Chapter 327: 327. If You Are Willing (An Additional Chapter)

After Old Mu’s furious departure, Qi Jun and Ren Dong moved the cart full of items he brought back to Yuanming Pavilion.

Since the old man Bai had been making poison every day when Su Liang was not at home, the accumulated amount of poison was quite considerable. Qi Jun and Ren Dong decided that it must be carefully stored to avoid being discovered by outsiders. Therefore, the two secretly dug a tunnel in the mansion, leading from the underground of Yuanming Pavilion to the back door of the garden. In the tunnel, they expanded a secret chamber, reinforced with bricks and stones, specifically for storing the finished poison made by Old Bai.

What Old Mu brought back was Old Bai’s collection from half his life, most of which were extremely poisonous or rare medicinal materials. Qi Jun and Ren Dong wore gloves and carefully placed them in the secret chamber.

When they finished their work, Yang Yu arrived.

She also received a letter from Nian Jincheng, learning about Su Liang’s accident and Gu Ling’s disappearance, and was deeply worried.

Nevertheless, upon hearing that Su Liang’s master had gone to save her, Yang Yu was not relieved. As a weak woman, she couldn’t help much.

For safety reasons, Yang Yu moved into Su Mansion that day and lived in the same courtyard with Ren Dong.

At night, Duanmu Chen’s close follower, Chang’an, secretly came to find Qi Jun and asked if there were any other news in the mansion.

Qi Jun said there was none, but he asked Chang’an about the emperor and the crown prince’s strategies to rescue Su Liang.

Chang’an replied that his master would definitely try his best and urged them to report any news from Su Mansion promptly.

Qi Jun didn’t think Chang’an was perfunctory, because he knew that Su Liang was indispensable for Duanmu Chen’s current status. In the daytime, news spread throughout the city that the Liang Country’s emperor turned out to be the product of incest between King Yue Situ Xie and the Empress Dowager. The common people were in an uproar, and the news spread rapidly.

Qi Jun knew very well that the palace must have released and spread the news.

Later, Lin Shuzhi, his two sons, Xing Yusheng, and Old Master Qin came one after another to inquire about Su Liang being kidnapped by the spies of Liang Country, all of them were angry and worried.

Everyone asked about Gu Ling, and Qi Jun simply said he went to save Su Liang and was not clear about the other details.

…

As for Su Liang’s side, she could roughly guess from the time how the capital city would react upon receiving the news and that Old Bai and Old Mu, who should have returned home by now, would possibly deal with the Liang Country’s royal family due to her situation.

But she was now trapped on an unnamed mysterious island and couldn’t help with anything happening outside. So she didn’t think too much and focused on staying alive, trying her best to “win over” Qiao Cong in hopes of leaving the island as soon as possible.

That day, after breakfast, Qiao Cong went out to purchase supplies, leaving Su Liang, Nangong Qian, and her maid Qiuyue on the island.

Originally, Su Liang wanted to build a kitchen as planned on a non-rainy day, but looking at the thick bamboo and thinking about the delicate Qiuyue who was not good at manual labor, she gave up.

While Su Liang was reading with the window open, she heard Qiuyue scream. Upon looking up, she saw Qiuyue jump down from the well’s stone platform, and the well wheel was spinning quickly, obviously being pulled by the water bucket.

Su Liang: …Is this girl a maid or a young lady?

She closed the book, went out and approached Qiuyue.

Seeing Su Liang appear next to her, Qiuyue instinctively dodged to the side.

Su Liang: …Is she afraid of her or feeling guilty?

However, Su Liang didn’t bother arguing and went straight to fetch a bucket of water. Turning to a dumbstruck Qiuyue, she asked, “Are you going to wash clothes or boil water?”

Qiuyue finally responded, her face full of gratitude, but then she remembered that her lady Nangong Qian didn’t get along well with Su Liang. She froze, looking weird with her tongue tied, “Wash…wash clothes!”

“Wash clothes by the well, then hang them on the lower pole over there when they’re washed.” Su Liang took the water bucket and placed it in the laundry area under the stone platform. There was a smooth stone surface for scrubbing clothes, as well as a drainage channel.

Qiuyue quickly nodded, “Oh…thank you, Miss Su.”

Su Liang guessed that the laundry detergent they brought would suffice, so she didn’t ask. As she crossed Qiuyue to return to her room, she said, “Call me if there’s not enough water.” It was dangerous for someone with little strength to fetch water from the well because they could easily be pulled in.

After agreeing, Qiuyue watched Su Liang walk away and pursed her lips, her hands wringed together.

With Su Liang’s help fetching water twice, Qiuyue managed to finish washing and hanging the clothes. She even fetched an extra bucket of water and placed it by the makeshift stove for cooking.

Nangong Qian’s pink silk dress was fluttering in the wind on the bamboo pole, strikingly at odds with the refreshing natural tone of the entire courtyard.

Wiping sweat from her forehead, Qiuyue returned to her room. As she closed the door and windows, she approached Nangong Qian’s bed and saw her lady with her eyes closed. Assuming Nangong Qian was asleep, Qiuyue was about to leave when she heard her speak, “Grandfather said we don’t have any vegetables, so I’ll just have plain porridge for lunch. You can cook that, right?”

Qiuyue’s face stiffened, and with perseverance, she nodded, “This servant… can.”

“Very good. As I said last night, you should know what to do.” Nangong Qian’s words were full of insinuation. She spoke softly, afraid that Su Liang would overhear.

Actually, Su Liang was focused on reading at that moment and didn’t care what the two were doing behind closed doors.

“Miss, this servant still thinks…” Qiuyue’s face turned pale, and she clenched her clothes in her hands. “Can we think of another way?”

Nangong Qian’s face darkened, “You’re struggling with it?”

Qiuyue’s body shuddered, “No…not at all.”

“Just go.” Nangong Qian closed her eyes again after speaking.

…

The sun rose, and the air was somewhat stuffy after the rain.

Su Liang had finished reading the first book that Qiao Cong brought back, and looking at the sky through the window, it was time for lunch.

As she went out, she saw Qiuyue squatting under the shed making a fire.

“Are you cooking?” Su Liang asked as she approached.

Qiuyue fell on her buttocks and quickly got up, “Yes… Miss said that Miss Su has been working hard, today’s meal is just plain porridge, so she asked this servant to do it. This servant can handle it.”

“Oh, good.” Su Liang nodded, “Don’t stuff the firewood so tightly, pull out a few from the middle.” She watched as Qiuyue removed a few pieces of firewood and the fire burned before turning around to leave.

After returning to her room, Su Liang reviewed the complicated parts of the book once more, planning to start reading a new book in the afternoon. She went out again to take a walk nearby.

At first, Su Liang didn’t look at Qiuyue. As she was about to leave the courtyard, she turned back and said, “You guys eat first after it’s done…”

Qiuyue dared not disobey Nangong Qian’s orders. Her attention was not on the porridge in the pot, but on the burning flames. She kept reassuring herself in her heart that Su Liang was a divine doctor, and everything would be alright…

Then, slowly, bit by bit, she moved her hands closer to the fire. It had to be both hands, as Nangong Qian said, one hand would not be enough…

Under extreme tension and fear, Qiuyue didn’t notice Su Liang coming out of the room. It wasn’t until she suddenly heard Su Liang’s voice that the tense string in her brain snapped. She thought Su Liang must have seen her deliberately burning her own hands. She fell to the ground, and subconsciously dodged further backwards, bumping her elbow in the process. She cried out in pain, not realizing that her skirt had caught fire and was burning. One foot was even unconsciously stepping towards the fire!

“Be careful!” Su Liang rushed over quickly, pulling Qiuyue to the side.

Qiuyue looked at her burning skirt and one foot, screaming uncontrollably.

Moving swiftly, Su Liang let go of her, removed her outer garment, soaked it in a bucket of water, fetched it, unfolded it, and covered the area that had caught fire on Qiuyue. Then, she poured the remaining water onto the fire!

She didn’t pour the water directly, fearing there wouldn’t be enough water to extinguish the fire completely at once. Any delay could result in burned skin and flesh.

The air was filled with the smell of burning. Qiuyue’s body stiffened, and she fainted from fear.

Su Liang fetched another bucket of cold water and rinsed Qiuyue’s burnt foot before examining it. It was only slightly red and not a serious injury.

Looking around at the mess, Su Liang was speechless. She picked up the frightened Qiuyue and carried her back to her room.

As she pushed open the door, she heard Nangong Qian’s anxious voice, “What happened… what’s wrong?”

“Qiuyue is injured.” Su Liang walked into the room with Qiuyue. Qiuyue usually slept on the floor by Nangong Qian’s bed, with no bed, only a mat, and bedding.

Nangong Qian looked worried, “It’s all my fault for making her cook, to share some of the workload with you… Now that she’s injured her hand, what will she do in the future…”

Su Liang paused, injured her hand? How did Nangong Qian know that Qiuyue had hurt her hand?

She couldn’t help but recall that, at the time she turned to talk to Qiuyue, she had seen Qiuyue’s hands shrink back…

Moreover, Qiuyue would instinctively dodge whenever Su Liang showed up today, as if she was a frightened bird.

Su Liang was sure she hadn’t bullied this maid, and Qiuyue hadn’t been like this yesterday.

If it wasn’t an old grudge, the only explanation for Su Liang was that Qiuyue was feeling guilty and had something to hide.

Could it be that Nangong Qian asked Qiuyue to deliberately burn her hands? That’s why Qiuyue voluntarily took on the task of cooking porridge, and was startled when she heard Su Liang, probably about to burn her own hands at that moment…

At this thought, a chill ran down Su Liang’s spine. On the surface, she showed no emotion, and just said lightly, “Her foot is injured, it’s not serious. Let me get some ointment for her, and she’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

Upon hearing this, Nangong Qian’s expression visibly stiffened.

Su Liang noticed and thought that her guess was probably right.

There was a conspiracy between this master and maid. Nangong Qian was the mastermind, and Qiuyue, although unwilling to hurt herself, feared that she had no choice but to comply. That’s why she looked so guilty and afraid.

Other than this, there was no other possibility to explain their behavior today.

“Well… that’s good…” Nangong Qian said weakly, “Thank you…”

After laying the mat and placing Qiuyue on it, Su Liang returned to her room to get the medicine. This was what she had carried with her. After Qiao Cong took it all away, he returned everything except the poison to her.

Nangong Qian watched Su Liang applying medicine to Qiuyue, her expression changing constantly.

Before long, Qiuyue woke up, her face pale, and stared at Su Liang with wide eyes, “My foot… What happened to my foot?”

Su Liang stood up, put away the medicine bottle, and looked down at Qiuyue lying on the ground, “Your foot is fine. But I am not a Great Immortal. If you had been seriously burned, you would have been crippled for life.”

Su Liang’s face was against the light, exuding an air of coldness. Qiuyue’s heart tightened, feeling as if she had been seen through by her.

After Su Liang left and the door was closed, Qiuyue felt wronged and began to sob uncontrollably.

Nangong Qian didn’t even offer any comforting words, but whispered, “She didn’t find out, did she?”

Qiuyue was not sure if Su Liang saw her action of reaching out to the fire, but she knew that if she dared to admit that Su Liang had discovered her, Nangong Qian would definitely blame everything on her, and she would lose her life.

So, Qiuyue shook her head while crying, swearing that Su Liang hadn’t seen, and she could only pray in her heart that Su Liang really hadn’t seen…

The porridge was about to burn, Su Liang scooped it out and brought it to Nangong Qian and her maid Qiuyue first. Then she sat in the courtyard eating a bowl of plain porridge, wondering if she should tell Qiao Cong about the matter.

This was definitely not a simple question of right and wrong; she had to weigh the pros and cons.

After cleaning up the kitchen and the courtyard in the afternoon, Su Liang prepared another decoction for Nangong Qian. Her attitude remained unchanged, which slightly reassured Nangong Qian and her maid.

It was not until dusk that Qiao Cong returned, carrying a large basket and a big basket filled with items that looked quite heavy.

Su Liang went forward to take the basket and placed it on the table.

Qiao Cong commented, “You are quite strong.”

Su Liang smiled, “After all, I’ve been training for two years.”

Qiao Cong glanced at the wooden frame he set up for Su Liang.

“How is everything at home?” Qiao Cong asked.

Su Liang nodded, “Only Qiuyue hurt her foot, but it’s very minor, she’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Qiao Cong frowned, “Clumsy.”

Su Liang took out the herbs from the basket one by one, checking if there were any problems.

Then, Qiao Cong handed her a paper-wrapped package.

Su Liang took it, opened it, and was stunned to find a golden roasted chicken inside. Although it was cold, it was still fragrant.

“The flavor is too strong for Qian’er, so you have it,” Qiao Cong said as he returned to his room.

Su Liang’s expression was indescribable. Was the old man trying to please her?

Qiao Cong changed his clothes and checked on Nangong Qian. When Nangong Qian and Qiuyue saw that he was not angry, they finally felt completely relieved.

Su Liang prepared a new medicine for Nangong Qian and gave her acupuncture again. This time, Qiao Cong accompanied them. Nangong Qian’s attitude was very good, apologizing once again for Qiuyue’s burn incident and saying she only wanted to lighten Su Liang’s burden.

As for the roasted chicken, Su Liang warmed it up, tore it into large pieces during dinner, and shared it with Qiao Cong, even giving a chicken leg to Qiuyue.

…

Skipping the morning exercise, Su Liang practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard at night.

After three sets, Qiao Cong joined in and sparred with her.

Nangong Qian drank the medicine and went to sleep early since Su Liang added a calming and sleep-inducing ingredient to her new medicine. More sleep and less worried thoughts would not harm her.

Qiuyue hadn’t fallen asleep yet. Whenever she closed her eyes, the raging fire appeared in her mind, causing her to break into a cold sweat. If it hadn’t been for Su Liang saving her in time, she didn’t know what would have become of her.

After dozens of rounds, Qiao Cong sheathed the sword and Su Liang let out a breath, “Thank you, master.” Practicing by herself was different from actual combat, as the latter helped her find her weaknesses and learn more adaptive techniques.

Then, Su Liang said she wanted to have a talk with Qiao Cong.

The two sat facing each other in the courtyard, Su Liang placing her wooden sword horizontally on the table. “The incident of Qiuyue getting burned today was not entirely accidental.”

Qiao Cong’s eyes narrowed slightly, then Su Liang continued to tell what exactly had happened. She had not shown any sign that she knew anything in front of Nangong Qian and Qiuyue during the day and only talked about it now to avoid the master and servant finding out their secret and causing more trouble.

“I didn’t suspect anything at first, but when I took Qiuyue back to her room and just mentioned that she got burned, your granddaughter immediately asked what to do if her hand was burned.” Su Liang said calmly, “And today, Qiuyue seemed very uneasy whenever she saw me. Even when I simply helped her fetch water or taught her to make fire, she appeared frightened. If you think I am overthinking this, please disregard it.”

“Why do you think it was Qian’er’s deliberate attempt to get Qiuyue burned? What good does that do to her?” Qiao Cong asked coldly.

Su Liang shook her head, “It’s not because I speculated that Nangong Qian had malice towards me. It’s because the things I saw and heard today were wrong. But if I’m not wrong, there are benefits for Nangong Qian, such as after Qiuyue was injured, I will serve her as her maid.”

During yesterday’s first meal, Nangong Qian said that the porridge made by Su Liang made her feel nauseated, so she sent Qiuyue to find Qiao Cong and asked Su Liang to make dishes again, treating her like a cook. Qiao Cong also remembered that last night, Qiuyue suddenly said she was going to boil water, and when she saw him come out, she seemed to be frightened…

“I’m not trying to sow discord, because what I’m saying is the truth. The relationship between master and Nangong Qian cannot be separated. I just want to tell my master that if Nangong Qian hates me so much that she has to trample on my dignity even when I try to save her, it’s impossible for her to get better when living under the same roof with me.” As a doctor, Su Liang has always disliked ungrateful patients. If Nangong Qian continues to do so, she will not get better, and Su Liang will not only be annoyed with her but also find it hard to get away. This is a vicious cycle.

At the moment, Su Liang doesn’t want Nangong Qian to die, be tortured, be provoked, or be humiliated. Su Liang just wants to leave. If the condition for her to leave is to heal Nangong Qian, she is willing to temporarily let go of her previous grievances and try her best. It’s not important whether Nangong Qian is dead or alive, good or bad compared to her going home!

“If I believe what you said, you will ask to leave.” Qiao Cong squinted at Su Liang.

Su Liang rubbed her forehead and stood up, “Master, I just want to state the facts and make it clear. I hope you understand that my conflicts with Nangong Qian cannot be resolved. I won’t be in trouble, but she will be. If you can’t let me leave, please come up with another solution. Anyway, continuing like this benefits no one.”

After saying that, Su Liang turned around and returned to her room. She didn’t really expect to get away by talking about what happened during the day, but if she didn’t say it, some things would continue endlessly.

Qiao Cong sat quietly for a long time before getting up and returning to his room. He soon came out again and entered Nangong Qian’s room.

Qiuyue heard footsteps and shrank, lying quietly, not daring to breathe.

Qiao Cong bypassed Qiuyue and sat down by the bed, not speaking, just quietly looking at the sleeping Nangong Qian.

…

After washing up, Su Liang put the bamboo shoot by her bed before going to sleep. Looking at its obviously shriveled form, she sighed lightly, “Little god, why do you age so fast? It seems the great god can only eat your friend.”

As soon as the words fell, Qiao Cong’s clearly panicked voice came from the next room, “Su Liang! Come quickly!”

Su Liang was startled and sat up subconsciously to put on her outerwear. Why was Qiao Cong in Nangong Qian’s room? Was there a problem with Nangong Qian again?

By the time Su Liang rushed over, she saw Qiao Cong holding Nangong Qian, who was unconscious and bleeding from her mouth.

Qiuyue stood on the side with a pale face.

“What happened?” Su Liang’s face became serious. Was there a problem with the medicine tonight? It was impossible; she had checked each ingredient one by one.

Qiao Cong’s face was ugly, “I gave her a pill.”

Su Liang frowned, “What?”

“I wanted her to lose her memory and forget the conflicts between you two.” Qiao Cong’s voice was low, “Quickly, see what’s wrong with her!”

Su Liang was really drunk! She never thought that Qiao Cong would have that kind of medicine. It might be the one that Nangong Lin almost made Gu Ling take, or it might be prepared for her by Nangong Lin, forcing Qiao Cong to feed her after Nangong Qian’s body improved and making her easier to control after losing her memory!

As a result, Qiao Cong believed what Su Liang said and took her words to heart. He decided to resolve the unresolvable conflicts between Nangong Qian and Su Liang by erasing Nangong Qian’s memory!

Although it was a solution, the drug was too strong, and Nangong Qian couldn’t take it.

Su Liang asked Qiao Cong to step aside while she lit another lamp. She then checked Nangong Qian’s pulse and lifted her eyelids to examine her, seeing her condition was very critical.

Su Liang rushed back to her room, got her needle kit and several medicine bottles, and hurriedly began treating Nangong Qian.

If Nangong Qian died, it would be Qiao Cong’s fault, and Su Liang might be able to escape. However, she knew that if she didn’t try her best to treat Nangong Qian, Qiao Cong might vent his anger on her. After all, he only decided to feed Nangong Qian the medicine because of her words, and Nangong Qian was his most beloved granddaughter. Qiuyue might later deny that she and Nangong Qian had conspired to deliberately hurt her.

…

As the sky was getting bright, Su Liang, with a tired face, walked out of Nangong Qian’s room and stood in the courtyard, letting the morning breeze mess up her hair.

Nangong Qian didn’t die. She was still unconscious at this moment, but Su Liang had saved her in the end.

Qiao Cong appeared behind Su Liang, sighed, and said, “It’s all my fault for being rash. Thank you for your efforts.”

Su Liang knew that if she said a word of reassurance, Qiao Cong’s impression of her would be better. However, she was too tired to say a word now and suddenly felt wronged. She missed Gu Ling and wanted to go home. She was not made of iron, and she was really fed up with these people and events…

Qiao Cong watched as Su Liang seemed not to hear his words and turned around woodenly to return to her room, closing the door behind her.

…

Su Liang lay down and slept for a while, and when she woke up again, she looked at the bamboo shoot by her bed, took a deep breath, adjusted her mood, and told herself to hold on, as there would always be a turning point.

Seeing Su Liang come out, Qiao Cong immediately put down the water bucket and walked over.

“I’ll go check on her again.” Su Liang said.

Qiao Cong stretched out his hand unnaturally and patted Su Liang’s shoulder twice before withdrawing it. He sighed, “I’m sorry for what happened before. Qian’er’s condition is critical, so I need you to stay and save her. Please write a letter, and I’ll send it to Jiaye City as soon as possible to report that everything is fine. Also, I’d like to officially accept you as my disciple… if you’re willing.”