Chapter Thirty-One: Blood Swallow

  Staying by the window to enjoy the snowy scenery is really an unwise move, and I am a living example. After catching a cold wind, I was ill for several days. Fortunately, Mu Yan and others took good care of me, and with my own strong willpower, I recovered after burning for three days and woke up from my daze.

  But I wonder if I fell asleep and had a dream, or if I'm still in the dream now, and stupidly can't tell them apart.

  These days, Mu Yan seems to be making up for my misfortune of falling ill, and her self-reproach has made her diligent. She no longer spends the whole day lying on the couch embroidering landscapes or reclining in a chair reading poetry books, but instead washes her hands and makes soup. What a pity! I am neither her lover nor her aunt, but just a small patient.

  Mu Yan's craftsmanship is not bad, although it can't be compared to Yu'er's professional level, but among amateur players, she is also a standout. What's even more commendable is Mu Yan's seriousness, recently almost every day she personally makes something for me, sometimes it's dim sum, sometimes it's chicken soup, and sometimes it's some unknown bitter tea.

  In the palace, all kinds of food were uniformly distributed by the Imperial Food Bureau. In Lingbo Hall, it was difficult to cook something to eat on one's own, and the materials were also incomplete.

  In the past when the emperor often came, the inner attendant office knew that Muyan liked to make pastries and sent some materials over. However, it has been nearly half a year since then, those materials were either used up or had gone moldy and spoiled.

  Under such circumstances, Mu Yan can still conjure up these dishes, I am really curious about how she did it, but more is moved.

  Today, as usual, Mu Yan brought a lunch box in, I wonder what surprise she has for me today?

  Muyan entered the room, placed the food box on the table, lifted the lid, and took out a celadon porcelain cup. The cup seemed to still be hot, Muyan blew away the rising steam while holding her scalded fingers against her ear to cool down. Seeing this side of Muyan for the first time, I only felt warmth in my heart.

  I took a peek, and saw the ingredients inside, at first glance, red dates, lotus seeds, lily, dried tangerine peel, I let out a sound of disgust, "Do you think I'm suffering from wind chill or postpartum confinement? It's always either chicken soup or these tonics for nourishing Qi and blood!"

  "Your body is quite good, after blowing wind for a while, you got a fever and fainted for two days. With such a physique, even women in confinement are probably more robust."

  What he said wasn't unreasonable, I was unexpectedly at a loss for words and didn't know how to respond, so I looked away and continued searching through the ingredients.

  "What's this fine, hair-like thing that is white with a reddish tint and has a powdery texture?"

  I picked up some and asked Mu Yan who was blowing cool air on the soup beside me, "What is this?"

  Mu Yan took a glance and replied with one sentence, "Swallow's nest!" Then she lowered her head and continued working.

  I handed the spoon to Mu Yan in front of me and continued to ask, "You deceived me into not seeing the world. Swallow's nest is swallow's saliva, isn't it white? This one, how can it still be red, did the swallow cough up blood?"

  Mu Yan glared at me with a scowl, somewhat annoyed, and scolded, "You really are an ignorant servant who has never seen the world. This is blood swallow's nest, it's much more expensive than the white swallow's nest you mentioned. I rummaged through the warehouse to find just a few, and after all the trouble of selecting and brewing, I spent the whole morning on it, and yet I still get questioned by you? Forget about eating it then!"

  Moyan said and then took the bowl of soup away, walked to the table, sat down, with his back to me, drinking by himself, from time to time looking at me, intentionally making loud slurping sounds, praising how delicious it was.

  Poor me, suffering from a serious illness, yet I have to watch with my own eyes as the food that's about to enter my mouth is snatched away and devoured in front of me. Is this kind of cruel scene something a patient should witness? I ask the heavens, but the heavens remain silent!

  "Hmph, I'm alone, lying on the bed, grumbling and making a fuss, just wanting Mu Yan to turn around and take a look at me, ask if I regret it, or if I want to eat that bowl of bloody water again."

  But Mu Yan seemed to be deliberately going against me, the more I called out in confusion, the more she ignored me, getting me so angry that I could only take out my frustration on the pillow beside me, burying my head in it and shouting loudly.

  Gradually, I, who was originally not in good physical condition, felt tired and calmed down, but faintly heard a sound coming over.

  "Wooo..." The sound seemed to be coming from Mu Yan, I looked around and saw Mu Yan with her head buried in her arms, leaning on the table, her shoulders shaking, was she crying?

  I didn't say anything wrong just now, did I hurt her feelings?

  I didn't even have time to put on my shoes, and I walked barefoot to Mu Yan's side, lowered my body, half-squatted beside her, gently poked her with my hand, and called out "Mu Yan", but she ignored me. Okay, at least now it can be confirmed that she is crying, and it's because of me, a feeling of guilt arose spontaneously.

  I couldn't care less about her cold attitude, since I was the one who made a mistake, I had to take the initiative to solve the problem. With great force, I pulled Mu Yan's arm from under her face and pressed my own face close to hers, with a hint of coquetry, and shamelessly whispered an apology, "Mu Yan, it was my fault, who let me be a country bumpkin? Master, you can't treat me like one of your servants. Mu Yan, Yan, little smoke, please forgive me, or else I'll get up and accept my punishment, okay?"

  Before I could finish a series of nauseating apologies, Mu Yan had already stood up straight, trembling with laughter rather than tears, and couldn't stop laughing.

  "Punish you by eating... eat it all, don't leave a bit... hehe..." Mu Yan smiled and handed me the bowl of saliva that represented punishment.

  I took it over and drank it slowly, although I looked a bit annoyed on the surface after learning that I had been deceived, but in my heart I was relieved, at least the worry just now was false.

  For so many days, Mu Yan had been filled with self-blame and worry, until that one second just now, she was truly happy.

  After having the soup, I felt a warm sensation in my stomach, it was incredibly good. However, lying in bed after dinner is really not easy to digest, so I went out for a stroll with Mu Yan.

  Mu Yan wouldn't agree to my request no matter how humbly I begged her, and she still had an unyielding expression. Seeing this, I strode to the window and opened all of them one by one, letting the cold wind blow in freely.

  Who would have allowed me to be so reckless, furious and pushed me back onto the bed, turned around and closed all the windows, scolding me while moving.

  "Umanya, are you looking for death?"

  "You'd better die after I leave, don't make trouble again..."

  "Before entering the palace, I promised my brother that I would take good care of you and wouldn't let you die easily..."

  "You, what are you laughing at? Is being scolded very interesting?"

  When I opened the window, a smiling face greeted me. Of course, I knew she would be angry; if she wasn't even mad about this, then I'd really have to reconsider our friendship.

  "Mu Yan, are you done scolding?" I asked with a feigned innocent and naive expression.

  Mu Yan glared at me with a stern expression, but didn't say anything.

  "Mu Yan, are you done scolding? Let's go out for a walk, the atmosphere in this house is too bad, we need to change the environment and adjust it!" I continued.

  "......" Mu Yan fell silent again.

  "Are you going to ignore me for the rest of your life?"

  "Mu Yan, what did you just say? Your brother, isn't it that Zhou Mu Lang?"

  "Since you promised him that you would take good care of me, isn't keeping me cooped up in the house a kind of good care?"

  "You'll know that being suffocated can also kill people! At that time, you will have to be a treacherous and unfaithful person!"

  "You really won't care about me anymore? Then who will be scolded and blamed by you in the future?"

  "Mu Yan..." When I acted cute and stubborn for the Nth time, Mu Yan finally couldn't take it anymore and spoke up.

  "It's snowing outside, wear more clothes!" A few concise words came out from Mu Yan's calm expression. I was overjoyed and rushed to her side, giving her a big hug. Then I turned around and sprinted towards the closet, changing my clothes at Liu Xiang's hurdle speed.

  Go, get out!