Chapter 27: Venting Emotions
"Yuanyuan, don’t be rude." Ms Luo quickly rebuked, and then apologized to Han Lei. "My daughter is disrespectful, please don’t mind her."
"It’s okay." Han Lei gave a sweet smile and extended her hand to Luo Yuanyuan. "Hello, my name is Han Lei, please take care of me."
Luo Yuanyuan didn’t respond but curiously looked at Han Lei’s outstretched hand, unsure of her intent.
Seeing Luo Yuanyuan’s confusion, Han Lei quickly took her hand and shook it up and down.
"This is called a handshake, which indicates that we are very friendly."
Han Lei smiled sweetly, and Luo Yuanyuan immediately liked this sweet-looking and gentle woman.
"Oh, so this is a gesture of friendliness, how interesting. Haha! Miss Han, your hair is so beautiful. Don’t you need to style it into a bun?" Luo Yuanyuan stared at Han Lei’s hairstyle with admiration.
When Han Lei was in the troop, she kept a bob cut that reached her ears. Now it had grown to her collarbone, and since she didn’t style her hair like women in ancient times, she just let it fall freely over her shoulders.
Women dress up for those they like. Luo Yuanyuan not only didn’t find her unconventional but thought her hairstyle looked nice, which made Han Lei happy and more fond of Luo Yuanyuan.
Seeing the two girls getting along well, Zhao Zun and Mr. Luo’s couple watched them with smiles.
"Yuanyuan, Miss Han is Zun’s chosen Princess Consort. You should call her sister-in-law from now on."
Mr. Luo specially emphasized Han Lei’s identity, as Zhao Zun had already sent a message by carrier pigeon to him, discussing the border situation and specifically mentioning Han Lei.
Chosen Princess Consort?
Han Lei blushed deeply, suddenly feeling as though Zhao Zun was introducing her to his family.
She glared at Zhao Zun playfully, and Zhao Zun quickly scratched his nose and looked up at the sky, making Mr. Luo and his wife laugh.
After exchanging pleasantries at the door for a while, they entered the County Magistrate’s residence. The residence was actually right behind the government office, with the front for office work and the back for living.
Perhaps Zhao Zun had informed them in advance about coming, so the residence was already prepared with food. Everyone just washed their faces briefly before sitting down to dinner. Zhao Zun and Mr. Luo’s family sat at one table, while Ping Chuan led a small squad of wounded soldiers to sit in the side hall.
Han Lei, new to the place, was somewhat reserved. Ms Luo was very hospitable and kept urging Han Lei to eat. Zhao Zun and Luo Yuanyuan also occasionally picked food for Han Lei.
After finishing the meal, the ladies left the table. Ms Luo and Luo Yuanyuan accompanied Han Lei strolling around the County Magistrate’s residence to digest their food and tour the place, leaving Mr. Luo and Zhao Zun to drink and chat.
It was Han Lei’s first time visiting an ancient official’s residence, and she found it quite fascinating. They strolled until late before Ms Luo arranged for her to rest in her room.
In the middle of the night, Han Lei, tired from traveling all day, was sleeping soundly when she was awakened by a knock on the door.
She lifted her wrist to look at her space watch; it was already past three in the morning.
"Who is it?"
Knocking in the middle of the night might mean something happened. Despite feeling sleepy, Han Lei mumbled as she got up to drape on a cloak and open the door.
Outside stood Ping Chuan. He looked anxious and clasped his fists at Han Lei as soon as the door opened.
"Miss Han, please come quickly. The Prince is very drunk and keeps vomiting. He feels awful."
"The Prince is drunk?"
Han Lei was surprised; she remembered Zhao Zun being quite self-disciplined. Except for the night before returning to the Capital City, when he drank all night with Ma Cheng and others, she had never seen Zhao Zun drink. But even that night, he didn’t seem drunk!
"The Prince seldom drinks and doesn’t have a good tolerance. He was drinking with Mr. Luo today, and somehow drank too much. Miss Han, please hurry and check."
Seeing Han Lei stand still, Ping Chuan urged anxiously. "Miss Han, you should hurry and check."
"Alright, wait for me a moment."
Han Lei closed the door, quickly changed into warm athletic gear, grabbed her medical kit, and followed Ping Chuan out.
Han Lei and Ping Chuan walked briskly, and just as they reached the door of Zhao Zun’s room, a "crash!" of porcelain shattering was heard, followed by Zhao Zun’s aggrieved and indistinct muttering.
"You...you ungrateful bunch, how dare you...I toil tirelessly, at...the border dining in the wind and sleeping in the dew, charging into battle...haha...you...but you defame, ugh, ugh."
Han Lei paused steps and lifted a hand to stop Ping Chuan from entering.
She understood that although Zhao Zun appeared calm in recent days, he hadn’t overcome that inner hurdle. Now that he was away from the barracks and at Mr. Luo’s residence, viewing the Luo family as relatives, he used the alcohol to thoroughly vent the anger and grievances he had suppressed for days.
"He’s okay, we’ll just stand here, don’t go in. Let him vent a bit!"
Han Lei felt her eyes growing moist, suddenly feeling a deep pity for Zhao Zun. This was how Emperor Jing treated a hero guarding the border; anyone would feel disheartened, and who could bear it?
"Hmm!" Ping Chuan nodded firmly.
Inside, Zhao Zun continued vomiting intermittently, and after vomiting, he resumed cursing. Han Lei and Ping Chuan tightly wrapped themselves in their coats, shivering and keeping watch in the hallway.
Han Lei knew that if Zhao Zun didn’t vent thoroughly, if he didn’t release the pent-up anger in his chest, he would never overcome this barrier. Zhao Zun didn’t need comfort or soothing now; what he needed was quiet companionship.
Finally, when no more sounds of cursing or vomiting were heard, Han Lei pushed the door open and quietly entered with Ping Chuan.
A strong smell of alcohol hit Han Lei’s face, causing her to furrow her brows. She raised her hand to fan some air before her nose, and Ping Chuan quickly went to the window to push it open.
The room was a mess, with vomit everywhere, and Zhao Zun had half of his body dropped off the bed, the blanket kicked aside. Han Lei carefully avoided the broken porcelain pieces on the floor, walked to the bedside, and gently lifted Zhao Zun’s body back onto the bed and covered him with the blanket.
Standing at 1.8 meters, Zhao Zun was heavy, and lifting him was taxing for Han Lei’s petite frame. Ping Chuan went out to get tools to clean the mess on the floor, but Han Lei gestured to him with a wave.
"Mr. Ping, it’s almost dawn, go rest! I’ll take care of things here."
"This..." Ping Chuan hesitated.
It’s his duty to attend to his master. Moreover, if he left, being alone with a woman might harm Miss Han’s reputation upon spreading.
"It’s okay, go rest! Don’t forget I’m a doctor; I can take care of things more meticulously than you."
Han Lei understood what Ping Chuan worried about. What’s a lone man and woman situation? Zhao Zun was already drunk like this; what else could he do? And besides, she was a doctor, and Zhao Zun needed care now; what could happen even if it got out?
"Well...alright! Then I’ll have to trouble Miss Han. I live next door; call me if needed."
"Hmm!"
Han Lei nodded and took two glucose tubes from her space. She opened Zhao Zun’s mouth and slowly fed them to him.
After Ping Chuan left, she retrieved larger items from her space.