Chapter Fourteen: Wake Up, Wake Up, Wake Up
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“The bell hanging by the door—does Young Master Li remember it?”
The bell seemed familiar to Song Qingcheng, yet she could not recall where she had seen it. She hoped that speaking with Li Zhun might help jog her memory.
Li Zhun thought for a moment. “It was something His Highness the Crown Prince accidentally dropped some time ago. I have always meant to return it, but I have not yet found the opportunity.”
Song Qingcheng studied the Crown Prince’s bell several times. A sharp pain stabbed through her head, and fragments of memory flashed before her eyes. She seemed to glimpse the bell beside her gravely ill parents’ beds. Pressing her fingers to her temples, she tried to think harder, but the pain intensified, and the memory remained beyond her reach.
“Miss Song, Miss Song…” Madam Li called softly. Seeing her appear lost in a haze, she was thoroughly frightened.
Song Qingcheng came back to herself. “I am fine. I simply thought of something else and became distracted for a moment.”
She carefully examined the prescription and found nothing wrong. Taking the herbs that Li Feixue brought over, she said, “You only need to replenish your strength afterward. Young Master Li has just woken, so I imagine you have much to discuss. I will not intrude any longer. I shall return first.”
She cast one more glance at the bell, committing it firmly to memory.
Madam Li caught hold of Song Qingcheng as she was about to leave. “How can you go now? These herbs are hardly worth anything. Wait until Feixue brings them over, then you may leave.”
The Li family was wealthy. What others considered an expensive snowflake herb was, to them, no more valuable than fallen leaves beneath a tree.
“Madam Li, you are too kind. Besides, I have already received my consultation fee, so there is no need to give me anything more. My cousin is waiting outside for me. I shall take my leave.”
Song Qingcheng picked up the things and hurried away.
Madam Li could not stop her. She could only watch helplessly as the girl disappeared into the distance. Li Feixue came rushing over with the items in her hands and stared at the empty doorway.
“Where is Sister Song?”
“She has left. She said she had already received her consultation fee. Miss Song is truly pure and kind, entirely free of greed for worldly possessions.” Madam Li sighed. In the past, anyone who could cling to the Li family would have tried to drain them dry.
To encounter someone with such a temperament was exceedingly rare.
Song Qingcheng—the pure and kind girl who disdained worldly possessions—had bright eyes and could barely contain her excitement.
“Cousin, you asked me to write down ways to punish Baili Shui. Would that be inappropriate?”
She put on a show of restraint, but inwardly she was wildly excited. She had already thought of countless methods. For a despicable man like that, he deserved to suffer a little.
But had he not just been angry with her? Why was he now asking her to devise such things? Could he be plotting some little trick?
Suspicious, Song Qingcheng furtively scanned him from head to toe. Shen Runzhi was amused by her wary little glances. His brown eyes fixed on her as he slowly leaned closer.
“Then shall we try them on Yao Yao?”
“No—no, perhaps not, Cousin. I think I can still be saved.”
Song Qingcheng’s smile froze. She quietly edged backward, but before she could create even a little distance, a hand pressed against her ankle and gave a sharp tug.
Her entire body was pulled forward against her will.
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Song Qingcheng was drawn close to Shen Runzhi, her chest brushing against him. Her heart pounded beneath his palm. As a physician, she instinctively felt that the rhythm was too rapid and squeezed twice to examine it.
A soft gasp escaped her.
Only then did Song Qingcheng realize what she had done. Her face flushed all the way down to her neck, like a fully ripened tomato.
She timidly released her hand and explained in a pale, flustered voice, “There seems to be something wrong with your heart. I was only examining you, Cousin. I meant nothing else.”
A strange aura emanated from Shen Runzhi. His eyes were like venomous snakes lurking in the darkness, fixed relentlessly upon her. He pressed Song Qingcheng’s hand against his chest.
“Then Yao Yao, examine me properly.”
Song Qingcheng turned her head away, pursed her lips, and perfunctorily pressed a few times. Ignoring the remarkably pleasant sensation beneath her hand, she scrambled backward.
“All right, all right. Your health is excellent, Cousin.”
Shen Runzhi cheerfully straightened his clothes and leaned against the side, appearing utterly unconcerned. Every so often, however, his gaze drifted toward Song Qingcheng.
Song Qingcheng coughed twice and deliberately avoided his eyes. She stared at the curtain billowing in the breeze, refusing to turn her head no matter how heated the gaze beside her became.
Resting his chin on his hand, Shen Runzhi watched her every tiny movement. Affection rose in his eyes. The longer he looked at her, the more he liked her, finding her unbearably adorable.
After all that running about, Song Qingcheng felt exhausted. Once she bade Shen Runzhi farewell, she carried the things back to her room. She wanted to sleep soundly, so she instructed Taohong to tell her parents that she would not be having dinner.
Elsewhere, Shen Runzhi took the sheet of paper from her. It listed the herbs Song Qingcheng had obtained.
“Find out exactly what these are used for.”
Wang Xiaoshu replied, “They are mostly for beautifying the skin and preserving one’s appearance. Young ladies all enjoy such things.”
“Send someone to investigate again, and include the snowflake herb.”
Shen Runzhi was not reassured. The disappointment on Yao Yao’s face when she failed to obtain the snowflake herb convinced him that this was not merely a matter of beautification.
Besides, his Yao Yao was already beautiful enough. She needed no other adornment.
Wang Xiaoshu accepted the order, then added, “The hunting festival will be held in a few days. The Crown Prince appears to be planning some sort of move there.”
“He will not give up. Keep a close watch on Yao Yao. Do not let him take advantage of the chaos to find an opportunity.”
“Yes.”
Near dawn, Song Qingcheng awoke from a deep sleep and took out her medicine pot. Without waking Taohong, she used a fan to stoke the fire and began preparing the medicine herself.
The flames burned brightly, but the herbs would still need some time to boil. Song Qingcheng turned around with the fire poker in hand to retrieve something when a dark shadow flashed past.
Judging from its direction, it seemed to have entered her room.
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“Luckily it was me… Wait, my medicine!”
Holding up the fire poker, Song Qingcheng secured the medicine pouch at her waist and quietly followed.
The man in black landed beside the window and blew a sleeping powder inside. Song Qingcheng suddenly screamed and ran out.
“Ahh! Ghost!”
The man choked. He accidentally inhaled the sleeping powder into his own mouth, then, dizzy and disoriented, pointed at Song Qingcheng before collapsing.
The door opened from within, and a woman in close-fitting martial attire appeared.
“Number Fifteen, under Young Master Shen’s orders, assigned to protect Miss Song.”
Another woman sprang out as well, lively and energetic.
“That’s right, that’s right! Number Sixteen is here to protect Miss Song too.”
Song Qingcheng nodded with an understanding sound. “So you are the people my cousin mentioned—the ones assigned to protect me.”
Before they parted, Shen Runzhi had told her that he had arranged for guards to protect her. Song Qingcheng had no objection. Having someone to protect her was naturally a good thing.
Taohong emerged rubbing her eyes. “Miss, what happened…? There’s a bad man!”
In a panic, she grabbed Song Qingcheng and spun her around, examining her from every angle.
“Miss, are you all right?”
Song Qingcheng cooperated by raising her arms. “I am fine. He was foolish enough to drug himself.”
Number Sixteen stepped forward. “Let me see who was bold enough to do this.”
She pulled away the man’s mask and recognized him as one of the Crown Prince’s men, someone who often accompanied him on his missions. Furious, Number Sixteen kicked him.
“He was trying to ruin the young lady’s reputation. What a vile thing…”
Number Fifteen calmly caught hold of her. “The young lady is present. Do not act rashly.”
She lifted the unconscious man by the collar and turned to Song Qingcheng.
“How would you like him dealt with, Miss?”
Song Qingcheng stroked her chin. She could not make a public spectacle of the matter. After all, openly breaking with the Crown Prince would benefit no one.
“Give him a dose of medicine, then throw him into an abandoned temple.”
As a woman who practiced medicine and saved lives, Song Qingcheng inevitably encountered a few thugs and ruffians. She had specially prepared several medicines capable of ending a man’s line, and this man was a perfect candidate.
The mere fact that he had dared to break into a young woman’s chamber at night was reason enough for him to take the medicine. It would also prevent him from endangering other young ladies.
“Yes, Miss. Taohong will fetch it at once.”
Taohong understood immediately and hurried into the room to retrieve the medicine.
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