Chapter 472 – A Man of Great Fortune
Jing Rong shook her off without any hesitation as he harshly dismissed her, “Miss Mu Jin is intelligent and should know that endless longing does not bring love. This Prince appreciates your kind intentions, but you and I are not fated to be. This Prince hopes you can understand that.”
Mu Jin staggered with the weight of his words, her eyes widening in shock at the denial. She could only watch with her hand outstretched towards Jing Rong’s back as the latter left without a trace!
She was the famed beauty of Anfu; a talented young woman whom many men would scramble after just for a single smile. Only His Highness had ever proved himself to be out of her grasp.
Lang Po wavered as he watched the scene. Unable to bring himself to leave, he offered some advice to the young woman, “Miss Mu Jin, His Highness has other matters to attend to. I think it’d be best for you to leave.”
“…”
Lang Po might be aloof but even he felt sorry watching her being rejected in such a manner. He sighed, pointing to the mess on the floor as he did his best to switch topics. “What’s this? Where is that fragrance coming from?”
Mu Jin paid him no attention; her eyes were fixed only on Jing Rong’s back as he walked further and further away.
Lang Po was left hanging as he awkwardly scratched his head, “Miss Mu Jin, His Highness actually has someone else that he likes. That’s why…” He rejected your advances! Lang Po did not have the courage to finish his sentence.
“Is it that Teacher Ji?”
Huh? Lang Po was startled. He fumbled as he explained, “Please don’t misunderstand, Miss Mu Jin. Teacher Ji’s a man – I mean he’s…”
“The way His Highness looks at her is different. I think I need to call that Teacher Ji, ‘Miss Ji’ from now on, no?” How could she not have known? She already found out on the day of the Lantern Festival!
Lang Po’s jaw dropped. What else could he say?
Mu Jin gave a bitter laugh, “I understand.” She pulled out a package from her sleeve and handed it to Lang Po. “These is the warming tea that I prepared; please give it to your Prince.”
“This…”
Mu Jin turned the other way as she stumbled off in despair.
Although Lang Po could not explain his feelings as he watched her leave, he did know that they weren’t pleasant. They had been together for the larger part of the last two days, even if Mu Jin had buried her head in books and spoke only in riddles. If he could never hear her voice again, what would he do? He heaved a long, deep sigh as he held those tea leaves in his hands, staring vacantly into the distance…
……
Ji Yunshu was greeted cheerfully by the young servant girl at Wei Yi’s door as she arrived, “Teacher Ji, Young Master Wei’s awake!”
Ji Yunshu nodded and entered.
Wei Yi still laid in bed inside the room, his face a ghastly shade of white. However dull his eyes were, they were open and aware as he gazed at the white silk curtains above his head.
Mo Ruo sat next to him. He first held Wei Yi’s wrist to read his pulse then proceeded to press down onto various parts of the latter’s hands and body, asking as he prodded, “Does it hurt here?”
Wei Yi did not answer.
“What about here?”
Silence.
“Here?”
He took his silence for a ‘no’.
Mo Ruo let out a sigh of relief and chuckled, “You sure are a man of great fortune, you rascal. You’re not even close to death with these injuries so I promise you’ll be fine. You’ll definitely be able to jump around like you used to within three days as long as you take your medicine and rest properly. We can also leave this place then; we have spent too long in Anfu.” He packed up his medicinal box and stepped aside, writing down a prescription. Mo Ruo then flicked Ji Yunshu a glance, “He’s awake, so you can stop your incessant worrying.”
Ji Yunshu looked past him, heading to rest beside Wei Yi’s bed. She carefully held Wei Yi’s large, clammy hands as she softly called out to him, “Wei Yi.”
Wei Yi finally responded. He blinked several times before slightly tilting his head to meet Ji Yunshu’s gaze, a small smile spreading across his dry, chapped lips. His gaze was no longer as dull as before, but bright and cognizant.
He swallowed, finally only managing two words, “Shu’er.”
“It’s me.” Perhaps it was from overwhelming happiness, but tears rolled down Ji Yunshu’s cheeks and onto his hands.
Wei Yi’s trembling hand shakily reached out towards Ji Yunshu’s dainty face, tenderly wiping away her tears from the corners of her eye with a slender finger, “Don’t cry, Shu’er, I’m okay.” His voice was weak, yet strong.
“Promise me, Wei Yi, that you’ll never do this ever again. I won’t forgive myself if anything happens to you.”
“Don’t cry, Shu’er, don’t cry…”
“I’m not crying. These are tears of joy, Wei Yi, now that you’ve woken up.” She smiled, swallowing her tears. Wei Yi’s gentle smile never once left his pale face; his smile was like a gentle ray of sunlight streaming down a pleasant spring day, comforting, refres.h.i.+ng…
Mo Ruo finished up his prescription and gave it to one of the servant maids. “Go prepare the medicine.”
“Understood!” She trotted off with that prescription in hand.
Mo Ruo cracked his weary shoulders as he made his way out of the room. Outside, Jing Rong stood with his back towards Wei Yi’s door, looking up sullenly at the gloomy sky above. Mo Ruo did not speak directly to him, instead choosing to stop beside him and cheerfully begin to wash his hands with the rainwater pooling beneath the eaves. He did not forget his true purpose, “This water sure is cold, even more so than the weather.” His words, in true Mo Ruo fas.h.i.+on, were aimed for Jing Rong’s heart!
His target was less than impressed, concentrating only on the clouds gathering above their heads. Mo Ruo patted his hands dry with a handkerchief and gave him a cheeky grin, “Are your insides nice and toasty?” The irony!
Jing Rong stared him down, “Say what you need to say.”
“If it weren’t for me, Teacher Ji would have never gone to find you. I suppose you must have already spilled your guts to her, otherwise, you wouldn’t have come.”
“Mm.”
“Mm? What does this ‘mm’ mean?”
Jing Rong wished this annoying comrade would hurry up and disappear! Mo Ruo scoffed, mimicking Jing Rong in gazing up at the sky. “I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing.”
Hmm? Jing Rong looked at Mo Ruo quizzedly, “What do you mean?”
“Maybe this was all the heavens’ work; Wei Yi’s so fortunate that he didn’t die even after a sword pierced right through his chest, but now, even his illness is showing signs of remission.”
Jing Rong raised his eyebrows in surprise, “The illness you’re referring to, could it be…”
Before he could finish, the maniacal Tang Si burst out from nowhere, squeezing herself between the two of them. She mimicked what Mo Ruo did, was.h.i.+ng her hands with the rainwater flowing off the eaves. She questioned, “Is this water clean?”
Mo Ruo smirked. “This is rootless water, used for preparing medicine.”
“Rootless water? What the heck is that?”
“Rainwater.”
Tang Si scoffed, “Call rainwater ‘rainwater’, can you? What rootless water, you Central Plain people just love to act all high and mighty.” She continued was.h.i.+ng her hands gleefully!
The three of them painted a comical picture as they stood in the form of a ‘V’!