Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!

Chapter 548 - 547: Sleep Beside Me

After Zhu Yu changed her clothes, she returned refreshed from behind the screen and went to check on Lu Qing near the bed, but he had already fallen into a deep sleep again.

Zhu Yu tried to take Lu Qing’s pulse. She couldn’t accurately determine it like Yan Daoxin, and could only gauge his general condition from the pulse.

Lu Qing’s pulse was slightly weaker than usual but was generally stable.

It seemed that what he said earlier was not merely to comfort people. The guard truly took care not to inflict excessive harm when administering the beating, and judging by the situation, it didn’t hurt his organs, causing life-threatening internal injuries.

Yet, even without internal injuries, the amount of blood from the torn skin was indeed considerable, and people tend to become drowsy after losing blood, hence Lu Qing was now sleepily slumbering, barely conscious.

Zhu Yu didn’t want to disturb him. Seeing there was a bookshelf near the desk on the other side of the bedroom, filled with a variety of books, she randomly picked one that interested her and sat by the desk, reading by the light of the oil lamp.

In the evening, Liu Yueyao indeed sent a sumptuous dinner over. Zhu Yu woke Lu Qing up and helped him slightly prop up his upper body to feed him some egg custard and similar items.

Though she had been ravenously hungry earlier, Zhu Yu herself didn’t eat much this meal. Perhaps due to having been through too many ordeals, and after the bath to refresh, she felt even more tired as her stomach was now filled.

She approached the bed intending to cover Lu Qing’s uninjured parts with the blanket, planning to take another blanket to sleep on the Arhat Bed beside the bed. Just as she reached to grab the inner blanket, Lu Qing stopped her.

"Sleep beside me," he said to Zhu Yu.

"No way, don’t make trouble," Zhu Yu rejected firmly, "You’re so severely injured now; what if I accidentally bump into you at night?"

"After experiencing so much today and getting injured like this..." Lu Qing looked at Zhu Yu; his eyes and expression showed a kind of pitiable innocence never seen before, "With you by my side, I feel more at ease..."

Zhu Yu initially had a firm refusal on her lips, but after hearing Lu Qing’s words, she found it hard to speak. She looked at Lu Qing in some difficulty, then at the bed, which was really not wide enough. Even not considering his injuries, two people lying side by side would still feel cramped.

With no other choice, she went out and called Fu Lu and Rune to help move the Arhat Bed next to the bed.

Fu Lu and Rune seemed to have guessed the reason, with expressions on their faces that showed they wanted to laugh but did not dare to, having to hold it in. Even without saying anything, Zhu Yu couldn’t help but feel her cheeks burning, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

After the two left, Zhu Yu closed the door, spread the extra bedding on the Arhat Bed, and lay facing Lu Qing.

Lu Qing couldn’t turn over and could only lie prone. The Arhat Bed was slightly lower than the larger bed, so he extended an arm, letting his hand hang by the bedside, occasionally winding around Zhu Yu’s hair scattered on the pillow.

"Stop moving around." Zhu Yu frowned, glaring at him, yet she didn’t pull her hair away, allowing Lu Qing to play with it with his fingers, only warning sternly, "If you don’t honestly recover and ruin the well-sewn wound, I’ll peel your skin off for a drumhead."

Lu Qing was amused by her harmless threat and trembled slightly, releasing the strand of hair, and smoothly holding Zhu Yu’s hand: "Okay, okay, I won’t move, let’s sleep like this, holding your hand to avoid you peeling my skin."

He said it so seriously that this time Zhu Yu had to stifle her laughter.

Zhu Yu did not pull her hand away, allowing him to hold it like that.

Actually, after these many days, wasn’t she experiencing the same feeling Lu Qing had mentioned? Especially after witnessing the whole process of Lu Qing being beaten steadily and horribly, feeling his somewhat cool fingertips lightly hold her now brought a deep sense of relief.

In no time, Zhu Yu fell into a deep sleep.

But throughout the night, she slept very restlessly, waking up several times startled, muddled into thinking they were still in the Shackles Prison and dreaming there were black-clad men trying to kill them, saying the Emperor Jin’s apparent graciousness had already been performed, and everyone believed they had left the Capital and hence no longer needed to preserve their lives.

Upon waking, Zhu Yu was drenched in cold sweat, sitting up carefully checking on Lu Qing’s condition, finally relaxing.

And so, with interrupted sleep till dawn, Zhu Yu got up, called Fu Lu to bring some warm water in, wrung a towel and helped Lu Qing, who had also awakened, wipe his face simply, and then re-medicated his wounds.

Following the next ten consecutive days, they, along with some companions, stayed in this remote section of the courtyard, where it was particularly quiet, with the front bustling noise never reaching this side, coupled with Liu Yueyao’s instructions, Yunyin Pavilion’s protectors did their duty well, ensuring no one intruded without permission.

For ten days, Zhu Yu cared for Lu Qing’s internal injuries daily, while Fu Lu and Rune brewed tonic medicine for her and Lu Qing.

"Where did this tonic medicine recipe come from?" Zhu Yu asked Rune.

"It was Divine Doctor Yan who told us when we were in the Shackles Prison," Rune sighed sadly, "He repeatedly advised us, saying the wet heat in Bhutan is already unfavorable for our health, coupled with prisoner carts and prisons, poor diet and rest, even healthy people would get worn out.

He made sure we memorized the recipe under all conditions, so after getting out, we could grab the medicine and brew it for you and him.

I didn’t think much then, the Divine Doctor asked me to remember, so I did. Now looking back... it feels wrong! He seemed certain back then he couldn’t leave the Imperial Palace with us.

Otherwise, how could he have expected us brothers, rough-handed and not suited for practicing medicine, to memorize several useful prescriptions!"

Looking at Rune, a big burly man akin to a Black Iron Tower, almost brought to tears with worry, Zhu Yu felt similarly emotional, opening her mouth but ultimately saying nothing, instructing Rune to leave the brewed medicine and go rest.

Since arriving at the rear courtyard of Yunyin Pavilion, after about three days, all of Lu Qing’s wounds had scabbed over, allowing him to no longer lie down all the time, able each day to at least slowly get up, being supported by Zhu Yu to walk a few steps around the room and small courtyard, slightly loosening up and breathing some fresh air.

He could also sit by the table for meals without lying on the bed while being fed by Zhu Yu.

After another five or six days, bolstered by internal and external treatment, Lu Qing’s complexion visibly improved.

On the afternoon of the tenth day, Liu Yueyao came to see them again.