Xiao Jin Yu frowned slightly. "Is Ji Dong He inside?"
"Not at all."
Xiao Jin Yu's brow furrowed tighter. "The reason then..."
Jing Yi was taken aback, glancing deliberately yet casually toward Xiao Jin Yu's lower body. "The reason for such matters... can only be understood, not explained. Without personal experience, any speculation is just guesswork... Anyway, it's almost dark. Should I go bring Wan Niang to you now?"
Xiao Jin Yu's face darkened completely. "...I was asking about Ji Dong He."
And here I thought Wang Ye had been stimulated by that girl and finally come around...
"How would I know that..."
"Investigate..."
Jing Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "How do I investigate that?"
"Ask Ji Dong He... or find the maid who went back to her hometown with Mrs. Ji."
"Then I'd better look for the maid... By the way, Wang Ye..."
"Hmm?"
"Are you sure you don't need any help?"
"...!"
☆、36 Sweet and Sour Ribs (Sixteen)
Xiao Jin Yu drifted in and out of sleep for a while. In his half-awake state, he shifted slightly, and a sharp, piercing pain shot through his entire spine like lightning. His body trembled, and immediately all his bones began aching in succession. The pain rose and fell in waves, breaking out in a cold sweat that completely wiped away any drowsiness.
Xiao Jin Yu lay perfectly still with his eyes closed, not daring to move a muscle, like a corpse stretched out straight. He remained like that for a long time until the pain gradually turned into stiff numbness. The cold sweat had soaked through his clothes and dampened the sheets beneath him. Only then did Xiao Jin Yu open his eyes with a silent, bitter smile.
Winter days were short and nights long. Without noticing when, the sky had turned completely dark. The room was unlit, doors and windows shut tight. When he opened his eyes, everything was pitch black without a trace of light. The dark silence felt like lying in a coffin with the lid nailed shut.
An intense sense of suffocation tightly bound Xiao Jin Yu in the darkness, stifling him until he could barely breathe. His heartbeat suddenly quickened, and his breathing became rapid.
Xiao Jin Yu struggled to get up, but his arms were stiff and numb, refusing to obey. The slightest movement sent another wave of pain shooting through his body. His breath caught, and he nearly lost consciousness.
Just as Xiao Jin Yu was enduring this to his limit, the door was suddenly pushed open gently. A spark appeared at the doorway, transforming into a soft glow that filled the room. The suffocating feeling instantly vanished, as if melted away by the light.
Chu Chu blew out the fire starter, carrying a food box in one hand and a lamp stand in the other. As soon as she entered, she saw Xiao Jin Yu lying on the bed, gasping for breath like a fish out of water. His face was deathly pale, covered in cold sweat that streamed down his temples.
Startled, Chu Chu set the food box and lamp stand on the table and rushed to the bedside. "Wang Ye! What's wrong?"
A small, frightened pale face appeared in his blurry vision. Before his breathing had even steadied, Xiao Jin Yu quickly shook his head. "It's nothing..."
"You... if it's nothing, why are you sweating so much!"
Xiao Jin Yu forced a faint smile and fabricated an excuse. "I had a nightmare... It's nothing..."
Chu Chu was taken aback. "What did you dream about?"
"Ghosts..."
Chu Chu's face immediately brightened, her smile warm and radiant. "Wang Ye, don't be afraid. I'll chant for you and it'll be fine!"
Xiao Jin Yu gently closed his eyes and responded absently. "Mm..."Chu Chu sat beside him, extending her small hand to stroke his head repeatedly while chanting with utmost seriousness, "Pet the hair, fear won't stay..."
"..."
"Wang Ye, are you feeling better now?"
"Mhm..."
"This is what my grandmother always chants for me when I have nightmares. After chanting, everything becomes fine."
"Mhm..."
Only then did Chu Chu feel reassured enough to pick up the sweat towel from the bedside. She carefully wiped the sweat from Xiao Jin Yu's forehead and face, then slipped her hand under the blanket to feel his clothes. "Wang Ye, your clothes are completely soaked. Let me change you into a fresh set."
The drenched clothes clung to his extremely weak body, leaving him icy cold. Xiao Jin Yu gave a slight nod and closed his eyes.
Feeling Chu Chu undo his belt, her small hand slipped behind his neck and gripped his shoulder as she tried to help him sit up. Xiao Jin Yu followed her strength and barely lifted his shoulders and back when a sudden pain shot through him. His body trembled violently, and he collapsed back down.
Chu Chu was startled, watching nervously as another layer of cold sweat instantly beaded on Xiao Jin Yu's forehead. "Wang Ye, did I hurt you?"
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head, enduring the pain until it subsided before frowning helplessly. "I can't move right now... Forget it... It's nothing..."
He detested these moments of being half-dead yet fully conscious—watching himself being manipulated like an infant, wishing he could strangle himself with his own hands.
"It's not nothing! What if you get sick again?"
Xiao Jin Yu offered a weak, bitter smile. Sick? Already reduced to this half-human, half-ghost state—how much worse could it get?
Seeing Xiao Jin Yu close his eyes without another word, Chu Chu pursed her lips. "I heard from Brother Jing that you got so sick because your body was exposed to unclean clothes... It's all my fault. If I had washed your clothes, this wouldn't have happened. I wash clothes really well..."
As she spoke, Chu Chu's eyes reddened, her nose tingled, and tears began to fall with soft pattering sounds.
Xiao Jin Yu opened his eyes in astonishment. Jing Yi's vague remark had somehow made her blame herself... No wonder she insisted on caring for him personally, refusing to let anyone else near, even exhausting herself to the point of delirium.
His heart ached with a wrenching pain, leaving him momentarily speechless. "No... that's not it..."
Tearfully, Chu Chu looked at him. "The Emperor told me to take good care of you. If I'm like this... am I disobeying the imperial decree?"
Xiao Jin Yu found himself caught between tears and laughter, shaking his head slightly. "No..."
Chu Chu bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before cautiously asking, "Then... if the Emperor gets angry, would he change his mind and not let me marry you anymore?"
Xiao Jin Yu chuckled softly, answering with utmost seriousness, "He wouldn't... The Emperor's word is his bond. What he says cannot be taken back..."
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