Chapter 13: The Princess Consort Who Couldn’t Stop Thinking
[Why don’t these books have any illustrations?!] Lin Xueyi complained inwardly.
[Reading books full of knowledge without a single picture is so boring!] she thought.
[And why doesn’t Yanyan have any fictional books here? Does he really never read anything except books about medicine, history, and other subjects?]
Lin Xueyi could be said to enjoy reading, but reading educational books non-stop could still give her a headache.
[He hasn’t even said a single word. He’s been focused on his calligraphy this whole time. Doesn’t he ever get bored? Even I have to get up and walk around every fifteen minutes.]
Lin Xueyi paced back and forth in front of the daybed, trying to remember everything she had read about medicine. She had already found the instructions for making Golden Wound Medicine, but since she had told Rong Shuyan that she had vast medical knowledge, she decided to read as many books as she could.
[And why is this book so thick? Ah, whatever. As soon as I finish it, I’m done reading for today!] she thought as she turned another page.
A few moments later, she began wandering around the library again.
[But how can I be sure I’m choosing the right medicinal plants?] she wondered. [This book only describes them. It doesn’t even have a single illustration. What if I accidentally poison Yanyan instead?!]
[What if I accidentally kill him?!]
If Rong Shuyan were being honest, spending hours in the same room as Lin Xueyi felt like walking toward the Naihe Bridge himself.
There wasn’t a single moment when her mind was quiet, and there wasn’t a single moment when she wasn’t thinking about something.
She could jump from one topic to another just because she noticed a little dust on the window frame. Then, because the window faced the garden that was slowly drying up in the autumn, she started thinking about fallen leaves and snow. A second later, the snow reminded her of a man named "Santa Claus," and before long, her thoughts had wandered to the topic of gifts.
To Rong Shuyan, Lin Xueyi’s mind felt like a maze with no end. Every time he thought he had found the way out, the path in front of him would suddenly become even longer.
He had to sit through countless random thoughts before he could finally catch the important ones hidden among them.
[I should test the medicine on rats first. But where am I supposed to find rats?] Lin Xueyi wondered. [Then again... even if I saw one right in front of me, could I really catch it with my bare hands?]
[Should I ask the servants to catch some rats for me? Is that even allowed? Wouldn’t it be rude to ask someone else to catch rats for me?]
"Princess Consort," Rong Shuyan finally spoke.
He set his brush down on the table since he hadn’t been able to write a single straight stroke of calligraphy, then turned his wheelchair toward Lin Xueyi.
"How is the medicine coming along? I haven’t seen you pick any medicinal herbs from the garden," he asked.
Lin Xueyi immediately stopped pacing and looked at him with a slightly panicked expression. "This Consort will pick them after I finish this book. Your Highness doesn’t need to worry. I already know how to make the Golden Wound Medicine."
The moment the words left her mouth, Lin Xueyi froze. [Did I just say "already"? No! Take it back! Take it back!]
"T-This Consort means that I have remembered how to make the medicine for Your Highness," she quickly corrected herself without changing her expression. "Please don’t misunderstand. It’s just that I haven’t practiced medicine for such a long time. That’s why, I hope Your Highness will understand."
Rong Shuyan nodded silently before speaking again. "But it’s probably not a good idea to pick the medicinal herbs this afternoon," he said. "The air will be cold."
Lin Xueyi gasped inwardly, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Rong Shuyan. [D-Did... did Yanyan just show concern for me?]
Her heart instantly felt lighter. [I knew it! I knew Yanyan wasn’t as cold-hearted as the novel made him seem!]
[The author really did him dirty!]
Rong Shuyan, on the other hand, was too stunned to say a word. The only reason he had said that was because he wanted Lin Xueyi to leave the library and give him a little peace and quiet. But now that she had taken his words as a sign of concern, he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.
"Your Highness is probably right," Lin Xueyi said, nodding eagerly. "This Consort will go pick the medicinal herbs right away!"
She had only taken a few steps toward the door before suddenly stopping. "Oh!"
She quickly turned around, hurried back to the corner table, and picked up the stack of books she had left there. Hugging them to her chest, she rushed toward the exit again.
Looking back at Rong Shuyan with an awkward smile, she explained, "I just want to make sure I don’t pick the wrong medicinal herbs." She quickly added, "But don’t worry, Your Highness! I definitely won’t poison you—I mean, I’ll make the best medicine for you!"
Rong Shuyan simply stared at her without saying a word. By the time he finally thought of a response, Lin Xueyi had already disappeared out the library door.
Suddenly, the entire library fell silent. He could no longer hear someone pacing back and forth behind him, nor could he hear Lin Xueyi’s voice inside his head.
The library was finally peaceful, yet he still couldn’t focus on his calligraphy.
It seemed that after listening to her voice for hours, his mind felt that something was missing when it suddenly heard nothing at all.
Meanwhile, Lin Xueyi had already made her way to the medicinal herb garden. Unexpectedly, she spotted Gu Yao there as well.
The young physician was carefully picking medicinal herbs while a servant stood behind her, holding an umbrella above her head to shield her from the afternoon sun.
The moment Gu Yao noticed Lin Xueyi approaching, her hand paused for a brief second before she calmly placed the herb into the bamboo basket hanging from her arm.
"What a rare sight," she said. "I never expected Princess Consort to visit the medicinal herb garden."
Lin Xueyi smiled politely. "I came to pick some medicinal herbs."
Gu Yao’s eyes briefly fell on the stack of books in Lin Xueyi’s arms before returning to her face. "I heard from my master that Princess Consort has extensive knowledge of medicine," she said. "I suppose today’s visit isn’t simply out of curiosity."
[Uh-oh... I have no idea Yanyan already told Physician Liu about me,] thought Lin Xueyi, nearly breaking into a cold sweat. [Please don’t test me.]
Outwardly, however, she remained perfectly calm. Lin Xueyi said, "There is always more to learn."
Gu Yao let out a soft chuckle. "How humble." She lowered her eyes to the herb in her hand. "Though someone with Princess Consort’s reputation probably doesn’t need books to recognize such common medicinal herbs."