Chapter 71: Overthinking is a Useless Thing
Chapter 71: Overthinking is a Useless Thing
That was a wrong thought to have. Much too harsh.
Lady Fang fell silent for a moment.
"Zhenzhen, it was me who was being rude. I’m not doubting you; please do not be oversensitive," she said. "It’s Jinxiu and them. They don’t know what you’re doing. I am sorry if my disrespectful words offended you.
"I’m not oversensitive or defensive. Everything is within my expectations. There is no benefit gained from them knowing the truth," answered Miss Jun. "There is no need for them to know the truth. As long as Grandmother and Aunt know, everything will proceed as planned. As for their misunderstanding, just wait till everything is revealed, and then they will understand."
If this had happened earlier, no matter what she said, Miss Jun would still have caused a fuss with the sisters and the servants. Even if she apologized and consoled her, she would have been chased out in anger.
As of now, she was truly much more fair and reasonable.
It seems dying once is pretty good… Lady Fang thought to herself.
"Still, I think that even so, your enemy will still be suspicious," said Miss Jun. "So Little Cousin should not let other people see him getting better all at once. Otherwise…"
She snatched up a sprig decorating the table and snapped it.
Otherwise they definitely wouldn’t give her the chance to cure him.
Lady Fang grew solemn.
The one harming Chengyu was neither human nor ghost.
"I want to see him personally," she said, gritting her teeth.
...
Night fell. The servants left of their own, not needing Liu’er’s scolding.
Time was merciless. Half a month was not enough to drain the servant girls’ resentment.
Well, there was never a way for that to happen to begin with.
The servant girls reported that Miss Jun and her servant were unreasonable. Fang Jinxiu had sent people to look after Fang Chengyu, but they all had been cursed out shamelessly by the servant girl Liu’er.
And Old Lady Fang and Lady Fang seemed to be turning a blind eye to what was happening.
Their silence was endorsement. When the family showed their support, other people would talk.
When the servant girls arrived at the entrance, Miss Jun was also coming in. During the day, she would rarely appear in front of Fang Chengyu, only returning during the night.
This was the so-called ‘Young Lady looking after the Young Master from now on.’
No matter how meticulously they took care of him during the day, it couldn’t match up against the torment Young Lady subjected him to at night.
News of pinpricks in Young Master’s body had spread.
Now, Young Master had no strength to even sit up.
The servant girls watched Miss Jun step in from the corners of their eyes. The door shut behind her.
The sound of water splashing. Once surrounded by water, the familiar stinging returned. Fang Chengyu closed his eyes.
"How does it feel?" Miss Jun asked with interest.
Since the time she had said he couldn't hang himself, this child hadn’t said anything when thrown into the bath. At least, he did not say anything deliberately provocative.
"Very nice," Fang Chengyu answered politely. "I think my body is much better."
Miss Jun sat next to the bath, watching this young man who wore an expression of enjoyment.
In reality, there was so much pain that someone watching couldn't imagine.
"Have you been unwell these years?" she asked.
Fang Chengyu opened his eyes.
"Being unwell and being well can only be known if you can differentiate the two. Older Cousin, since I can remember I have been this way, so I cannot say that I feel unwell." He smiled. Then regretfully added, "So I’m very sorry that my answer has disappointed you."
This child looked warm and polite, but his words were barbed.
Miss Jun smiled.
"What do you want to do after you are cured?" she asked.
Fang Chengyu shook his head.
"Older Cousin, a person without a future does not think of the future, otherwise they cannot keep on living," he said. "In this respect, I’m worse than Older Cousin."
Miss Jun smiled again.
"You child." After she spoke, she felt some frustration.
This child was born into such suffering. He looked as if he had risen above it, but he was still sorrowful and resentful. His body and mind had continuously suffered this torment.
And her original Little Brother? His only mistake was to be born with his identity.
He was still young and did not understand anything. Elder Sister had been pushed to the side. Who knew how she had been taught.
Miss Jun felt her heart sting, and she inhaled deeply.
What Fang Chengyu said was right.
"You really do not need to think much about the future," she said emotionally.
Fang Chengyu’s eyes closed as he sunk down in the bath.
It really was going well. He could maintain consciousness much longer now..
Miss Jun hauled him from the bath. She took off his wet clothes and dried his body. She took out her acupuncture needles and focused on placing them.
When Fang Chengyu woke up, it was noon. Two servant girls were standing in the room. When they saw him awake, they elatedly wiped their tears.
"Young Master, do you want to eat something?" they asked hurriedly.
Fang Chengyu sighed internally.
"Young Master, you should eat something. Even a little bit is fine," they urged, choked up with emotion.
Fang Chengyu did not say anything. Suddenly, his expression froze as he felt something was not right.
"Young Master?" one of the girls called out nervously, then thought of something. "Do you want to relieve yourself? Servant will wait on you…"
Although Fang Chengyu could move his arms, he basically could not take care of himself.
According to what he was used to in the past, he should relieve himself when he woke up.
The servant girls rushed to get the chamber pot. One of them was about to lift up his quilt.
But Fang Chengyu said "No need," and caught the hand touching his quilt.
The servants were momentarily stunned.
"I’ll do it myself," he announced.
Do it himself? Young Master could only move his arms and upper body. Doing it himself would be impossible?
The servants hesitated.
Fang Chengyu had propped himself up.
"Give it to me." His voice betrayed his impatience.
Although Young Master had a sickly body, he rarely became angry. The servants did not dare oppose him and hastily passed him the chamber pot.
If it got dirty, they would just exchange it for a new one. There would be no harm done.
Or so the the girls were thinking. At most Liu’er would mock them and pinch their noses. Anyways, Miss Jun never liked the young master. If this would make her ignore the young master more, then at night, perhaps she wouldn’t continue to torture him.
As their imaginations ran wild, Fang Chengyu had already grabbed the chamber pot.
He actually did not dirty the clothes or bedding?
"Withdraw," Fang Chengyu ordered, his voice hoarse.
The two servant girls exchanged glances. Not daring and not willing to go against Young Master, they stepped back.
The room resumed its silence.
Fang Chengyu lay on his bed with a complicated expression. He was excited and pleasantly surprised, but more than that, he was filled with mockery for himself.
So that was this woman’s goal all along, or maybe he should say Grandmother and Mother’s goal.
"Chengyu, do you feel anything different somewhere?"
Fang Chengyu thought of what Grandmother and Mother had asked nervously and hopefully the day before yesterday.
Somewhere?
As the only male heir of the Fang Family, that was the only part of him that was useful.
Fang Chengyu smiled, a smile of loneliness.
Since it was like that, then it should be like that. This was mutual affection among kin.
At the end of the second month, Yangcheng was still cold, but many girls had changed into their spring wear. Of course, the rich ones could afford to use hand stoves tucked into the sleeves of their thick cloaks, as well as go to places warm as spring from the fire. Even in the carriages.
A burst of girls’ laughter decorated the air. The doors were pulled open, and in walked a group of gorgeously dressed young women.
The girls sitting in the room stood up to receive them.
"Yanyan, it truly has been a long time since I’ve seen you."
Everybody surrounding Ning Yunyan, who had walked into the center, exclaimed pleasantries.