Chapter 43: Tender Moments Late at Night

“Shu Er… I’m sorry… for… for any offense,” Wen Jing stammered, his words hesitant and halting. He had no memory of what he might have done while unwell, but seeing Mu Rong Shu’s mockingly aggrieved expression, he instinctively felt everything was his fault.

“And how do you plan to make it up to me? My hand hurts so much from your grip that I can’t even lift it now,” Mu Rong Shu teased, clearly enjoying the moment.

“I… I…” Wen Jing’s attempt to respond ended in a flustered silence. His face turned even redder, making Mu Rong Shu laugh aloud at his adorable awkwardness.

Out in the courtyard, Wen Zhi and Mu Si Shu were playing chess when they heard Mu Rong Shu’s laughter. They exchanged a quick glance and hurried into the room.

Inside, they saw Wen Jing standing by the bed, his face flushed, while Mu Rong Shu laughed heartily. Wen Zhi looked incredulous and asked anxiously, “Third Brother, are you okay? Why are you out of bed? Your face is so red, are you feeling unwell again?”

“Big Brother, I’m fine. I already feel much better,” Wen Jing said. However, Wen Zhi noticed his evasive expression and assumed his brother was merely downplaying his discomfort.

“Little Sister, was that you laughing just now?” Mu Si Shu asked, his trained ears picking up on the sound better than Wen Zhi.

“Huh? What’s Big Brother talking about? You must be too tired and misheard,” Mu Rong Shu flatly denied, leaving no room for argument.

“If it wasn’t my little sister, then I must’ve misheard,” Mu Si Shu, ever the doting older brother, immediately agreed. If his sister said she didn’t laugh, then it must have been his mistake.

Wen Zhi looked utterly dumbfounded. “Seriously? Mu Si Shu, couldn’t you hold your ground a little? We both heard it, why are you giving in so easily? How am I supposed to dig for gossip now?”

“Lord Wen, Big Brother, the Third Young Master’s condition has improved for now, but I can’t leave yet as I don’t know if he’ll relapse later. You both should go rest in the next room, I’ll call you if anything happens,” Mu Rong Shu said, her tone gentle yet firm. She was unsure if Wen Jing would have another episode but didn’t want her brother to tire himself out.

“Ting Feng, take Young Master Mu Rong and Big Brother to the guest rooms,” Wen Jing instructed his attendant, his earlier shyness now gone.

“Are you really okay, Third Brother?” Wen Zhi still seemed reluctant to leave.

“Don’t worry, Big Brother. I trust Miss Mu Rong’s medical skills completely,” Wen Jing replied reassuringly. Wen Zhi finally relaxed, recalling that Mu Rong Shu was the key to lifting Wen Jing’s curse. As long as she was by his side, nothing could go wrong.

“Shu Er, Big Brother isn’t sleepy, I’ll stay with you,” Mu Si Shu said, still feeling uneasy about his sister spending the night in Wen Jing’s room.

“Big Brother, I’m a healer,” Mu Rong Shu reminded him gently.

Hearing this, Mu Si Shu immediately understood. His sister had explained before that, in the eyes of a healer, there was no distinction between men and women. Reluctantly, he said no more and left with Ting Feng.

Wen Zhi, however, was still confused. “Why did Mu Si Shu leave just like that? And he didn’t even call me along. Now it’s so awkward, I should leave quickly too.”

Watching his brother and Mu Si Shu leave in such haste, Wen Jing was left puzzled. “Did they really come to check on me?”

Mu Rong Shu glanced at the two men retreating awkwardly and then at Wen Jing, whose face was full of questions. She found the entire situation amusing. Initially, she had thought ancient people would be overly conservative, but after coming here, she realized they could be unexpectedly open-minded at times.

“When did Shu Er get here?” Wen Jing asked, curious about how she ended up in his room.

“When you had your episode, your second brother came to fetch me from my home,” Mu Rong Shu replied casually, reclining on the chair. She thought to herself how comfortable the chair was and decided she needed one for herself.

“Did Shu Er have dinner?” Wen Jing asked, only for his stomach to growl loudly in response.

Hearing the sound of Wen Jing’s stomach growling, Mu Rong Shu felt a bit amused but quickly realized that neither she nor her brother had eaten dinner yet.

From her reaction, Wen Jing immediately deduced that she hadn’t had time to eat either.

“I’ll have Ting Feng prepare something in the small kitchen,” Wen Jing said, starting to step outside to call his attendant. However, Mu Rong Shu stopped him.

“Can you start a fire?” she asked.

When Wen Jing nodded, Mu Rong Shu stretched as she got up from the recliner and said, “Take me to the kitchen. I’ll cook some noodles for you.”

Wen Jing was surprised that Mu Rong Shu wanted to cook personally but obediently picked up a lantern and led her to the kitchen.

Though small, the kitchen was well-equipped. The Wen family matriarch had made sure even the small kitchen was ready for anything her third son might need.

Mu Rong Shu found some flour and began kneading dough. She also located some lean pork, eggs, and fresh greens.

Having taken a special interest in hand-pulled noodles before, Mu Rong Shu had even signed up for lessons. Now, her skills would come in handy.

She found the oil container and instructed Wen Jing to start the fire. Once the pan was hot, she added lard, stir-fried the cleaned pork strips until they changed color, then set them aside in a bowl.

Thinking of her brother and Wen Zhi, who also hadn’t eaten, she fried four eggs and set them aside as well.

After washing the pan, she boiled water, blanched the greens, and set them aside. Then, Wen Jing watched in awe as Mu Rong Shu effortlessly transformed the dough into long, even noodles as if by magic.

She placed the noodles in the boiling water, cooked them, and divided them into four large bowls. Next, she reheated the pan, prepared a sauce for the noodles, and topped each bowl with an egg and some greens before drizzling her freshly made sauce over the top.

The aroma was irresistible. Wen Jing, who had only been mildly hungry before, now felt ravenous. He couldn’t help but swallow hard, a sound Mu Rong Shu didn’t miss.

She herself was famished by now. Smiling, she placed the four bowls on a tray and said, “Let’s go!”

Wen Jing led her back to the courtyard, where Mu Rong Shu set the tray down on the stone table. “Go see if your brother and mine want some. I’ll wait for you to come back before eating,” she told him.

Without wasting time, Wen Jing set the lantern on the table and hurried to knock on Wen Zhi and Mu Si Shu’s doors.

The moment they heard there was food, Mu Si Shu and Wen Zhi rushed out to the courtyard.

“Shu Er, did you make this? It smells amazing!” Mu Si Shu exclaimed, knowing his sister’s cooking skills but lamenting how rarely she cooked.

“Lord Wen, Big Brother, sit and try it! This is my favorite pork noodle recipe,” Mu Rong Shu said, gesturing for them to sit.

The enticing aroma had their stomachs growling audibly. Tossing aside formalities, they all sat down and dug in. For a while, the courtyard was filled with nothing but the sounds of satisfied eating.

After finishing his bowl, Mu Si Shu felt his life was complete. Wen Zhi, on the other hand, was utterly floored. He hadn’t expected Mu Rong Shu’s cooking to rival that of the palace chefs.

Wen Jing ate slowly, savoring every bite, his heart brimming with happiness. These were noodles Shu Er had made herself. He wished he could spend the rest of his life with her.