“No.”
Xie Yushu answered quietly, her voice not sounding like someone who had been crying.
But she was too quiet, nothing like her usual self.
Before, she would have retorted sharply, but this time she answered calmly, her hand still moving without pause, speaking in an even softer tone, “Tell Cang Shu to stop the carriage.”
“Why stop?”
Song Jie saw her eyelids and cheeks growing redder from wiping and couldn’t help but reach out to hold her wrist.
“Why wipe again? Doesn’t it hurt to rub like that?”
“No need.”
She struggled slightly, trying to pull her wrist free from his grasp.
But Song Jie wasn’t willing to let go.
“Why no need? The more you struggle, the tighter I want to hold you.”
Her strength was strong, and her tone cold and indifferent.
“It’s over today. It’s over from now on. I don’t want to earn the money from Prime Minister Song anymore.”
Song Jie’s chest tightened with anger.
How could she be so mad?
He hadn’t forced her to stay at Fan Tower, nor said a harsh word, yet she was the one to flare up first!
What did she mean by ‘it’s over’?
Only he could say it’s over!
He leaned close to her, pressing her hands down firmly on his knees.
“Xie Yushu, you don’t understand— I’m the one saying it’s over…”
But before he could finish, she let out a sharp cry of pain, and her struggling hand suddenly went limp.
Song Jie was startled, hurriedly loosening his grip.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
He saw her clutching her right wrist, gasping sharply as if truly injured.
“Did you sprain it? Let me see.”
He reached to check her wrist, but she pushed him away with her left hand in frustration, then yanked open the carriage door and told Cang Shu, “Stop. I want to get down.”
Cang Shu hesitated.
“No.”
Song Jie was caught off guard by the cold wind rushing in and coughed harshly, pulling Xie Yushu back by the waist and shutting the carriage door hard.
She struggled like a slippery eel in his arms and, whether intentionally or not, slapped him across the face.
Song Jie, already coughing as if about to spit blood, felt the burning sting on his cheek and couldn’t help but turn his head and spit blood onto her shoulder.
Startled as if shocked, Xie Yushu suddenly quieted in his arms, looking up at the corner of his bloody mouth, pressing her lips tightly together, and leaning her forehead against his coughing chest—she really was crying.
Her burning forehead was visible through her clothes as if pressed against his skin, her shoulders trembling slightly, her sobs suppressed.
Song Jie’s heart ached at her tears.
His voice hoarse, he asked, “You slapped me but ended up crying yourself? Did you really sprain your hand? Let me see, Xie Yushu.”
He bent down to check her right wrist again, but she shyly tucked her hand into his chest, her wet face buried against him, quietly crying, “Take me home. I don’t want to pretend to be Xie Jia Ning today.”
For some reason, Song Jie’s heart ached at those words.
“Then don’t pretend.”
He hadn’t intended for her to play Jia Ning tonight either.
He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her trembling body and, rare for him, didn’t say anything ambiguous.
“I just wanted a quiet dinner with you.”
But she said, “I don’t feel like eating with you. I want to go back.”
In his arms was like holding a little fireball, warm and fragrant with floral scent.
Her back was hot, her tears sticking to his collar also warm, and even his cold body started to feel heated.
It had been a long time since he felt his body so warm.
He couldn’t help but hold her tighter.
“Is it all because of going to Fan Tower?”
After saying it, he felt how strange this moment was — they were like a married couple having an argument.
But she wasn’t his wife.
She was the Missus he paid for.
He shouldn’t have said that.
Regret rose in Song Jie’s heart, but just as it appeared, she shook her head in his arms.
Her tears smudged on his collar like a wounded crane curled up quietly in his embrace, silent but relying on him.
Song Jie’s regret vanished again.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Then why?”
He actually hoped she would tell him, wanting her to stay in his arms a little longer.
She lifted her face to look at him, her voice hoarse and low.
“My mother is dying.”
Song Jie saw her wet face, all the makeup wiped clean, the small mole at her nose tip clearly visible.
For some reason, this plain face was the one he wanted to see tonight.
He didn’t want to see her sad.
His fingers lightly brushed away the tears at her cheek and asked, “The Marquis Consort of Yong’an is ill?”
She shook her head and smiled bitterly.
“You know I’m not the Marquis Consort’s biological daughter. My mother is the concubine Qiao Bao’er. Aren’t you all looking down on me because of her?”
Song Jie’s heart was pierced.
He wanted to deny ever looking down on her because of her birth, but his own background wasn’t any better.
And yet, because of her looks, he had ‘looked down’ on her — where did that get him?
So he simply asked, “What illness does she have? Has the doctor examined her?”
Xie Yushu hesitated, then slowly grabbed his hand, about to say something, but then stopped.
“Can you help me see the Fourth Prince?”
Song Jie’s face and heart instantly turned cold.
“Xie Yushu, have you forgotten our agreement? You accepted ten thousand taels from me.”
He reminded her.
She withdrew her hand, no longer looking at him or speaking.
But Song Jie knew she was definitely scheming something — was she planning to see Xiao Zhen?
He swallowed his anger and asked, “What do you want to see Xiao Zhen for? Could he possibly cure your mother?”
“Host, you’ve gained some green hat points from Song Jie,” the system chimed.
Xie Yushu still leaned against Song Jie’s chest.
He was clearly very sensitive about Xiao Zhen, so she said, “He can’t, but he can send an Imperial Physician to treat my mother. The best doctors are at the Imperial Physician Institute.”
Song Jie sneered coldly.
“If he can, why can’t I?”
No sooner had he spoken than Xie Yushu looked up and said, “Can you get Imperial Physician Lu Kang?”
She had already thought of which doctor to ask…
Song Jie looked down at her tear-streaked face.
Though her cheeks were stained with tears, there was no trace of sadness now.
Suddenly, he realized she was making a scene to force him to call an Imperial Physician for her mother.
But he couldn’t refuse, because he was sure of one thing: if it didn’t work with him, she had plenty of ways to meet Xiao Zhen.
With her acting skills, fooling the Fourth Prince wouldn’t be impossible.
Of course, he wouldn’t give her the chance.
“Of course.”
Song Jie said coldly.
She immediately sat up from his arms and said, “Then let’s go get him now. Have him see my mother tonight.”
So urgent?
Song Jie saw the tears still on her cheek and sighed helplessly, ordering Cang Shu, “Detour to Imperial Physician Lu Kang’s residence. He probably isn’t on duty at the Institute tonight.”
Sure enough, she brightened immediately, wiping away her tears and turning to look at him with sparkling eyes.
“I’ll thank you on behalf of my mother first.”
Still managed a ‘thank you.’
Song Jie found her mood flips like flipping a page.
He wanted to laugh but also felt helpless.
He raised his hand and said, “Can I see your hand now?”
She complied for once, lifting her right hand into his palm.
“You really hurt me. This isn’t acting.”
Song Jie saw a red circle on her slender wrist; the jade bracelet had rubbed the skin raw.
He had indeed been too rough and felt some regret, but she generously said, “But I hit you too, so it evens out.”
Song Jie looked at her; without makeup, her face was lively and spirited again.
He wanted to say next time, don’t dress up like Jia Ning.
But the words felt strange on his tongue — he paid so much, met her every night, all to have her play Jia Ning, didn’t he?
When Imperial Physician Lu Kang was called to the residence, he thought Song Jie himself must be ill for the urgent summons.
But when he got into a luxurious carriage that twisted and turned into a small alley, he saw another carriage parked there.
Song Jie, wrapped in a cloak, stood waiting beside it.
He was confused but greeted respectfully and cautiously asked, “Prime Minister Song, who am I examining tonight?”
“Don’t ask. Please come inside,” Song Jie said politely, leading Lu Kang into a small courtyard.
The courtyard was small but fully visible at a glance, the lights inside the house glowing warmly.
Xie Yushu had entered ahead, tidied Qiao Bao’er and the others, then opened the door with a bright smile to welcome Lu Kang in.
Lu Kang glanced at Xie Yushu, unfamiliar with her face but dared not ask more.
Being summoned so late by the Prime Minister meant she must be closely connected to him.
He politely went in and took the pulse of the woman sitting by the table.
Frowning, he said, “Madam, this pregnancy is dangerous. To keep it…”
“Doctor Lu,” Xie Yushu quietly interrupted, “My mother’s health is poor. I want to terminate this pregnancy. I hope you can use the gentlest method possible.”
Lu Kang looked up in surprise, then at Song Jie, and slowly withdrew his hand.
He stood and asked Song Jie to step outside to talk.
Song Jie looked at Xie Yushu once more.
He hadn’t expected she wasn’t here to treat her mother’s illness but to arrange a termination.
Outside, Lu Kang asked quietly, “Prime Minister, which lady is this who is pregnant? Usually, you need the husband’s permission to terminate a pregnancy.”
Song Jie understood his concern.
If the termination was done rashly and the lady’s master came to complain, Lu Kang would be in trouble.
Besides, Qiao Bao’er was the mother of the Marquis of Yong’an’s child — did Xie Yushu get her father’s consent to terminate?
“Doctor Lu,” Xie Yushu followed out and said, “Please just prescribe the medicine to terminate. No one else will know it was you who helped my mother.”
Lu Kang looked at Song Jie again.
Song Jie glanced at Xie Yushu.
She looked resolute, clearly having made up her mind.
Whatever she decided, she would see it through.
He nodded to Lu Kang and vouched, “Doctor Lu, you have my guarantee. It won’t involve you.”
With the Prime Minister’s assurance, Lu Kang had no more reservations.
He went back inside, prepared two prescriptions, and carefully explained one was for the termination, the other for post-termination recovery.