Bai Lian had not rested in such a quiet environment for a long time. The next day, he ended up sleeping straight through until morning.
He crawled out from under the quilt and rubbed his eyes. Seeing the bed curtains still drawn, he could not tell the time. He pulled the curtain aside and discovered that it was already broad daylight outside.
Realizing it was quite late, he hurriedly got up.
But just as he sat up, it suddenly occurred to him that there did not seem to be anything urgent to attend to today, and there was no need for him to go to Ning Muyan’s study to read anymore.
Thinking that, he drew his feet back and silently lay down on the bed again.
When Ning Muyan came to mind, he bit his lip. It seemed—seemed—that last night Ning Muyan had said he wanted to marry him, and that he himself had answered yes without thinking.
Bai Lian smacked his own forehead hard.
His face flushed. Knowing that their relationship was no longer quite the same as before, he suddenly had no idea how to face Ning Muyan.
“Ugh!”
Irritated, he raked his fingers through his hair. After thinking it over from every angle, he climbed out of bed again, hurriedly dressed, and decided he might as well slip back to the medical clinic first. That way, he would not have to see Ning Muyan and be at a loss for what to say.
Bai Lian pushed open the bedroom door, went looking for his medical case, and saw someone sitting calmly at the medicine table, flipping through his medical texts. He jumped in fright.
“Young Master—why are you here?”
Hearing this, Ning Muyan put down the medical book he had already read halfway through and answered honestly, “I woke up early and wanted to see you sooner, so I came over. But you were still asleep, so I did not wake you.”
Seeing how earnestly he spoke, Bai Lian clenched the corner of his robe and shifted his gaze elsewhere. He felt rather embarrassed, yet there was also a thread of joy mixed in, making his emotions complicated. He thought that perhaps this was what it felt like when two people who cared for each other first came together.
“How was it? Did you sleep well last night?”
“Pretty well.” Hearing Ning Muyan greet him as usual, without harping on what happened last night or teasing him about it, Bai Lian relaxed quite a bit. He went to the table, poured himself a cup of water, drank it, and then asked, “What about you, Young Master?”
Ning Muyan came over from the medicine table and sat beside him. “When it’s just the two of us, don’t call me ‘Young Master’ anymore. It sounds so distant.”
Bai Lian’s eyes widened slightly. “Then what should I call you?”
He ventured tentatively, “Muyan?”
Ning Muyan neither confirmed nor denied it, but a gentle smile appeared on his face, clearly satisfied.
He called out toward the outside, “Qingmo, bring in breakfast.”
“They made ham, lotus seed, and tofu soup this morning. You’ll definitely like it. Let’s eat together, then go to the clinic.”
At the mention of ham, lotus seed, and tofu soup, Bai Lian could not help licking the corner of his lips. He was quite happy, but when he heard Ning Muyan say they would go to the clinic, alarm bells immediately went off in his head.
“What we said yesterday—Father cannot know about it. It’s not that we will never tell him, but before anything is settled, saying it now would only make the old man worry.”
Ning Muyan’s brow stirred. Physician Jiang was kind-hearted. As long as he truly cherished Bai Lian, he would surely understand. Still, he felt that what Bai Lian said made sense. And even if it did not, at this moment he could only follow Bai Lian’s wishes. “Then what do you want to do?”
“For now, let no one know about this matter. Otherwise, it will only give rise to unnecessary complications.”
After a moment’s thought, Ning Muyan nodded. “I agree.”
Only then did Bai Lian let out a breath, immediately brightening as he eagerly awaited the ham, lotus seed, and tofu soup.
He rubbed his hands together and stood up. Ning Muyan hurriedly asked, “Where are you going?”
“I forgot to wash my face and hands.”
Ning Muyan shook his head with a smile.
The two of them ate breakfast together at Tianmendong. Afterward, Bai Lian went to take the old matriarch’s pulse once more. Ning Muyan had already gone early in the morning to pay his respects to the old matriarch, and while Bai Lian was examining her pulse, he personally went to have the horse harnessed to prepare for their return to the medical clinic.
After leaving Bao’an Hall, Bai Lian headed straight for the main gate. The spring breeze was gentle, April was full of blossoms, and the flowers in the gardens lining the corridors of the residence were in full bloom. He had never thought any April could be so beautiful.
“Bai Lian! Bai Lian!”
Hearing someone call out, he turned around and saw Ning Zhengyu.
“What are you doing? You’re grinning so wide your drool’s about to fall out. I called you several times and you didn’t even respond.”
Bai Lian gave a dry cough. “Second Young Master, what is it?”
“Where are you going?”
“Back to the medical clinic.”
Ning Zhengyu paused. “Hey, then I’ll go with you and take a look around.”
Bai Lian narrowed his eyes slightly. He wanted to go out alone with Ning Muyan. Having an extra chatterbox sitting in the carriage would really ruin the mood.
“Did Madam allow you to go out? You’re not studying in the study today?”
“Elder Brother didn’t take part in the palace examination—he has his own decision. Even Grandmother isn’t saying anything now, but Mother keeps nagging in my ear nonstop.” Ning Zhengyu said unhappily, “My ears are about to grow calluses. What she really means is that the Bian family hasn’t come looking for her anymore. For such a snobbish family, isn’t it better to see their true colors sooner and cut ties?”
Bai Lian responded, “Second Young Master is absolutely right. But if you go out again right now, Madam will have even more opportunity to nag at you. If you truly find it bothersome, why not go attend on the old matriarch instead? Then how could she still scold you?”
Ning Zhengyu said, “But I still—”
Seeing that this fellow was not so easy to fool, Bai Lian took off running. “Ah, Young Master, I really have to hurry back to the clinic!”
“Hey! Why are you running? I’m coming with you!”
Bai Lian ran off without a trace. At the main gate, he saw that the carriage was already prepared, and he quickly climbed up.
“Why are you in such a rush?” Ning Muyan reached out and pulled him up.
Panting, Bai Lian said, “Quick, let’s go. Zhengyu is coming.”
“Set off.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Ning Muyan told them to drive the carriage. Only after they had left the residence did he ask, “You and Zhengyu usually get along quite well. Why are you avoiding him now? Did you have a quarrel?”
“No.” Bai Lian exhaled. “He said he wanted to go to the clinic with me. I didn’t agree.”
Ning Muyan understood and lowered his eyes with a soft laugh. “Then I’ll remind him later. Tell him that if there’s nothing going on, he should stop thinking about tagging along with us all the time.”
Bai Lian coughed a little in embarrassment, but did not refuse.
He was about to lift the curtain to look outside. The pear trees in Pear Blossom Courtyard bloomed early. Back then, they had been white as snow, but at the time he had no mind to admire the flowers and had missed them entirely.
Now the pear blossoms had all fallen. The trees were full of lush green leaves, and finger-sized green pears had already formed.
But as soon as he moved his hand, he realized that after Ning Muyan had pulled him up earlier, he had never let go. Even now, he was still holding his hand. Bai Lian shifted his hand slightly to remind him, but Ning Muyan only tightened his grip, and in the same motion drew the hand that had been resting on the seat cushion back onto his own thigh.
Bai Lian felt that Ning Muyan’s hand carried a rough, comforting warmth. Holding hands so openly—just because they were together now, not for any other reason—made him press his lips together and smile, a little giddy with springtime delight.
It felt as though no matter how beautiful the spring scenery outside was, there was nothing worth looking at anymore.
He shifted closer, sitting snugly against Ning Muyan, rested his head on his shoulder, and took in a breath of the deep sandalwood scent clinging to him.
“After you see me to the clinic this time, when will you come see me again?”
Seeing how gentle and compliant Bai Lian was, Ning Muyan’s heart was already full to the brim with affection. “I’ll come see you every day.”
“You’re just humoring me.” Bai Lian laughed softly. “Don’t you have to stay busy with the academy? How could you really come every single day?”
“Yes, I do have to busy myself with that.” Ning Muyan tilted his head, looking at Bai Lian lifting his face from his shoulder, clearly suspecting he was lying. “But if I don’t come, will you come see me?”
“The patients lining up for Little Physician Jiang stretch from west of the city all the way to the north. So tell me—which is more important, saving lives, or romantic entanglements? Young Master was the top-ranked scholar this year, after all. You must be very good at debating—why don’t you debate this one?”
Ning Muyan raised his brows slightly, clicked his tongue, and put on a troubled expression. “That’s far harder to answer than this year’s metropolitan exam questions. Little Physician Jiang is truly sharp—surely the Ministry of Rites ought to invite you to set exam questions instead.”
As he spoke, Ning Muyan leaned in toward Bai Lian, who was grinning as though he had successfully stumped him, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Then the smile transferred onto Ning Muyan’s own face. “I can’t answer it. Why don’t you tell me the answer now?”
It took Bai Lian a moment to react. He hurriedly pulled his hand back and covered his face, only managing after a long pause to mutter, “I’m not a scholar.”
Before Ning Muyan could respond, he quickly added, “We’re here, we’re here.”
Bai Lian shifted away a little. “I’ll get down first. Young Master, wait a moment before coming down.”
With that, he lifted his medical case and hopped off the carriage, scurrying straight back to the clinic.
Only when he reached the door did he realize the clinic was not open today.
“Little Physician Jiang, you’re back? Physician Jiang went to the village early this morning and told us to let you know when you returned.”
Bai Lian thanked them, took out the key from his medical case, opened the door, and unlocked the clinic.
He tidied up a bit. After quite some time without seeing Ning Muyan come in, he wondered whether the man had already left. Looking up, he saw that even the carriage was gone. He frowned, thinking how impatient Ning Muyan was—only to turn around and spot him at the construction site next to the clinic.
Bai Lian walked over, about to say that the place was under renovation and terribly noisy, when he saw several supervisors step forward respectfully to report progress to Ning Muyan. He froze in place.
“At present, the foundation has been laid according to the planned drawings. It should be completed within three months. Young Master may rest assured.”
Ning Muyan nodded. “This academy has been personally approved by His Majesty. There must not be the slightest carelessness—cutting corners is absolutely forbidden.”
“Yes.”
The construction supervisors returned to their work. Only then did Ning Muyan turn back to Bai Lian. “May I come over now?”
Bai Lian folded his arms across his chest. You really know how to play pitiful.
“So this is going to be the academy?”
“Yes,” Ning Muyan replied. “This plot of land west of the city is large enough, and it’s not in a bustling district. It’s very suitable for building an academy.”
Bai Lian stroked his chin. He had noticed the land here expanding day by day and thought that building a restaurant on such a scale would be far too extravagant. But when he tried to ask the workers, every one of them kept their mouths tightly shut—he could not get a word out of them. Who would have thought it was all arranged by Ning Muyan?
And the academy had clearly been under construction for quite some time. It seemed Ning Muyan had planned this long ago—likely starting as soon as he had obtained the emperor’s approval during his audience in the capital.
Looking at the academy, still only at the foundation stage, with its main gate nearly level with the clinic’s entrance, Bai Lian could not help recalling what he had once said to Ning Muyan about a clinic and an academy. He murmured softly, “You still remember.”
You remember everything.
“In the future, I’ll be relying on Little Physician Jiang quite a bit.”
Ning Muyan stood not far from him, hands clasped behind his back, smiling like an April spring breeze.