SGEIRS -Chapter 397 Are You Playing Me?

“Lord Wei, the Marquis still hasn’t woken up since last night.”

After speaking, Meng Jinyao couldn’t help but burst into tears. Even her voice began to choke with sobs.

“He was perfectly fine the day before yesterday, and yesterday he became like this. I don’t even know what to do anymore. His fever just won’t go down. I’m really afraid something bad might happen…”

Her gaze shifted to Gu Jingxi lying on the bed, and she continued, “Before dawn today, the doctor came again. He said there was nothing else he could do and could only follow the original prescription. Before you arrived, the Marquis had just taken a bowl of medicine, but the fever still hasn’t gone down. It probably isn’t working either. I trouble Lord Wei to tell me where that divine physician is. Whether it works or not, we have to try.”

By the end, she was sobbing softly, tears falling like broken pearls as she looked at her unconscious husband, anxious and helpless.

In front of others, she had completely lost her usual composure and gentleness. She now looked like nothing more than a wife genuinely terrified of losing her husband.

Seeing this, Lord Wei’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, finally settled.

A young wife in her teens couldn’t handle major affairs. No matter how dignified she usually was, she would panic when something serious happened.

He comforted her, “Madam Gu, don’t worry. From what I see, Marquis Gu’s condition isn’t too serious. The doctor I know should be able to help him recover quickly. When my mother was ill, none of the other doctors could cure her—only he could.”

He wasn’t really lying. He did know of a highly skilled physician in Hangzhou Prefecture. Hangzhou wasn’t far from Huzhou, so if someone went to fetch him now, he could arrive within the day.

Mei Qingyun also comforted her, “Madam Gu, people who rarely get sick often fall more seriously ill when they do. But Marquis Gu is blessed by fate—nothing will happen to him. After a few more doses of medicine, he’ll surely recover.”

As soon as she said this, Lord Wei frowned slightly and shot his wife an unhappy glance, as if to say: So you know he rarely gets sick?

Mei Qingyun ignored him and continued, “Madam Gu, didn’t Marquis Gu go to Deqing County to visit his elders? He fell ill right after returning, didn’t he? I heard the county office there is plagued by ghosts. Could it be that he was entangled by something unclean?”

Meng Jinyao was stunned.

“G-Ghosts?”

Mei Qingyun nodded lightly.

“It’s normal that you haven’t heard of it, since you’re in the capital. The previous two magistrates of Deqing County both died because of those unclean things. If Marquis Gu has been entangled by them, seeing a doctor probably won’t help much. You’ll need talismans from a temple to drive away evil spirits. I was planning to go to a temple to burn incense and pray for my elders in the next few days anyway. Why don’t we go together? We can keep each other company on the way.”

Hearing this, Lord Wei’s heart tightened.

Thinking of what this madwoman had said last night, he feared she might find a chance to be alone with Meng Jinyao and say something inappropriate.

He quickly interrupted, “Madam, what nonsense are you talking about? How can there be ghosts in this world? The most important thing now is to find a reliable doctor. We can’t delay treatment because of rumors.”

Mei Qingyun replied weakly, “Some things… it’s better to believe they exist than to believe they don’t.”

Meng Jinyao looked hesitant and said after a moment, “Let’s have the divine physician take a look first. If he doesn’t improve, then we can go to the temple later.”

Lord Wei finally relaxed.

“I’ll send someone to fetch the doctor immediately. He’ll arrive before nightfall.”

Meng Jinyao was deeply grateful.

“Thank you for your trouble, Lord Wei.”

Lord Wei replied gently, “No need to be polite. Marquis Gu and I are old acquaintances. We met back when I was in the capital. Seeing him like this worries me as well.”

After offering more words of comfort and seeing that Meng Jinyao had calmed down, he took his leave.

But Mei Qingyun said, “Husband, why don’t you go back first? I’ll stay and keep Madam Gu company.”

Lord Wei frowned and scolded her, “Madam, Madam Gu needs to take care of Marquis Gu now. You’ll only cause trouble if you stay.”

Mei Qingyun hesitated.

“I…”

Meng Jinyao looked at the couple thoughtfully, then said, “Lord Wei, my husband is like this now, and there are no elders here. I’m completely at a loss. If Madam Wei stays with me, I’ll be very grateful. How would that be causing trouble?”

Lord Wei felt stifled with anger.

He thought Meng Jinyao was truly foolish. What normal person would let her husband’s former fiancée stay by her side? Wasn’t she afraid of ulterior motives?

Mei Qingyun smiled gently.

“Husband, you should go back first.”

With no other choice, Lord Wei left. Before going, he shot Mei Qingyun a warning glance.

She ignored it and even returned a provocative smile, making him so angry that he nearly lost control on the spot.

Whenever Lord Wei wasn’t around, Mei Qingyun became a considerate and gentle woman. She chatted with Meng Jinyao and tried to distract her.

By noon, a maid came to report that Gu Jingxi’s fever had subsided and he had regained consciousness.

Meng Jinyao was overjoyed and immediately went to see her husband.

Mei Qingyun was very tactful. To avoid suspicion, she took her leave and did not follow.

When she returned home, she saw her husband with a dark expression and couldn’t help laughing softly.

“Husband, why do you look so unhappy? Who upset you?”

Lord Wei dismissed the maids and closed the door, then pinched her chin and said in a low voice,

“Mei Qingyun, are you crazy? If something happens to me, do you think you can escape unscathed?”

Mei Qingyun admired his furious expression, her smile deepening.

“Husband, are you that afraid of losing your official hat? That afraid of death? If you’re so scared, why did you bring me along today? Husband, try to see things more openly. Everyone dies eventually. Does it really matter when and how?”

Hearing this, Lord Wei’s heart raced. He glared at her darkly and said through clenched teeth, “Mei Qingyun, you’re a lunatic. What exactly did you say to Madam Gu?”

Seeing the tension and fear on his face, she seemed quite satisfied.

Only then did she reply casually, “Nothing much. I just comforted Madam Gu and invited her to visit our residence sometime. Oh, right—Marquis Gu’s fever is gone and he’s awake. Madam Gu said there’s no need to invite the divine physician anymore, but she still asked me to thank you.”

After being toyed with like this, Lord Wei snapped angrily, “Were you playing me?”

Mei Qingyun chuckled.

“Husband, how can you say that? You’re the one who misunderstood.”

Lord Wei was so furious he could barely speak.

“You—!”

Mei Qingyun turned her head away and stopped looking at him.

When she learned that Gu Jingxi had woken up, she had once thought about going to see him and telling him everything her husband had done.

In the end, she backed down.

She probably wasn’t tired of living yet.

She was like a desperado, repeatedly leaping on the edge of death.

The things she had said to Meng Jinyao today contained some hidden clues. But even if she said them, it was useless.

No one could hear the deeper meaning in her words.