Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 291 Hug

Nianyao went to Heaven and Earth alone, and just as An Liangchen said, Luo An did indeed catch a cold. But what An Liangchen didn't say was that Luo An's cold seemed to be quite serious.

Luo An lay on the bed, covered with an apricot-white brocade quilt with dark patterns. His face had an unnatural flush, and even his breath seemed to exude heat.

Nianyao sat by the bed and gently touched Luo An's forehead; it was indeed very hot.

Luo An sensed someone was there, slightly opened his eyes and then closed them again. After a while, he opened his eyes again and asked uncertainly, "Nian Yao?"

Nianyao said, "It's me. You're sick. This is the first time I've ever seen you sick."

Luo An tried to sit up, but Nian Yao pressed him down, saying, "You sleep. Just tell me if you need anything."

Those words sounded particularly reassuring. Luo An smiled slightly: "Then hug me."

She looked very weak, and her voice sounded even weaker. Nianyao was slightly taken aback, then stood up and took off her clothes.

Luo An's eyes widened: "What do you want to do?"

Nianyao asked in surprise, "Didn't you want me to carry you?"

Luo An quickly said, "You don't need to take off your clothes, just wear them under the blanket. Colds are easily contagious, so be careful."

Nianyao said nonchalantly, "I'm as strong as an ox, what's there to be afraid of? Move over a bit."

Luo An should have refused, but he found himself moving further in unconsciously.

Nianyao snuggled into the covers, wrapped her arms around Luo An's neck, put one leg on his lap, thought for a moment and kissed him again, finally nestled contentedly against his chest: "This temperature is just right for this season."

He's like a bandit or a rogue, yet he makes people feel happy.

Luo An lowered his head and nuzzled Nian Yao's hair. Finally, he couldn't help but reach out and wrap his arms around her waist, bringing the two of them even closer. He said, "If I infect you, you'll regret it."

Nianyao said, "We should share both good times and bad. I'll follow you around and live off you. Surely I won't be so frugal that I can't even afford a cold?"

Luo An smiled and said, "With such loyalty from you, Madam, how could I let you down? I must let you experience the joy of separation being better than reunion."

Nianyao grabbed his fidgeting hand: "You're not fully recovered, so don't do anything reckless."

Luo An then said, "Then, Madam, please come."

He had been lying there feeling utterly weak, but now he was laughing and joking around, surprisingly full of energy. A thought suddenly popped into Luo An's head: Love is the true medicine, nourishing both body and mind without being bitter.

The man who claimed to be as strong as an ox couldn't ward off the cold that the miracle doctor had infecting him, but Luo An's fever subsided after he broke out in a sweat.

Luo An personally brewed the medicine for her, helped her sit up, and said with a hint of amusement in his voice, "I added honey, so it's not bitter."

Nianyao tilted her head back and drank the bowl of medicine clean: "Laugh if you want, I won't blame you."

Luo An took the bowl and placed it on the low cabinet, then brushed the hair from Nian Yao's cheek behind her ear: "Senior Sister said that once you're better, we'll hold a ceremony to pay our respects to the Manor Lord's wife."

Nianyao quickly refused: "No need, I'll be living here from now on. I'll get to know the brothers naturally over time, there's no need for any formal greeting."

Luo An said, "That's what I said too. My senior sister insisted that I come and ask you, saying that these matters should respect the opinions of the mistress of the manor, because harmony in the family brings prosperity in everything."

When Nianyao went to Heaven on Earth to find Luo An, it was her senior sister who brought her there: "I thought the manager of Heaven on Earth would be the senior brother, but I didn't expect it to be the senior sister, and she's so...gentle. Did I use the wrong word?"

Luo An said, "You're right. Senior Sister is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. Over the years, the manor has been well-organized under her management, and all the fellow disciples respect her."

Nianyao raised an eyebrow: "So you're just a figurehead manor owner?"

Luo An said, "I suppose so. But as the head of the manor, you don't have to do everything yourself; you just need to have people to rely on."

Nianyao naturally became gossipy: "Senior Sister looks quite old, is she married?"

Luo An did the math: "I'm in my mid-twenties and still not married. My eldest sister was the first disciple my father took in, and she's a few years older than me. My father doesn't really care about me; she's the one who took care of me when I was little."

Nianyao suddenly realized: "Father took on a female disciple just to train you."

Luo An immediately denied it: "No, it's impossible that it was just to take me under her wing. The main reason is that my senior sister is exceptionally intelligent. She can recognize herbs and medicines and remember them after just one glance. She is a promising candidate for medicine. She only became a ninth-level doctor a year later than me."

Nianyao praised, "You're still the best."

Luo An showed no modesty in front of Nian Yao: "Of course. My husband, the leader of the Great River Gang, is no ordinary person. By the way, did the disbandment of the Great River Gang go smoothly? Why did you come back alone?"

Nianyao said, "It went smoothly. Ninth Brother brought me here. The wet nurse and the child are at Xi Zhai. Crown Prince An said you were ill, so I came to check on you first. Ninth Brother... he..."

Qin Jiu's matter was too strange, and Nian Yao was hesitating whether to tell Luo An.

Luo An continued, "Did he have another falling out with Liang Qingcheng? I think he should just take Buzhi away. Liang Qingcheng is so ungrateful; she doesn't deserve Ninth Brother at all."

Luo An has a lot of opinions about Liang Qingcheng?

Nianyao said, "I'd rather tear down a temple than break up a marriage."

Luo An said, "You're quite traditional?"

Nianyao casually replied, "Of course, a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes, whether he's a chicken or a dog."

Luo An was both amused and exasperated: "As long as the husband and wife follow each other, that's fine. If Liang Qingcheng had half your awareness, she wouldn't be having such a bad relationship with Ninth Brother."

Nianyao said, "You know I'm not very well-educated. Let me tell you about you. Xu Sheng said he was going to the Bohai Sea to retrieve corpses, and you said you were going to the Bohai Sea to find Xu Sheng's birth date card. What's going on?"

Luo An briefly recounted the story of the late Emperor Dongyang and the goddess of Bohai, and concluded by saying, "Xu Sheng said he always dreams of a middle-aged woman chained to the bottom of the sea, and he suspects that he was born from the immortal mountain of Bohai. I also had some doubts, so I went to take a look."

Nianyao said, "You didn't find anything?"

Luo An said, "I didn't see the fairy mountain. But I found a temple dedicated to a goddess on the shore of the Bohai Sea. The goddess enshrined in the temple looked quite like my grandmother. But that day, a huge storm washed the temple away."

Nianyao pondered for a while: "I've also heard about the late emperor and the goddess. So what Xu Sheng and Yun Ting said was right, the Lord of Dongyang is Father's younger brother from the same parents. If that's the case, the throne should belong to Father, then you..."

Luo An interrupted her: "Don't overthink it. Grandmother took Father away from Bianjing many years ago. Father changed his surname and went back to Bianjing to seek fame and fortune, but he never formally returned to his ancestral home. The Emperor was raised by the Empress and is the eldest legitimate son, so it is only natural for him to succeed to the throne."

Nianyao said, "Then do you want to..."

Luo An interrupted her again: "I don't want to. I'm just a figurehead as the head of the manor. I can't be a mere figurehead as the crown prince, can I? Dongyang has faced several crises, and it was the emperor and the crown prince who worked tirelessly to overcome them. I have neither prestige nor followers in the court."

In short, I have no desire, no ability, and no inclination whatsoever. Why are you so concerned? Do you think the mistress of the manor isn't prestigious enough and want to become the crown princess or empress...?

Nianyao said repeatedly, "No, no, no, I didn't, I was just chatting. I'm not feeling well and need to rest. You can go ahead with your work."