"I have already been on the boat, but I had a bit too much to drink last night and am still asleep," Ran Yunsheng said.
Ran Yan nodded slightly. As the boat left the shore, her body swayed slightly, and her already solemn expression became even tenser. "I’ll go back to the cabin first."
With Wan Lu’s help, Ran Yan hurried back to the cabin. Watching her fleeing figure, Ran Yunsheng was slightly taken aback. Could she be afraid of the water?
The sun rose, and the fog on the river gradually dissipated, revealing the scenery on both sides. In Jiangnan in mid-August, it wasn’t too cold. Wan Lu and the others rushed to the deck to enjoy the view while Ran Yan lay on the couch, the boat rocking back and forth. She had just boarded the boat and had already become so dizzy that she had no strength.
Groggily, half the day passed, and when Wan Lu came to call her for lunch, she couldn’t be bothered to respond.
As evening approached, and Mrs. Xing called several times without any sign of movement, she became somewhat panicked. Wu Xiuhe was still asleep from his intoxication, prompting Mrs. Xing to hurriedly look for Liu Qingsong.
Xiao Song leaned on the couch reading official documents. Suddenly, he heard the banging of the door next door, followed by Mrs. Xing’s frantic voice, "Doctor Liu, please come and see my wife; she seems to have fainted..."
Xiao Song’s heart tightened. He dropped the documents, put on his wooden clogs, and headed towards Ran Yan’s side.
He knocked at the doorframe and seeing no response, he flung the door open. As the door opened, he saw Ge Lan’s hands covered in oil, having just run to the door, while Ran Yan was half-dressed, sprawled on the couch.
The moon-white gauze curtains fluttered in the wind, revealing the slender neck connected to a beautifully curved back. Ran Yan’s slightly pale face had her beautiful eyes tightly shut, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed. The sunlight streaming through the side window fell on her oil-coated, fair back...
Cool breezes blew across the deck, yet Xiao Song felt somewhat hot.
Coming to her senses, Ge Lan quickly dropped the curtain and went inside. Anxiously, she pulled up a jacket to cover Ran Yan’s back.
"Doctor Liu, you need to hurry... or perhaps I can help carry your case?"
Mrs. Xing’s urgent voice came from behind, and Xiao Song, with a swoosh, pulled the door shut, paused for a moment against the wooden door, until Liu Qingsong ran to the door. Then he reacted, stretching out his hand to block it, "She’s currently indisposed. Please wait a moment."
Mrs. Xing glanced suspiciously at Xiao Song and pushed her way in.
"What is this for?" Mrs. Xing asked, looking at the oil on Ge Lan’s hands.
Ran Yan lazily opened her eyes and said, "I asked her to do it, keep going."
Ge Lan nodded, stretched out her hand to part Ran Yan’s clothing, and began scraping with the back of a buffalo horn comb. As Ran Yan explained the method, she fumbled to learn.
Scraping could cure seasickness, typically using the Supplemental Method, though some individuals required the opposite technique due to their constitution. Considering her own condition, Ran Yan chose to use the Supplemental Method.
Witnessing this scene, Mrs. Xing thought of Xiao Song’s expression, and her mouth fell open in astonishment, unable to speak for quite some time. "This..."
Mrs. Xing glanced outside the door and whispered, "Ge Lan, did Assistant Minister Xiao... see?"
Ge Lan paused her movements and nodded.
Ran Yan was still aware, but faced with such a situation, she could only pretend to have fainted. It wasn’t a big deal if someone saw her back. The sky wouldn’t fall, but it was definitely not something that Mrs. Xing would understand.
"Whatever shall we do!" Mrs. Xing fretted inside the room.
Although Ran Yan couldn’t see, she could sense her actions and no longer pretend. "If Mrs. Xing has some urgent matter, let’s discuss it after I’ve recovered. Please go out first."
Mrs. Xing thought for a moment, considering that this was a matter that her mistress couldn’t face alone and decided to consult Assistant Minister Xiao herself. Thus, she simply left the room.
Seeing Xiao Song still standing at the door, Mrs. Xing mustered her courage and said, "Assistant Minister Xiao, may we speak privately for a moment?"
"Alright." Xiao Song glanced at Liu Qingsong, who was still peering into the room, and coldly said, "You go back first."
Liu Qingsong scratched his head, carrying his large medicine case and shakily walked away, mumbling, "What exactly is going on? Everyone’s so secretive..."
Here, Liu Qingsong’s eyes lit up, feeling that he wouldn’t be bored on this trip. The pleasure of gossip lay in the unknown, allowing one to fully exercise their imagination, and the truth would eventually be forced out by the gossip.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Xing took Xiao Song up to the deck.
The area here was spacious, with no obstructions around. If anyone approached, they would be visible, and there was no need to worry about being overheard.
"Assistant Minister Xiao, my wife and Mr. Sang are to be engaged soon. Today... could you pretend you saw nothing?" Mrs. Xing pleaded earnestly. In Chang’an, the clothing for women was often quite revealing, and other young men seeing a woman’s back wouldn’t destroy her reputation. However, ever since she became involved with the Cui family, Mrs. Xing had been extremely apprehensive. Coming from the Zheng family of Xingyang, she naturally understood that what other great clans valued was not chastity but face.