Yu and Jing - Chapter 6

Chen Shi had found Lu Jing while hunting in the mountains. It looked as though Lu Jing had rolled down the slope and been stopped by a large rock. There was a little blood around him when Chen Shi found him.

That was the story, but his injuries did not quite fit it.

The recently healed wound on his abdomen had opened again, and his left ankle was badly swollen, probably sprained. Apart from that, he had only a few minor scrapes.

It might be unkind to say so, but someone who had tumbled down a mountain and struck a rock should have been hurt much worse.

Seeing how worried Chen Shi was, I kept my doubts to myself.

Lu Jing remained unconscious. After cleaning and dressing his wounds, I went to the kitchen.

Chen Shi was preparing the medicine there. This big, rough-looking man sat on a tiny stool, holding a little fan and staring unblinkingly at the stove. The sight almost made me laugh.

“Young Doctor Jiang.” He greeted me, then scratched his head. “Is that girl all right?”

Perhaps it was the firelight, but his dark face seemed to have reddened.

I did not know quite what to say. “She’s lost some blood, but it isn’t too serious. Don’t worry.”

“Mm.” After a pause, he asked, “Young Doctor Jiang, do you… know that girl?”

I had just reached for the lid of the medicine pot to check it. My hand stopped.

“While I was carrying her back, I heard her call your name.”

Ah. Well, that was awkward.

I raised my hands in surrender and heaved a sigh. “I do know her. She’s a distant younger cousin who came to visit me recently. We had an argument, and she stormed off. I thought she’d gone home. I never imagined she’d gone into the mountains.”

I nearly convinced myself as I spoke. I even patted his shoulder. “Please don’t spread the story, Brother Chen. She has a good heart, but she’s a young woman. If people decide she’s ill-tempered and will never find a husband, she’ll blame me again.”

Fortunately, there had not been many people at the clinic when he brought Lu Jing in, and most had not seen his face. If anyone asked later, I would find another excuse.

One lie to cover another. What a nuisance.

Chen Shi nodded again and again, his eyes bright. “Don’t worry, Young Doctor Jiang. My lips are sealed.”

He could not stay long. Once the medicine was ready, he left, promising to return in a few days to see how she was doing.

The way he worried over Lu Jing made me wonder if he had fallen for him.

What a mess.

This was going to be the death of me.

After Chen Shi left, I carried the medicine to Lu Jing’s room, just as I used to.

He had woken at some point. He sat half upright against the headboard, his face cool and composed, also just as it used to be.

For a moment I felt disoriented, as though we had only just met.

But outside, the peach tree had already put out new leaves.

“Doctor Jiang, I’ve troubled you again.” It was the first thing he said on seeing me, though there was little remorse on his face.

I sat by the bed and handed him the medicine. “If you wanted to stay, why did you leave in the first place?”

His hand paused on the bowl. Then he smiled. “You saw through it.”

“Those aren’t the wounds you get from a fall. And the cut on your abdomen was obviously reopened on purpose.” I looked at the bandages around his waist, my head beginning to ache. “I didn’t save you so you could keep hurting yourself. Besides, didn’t I tell you that you could stay and help me if you wanted?”

He said nothing. He drained the bowl in one go, winced at the bitterness, and only after a while answered, “I thought you were just being polite. These past few days, you didn’t seem to want anything to do with me.”

That reminded me of my absurd dreams, and my ears grew warm. “It wasn’t your fault. I was busy.”

He lowered his gaze to the dregs of medicine in the bowl and murmured an acknowledgment.

The soft lilt of it tickled something in my chest.

Feeling guilty, I turned to the peach tree outside the window. “Whatever happened, you can stay here now. Once you’ve healed, you can help me. Get some sleep after the medicine. I’ll bring medicinal wine for your ankle later.”

I said it all in a rush, afraid he would notice something wrong. When he did not answer, I looked over without thinking and met his smiling eyes.

Beautiful as the peach blossoms had been half a month ago.

Jiang Yu, what on earth is wrong with you?

It was my own home, yet I was the one who fled the room.