Chapter 123: Taking Care
When Zhou Wangshu woke up, he was soaking in the bathtub.
The feverish him soaking in the water eased much of the tearing pain in his body.
He raised his gaze and immediately saw Su Yaoguang’s figure.
Splash! He covered his body and said angrily and embarrassedly, “Why are you here?”
Su Yaoguang turned around at the sound of his voice, strode over, and said, “Awake? Feeling better now?”
“You… don’t you avoid suspicion?”
Su Yaoguang stuffed a pill into his mouth and fed him water: “Little brat, you’re so young, why think so much?”
“I’m only two years younger than you, how am I little?” Zhou Wangshu was somewhat unconvinced.
“Not just two years younger, even two days younger is still little!” Su Yaoguang wiped his sweat with a towel. “Tell me, how did you manage to get yourself like this?”
Zhou Wangshu frowned: “That illness came on suddenly and was particularly aggressive. I didn’t expect it wouldn’t even give time to catch a breath.”
“What about the medicinal herbs I prepared for you before?”
“The day I returned to the academy, I saw several scholars fighting. As I was heading back to my room, they rushed over and knocked over all my luggage. The medicine fell right into the well and sank.” Zhou Wangshu leaned there, clutching his chest, and said uncomfortably, “It feels so bad. Will this medicine work?”
“Bear with it a bit.” Su Yaoguang said, “You’re soaking in a medicinal bath, and you just took a pill. Now you need to expel the poison from your body. Once those unclean things are out, you’ll be fine. Once your illness is cured, I’ll have someone notify Jiang Jing, then offer the prescription to the government office, so they can arrange doctors to treat the infected people. It hasn’t been tested properly yet, so no one would believe it if offered now.”
“You’re treating me as a drug tester?” Zhou Wangshu looked at her resentfully.
“Well, not really…” Su Yaoguang pressed his shoulder. “But it needs someone to test it to gain trust!”
Those slender fingers pressed on Zhou Wangshu’s shoulder. He felt somewhat uneasy, patted the back of her hand, and said awkwardly, “No improper contact between men and women.”
“This is a technique Jiang Jing taught me. I’ve only used it on my mother before. Now you’re disgusted? Fine, no pressing then, saves me the trouble.” Su Yaoguang said, no longer looking at Zhou Wangshu, and continued tidying the room.
Zhou Wangshu wouldn’t forget the days he’d just endured. Not to mention the uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea from the illness, just lying there immobile for days with body odor was disgusting enough. Yet, she had cleaned the room for him and made it so tidy. Moreover, she had even taken on bathing him.
She really was…
Treating him like a younger brother.
Zhou Wangshu looked down at his own body.
Though he was two years younger than her, his build was much taller. Not only that, he was stronger and taller than most men, looking every bit a mature man.
“Is the water temperature okay?” Su Yaoguang asked while stirring the porridge in the pot. “If it’s cold, tell me, and I’ll add more water.”
“You’re cooking in the room?”
“The meals in the kitchen are all the same. I’ve eaten two, really don’t want more, so I made something I feel like eating. You can only have porridge; I boiled some for you.”
Zhou Wangshu sniffed the air and smelled the aroma of roasted meat.
He looked toward the table and saw many pieces of roasted meat already on the plate there.
“I’m the patient, and you’re making me drink porridge while you eat roasted meat alone.” Fine if eating, but having to eat it in front of him was too cruel.
Hearing his aggrieved voice, Su Yaoguang smiled and pinched his cheek: “How are you so cute?”
Zhou Wangshu covered his body and glared at her: “Are you really a young lady?”
The shop assistant’s voice came from outside: “Miss Su, the vegetables you ordered have arrived.”
Su Yaoguang opened the door, took the basket from the shop assistant, and handed over two taels of silver ingots.
The shop assistant quickly declined: “Miss, you’ve given us enough these past few days.”
“The rain hasn’t stopped yet! I haven’t gone out, but I know grain can’t get through, and the grain shop’s prices must have risen again. You have family too; keep it to buy some grain!”
“Thank you, miss. Thank you.”
The shop assistants at the academy were on short-term contracts, working as long as the headmaster needed. Usually, when there was little work, they were sent back, and recruited again when busy. Because they needed this work, the scholars at the academy bossed them around constantly, with only a few kind-hearted scholars treating them politely.
These days they’d been working day and night, their daily labor far exceeding their wages, but the academy people didn’t notice and still thought they weren’t doing enough.
Su Yaoguang’s kind deeds were warm enough for these shop assistants, so these days they all liked coming to her. Her generosity was one thing; more importantly, they got respect here.
“By the way, Miss Su, that young lady who came in with you really can’t take care of people. She boiled medicine for Xiao Scholar and ruined the pot. She cooked for Xiao Scholar and burned the rice. She tried cleaning the room but made it worse. She wanted help, but we were all so busy, how could we spare anyone? She went to the uninfected scholars, but at this time they wouldn’t approach the sick. Not just them—even we shop assistants serving everywhere, they kept their distance, afraid we’d catch it and pass it to them. That young lady has made quite a few jokes lately!”
“What about Xiao Ci? How is he?”
“He…”
Zhou Wangshu coughed lightly: “The water’s cold.”
Su Yaoguang heard Zhou Wangshu, waved her hand: “Wait.”
She hadn’t finished hearing the drama opposite yet!
Zhou Wangshu said aggrievedly: “The water’s cold; I’ll catch a common cold.”
Su Yaoguang turned back and glared at him: “You’re the fussy one.”
Zhou Wangshu: “…I’m fussy? I’m the patient.”
What exactly did she come for?
She wanted to know about Xiao Ci’s situation so much, why not go take care of him instead of coming here?
Also, she kept saying she disliked Xiao Ci—why pay so much attention to him? Didn’t she think her concern for Xiao Ci was a bit excessive?
Hearing that Jiang Yihuan and Xiao Ci weren’t doing well, Su Yaoguang’s mood became very good.
While adding water for Zhou Wangshu, she hummed a little tune and asked him smilingly: “How’s the water temperature, Young Master?”
“It’s fine.”
Su Yaoguang’s gaze lingered on the scars on Zhou Wangshu’s body.
When she rescued him before, she noticed many marks on his body. Not long ago when making scar removal cream, she gave him several bottles, wanting him to apply them to his scars.
But from the depth of the scars, he clearly hadn’t used the scar removal cream. If he had, there wouldn’t be zero change.
