Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

It was still pouring outside. 

After getting back, Shen Qingqing took a hot bath and drank some ginger soup, but she still ended up getting sick.

In the middle of the night, her body temperature increased revealing she was suffering from fever. 

Shen Qingiqng was deep in sleep when Li Zhi woke up feeling his wife’s body temperature. He immediately understood the situation. 

Without wasting any time, Li Zhi jumped up and asked Yu Chan to prepare some medicine. 

When they returned to the palace after soaking in the heavy rain, he called for the imperial physician. At that point, neither of them showed any serious signs of illness, except for a scrape on Shen Qingqing’s leg that needed some attention. Still, Li Zhi was anxious about her condition worsening overnight, so he told the physician to prescribe some medicine just in case and headed to the palace hospital to pick it up.

While Yu Chan was preparing the medicine, Li Zhi lit a lamp and settled down next to the bed.

Shen Qingqing’s cheeks were flushed, her hair was all over the place, and she looked quite vulnerable.

Without delaying any time, Li Zhi soaked a towel, wrung it out, and gently pushed her messy hair aside before placing the cool towel on his wife’s forehead.

Feeling the coldness on her forehead, she woke up.

Feeling dizzy and unwell, she blinked at Li Zhi, looking a bit lost.

Li Zhi whispered with a soft smile, “You’re not feeling well. You’ll need to take some medicine soon.” 

Shen Qingqing understood what was happening after touching the towel on her forehead.

Feeling uncomfortable, she shut her eyes again.

Li Zhi held her small, warm hand and murmured, “I should have taken good care of you… I’m really sorry.”

Shen Qingqing shook her head.

In the past, Li Zhi wanted to win her over with sweet talk and fancy gifts, but Shen Qingqing just rolled her eyes at all of it. Today, he was the reason she got hurt and caught a fever, yet she didn’t complain. She loved the view of the grasslands, the winding river, and the cosy farm life, and she also enjoyed the way Li Zhi carried her on his back through the pouring rain.

She felt a bit irritated by his overly sweet demeanour, but deep down, she appreciated his genuine feelings for her.

He claimed he wanted to make things right, insisting she was the only one for him, and Shen Qingqing found herself wanting to trust him just this once.

‘You have to give it a shot to see if he really means what he says or if he’s just talking.’

Lost in thought, she suddenly felt someone lift her up. Struggling to open her eyes, she saw Li Zhi’s handsome face looking down at her.

“It’s time for your medicine,” he said, cradling her in one arm while holding out a bowl of medicine with the other.

The strong scent of the medicine hit her nose, making Shen Qingqing scrunch her face and instinctively snuggle closer to Li Zhi.

He chuckled at her reaction.“Just one bowl. Once you finish, there’ll be sweet dates waiting for you. Hurry up and drink it.”He coaxed her like a little child.

Shen Qingqing grimaced but still reached for the bowl.

Li Zhi grinned and added, “I’ll feed you.”

Upon hearing that, her eyelashes fluttered, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.

Li Zhi pushed the medicine bowl closer to Shen Qingqing’s lips again.

The medicine was super bitter, and it took Li Zhi quite a while to persuade Shen Qingqing to finish the bowl.

With that awful taste lingering in her mouth, Shen Qingqing turned to look for some jujube but didn’t see any.

“Where are the dates?” Shen Qingqing asked, feeling a bit confused.

Li Zhi replied casually, “They say eating dates right after taking medicine can mess with its effects.”

Shen Qingqing was taken aback. ‘Is Li Zhi messing with me?’

Just as she was about to get mad, Li Zhi leaned in closer, locked eyes with her, and asked seriously, “Is it really that bitter?”

His breath was warm against her skin. Feeling awkward, Shen Qingqing turned her head. “If you don’t believe me, try it tomorrow,” she muttered.

Li Zhi responded, “I want to try it now.”

‘How could he possibly do that? Didn’t Yu Chen go away?’

Shen Qingqing turned back in confusion, but before she could get an answer, his lips slammed into her lips. 

When she realized Li Zhi was kissing her, it felt like fireworks exploded in her mind. She instinctively wanted to pull away, but Li Zhi held the back of her head, tasting the medicine still lingering in her mouth.

He was so focused, exploring her lips and the tip of her tongue over and over again.

Shen Qingqing was feeling even hotter and more lightheaded. Just when she felt like she was melting into a puddle, Li Zhi suddenly wrapped her back up in the quilt. He moved so fast that by the time Shen Qingqing realized what was happening, she was already snugly cocooned in the blanket. With Li Zhi half on top of her, all she could see was the middle of his shirt. But she could hear the man’s breathing—fast and heavy like he was holding something back.

Shen Qingqing quickly shut her eyes, with a fast beating heart.

It was odd; they had been married for a while now, and they had shared intimate moments almost every night. She recognized Li Zhi’s breathing from those times, but tonight felt different somehow.

“Get some sleep. Once you’re better, I’ll take you out for some roast lamb,” Li Zhi murmured, kissing her forehead after a long pause.

Suddenly, Shen Qingqing pictured a big, plump sheep.

The nervous flutter in her chest faded, replaced by a small smile at the corners of her lips.

With that thought she slowly drifted into sleep. 

The next day, Li Zhi went back to accompany the emperor. Before he left, he instructed Yu Chan to look after Shen Qingqing. 

Although Yu Chan was Shen Qingqing’s maid, she followed Li Zhi’s instructions as he said. She made sure Shen Qingqing took her medicine, insisting she finish every drop and not offering any sweets afterwards.

Shen Qingqing felt a mix of anger and helplessness, but beneath it all, there was still a little sweetness in her heart.

Last night, Shen Qingqing took her medicine on time and even had three doses in a row, so by the time Li Zhi got home in the evening, she was feeling well.  

Li Zhi wanted to keep an eye on her a bit longer, but Shen Qingqing couldn’t take it anymore and hurried to the inner room with a flushed face.

‘Seriously, why is he acting like nothing happened last night ?’

Yu Chan was dumbfounded by her master’s sudden action. She figured the lady would be upset about the Marquis making her take medicine, but the look on her face seemed more like embarrassment. ‘The Marquis had only glanced at her a couple of times, so what was there to be shy about?’

Yuchan was confused.

Li Zhi chuckled and followed Shen Qingqing into the inner room.

At that moment, Shen Qingqing was looking outside the window. 

“Feeling better?” Li Zhi asked as he approached her from behind.

Shen Qingqing bit her lip and nodded.

Li Zhi hummed and then casually said, “I’m a bit thirsty, could you pour me some tea?”

Shen Qingqing: …

She had imagined all sorts of scenarios, but never thought he’d actually ask her for something.

“I’m still not well… You can get it yourself,” annoyed, she said back.

Li Zhi just smiled and went to pour the tea. After filling the cup, he set it down in front of her. Just as she was about to say she wasn’t thirsty, he said in a serious tone, “I like this spot, so please move over, Madam.”

Shen Qingqing: “…”

Shen Qingqing was fuming and stood up to leave.

Suddenly, Li Zhi lunged forward, catching her off guard and knocking her back. As she leaned back with a panicked face, she noticed the smirk on the man’s face. 

He wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around, and they both ended up tumbling into the chairs. Li Zhi sat up straight, while Shen Qingqing landed right in his lap.

Realizing what was happening, Shen Qingqing felt a mix of embarrassment and irritation, pushing herself up from the chair.

“Stay still, and let me see,” Li Zhi said, tightening his grip and pinching her chin to get a better look. 

But Shen Qingqing wasn’t about to cooperate with such a playful move. She shrank back, trying to dodge him.

Li Zhi took a deep breath.

He had intended to get closer to her first, but his young wife was so naughty.

With quick thinking, he turned her face toward him and pressed his lips against the sweet ones he had been thinking about all day.

End of chapter 43

Have a nice day!