Chapter 314 - 312: Seeing a Doctor
Even before opening her eyes, Zhou Lian felt a rare lightness in her body. Hearing the soft breathing by her ear, she couldn’t help but smile. ’How wonderful. Li Xiu’s back.’ She quietly opened her eyes to look at the man lying at her side. It was a rare sight; Li Xiu was seldom still asleep after she had woken up.
She couldn’t resist snuggling into Li Xiu’s embrace. It was always so comforting in his arms. A low chuckle rumbled from above her head. Zhou Lian froze for a moment. ’He’s awake.’ But after only a second, she snuggled in closer, wrapping her arms around his back and letting out a soft sigh of relief.
Feeling the series of movements from the woman in his arms, Li Xiu let out another chuckle, followed by a soft hiss and a wry smile. ’So early in the morning... Is my little treasure doing this on purpose, or *on purpose*?’
By the time the two of them came out of the bedroom, it was already late in the morning. Seeing the disapproval all over Sister Fang’s face, Li Xiu knew she was worried about Zhou Lian not having had breakfast so late. He could only say softly, "It won’t happen again, Sister Fang!"
"You’d better remember what you just said! Wait here, I’ll go get your breakfast ready!" Shooting him a fierce glare, Sister Fang’s expression softened as she glanced at Zhou Lian beside him, her voice gentler now.
Zhou Lian looked at Li Xiu with a half-smile and whispered, "You’re so thick-skinned. I wonder how many times Sister Fang has heard that one!"
While eating their delicious breakfast, Zhou Lian asked gently, "Sister Fang, where are the two children and the teachers?"
"The two teachers have the children studying in the study in the rear building," Sister Fang said with a smile, pleased to see Zhou Lian eating with a good appetite. "Mr. Fan said you two should go about your business and not worry about the children!"
Peeling an egg for Zhou Lian, Li Xiu said softly, "Bao’er, hurry and eat. I’m taking you out in a bit."
Swallowing the food in her mouth, Zhou Lian asked curiously, "Where are we going?"
"Just eat. You’ll know when we get there." Li Xiu gave her a gentle look but didn’t reveal their destination. ’Could I tell her? If I did, would she still agree to go?’
She glanced at Li Xiu, and seeing he clearly wasn’t going to say, Zhou Lian stopped worrying about it. ’I’ll find out when we get there, anyway. It shouldn’t matter if I find out now or later. Right? Probably.’
Zhou Lian sat on Li Xiu’s lap in the back seat of the car. She glanced at the calm and unconcerned Li Xiu and whispered, "Jin Chen, you got back yesterday. Shouldn’t you go say hello over at the garden?"
Lowering his head to kiss the crown of her hair, Li Xiu said nonchalantly, "There’s nothing wrong with it. Bao’er, you have to remember: helping them is a favor, not my duty. As for the garden, go if you want to, don’t if you don’t. Bao’er, you must always remember that I work so hard precisely so you can do whatever you want. Don’t ever feel you have to yield to anyone."
"Mm, I’ll remember." Then, looking puzzled, Zhou Lian asked Li Xiu, "I just feel like they shouldn’t be that stupid. They were groomed from a young age, after all. If they were really that foolish, they would have been eaten alive by now!" To be honest, the more she thought about it, the more suspicious the whole affair felt.
Li Xiu smiled, gently playing with Zhou Lian’s slender fingers. "Stupid or not, we’re not the ones who should be worried," he said softly. "Just let them be. The human heart is the hardest thing to grasp, Bao’er. You need to know that even if I were to drop everything right now, my past achievements would be enough to ensure you a peaceful and quiet life. So, Bao’er, don’t have any worries. Just be well, be happy, and live every day to the fullest."
"Okay, Jin Chen," Zhou Lian said nonchalantly. "You know me. After how much you’ve spoiled me, do I seem like the type to just take things lying down?" ’Honestly,’ she mused, ’my temper in this life is much worse than in my last. It’s just like the old saying goes: only a cherished child can afford to be willful.’
The car stopped and the door was opened. The moment Zhou Lian stepped out, Li Xiu pulled her into his embrace. ’Wait, why does this place look so familiar?’
"Wait a minute, Jin Chen, where are you taking me?" Sensing something was off, Zhou Lian tugged on Li Xiu’s sleeve and stopped in her tracks to ask.
Seeing her stop, Li Xiu’s lips curled into a smile. Just as a bad feeling washed over Zhou Lian, he swept her up into his arms and strode forward. The person following them astutely took a few steps forward to open the door. Once Li Xiu had carried Zhou Lian inside, the person followed and shut the door behind them.
Looking at the familiar surroundings, Zhou Lian couldn’t help but bury her face in her hands. ’That bastard, Li Xiu! So embarrassing! This is Doctor Wang’s traditional medicine clinic! That jerk! I’m already all better, what are we doing here?!’
Doctor Wang, who had just seen a patient out, witnessed this scene and burst out laughing. He pointed at Zhou Lian and said, "When did you get back? Was all this really necessary? It’s not like I’m going to eat you in here!"
"We arrived yesterday afternoon. Could I trouble you to give her another thorough check-up?" Li Xiu replied with a smile, greeting him.
Nodding in understanding, Doctor Wang pointed to a nearby chair and said, "Have her sit here. I’ll take a close look."
’Li Xiu, that man dotes on his wife endlessly. I was just wondering when he’d be back. I knew once he heard his wife had a high fever and was overcome with anxiety, he would definitely come looking for me. And here he is. Back yesterday afternoon, here first thing this morning!’
Resignedly holding out her hand, Zhou Lian shot a glare at Li Xiu before turning to Doctor Wang with a sheepish smile. "I’m already completely better. You were the one who treated me, after all, Doctor Wang!"
"Bao’er, let Doctor Wang take a good look at you. I won’t be at ease otherwise." Placing a hand gently on Zhou Lian’s shoulder, Li Xiu lowered his head to look into her eyes as he spoke.
Seeing the pain and seriousness in Li Xiu’s eyes, Zhou Lian sighed and relented. ’Fine, a check-up it is. It wasn’t that she was being dramatic, but the Chinese medicine Doctor Wang prescribed was practically inedible. It was so bitter and astringent, truly hard to swallow!’
After a long while, Doctor Wang withdrew his hand from her pulse and said to Li Xiu, "Don’t worry, there are no major issues. You’ve done a good job nourishing her over the years, but her constitution is naturally weak. No matter how well you supplement her health, you won’t see it when she’s fine. But when she gets sick, it takes a greater toll on her than on an ordinary person. This time, the episode of intense anger and anxiety has put some strain on her liver. She should take some medicine for it."
Glancing at Zhou Lian’s pained expression, Doctor Wang continued, "Her overall condition is quite good. Just try to prevent her from getting sick in the future. Also, she should avoid major shocks, fits of rage, or deep sorrow. And one more thing, don’t take this the wrong way, but a keen mind is easily wounded."
Li Xiu froze for a moment. ’’A keen mind is easily wounded...’ He’s probably not just talking about Zhou Lian, is he? Fine. He’s the doctor, his word is law. It looks like I’ll have to keep a close eye on my wife myself; I can’t rely on anyone else. Avoid major shocks, rage, and sorrow? I’ll do my best to make sure she does.’
Lost in thought, Li Xiu was suddenly pulled into the chair by Zhou Lian. He looked at her, confused. Zhou Lian took his hand and presented it to Doctor Wang, saying, "Could you please check him too? He’s not getting any younger. See if there’s anything wrong so he can fix it!"
Li Xiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he watched her fluid, seamless actions. He sat obediently in the chair and let Doctor Wang take his pulse. ’Oh well,’ he thought. ’A check-up isn’t a bad idea. It’ll put her mind at ease.’