Days had never been so comfortable and pleasant.
In the morning, I would practice martial arts with Si Qin, then have breakfast, followed by checking Chu Yu’s detoxification progress. Afterwards, it was time for reading and calligraphy practice, and before I knew it, lunchtime would arrive.
Exquisite stir-fries, delicious pastries, and nourishing chicken soup.
In the afternoon, I prepared various kinds of medicine pills; the pharmacy had plenty of herbs, so I could mix them as I pleased without anyone saying a word. After notifying Luoyi and Luo’er, they would immediately restock. It was fine to give some to Si Qin and Si Ju, or to keep a few for myself, but most of them were meant for Chu Yu. When Chu Yu returned, I would check him over, and then it was time for dinner.
It was said that Princess Jinfeng had returned to the Capital City, and when she left, she told Yun Jinnian to take good care of herself and that she would look after her once back in the Capital City.
Her aura as a female knight was quite strong.
Yun Jinnian didn’t say anything out loud, but she felt a quiet joy in her heart.
Princess Jinfeng took Si Ju with her when she left, leaving Si Qin behind to accompany and protect me.
Yun Jinnian had never thought that someone, besides her nurse, would cook longevity noodles for her. When Si Qin brought them over, Yun Jinnian smiled very happily.
"Fourth Miss, please try it. These were personally cooked by me. My culinary skills aren’t great, so please don’t despise them," said Si Qin.
Yun Jinnian nodded and quickly took the chopsticks, trying a bite.
Had she mistaken sugar for salt?
"Fourth Miss, how is it?" Si Qin asked eagerly, her eyes twinkling with anticipation.
Yun Jinnian nodded vigorously, "It’s delicious!"
Then she buried her head and ate in small bites.
Yun Jinnian didn’t have a large appetite; she used to eat poorly at the Yun Family’s house but managed to eat a lot. Ever since she had that strange, sad, and desperate dream, she ate very little.
The bowl of noodles Si Qin brought today didn’t contain a large portion, presumably because she knew I couldn’t eat much.
Yun Jinnian slowly finished the noodles and soup, leaving nothing behind.
Si Qin smiled stiffly.
The noodles weren’t cooked by her but by Chu Yu.
Si Qin presented a small brocade box, "Fourth Miss, this is a birthday gift from me!"
Yun Jinnian hesitantly reached out and accepted it, "Thank you!"
Upon opening it, she found a pair of crystal-clear pearl earrings, "They’re beautiful!"
"Fourth Miss, may I help you put them on?"
Yun Jinnian had pierced ears, but she never wore earrings. She hadn’t owned any before, and she didn’t like the ones Mrs. He gave her.
But she really liked this pair of pearl earrings.
Si Qin helped Yun Jinnian put on the earrings.
Luoyi and Luo’er also came over, "Fourth Miss, this is a little something from us!"
Yun Jinnian suddenly felt nervous, "You have gifts for me too?"
"Yes, we knew it was your birthday today, so we bought something on a whim. Please, don’t look down on it!"
Yun Jinnian quickly waved her hands, "No, no, no, I won’t look down on it!"
Eagerly she took it and, after thanking them, opened it to find an intricately crafted silver hairpin with beautifully engraved patterns and pictures.
"Fourth Miss, let me put it on for you!"
Si Qin immediately placed the silver hairpin among Yun Jinnian’s hair, "It really looks good!"
Having nothing to give in return, I could only make more medicinal salves and Detoxification Pills for them; after all, being guards meant they could get injured while protecting their master.
Even though it was nice here, Yun Jinnian still wanted to return to Yingci’an to see Mrs. Yuan and the others. It had been more than ten days, and she missed them dearly.
So, Yun Jinnian began to daydream again.
Chu Yu walked up to Yun Jinnian’s side, handing over another brocade box, "Here, this is my birthday gift for you!"
Yun Jinnian looked at the brocade box before her, then turned her head to look at Chu Yu, "For me?"
"Yup, they’ve all given you something, and as your master and the person whose life you saved, how could I give any less? Open it and have a look!" Chu Yu said, tossing it into Yun Jinnian’s arms as if afraid she would refuse it.