Chapter 188

The two maids were about to follow Mrs. Zhou’s orders to act separately, but Mu Yunchuan stopped them with a shout, and they both froze in place.

Mu Yunchuan was always as steady as Mount Tai, even when he received the news of being the top scholar in the imperial exams.

His expression was always calm, not as emotional as he was now.

Seeing him like this, Zhou Shi’s expression became even more worried.

Mu Yunchuan also realized that he had been too emotional.

He closed his eyes again, calming his emotions, and said as usual, “I’m fine, it’s just a dream. Since you’ve already made an appointment with Mother, there’s no need to change plans.”

Zhou Shi usually listened to him, but she still sent one maid to fetch the doctor and another to apologize to Shen Cui, saying she would arrive at the inn later.

The Mu family’s mansion wasn’t large, but the location was good, with a nearby medical hall.

So, in just fifteen minutes, the doctor was summoned by the maid.

This doctor was the one who had been called to treat Zhou Shi earlier.

Now, being called again, he thought Mrs. Zhou’s condition had worsened. Although he knew he couldn’t cure Mrs. Zhou’s strange illness, Mu Yunchuan was a rising star in the capital, and he, as a commoner, couldn’t afford to offend him.

So, with a nervous heart, he followed the maid.

On the way there, he asked the maid for details and realized he had misunderstood.

Although Mu Yunchuan had undergone many trials since childhood, it had not affected his health.

He rarely had headaches or fevers.

So, even though Mu Yunchuan’s complexion wasn’t great at the moment, and Mrs. Zhou mentioned that he had trouble waking up from a nightmare, the doctor concluded after examination, “The stress might have caused you to dream more, but your health is fine, no problems at all.”

Zhou Shi was still very worried because she couldn’t see anything wrong with his pulse, yet he seemed to be getting weaker day by day.

What if Mu Yunchuan also fell ill with this strange illness…

Mu Yunchuan glanced at the doctor, and the doctor immediately understood, saying, “I’ll prescribe a calming and sleep aid medicine. Have someone fetch it, and after one dose, he’ll be fine.”

Zhou Shi finally relaxed.

Since she had the strange illness, no doctor dared to prescribe any medicine for her.

Now, the fact that the doctor could prescribe medicine for Mu Yunchuan proved that his condition was indeed just a minor issue.

“I know your family’s medical hall, you write the prescription, I’ll go there now.”

The doctor was not young anymore, so he didn’t walk fast.

After receiving the prescription, Zhou Shi took the money and went to the medical hall ahead of him.

Mu Yunchuan deliberately asked the doctor to stay for a while.

After Zhou Shi left, he asked, “About my wife…?”

The doctor immediately begged for mercy, “Sir, please don’t make it difficult for me. Even Doctor Huang was helpless with such a disease, let alone me…”

Mu Yunchuan interrupted, “I’m not trying to make it difficult for you. I just want to ask you, if my wife continues like this…”

He paused slightly, then continued with some difficulty, “How much time does she probably have left?”

The doctor was silent for a long time, but eventually told Mu Yunchuan the truth, “Probably another six months to a year. Madam is a blessed person, and I’ve heard that Doctor Huang has been staying in the capital recently. With his expertise, he might develop a new treatment. Things will surely turn for the better.”

Mu Yunchuan didn’t pay much attention to the doctor’s comforting words.

He only thought to himself: Six months to a year, that indeed matches the time from the dream.

Soon after, Zhou Shi returned with the medicine, personally brewed it, and brought it to Mu Yunchuan.

Mu Yunchuan wasn’t really sick, and after drinking the hot medicinal soup, his complexion improved.

Zhou Shi insisted on helping him lie down, watching him fall asleep before leaving.

Mu Yunchuan knew that this calming medicine had limited effectiveness, especially when he was preoccupied with thoughts, he couldn’t easily fall asleep.

But Zhou Shi put him first.

If he didn’t let her be at ease, she wouldn’t leave home as planned today.

So Mu Yunchuan lay back down, intending to pretend to doze off for a while. Zhou Shi would naturally leave once she thought he was asleep.

However, as soon as he closed his eyes, the scene from his dream of being promoted to the Imperial Academy after remarrying and being appointed by the Emperor vividly appeared before him.

With strong willpower, he broke free from the dream, opened his eyes, and maintained a calm expression, not letting Zhou Shi, who was watching beside him, notice anything.

“Why did my husband wake up after such a short nap?” Zhou Shi muttered to herself.

Mu Yunchuan sat up calmly and said, “You know I don’t usually sleep much, a short nap is enough for me. It’s not early anymore, I’ll accompany you to Mother’s place. Although Mother said I could visit when I had time, there’s nothing important this morning, so I should pay my respects to her in person.”

…

Early that day, Shen Cui got up and prepared to go into the city to meet Zhou Shi.

Just as the coachman was harnessing the carriage, he saw one of Zhou Shi’s maids, who had been with her yesterday, rushing over.

The maid, gasping for breath, was out of breath.

Shen Cui gave her a bowl of water to drink before she could catch her breath and convey what had happened that morning.

However, Mu Yunchuan and Mrs. Zhou usually only allowed the maids to do outdoor chores and didn’t let them enter the bedroom.

So the maid didn’t know the specifics of Mu Yunchuan’s illness, she just relayed that something like that had happened.

Hearing that Mu Yunchuan was sick, Shen Cui was truly shocked.

Mu Yunchuan was the darling of the laws of the world, with almost perfect attributes including physique.

Anyway, in the original book’s plot, he had never been described as having any physical discomfort.

Shen Cui told the maid that she understood, then asked her to sit in the main hall and rest for a while.

In her mind, she couldn’t help but mutter to the system: “Mu Yunchuan never gets sick. He doesn’t get sick early or late. Today, when it’s time for Zhou Shi to move in, he conveniently ‘falls ill’? Is the law getting desperate?”

The system agreed.

Worried that she might scare the timid and honest maid again, Shen Cui maintained her calm expression, although she was a bit irritated inside. “If the law really made Mu Yunchuan sick, Zhou Shi definitely wouldn’t leave him. Should we move the academy next door to the Mu family’s house?”

“Not necessary, the ultimate goal of the law is still to support Mu Yunchuan on the path it has arranged. The drought has been prepared, and after the New Year, the court will definitely send people out for disaster relief. If Mu Yunchuan isn’t allowed to go, it’s like giving others a marriage robe. The law won’t flip priorities like that.”

Shen Cui understood this point herself, so she felt a bit relieved.

However, she also speculated, “By making Mu Yunchuan ‘ill’ at all costs, the law is also sending a signal. Zhou Shi’s death must be a high priority within the law, even higher than preventing our candidates from being selected.”

As Shen Cui and the system were communicating, Lao Buyu and the students also got up and came downstairs for breakfast before starting their morning studies.

When they came downstairs, they found Shen Cui and the maid sitting in the main hall.

Naturally, they approached to ask what had happened.

After all, Shen Cui had greeted them all and said she would go into the city early today. She had assured them that the new location for the academy would be finalized these days, so they had all packed their luggage neatly last night.

Although Shen Cui sometimes acted on a whim, once she made a plan, she would stick to it and execute it swiftly.

Their concern was not for anything else but the fear that she might not be feeling well again, which was why she hadn’t left yet.

To ease their minds and personally investigate Mu Yunchuan’s sudden ‘illness,’ as well as the pressing matter of selecting a site for the academy, Shen Cui instructed the coachman to harness the carriage and took Zhou Shi’s maid into the city.

With the maid guiding the way, they didn’t encounter much trouble once they entered the city, and soon arrived at the street where Mu’s residence was located.

This area was probably where lower-ranking officials lived, so although the location was decent, it was a bit cramped, and the alleyways were too narrow for a carriage to pass through.

The maid jumped off the carriage first, saying “Old Madam, please take your time,” as she extended her hand to assist Shen Cui.

With her mind preoccupied, Shen Cui wasn’t in the best mood, but hearing the maid’s words, she couldn’t help but smile wryly.

By coincidence, as soon as she stepped off the carriage with the maid’s help, she saw Mu Yunchuan and Zhou Shi coming out of the alley together.

“Why did you come here in person, Mother? Did something urgent happen?” Zhou Shi hurried over apologetically.

Shen Cui grasped her hand, scrutinizing her from head to toe to ensure she didn’t look any different from yesterday before sighing, “I heard from the maid that Yunchuan is sick, but she couldn’t explain clearly what’s wrong with him, so I came to check on him.”

While she said this, Shen Cui’s gaze remained fixed on Zhou Shi, making it clear that her concern was not for Mu Yunchuan, but for Mrs. Zhou.

Mu Yunchuan, with his keen observation, naturally noticed this, but he wasn’t annoyed.

Instead, his expression softened involuntarily as he bowed and greeted, “Thank you for your concern, Mother. I was just troubled by a nightmare this morning, but it’s nothing serious.”

After consulting with the system, Shen Cui had already concluded that the law wouldn’t actually make Mu Yunchuan sick, so his explanation didn’t surprise her.

She continued to look at Mrs. Zhou with a casual nod. “Troubled by a nightmare? That’s strange…”

At this point, Shen Cui suddenly stopped talking and, for the first time since they met, turned her gaze to Mu Yunchuan—could it be the kind of ‘premonition dream’ she had in mind?