“Aunt, your anemia is too severe,” Qi Yue said directly as she sat down, watching the Second Madam being carefully helped to lie down by the maids, covered with thick blankets, and given hand warmers and foot warmers.
She frowned, thinking of how cold the Second Madam’s hands had been when she held them, and looking at that abnormally pale complexion from such close distance.
After this arrangement, the Second Madam finally caught her breath and smiled at Qi Yue.
“Yueniang truly is a divine physician,” she said with a smile.
Qi Yue simply stood up and walked to her side, taking her hand to carefully examine her nail beds, scrutinizing her complexion, and lifting her hand to gently pull down her eyelid.
It seemed even more serious than she had thought. Qi Yue’s heart sank slightly, but she didn’t show it on her face.
“Aunt, let me look at your legs,” she said.
Throughout these actions, the Second Madam remained smiling and silent, allowing her to do as she pleased.
Upon hearing this, Cai Qing, a maid nearby, looked somewhat worried.
“Young madam, our mistress is afraid of the cold. To lift the blankets and clothes…” she couldn’t help but say.
“It’s fine,” the Second Madam said to her with a smile, looking at Qi Yue with gentle eyes. “This is Yueniang’s kind intention.”
Qi Yue nodded and smiled at her without saying anything, watching as Cai Qing lifted the blanket and skirt, revealing a pair of pale legs.
Seeing Qi Yue frown slightly, the Second Madam smiled faintly.
“I’m old. Did I frighten you, Yueniang?” she said.
Qi Yue smiled, looking at the legs before her. Though swollen, with dry skin and showing signs of age, they still revealed their former beauty.
“Not at all. Aunt’s legs are really beautiful,” she said while gently pressing and massaging the Second Madam’s legs.
The Second Madam’s expression froze slightly, looking at Qi Yue with a somewhat dazed expression, as if seeing another person through her.
“You… also said this?” she murmured.
Qi Yue didn’t hear clearly and looked up at her.
“What did you say, Aunt?”
The Second Madam came back to herself and smiled.
“I said I’m old. What’s beautiful or ugly about it anymore,” she said.
“Everyone grows old, and everyone has their youth. Just because you’re old doesn’t erase the fact that you were once beautiful,” Qi Yue said with a smile, signaling Cai Qing to cover the Second Madam. “Besides, Aunt is still young.”
The Second Madam wasn’t even forty yet. In modern times, this would still be the prime of life.
She sat down and thought for a moment.
“Aunt…”
“Yueniang…”
Both spoke at the same time, and upon hearing each other, they looked at each other and laughed.
“You speak first,” the Second Madam said with a smile.
“Aunt, you can’t eat properly, can you?” Qi Yue asked.
The Second Madam hadn’t expected her to ask this and laughed.
“Yes, I eat very little,” she still answered obediently.
“Recently she basically doesn’t eat anything,” Cai Qing couldn’t help but say, looking at Qi Yue with some hope.
She could see that the young madam was truly examining the Second Madam’s condition. She had naturally heard about the young madam’s affairs. Though she found it incredibly unbelievable, she couldn’t help but believe it given the facts before her.
Qi Yue made a sound of acknowledgment and nodded.
“How do you sleep?” she asked again.
“Fairly well,” the Second Madam answered.
“What do you mean fairly well? She hardly sleeps at all,” Cai Qing said hurriedly.
The Second Madam glanced at Cai Qing and put away her smile.
“Go get the dim sum that Young Master Sheng brought back yesterday,” she said.
Cai Qing knew this was to send her away and lowered her head with some grievance, acknowledging the order.
“Aunt, don’t trouble yourself. I won’t eat anything—I just came out after eating to digest,” Qi Yue said quickly.
Cai Qing still went out.
“Aunt, you often feel dizzy, don’t you?” Qi Yue continued asking.
The Second Madam smiled at her and took her hand to pat it.
“Thank you for your concern,” she said. “I know my own body. Don’t trouble yourself.”
These words were not what Qi Yue wanted to hear.
“How can I not be concerned…” she was about to argue.
The Second Madam interrupted her.
“Let’s not talk about this. If you hadn’t come, I was thinking of going to see you. I heard you were harmed at that estate?” she asked with some worry. “Tell me quickly, what happened?”