qiu Qiushuang smiled faintly, but his face remained pale and weak.

“Master, the brown sugar ginger water is ready,” Yu Lian entered carrying the sweet water.

Qiu Shuzhi took the bowl, a pungent ginger smell wafting out. She scooped up a spoonful, blew on it at her lips, then tasted it herself to make sure it wasn’t too hot before feeding it to Qiu Qiushuang. After half a bowl of brown sugar ginger water, his complexion improved slightly.

Yu Lian said happily: “Master, your presence really makes a difference. Before, we also brewed brown sugar water for Young Master Qiu, but he always complained about the pungent smell, taking one spoonful and spitting it out. But with you feeding him, even if Young Master Qiu doesn’t like it, he drinks it down.”

Qiu Qiushuang weakly glared at her.

Qiu Shuzhi smiled: “You’ve also been busy all night, go rest early. I can take care of things here.”

Hearing Qiu Shuzhi say this, Yu Lian beamed with joy and immediately withdrew, leaving the two alone.

Outside the door, Yu Lian looked at the night sky. It was so late, it seemed the master wouldn’t be leaving. How wonderful.

Young Master Qiu was such a kind person. After the crown prince married in, he still had to watch his face, yielding in everything, enduring so much grievance, even bearing his illness alone. Today he finally woke up.

If he could grasp the master’s heart tonight, he wouldn’t have to fear even if the crown prince came to make trouble in the future.

Yu Lian happily ran back to the servants’ quarters, unaware that at this moment, the lamps were burning bright in the primary husband’s bedchamber, gazing at the lonely moon, waiting for someone to return.

Qiu Shuzhi took care of Qiu Qiushuang all night, only returning to her room early the next morning.

As soon as she entered the room, she felt a chill. Last night’s bathtub hadn’t been removed, the water already cold, continuously releasing coolness into the room.

She tiptoed into the inner chamber, where a vague human silhouette was visible through the layers of bed curtains.

Gently parting the bed curtains, Yue Guanyi wore a thin undergarment, preciously hugging her old clothes she had taken off yesterday, cradling them in his arms like an infant. The fabric was pressed to his nose, as if he had fallen asleep smelling the lingering scent on her clothes. He was curled up on the bed like an insecure puppy, with what seemed to be tear stains not yet dry at the corners of his eyes.

Today was a day off, he didn’t need to attend morning court, but military affairs never rest for a day, and she still had to go to the army camp for training.

She looked at his tightly furrowed brows, as if he hadn’t slept well all night. Not wanting to disturb him, she carefully tucked in the corners of his blanket, took clothes from the cabinet and left.

She changed clothes while walking out. As she was leaving, she happened to run into Jiang Si carrying a water basin. Today he wore a thin crimson outfit, adorned with only an ordinary red chalcedony hairpin. The simple ornament didn’t match his excessively delicate and charming appearance. He looked more like a fallen young noble than a servant attending to others.

Seeing Qiu Shuzhi, his coquettish eyes shyly narrowed as he bowed in greeting: “This servant Lan’er greets the master.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly, helping him up: “Yue’er is still resting, you can go in to serve him later.”

“Yes.” Jiang Si looked up slightly, seeing Qiu Shuzhi hurriedly tying the sash at her waist. His rosy lips parted slightly: “Master, let Lan’er serve you.”

Saying this, Jiang Si put down the water basin and obediently knelt before her on both knees. The red chalcedony hairpin swayed gently at her waist as the sash at her waist was deftly tied into a knot in his hands.

She took his hand: “Lan’er’s hands are truly beautiful.”

A blush of rouge rose on Jiang Si’s gorgeous face as he shyly withdrew his hand: “The master flatters me. This servant is just a crude lowly person, my hands are especially rough, how can they compare to the young master’s golden branch and jade leaves?”