Forget it. There was still Lu Zhixing, who was no better than him.
Luo Cheng’an disappeared from the garden, while Lu Zhixing stood in a corner of his room, still staring intently through the gap in the curtains at the empty hanging basket.
After a long while, he raised his hand.
The next second, the thin blanket that had been lying in the hanging basket appeared in Lu Zhixing’s hands.
Lu Zhixing picked up the blanket and buried his face in it, taking several deep breaths.
Only when the faint scent of pears filled his nostrils did the body that felt as though it had fallen into an ice cave finally find a moment of relief.
*
When Xi Yu arrived at the Jiang residence, the family doctor was speaking quietly with Old Master Jiang.
Old Master Jiang’s eyes lit up when he saw Xi Yu. “Mr. Xi, what brings you here?”
“I’m here to see Jiang Yunzheng.”
Old Master Jiang waved his hand, and the family doctor withdrew.
“The doctor said it’s nothing serious.” Old Master Jiang had a servant pour some tea before continuing, “The boy just caught a chill last night. I don’t know how it happened.”
Ever since Jiang Yunzheng woke up, he’d undergone several examinations, and there had been nothing abnormal about his health. This sudden fever had given Old Master Jiang quite a scare. Fortunately, it was only a minor cold.
Old Master Jiang didn’t know the reason, but Xi Yu did.
He’d slept on the floor all night. How could he not get sick?
It was autumn now, and a mortal’s body was fragile. After lying on the floor like that, getting sick was inevitable.
Old Master Jiang hadn’t expected Xi Yu to visit. Now that he was here, however, he couldn’t help having a selfish thought: he wanted Xi Yu to check whether there was anything else wrong with Jiang Yunzheng that might have caused him to fall ill so suddenly.
Old Master Jiang led Xi Yu to the door of Jiang Yunzheng’s room. Just as he was about to push it open, he heard Jiang Yunzheng’s listless voice from inside.
“I’m not hungry. Take it away! The smell makes me sick.”
…………………….
Old Master Jiang said awkwardly, “I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Ever since he woke up, he’s been picky about food. He never used to be like this.”
“He’s been receiving nutritional fluids the whole time. His digestive system just hasn’t readjusted yet,” Xi Yu replied.
Afraid his grandson might say something else, Old Master Jiang hurriedly knocked on the door and pushed it open.
Jiang Yunzheng was still resisting the servant. His complexion was somewhat pale and bluish, and he was wearing pajamas with a quilt pulled over his nose and mouth, leaving only his round, dark eyes exposed.
When he saw Old Master Jiang appear, he immediately began to whine. “Grandpa, please make Auntie Wang leave. I don’t want—”
The frown of disgust on Jiang Yunzheng’s face abruptly froze the moment he saw Xi Yu.
Auntie Wang turned around, noticed they had a guest, set down the bowl, and left the room.
“Xi Yu…” Jiang Yunzheng blinked. “Am I hallucinating because of my fever?”
Jiang Xuewei shook her head. “Nope! He’s the real deal.”
Jiang Yunzheng stared blankly for two seconds before pulling the quilt over his head and pretending to be an ostrich.
Oh my God, oh my God! What had he just been doing?!
How had Xi Yu seen him looking like that?!
“Brother, why aren’t you greeting Brother Yu?” Jiang Xuewei pulled Jiang Yunzheng’s hand down to keep him from dislodging his IV needle, all while continuing to tease him. “Are you naturally a man of few words?”
Jiang Yunzheng’s already pale, feverish face turned red. Looking at Xi Yu with embarrassment, he stammered, “W-why are you here?”
Xi Yu was silent for a moment. Rather than repeating that he’d come to see him, he said, “I’d like to borrow something from you.”
Jiang Yunzheng asked, “What?”
Xi Yu didn’t answer. Instead, he glanced at Old Master Jiang and Jiang Xuewei.
The two exchanged a look.
Jiang Xuewei supported Old Master Jiang and said, “Brother Yu, could you look after my brother for a while? I’ll take Grandpa downstairs for a walk.”
Xi Yu nodded. “Thank you.”
After Jiang Xuewei and Old Master Jiang left and closed the door behind them, Old Master Jiang looked puzzled.
“What could Mr. Xi possibly want to borrow from that brat?”
Jiang Xuewei shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Old Master Jiang glanced at the closed door and muttered, “If he wants to borrow something, he can just ask me! Forget borrowing—given how much Mr. Xi has done for the Jiang family, I’d give him all my money if he asked.”
Nothing was more important than having one’s family members healthy and safe.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Jiang Yunzheng was stunned when he heard what Xi Yu wanted to borrow.
“Blood?”
Xi Yu nodded. “Yes. I’d like to borrow some of your blood.”
The embarrassed expression on Jiang Yunzheng’s face, which had come from losing face in front of the person he liked, immediately turned serious.
The room fell silent for a moment. An IV bag hung beside the bed, its tubing connected to the back of Jiang Yunzheng’s hand.
Xi Yu stood beside the bed, gazing at Jiang Yunzheng with his clear, limpid eyes, his expression calm and gentle.
Jiang Yunzheng looked up at him. After two seconds, he shifted his gaze away.
A fleeting trace of disappointment passed through Xi Yu’s eyes. “If you don’t want to—”
“I’m willing!” Seeing that Xi Yu had misunderstood, Jiang Yunzheng hurriedly looked back at him, interrupting him before he could finish. “I’m willing! Don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t looking at you just now because…”
Because Xi Yu was so beautiful that his heart was racing.
But saying that would be far too forward.
“Anyway, I’m willing,” Jiang Yunzheng said. “You saved my life, so of course I’d be willing to give you some blood. How much do you need? Do you need it now?”
As he spoke, Jiang Yunzheng began looking around for something he could use to cut his skin.
Xi Yu said nothing. He took a slight step forward and touched Jiang Yunzheng’s forehead with his fingertip.
Jiang Yunzheng’s body instantly stiffened. The pad of Xi Yu’s finger was warm, and that warmth flowed into his body through Xi Yu’s fingertip.
The pain in his skin and bones caused by the fever gradually began to disappear. That clammy, damp chill also dissipated.
When Xi Yu lifted his hand away from Jiang Yunzheng’s forehead, he sat down on the edge of the bed and removed the needle from Jiang Yunzheng’s hand.
Jiang Yunzheng’s pupils widened slightly. He touched his forehead, which now felt cool, and lowered his eyes to watch Xi Yu’s movements.
Xi Yu had barely touched his hand. With a slight curl of his fingertip, the needle slipped painlessly out of the back of Jiang Yunzheng’s hand.
Jiang Yunzheng was astonished. “Y-you really are a god!”
He knew that Xi Yu had been the one to awaken him. He had no memory of being unconscious for three years; he’d only heard from his grandfather after waking up that his heart had stopped beating at the time. But when Xi Yu went inside, he’d woken up.
He was an atheist, but after making inquiries of his own and watching the variety show, he’d come to believe that Xi Yu really was different from ordinary people.
Still, this was the first time he’d experienced it so clearly himself.
Xi Yu had merely touched his forehead, and his fever had gone down. All his discomfort had disappeared, too.
How miraculous!
Jiang Yunzheng gazed at Xi Yu with shining eyes, his heart suddenly filled with admiration and reverence.
Xi Yu didn’t respond to his remark. Instead, he said coolly, “I’m not sure how much blood I’ll need. It will have to be done for seven consecutive days. If I need a lot during that time, you may become very weak or even lose consciousness. You can think it over before giving me your answer.”
Jiang Yunzheng blinked. “Will I die?”
Xi Yu shook his head. “No. I’ll protect your heart meridians and soul.”
“Then that’s fine!” Jiang Yunzheng held out his hand, revealing his fair, pale wrist. “Here. You can borrow it.”
Xi Yu lowered his eyes to Jiang Yunzheng’s wrist, where the veins were clearly visible.
Jiang Yunzheng was a mortal. He’d been unconscious for three years, and even though Xi Yu had awakened him, his body was still extremely weak.
Xi Yu knew he shouldn’t be taking Jiang Yunzheng’s blood. But Jiang Yunzheng had passed the Heart-Testing Stone’s test. He was a truly pure and benevolent person.
The quickest way to make the Bihua Green Lotus mature now was to nourish it with the blood of someone truly pure and benevolent for seven days.
“Thank you.” Xi Yu looked at Jiang Yunzheng and expressed his gratitude solemnly.
As soon as Jiang Yunzheng met Xi Yu’s gaze, he became bashful again. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m the one who should be thanking you. Go ahead and take it.”
Xi Yu had asked him directly, so he must genuinely need it. There had to be something very important at stake.
Xi Yu said no more. Instead, he turned his palm upward and summoned a jade-green lotus.
The lotus hadn’t bloomed yet; its petals remained tightly wrapped in a bud, poised to open.
Jiang Yunzheng’s eyes lit up brighter and brighter. He covered his mouth with his other hand, the one he hadn’t extended.
The next second, he saw Xi Yu gently brush his wrist. He felt no pain whatsoever, yet a neat cut appeared on his skin.
Even more miraculously, his blood didn’t trickle downward. Instead, it flowed toward the lotus resting in Xi Yu’s palm.
The lotus absorbed his blood. It traveled slowly upward from the green stem, surging into the tightly closed bud.
Jiang Yunzheng tilted his head and watched. After quite some time, he began to feel dizzy. Only then did he finally see a tiny crack appear in the lotus bud.
Xi Yu let out a sigh of relief. With his palm hovering in the air, he made the lotus disappear.
When he looked up, Jiang Yunzheng’s lips had turned pale, and his complexion had grown somewhat ashen.
With a wave of Xi Yu’s hand, the wound on Jiang Yunzheng’s wrist vanished completely.
He sent some spiritual power into Jiang Yunzheng, but since he was a mortal, he couldn’t withstand too much.
After thinking for a moment, Xi Yu took a bag of candied fruit from his ring and handed it to Jiang Yunzheng. “If you feel unwell, eat a piece.”
…………………
These were made from spiritual fruit. They were a little treat he’d used to coax Zhi Li in the past.
The candied fruit had been sliced into pieces. Each contained only a small amount of spiritual power, just enough to ease Jiang Yunzheng’s discomfort without causing his blood and meridians to go into reverse from absorbing too much spiritual power.
Jiang Yunzheng had indeed been feeling a little unwell, but when Xi Yu waved his palm over the top of his head, he immediately felt as though a warm current had enveloped his entire body.
Holding the bag of candied fruit, Jiang Yunzheng looked at Xi Yu and asked, “Will you be taking my blood the same way for the next six days?”
Xi Yu nodded. After a pause, he added, “I might need more. If you change your mind, you can ask me to stop at any time.”
He would respect any decision Jiang Yunzheng made.
Jiang Yunzheng shook his head. “I’ve already promised you, so I won’t go back on my word. It’s just…” He smiled sheepishly. “Could I go to your place? I’m afraid Grandpa might see if we do it here.”
“But don’t misunderstand. Even if Grandpa knew, he’d agree. I just don’t want him to worry.”
At present, every business under the Jiang family had given Xi Yu and even the Luo family the green light.
The Jiang family owed Xi Yu an enormous debt of gratitude. Whatever request Xi Yu made, no one in the entire family would refuse.