Chapter 144: The chronically-ill Imperial Physician (1/2)
Chapter 144: The chronically-ill Imperial Physician
Han Yunxi stood dazed without reacting to any of the questions from passerby. She only recovered after seeing that familiar back disappear into the crowd. By now, the people around her had scattered.
Despite recovering her wits, her heart still felt stifled and unwell. Between Long Feiye and Duanmu Yao, this senior brother and junior sister, did a real relationship exist? Otherwise, why would that guy of all people make an exception to spend time with her? This completely wasn’t his style. During their faceoff with the poison python, Long Feiye was sincerely concerned about Duanmu Yao’s life. Yet in Pill Fiend Valley, he was more partial to her side. Though admittedly, he and her shared the same goal back then to obtain the Life Blood Pill.
If he didn’t have to follow imperial orders, would he still have stood on her side?
Han Yunxi thought and thought until she smiled and lightly laughed at herself.
What was wrong with her?
She was just Long Feiye’s wangfei in name. What did it matter to her what kind of relationship he had with his junior sister? Senior brothers and junior sisters were naturally on friendly terms, so what was strange about that?
Thinking up to here, Han Yunxi sucked in a deep breath and calmed herself. She even forced the corners of her lips into an optimistic smile. Keeping that smile on her face, she turned around to walk in the other direction. As if she’d go the same way as them! Unexpectedly, the motion caused her to crashed directly into the person behind her. Han Yunxi was about to apologize when the other harshly pushed her back.
“You looking to die? How dare you crash into this young master!”
Han Yunxi steadied herself and saw a fat, rich young master before her, dressed in fine silk robes with a fan stuck obliquely into his hair. Seeing that her looks matched his standards, the chubby young master grew aggressive and snapped, “What are you looking at? Don’t you use your eyes when walking? Didn’t you see there was someone behind you?”
“You think that everyone’s like you, with eyes on the back on their heads?” Han Yunxi was still smiling.
“Aiya, this little woman’s got a sharp tongue!” as the chubby spoke, he took out his fan and stretched it towards Han Yunxi’s chin. Unfortunately, Han Yunxi knocked it aside before it reached her, using the chance to scatter something on the fatty’s face. He caught a whiff of delicate fragrance before unconsciously inhaling more.
Just one sniff was enough to change his expression into a stupid smile. He stood in place and started taking off his clothes.
By now, the smile on Han Yunxi’s face had all but vanished, to be replaced with a gloomy look. She didn’t spare the fatty another glance before turning to leave. She was in a bad mood when that blind thing confronted her. Couldn’t he tell she was very unhappy? And yet he’d tried to provoke her! That was equal to seeking death!
Fine, she admitted that she was in a horrible mood.
With her back facing the direction where Long Feiye had disappeared to, Han Yunxi wandered aimlessly down the streets. By the time she heard the drums announcing dusk, she finally remembered something important.
Her afternoon appointment with Gu Beiyue!
It was already six hours past their appointed meeting. Han Yunxi didn’t think much as she dashed towards Tender Fragrance Teahouse. She actually found out that Gu Beiyue was still waiting for her when she burst into the private rooms.
Immediately, she apologized. “I’m sorry, I came late.”
Gu Beiyue didn’t blame her, but hurried to pour her a cup of tea. “For esteemed wangfei to come is already my honor. Have a drink first, there’s no rush.”
No rush despite her being so late? This fellow’s temper was truly too good. Even though they differed in rank, she saw no trace of complaint in his gentle eyes. Every time she saw those irises, Han Yunxi would wonder what kind of girl would be lucky enough to marry this fellow. She drank a few sips and quickly discovered that Gu Beiyue’s complexion didn’t look well. Although she was more proficient with poisons, she was still a type of doctor. Judging by Gu Beiyue’s face, he must have just recovered from a serious illness and still needed to recuperate.
“Gu Beiyue, what’s wrong with you?” Han Yunxi was anxious enough to blurt out his full name.
“I was too exhausted in the past few days and caught a serious chill when I left the palace. It made me severely ill for a time,” Gu Beiyue replied mildly.
“Serious chill?” Han Yunxi had her doubts. Though the saying went that a doctor shouldn’t treat himself, something as common as a chill shouldn’t cause Gu Beiyue such difficulties. Just by looking at his face, she could tell that it was ill. He wasn’t hiding anything from her, was he? Filled with suspicion, Han Yunxi signaled Gu Beiyue to offer his arm so she could take his pulse.
“Let me see.”
“Many thanks to esteemed wangfei for her concern, but it’s just a chill. It’s of no consequence,” Gu Beiyue gracefully refused.
“Your hand, let me see it,” Han Yunxi was very earnest.
Without a choice, Gu Beiyue rolled up his sleeve and rested his wrist on the table. Han Yunxi carefully took his pulse as her delicate eyebrows scrunched up. It was very weak, enough to affect his health, but it really was as Gu Beiyue said: a chill that had settled into the bones and nothing more.
Strange…
Han Yunxi looked at him closely. Such poor health on his part resembled the state of a body after being cured of poison, feeble and weak.
“Imperial Physician Gu, a serious chill reduced you to such a weakened state? Your body is a little too frail, isn’t it?” Han Yunxi asked curiously.
But Gu Beiyue actually nodded his head. “This official has been chronically ill since childhood. Currently, my body could be considered all right, but I used to get seriously ill almost every other day. Recently I’ve been treating the emperor at court, so I’ve had multiple sleepless nights. When I caught that chill, the illness that followed was like a mountain falling on top of me.”
So he was a chronic invalid!