As if a switch had been flipped, the moment blood was drawn, Hua Zhi's complexion began to change gradually—her pale skin flushed with redness.
Gu Yanxi couldn't tell whether this change was good or bad and called out urgently, "Yu Lao!"
Ignoring him, Yu Lao continued holding Hua Zhi's wrist without letting go. Only after a moment did he sprinkle medicinal powder to stop the bleeding and say, "Without destruction, there can be no construction. We must provoke all her symptoms to manifest before I can determine how to treat her."
Glancing up at him, Yu Lao spoke bluntly, "It's better than letting her sleep on like this forever."
Gu Yanxi pressed his lips into a tight line. Usually quick-witted, it took him several moments to grasp the meaning behind those words. Sleeping on forever... meaning she might never wake up? The mere thought made him feel as if a mountain were crushing his heart—a mountain he could never overturn.
The illness struck swiftly and fiercely. In just this short time, Hua Zhi's face had already turned crimson. Yu Lao stood up and instructed the maids waiting nearby, "Use the young lady's previous method to cool her down."
Bao Xia dashed out after hearing just the first word, while Ying Chun climbed onto the bed and drew the bed curtains, shutting out all prying eyes.
Yu Lao wrote a prescription and handed it to someone to fetch the medicine. If they could get her to take the medicine, it would be manageable. If not...
He sighed inwardly, not daring to dwell on it further, and only hoped that this young lady, who carried the world in her heart, could now focus on herself and pull through this crisis.
Inside the bed curtains, Hua Zhi's clothes were completely removed. Ying Chun stayed inside while Bao Xia remained outside, each with a basin of water beside them. Amid the strong scent of alcohol, they wrung out towels and wiped the young lady's entire body. Outside the bed, Gu Yanxi sat leaning against the edge, fists clenched, not uttering a word.
"Young lady!"
Bao Xia's exclamation startled everyone. Berlin and Zeng Han rushed over instantly, and Gu Yanxi stood up just as quickly. Suppressing the urge to tear open the curtains, he asked, "What happened?"
Ying Chun's voice, choked with tears, came from inside, "Miraculous Doctor Yu, the young lady's body is covered in patches of severe redness!"
"Is there any pattern to it?"
"This servant... this servant can't see any..."
"Look carefully!"
Silence fell for a moment. Gu Yanxi used every ounce of his self-control to stop himself from tearing open the curtains to check for himself!
Ying Chun and Bao Xia trembled with anxiety. Together, they helped the young lady sit up and were horrified to find red patches on her back as well. Further down, her waist was also affected.
Wiping their tears hastily, they carefully laid her back down. Bao Xia then checked her legs, remembering that the young lady had been injured there before...
Injured?!
Bao Xia grabbed Ying Chun's hand and cried out hoarsely, "These places—all these places are where the young lady was once injured. Later, Miss Shaoyao prepared medicine to remove the scars, right? Are these the same spots?"
Ying Chun froze for a second, then quickly reexamined the areas. Yes, yes, that was exactly it!
As soon as she nodded, Bao Xia lifted a corner of the curtain, stuck her head out, and shouted frantically, "The red areas are all places where the young lady was once injured. But Miraculous Doctor Yu, Miss Shaoyao took great care of those wounds—even the scars are gone. How could this be happening now? How...?"
Yu Lao paced back and forth, lost in thought for a moment before asking, "Has the young lady been ill at all in the past two years?"
Bao Xia thought carefully. "She sometimes had headaches."
"Headaches are from overusing her mind—that doesn't count as an illness. Besides that, nothing else?"
Bao Xia exchanged a glance with Ying Chun and shook her head. "Not that we can recall.""Has she never had a fever every time she got injured?"
"Never... except once." Bao Xia recalled, "That time at the manor when the young lady was first injured, she had a fever. Since then, there hasn't been one."
"Having a fever is normal, it shows her body is healthy..."
Gu Yanxi suddenly interjected, "That time at Yinshan Pass when she was critically injured and near death, she didn't have a fever either."
"I heard from Shaoyao that you fed the young lady that pill."
"Yes."
Yu Lao sighed. If she hadn't taken that pill, they wouldn't be so helpless now. "That pill is a life-saving medicine, but it can also be considered a potent and harsh drug. After using it, the effectiveness of other medicines is reduced. If she had rested properly, she might have recovered eventually, but when has she ever taken proper care of herself?"
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yu Lao gestured for the maid to extend the patient's hand.
Watching Yu Lao's constantly furrowed brow, Gu Yanxi clenched his fists so tightly they were nearly dripping with sweat. He was afraid to hear any bad news!
"Has the redness changed?"
"It's become redder." Ying Chun choked up, "It's burning hot to the touch."
"Continue wiping her down." As he spoke, Yu Lao pricked another drop of blood from Hua Zhi's fingertip, picked it up with a silver needle, and went to the doorway to examine it carefully for a moment. He said to whoever was outside, "The medicine needs to come faster."
Someone immediately ran off to hurry them along.
Yu Lao returned to the table and wrote out a second prescription. Berlin immediately stepped forward to take it and ran to hand it to someone outside. Everyone wished they could do more, as if only by doing so could they prove their young lady would be alright.
Gu Yanxi detested this feeling of helplessness. He could do nothing, offer no help, and could only wait idly. Even though he was right by her side, it felt like they were separated by thousands of miles.
Under the surprised gazes of everyone, he suddenly walked straight out of the courtyard. Just as everyone was exchanging confused looks, he quickly returned and sat back down by the bedside. No one knew what he had gone out to do.
Basins of water were changed one after another, and a jar of alcohol had already been emptied, yet the fever still wouldn't break. No matter how high her temperature rose, not a single drop of sweat appeared.
Inside and outside the room, many people remained silent, not uttering a word.
"The medicine is here."
Everyone automatically made way. Nian Qiu and Fu Dong, their skirts flying, rushed straight to the young lady's chamber as if their feet weren't touching the ground.
Hearing the commotion, Bao Xia had already lifted the young lady to lean against her. Ying Chun held the cloth on the young lady's forehead, while Fu Dong knelt on the bed, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to the young lady's lips. After a moment, she shook her head, "It's no use, the young lady's teeth are clenched too tightly."
Upon hearing this, Bao Xia hurriedly tried to pry open the young lady's mouth. Fu Dong couldn't help but remind her, "Be gentle, you'll hurt her!"
"If it wakes the young lady up from the pain, that would be better." Bao Xia retorted stubbornly, but her movements became noticeably more careful.
Working together, the two finally managed to get the medicine into her mouth, but before they could rejoice, it all trickled out from the corner of her lips. Fu Dong grew anxious, scooping another spoonful and trying again, but with the same result.
"Young lady, young lady, please drink the medicine. How can you get better without it..." Pleading softly, Fu Dong scooped another spoonful, set the bowl aside, and with her free hand, resolutely pinched the young lady's nose to force her mouth open and fed the medicine in. Then, using the spoon to keep her teeth apart, she forced the medicine down her throat.
"Did it work?"
Fu Dong didn't respond. After waiting a moment, she released her grip and removed the spoon. When she saw the dark medicine trickling out from the corner of her lips again, she broke down in tears, crying, "Young lady, please swallow it!"Though Yu Lao had mentally prepared himself and rewritten the prescription, his heart still sank upon hearing the commotion. "Can't she take any of it at all?"
"Miss... she won't swallow..."
"Let me." Amidst the startled exclamations, Gu Yanxi could bear it no longer and lifted the bed curtains to climb onto the bed. The maids stared at him in dismay—their young mistress wasn't properly dressed!
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