Chapter 179 - 158 Don’t Leave!
Yin Tingxue fell ill.
She lay on the mat brought from home, breathing weakly, her fair face pale.
Countless tiny white flowers scattered, rushed by the wind, landing briefly on the stump before vanishing without a trace.
Her forehead burned fiercely; yesterday’s chill had now turned into piercingly cold fever.
The gray tiles of Yintai Temple once refracted the afternoon sun, a stark contrast to its current dreary state. Back then, the servants and maids bustled through the temple gates; her mother would light incense with her own hands, kneeling on a cushion, reciting Buddhist Scriptures while gently patting her head. She was like a little wooden fish, obediently lowering her head, dozing off breath by breath.
In the early winter season, the ladies crossed the stone bridge, the river flowing below in deep indigo hues, tranquil and smooth. They laughed and chatted on the stone steps, and the maids exchanged sly glances. Yet as they approached Yintai Temple, an involuntary silence fell upon them. Yin Tingxue had heard her mother say, in distant Tianzhu, there was such a river that carried human souls, washing away impurities, and sending them onward to their next life. Whenever the women crossed the stone bridge, she thought of that river.
The sky was hazy, the snowfall chaotic. Yin Tingxue sniffed, catching the faint smell of brewing medicine. She looked up and saw his silhouette.
She shivered involuntarily. Once upon a time, he had entered like this, later forcing her into concubinage, taking her body as his own.
"Feeling any better?"
Chen Yi held the bowl of herbal soup and asked softly.
The girl had suddenly fallen sick, nearly collapsing to the ground. Chen Yi had caught her, instructing Zhou Yitang to fetch the mat and quilt from Square Land for her to lie down and rest properly.