"What happened?"
"What's made you so unhappy that even passing the Xiucai exam doesn't cheer you up?"
"And you didn't come to Senior Brother Meng's top rank celebration!"
After delivering the charcoal, they found a teahouse, sat down to chat, and asked Duan Youyan.
"It's a long story." Duan Youyan wasn't angry at their scolding . He sighed, looking like he didn't know where to begin.
"If it's a long story, just say a few more sentences, and it'll be short." Xu Huaqian held the teacup Chen Liejiu had poured and placed in his hands. Even with his eyes covered, his face showed a happy smile.
Chen Liejiu, after seeing that Xu Huaqian could manage drinking by himself, turned and nodded in agreement with Xu Huaqian's words, making an "Mm, mm" sound. In his view, there was no hurdle in this world that couldn't be overcome.
He and Xu Huaqian were very similar—neither were the type to wallow in self-pity. They didn't quite understand why a grown man like Duan Youyan would torture himself like this.
"Ah!" Duan Youyan's eyes reddened at their husbandly harmony. He sighed and began to recount : "My husband and I met due to a mistake..."
Duan Youyan also felt he needed to confide in someone. If he didn't pour out what was weighing on his heart, he would drive himself mad.
Two years ago, Sheng Zhiyuan, the Magistrate of Pingxi County, held a grand banquet at his residence to celebrate the coming of age of his only son, Sheng Yunjin. All the wealthy families in the county came to congratulate him.
During the banquet, Magistrate Sheng's son, Sheng Yunjin, was chatting with a group of young ladies and men from prominent families when suddenly his cheeks flushed bright red.
Someone suggested calling a doctor.
Pingxi County wasn't large; it only had one major clinic. Doctor Dong there had the best skills.
However, that day, Doctor Dong was administering acupuncture to an emergency patient and couldn't leave. He thought a young man raised in luxury couldn't possibly have a sudden critical illness—at most, it was a cold or fever. So, he sent Duan Youyan, who had studied under him for ten years and had fairly good medical skills, to take a look.
Duan Youyan was led by a servant into the lavishly decorated rear quarters of the magistrate's residence. Among the many guests, he approached Sheng Yunjin, who was being showered with attention like the moon among stars by the wealthy young people.
At first glance, he was stunned.
Sheng Yunjin's face was flushed red. He was looking down, chatting and laughing with those around him. Although clearly unwell, his eyes sparkled with lively, cheerful energy.
Although the young ladies and men from wealthy families around him were also attractive and poised, at that moment, for some reason, Duan Youyan's eyes were only on him.
It was as if his every smile and glance were incredibly vibrant and beautiful.
A servant announced his arrival. Sheng Yunjin looked up at him, and his eyes lit up: "This doctor is quite handsome."
Someone at the table teased him then: "Have your father and mother find you someone even more handsome, just like this doctor!"
All the guests were from wealthy county families, every one of them beyond Duan Youyan's ability to offend . He pretended not to hear and stepped forward to take Sheng Yunjin's pulse through a silk cloth.
His wrist was very hot; the heat was palpable even through the cloth. It didn't seem like a common cold. He carefully took his pulse for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, confirmed it was just a cold with no other issues, and then told the magistrate: "The young master has merely caught a chill. Some medicine to reduce fever and dispel heat will suffice."
The magistrate nodded and asked him to prescribe the medicine on the spot.
"...Mm." Just as he was about to write the prescription, Sheng Yunjin suddenly spoke up: "I wonder if the medicine you're prescribing is bitter?"
He turned to see him frowning deeply, looking very reluctant to take medicine. Others nearby chimed in: "Yes, yes, Jin'ge fears bitterness. Doctor, please don't prescribe anything too bitter for him."
Thinking that beautiful people usually couldn't stand bitterness, although somewhat reluctantly, he prescribed medicine containing only licorice and other sweet herbs, assuring him: "The medicine I prescribe isn't bitter. It's sweet."
"Really?!" Sheng Yunjin's eyes brightened. "Then I must try this non-bitter medicine properly."
Seeing his newfound anticipation for taking medicine, he added more licorice and other sweetening herbs to the prescription so the brewed medicine would be even sweeter.
Sure enough, when the maid brewed and brought the medicine, Sheng Yunjin eagerly took the bowl, sniffed it, detected no bitterness, smiled happily, drank it all in one go, smacked his lips, and said with shining eyes: "It really is sweet!"
"You are a very good doctor, not lying!"
Duan Youyan found it quite amusing at the time—how could taking medicine lead to being called a good person!
When he finished laughing and looked up at Sheng Yunjin, he saw Sheng Yunjin was also smiling at him, his eyes curved like crescents, his face still flushed, looking incredibly beautiful.
Duan Youyan stopped laughing then, wondering what was so funny?
Unfortunately, after smiling, Sheng Yunjin had him escorted to a side hall.
At that time, medical practice required doctors to stay until a fever patient's temperature dropped, to avoid emergencies where the doctor couldn't arrive in time.
Duan Youyan followed the servant to a side hall to wait. The side hall wasn't as lively as the main hall; aside from tea, there was nothing on the table. He didn't mind. He sat down and took out a medical book to read.
Just then, the servant returned, bringing in a tray of fruits and pastries: "The young master said it's his birthday today, and no guest should be neglected."
Duan Youyan knew it was the young master's coming-of-age banquet, very lively, with all the wealthy families from the town at the magistrate's residence. He just didn't expect to be considered a guest as well.
After a moment's thought, Duan Youyan felt he couldn't just accept the treats without reciprocating. He took a packet of candied dates from his medical box and handed it to the maid: "Your young master treated me to fruits; I offer him sweet dates in return. Wishing him a happy birthday."
The maid looked somewhat oddly as she took the medicine and left. Such a cheap, commonplace item—who knew if she would even give it to her master?
Duan Youyan hadn't thought much of it initially. But when the maid returned and said, "The young master thanks you. The candied dates are very sweet," he could still remember the feeling—sweeter than eating the dates themselves.
However, the good mood didn't last. In less than an hour, the maid rushed back to find him: "It's terrible, Doctor! My young master is burning up even more!"
"What?!" Duan Youyan was startled and hurriedly followed the maid back into Sheng Yunjin's room.
This time, it wasn't the main hall but directly the bedroom. Sheng Yunjin was sitting on the bed, his finely featured face flushed bright red, eyes glazed. Seeing Duan Youyan enter, he managed a weak smile: "Doctor, I want more sweet medicine!"
Duan Youyan didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. What time was it to still be thinking about sweet medicine?
"Treat the illness first," he said, unusually gentle, not stern-faced. "Have the sweet medicine after you're better."
Sheng Yunjin pouted: "Alright."
Afraid that his earlier diagnosis through the silk cloth might have been inaccurate, this time he felt Sheng Yunjin's pulse directly on his wrist. After confirming every pulse and finding only the strong, rapid pulse indicating a severe fever, he felt relieved.
He hadn't misdiagnosed earlier.
But the fingertips resting on Sheng Yunjin's wrist were extremely hot, not quite like a typical fever.
Duan Youyan looked at the space between Sheng Yunjin's brows. Although his forehead was flushed red from fever, the man's line there was dull , with no sign of the agitation of a heat flush. It probably couldn't be that.
After thinking, he prescribed a powerful fever-reducing medicine to the maid: "Take this prescription and brew another dose for your young master."
Worried that the sweet medicine he prescribed earlier might be ineffective, he didn't dare to take liberties this time and honestly prescribed a standard fever reducer.
This time, it wasn't sweet medicine. Sheng Yunjin gritted his teeth and drank it. Duan Youian held a piece of candy in his palm, initially intending to give it to him.
But their statuses were different. In the end, he didn't offer it, just clenched the candy tightly, waiting beside Sheng Yunjin to see his condition.
"Ah!"
"How is he vomiting now?!"
This time, the reaction was faster. Not long after, Sheng Yunjin directly vomited the medicine.
"No... I'm so hot... so uncomfortable..." Sheng Yunjin's beautiful eyes were glazed and misty with fever. He didn't even know who was in front of him, just mumbling unconsciously, "It's so stuffy and hot... uncomfortable..."
The symptoms resembled a man's heat flush.
Duan Youyan, feeling the burning wrist and hearing the unconscious murmurs, frowned deeply. He carefully checked the unique yin-yang blended pulse specific to men again and again, confirming the pulse was calm with no signs of heat flush agitation, which finally reassured him.
It must be the extreme discomfort of the high fever causing this.
"Can the young master accept acupuncture?" After consideration, Duan Youyan asked Magistrate Sheng nearby. Worried that Sheng Yunjin would burn his brains out if the fever continued, he decided to use acupuncture to forcibly reduce the fever.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Magistrate Sheng, touching Sheng Yunjin's burning forehead, was extremely anxious . "If you can treat it, do it quickly! Any longer, and he might burn up completely!"
Without daring to delay, Duan Youyan took out his silver needles, half-knelt by the bedside, unfolded Sheng Yunjin's hand, and slowly inserted the needle into the Hegu point LI4 for reducing fever.
"...Mm." As soon as the needle was inserted, Sheng Yunjin's body underwent a rapid change. The heart-blended pulse in his wrist throbbed violently . The man's line between his brows turned from dull to red. He groaned in discomfort, his body uncontrollably leaning toward Duan Youyan, who was bent over, focused on administering the needle.
A scalding kiss landed on Duan Youyan's chin.