Chapter 70 -
Chapter 70: Chapter
"Sister Lanyin... I think there is hope for Little Brother after all," Anran whispered, her tiny voice cracking the heavy silence of the dim room. She clutched at her sister’s skirt, her tear-stained face glowing with an innocent, unshakeable trust.
Xi Lanyin stood frozen, her eyes darting between the frail boy on the bed and Su Yueqing’s rigid back. Her mind was still reeling from the booming, high-pitched thoughts that had just violated her consciousness. ’Epic monologue? Medical blueprints?’ It was absolute insanity. Yet, looking at the tiny spark of determination in Mingyu’s eyes, Lanyin felt her sisterly instincts clash fiercely with her desperation.
"Sister-in-law," Lanyin started, her voice trembling as she stepped forward to shield her brother. "Even if... even if you claim you want to help, we cannot just act recklessly. We have to ask for Mother’s permission before we can move Mingyu from his room! Moving him into the cold air could worsen his condition, and we must ensure nothing bad will happen to him."
Hearing that, Su Yueqing let out a long, theatrical sigh, rolling her eyes toward the dark ceiling.
"Permission?" Su Yueqing scoffed out loud, her voice dripping with venomous disdain. "You want to ask for a formal decree to let a dying boy breathe a breath of fresh air? Truly, the logic of the Xi family never ceases to amaze me."
But inside her head, her inner mind was throwing its hands up in complete despair.
[Ugh, I knew it!] Su Yueqing’s internal voice groaned, her thoughts echoing loudly to the hidden listeners in the room. [None of these clueless people will ever allow me to treat him properly! They genuinely think they are protecting him by keeping him buried like a pharaoh in this dark, stagnant tomb! If I wait for a family council, the poor kid will choke on his own phlegm before the ink even dries on their permission slip! Why is changing the plot so exhausting?!]
Before Lanyin could process the stinging contradiction of the thoughts she was hearing, the heavy wooden doors of the courtyard chambers were violently thrown open.
"What is the meaning of this commotion?!" a sharp, authoritative voice boomed through the gloom.
The Duchess entered the room, her expression dark with maternal panic. Aunt Ronghua tightly flanked her side, and right next to them was Gu Yue looking equally tense as she tried to keep up with their hurried pace. The personal maids had frantically informed the Duchess of how little Anran had run away in the dark, and after tracking the child’s footsteps, she had overheard Su Yueqing’s loud voice piercing the silence of the young master’s courtyard.
The Duchess marched straight toward the bed, her silk robes rustling aggressively. She glanced at the little Anran, then at Lanyin, before her furious gaze finally landed squarely on Su Yueqing.
Su Yueqing quickly adjusted her posture, pulling her arrogant, spoiled villain mask back tightly over her features. She braced herself for a massive shouting match, fully prepared to play the role of the unhinged, malicious daughter-in-law who was bullying the sick.
But before Su Yueqing could even open her mouth to deliver a haughty sneer, the Duchess stopped right in front of her. Her chest heaved with emotion, but her voice, when she spoke, was terrifyingly steady.
"If you want to take him away, you are free to do so," the Duchess said.
Su Yueqing’s outward expression instantly shattered. She blinked, her jaw practically dropping as the shocking words echoed through the silent room.
Inside her mind, the sirens completely broke down.
[WHAT?!] Su Yueqing’s inner voice shrieked in absolute, unadulterated terror. [Wait, hold on! Roll back the tape! Did the Duchess just say I can take the sick young master?! Is this a trap?! Is she trying to frame me for manslaughter when the kid inevitably coughs?! Oh my god, the plot line is totally derailed! Nine, help! The main characters are actively sabotaging my villain arc!]
Aunt Ronghua’s eyes went completely wide, stepping forward to grab the Duchess’s sleeve in sheer panic. "Sister! You must stop this! Mingyu is so frail! You cannot let this reckless girl near him! Gu Yue, tell her!"
Gu Yue stepped forward as well, her beautiful face tight with genuine concern as she looked at her aunt. "Aunt, Mother is right. Mingyu’s health is far too delicate. If the cousin in-law moves him out of this room, the consequences could be disastrous."
But the Duchess raised a single, trembling hand, instantly silencing both her sister and her niece. Her eyes remained locked onto Su Yueqing.
The Duchess was under no illusions.. she knew Su Yueqing might not be able to provide the direct, official imperial treatment for Mingyu, but if the girl could somehow treat him herself using her own strange methods, the Duchess didn’t mind at all.
So long as her boy got better soon, she was willing to risk everything.
"If you want to take him away, you are free to do so," the Duchess said, her voice cracking slightly with raw maternal desperation. "Every physician in the capital has failed him. If you truly believe we are leaving him here to rot... then show me your methods, Yueqing."
Su Yueqing quickly snapped her mouth shut, forcing her shocked face back into a cold, arrogant smirk. She crossed her arms tightly over her fitted red riding outfit, hiding the slight shaking of her hands as she looked at the desperate Duchess and then at the frail boy on the bed.
"Hmph. Move him out of this room?" Su Yueqing scoffed out loud, her voice sharp and full of pride. "Who said anything about moving him? Since you are all so terrified that a single step into the night air will kill him, I don’t need to move him out of his room at all. I will just treat him right here in this gloomy place for a few days."
But inside her head, her inner mind let out a massive sigh of relief.
[Oh, thank goodness!] Su Yueqing’s inner voice cheered. [Moving a sick child with bad lungs through a drafty estate at night is a terrible idea anyway! If he catches a cold, it’s game over for everyone. Treating him in here is much safer. I just need to completely clean and change this stuffy bedroom first!]
Outwardly, Su Yueqing’s sharp gaze swept across the dark room before locking directly back onto the Duchess.
"However, don’t think my help is free," Su Yueqing warned coldly, her tone demanding absolute obedience. "If I am going to take care of this fragile brat, you all will have to do exactly three things for me."
Xi Lanyin stepped forward, her heart pounding. Knowing from Su Yueqing’s loud inner thoughts that her sister-in-law was actually trying to save her brother, she anxiously asked, "What... what are those three things?"
Su Yueqing smirked, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the Duchess.
"Number one," Su Yueqing declared, raising a single finger. "From this moment on, none of you.. not the servants, not the doctors, and not even you, Mother... are allowed into this room until I say so. This place is now under my complete control."
[Exactly! Because if any of you walk in while I’m trying to clear his airway or make him drink clean, boiled water, you’re going to think I’m crazy and throw me out!] her inner thoughts added in a loud yell. [No outside germs, and no one interrupting me!]
Aunt Ronghua gasped in anger, but before she could speak, Su Yueqing raised a second finger, cutting her off.
"Number two," Su Yueqing continued smoothly. "All of my demands whatever I ask for, no matter how strange or expensive it sounds must be brought to me immediately without any questions. Everything I request is vital for his treatment."
[I need lots of boiled water, clean cloths, fresh citrus fruits, and absolutely none of those toxic herbs your doctors keep giving him!] her mind planned rapidly. [System, help me list all the basic supplies I can get from the kitchen right now!]
"And three," Su Yueqing paused, her dark eyes narrowing as she delivered her final condition.