Just last night, it had been so feverish that even the breath they exhaled felt scorching hot.
Now, after a night had passed, the bathing room stood unattended.
The water-heating stones had long since gone cold; the billowing steam had dissipated entirely, leaving only a pool of water hidden in the gloom.
Perhaps because Fu Rong had made prior arrangements, Jiang Yue could dimly discern several blocks of ice floating in the water.
Even standing at the door of the bathing room, one could feel the chilling seep of that pool.
Fu Rong lifted her chin and gestured toward the pool. While she still wore a smile, her tone carried an undeniable command: "Get in."
Jiang Yue did not understand what she intended to do, so she simply glanced at the pool and stood still, refusing to move.
It was only early spring, and the snow in the nearby mountains had not yet melted. The maid's uniform she wore was still a cotton-padded jacket, yet even standing outside for this short while, she was already shivering all over.
The breath she exhaled still carried a mist of white.
If she were to go down and soak in that ice-cold pool, she feared she would be left with half a life before she could even climb back out.
"If this servant goes down and catches a cold, what shall we do tonight?"
Hearing her use their nighttime intimacies as an excuse, Fu Rong froze for a moment, but then she wrapped her cloak tighter around herself and said coldly: "I am feigning a cold to receive treatment in the room, and I need you to hide behind the curtains in my stead. If you don't go down and freeze, how can I justify it if the imperial physician discovers 'I' don't actually have a cold?"
As she spoke, she reached out to stroke the red marks on Jiang Yue’s neck, her smile deepening as she covered her lips: "Even if Xiao Yunsheng is impetuous, he wouldn't go so far as to engage in such lewd acts if he knew 'I' had a cold."
Hearing her words, Jiang Yue stiffened.
She couldn't grasp why Fu Rong would need her to stand in for a simple pulse-reading...
Unless... Fu Rong suffered from some other hidden ailment.
As the thought crossed her mind, Jiang Yue couldn't help but lift her eyes to peek at the person standing before her.
"Tonight, I will let you see your sister."
Her expression suddenly tightened.
The thought that had just formed was completely suppressed by Fu Rong's flippant remark.
Even though she hated this manipulative, threatening behavior of hers, Jiang Yue struggled for a moment before clenching her fists, staring at the pool, and drawing a deep breath.
She stepped forward and slowly submerged herself.
The biting cold plunged her into darkness; she hugged her arms, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.
Fu Rong stood at the edge, eyebrows raised, weighing the marks on her skin with two fingers, occasionally letting out a faint, elusive laugh before wiping her fingertips with a handkerchief.
Her snow-white skin was covered in marks again. They were better than the first time, but Jiang Yue’s skin was delicate, and any extra pressure left red bruises that would linger for two or three days.
Fu Rong looked at her with contempt and a cold sneer, feeling disappointed that she hadn't seen Jiang Yue suffer more.
She had only listened for a moment last night, but she could distinguish whether those blush-inducing sounds were of pleasure or pain.
"I couldn't tell you were so adept at serving a man. When you were at the Marquis Manor, such a talent of yours was truly wasted."
Hearing the mockery in her tone, Jiang Yue lowered her eyes, enduring the humiliation.
A faint, metallic tang of blood rose in her throat.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she finally heard Fu Rong tell her to get out.
Jiang Yue shifted between cold and heat, her small face flushed as if scalded.
Her body was stiff with cold, and she had to use both hands and feet to climb out of the pool.
Fu Rong had hidden somewhere out of sight.
Jiang Yue managed to dress herself and had just climbed onto the bed when she heard a commotion in the courtyard.
Xiao Yunsheng had returned to the mansion with an imperial physician, hurriedly sent word to the Old Madame, and brought the physician straight to this courtyard.
She had barely pulled the bed curtains shut when she saw Xiao Yunsheng’s figure standing at the head of the bed.
He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to pull the curtain open.
"Husband, I am too haggard to be seen. Let us proceed with the pulse-reading as it is."
Her voice was thick with a nasal tone, which successfully made Xiao Yunsheng pause.
As she spoke, a small hand reached out.
The fingers were slender and fair, the protruding wrist bone making her appear even thinner, and a small, perfectly round mole sat upon it, adding a touch of charm.
In the dim shadows behind the curtains, one could only see the silhouette of a body lying on the bed. Xiao Yunsheng felt a vague sense that something was wrong, but the round mole on her wrist could not be fake.
Having felt the pulse, the imperial physician stroked his beard and pondered for a long time.
Jiang Yue held her breath.
She had heard of expert doctors who could judge a person's age, appearance, and identity simply by their pulse, and she feared her own pulse would betray her.
"Madame is suffering from wind-heat brought on by a cold. While I can prescribe medicine to dispel the wind and fever, if you do not find a way to force the cold energy out of your system, I fear you may suffer during your monthly cycles in the future. Also..."
He paused, looking at Xiao Yunsheng with an odd expression, and after a moment of hesitation, he spoke slowly.
"The Madame's body is fundamentally sound, but... perhaps due to long-term anxiety and a pre-existing depletion of qi, combined with overly vigorous marital relations recently and a lack of rest, one must be aware that the union of yin and yang must be practiced in moderation to avoid harming the body."
Jiang Yue’s face turned crimson instantly; she was so embarrassed she wanted to cover her ears. Her wrist trembled, and she longed to pull it back inside the curtain in front of everyone.
She stuttered, unsure how to respond.
"Yes, I will certainly follow the physician's orders."
As she turned her head, she met Xiao Yunsheng’s gaze from outside the curtain.
His clear, gentle eyes had darkened into a deep ink, and perhaps sensing her gaze behind the curtain, a faint, elegant smile touched his lips, adding a refined charm he did not usually possess.
Jiang Yue felt even hotter than before. Her heart pounded, her brain felt like mush, and she was left speechless.
Fortunately, the curtains blocked them, and those outside could not see her expression.
Jiang Yue’s tense body slowly began to relax.
"I will prescribe some dietary remedies. Once Madame has recovered from the cold, you may take them according to the formula. As for the Cold Affliction, you should use methods to keep warm and induce sweating. I recall the General's Mansion has a hot spring; you could have the Madame take more medicinal baths."
Since nothing else had been diagnosed, this hurdle was cleared.
As for the Cold Affliction—
Fearing that her short soak wouldn't achieve the desired effect, Fu Rong had hidden large blocks of ice in the pool earlier, leaving her hands and feet so numb they had lost all sensation.
It was no surprise she had been left with a lingering illness.
Jiang Yue just wanted to get the medical consultation over with as quickly as possible. She coughed a few times, covered her lips, and mumbled, "Thank you, Imperial Physician."
After much difficulty, the physician finished writing the prescription and gave a long list of instructions.
Jiang Yue’s head was buzzing, feeling as heavy as if it were weighed down by lead.
She feared that if it dragged on for another moment, she would lose consciousness.
Eventually, Xiao Yunsheng escorted the physician out of the room.
He wouldn't be back for a while.
Jiang Yue steadied herself, just about to seize the chance to slip out and swap back with Fu Rong.
A creak sounded from the side door.
Xiao Yunsheng had returned from outside; he pushed the door open and walked straight to the bedside.
His tall, slender frame stood by the bed, and he paused.
Suddenly, he leaned down, reached through the bed curtains, and thrust his hand inside.