His elder brother was a little drunk, and he pulled Ji Yujin to his side, scolding him word by word, “Trash.”
“Shameless.”
“Hooligan.”
“Bandit.”
Ji Yujin: “……”
Ji Yujin was overwhelmed, but he didn’t dare to refute. He looked seldom embarrassed.
Chu Fengqing found it funny. Ji Yujin curled his lips helplessly and pushed Chu Feng away with one hand. “Big Brother, you reek of alcohol. If you want to talk, just talk. Don’t get so close to me.”
Chu Feng’s face darkened, and there was no expression on his serious face. “What big brother? You are not allowed to call me big brother.”
Ji Yujin’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. The wound at the corner of his mouth hurt, causing his facial expression to twist. “Big Brother, you are being unfaithful. We are all family. If I don’t call you big brother, what should I call you?”
Chu Feng: “Shut up, who is your family?”
He glared at the shameless man, reached for his waist, and thought he had drunk so much tonight that he didn’t even know where his sword went. Otherwise, he would chop this guy to death right now.
What’s so good about this kid that he could even trick Fengqing into looking at him sideways?
He frowned and looked at Chu Fengqing. Suddenly he remembered something and asked with a stiff expression, “Did you give him a handwritten book with a bookmark made of tea leaves?”
Chu Fengqing was slightly stunned, wondering how his elder brother knew this. His face turned red, but he still nodded.
Chu Feng: “……”
Sh*t!
Ji Yujin drank a lot of wine, and his mind was not very clear, but he reacted immediately when he was talking about this. He was not afraid of angering Chu Feng to death and said slowly, “Speaking of this, I really have to thank Big Brother. I am not well educated and have never explored the language of plants and trees. I almost missed Qing’er’s sincerity. Thanks to Big Brother’s reminder, I now understand the language of tea leaves.”
He spoke with a rhythmic tone, fearing that this statement was not clear enough: “It is because the seeds cannot be transplanted, which is a metaphor for the impossibility of reunion.”
“Tsk, how touching. After all, it turns out that Big Brother is our matchmaker.”
Chu Fengqing: “……”
Chu Feng’s face became darker and darker. He wished he could go back to that time and slap himself a few times. You are so talkative! He squatted down and picked up a few stones. It doesn’t matter if he has no weapons. If he doesn’t kill Ji Yujin today, he is not surnamed Chu.
The stones flew towards Ji Yujin at a speed invisible to the naked eye, and each one hit his acupuncture points. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, but it was still difficult for him to dodge.
The two of them jumped up and down, and the small yard was bustling with activity.
While hiding, Ji Yujin said to Chu Fengqing, “Qing’er, it’s too late. Go to sleep first. I’ll come to see you tomorrow.”
Chu Feng: “Tomorrow? Heh, you first think about whether you still have tomorrow or not.”
Chu Fengqing looked at the endless energy of the two people, then looked at his own green fingernails. Well, he felt a little envious.
However, he really didn’t know how long these two drunkards would end their fight. He shook his head and closed the window and door. After thinking for a while, he opened it and said, “Why don’t you go play somewhere else? It’s a bit noisy.”
“Uh…”
“Fine.”
……
The next day, Ji Yujin came to the door with a bruised face. After a night, the wound was particularly conspicuous. Mother Chu and Chu Yinyin were both shocked, especially Mother Chu, who rushed forward to check the injury. She frowned and glared at Chu Feng. “How could you want to kill someone? You have no sense of severity at all, even at your age.”
Chu Feng: “……”
Ji Yujin shook his head and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Auntie. Big Brother really didn’t do anything harsh. But even if he did, it doesn’t matter. As long as Big Brother is happy, it’s fine. After all, I was the one who did something wrong.”
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. The almond paste from Jinzhaiji tastes great. I bought some earlier. Would everyone like to try it?”
Mother Chu ordered someone to get the medicine while taking the cakes and said, “Nonsense, how could you have done something wrong? Chu Feng, you go out first. Look at how energetic you are. You don’t need to have breakfast this morning, right?”
Chu Feng’s forehead veins jumped. In this family, he was the only one who didn’t dare to disobey Mother Chu. He walked out honestly, “Yes.”
He didn’t understand why everything Ji Yujin said was true to her, and she was even speaking for him. He felt so uncomfortable listening to it! He wanted to fight him for another ten rounds.
At that time, he didn’t even know there was a word to describe this behavior—”tea”.
Father Chu snorted and winked at Chu Feng, indicating that he had done a good job.
Chu Feng didn’t respond yet, but his mother got the message. She glanced at him and asked, “You want to go out with Feng’er too?”
Chu Feng stopped and looked at his father. His father coughed and stroked his beard. “I also think Feng’er was too harsh and didn’t know the severity of the situation.”
Chu Feng: “……”
Traitor, such a person cannot survive in the military camp.
Chu Yinyin didn’t dare to say anything. She sat obediently at the table and watched the “undercurrents” in the room. Only Chu Fengqing curled his lips awkwardly. Why didn’t he realize that Ji Yujin had such a trick before?
In short, with Ji Yujin’s constant visits, various shameless behaviors, and the advantage of his mouth, Mother Chu and Chu Yinyin are now firmly on his side. Father Chu dares to be angry but not to speak out. Only Chu Feng still dislikes him and basically drives him away every time he comes.
The two of them used all kinds of secret tricks to exchange with each other, and their life was quite lively.
But as time went on, Chu Fengqing’s health became worse and worse, and gradually he couldn’t even get out of bed.
It was useless to consult many physicians. Chu Fengqing knew that he had to change the prescription, but he wanted to delay it a little longer. If he delayed, he might still live for a few more days, but if he changed the prescription, he might die the next day. It was hard to say for sure.
Ji Yujin found a skilled craftsman to make a wheelchair and pushed Chu Fengqing out every day to take a walk and bask in the sun.
Chu Feng was always running back and forth. The military camp had something for him to do, and he couldn’t let go of Chu Fengqing here. Not sure if it was because of Chu Fengqing’s health or not, but he didn’t have such a big opinion of Ji Yujin anymore, and sometimes he would look for him to talk to, but no one knew what they talked about.
Chu Fengqing slept for longer and longer periods of time. He was talking to Ji Yujin one second and fell asleep the next.
Ji Yujin squatted in front of him and pulled the quilt up a little. It was almost summer, and the temperature was getting higher and higher. He was only covering with a thin quilt.
“Little Physician, you have become more and more lazy recently. So lazy…” Ji Yujin kissed him on the forehead and then pecked him lightly on his pale lips. The hot wind passed by them, and he said softly, “What should I do?”
It seemed like he was asking him and also like he was asking himself, but no one could give a definite answer.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all subject to the laws of nature. In front of the laws of nature, people are like ants. No matter how hard they rack their brains, they can’t think of any solution. They can only watch their loved ones being eaten away and swallowed up bit by bit. They are helpless and hopeless, but they can only watch.
Chu Fengqing slept for a long time and was in a coma for three days. Everyone was anxious. Physicians in the city and outside the city—all physicians were invited here. Even the imperial physicians from the palace were on the way here, they were kidnapped.
But all the physicians gave only four words: There’s nothing we can do.
The first thing Chu Fengqing saw when he woke up was a pair of red eyes. He reached out and touched Ji Yujin’s chin. He hadn’t shaved for several days, and his beard was a little prickly. He was a little confused. Why would an eunuch have a beard?
But he didn’t ask. Ji Yujin looked really depressed, completely different from the flamboyant Governor Ji before. He looked up and saw that several people in his family had sad expressions.
He pursed his dry lips: “Have I slept for a long time?”
Ji Yujin curled his lips and said with suppressed emotion, “It’s been so long that I want to hit you.”
Mother Chu turned around and wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief. Ji Yujin brought the water to his lips. “Do you want to drink?”
Chu Fengqing nodded, took a few sips of water, and felt a lot more energetic. He realized that he had scared a few people this time, and his body really couldn’t hold on any longer.
He thought for a moment, and then he said in a hoarse voice, “Let’s change the prescription.”
The grass is green, and the birds are singing. It is a great time outside, with laughter and joy heard everywhere.
One could hear a pin drop in the house.
Mother Chu and others left the room at some point, saying they were going to prepare some delicious food for Chu Fengqing.
At this time, there were only Ji Yujin and Chu Fengqing in the room. Everyone knew about the prescription change and also knew the consequences, so almost no one dared to mention these two words. Chu Fengqing said it so suddenly, and everyone still found it hard to accept. Knowing about it and implementing it are two completely different feelings.
Seeing Ji Yujin didn’t say anything, Chu Fengqing tilted his head to look at him and asked, “Did I scare you?”
Ji Yujin: “When I established the Xichang, I had dozens of lives on my hands almost every day. It was just a matter of life and death, and I had long been accustomed to it. I thought that even if you left, under the washing of rain, under the shining of the sun, and the passage of time, I would eventually forget you. As long as I tried hard to forget, I could forget you.”
He laughed at himself and said, “I originally thought so, but there are always some things that can’t be wiped away by windshield wipers.”
His tone became calmer and calmer, but his eyes drooped lower and lower. Finally, he dared to look at him again. He said softly, “Chu Fengqing, I find that I am a bit cowardly.”
“You haven’t woken up for three days, and I’ve been thinking about how to leave without you.”
Chu Fengqing was frightened by Ji Yujin that Ji Yujin would actually have such an idea.
“I didn’t even realize it…”
Ji Yujin said as he gently kissed his lips. It was a very gentle kiss that stopped just in time. His voice was just like this kiss: “I love you so much.”
He said in a hoarse voice, “What should I do if you really abandon me?”
It was this question again. Chu Fengqing didn’t hear it last time, but he heard it this time. However, it was useless to hear it because he didn’t have the answer either.
Chu Fengqing didn’t say anything but just followed Ji Yujin’s strength and kissed him deeper.
He wants to live.
Chu Fengqing’s face turned a little pink because of the kiss. He whispered, “Ji Yujin, when I get better, let’s go somewhere else together. I want to go to the outer reaches of the Great Wall, to the ocean, to places I’ve never been to.”
His voice was naturally cold and clear, but now it carried a slight smile, sounding a lot gentler.
Ji Yujin smiled and said, “Alright, then you can be a physician, and I will…”
He thought about it, hiss… there really was no identity that suited him.
Chu Fengqing seemed to be thinking about it too. After thinking for a while, he came up with nothing. He smiled. Ji Yujin frowned. “I think you are laughing at me?”
Chu Fengqing shook his head. “Don’t put the blame on me.”
Ji Yujin smiled, put his hands behind his head, and said, “At worst, I can become a bandit, robbing the rich and giving to the poor, and you can be the wife of the bandit leader and Physician Chu.”
……
As the night deepened, the two realized that things were not that simple. The prescription change was delayed for a few days. During these few days, a man came to the city—Chu Fengqing’s master.
Everyone was delighted but also curious about how the master found this place.
The master glanced at Ji Yujin and said, “I had an appointment with Qing’er to meet in the capital. When I was almost there, someone sent by Lord Ji found me and told me the reason. The old man was stupid and only focused on getting on the road. The old man didn’t even bother to find out what happened in the capital and almost missed the appointment.”
Chu Feng frowned. Now he had to admit that Ji Yujin was indeed thoughtful. He only thought of the divine physician when Chu Fengqing said he wanted to change the prescription. However, it was obviously too late to send people to look for him at that time.
Mother Chu patted Ji Yujin’s hand with gratitude. Chu Fengqing’s expression changed slightly, but he didn’t say anything for the time being.
It was not until the master came over to feel his pulse that he asked, “How did he know that my master and I had an appointment in the capital?”
This “he” naturally refers to Ji Yujin.
At that time, Chu Fengqing asked his master to temporarily hide his physical condition from Ji Yujin. Logically, Ji Yujin should have known about his physical condition only in recent days.
Chu Fengqing frowned and suddenly realized something. Ji Yujin had never asked him about his health, so why did he react so strongly when he said “change the prescription”?
When the master saw his expression change, he knew that he had figured it out, so he stopped hiding it: “He is too powerful, there is no way to hide it from him.”
The night Chu Fengqing told him to keep his physical condition a secret for the time being, he ran into Ji Yujin, who had been waiting for him. Ji Yujin politely bowed to him and said straight to the point: “Please tell me the truth about Qing’er’s physical condition.”
He had promised Chu Fengqing that he couldn’t say it. He wanted to say something ambiguous to cover it up, but that man knew human nature so well that any lie would be exposed by him.
He had no choice but to tell the truth. He was silent for a long time after hearing it and finally said, “Don’t tell him that I know.”
Chu Fengqing pursed his lips, so he knew it from the beginning.
Then why did he go outside the Great Wall to look for his brother? Shouldn’t he spend more time with him?
He thought for a long time, and by chance he looked up and found the stars outside were shining brightly. He stood up and walked slowly to the window. When did just a few steps become so difficult?
His master has arrived, and the day for changing the prescription is just around the corner. He had already accepted it as an established reality, but now he feels a little scared.
He was afraid that if he really couldn’t bear it…
After thinking for a long time, Chu Fengqing walked to the desk, picked up a brush, and wrote a lagacy note. Although there was not much to explain, he always felt that he could not skip this step. He was a person who was not good at expressing himself, so he wrote down some things he could not say.
When he picked up the brush, his mind went blank. He raised his eyes slightly at the stars in the sky and put the brush down.
Never mind, it just adds to the sadness.
The night gradually deepened. When Ji Yujin arrived, Chu Fengqing was already asleep. He was in a bad mood now and always fell asleep without knowing it. For example, there was a book on his chest now. It seemed that he fell asleep while reading.
Ji Yujin took the book away quietly, turned off the light, and gently held the person in his arms. He didn’t sleep but just stared at him in the moonlight, as if he couldn’t look at him enough.
On the roof outside the room, Chu Feng held a jar of wine in his hand, tilted his head back, and took a sip. He didn’t care that the front of his clothes was soaked by the pouring wine. He leaned on the corner of the eaves, looking at the eternally bright moon. After looking for a while, he lowered his eyes to look into the room. He saw Ji Yujin walk in and rarely didn’t stop him.
They live on the edge of a knife. They have seen a lot of separations and deaths and always think they are numb, but it is often just because it is not that person. When they really meet an important person, dragons have reverse scales and people have soft spots. There is no such thing as numbness. As long as the heart is still beating, it will always hurt.
In the past two days, everyone has prepared everything, and Chu Fengqing has also prepared himself.
He took the pill from Ji Yujin’s hand. These were medicines to be taken before changing the prescription. They were all good stuff and might be able to save his life.
Chu Fengqing swallowed the pill and picked up another bowl of medicine from the tray.
It is turbid and smelly, and it is difficult to drink.
He looked at everyone. He had no idea that his parents’ temples had become frosted, Chu Yinyin had grown into a big girl, and Chu Feng was also as steady and reliable as ever.
He watched Chu Feng supporting his father, and in that instant, he suddenly understood Ji Yujin’s intention.
He turned to look at Ji Yujin, his eyes slightly red. He wanted to reassure him that no matter whether he succeeded or not, he would take care of his parents, sister, and elder brother.
As long as his family is here, he has no regrets.
If their identities were switched, he might not be able to do the same. He might be a selfish person. He just wanted to spend the last period of time with him instead of suppressing his fear and longing and traveling thousands of miles to find him.
Chu Fengqing stared at Ji Yujin, his clear eyes flushed red. He was most worried about Ji Yujin. The world was so big, it would be too lonely for him to face it alone.
He opened his lips, but before he could say the word “thank you”, Ji Yujin sealed it.
Ji Yujin stretched out his hand to hold the medicine, he leaned forward and kissed Chu Fengqing on the lips in full view of everyone.
He seemed to know what Chu Fengqing was going to say, so he spoke first.
Ji Yujin curled his lips and hung the auspicious beast he had carved around his waist. According to legend, this auspicious beast can bless the wearer with health and longevity.
He was dressed in red, just like when Chu Fengqing first saw him, and said with a smile, “Physician Chu, I’ll wait for you.”
Chu Fengqing was stunned for a moment. Ji Yujin slowly let go of the bowl of medicine. Although he was smiling, his eyes were clearly not smiling. It was as if he had endured something unbearable. “Be good, don’t be afraid. You will be fine after a good sleep.”
“The medicine may be a little bitter, but I have some candied fruit. Eat one after you finish drinking it.”
Chu Fengqing’s eyes felt a little hot. He lowered his eyes, and his straight black eyelashes hid the expression in his eyes. He slowly picked up the medicine.
He’s still a little scared, afraid that he’ll never see them again.
