TL: Hua
“I’m fine, brother.” Car sickness wasn’t a big deal. In his previous life, when he first started taking buses between home and school, he’d often throw up, but he got used to it over time. He just hadn’t expected to get motion sickness from a horse-drawn carriage in this life.
Upon returning to the manor, his first priority was naturally to pay his respects to his mother. Xu Yanqing pushed away Mu Yu, who was supporting him, and followed Xu Xianzhi towards his mother’s courtyard.
However, as they passed through a long corridor, Xu Yanqing felt a dizzy spell, his ears buzzing. Then he vaguely heard Mu Yu’s startled cry, and he instantly lost consciousness.
Xu Xianzhi scooped his unconscious younger brother into his arms, his face taut, saying to Mu Yu, “Quickly go find a doctor.”
The news that their youngest son had fainted on his first day home naturally couldn’t be kept from the Marquis and Madam. Both husband and wife rushed anxiously towards Xu Yanqing’s courtyard.
Their youngest son, lying on the bed, hadn’t lost weight since leaving the manor; in fact, he looked a little plumper. But his pale face brought tears directly to Madam Su’s eyes.
She sat by the bed, holding Xu Yanqing’s hand, and turned to speak to Xu Xianzhi: “Have you sent someone to call the doctor?”
“Mu Yu has already gone; he should be here soon,” Xu Xianzhi said, his face strained, yet still remembering to comfort his mother, “Mother, don’t worry too much. Ah Qing might just have dizziness from the carriage ride.”
Marquis Wu’an stood silently behind Madam Su, his large hand resting steadily on her shoulder.
The doctor was practically dragged in by Mu Yu. Seeing a crowd of people in the room, he was startled, then was abruptly pulled by the anxious Xu Xianzhi to Xu Yanqing’s bedside: “Doctor, quickly, come take a look. What exactly is going on? Why did my brother suddenly faint while walking…”
He hadn’t finished speaking when the doctor, whose face was flushed with annoyance, pushed him away. The old doctor glared fiercely at the boorish man who had just roughly pulled him, then, upholding the noble medical ethics of treating patients like one’s own children, sat down on the chair beside Xu Yanqing’s bed.
Madam Su nervously offered her youngest son’s wrist. Her eyes were slightly moist, and her hands, cold with apprehension, were tightly clasped with Marquis Wu’an’s.
The old doctor placed his fingers on Xu Yanqing’s wrist. Although he wasn’t the manor’s resident physician, he was a frequent visitor to Marquis Wu’an’s residence, mostly called to treat the beloved legitimate second son.
However, most of the time, Young Master Xu was feigning illness. The old doctor’s diagnosis depended entirely on his mood. If he were in a good mood, he wouldn’t expose the young master’s little tricks. If he was in a bad mood, he’d be blunt, leading to the young master being disciplined by his parents.
But this time, it was clear the young master wasn’t faking it. The moment the old doctor’s fingers touched his wrist, he sensed something was off. So, he changed his posture and re-examined Xu Yanqing’s pulse. After repeating this several times, the old doctor pulled over Xu Yanqing’s other hand and carefully checked his pulse again.
Seeing the doctor’s demeanor, Madam Su leaned against Marquis Wu’an, her body growing cold, yet she bravely forced herself to ask, “Doctor Qi, what illness does Ah Qing have? Is it very serious?”
The old doctor tucked both of Xu Yanqing’s hands back under the covers, then turned to look at the Marquis and Madam of Wu’an. He sighed, “It is indeed very serious, but the young master isn’t ill.”
“If he’s not ill, why would Ah Qing suddenly fall unconscious? Are you perhaps not skilled enough, trying to deceive us?” Xu Xianzhi’s anxiety was palpable. He paced back and forth like an ant on a hot griddle. Hearing the old doctor’s words, he spoke recklessly and disrespectfully.
Marquis Wu’an immediately reprimanded his eldest son, “Xu Xianzhi, listen to the nonsense you’re spouting! Apologize to Doctor Qi at once!”
Xu Xianzhi took a deep breath, calming himself slightly. He cupped his hands and apologized to the old doctor, “Doctor Qi, please forgive me. I spoke out of urgency just now and certainly had no intention of offending you.”
The people of Marquis Wu’an’s residence were a rare example of leniency and civility among noble families, which the old doctor appreciated. Therefore, he didn’t dwell on Xu Xianzhi’s comment about his medical skills. Instead, he turned to the Marquis and Madam of Wu’an and said, “Based on the pulse, Young Master Xu indeed has no illness. At most, he’s a bit weak. The true reason for his dizziness is that he is pregnant.”
This statement was so sudden that the Marquis and Madam of Wu’an were momentarily stunned. The Marquis spoke with a hint of bewilderment, “Doctor Qi, if this marquis remembers correctly, Ah Qing should be male. When my wife had a difficult labor, it was Madam Qi who personally came to assist with the delivery…”
So, the Marquis highly suspected he was hallucinating.
What could Doctor Qi do? Doctor Qi also doubted his own diagnosis, but he had re-examined the pulse six or seven times, and the result was always the same: “Although I don’t know the current situation, purely from the pulse, Young Master Xu is indeed pregnant. The time is short, just one month. Your Lordship and Madam can first call the young master’s personal attendant to inquire about the situation.”
“We can ask Mu Yu later,” Xu Xianzhi said, staring at his brother’s pale, bloodless face on the bed, then looking up at Doctor Qi. “Is Ah Qing really okay in his current state?”
“Young Master Xu is already a bit weak due to the pregnancy, and coupled with the dizziness, that’s why he suddenly fell unconscious. He’ll be fine after an hour or two of good sleep,” Doctor Qi said, stroking his beard.
“Then let Ah Qing sleep for a while. Let’s go ask Mu Yu what Ah Qing has been doing outside these past few days.” Marquis Wu’an felt an unexplainable complexity in his heart. His son went out, and it was a good thing he didn’t get someone else pregnant, but what was this about getting himself pregnant?
Madam Su’s gaze fell upon her youngest son’s abdomen, her heart filled with a lingering worry. She knew her son had once been deeply infatuated with Su Hanfeng and naturally worried whether this child might be Su Hanfeng’s bloodline.
Doctor Qi had no intention of getting involved in the private affairs of Marquis Wu’an’s household, so he stood up to take his leave: “Your Lordship, Madam, in a couple of days, when Young Master Xu is feeling better, this Qi will come back for a follow-up visit.”
Marquis Wu’an nodded repeatedly, even personally seeing him out of the manor.
Doctor Qi’s reputation in the capital was undeniable. Even aristocratic families with their own resident physicians would choose to invite Doctor Qi for treatment, so the Marquis and Madam of Wu’an actually believed Doctor Qi’s diagnosis.
Although the explanation was astounding, what could they do? They couldn’t just bury their heads in the sand and insist the doctor had taken the pulse incorrectly.
So, Mu Yu, looking utterly bewildered, was dragged by Xu Xianzhi to Marquis Wu’an’s study to face a three-judge interrogation.
“Tell us, what exactly has your young master been doing this past month?” Marquis Wu’an’s expression was grim. He wasn’t exactly angry; Mu Yu couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
He had been dutifully guarding his young master’s bedside, but now, suddenly interrogated by the Marquis, he was completely at a loss: “Young Master didn’t do anything!” Their young master had been so well-behaved this past month, not even leaving the house, much like a sheltered young lady.
“Think carefully. Don’t try to cover for your young master,” Marquis Wu’an grew impatient, his questioning becoming agitated. After all, it concerned his youngest son; he didn’t have the patience for a prolonged interrogation.
Madam Su patted her husband’s shoulder, her gaze falling on Mu Yu, her voice gentle: “Mu Yu, I ask you, your young master has always been fond of Su Hanfeng. Regardless of how Su Hanfeng is now, at least when Ah Qing left, he was still focused on getting together with Su Hanfeng. After that, did Ah Qing do anything inappropriate?”
Madam Su was practically asking if his young master had gotten intimate with Su Hanfeng. Mu Yu immediately understood what the Marquis and Madam were asking.
His face turned pale: “Young Master was planning to drug Young Master Su, but for some reason, the tea with the medicine was drunk by Young Master himself. That night, Young Master had broken into the adjacent courtyard, and by the time this servant found him, Young Master was already… already…”
He stammered, unable to continue, but Marquis Wu’an and Madam Su already understood the situation. Xu Xianzhi’s fists clenched, cracking, wishing he could leave right then with a knife to hack down Su Hanfeng and the man who had taken advantage of his brother.
“The courtyard next to Yunshui Courtyard should be under Young Marquis Yin’s name. Mu Yu, have you seen the person living in that courtyard…” Madam Su wanted to ask more, but then a servant came to report that the young master had woken up.
At this, Madam Su couldn’t continue her questioning. She told Mu Yu to get up and hurried towards her youngest son’s courtyard, with Marquis Wu’an and Xu Xianzhi following closely behind.
Xu Yanqing felt no discomfort at all at this point; he was as good as new. So, he put on his shoes and got out of bed. Although he was an aspiring salted fish, he couldn’t just lie in bed the moment he got home.
Just as he was about to step out of the room, he saw his mother, father, and elder brother hurrying towards him, their faces filled with worry.
Xu Yanqing was a bit bewildered, but considering his inexplicable fainting and his family’s anxious expressions, he secretly wondered if he was genuinely ill, and looking at his mother’s distraught and nervous demeanor, perhaps it was some incurable disease?
“Ah Qing, why are you up? Is there anywhere you still feel uncomfortable?” Madam Su pulled Xu Yanqing’s hand, directly leading him back into the inner room and pressing him to sit on the bed.
Xu Yanqing couldn’t bear such profound maternal love. With a determined resolve, he gritted his teeth and said, “Mother, do I have an incurable illness? Please speak, your son isn’t afraid!”
Despite saying he wasn’t afraid, he looked incredibly nervous. In reality, Xu Yanqing cherished his life, especially this unexpected one he gained after his sudden death.
“You silly child, what nonsense are you spouting!” Madam Su raised her hand and tapped Xu Yanqing’s forehead, her gaze exceptionally gentle: “You’re perfectly fine; what illness could you possibly have?”
“No, Mother, usually when family says that, it means someone has an incurable illness. Don’t try to fool me.” Xu Yanqing blinked his large eyes, his face full of disbelief.
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Obrigada pela tradução 💕💞