Oops! The Black Lotus Can't Be a Female Supporting Character - Chapter 13
- Home
- Oops! The Black Lotus Can't Be a Female Supporting Character
- Chapter 13 - Duke Weiguo
Chapter 13: Duke Weiguo
•?•?•?•?•?•
The courtyard was quiet, and Hai Tang watched as Concubine Cui and Mama Shi walked away before returning to the house.
The door curtain hung still, and there was no sign of disturbance inside or outside the house.
Hai Tang went to the eastern chamber and didn’t find anyone there, so she entered the small study and informed Xiao Yanfei, who was standing in front of the bookshelf, “Miss, Yiniang has left.”
Xiao Yanfei placed the stack of medical books into the bookshelf one by one, while rubbing her forehead with one hand.
She didn’t truly understand why Concubine Cui was urging her to request the Madam to reject the invitation of Duke Weiguo’s residence.
Xiao Yanfei contemplated every reaction of Concubine Cui from earlier repeatedly, and one thing was clear – Concubine Cui had no good intentions.
It was just like the memories of the things Concubine Cui did to the original owner.
Each time had the same outcome; Concubine Cui benefited, and the original owner suffered.
The original owner was blinded by the situation, relying on her mother, but she herself, as an observer, had a clear view.
No matter what Concubine Cui’s intentions were, if she wanted Xiao Yanfei to go, she would do the opposite.
Xiao Yanfei put the rest of the books on the shelf, leaving only “Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases” to read over the next few days.
She turned around and saw Hai Tang bringing a freshly brewed cup of Green Snail Spring tea. “Miss, this servant has prepared Green Snail Spring tea for you.”
(It’s not made from snail y’all. It only refers to the appearance of the tea leaves, tightly rolled into small spirals resembling snail shells.)
Xiao Yanfei intended to instruct Hai Tang to place the teacup on the desk, but as her gaze passed over the floral pearwood desk, she was momentarily stunned.
In the center of the desk was a small jade fox paperweight, with a small piece of paper beneath it.
With a gentle breeze, the note trembled like a butterfly’s wings.
Xiao Yanfei’s heart trembled, and she quickly walked over to the desk, nonchalantly placing her book, “Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases,” on top of the paper to conceal it.
After Hai Tang served the tea, Xiao Yanfei waved her hand casually, “You can go now; I’d like to read in solitude for a while.”
Hai Tang followed the order and left. Xiao Yanfei sat alone in a circular chair by the window.
One window in front of the desk was open, and the windowpane creaked as it swayed in the breeze.
The courtyard outside was empty, except for the vibrant red tea plum blossoms gently swaying in the fading evening sunlight, creating a picturesque scene.
Xiao Yanfei glanced out of the window and set aside the book “Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases,” revealing the paperweight and the note beneath it.
She remembered that when she entered the small study, the window was already open, but she hadn’t paid much attention to it or noticed the paperweight that didn’t originally belong there.
She lowered her eyelashes and picked up the note that was pressed beneath the paperweight.
The note had eight characters written on it: “Tomorrow at dawn, meet at Medical Hall.”
The strokes were strong, exuding a hint of invincibility.
Even though there was no signature, Xiao Yanfei could guess the owner of this note.
“Ah.”
Xiao Yanfei stared at the note for a while, taking a deep breath.
Although she had known that Gu Feichi had exceptional martial skills, the Hou Mansion’s walls were at least three meters high, and there were many guards patrolling inside. He had somehow infiltrated without anyone noticing and left her this note.
Xiao Yanfei swallowed nervously.
The coldness of that sword’s edge seemed to once again press against her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
What was meant to happen couldn’t be avoided.
Tomorrow was another day; by treating his father early, she could provide an extra layer of protection for her own life.
After burning the note, Xiao Yanfei placed the emerald paperweight into her purse and then opened the book “Treatise on Cold-Induced Diseases.”
Though the ancient language was incredibly dense, the previous owner had studied the Five Classics and historical texts from a young age, making it easy for her to understand the medical text.
It’s no wonder there’s an old saying: “A scholar studying medicine is like a caged chicken catching insects.”
(It’s a Chinese proverb that implies that someone who is highly educated in a field unrelated to medicine may struggle or be ineffective when attempting to practice medicine.)
People really need to read more books.
Xiao Yanfei thought that most of a person’s anxiety stemmed from the uncertainty of events. After receiving Gu Feichi’s note, she felt strangely at ease. She would read when it was time to read, eat when it was time to eat, and sleep when it was time to sleep.
With a calm heart, she slept soundly that night, free of dreams until dawn. The next morning, she left the house at the agreed-upon time.
The note mentioned “Medical Hall,” which was just two streets away from the Hou Mansion. It only took her about fifteen minutes to arrive.
After sending Hai Tang to a nearby snack shop to buy cakes, Xiao Yanfei entered the Medical Hall alone, carrying the newly purchased small wooden box.
An assistant from the medical hall greeted her warmly, saying, “Miss, are you here for a consultation or to pick up medicine?”
“Consultation,” Xiao Yanfei took out the delicate and exquisite jade fox-shaped paper from her purse and waved it in front of the assistant.
The assistant was momentarily surprised, then his smile became even brighter, “Miss, please follow me, the young master is waiting for you inside.”
The assistant called out to another assistant, and then he led Xiao Yanfei through the front hall, lifting a curtain to enter the back hall.
The back hall had closed windows, and the lighting was slightly dim.
The room was filled with a faint incense and the scent of medicine, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.
Gu Feichi was seated in the topmost Taishi chair, holding a blue and white porcelain teacup and sipping tea.
Today, he was wearing a straight black robe with intricate silver Kunpeng patterns woven into the fabric, and a jade belt with embroidered cloud patterns. The black attire contrasted with his porcelain-like fair skin.
(Kunpeng (??) is a mythical creature often described as a giant fish or bird, sometimes a combination of both.)
His stern face appeared softer in the white steam rising from the teacup, lacking the icy indifference from the day before. His features were like a painting.
Gu Feichi, like yesterday, wasn’t wearing a mask. His flawlessly handsome face seemed unmarred, despite rumors that he was disfigured in battle at the age of thirteen and had since concealed his face. So why did Gu Feichi wear a mask?
Clearly, it was to conceal his own appearance.
Gu Feichi’s cold gaze turned toward Xiao Yanfei, and her first words were not a greeting, but:
“Prince Gu, did your injured friend have a fever yesterday?”
Looking at the cautious girl with concealed vigilance in her eyes, Gu Feichi smiled faintly, “Your medicine is very effective.”
One sentence made Xiao Yanfei feel as though she had swallowed half a calming pill.
She intentionally left those amoxicillin pills in the scripture repository to let Gu Feichi know she wasn’t deceiving him; her medicine was indeed effective.
Whether it’s a white cat or a black cat, catching mice makes it a good cat.
She was a good cat!
The cornerstone of the doctor-patient relationship is trust, and with this successful precedent, she believed her house calls today would go much smoother.
Xiao Yanfei wasted no time and immediately got to the point, “Where’s your father?”
Gu Feichi elegantly stood up, straightened his robe, and casually said, “Come with me.”
He led Xiao Yanfei up a flight of stairs, and behind the door, they could hear intermittent coughing from a room.
“Cough, cough…”
Gu Feichi, leading the way, quickened his pace to the end of the corridor and pushed open the door.
A strong medicinal scent hit them.
By the white-curtained bed, there stood a tall, thin man in his thirties, dressed in a straight, green robe. He graciously gave a teacup to the middle-aged man on the bed.
The middle-aged man, looking feeble, leaned against a large pillow, half sitting and half lying down, covered in a brocade quilt, revealing the neckline of a white undergarment.
His appearance was refined and handsome, but his complexion was extremely pale, and his cheeks had sunken slightly, showing signs of withering.
Upon hearing the sound of someone entering, the middle-aged man who had his eyes closed, opened them. His fox-like eyes, strikingly similar to Gu Feichi’s, revealed a wisdom that had weathered many storms, and his face was serene.
“Ah Chi… cough, cough,” Duke Weiguo called out Gu Feichi’s name and began to cough violently.
He lowered his head, covering his mouth with a handkerchief, his shoulders trembling.
The green-robed man furrowed his brow and quickly patted Duke Weiguo’s back.
Gu Feichi couldn’t care less about Xiao Yanfei behind him and hurried to the bedside.
Duke Weiguo coughed for quite a while before finally calming down. When he removed the white handkerchief, it was stained with a shocking amount of bloody phlegm, a distressing sight.
An unpleasant, fishy smell filled the air.
The green-robed man took the handkerchief, expressing his concern, “Young Master, should Duke Weiguo really not take the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician?”
“I’m fine.” Duke Weiguo’s voice, after coughing, sounded particularly hoarse and weak, and his face had turned purple from coughing.
Anyone could see that he was deeply afflicted by his illness.
Duke Weiguo weakly waved his hand, indicating that the young woman needn’t support him.
Grief appeared in Gu Feichi’s eyes as he used a clean handkerchief to wipe away the blood in the corner of Duke Weiguo’s mouth.
The green-robed man took a step back and noticed Xiao Yanfei, who had entered the room behind Gu Feichi. He lightly furrowed his brows, as if deep in thought.
The Young Master had returned home secretly, and when he took Duke Weiguo out, he didn’t alert anyone. He had only said that he was inviting a doctor to examine Duke Weiguo, but he had never expected that this doctor would be such a young girl.
As if confirming his suspicions, Gu Feichi said to Duke Weiguo, “Dad, the doctor is here.”
The Duke Weiguo, lying on the bed, also turned his gaze towards the approaching Xiao Yanfei, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny and a touch of surprise.
His expression was very calm and composed, concealing the profound aura of someone who had weathered life’s trials and tribulations.
Having battled on the battlefield for nearly thirty years, he had experienced too much life and death, and had witnessed countless comrades falling by his side. He had long seen through the nature of life and death.
As his illness struck like a collapsing mountain, his health deteriorated further with no cure in sight, not even the imperial physicians could help.
He had tried several times to discuss his final matters, but his son remained stubborn, seeking medical remedies everywhere.
His decision to come this time was also to prevent his son from feeling disappointed and to avoid leaving him with regrets.
Hello! If you’ve enjoyed the novel, I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a rating or review for this series here or on Novelupdates. Your feedback means a lot to me, and it helps others discover and enjoy the story as well. Thank you for your support! ??????> . <??????
Translated By: Allthingsfluff