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墨書 Inktalez
"Don't spit it out."
Xia Muxin felt tears welling up; what was this? When she had squeezed the herb, she had wanted to test its flavor. It was neither spicy nor bitter, and even had a faint, pleasant fragrance. But once it reached her mouth, it turned bitter, spicy, and fishy. Even before she could chew, her stomach churned with acidity, boiling up her throat. Yet, before long, Shen Muhan forced her to swallow it back down with his internal energy. He then half-embraced her waist and walked directly toward the carriage at the door. Once inside, someone cracked a whip on the horse's back, and it bolted forward in a frenzy. Throughout this ordeal, Xia Muxin's mouth remained covered by Shen Muhan.
"Be good; it will be over soon."
Shen Muhan felt a pang of sympathy for her and bit gently on her earlobe, trying to distract her as one would soothe a child.
The discomfort did not last long—only the time it took to brew a cup of tea—but just as that sensation faded, a dull ache began in her heart. It felt as if someone were scratching at it with something sharp, not piercing all the way through but savoring her suffering instead. Xia Muxin curled up tightly, her teeth chattering and her face pale as if drained of blood.
"How much longer?"
Seeing her like this made Shen Muhan feel extremely uneasy. He shouted out to the outside world, and as soon as he finished speaking, the carriage came to a halt. He immediately scooped Xia Muxin into his arms and jumped down from the carriage, placing her into the warm lake water.
Though she was in unbearable pain, this place was familiar to her—Natural Lake. She remembered coming here with Shen Muhan before; they had bathed in this lake and even researched its origins together. He had personally picked Soap Pods from here.
However, the water had changed slightly; it was warm and silky smooth, even more comfortable than before. A light mist rose from it, reminiscent of an early winter morning with lingering frost.
"Hold on; no matter what you see later, don't cry."
The driver was Ming Qi, who placed a golden bowl by the lakeshore before driving away again. Shen Muhan quickly pressed on Xia Muxin's acupoint while behind him she spotted what was known as Mother Gu. It lay motionless on a smooth stone surrounded by the herbs she had just consumed. Xia Muxin understood now; Mother Gu seemed to fear these herbs.
Yet in the water's reflection, she could clearly see her features—there was a bulge in the middle of her forehead that was slowly writhing as if searching for an escape. She even noticed that her face appeared transparent, with every blood vessel visible in stark clarity, making her feel an overwhelming urge to vomit.
Shen Muhan cut his wrist with a knife, blood gushing out. Before long, the stones beside Mother Gu were stained red. As the blood flowed more freely, a faint fragrance wafted into the air, causing the Child Gu on Xia Muxin's forehead to move even more violently, like a headless fly crashing around.
In the blink of an eye, the Child Gu vanished from Xia Muxin's forehead. At the same time, her face returned to normal; her features gradually became clear, no longer transparent or flowing with blood. However, she began to feel a sensation in her hands that was quite unpleasant, akin to a cold snake wrapping around her arm on a hot day, sending chills down her spine. Yet, seeing Shen Muhan's wrist still bleeding made her heart ache.
Time passed without her noticing. Shen Muhan's face had turned as pale as paper. Xia Muxin, having been hit on a pressure point, could not move or speak. She watched helplessly as he swayed unsteadily, her heart aching for him. Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit her stomach, and she vomited a mouthful of black blood, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.
In the pool of blood, a Thumb-Sized Insect swam about, and wherever it passed, the blood disappeared.
Shen Muhan pressed several acupoints on himself and sprinkled some powder on his wrist. Soon enough, the bleeding stopped, but he could no longer stand. Everything had exceeded his expectations; he hadn’t anticipated that the Child Gu would be so foolish as to take so long to find an exit; otherwise, he wouldn’t have lost so much blood.
"Husband!"
When the Child Gu was expelled, Xia Muxin realized she could move again. Although it was just a mouthful of blood that had turned the surrounding water black, she wondered if such a tiny insect could be so poisonous. But she couldn’t think about anything else; worriedly glancing at Shen Muhan, she hurriedly made her way to shore.
Shen Muhan was sitting weakly on the ground but still managed to remind Xia Muxin:
"Quickly, drink this medicine in the bowl."
As he spoke, darkness clouded his vision and he nearly fell backward.
Xia Muxin reacted quickly and supported him while following his instructions to bring the bowl of medicine. She tilted her head back and took several large sips, finding the medicine sweet and smooth like dew. Her eyes brightened with joy as she pinched his jaw and forced it down his throat in surprise.
Shen Muhan was now as weak as a woman unable to fight back. Xia Muxin found it easy to feed him until most of the medicine was consumed. Only then did she happily set down the bowl in her hands while recalling that this bowl was made of the same material as the medicine jar at Jun Yuan Villa. It seemed to be yet another rare item.
After taking the medicine, Shen Muhan's complexion improved somewhat, and his breathing became less labored. However, he glared reproachfully at Xia Muxin, pondering for a long time without knowing what words to use to scold her.
"How lucky are we as a couple? If one of us is sick, we both are; if one is hurt, we both are."
Xia Muxin reached out to wipe the medicine stains from the corner of his mouth, saying this with a hint of pride, which made Shen Muhan smile wryly.
The two rested for about half an hour. Under Shen Muhan's guidance, Xia Muxin placed the Child Gu and Mother Gu into a porcelain bottle and tossed in a strand of golden silk thread, which Shen Muhan had given her. Once she completed this task, Ming Qi's carriage arrived.
In the following days, the initiative fell into Xia Muxin's hands. She followed his instructions diligently, reminding Shen Muhan to eat more and finding various ways to prepare meals for him. While the nourishing aspect was secondary, it was essential that he finished every bite in front of her. Shen Muhan wore a pained expression daily but couldn't bring himself to argue. He also couldn't bear to see Xia Muxin's efforts go to waste. Thus, half a month later, Uncle Shen had completely transformed into a plump uncle.
This was the first time he stepped out of the courtyard during this period. His old clothes no longer fit, so Xia Muxin took advantage of this time to make him several looser outfits. Seeing him walk out, she covered her mouth and secretly laughed.
"Muxin, come here."
Shen Muhan had long noticed Xia Muxin's little antics. With a helpless glance at his rounder figure, he couldn't help but sigh while casting a warning look at her.
Xia Muxin's expression stiffened; she immediately stopped smiling and lowered her head as she walked toward him.
Fortunately, for someone like Shen Muhan, who was handsome by nature, gaining a little weight didn't detract from his good looks. In fact, it added a touch of color to his face, making him even more pleasant to look at.
It made one unable to resist wanting to take a few more bites.
Of course, these thoughts were ones she dared only keep to herself. If Shen Muhan found out, after being restrained for half a month, he would surely make up for it all in one night. Just thinking about it sent chills down her spine.
"Husband, you look really handsome today."
As she approached Shen Muhan, Xia Muxin finally looked up, meeting his deep, cold gaze while flattering him with her words.
Shen Muhan raised an eyebrow, instinctively realizing that he had spoiled this little girl too much. She had been climbing onto his head and acting all high and mighty, especially over the past half month.
In truth, he had already recovered long ago; he had just consumed so much of his own cultivation. Taking advantage of the effects of the medicine from that day, he had regained quite a bit. However, during that time, he was unable to get out of bed or even move around, and he never expected things would turn out like this.
"You still remember I'm your husband? Look at how much weight I've gained."
He wasn't someone who cared much about appearances, and honestly, being a bit chubby didn't matter at all. He was only saying this to tease Xia Muxin.
"This is great! You're all soft and cuddly. If you could give birth like Python Brother, that would be even better."
Xia Muxin laughed mischievously, her clever eyes sizing up Shen Muhan for a moment before she spoke with delight.
Thinking about how Python Brother could give birth to Little Gold and Little Chi made her feel a surge of excitement for Shen Muhan to give it a try as well.
The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to laugh.
Shen Muhan having a baby—hahaha...
Shen Muhan certainly knew the little schemes in her mind. He pulled her close and pressed her against his chest, leaning down to softly say, "So my Muxin wants to have a baby? I will definitely fulfill your wish tonight."
Xia Muxin froze for a moment before blushing and pushing Shen Muhan away. She then dashed off toward the oven.
"You must be either foolish or deaf. I told you not to help, so why did you interfere? Now look, all my hard work over the past half hour has been ruined because of you."
As Xia Muxin approached Oven, she heard Yan Zhouwan's sharp accusations and couldn't help but touch her nose in response. She walked in and cast a sympathetic glance at Shen Erlengzi, who was staring at the large Wooden Basin filled with a runny mixture that was even thinner than porridge. She spoke softly, "Zhou Zhou, what happened here?"
Her use of "Zhou Zhou" left both people present stunned. Shen Muqing's eyes widened as he shifted his gaze between Xia Muxin and Yan Zhouwan, while Yan Zhouwan froze, dropping the utensils she was holding to the ground, completely oblivious.
Xia Muxin narrowed her eyes, feeling more certain about her suspicions.
In truth, she had only been testing the waters and hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Yan Zhouwan.
"I still have things to attend to over there, Muxin. Can you take over for me for a bit?"
Recovering from her shock, Yan Zhouwan's face turned pale. She picked up the fallen utensils and wiped them on her apron but quickly realized that was inappropriate and instead placed them in a nearby bucket filled with clean water. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she hurriedly spoke before rushing out.
Shen Muqing watched her retreating figure, feeling as if his heart were being pricked by needles, causing waves of pain. He turned to the calm Xia Muxin and after a long pause asked in a daze, "What... did you just call her?"
"Zhou Zhou." The name struck his once-dead heart like a stone thrown into still water, creating ripples that stirred emotions within him.
That name had taken root in his heart and sprouted; he felt it was inappropriate for anyone to utter it, even unworthy. Yet when Xia Muxin said "Zhou Zhou," it resonated deep within him.
Previously, the woman named "Zhou Zhou" from Tang Family Medical Hall had been just like this. He had ordered her several times to change her name, but after she fought with Yan Zhouwan and then Xia Muxin struck her, he had never seen her again.
She left, and surprisingly, her heart felt lighter. It was only later that she realized it was Shen Muhan who had threatened her, forcing her to leave.
"What's wrong with calling her Zhou Zhou? It feels strange to call her by her full name all the time. Besides, these two syllables roll off the tongue easily and sound pleasant. I thought about it for a long time before deciding to call her that from now on."
Xia Muxin looked at the turbulent Shen Muqing, shrugged innocently, and scoffed as she spoke.
After finishing her words, without waiting for Shen Muqing to retaliate with insults, she quickly left the Oven.
At the same time, she felt concerned about Shen Muqing's emotional intelligence; truly, she was Shen Erlengzi.
During this period, Yan Zhouwan had been in a terrible mood, often giving Shen Muqing the cold shoulder. No matter how much disdain or insults Yan Zhouwan hurled at her, Shen Muqing remained silent, enduring it all without retort or resistance. She truly embodied the Shen Family spirit, perhaps even unaware of how much patience she had developed towards Yan Zhouwan.
Yan Zhouwan's behavior likely stemmed from his internal struggle. After all, he saw Shen Muqing every day, and after injuring his hand, he still took care of her inside and out. She was scared.
Given her past, even if the Slave Character mark on her face had faded, it still represented a humiliation. And what was Shen Muqing's status? If their relationship were to be exposed, they would be ridiculed by the world, which would also pose a significant obstacle to Shen Muqing's future. Therefore, she preferred to bear everything alone.
Xia Muxin watched her suffer and felt uneasy herself. Some things would eventually come to light; she feared that the two of them might miss their chance and that it would be too late to turn back.
Thus, it was better to endure short-term pain than long-term suffering. It all depended on whether Shen Erlengzi would be wise enough to return Ming Yi's feelings this time.
- End of Chapter -
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