Chapter Nine, adorably foolish

Yang Jisi lay over Yang Yiqing's coffin, weeping in anguish

What a coincidence, I didn't expect to see you here. Peng Yue looked up and saw the girl who had been riding a horse in the bustling market that day

Upon seeing that she was so decisively rejected by Peng Yue, Ziling's little face turned crimson. She stamped her foot and began to act spoiled, saying, "I won't! I want to stay here with you, I want to stay here..." As she spoke, her eyes began to redden.

Sigh, Peng Yue also let out a light sigh, but for some reason, he felt an indescribable joy in his heart

Upon hearing this, Peng Yue's heart finally settled, but seeing Zi Ling still in a coma, he busied himself here and there, hoping for her swift recovery

"Sister Ling'er, how did you suddenly fall ill?" The tone was half questioning, half concerned, yet devoid of any trace of blame

Hastily arriving at Ziling's room, I saw Ziling lying on the bed, covered with a thin blanket, a hot towel draped over her forehead, and she was occasionally mumbling nonsensical words.

At this moment, the residence of Yang Yiqing was filled with mourning and the sound of weeping echoed throughout.

I want to stay here with you to avenge the master! Zi Ling looked at Peng Yue, her voice was soft, but her eyes conveyed an undeniable determination.

Upon arriving at the medical clinic, Peng Yue was already drenched in sweat, and without bothering to wipe it off, he called for the doctor and had his pulse checked, then hurried to the back hall

"Do not speak, listen to me," Ziling said, extending her hand to cover Peng Yue's mouth. "Just the thought of being apart from you makes my heart... it feels unbearable, and I cannot even articulate what this feeling is. Just the thought that we may never see each other again is truly..." Ziling choked on her words, unable to continue, tears streaming down her face. "Just the thought that we may never see each other again is truly..." Ziling choked on her words, unable to continue, tears streaming down her face.

"Alas, calling you a silly girl is indeed true," Peng Yue said with affection in his eyes. "What you did cannot be called deceit at all." With a gentle sigh, he took Ziling's somewhat cold little hand into his own.

It is merely a slight chill, the symptoms have just become a bit more severe. After taking a few doses of medicine, my health will be just fine, the doctor said slowly, appearing quite confident.

Indeed, after Peng Yue returned, he was entirely preoccupied with Yang Yiqing's funeral affairs, and the matter of promotion was forgotten, "Yes, he has been promoted again."

Yet, Ziling merely kept her eyes closed, incessantly muttering nonsensical words. "Alas..." Yang Jisi sighed and sat down dejectedly at the edge of the bed

Ah? Yang Jisi was somewhat surprised, "Wasn't everything fine just a couple of days ago? How did he suddenly fall ill?" Yang Jisi muttered to himself

"Oh dear, that is not what I meant..." Peng Yue quickly shook his head, "What I mean is that you cannot be of any help, hurry back to Zhenjiang Prefecture. The young master is in a bad mood and needs your comfort. What use is it for you to stay here with me"

Peng Yue's lips curled slightly as he said: "Sister Ling'er..."

After leaving the mourning hall, Ziling pulled Peng Yue aside and said, "Brother Yun, what will you do if we all return to our hometown?" She knew that her question was somewhat foolish, but she did not know how to start the conversation, so she could only express her thoughts as they came.

Thank you, miss! The doctor has earned so much money, and naturally, he is delighted.

Yang Jisi had somewhat recovered from his sorrow, wiped away his tears, and instructed his servants to make simple arrangements for his belongings in preparation for his return home. He also suggested that he wanted to be alone for a while, sending them all away from the mourning hall.

I... the young girl was about to retort, but she realized that she was indeed in the wrong, yet she could not swallow her pride.

Peng Yue was about to call someone to fetch a doctor, but he found that the servants had either left or scattered. "Alas..." With a long sigh, Peng Yue hurriedly carried Ziling on his back and rushed out the door towards the medical clinic

"Jisi, otherwise let Ziling stay here first, and I will take care of her. We should at least wait until she recovers from her illness, what do you think?" Peng Yue finally spoke up

Hmph! The young girl stood there for a moment, casting a glance at Peng Yue, only to find that Peng Yue showed no reaction at all

At this moment, Peng Yue's heart was entirely focused on Zi Ling. He forced a smile towards the young lady, cupped his hands in a gesture of greeting, and then anxiously turned his gaze back to the sickbed where Zi Ling lay.

He randomly looked at Peng Yue and said, "That money from that day can be considered as repaid to you, so we are even now, haha..."

Upon hearing Peng Yue say to stay, Zi Ling couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Just a moment ago, she was in tears, but now she didn't even mind that her nose was running into her mouth: "Young Master, I will find a way myself"

"Young Master, please do not be sad," Ziling comforted while wiping her tears.

Ziling, with her slightly red and swollen eyes, glanced into the mourning hall and pulled Peng Yue to walk further away. Once they stopped, Ziling pressed her lips together, as if gathering a great deal of courage: "We grew up together since we were little; you were the scholar's assistant, and I was the maid. I never imagined that one day we would be separated. Yet that day has come, I ... ... "

What should we do? Yang Jisi paced anxiously in the room. Everything has been packed, and the staff has been hired; we cannot afford to wait any longer.

Ziling looked around again and, after confirming that no one was present, continued, "After all, the young master is the young master. He has grown up. Although he doesn't say it, I know that we are... we are in a master-servant relationship." At this moment, Ziling raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears, and said, "But I am different from you. We have had the best relationship since we were young. Even though you are an official now, in my heart, you are still... still that Yun Ge, who has never changed."

My younger sister is seriously ill, I hope you will show some mercy!" Peng Yue was already angry, and now hearing that young girl mock him again made him even more displeased

It seems that my silver was spent in vain The young girl, who is not very old, has now developed a childish disposition, reminiscing about her piece of silver

"In order to deceive the young master, I took a long cold shower last night and caught a chill..." Ziling's lips curled slightly, and she could say no more.

Peng Yue was in a state of panic, unsure whether he should reach out to wipe away Ziling's tears. However, Ziling suddenly turned her back, dried her tears, and resolutely said: "In any case, I know that I just don't want to be separated from you, I cannot be separated from you, Brother Yun, I beg you!" Ziling's eyes were even more swollen, and the tears in her eyes sparkled.

"The only option now is to proceed in this manner," Yang Jisi sighed lightly. "Zirui, I must trouble you with this. It is getting late, so I will take my leave now." Yang Jisi cupped his hands in salute and exited.

"Jisi, pull yourself together. If you continue like this, I fear the master will be saddened by what he sees." Peng Yue felt an indescribable discomfort in his heart: "The Emperor has already issued a decree, so you should honor the late master's wishes and return to Zhenjiang Prefecture." Peng Yue lowered his head: "Otherwise, I fear that someone may bring you harm."

The young girl did not notice and continued to speak to the doctor: "The cost of their medicine will be charged to me." After saying this, without asking any further questions, she tossed a silver ingot into the doctor's arms, saying, "The remaining money is a reward for you."

At this moment, Ziling seemed to have choked on some medicine, coughing twice before opening her eyes. She looked weakly at Peng Yue, her lips moved but no words came out. Instead, tears streamed down her face, and she called out "Yun Gege" in a broken voice, unable to speak clearly due to her sobs.

Yang Jisi glanced at Peng Yue and walked to the bedside: "Ziling... Ziling... how are you? Can you still walk with me?"

The young girl approached and said, "Oh, isn't this the little girl from that day? She was quite fierce back then, but now she looks so sickly." The girl teased.

Upon reaching the door, I found that Peng Yue did not even lift his eyes to look at me. He let out a cold snort and slammed the door as he left

As Yang Jisi's footsteps gradually faded away, Peng Yue turned around and saw Ziling on the punching machine smiling slyly: "Get up, everyone has left." After saying this, she casually sat down at the edge of the bed. However, she noticed that Ziling was lying there, not making a sound.

At this moment, the doctor had already prepared a dose of medicine and brought it over. Peng Yue hurriedly took the medicine and fed it to Zi Ling, but after taking a sip, Zi Ling spat out half of it. Peng Yue's brows remained furrowed, showing no sign of relaxation.

Ziling seemed to realize her own indiscretion, lowering her head and fidgeting with her body: "Who says I can't be of help? I can... I can inquire about things for you, offer suggestions, and if all else fails... I can serve you tea and water, take care of you, and ensure you are in a good mood. You can... you can treat me like a maid to be ordered around." By the end of her statement, Ziling's tone had nearly turned into a plea, and the corners of her mourning attire were almost worn out from her fidgeting.

"Young Master, Miss Ziling is gravely ill and is likely unable to travel for the time being," a servant hurriedly came to report.

Ziling fiddled with the hem of her garment with her fingers, occasionally glancing elsewhere, appearing as if she had something to say but hesitated to speak

Peng Yue did not know what to say at this moment, only seeing Zi Ling rubbing her eyes and continuously giggling: "Brother Yun..."

Peng Yue, upon hearing this, felt somewhat embarrassed not to respond: "Thank you, miss." However, he did not raise his head to glance at her.

Then I won't make a fool of myself here! The young girl, seeing that Peng Yue remained silent, couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed, so she huffily walked out the door

The young girl felt a bit angry at Peng Yue's attitude: "You two are so affectionate with each other, I won't make a fool of myself here."

"Master was harmed to death by a treacherous person; do you not wish to avenge him?" Ziling's eyes widened in anger, appearing quite indignant

"Of course, I will stay in the capital. The Emperor has already appointed me as the head of the Ministry of Personnel, and I anticipate that I will remain in the court in the future." Peng Yue glanced into the mourning hall and added, "Moreover, I can only stay here to have the opportunity to eliminate the petty individuals and repay the kindness of my esteemed master for recognizing my talents."

"What’s wrong? Is there something going on?" Peng Yue asked upon seeing Zi Ling in this state

"Haha, you really act quite well..." As he spoke, he had already lifted her blanket and gently patted her leg. However, he discovered that her body was damp, soaked with sweat, and her skin felt a bit hot. Peng Yue sensed something was amiss, yet he heard Ziling still chattering nonsensically, so he quickly removed the towel from his forehead and checked with his hand: "My goodness, she is really ill"

Peng Yue quickly comforted, "It is not that I am unwilling to let you stay here; it is mainly because the young master needs you now, and besides, your staying here would not really be of much help."

Peng Yue never expected Ziling to say such words, but after hearing what she said, he felt an inexplicable discomfort in his heart. Indeed, although he was not truly Shiyun, after so many days of getting along, he realized that he had become quite attached to this little girl. However, he still made an effort to restrain his emotions: "Then you should stay, but... but regarding Jisi..."

Peng Yue was also somewhat at a loss: "That... Ling'er younger sister..." He did not expect Zi Ling to say such a thing.

"If the young master needs me, then you no longer need me?" Ziling's almond-shaped eyes widened in anger as she glared at Peng Yue

Peng Yue could not help but be taken aback: "No, no, what revenge? I am not here for any revenge..." Now, Peng Yue understands that he must be cautious with his words and actions. He did not expect that he had unknowingly learned so much in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.

I... I... I want to stay here with you. " Ziling seemed to have mustered a great deal of courage to say this.

Ah, have you been promoted again?" Zi Ling's tone revealed a rare sense of surprise and joy

Hearing this, Peng Yue felt annoyed with her, but it was not appropriate to express his anger, so he pretended not to hear and continued to administer the medicine to Ziling

Ah, this... I... "Peng Yue steadied himself, "I also want you to stay, but... but Jisi..." Peng Yue was at a loss for words on how to continue.

Yang Jisi glanced at Peng Yue, only to see that Peng Yue was just standing there, like someone who had nothing to do, not saying a word