the cat in emperor's arms

pavillion rain

“Madam is in pain, hurry and call the physician.”

Bai Jiu pushed the door open, sending a waiting maid to relay the message.

She quickly returned, pouring a ginseng pill from a small porcelain bottle and hastily preparing a cup of warm water.

At this moment, Ming Luo Meng lay half-curled on the bed, cold sweat dampening her hair, her little face pale as snow. Her cat-like eyes resembled dimming lights, dull and colorless.

Her voice was weak and soft, tinged with tears:

“Bai Jiu, it hurts so much…”

Seeing this, Bai Jiu nearly burst into tears.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she hurriedly gave Ming Luo Meng the ginseng pill with water, asking urgently:

“Do you feel any better, Madam?”

Ming Luo Meng lay limply in her arms, struggling to swallow the pill, but it took time to take effect. She weakly shook her head, still feeling pain in her chest like a piercing stab, as if a large hole had been made in her.

She felt like a shivering little beast, utterly drained and weak.

Her eyelids grew heavy, long lashes slowly drooping.

As her consciousness faded, the last thing she sensed was Bai Jiu's anxious face and the chaotic voices around her.

“Madam! Hold on a little longer…”

“Mei Mei…”

But she was already too pained and fainted.

That night, the entire residence was brightly lit, and Wei Ling Shuang anxiously kept vigil by Ming Luo Meng's bedside until dawn.

When Ming Luo Meng awoke the next day, she felt a bit weak but otherwise had no other discomfort. It was as if the sudden agony had merely been an illusion.

Both the resident physician and the visiting specialists were unable to diagnose her condition, stating only that Ming Luo Meng was naturally weak and might have triggered an old ailment, needing to be careful in the future.

After this incident, Wei Ling Shuang became even more anxious, insisting she rest at home to recuperate.

Everyone else was also on edge, treating Ming Luo Meng with extreme caution, as if she were a precious item that could break at any moment.

As a result, for nearly a month, Ming Luo Meng did not step outside.

She spent her days either lying in bed or sitting by the window, watching the weather gradually turn warm, drinking remedy after remedy.

Bai Jiu stirred the medicine with a jade spoon, softly coaxing:

“Madam, be good, drink your medicine. This is the last bowl for today.”

The little figure on the bed pouted, her eyes clearly dimmed.

“I don’t want to drink it.” Ming Luo Meng's delicate face pouted, brows furrowed with worry. She turned her head away, softly complaining: “It’s so bitter.”

This was a daily ritual of coaxing, and Bai Jiu had long since developed a patience of iron.

She replied slowly, “This medicine has been simmered for a long time; it’ll be even more bitter when cooled. Our Madam is the smartest; she wouldn't want to drink even more bitter medicine, would she?”

“I even bought some candied plums today from the sweet shop…”

In Bai Jiu's heart, she would rather Ming Luo Meng be a bit willful than to see her so frail and listless.