NFBE Chapter 385 Mu Qingqing
Chapter 385 Mu Qingqing
"Creak—" The wooden door was pushed open completely, and warm air carrying the scent of medicine rushed out. The person in the armchair trembled slightly, their gaze falling on the sharply defined face of the young man in the doorway. Gu Nanxi still had tears in the corners of her eyes, yet her brows and eyes held the same stubbornness and gentleness as in her memory. Murong Qingfeng's hand holding the medicine bowl trembled slightly, the porcelain bowl and silver spoon clinking together: "Like, like your mother."
These words struck Gu Nanxi's heart like a heavy hammer. He remembered his mother holding his hand as she changed his and Yuqing's clothes when he was a child, repeatedly murmuring, "Go find your Uncle Murong." Tears instantly blurred his vision. Dong Nanxi strode forward, his knees slamming heavily on the blue bricks with a dull thud: "Godfather! I'm too late!" Before he could finish speaking, hot tears had already fallen onto the cold ground.
Murong Qingfeng tried to get up, leaning on the armrest of the chair, but a violent cough caused him to bend over. Instinctively, he covered his mouth and nose, and drops of blood seeped from between his fingers onto his sleeve, like blooming red plum blossoms. Gu Nanxi was horrified at the sight and was about to reach out to help him when the old man, struggling to stand upright, placed his well-defined hand on his shoulder and gently patted it: "Child, get up. It's good you're here." That sigh contained twenty years of longing, leaving Gu Nanxi choked with emotion, unable to speak.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from the corridor. Murong Qing strode in, the jade pendant at his waist swaying slightly with the movement. He knelt on one knee in a standard martial arts salute, his bright eyes and brows revealing undisguised joy: "Father, my cousin has arrived! Not only him—" The young man paused, then lowered his voice, "but also members of the Great Xia royal family and nobles from Medicine King Valley, who have come specifically to treat you."
Before the words were finished, the tinkling of jade pendants could be heard from outside the door. Gu Mochen stood with his hands behind his back, the nine-dragon jade pendant at his waist gleaming warmly in the candlelight. Ye Qingchen stood beside him, gentle and charming. Song Ming wore a sky-blue robe, the copper lock on his medicine chest engraved with ancient runes. Gu Wenyou stood casually to the side, his unruly demeanor clashing with the solemn atmosphere around him.
Murong Qingfeng struggled to his feet, but Gu Nanxi steadily supported him. The old man looked at the distinguished young people before him, a faint smile appearing on his pale face: "Welcome to my humble abode." He glanced at the jade pendant at Gu Mochen's waist, then at the identical jade pendant around Ye Qingchen's neck, his gaze finally settling on the medicine chest on Song Ming's back. "It's just that today was rushed, and I haven't been able to properly entertain you. I hope you will forgive me."
“Senior Murong, you flatter me.” Gu Mochen stepped forward, his voice deep and powerful. “I heard of your reputation back in Medicine King Valley, but I never met you in person. Now that I know you are ill, I should fulfill my duty as a junior.” He gestured, and Song Ming immediately stepped forward and opened his medicine box. Silver needles and jade bottles gleamed coldly in the candlelight.
Ye Qingchen suddenly spoke, her voice clear and melodious: "Mo Chen, in my opinion, it would be better to let Nanxi catch up with Senior Murong first." She looked at Gu Nanxi's reddened eyes, then at Murong Qingfeng's trembling fingertips, "Some things are best left unsaid with others present. Senior Murong's illness is not something that can be treated quickly. I have a bottle of syrup here; please drink it first to soothe your cough." Actually, it was a bottle of spatial water mixed with a syrup made from spatial pears and various cough-suppressing herbs. This Senior Murong likely suffers from lung disease, a condition caused by accumulated stress, and naturally, it cannot be cured in a day. Therefore, it's necessary for them to catch up first.
Everyone agreed with this statement and nodded in agreement, saying, "The Empress will come in later." At that moment, a servant came over and invited everyone to have tea in a side hall.
As everyone left the room, the candlelight flickered in the drafty curtains. Murong Qingfeng looked at Gu Nanxi, then suddenly coughed violently, the bloodstains between his fingers appearing even more vivid. Gu Nanxi hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe his wound, but the old man grabbed her wrist: "Back then, your mother..." Before she could finish speaking, another heart-wrenching cough erupted, "She shouldn't have... shouldn't have married into the Prince's mansion... I hated her, I loved her, and in the end, I saw her completely dead!"
"Godfather, please stop!" Gu Nanxi cried out anxiously, his eyes already red and brimming with tears. He quickly reached out and pressed down on the old man's shoulder, as if trying to stop him from continuing.
"Godfather, please rest and don't get too excited," Gu Nanxi said softly, a hint of worry in his voice. He carefully picked up the porcelain bottle on the table, opened the cap, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out.
"This is syrup that your sister-in-law specially prepared for you. Please drink it first to soothe your throat." Gu Nanxi gently handed the porcelain bottle to the old man's lips, her eyes full of concern.
Murong Qingfeng looked at Gu Nanxi, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. He slowly accepted the porcelain bottle, feeling Gu Nanxi's sincerity and care.
When Murong Qingfeng's gaze fell on the porcelain vase, he suddenly remembered a sentence his mother often said when he was a child: "Your Uncle Murong is the best person in the world." These words struck his heart like lightning, and tears welled up in his eyes again.
Murong Qingfeng took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions. He looked up at Gu Nanxi, smiled, and nodded in gratitude.
Then, without hesitation, he tilted his head back and drank the syrup in the porcelain bottle in one gulp. The moment the syrup slid down his throat, Murong Qingfeng felt a cool sensation spread rapidly, as if his entire throat had been moistened.
The persistent itching and suffocating sensation seemed to vanish in an instant. Murong Qingfeng's eyes widened in astonishment; he had never imagined that such a small bottle of syrup could have such a miraculous effect.
"This...this syrup is truly amazing!" Murong Qingfeng exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise.
Seeing Murong Qingfeng's reaction, Gu Nanxi breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled and said, "Godfather, when my aunt was critically ill and looked very old, it was my cousin-in-law who cured her. I have complete faith in the medicine she prescribes."
Murong Qingfeng nodded, his admiration for the medical skills of the Immortal Medicine Valley growing even stronger. He exclaimed, "The Immortal Medicine Valley truly lives up to its reputation; they are truly remarkable! That girl is remarkable too!"
Dong Nanxi nodded, then called Murong Qing to her side and said, "I never expected that Yuqing would still be alive. Perhaps if I hadn't run away from the Dong family back then, I could have met my adoptive father, and my aunt and I wouldn't have had to suffer for so many years. However, if we hadn't had those experiences, I'm afraid I wouldn't have met my cousin Gu Mochen. He and his wife saved us from dire straits and took us to the capital, which is how I became the top scholar in the imperial examination. Later, I came to the Southern Frontier and became the husband of my cousin's twin sister. As for my aunt, she married Liu Yufeng, the master of the Red Leaf Pavilion, and they are living a good life."