After a long moment, Physician Ruan shook his head and replied, “All the medical skills in the world, can’t cure the heart.” 

Qiu Shu fell silent, only the crisp sounds of dead leaves rubbing against the ground mixed with the tiny sound of knives, scissors, and tweezers taking their turns clinking on the white stone table could be heard. Qiu Shu didn’t make a single sound of pain, in fact, a faint smile gradually appeared in his eyes. 

When he smiled, there was a faint light in his eyes, like a silent lake in the distant mountains that has been lonely for many many years. 

It was very troublesome to extract the crushed wax ball from the flesh and blood it was embedded in. It took a full hour before Physician Ruan finally said, “Done.”

Qiu Shu let out another smile. Physician Ruan looked up and saw that color of Qiu Shu’s neckline had darkened. It’s not hard to imagine that his clothes are probably wet inside and out. 

The bloody wax ball fell under the shadow of the two men’s palms. Xiao Dai (Gu Nan Yi) stood stoically 10 feet away. With him there, no one could get close without him noticing. 

The wax pill was broken to reveal a thin piece of paper. On the paper, the lines were drawn with a super-fine pen. The handwriting was very ugly and the lines were not straight but it was already impressive that a certain burly someone could use such fine pen to draw such thin lines. Of course, it was fortunate that the drawing was so small, allowing the wax ball to be tiny, easily hidden, or else it could not have been shoved into a cut. 

Two extremely intelligent men, used only one glance to memorize the content on the paper. Physician Ruan raised his hand to start packing up his medicine bag. By the time he moved aside the medicine bag, not only has the paper disappeared but not a single trace of the wax ball can be seen. 

 Qiu Shu got up and thanked Phyisican Ruan. Physician Ruan frankly invited him for a walk together and the three of them followed the road all the way to the inner courtyard before they went their separate way. 

Qiu Shu who headed to the study, carefully sorted the documents, prepared the ink, tidied up the desk, and dusted the bookshelves. Although he is the study boy but he has to follow all the protocols of serving the royals when it comes to serving Jin Siyu. The study boy can only clean and organize the study when Jin Siyu is not around. No one is allowed to be in the study when Jin Siyu is there. 

Jin Siyu likes to work at night. According to Jin Siyu’s rules, from 5pm to 7pm, the study boy must stay outside of the study. By then, the sky has completely darkened and the main kitchen has already finished serving meals. Every day, when Qiu Shu returns to his servant’s quarters he would be lucky to get a mouthful of cold food. Sometimes, he can only go hungry and wait until the next day’s breakfast. 

Right now it’s only three in the afternoon so there is plenty of time especially since Jin Siyu has never shown up at the study during this time. Qiu Shu took his time cleaning, looking at the books one by one on the long rows of bookshelves. 

There suddenly were sounds of footsteps, mixed with a soft and shy low laughter of a woman. 

The voice was so familiar that Qiu Shu who was standing in front of the bookshelf, froze in midmotion as if he was hit by lightning. 

A man’s low voice with a hint of laughter immediately followed, coming close to where he is very quickly, “Shao Yao (Zhi Wei), you were finally able to get more food in tonight. The physician said you need to walk around more, we might as well use this opportunity to have you come see where I work every day.” 

The woman laughed, her voice a bit muffled as if she was buried in someone’s arms, “What kind of walk is this? You should at least let me walk by myself…”

Both of their words were lighthearted, filled with joy. With his back to the door, Qiu Shu stood with his head lowered, listening quietly. 

The chattering voice coming close very quickly, Qiu Shu put down the duster a little stiffly. It’s not a good time anymore to walk out the door. It was said that once His Highness sees servants loitering around the study, he would immediately have them dragged out or have them beaten to death. Casting his eyes about, he ended up dodging behind the curtains that were behind the rows of bookshelves. 

*squeak* the door opened.

Ji Siyu with Wang Shaoyao in his arms stepped into the door. 

The porcelain lantern in the study cast its light over the whole room. 

At the door, a smiling man exuding the air of gentleness walks in holding a woman seemingly as fragile as a feather.

His hands supported her back and knees, her head rested on his chest, her long skirt hanging down, her body draped with his cape. Her posture of slightly tilted head with a soft smile was like a flower that was almost broken by the wind that is basking in the warm sun that is his gaze. 

Jin Siyu carried her all the way to the day bed that sits in front of the bookshelves. He laid the cape on it first before placing her on the day bed, then brought over a blanket to cover her with. As if he was afraid that she wasn’t comfortable enough, he adjusted the pillows she was leaning against several times. Allowing him to adjust her at will, her eyes were clear and at ease. 

Looking from the gap between the bookshelf curtains, Jin Siyu’s eyes sparkled in the candlelight, his eyes gentle and focused as he gazed at her. 

If it wasn’t for all the guards inside and out, or the traps, or the neverending testings, or the restraint placed on her by some unknown person– this would be the perfect picture of a couple deeply in love. 

(I believe the restraint mentioned here is about the secret “lock” some unknown person had placed inside our heroine’s body with regards to her internal energy for martial art. This “lock” has existed way before Jin Siyu showed up so it wouldn’t be his doing.)

Under the candlelight, Jin Siyu carefully arranged her hair. He carefully bundled together her long black hair and let them hang down behind the day bed so they would not be in danger of being crushed. 

The day bed has always been placed in front of the bookshelves. 

Behind the bookshelves, between the curtains, through the gap of the books, he stared at that long hair. 

The long hair was very beautiful, thin, and smooth like water. He stared at the hair as if he was in a trance, remembering that since they met, he has really rarely seen her with her hair down as a girl– she was always dressed as a man, servant, student, an official, a young uprising minister…he has seen many many sides of her, all as a young man with outstanding talent and intelligence, none of them the current her. 

Soft and fragile, blossoming in another man’s arms. 

The wind sneaked in through the crack in the window, lightly toying with the tips of her hair, causing him to recall how that hair had dripped with water when they first met- with hair in hand, standing in the pound, staring at him with misty eyes. 

At that time, her hair was shiny black, like the finest black silk. Today, her hair is still long but the luster at the tip has dulled some. After such a long illness, even with light makeup her hair still exposed the truth of how weak she is. 

A few of the longest hairs swayed gently, so close that it seemed he could catch them if he would just reach out his hand. Yet, he was silent in the shadow, not breathing, let alone moving his fingers.

Harvesting before the time will only destroy the flowers on the branches. 

In these kinda novels, all good fighters can hold their breath for long periods of time. By the way, you guys do not want to miss next week… let’s just say I am certain you guys will all agree with me it is a huge crime the drama didn’t include this next scene.  

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