It was not until the raindrops pattered on the red bricks and green tiles, making a crisp sound, that Cheng Xiran realized it had started drizzling outside.
Her heart softened a bit. She then sent Zhuque to fetch an umbrella for him and advised him to go back early.
Zhuque left with the umbrella and soon returned with it, looking utterly helpless. "My lord refuses to go back. He said he must see you today," she reported.
"Then let him wait..." Cheng Xiran was absent - mindedly reading a book. After a pause, she continued, "He'll leave by himself when he gets tired."
"But my lord doesn't seem like the type to leave. Don't you know his temper, miss?"
Seeing that Cheng Xiran remained seemingly unmoved, Zhuque heaved a long sigh with the umbrella in hand. Then she said, "The rain is getting heavier. It might last the whole night. If my lord waits outside for the whole night, his body surely won't be able to bear it."
"You can go out too. I want to read quietly by myself for a while."
Perhaps because of the rain and fewer people moving around in the mansion, no one knew that Helian Duo was waiting in Cheng Xiran's courtyard. Moreover, everyone else was preoccupied with their own affairs and had no time to care about what was going on with Cheng Xiran.
So her courtyard was extremely quiet. The sound of the rain was clear and pleasant to the ear. She could even imagine that the raindrops outside had changed from fine ones to big, bean - sized ones just by listening to the sound.
She didn't know how much time had passed. Anyway, she hadn't turned a single page of the book, but the knot in her heart was gradually loosening, simply out of pity.
Zhuque had said that there was a new, unhealed wound on his wrist. When and how it had been inflicted, she had no idea at all. When a new wound got wet, it would surely take longer to heal. Besides, he was already injured. If he got caught in the rain, his low immunity might lead to other illnesses.
Just thinking about it made Cheng Xiran fidgety. She casually threw the book aside, stood up involuntarily, and walked straight to the window. She gently opened a corner of it. With a creak, raindrops immediately splashed towards her, bringing a gust of cold wind that rushed into her collar, making her shiver.
Had it become so cold already?
Looking outside, it was pitch - black. The only sound in her ears was the patter of the rain. It was already very late at night.
Cheng Xiran's heart suddenly tightened. Then she softly called out, "My lord?"
There was no response.
After a while, the rain seemed to be getting heavier and heavier. It bent a Chinese evergreen tree by the window. She could clearly hear the sound of the tree branches breaking. Her heart seemed to stop for a second.
"Helian Duo?"
Cheng Xiran called out several times in a row, but still there was no response.
Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore and shouted, "Zhuque, Yun'er!"
Zhuque quickly walked in from the side room. "Miss, what's wrong? What happened?"
"What time is it now?" Cheng Xiran asked anxiously.
"It's not quite midnight yet, but it's getting close."
"Come with me to take a look. I've called him several times, but he didn't answer me!"
Cheng Xiran picked up a paper umbrella at hand and walked outside. Zhuque quickly picked up another one and held it for her.
Sure enough, as soon as they reached the courtyard, they saw Helian Duo lying on the ground.
He was soaked through, and his face was deathly pale.
Not caring that she was still in the rain, Cheng Xiran rushed towards him at once. She knelt on the ground and kept calling his name.
Fortunately, Zhuque didn't panic. She immediately went outside to call someone to help move the lord into the house, and sent Yun'er to call a doctor to treat him.
Cheng Xiran alone looked at Helian Duo full of guilt, her eyes filled with pity. At the same time, she blamed herself even more.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please wake up quickly, okay!"
Before long, the steward came with a group of people and carefully carried Helian Duo into the house. They changed him into a clean new robe. Because of the rainy day, the doctor came late, which made Cheng Xiran very impatient. She even made up her mind to study medical books more so that she wouldn't be left pacing helplessly outside like this.
Seeing that she seemed to be in a daze, Zhuque quickly stepped forward and grabbed her. "Miss, please come in with me and change your clothes. Look, you're all soaked!"
Seeing that Cheng Xiran stared blankly and ignored her, Zhuque had to continue persuading, "Miss, you can't collapse first! Someone needs to take care of the lord when he wakes up. What if others don't take good care of him?"
Fortunately, her quick - witted words worked. Cheng Xiran thought it made sense and obediently followed her to change clothes. Then she drank a big bowl of ginger soup, which she never touched before.
After finishing tidying up and entering the inner room again, the doctor was just feeling Helian Duo's pulse.
"The wound on the lord's wrist is not deep, but after being in the rain for so long, it has affected his internal organs. He also has a high fever that won't subside. For now, I can only stabilize his condition. It's better to call the imperial physician to take a look after a night."
Cheng Xiran suddenly remembered that there was an imperial physician in the prince's mansion. She asked Zhuque to go and invite him quickly.
Yun'er followed the doctor to prepare and decoct the medicine, while Cheng Xiran stayed in the room to watch over him.
Looking at this handsome face, which was still handsome even though it was pale, Cheng Xiran's eyes suddenly filled with tears. Unable to hold them back, the tears streamed down her face. She choked with sobs, "Helian Duo, you can't be in any danger. You know that I'm still waiting for your explanation."
It was only then that she realized that in ancient times, a minor cold could be life - threatening, unlike in modern times when advanced medical skills could cure all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases.
It was half an hour later when Yun'er came in with the decocted medicine. Zuo Yan and the imperial physician who stayed in the prince's mansion also just arrived.
"What's wrong with the lord?" Zuo Yan asked anxiously. But seeing Cheng Xiran with tear - streaked eyes, he regretted asking the question.
Yun'er handed the decoction to the imperial physician. After he confirmed it again, she went inside to feed Helian Duo.
Cheng Xiran repeated what the previous doctor had said. The imperial physician stepped forward to feel the pulse and said almost the same thing.
The whole group of people watched over Helian Duo until early the next morning when the rain finally stopped.
Fortunately, he woke up.
Cheng Xiran was extremely excited. At the same time, she secretly thanked the heavens in her heart that he was okay.
"I've thought it through all night. If you really died, I would go with you."
"What silly things are you saying? How could I be in any danger..." Helian Duo said weakly and forced a smile at her.
Cheng Xiran asked the imperial physician to come and feel his pulse again. At this time, Helian Duo asked Cheng Xiran to dismiss the attendants and let them wait outside. Cheng Xiran did as he asked and let Yu Yun'er wait outside. The people left in the room were all their own.
"The lord's body is no longer in any serious danger. He can recover completely after two days of rest."