Chapter 73: What Exactly Are You So Conflicted About?

“Hurry up and eat, the teacher said that His Highness and Young Master Feng should stay together.” Xu Lu wiped her hands clean and took off her apron, bowing to the two.

“All right.”

A crowd sat together at one table with Qiao Qingyun, while the rest gathered at another. Qiao Qingyun ate quietly, her brows furrowed as she chewed.

Finally, she simply put down her chopsticks and looked at Feng Ke, “Young Master Feng, you truly don’t care about our partnership, do you?”

“Huh? My lady, what did I ever do to offend you?” Feng Ke felt as if he could cry; what was happening? The dishes tasted fine to him.

“Look, I had Qing Luo teach me bit by bit, so why have things turned out like this? Is your tongue numb?”

“I... I... I’ll have someone ask about it right away.” Feng Ke had wanted to retort, but Qiao Qingyun’s glare immediately cowed him, leaving Xu Lu astonished.

“Eh? Teacher, isn’t this quite tasty?”

“The fish scales aren’t fresh enough; they don’t shatter completely when you bite down. That means they used stale ones. These people are too careless.”

After that, Qiao Qingyun never touched the fish scales again, focusing instead on other dishes and leaving them aside.

When the meal was over and the attendant began clearing the table, Qiao Qingyun glanced at Yuan Zaichun and Feng Ke, “Aren’t you two leaving yet? Waiting for dinner?”

“I am waiting for the Princess Consort until the clinic closes, to prevent any danger.”

As he spoke, Yuan Zaichun’s awkward expression left Qiao Qingyun perplexed, and she glanced uncertainly at those around her.

Is Yuan Zaichun feverish? Why is he speaking nonsense?

“If His Highness has nothing else to do today, then wait here as you wish,” said Qiao Qingyun, unwilling to say more. She turned and began her rounds through each ward. Fortunately, aside from Qin Hao and the woman, the other patients were not seriously ill.

“How are you feeling lately? I had them treat you properly—how’s your recovery?”

Qin Hao’s poisoning was severe; who knows if the traitor had been found? Of course, this wasn’t something Qiao Qingyun wished to worry about.

Seeing Qiao Qingyun enter, Qin Hao wore an insolent expression as if she owed him millions.

“Hmph, what, you don’t know to ask the attendant yourself?”

“You’re not dead yet, so I’m asking you.”

Qiao Qingyun responded with a calm, airy manner, knocking back the insult Qin Hao had prepared. Her retort nearly made Qin Hao choke with rage; he sat up abruptly, marched toward the door, and shouted from the railing to Yuan Zaichun below.

“Brother Yuan! Keep your Princess Consort in check, or one day she’ll anger me to death!”

Yuan Zaichun frowned, seeming not to understand Qin Hao’s meaning. Qiao Qingyun stepped forward, grabbed the back of Qin Hao’s neck, and hauled him back inside.

“You’re poisoned, yet you talk so much. Don’t you know that too many words can kill?”

With a bang, the door shut. Yuan Zaichun and Feng Ke exchanged bewildered looks.

What… what just happened?

In the prince’s residence, Zhong Shi sat in his room, his whole body radiating hostility. Hong Ying had recounted last night’s events involving Qiao Qingyun, and he hadn’t expected it.

Simply because he instinctively tried to protect Qiao Qingyun, Yuan Zaichun had been enraged, leading him to do something so beastly to her.

“Brother, what’s done is done. Even if you’re angry, there’s nothing you can do. We’re just servants now, not suitable matches for her.”

“I know.”

Zhong Shi’s hand clenched tightly, his short nails digging into his flesh.

Indeed, everything now was beyond his control, while Qiao Qingyun bore the pain for their sake.

“So what should we do?”

They had no chance for revenge—must they just sit and wait for death?

Hong Ying thought for a moment. “Now, we can only wait for an opportunity. But brother, don’t let your feelings show too much, or you’ll only bring harm to her. Early this morning, I saw her looking lost, as if her soul had left her.

After asking around, I learned they were only pretending to be close, but your actions provoked him, turning the pretense into reality.”

Hong Ying’s voice became quiet. Though she wanted to complain, she chose not to—these were facts. If not for Zhong Shi, none of this would have happened…

“All right, I understand. Go now.”

“Yes.”

At the clinic, Qiao Qingyun had been busy all day. Finally able to rest, she leaned back in her chair and dozed off.

“Teacher?”

Qing Luo watched as Xu Lu tried to wake Qiao Qingyun, quickly stopping her. “Her Highness is exhausted today, probably asleep already. Don’t disturb her.”

Xu Lu nodded and went off with Chun Cheng to organize the account books. Both were adept at their tasks and appreciated how hard it was to keep the clinic running.

“Brother Yuan, should we wake the Princess Consort? Look how exhausted she is—she’s sweating so much her hair’s damp. If she catches a chill, she’ll fall ill.”

“No need.” Yuan Zaichun glanced at Qiao Qingyun, noting the room wasn’t cold. Waking her would only disrupt her rest.

After a while, Qiao Qingyun’s body suddenly slumped forward. She awoke abruptly, rubbing her eyes in confusion, “Hm? You’re still here?”

“We’re waiting to return to the residence with you.”

Yuan Zaichun walked over, grabbed her hand, and pulled her up, causing her to frown in annoyance.

“My lord, you overstep. I dare not.”

She lowered her head, standing behind Yuan Zaichun. Feng Ke watched, baffled—these two… why are they so strange?

“Hmph.”

Yuan Zaichun’s face darkened at Qiao Qingyun’s words, as if he could squeeze ink from his expression.

As the two left together, Feng Ke glanced at Qing Luo, who trailed behind, and pulled her aside.

“Hey, what’s wrong with your lady and your lord?”

Qing Luo sighed softly. “Young Master Feng, it’s best you don’t know, or Her Highness will scold you.”

“Hey! Why are you like this?”

Feng Ke was rebuffed again, nearly coughing up blood as he watched them depart.

“What is this mess?”

In the Bamboo Pavilion.

“What are you sulking about? She is my Princess Consort—what, am I not allowed to touch her?”

Yuan Zaichun spoke unreasonably.

“My lord is master of the prince’s residence, while I am merely a concubine—what else can there be?”