Eunuch Su, Eunuch Su!

“A fever?” Su Jin fully regained consciousness. He slowly frowned, straightening up. He felt his limbs were weak, and his head was a little dizzy.

He thought about it. He must have caught a chill last night on his way back from bathing in the front yard. Su Jin gently rubbed his forehead. From his experience, this was nothing serious. So, he looked up at Huiming, whose face was full of worry, and even tried to smile to reassure her. “It’s fine. It’s just a slight cold from last night. I’ll be fine after taking a few pills and resting.”

“How can it be fine? Your voice is hoarse!” Huiming became even more anxious. Her words were filled with self-blame. “I was so careful last night. How could you still catch a cold? Is it because I added too much coal to the brazier and the blanket, and Gonggong’s body isn’t used to it?”

“That’s not the case at all. I didn’t wear enough clothes when I went out last night. It’s really not a big deal.” Su Jin didn’t want Huiming to blame herself, so he quickly shook his head and explained. He turned his head and called for Yuanbao, asking him what time it was and if he was late for his duty.

Hearing this, Huiming walked up to him and helped him lie down again. “How can you go to the emperor in this state? It’s better to let Yuanbao go and ask for leave for you.”

Usually, there was no need to delay work because of such minor ailments. However, serving the emperor was different from ordinary eunuchs. To avoid infecting the emperor, the eunuchs who served him personally had to be careful even if they just had a cough, let alone the fact that the emperor had just recovered from a serious illness. This kind of cold was the most contagious, so they couldn’t let the emperor catch even a little bit of it.

Therefore, after hearing this, Su Jin thought for a moment and asked about the time. He agreed with Huiming and asked Yuanbao to go to Qiande Palace to report his situation to the emperor and apologize for him. When he came back, he would also ask a medical maid to prescribe some medicine.

Yuanbao agreed and turned to leave. At this time, the sky outside was still dark. Huiming got up and went out. She poured a cup of hot water from the copper pot on the brazier and saw that Su Jin seemed to be getting up again. She quickly pressed him down and knelt beside the couch. She supported Su Jin and put an extra pillow behind him so that he could lean on it and sit up.

In order to do this, Huiming was very close to Su Jin when she bent down. A few strands of her hair brushed against Su Jin’s face. When she helped him up to put the soft pillow behind him, her body even touched his shoulder and cheek. It was warm and soft, but it was as if there were tiny thorns that didn’t prick him, making him feel numb. At the same time, a faint but sweet fragrance drifted into his nose.

Perhaps because the fever had made him dizzy, Su Jin subconsciously took a deep breath because of Huiming’s closeness. But after he realized what he had done, he was startled and held his breath. His whole body tensed up, and his face, which had been slightly flushed because of the fever, instantly turned red. He couldn’t move at all.

Huiming didn’t notice. After helping Su Jin up, she turned around and brought over the hot water she had put aside. She tested the temperature and found it was just right. Then, she turned her head and brought the water to Su Jin’s lips. Looking at Su Jin’s flushed face, she frowned even more. “Why do I feel like your fever is getting worse?”

Su Jin swallowed a few mouthfuls of hot water. When he spoke again, his voice was no longer hoarse, but it was still a little flustered as if he had been caught doing something wrong. “No, no… I feel much better. Besides, how can it get worse so quickly?”

Fortunately, it was still dark at this time, and only two or three candles were lit in the room. Seeing Su Jin say this, Huiming also felt that she might have remembered wrongly. She didn’t mention it anymore. She turned around and rolled up her sleeves. She wrung a handkerchief with warm water and carefully wiped the sweat from Su Jin’s forehead.

It was fine when she wiped his forehead and cheeks, but when Huiming’s cloth moved to his chin and behind his ears, Su Jin clearly showed a stiff expression. When Huiming rinsed the cloth again and came back to continue wiping his neck and the hollow of his neck, Su Jin was as if he had been pricked by something. He suddenly reached out and tightly grabbed Huiming’s wrist to stop her.

“Hiss–” Huiming’s wrist was caught off guard and she was startled. Her hand loosened and the handkerchief fell on the pillow.

Because she had to wring the handkerchief in the water, Huiming had rolled up her sleeves to her forearms, and the two bracelets on her wrists had already been removed. So, when she grabbed it, there was no obstacle at all. She really grabbed his flesh and blood.

Su Jin’s whole body was burning, so his hands were naturally hotter than ordinary people. His fingers were slender and strong, but his palms were slightly moist with sweat. When he grabbed her like this, it didn’t hurt, but… it was very real, so real that she, who was only worried about Su Jin’s health, couldn’t ignore it.

Huiming shrank her fingers and didn’t struggle. She just looked down at Su Jin, who was half-lying on the couch.

Just now, because of Huiming’s actions, he had reacted without thinking in his panic. But now that Su Jin had come back to his senses, he was in a dilemma. It was as if he really had a high fever. He felt that just holding her wrist, which was like congealed fat, made him feel dizzy.

It was not until Huiming stared at him for more than ten breaths that Su Jin recovered from his slight dizziness. He suddenly realized that he had been tightly grabbing Huiming’s wrist until now and hadn’t let go!

Su Jin’s eyes widened. He looked up at Huiming and quickly let go of her hand. He shook his head and explained, “I, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to. I was rude. You, you…”

Su Jin’s cheeks and the corners of his eyes were slightly red, and his upturned peach blossom eyes seemed to be filled with moisture. Although Huiming knew that it was because of the fever, his anxious apology and explanation made him look like an overly sensible child. He knew he had made a mistake, but before anyone could blame him, he was already so filled with self-blame that he almost cried out.

Facing such a Su Jin, no one would be angry, let alone Huiming, who didn’t feel the slightest bit angry at Su Jin’s actions.

Putting away the inexplicable ripples in her heart, Huiming only felt that her cheeks seemed to be slightly warm. She lowered her head and didn’t say anything. She just picked up the handkerchief, took Su Jin’s hand, and carefully wiped the cold sweat from his palm.

Huiming’s soft and delicate palm held his hand from bottom to top, clearly as gentle and meticulous as a spring breeze. But Su Jin felt as if every touch was on his heart, making him unable to help but tremble slightly.

Having learned from his previous experience, coupled with Huiming’s silence at the moment, Su Jin didn’t dare to stop her this time. He didn’t even dare to make any unnecessary movements, for fear of being misunderstood by Huiming. Even when Huiming wiped his fingers one by one, he was so stiff that it seemed as if he couldn’t bend them.

By the time Huiming tucked Su Jin’s hands back into the blanket, removed the pillow, and helped him lie down again, Su Jin couldn’t say a word. He just opened his eyes and followed Huiming’s every move with his gaze, as if he was really delirious from the fever.

Huiming didn’t know why, but she couldn’t help but blush under his gaze. She turned around and made sure that everything was in order before saying, “Gonggong, is there anything else that makes you uncomfortable? If not, close your eyes and rest for a while. I’ll go to Changxing Palace to ask for leave and come back!” She paused and saw that Su Jin didn’t answer but didn’t ask for anything else, so she took it as an acknowledgment. She got up, put on her cloak, and went out.

Lying on the couch, Su Jin tilted his head slightly, watching Huiming go out and turn around. The wooden door also closed tightly in front of him. He listened to Huiming’s footsteps and figure getting further and further away until he couldn’t hear anything.

In fact, he had not been in good health since he was a child. After he entered the palace as a slave, he had never been free from such minor illnesses due to the extremely cold and laborious work. He was able to live to this day mostly because of his own will and the depression that he couldn’t swallow.

However, sometimes, when he was young and weak, he would be in so much pain that he would fantasize in the dead of night that he had not actually entered the palace and that there would be someone around him to care for him and keep him warm. This person in his fantasy was his deceased mother at first, and later, it was often Huiming, whom he had only met once. However, since he had climbed to the emperor’s side, he no longer allowed himself to have such weak thoughts, even in his mind.

Su Jin slowly closed his eyes and raised the hand that Huiming had carefully wiped for him, gently placing it on his forehead.

He wondered if he was too sick. In the silence, there was a buzzing sound in his head, and he was just having a beautiful dream.

It was just that the dream was too beautiful and too real, so he didn’t want to wake up at all.

——————

Worried about Su Jin, Huiming walked quickly without stopping. When she arrived at Changxing Palace, she didn’t delay and went to look for Banping and the chief eunuch to ask for leave.

Fortunately, they knew her background. No matter what they thought in their hearts, they all agreed with a smile on their faces. No one stopped her. Naturally, Huiming didn’t care about that at this moment. Seeing that they had agreed, she bowed and turned to leave.

However, ever since she left Changxing Palace, Huiming felt as if she had forgotten something important. But she couldn’t remember it at the moment. She felt a little uneasy.

It was not until she walked far away from Changxing Palace and saw Xinglong Gate in the distance that Huiming suddenly stopped and finally remembered what she had forgotten —

Seventh Prince!

She had just promised the little prince the day before yesterday that she would enter the palace every morning and go to Jingfang Hall to look for him after she had finished her duties by Consort Kang’s side at breakfast time. But now it seemed that she was going to break her promise today?

Huiming turned her head and estimated the time it would take her to go back to Jingfang Hall from Xinglong Gate to explain and then return. She thought about Su Jin in the house in Jing Lane. After hesitating for a few moments, she shook her head and gave up the idea of going back to explain.

As for the Seventh Prince, she would apologize to him after Su Jin recovered! Thinking of this, Huiming turned her head and continued walking towards Xinglong Gate.

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