Light and Shadow

31 - Doctor's Orders

Cao Cao and his personal doctor stood together in silence as midnight slowly approached. His doctor was an older man with long white hair, a silky long white beard, and a white hanfu that was secured closed with a vibrant yellow belt. His eyes widened in surprise as he gazed down at the man, noticing how small he was. He checked Xun Yu's pulse and frowned due to how slow it was. He then began to check his body for other signs of illness and felt himself grow nervous as Cao Cao closely watched his every movement. When he was finished conducting his tests, he turned to face the man who gazed down at Xun Yu with concerned eyes.

"My Lord, Minister Xun appears to be rather malnourished. Do you know if he has been eating properly?" The doctor inquired.

"He has not. He typically refuses to eat around others, but when he does it is usually only a small bowl of vegetables. On rare occasions he will eat a small bowl of rice as well," Cao Cao replied, watching as the doctor nodded his head while listening. "Is there anything that I can do to help him? Can he get better? Is he going to be okay?"

The doctor hesitated as he pondered how he was going to respond. He was afraid of the man. He found his presence to be quite overwhelming, and he noticed that he was rather protective of the Minister. I better not screw this up, or I will be executed for sure!

"I believe that he will be okay, and that he can get better. Based on what you have told me, I suspect that he is suffering from an eating disorder. I will give you a formula for an herbal remedy to treat him. He must drink it at least once a day over the course of one month. If he is consistent, then his symptoms should gradually decrease. I also recommend that he rests, since his body is terribly weak and frail; this will also help him get better." The doctor stated.

Cao Cao turned to look at him with eyes full of hope before returning his gaze to the resting form of Xun Yu. He leaned closer to the doctor, so that only he could hear.

"If this treatment of yours works, then I am willing to pay you extra in addition to your usual fee; however, I don't think that he will be too fond of your recommendation to rest. Thank you for agreeing to come and see him this late. I am very grateful for your assistance,... and I am relieved that he can get better." Cao Cao said without looking away from the resting form of Xun Yu.

The doctor was slightly taken by surprise. He did not expect the man to offer him additional payment, nor did he expect to see a gentle side and caring side of him. He must really value Minister Xun. I have not seen him this thankful for my assistance in quite some time. Despite currently facing a gentle side of the man, the doctor knew better than to slack off or let his guard down, and he excused himself to quickly go and fetch the recipe for the remedy that he thought would best aid Minister Xun.

A few minutes later, he returned and presented the recipe to Cao Cao using both hands. Cao Cao gratefully accepted it with both hands and thanked the man for his services once again, handing him a generous sum of money. The doctor then thanked him and left to return home and sleep, since it was fairly late at night. Cao Cao sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully took out Xun Yu's hairpiece, laying it gently on the nightstand beside the bed. He laid the recipe that the doctor gave him next to it and sighed. I don't understand. Why does he do this to himself? I know that if I ask him about it, then he will just change the subject, but how can he move past this if he never talks about it? I would do anything to help him get through this. I can't lose him, I refuse to. He aimed to stand up from his spot on the bed but froze as Xun Yu gently grabbed his hand and softly mumbled his name.

"Wenruo, I'm so glad that you're okay! How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" Cao Cao gushed.

Xun Yu smiled softly. Moonlight filtered in through the window, illuminating his soft porcelain skin.