CH 127

Villainous Fake Eunuch (4)

The mournful beat of the drums and gongs mingled with the sound of sorrowful wails, filling the room with an atmosphere of sadness and grief. The deafening rhythm seemed to reverberate through Song Xu Yi’s mind, causing her head to throb painfully.

“Water,” she croaked weakly.

When she finally regained consciousness, she felt an excruciating ache in her head and her body was feeble. Her throat was parched, as if it had been scorched by flames.

A hand extended towards her, but its owner hesitated briefly and then withdrew it, as though unaccustomed to physical contact.

The man approached cautiously, his body tense and rigid as he attempted to control his emotions. He gently supported Song Xu Yi’s back and held a cup of tea to her lips.

Unaware of his presence, Song Xu Yi drank the cool, refreshing water, soothing her parched throat and calming her mind.

Gradually, she began to take in her surroundings. The ramshackle brick house was sparse, with only a table and the bed she lay on.

The starry night sky filtered in through the cracked roof tiles, casting a soft glow over the plain features of the man beside her.

“Xu Yi, you’ve been in a coma for two whole days!”

As their eyes met, the man’s lips tightened, and without a word, he set his teacup down and took a seat. However, the system in Song Xu Yi’s mind conveyed a different sentiment.

“Despite his rough exterior, he has been your caretaker for the past two days.” Song Xu Yi was surprised to learn she had been unconscious for such a lengthy period. “Although he may not appear to be a saint, he has done well by you. When he discovered you unconscious, he brought you to Wangjiazhung and procured medical assistance. In addition, he assumed the responsibility of caring for you when Auntie Wang was occupied and didn’t overstep any boundaries.”

“Thank you!” Song Xu Yi rose to her feet and expressed her gratitude to the man at her side.

He offered a slight nod and continued to remain silent, gazing out the window with his sword in hand. Song Xu Yi sensed a palpable sense of relief emanating from him when she didn’t press the matter any further.

“The people of Wangjiazhuang are kind and hospitable, but this man is socially inept and is uncomfortable with their warmth. In fact, he has frightened a few children, and has since secluded himself in his room to tend to your needs, avoiding human interaction.” The system spoke with a hint of smugness. “He was likely concerned about explaining himself to you just now and was secretly relieved when you didn’t inquire further.”

As it spoke, the system chuckled softly to itself.

The villains it had encountered in the past were all shrewd and calculating, but this man seemed somewhat socially inept and averse to interaction. He was far from the cunning and malevolent villains that the system had encountered before.

Despite caring for Song Xu Yi for several days, it would be ungrateful to ignore the man’s efforts and encourage Xu Yi to ostracize him. Moreover, it was not prudent to focus on uncovering the man’s true identity.

“Xu Yi, it would be wise for you to remain in Wangjiazhuang for the time being, but you must make haste and leave as soon as the opportunity arises,” the system advised in a grave tone, its demeanor having turned somber. It knew that the man was unlikely to provide any explanation to Xu Yi about the current situation, leaving it with no choice but to take matters into its own hands. “There seems to be an epidemic ravaging the village. Over the past two days, more than ten individuals have perished, and funeral processions are now a common sight.”

“At first, the disease presented as general fatigue and coughing, but it has since escalated to individuals coughing up blood and becoming bedridden. They eventually waste away and pass away in their sleep. I’ve heard that the epidemic has been ongoing for a month or two, and it’s troubling that this village is so close to the capital. The prefecture dispatched a team to investigate the situation some time ago, as epidemic prevention and control has always been a top priority for the government. However, oddly enough, no measures have been taken since then…”

“The court doesn’t seem to be taking any action either?” Song Xu Yi furrowed her brow in concern. “That does seem peculiar.”

“I have a sense of foreboding about this.”

“You’re currently residing at Auntie Wang’s residence,” the system let out a sigh. “Auntie Wang is the kind woman you met on the carriage. She rushed back home to see her loved ones one last time before holding their funerals…”

“I understand your compassion towards the people, now that you hold the title of Princess in this dynasty and are cherished by the populace. However, before you assist these individuals, it’s imperative that you prioritize your own safety… As the old saying goes, a wise person avoids danger before it occurs…”

After expressing these words, the system felt somewhat self-conscious and withdrew deeper into Song Xu Yi’s consciousness, shrinking its paws in a bashful manner.

Song Xu Yi was surprised by the system’s candor. As it encountered more and more small worlds, it seemed to adopt a more human-like demeanor, and its advice sounded increasingly sensible.

“I understand. Thank you, system,” Song Xu Yi said solemnly, making up her mind at that moment.

“Brother, thank you for taking care of me during this period. May I ask how I should address you?” she asked, pursing her lips as she gazed up at the man who was staring out of the window in thought.

Perhaps it was because of his slender build, but the man’s profile was strikingly handsome. Had she not known what he looked like beforehand, she might have mistaken him for a top-tier beauty just from his profile.

The man looked back at Song Xu Yi and fell silent for a moment before responding in a monotone voice: “Zhao San.”

The name sounds awfully fabricated.

Song Xu Yi didn’t want to pry into the man’s private affairs, so she let his mysterious name slide and sat up on the bed. “I must express my gratitude for your kindness, but I have pressing matters elsewhere, could you arrange a carriage for me?”

The man’s voice dropped to a hushed tone. “The only way out of this village is through the entrance, and the driver was unwilling to enter because of the funeral procession. As of now, there are only three carriages in the village. Two are being used as hearses for the deceased, while the last one belongs to the local doctor who left for the city this afternoon to procure medicine.”

Song Xu Yi was all ears, but the system in her mind couldn’t help but wonder. “He doesn’t appear to have ventured outside of this village much, yet he’s so well-informed. How curious!”

The man cut off his own words and looked at Song Xu Yi, who understood his intention and straightened her back, whispering, “I’m alright, and can leave the village this afternoon. However, I would appreciate it if you could contact the doctor on my behalf.”

“Very well.”

The man acquiesced, settling himself by the window with his eyes closed, seemingly content to rest instead of immediately reaching out to the old doctor as Song Xu Yi had anticipated.

Song Xu Yi contemplated the system’s appraisal of this man, considering that he may not excel at interpersonal communication. She didn’t wish to pressure him and followed suit, taking a moment to recuperate and recharge her energy.

A hush hung in the air, and the pair could discern their surroundings acutely: the reverberations of the gong from the adjacent house slowly waned, indicating the commencement of the funeral procession. Yet, in the distance, it seemed that other families were initiating their gongs too.

Presently, Auntie Wang entered, bearing two bowls of rice.

Perhaps due to the recent loss of her loved ones, Auntie Wang’s face also appeared a bit haggard, as if she had aged significantly in a short amount of time.

“After seeing the situation at my house,” Auntie Wang said, a little apologetic as she rubbed her hands together, “we don’t have much food left after the funeral. Please bear with us.”

Song Xu Yi glanced down at the two bowls of rice, which were obviously made of coarse grains and even had a few stones that hadn’t been removed.

Accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle, she found it difficult to swallow such food. She had planned to ask Auntie Wang to contact the old doctor for a carriage out of the village, so she accompanied her outside.

Two thin children were huddled against the wall outside, eating. Song Xu Yi looked at the clear broth in their bowls and thought of the rice in her own room. A sense of discomfort suddenly washed over her.

Auntie Wang didn’t catch the shift in Song Xu Yi’s countenance.

“Please eat first, I’ll go and fetch the old doctor for you.” Auntie Wang promptly rolled up her sleeves and left.

Song Xu Yi re-entered the room, and the man had not touched the food that Auntie Wang had provided. Instead, he extracted two neat, paper-wrapped pancakes from his satchel and offered one to Song Xu Yi.

“Thank you, Brother Zhao.” Song Xu Yi took the pancake but hesitated to consume it. She stepped out and broke the pancake into halves, sharing it with the two lean children beside the wall. She then returned to the room, retrieved the bowl of rice, and laboriously sifted out the small pebbles in it. She began to munch the food in tiny nibbles.

The coarse grains proved to be rigid and strenuous to chew. As Song Xu Yi masticated, her cheeks puffed out, resembling a diminutive squirrel nibbling on nuts.

Without any explanation, the man reached out and plucked a single grain of rice from the bowl in front of him, giving it a cautious chew.

A look of distaste crossed his features, and he quickly abandoned the rice in favor of nibbling on the paper-wrapped pancake instead.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel self-conscious as she watched him, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Um, if you don’t want the rice, could I have it?” she asked tentatively.

The man cast a sidelong glance at her before looking away again, wordlessly relinquishing the bowl of rice.

Song Xu Yi wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she sensed that the man was upset with her. His lips were tightly pressed together, and his gaze towards her was unusual, but he eventually nodded in agreement.

Song Xu Yi carried the rice outside and gave it to the two emaciated children. As expected, they were still famished, and Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but smile at the happiness in their eyes.

Suddenly, she felt a strong presence beside her.

She turned her head and saw that the man had followed her out. Although she didn’t catch what was in his eyes because he immediately lowered his head, his voice was husky as he asked, “Have you finished packing?”

Song Xu Yi didn’t have much to pack. Her bundle was already neatly placed in the corner, and nothing was missing.

Song Xu Yi quickly changed out of the clothes that Auntie Wang had given her and put on the ones she wore when she escaped. She also prepared some money to help Auntie Wang and her family, which she tucked under the pillow.

Song Xu Yi didn’t keep her actions secret from the man beside her. After all, he had ample opportunities to harm her when she was sick, and he wouldn’t have waited until now if he had ill intentions.

However, her plan to leave seemed to be thwarted when Auntie Wang returned soon after. She looked at Song Xu Yi apologetically and said, “Young lady, the old doctor said the horse is sick these days and can’t carry too many people…”

Song Xu Yi didn’t expect this outcome and was considering other options when the man beside her suddenly changed his expression and took her hand, leading her outside.

At the end of the road, a carriage slowly approached.

Although the carriage was small, the two horses pulling it seemed to be struggling. The carriage moved slowly and was driven by an old man with white hair sitting at the front.

The man dragged Song Xu Yi to stand in the middle of the road, halting the carriage’s progress.

Startled by the unexpected obstacle, the old man scowled and exclaimed, “Who do you think you are, blocking my way? Move aside, you rascal!”

Song Xu Yi had heard of the old man’s reputation as a well-respected doctor in the region, and that he had been tirelessly providing free medical services during the epidemic. He was highly regarded by the people in the area for his selfless dedication to helping others.

Despite her admiration for the doctor, she had yet to explain her situation to him. The man accompanying her, however, was not as patient as Song Xu Yi. With lightning-fast reflexes, he climbed onto the carriage’s shaft and yanked open the curtain.

Within the confines of the carriage, an aged woman and a young child peered at them with apprehension.

Song Xu Yi’s gaze shifted to the overloaded baggage within the carriage, and then it dawned on her – the renowned doctor was escaping with his family!

The author has something to say:

Gu Ruyu: What kind of game is this little princess playing? How can she eat such bad food?

Why… do I suddenly feel that she looks somewhat pretty when she smiles?