Qi Wen stared wide-eyed. "Really?!"
But then he hesitated. "If you take over the watch, what about the medical clinic? I don't know how to treat patients."
Ye Wanmian thought for a moment and said, "You'll only arouse suspicion if you're absent for three consecutive days. Open the clinic as usual today. Put up a sign at the door saying 'The doctor is ill. Only dispense medicine today, no consultations.' You can rest outside. I'll ask Dahuang to keep an eye. If anyone comes, let it call you. Come back to relieve me after nightfall."
Afraid that Ye Wanmian might change her mind, Qi Wen thrust the rice soup into her hands, left a hasty "It's up to you" and rushed off. Upon Ye Wanmian's instruction, Dahuang also got up and chased after him.
The porcelain bowl was still slightly warm. A drop of the soup splashed onto Ye Wanmian's hand because of Qi Wen's hasty movement.
She took out a handkerchief and wiped off the sticky rice juice, then turned to look at the man lying quietly on the bed with steady breathing.
Watching over Xiao Jingcheng was not just about preventing the three life lamps from going out. Although he was unconscious, his physical signs were normal, and he still needed to eat and relieve himself like a normal person.
But there was a difference between men and women. Ye Wanmian could take his pulse and administer acupuncture, but she would never serve him when he needed to relieve himself.
Fortunately, Qi Wen had always taken care of these things, sparing Ye Wanmian many opportunities to get too close to Xiao Jingcheng. If she hadn't seen Qi Wen looking so haggard from all this, she wouldn't have been so kind as to take over.
The three lamps had to burn for three days. According to the time, they wouldn't go out until at least midnight tonight. After nightfall, Qi Wen would take over, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
Ye Wanmian stirred the rice soup with a spoon, then sat down by the bed and leaned over slightly to feed him.
Ye Wanmian had made this rice soup herself, adding millet, red dates and tremella. It smelled fragrant and was more nutritious than ordinary rice soup. Xiao Jingcheng seemed to like it very much. As soon as the spoon got close, his lips parted easily.
The rice soup flowed into his mouth through the gap. His previously still Adam's apple rolled up and down as he swallowed it under the remaining will of his body.
But he couldn't eat on his own. Although he swallowed the rice soup in his mouth, some saliva mixed with the soup still dribbled from the corner of his mouth. Ye Wanmian quickly took out her handkerchief and leaned over to wipe it for him.
This movement brought her closer to Xiao Jingcheng. The flames of the three life lamps flickered gently. She didn't know that a faint fragrance was wafting from her body and fingertips, drilling into his nostrils and reaching the depths of his soul.
...
Xiao Jingcheng gradually regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he found himself seemingly at the bottom of a body of water. His body was swaying slightly from side to side.
Warm yellow light shone down from above, refracted by the flowing water into sparkling patches of light, looking magnificent, serene and warm.
He tried to move his limbs. The feeling of being confined was long gone. But strangely, no matter how hard he paddled, he couldn't swim out of this water area.
Although he had left that dark place, he was now trapped here instead, which made him a little restless.
He didn't know how much time had passed, nor could he see the change of day and night. Fortunately, he could still feel his heartbeat, so he counted copper coins silently according to the rhythm of his heartbeat.
I don't know how long it had been. When he had counted to the 100,000th copper coin, a familiar, delicate fragrance mixed with the scent of cherry blossoms and grass suddenly reached his nostrils.
Among the sparkling lights in the water, a shadow flashed by.
He turned his head and saw that there was suddenly a graceful woman at the bottom of the water, whose skin was as white as snow. The woman was only wearing a pink corset and pure white underpants.
She swam in the water like a fish. Her long hair floated behind her like seaweed. Her slender waist swayed gently with the waves. Her moving hands were as dexterous as satin ribbons. The light flowed over her body, and her shining white skin was like the finest silk, easily capturing people's hearts.
For some reason, he could never see her face clearly. But from the moment she appeared, he could hear his heartbeat getting louder than before.
The woman seemed to have noticed him and swam towards him, wriggling her waist. Xiao Jingcheng felt his heartbeat becoming heavy and fast, so fast that he could hardly breathe.
The woman hovered in front of him, stretched out her hands like white lotus roots and gently held his face. Her soft fingers landed on his lips and wiped them gently. It wasn't an intimate gesture, but it seemed very affectionate.
Even though they were so close, he still couldn't see her face clearly, but he could smell the fragrance that had haunted his dreams.
He also saw a red mole on her beautiful collarbone, which was particularly eye-catching against her white satin-like skin, tempting people to reach out and find out.
He thought so and did so. But the woman seemed to have known what was on his mind. She swam backward at an extremely fast speed, instantly putting a distance between them.
Don't go.
Xiao Jingcheng was anxious. He waved his limbs desperately and swam towards her. The woman was light and agile. Every time his fingers were about to touch her, she would deliberately put some distance between them.
He didn't notice that his chasing actions were making him get closer and closer to the "surface of the lake". It wasn't until the light in front of him became brighter and brighter, and there were no longer silent sounds in his ears, but gradually some noises.
There were the rustling sounds of clothes rubbing against each other, the shallow breathing sounds, and the "ding-dong" sound of something hitting the ceramic.
The glaring light suddenly became stronger. He instinctively closed his eyes. Besides the pleasant fragrance in his nostrils, there was also the fragrant smell of delicious food that made people salivate.
It was a very strange feeling that made him open his eyes. At first, there was a dazzling light in front of him. Then the light faded, and what came into view was a plain bed curtain and a woman's sallow and rough face.
Was it her?
He lifted his somewhat heavy arm and accurately grabbed her slender wrist. The real and delicate touch of her skin came from his palm. He moved his lips.
I've got you.
His Adam's apple rolled up and down, and a long-lost sigh escaped from his lips.
...
Caught off guard by the sudden grasp on her wrist, Ye Wanmian was startled at first, and then she realized what had happened.
She looked up and, sure enough, met the man's glass-like eyes again. There was also a faint sigh from the man that was almost inaudible in her ears.
But compared to the coldness when he suddenly opened his eyes last time, his eyes were now filled with confusion, blank like two pieces of white paper.
Was he awake?!
The life lamps hadn't burned for three days yet. There were still several hours to go. Why did he... wake up early?
Ye Wanmian's heart was pounding, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on her palms. But after the last time she was scared, she was much calmer now. She steadied herself, put down the bowl in her left hand, and waved in front of the man's eyes.
Seeing the man's eyes move left and right following her movement and his eyelashes blink, Ye Wanmian instinctively gasped.
He was really awake!
But why didn't he speak?
"You..." She licked her lips, wanting to say something to break the awkwardness. "How do you feel?"
The man blinked his eyes, and his gaze fell on her face again. Then he did something that made Ye Wanmian's hair stand on end.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, buried his face in her neck, rubbed his nose against her gently, and sniffed like a puppy!