Please, Don’t Die - Chapter 23

“Ningning, how is your father doing?”

After all, he was her own flesh and blood. The old madam couldn’t just stand by and watch him die.

The next day, after lunch, she hesitantly brought up the matter of seeking medical treatment to Ying Qujie.

Su Lan chimed in from the side, “Young Master, please don’t blame the old madam. The general hid all his misdeeds from her in the early years, so she had no idea. Later, when she wanted to make amends, her illness delayed things for many years. Now that the old madam is advanced in age, she truly cannot bear nor should she have to, the pain of outliving her own child.”

Ying Qujie looked at his grandmother’s aged face and simply agreed to do his best.

General Ying and Madam Su exhibited similar symptoms. To make it easier to care for them, Ying Yuanqi had placed the two in the same room.

By the time Ying Qujie, the old madam, Su Lan, and the others arrived, the space around the sickbeds was already crowded with people, including Ying Yuanqi and a scholarly-looking man who were attending to the patients.

Ying Yuanqi pulled the scholarly man aside to make room for Ying Qujie.

Ying Qujie glanced briefly at the two standing side by side before shifting his gaze away. He lifted General Ying’s eyelids perfunctorily, then took out a set of silver needles from his sleeve, laying them out in a row. From among them, he selected the longest and thinnest ones.

The needles, as long as a forearm, glinted coldly.

A collective gasp rippled through the room.

The scholarly man spoke up cautiously, “This illness is peculiar. Even the imperial physicians sent from the palace were at a loss. The body’s acupoints are complex, would the eldest young master care to examine him more thoroughly?”

In medicine, experience and years of practice were paramount.

Ying Qujie, the eldest son of the general’s household, had not yet reached the age of twenty, not even old enough for his capping ceremony.

To lift an eyelid and hastily proceed with acupuncture, it was hard not to feel uneasy.

Ying Qujie didn’t even spare him a glance, focusing instead on sterilizing the needles.

Ying Yuanqi hurriedly explained, “Cousin, my elder brother is the renowned Physician Ying who’s been making waves in the capital lately.”

“So, it’s Physician Ying! I’ve long heard of your reputation,” the scholarly young man said with an awkward smile, promptly falling silent.

He had previously scoured the capital for famous physicians to treat his uncle and aunt and had even considered seeking out this mysterious Physician Ying.

What an extraordinary coincidence.

Ying Qujie’s needle technique was swift and precise, without the slightest hesitation. Upon closer inspection, there was even a certain elegance to it, almost like a performance.

Of course, this was assuming one could ignore the fact that the general and his wife now resembled human pincushions beneath his hands.

A light breeze swept through the room, causing the slender needles to tremble slightly at their tips.

Everyone present felt their hair stand on end, as though the needles had pierced their own skin.

“Why has it suddenly gotten so cold in here?” someone muttered under their breath.

Ying Qujie glanced at the two ghosts, one large, one small, who were happily plucking the needles like strings on a zither, showing no intention of stopping them.

He Qingsheng, having had his fill of fun, drifted back to his side. “Little Physician Ying, I never took you for someone who’d mix personal grudges with professional duties.”

The corner of Ying Qujie’s lips curled imperceptibly.

“Still, since you’re the one who poisoned them, the antidote is yours to administer as you please,” He Qingsheng teased, brushing aside a stray lock of hair near Ying Qujie’s ear. Then, pointing to a specific acupoint on General Ying’s body, he whispered temptingly, “Little Physician Ying, your father’s qi and blood are blocked here. It’d be best if you smoothed it out yourself. Pity this is the most painful spot on the body, General Ying is in for some suffering.”

The little ghost, who had been playing with the other needles, widened its eyes at these words. How wicked, now this was a true vengeful spirit.

Ying Qujie wholeheartedly agreed and mouthed a silent “thank you” to her, then cheerfully reached for the slender silver needle. He pinched both ends between his fingers and pierced through flesh and bone, pulling it up and down repeatedly.

This was undoubtedly another action that made everyone present grit their teeth in sympathy.

Even He Qingsheng, as a ghost, couldn’t help but think that if this were being done to her, she’d probably just blurt out, “Physician, I’m not sick!” and flee in terror.

On the sickbed, General Ying’s body convulsed violently, his lips trembling faintly.

It was hard not to imagine him sitting bolt upright the next second, howling in pain.

The old madam clutched Su Lan’s arm and leaned closer, her voice thick with worry: “Ningning, how is your father doing?”

Ying Qujie remained unfazed. “The illness is unusual and will require multiple acupuncture sessions,” he replied, not easing his grip in the slightest.

Lady Su regained consciousness moments before General Ying. When she saw the dense array of silver needles covering the general’s body, she let out a shrill scream. Just as she was about to clutch her head, she realized she was similarly adorned with needles and nearly fainted again on the spot.

“Lady Su’s poisoning was milder,” Ying Qujie calmly explained, then reassured the restless onlookers: “She has just awoken from a serious illness and is still disoriented. Let me insert another needle at the Yintang acupoint.”

Lady Su, lying on the inner side of the bed, stiffened and immediately stopped screaming, speaking clearly: “Thank you, Physician, but that won’t be necessary.”

After many days, Ying Yuanqi finally saw his mother showing signs of recovery and exclaimed excitedly, “A miracle doctor!”

Only to receive a sharp glare from his own mother.

But no one paid her any attention, for General Ying had woken up as well, wailing pitifully with tears and snot streaming down his face.

The general never expected that at his most wretched moment, he would come face to face with the person he least wanted to see.

Staring blankly, he stammered foolishly, “Lingyu? You’ve returned! Have you finally come to see me?”

The old madam sighed and covered her face, this was too embarrassing to watch.

“Father, I am Qujie,” Ying Qujie replied, taking half a step back to avoid the general’s needle-covered hand.

Both General Ying and Lady Su froze at his words, their expressions shifting dramatically.

Upon closer inspection, the young man before them had delicate, almost feminine features that bore a fifty percent resemblance to Lingyu. Yet his sharpness lent him the dignified bearing of pine and bamboo in the mountains, a truly peerless and radiant presence.

Lady Su was the first to regain her composure, forcing a veneer of false kindness: “Ah, Qujie. Your father and I fell ill and haven’t had the chance to properly welcome you these days.”

“Yes, you got here quite quickly, boy,” General Ying chimed in.

Ying Qujie responded with neither humility nor arrogance: “Not quickly enough, it seems, I missed the funeral feast you and my stepmother prepared.”

Everyone’s expressions shifted instantly.

General Ying and Lady Su paled with guilt, knowing full well what they had done.

The old madam, having investigated the matter thoroughly, knew her own son had hastily arranged a funeral for his own flesh and blood without evidence, as if eager to announce his disdain for the child left behind by his deceased wife.

And yet, when he fell ill, it was Ying Qujie who set aside past grievances and worked tirelessly to save him.

The old madam felt both exasperation at her son’s failings and deep remorse for the injustice her grandson had suffered.

Ying Yuanqi, oblivious to the underlying tensions, looked utterly confused. In contrast, the man beside him, referred to as “cousin” wore an expression far more inscrutable.

He Qingsheng observed everyone’s reactions carefully, her gaze lingering on the man standing next to Ying Yuanqi.

The little ghost also noticed and grabbed her fingers, hesitating as it asked, “Why are there two fathers?”

He Qingsheng crouched down to meet the little ghost’s eyes. “Two fathers? Which two do you mean?”

The little ghost twisted its fingers and pointed at Ying Yuanqi and the man standing beside him.

There was indeed some resemblance.

Over there, the Old Madam was the first to react. Her precious grandson must have grievances in his heart, it was time for her to step in.

“Ying Song, Su Rou, look at the absurd things you two have done!” the Old Madam scolded sharply, not caring that they had just recovered from serious illnesses. “Su Rou, I think you’ve lost your mind managing the household all these years. I’ll let past minor matters slide, but now that you’ve just recovered, I’ll take over the household affairs. Su Lan, go fetch the Ying family seal and the keys to the storeroom from the Madam.”

Madam Su was still covered in acupuncture needles. Bowing to apologize was out of the question, and playing the weakling in front of General Ying wouldn’t work either.

She had no choice but to swallow her anger and agree.

Qi’er’s coming-of-age ceremony was still pending. With the household authority no longer in her hands and entrusted to the Old Madam, how could her Qi’er outshine the eldest son now?

Madam Su’s eyes flickered, landing on the scholarly-looking man. She beckoned him closer and introduced him to the Old Madam:

“Old Madam, this is Ying Hongfeng, the son of the third branch of the Southern Province Ying family. By relation, he’s a cousin to Qi’er and Qujie. A few years ago, his family fell on hard times, and he came to the capital to seek work. I took pity on the boy and kept him by my side to learn household management. He’s a promising talent. I thought this would be a good opportunity to ask you to guide him for a few days.”

Ying Hongfeng bowed gracefully.

The Old Madam found his demeanor proper and somewhat pleasing, so she agreed.

“You two rest for a few days. Soon, I’ll be hosting a welcome banquet for Ningning. Make sure all the necessary officials and their wives are invited.”

“Mother, how am I supposed to face the court after this?” General Ying grumbled unhappily.

The funeral arrangements had been discreet, with very few in the know but not none.

They had mourned in white and buried an empty coffin. If the Old Madam held a welcome banquet now, he’d be utterly humiliated in court.

Su Rou chimed in with a suggestion: “Since Qujie is unharmed, we could always assign him a different identity in the household. Our hearts are the same toward the child.”

General Ying nodded in agreement.

Seeing his reluctant attitude, the Old Madam’s temper flared. “Now you’re worried about facing the court? Why didn’t you think of that when you held a funeral for Ningning without any proof? Have you lost your mind?”

The Old Madam had been a noblewoman all her life and rarely resorted to insults unless truly furious.

If her own son hadn’t been covered in acupuncture needles, she might have struck him then and there.

Of course, General Ying couldn’t admit he had hired assassins to ensure Ying Qujie’s death, and Madam Su didn’t dare utter a word.

The Old Madam took Ying Qujie’s hand and warned them both, “Your lives were only saved by Ningning. I advise you not to lose your senses.”

The Old Madam’s reminder made General Ying and Madam Su suddenly feel every needle on their bodies pricking painfully.

Any other thoughts vanished, and they obediently nodded in agreement.

The more the Old Madam thought about it, the angrier she became. “Ningning, let’s go.”

“Yes, Grandmother.”

Ying Qujie, who had been playing the role of the obedient grandson all this time, glanced at the needles covering his father and felt rather pleased.

Then he noticed He Qingsheng sneaking around Ying Hongfeng with the little ghost and immediately sensed trouble.

“So, it was you who invited Ying Qujie back? And you made a grand show of welcoming him?”

Lady Su’s face was ashen, her lips devoid of color. Having just recovered from a prolonged illness, she even needed someone to carefully bring water to her lips sip by sip. Yet, despite her frailty, the failure of her scheme made her voice crack with fury:

“Foolish!”

If Ying Qujie had returned in secret, there would still have been room for maneuvering. But now, with all other paths blocked by her own son, Lady Su had no choice but to swallow her anger and bide her time.

“Mother, you’ve just recovered, don’t let anger harm your health again. Since elder brother is safe and sound, he’ll return home sooner or later. Besides, only he can cure the strange illness afflicting you and Father. It’s fate,” Ying Yuanqi said earnestly, holding a medicine bowl, his expression the picture of naive sincerity.

Lady Su choked back her frustration and irritably dismissed Ying Yuanqi.

The man waiting nearby immediately stepped forward.

“Madam, those assassins have all vanished without a trace.”

“Very well, I understand.”

Lady Su handed her personal seal to him.

“Hongfeng, I need you to handle something for me.”

“Yes.”