Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Why Is She Still So Clueless? "What are you in such a hurry for? It's not like I'm going to run off, am I?" "Of course not. Then please come sign and press your seal here!" Pei Wuliang didn't have the silver to buy the jewelry, so he could only put it on his own account. This was a first in both his past and present lives, and he was absolutely furious. He immediately walked out with those scorching-hot pieces of jewelry in hand. Outside, it was already getting dark. "Miss, the young master is out." Song Jiaojiao lifted the carriage curtain and saw that Pei Wuliang had indeed brought out all the jewelry. This filled her with delight. "Brother Wuliang, thank you for giving Jiaojiao gifts." Pei Wuliang had been full of anger, naturally directed at Jia Qingcheng, but Song Jiaojiao's soft, gentle words managed to dampen his fury. "Silly girl, if you like them, I'll give them to you. They're not some great treasure anyway." "Thank you, Brother Wuliang. You're so good to me. It's just that Sister, she..." "Don't mention her. This time, I'm going to ask her what exactly she's playing at. It's one thing to make a fuss a few times, but why is she still so clueless?" "Brother Wuliang, don't be angry. Perhaps Sister was just delayed by something. She'll come to pay the bill soon enough. Wasn't it always her who paid the silver before?" Hearing Song Jiaojiao's words, Pei Wuliang paused and felt she had a point. He wrapped an arm around Song Jiaojiao's waist. "Jiaojiao, you're the one who truly understands me." "Brother Wuliang, think about it—Sister loves you so much. How could she bear to let you be humiliated here? What Jiaojiao means is, maybe she really was held up by something. Whatever it is, talk it out properly. Sister is pitiful too. She's already so ugly, and with her inferiority complex gnawing at her heart, it's only natural." "Jiaojiao, if only your sister were even half as sensible as you!" In his past life, Jia Qingcheng had never thrown such a tantrum. Of course, in his past life, he hadn't chosen Song Jiaojiao—he had chosen to spend his life as husband and wife with Jia Qingcheng. Thinking about it now, Jia Qingcheng must have held resentment in her heart. But he had already said he would take care of her. What more did she want? "I know how Sister feels about you. She must have been delayed by something. Brother Wuliang, I'm hungry. Will you take me to get something to eat? I want to eat the roast chicken from Quanjuxian. It's been so long since I've had it." Pei Wuliang: "..." His pockets were empty. Even his most valuable jade pendant was being held by the shopkeeper as collateral, to be returned only after he brought the silver. Not that he cared much about that pendant anyway. The woman he loved in both his past and present lives was only Song Jiaojiao. That pendant was a love token Jia Qingcheng had given him—a piece of top-grade mutton-fat jade that warmed to the touch. Once Jia Qingcheng came to pay the silver, he could redeem it. "Brother Wuliang, what's wrong? Don't you want to take Jiaojiao to eat roast chicken?" "How could that be? Whatever Jiaojiao wants to eat, she'll eat. I'll take you." "But the roast chicken there costs over a hundred taels each—it's cured with century-old ginseng. Brother Wuliang, we've already spent quite a lot of silver today." "What's there to fear? Put it on the account. Your sister can settle it all together!" Hearing this, Song Jiaojiao's face bloomed into a smile like a flower. "Brother Wuliang, you're the best to me." "Silly girl, you're my wife. Of course I'll treat you well. Come, get on the carriage. We're going to eat roast chicken!" ... Dusk descended low, and a bright moon hung high in the sky. Inside the Chu Wangfu courtyard, candlelight blazed brightly. Within the chamber, Prince Chu still lay in deep slumber on the soft couch, while Jia Qingcheng hurriedly brought the wisp of green mist from the black bottle to the Prince's nostrils. With a whoosh, the green vapor was completely absorbed by the Prince. Immediately after, his body emitted a flash of golden light... "Miss, what's happening?" "Don't be afraid. The Coffin Fungus is taking effect!" Coffin Fungus—yes, in order to completely cure Prince Chu, she had risked her life venturing to the century-old corpse burial grounds outside the city. She had nearly died there, but she had also received a generous reward! Supreme Health-Preserving Coffin Fungus. "Oh my, how miraculous! The Prince's complexion doesn't look so pale anymore. Miss, look—the Prince's fingers are moving!" His fingers were moving, which meant the Gu insects inside his body were being viciously slaughtered. Suddenly, the Prince coughed violently, then rolled over and spat out a clump of black blood from his mouth. "Ugh..." "Your Highness, are you alright?" Xiao Zhiheng vaguely heard a gentle woman's voice by his ear. He was gravely ill, already drifting into a state of delirium. He tried to force his eyes open to see who this woman was, but his eyelids were too heavy—he couldn't lift them no matter how hard he tried... "Hurry, change the Prince's clothes!" Jia Qingcheng ordered Chunyan to change the Prince into clean garments, then quickly examined the filth he had spat out. Beneath the black bloodstains, there were actually countless dead insects and insect eggs... After carefully identifying them, Jia Qingcheng let out a sigh of relief! It seemed the Heavenly Silkworm Gu had completely eradicated the Gu insects that had been planted in the Prince's body for years. And now that the Gu insects were dead, she knew the true crisis was only just beginning. "Miss, the Prince might really be beyond saving. Look at his fingernails..." Her fingernails—Prince Chu's fingernails were covered in blackish purple. The elders said only those on the brink of death had such coloring, which meant Prince Chu truly was nearing his end! But Jia Qingcheng didn't think so. After taking his pulse, she felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. "Your Highness, you will recover. I won't let you die like this." She whispered softly by Prince Chu's ear. Xiao Zhiheng could hear a woman's urgent concern. Who was it? Who was calling out to him again and again? Wake up now, wake up! ... After leaving Chu Wangfu, Jia Qingcheng gave a few instructions to the steward before preparing to depart. This time, the steward listened to her words with extreme patience. Why? Because the prince had survived a few more days. Although the prince's condition was still not good, he now believed in Jia Qingcheng's medical skills. Jia Qingcheng genuinely wanted what was best for the prince—after all, no woman would willingly become a widow right after marrying. "Miss, rest assured, this old servant will be careful." "Steward, please take good care of His Highness. Once I marry into the household, I will also tend to him diligently." "Miss, if the prince wakes, this old servant will surely tell him immediately that it was you who saved him." "No need." Jia Qingcheng didn't want Prince Chu to act out of gratitude toward her. After she married into the household, he would learn of this matter sooner or later anyway. She also knew that what she was doing now was altering the course of her previous life. Whether there would be backlash, she didn't know—and she couldn't afford to care. Now, she had only one goal. She didn't want to become a widow and let Pei Wuliang and the others have their way. She wanted her future husband to live. To live well. By the time she returned from Chu Wangfu to the Jia residence, it was already the third watch of the night. She was hungry and had Chunyan prepare some late-night snacks. Just as she was about to eat, a respectful voice came from outside. "Sister, still awake at this hour? Having a midnight snack?" Song Jiaojiao approached slowly with her maidservant. Jia Qingcheng didn't even lift her eyelids when she saw her enter, calmly drinking her bird's nest porridge. Only after finishing did she murmur, "Isn't little sister also not yet resting?" "Sister is drinking bird's nest porridge, is she? Well, with a face as black as charcoal and rough as sand, I'm afraid you'll never become fair no matter how much you drink. Why waste the ingredients?" "Cousin, what nonsense are you spouting? What business is it of yours what my young lady eats?" "Getting angry? I'm just worried about you, sister. It's late at night—how about something with a bit more flavor?" With that, Song Jiaojiao had someone hand over a small wrapped package. "Sister, don't say your little sister never thought of you. Try it—this is the most authentic roast chicken in the capital. Brother Wuliang took me to eat it, and I saved you the most fragrant chicken tail. See how it tastes?"