From this day onward, Shu Changyu fell ill.
For those four days, he had essentially been forcing himself to hold on. On top of that, his wound had become infected, and he had been drenched in the rain that day. Once he returned to the residence and fell asleep, he immediately slipped into unconsciousness.
When Kongqing came in to call him to dinner, he had already burned with such a high fever that he was unconscious.
Fortunately, the people of Huzhou City had all returned, and there were still physicians in the city. That very night, four or five physicians were summoned. They examined him, prescribed medicine, and administered acupuncture, only barely managing to stabilize his condition.
That evening, Shu Xunzhi went looking for Shu Changyu and was frightened by how seriously ill he looked.
Shu Changyu’s face was deathly pale, his eyes tightly closed, and his breathing so faint that it seemed as though it might disappear at any moment.
She did not dare cry loudly. Seeing people constantly coming and going inside Shu Changyu’s room, all of them frantically busy, she shrank to one side and wiped away her tears while holding back her sobs.
Her tears fell pattering down without the slightest sign of stopping. She sniffled softly, afraid that she would disturb Shu Changyu.
Just as she was rubbing her eyes through her tear-filled vision, a hand with clearly defined knuckles and exceptionally beautiful proportions reached over and wiped away her tears.
The fingertips were extremely rough, covered with a thin layer of calluses. Anyone could tell at a glance that they belonged to someone who had wielded weapons for many years.
Shu Xunzhi raised her head and saw a tall, imposing man standing before her.
It was none other than the General Brother who had glared fiercely at her earlier that day.
She jumped in fright, then began sobbing even harder.
The next moment, that General Brother effortlessly picked her up with one hand. His other hand awkwardly stroked her back.
This General Brother’s embrace was unlike Papa’s.
His arms were broad and warm, giving her an extraordinary sense of security.
Shu Xunzhi raised her tear-filled eyes and saw the General Brother’s tightly clenched jaw and pursed thin lips.
His expression was still fierce. He was even staring at the bed the entire time, without looking at her at all.
Yet the hand patting her back was extraordinarily gentle.
In her muddled state, Shu Xunzhi thought that Papa had indeed been right. General Brother really was a good person.
She buried her little head in Jing Mu’s arms.
Then she felt the already-hard chest beneath her suddenly tense even more, as though in resistance.
But he did not stop what he was doing.
Shu Xunzhi relaxed and began sobbing softly in his arms, her chubby little hands clutching his clothes.
She could hear General Brother’s steady, powerful heartbeat.
It made her feel especially safe.
Jing Mu frowned as he listened to the little girl trembling and crying in his arms, her tears soaking through his clothes.
Jing Mu had never had much contact with children, especially a little girl who was so soft and sweet-smelling, and who would cry the moment she was touched.
He had already felt as though his heart had been twisted into a knot when he saw how suddenly and severely Shu Changyu had fallen ill.
Just now, when he heard someone sobbing nearby, he had been irritated and turned around, intending to drive the person out.
But when he turned his head, he saw a tiny, trembling figure curled up in the corner.
He gritted his teeth, yet could not bring himself to get angry.
This little girl was just like her father—she was exceptionally good at putting on a pitiful appearance that made others feel sorry for her.
For some reason, Jing Mu walked over and picked the little girl up, comforting her in his arms.
She felt exactly as soft as she looked, light and yielding like a ball of cotton candy, trembling in his arms like a soaked kitten.
Jing Mu coaxed the child while looking at Shu Changyu lying on the bed, his brows tightly knitted.
He thought to himself:
Shu Changyu, you really know how to have children in this life.
You’ve figured out that I’m softhearted, so now both you and your child can run rampant without restraint.
After a while, a physician walked over to Jing Mu and bowed.
“Your Highness, you may rest assured. We have changed Lord Shu’s medicine and administered acupuncture. His fever has temporarily subsided somewhat, so there should be no major danger. However, Lord Shu’s wound is rather severely inflamed. Once we give him his medicine in another half hour, he should be able to rest for the night.”
Jing Mu asked, “When will he wake?”
The physician replied, “That… is still unknown. My lord was already physically and mentally exhausted, having gone several days without sleep or rest. Therefore, if he wakes later than usual… it is also because his body needs the rest.”
Jing Mu hummed and dismissed them all.
At that moment, soldiers came from outside to report the situation at the front.
After Jing Mu arrived, the rebel army had been caught completely off guard and thrown into chaos.
Zhuo Renyue was currently sending reinforcements from the rear, seemingly determined to fight them to the death.
Earlier, Jing Mu had already given orders to launch two rounds of forceful attacks under cover of night.
That band of useless soldiers under Zhuo Renyue was no match whatsoever for Jing Mu’s troops. They had now been driven back more than two li, all the way to the Yellow River.
“Surround them at the Yellow River. Kill as many as you can,” Jing Mu ordered coldly.
Then he glanced sideways at Shu Changyu and added,
“Capture Zhuo Renyue alive. This prince will deal with him personally.”
Meanwhile, the physicians gradually finished packing up and withdrew. Kongqing led them to a side room to rest, finally leaving some space open beside Shu Changyu’s bed.
Holding the child in his arms, Jing Mu walked over and quietly sat down beside Shu Changyu’s bed.
Shu Changyu was lying there with his eyes tightly closed, looking almost like a paper figure.
Jing Mu felt that he had lost weight.
Holding Shu Xunzhi with one arm, he reached out with the other and cautiously touched Shu Changyu’s cheek.
Indeed.
He had grown thinner.
Just then, Jing Mu lowered his eyes and saw that the tears in Shu Xunzhi’s eyes had not yet been wiped away.
At some point, she had raised her head and was blinking a pair of large, bright eyes at him.
Jing Mu frowned and set her down.
Shu Xunzhi was still somewhat reluctant to leave. As though trying to keep him there, she reached out and held his hand.
The little girl’s hand was soft and smooth as she gently grasped Jing Mu’s hand.
Just then, Kongqing walked in.
Jing Mu pointed toward Shu Xunzhi, signaling for Kongqing to take her away.
There had been so many people coming and going earlier that Kongqing had not noticed the two of them.
Now, in the enormous room, aside from Shu Changyu, these two were the only ones there. Shu Xunzhi was still holding Jing Mu’s hand, making them look rather like a family of three.
Kongqing hurried forward and picked Shu Xunzhi up.
“Whose child?” Jing Mu asked.
Kongqing instinctively replied, “My lord’s.”
Then he saw Jing Mu’s eyes grow even darker, his brows drawing together.
Next, he heard Jing Mu lower his voice and ask,
“Who is the child’s mother?”
Kongqing hesitated.
Normally, for the sake of the little girl, the few close attendants always said that the child belonged to Shu Changyu and never mentioned her origins.
At the time, when Shu Changyu learned of this, he had also nodded in agreement.
But how was he supposed to explain it to Jing Mu now?
His hesitation caused Jing Mu’s brows to furrow even more.
“What? Can’t it be mentioned?”
The meaning behind those words—can’t it be mentioned—was broad indeed.
Upon hearing this, Kongqing gave a vague hum, treating it as his answer.
Jing Mu’s gaze immediately turned cold.
Kongqing hurriedly carried Shu Xunzhi out and took his leave.
Jing Mu looked back at Shu Changyu.
His heart ached for him, yet he was also so furious that his teeth itched.
He stared at Shu Changyu for a long time, wanting to lean down and bite him hard on the lips as punishment.
But Shu Changyu’s lips were now so pale that they were almost bloodless, looking as thin as paper.
Jing Mu could not bring himself to bite him.
He could not bear to make him hurt any more.
Just then, the maid carrying the medicine came over.
When she saw Jing Mu sitting beside the bed, she froze in fright.
Then she saw Jing Mu reach out and take the medicine from her with complete naturalness, sending her away.
The medicine seemed to have given Jing Mu a reason to get closer to him.
Jing Mu looked at Shu Changyu’s tightly pursed, thin lips.
Without the slightest hesitation, he took a mouthful of the medicine into his own mouth.
Then, carrying the bitterness filling his mouth, he lowered his head and covered Shu Changyu’s lips with his own.
Shu Changyu remained unconscious for more than two days.
He finally woke slowly on the morning of the third day.
Shu Changyu felt as though he had slept for an extraordinarily long time.
In his dreams, countless memories had passed before him like lantern slides, coming and going again and again.
At times, he seemed vaguely conscious.
Sometimes he sensed a moist touch against his lips.
Sometimes he felt something rough brush across his face.
It seemed that someone had remained beside his bed the entire time.
Others came and went, but that person had never left.
On the morning of the third day, Shu Changyu vaguely regained consciousness.
The first things he felt were the dryness in his throat and the stabbing pain in his chest.
The sunlight was somewhat strong.
His eyelashes trembled, and his eyes opened only a narrow slit.
Through his blurry vision, he vaguely saw a man dressed in military attire sitting on the chair beside his bed.
His consciousness remained hazy for a moment before he suddenly jolted awake.
Could it be… Jing Mu?
He hurriedly opened his eyes.
Then he saw that the person sitting there was Shen Ziyu, who was currently peeling an apple.
When Shen Ziyu saw him wake up, he immediately stood in delighted surprise, accidentally snapping the long, smooth strip of apple peel.
“Lord Shu, you’re awake!”
Shu Changyu stared blankly for a moment before barely curving his lips upward.
“Mm. How long have I been asleep?”
He thought to himself that Jing Mu’s behavior upon arriving in Huzhou had already made it clear that he had hurt Jing Mu deeply.
Three years had passed, and things had changed.
How could he still expect Jing Mu to remain here and watch over him?
He lowered his eyes, concealing the disappointment and sadness in them, and braced himself against the bed with his elbow, trying to sit up.
Seeing him move, Shen Ziyu hurriedly put down the apple.
Ignoring the sticky apple juice on his hands, he immediately tried to press Shu Changyu back down.
“Lord Shu, you just woke up! Your wound hasn’t healed yet. You absolutely mustn’t move!”
Hearing this, Shu Changyu himself could feel the pain in his chest.
With no other choice, he could only lie back down.
He smiled and said, “Then please get me a cup of water.”
“Sure!”
Shen Ziyu cheerfully agreed and immediately went to get the teapot and pour him some water.
“Lord Shu, you have no idea how worried we were while you were unconscious these past two days! Fortunately, that General Jing who came from the capital brought his troops and joined them with ours. They beat those rebels so badly that they were completely routed. It looks like they’ll be driven out of Huzhou City soon! After some time, General Jing will even recover the four prefectures in the north!”
Shen Ziyu chattered happily as he poured the tea.
Shen Ziyu truly was a young master raised by a wealthy local family.
He had little sophistication, and his personality was bright and outgoing.
Listening to him speak, Shu Changyu gradually shook off some of the gloom that had fallen over him after mistaking Shen Ziyu for Jing Mu just now.
The curve of his lips also became more genuine.
“Did your father agree?” Shu Changyu asked with a smile as he accepted the teacup.
“He did!”
Shen Ziyu sat back down in the chair and continued working on the apple.
“My father even supports me. He told me to perform well in the army from now on. It’s better than wasting my entire life away in Huzhou!”
As he said this, he raised the apple in his hand and asked with a grin,
“Lord Shu, should I finish peeling this apple for you?”
Shu Changyu looked at the apple.
It had already been peeled quite beautifully.
With a few strokes of his knife, Shen Ziyu had even carved flowers into it.
Seeing this, Shu Changyu could not help laughing. He nodded and said yes.
Neither of them noticed the person standing at the doorway.
He had just returned from the battlefield.
He had not even had time to change out of his armor, and he was still holding the heavy Mo Saber in his hand.
He stood there without entering.
After silently watching the harmonious scene between the two for a while, he turned around and left.