Chapter 5

The doctor was the same one they met yesterday, a bit chubby, with a gentle demeanor.
He handed Lin Miao a cotton swab and whispered, “I’ll pull the needle out in a moment. When I do, use this to press on the puncture site, okay?”
Lin Miao gave a small nod.
Holding the cotton swab, she looked a little nervous.
The young master’s hand was very pale, with many small bluish veins visible on the back, strikingly so.
Watching the doctor remove the needle, Lin Miao felt a sting just from looking.
The moment the needle came out, she used one hand to gently hold his, while the other pressed the swab against the puncture site.
“Just press for a few minutes, don’t let it bleed,” the doctor said quietly while tidying up the room, and then he left.
Lin Miao nodded again.
After the doctor left, she couldn’t help but look at the young master lying in bed, fast asleep.
He was really, really good-looking. Lin Miao thought, this must be the most beautiful person in the world.
Even with his eyes closed, she could see his long lashes, peacefully resting, looking especially serene.
Then, those eyes opened. Amber-colored, still a bit dazed. And then, he saw her. And then...noticed she was holding his hand.
The young master frowned and immediately tried to pull his hand back.
Who did Lin Miao think she was! Even if they were born on the same day, month, and year, even if they were the same age,
One had been sick in bed all his life, and the other was a wild child from the mountains. The young master wanted to pull away, but he couldn’t.
Lin Miao held his hand tightly, dutifully pressing the cotton swab against the spot where the IV had been, and said seriously, “Don’t move, or it’ll bleed.”
The young master couldn’t pull away and was embarrassed. He said stiffly, “Don’t ever touch my hand again.”
Lin Miao looked confused. “I washed my hands. I’ll show you later.”
They were clearly on completely different wavelengths. He didn’t want to talk to her, but she still wouldn’t let go. He tried again, failed again, and finally gave up, ignoring her.
Lin Miao didn’t realize he was upset. Since he was awake, she started chatting, “Grandma said, once you’re awake, we can go outside for a walk.”
The young master looked displeased. “I don’t want to.”
Only then did Lin Miao let go of his hand. She made sure there was no bleeding, then breathed a sigh of relief.
There was a tiny red dot.
The young master pulled his hand back at last and turned his back to her to sleep.
Lin Miao thought he really was going to sleep, so she just sat quietly, watching him.
The young master, under her gaze, couldn’t fall asleep. He muttered, “Can you go outside?”
Lin Miao thought for a moment, then answered softly, “I can’t.”
The young master picked up on a trace of grievance in her tone and turned his head. “Why not?”
She replied quietly, “If I go out, I don’t know what to do...They’re all adults…”
The young master remembered then, she had just been brought here, didn’t know anyone, and everyone was a stranger.
“Then go home,” he said. “You’re no use here anyway. Might as well go back.”
But they were the same age. Lin Miao wasn’t scared of him. Sure, he had the worst temper in the house, but still, just a kid.
“I can’t go home yet,” she sighed, sounding mature beyond her years. “Everyone knew I left to work. If I go back now, it’d be so embarrassing. And...my brother’s sick. The village head already gave my mom the wages. She doesn’t have money to pay it back…”
The young master wasn’t dumb. Listening to her, he figured out most of it. He was annoyed by her foolishness. “You really are...such an idiot.”
Lin Miao looked a little awkward. “I just care about saving face a bit. Doesn’t mean I’m stupid…”
He was too exasperated to keep talking. “…”
Outside, the wind howled.
Lin Miao went to close the window and saw that it had started raining.
She couldn’t help saying, “With this much rain, there’s gonna be tons of mushrooms on the mountain tomorrow!”
The young master wasn’t going to respond, but her voice was so filled with regret, it piqued his curiosity. “Mushrooms?”
Lin Miao came back to sit down. “Yeah, they’re...they’re…”
She couldn’t quite explain, so she used her hands to gesture, “About this big, they grow under dead leaves. On the back mountain, they grow in clusters, tons of them. When it rains, they sprout even faster. I’d pick them, wash the dirt off, boil them, then stir-fry them. If we had too many, I’d sell the extras.”
The young master had read a lot of books, so even though her description was vague, he somehow understood. “Mushrooms?”
“Yes! When I went to town to sell them, people there called them mushrooms,” Lin Miao said brightly. “You’re so smart!”
She looked out at the pouring rain again and said with regret, “The mountain will be full of them tomorrow...Just yesterday morning, I even carried a whole basket. I wonder if Mom cooked them.”
At dinner, Lin Miao sat with the young master and Grandma.
She wasn’t starving this time, so she was very reserved, only eating the few dishes in front of her.
Grandma picked up a piece of shiitake and placed it in the young master’s bowl. “The housekeeper said you’ve been wanting mushrooms. Eat more, it’s good for you.”
The young master quietly ate, ears flushing pink.
Hearing the word “mushroom,” Lin Miao looked up and saw the shiitakes. But they didn’t look anything like the mushrooms from her village.
The plate was closer to the young master. After all, he had asked for mushrooms.
Her arms were too short to reach. If she really wanted some, she’d have to stand up.
But her mother had told her, when there are guests, standing up at the table is very rude.
So Lin Miao just glanced at it and didn’t try to reach.
The young master: “…”
After dinner, the servants all had their tasks. Grandma left. The doctor and housekeeper stayed behind to check on the young master.
Lin Miao had no idea what she was supposed to do, so she waited outside the young master’s room. She just wanted someone to talk to.
The adults...didn’t really speak to her much.
Before long, the doctor and housekeeper came out.
Lin Miao quietly slipped in.
Inside, the young master was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, not asleep.
When he heard movement, he turned his head and saw her.
Lin Miao said, “I don’t know what to do when I’m alone.”
The young master looked at her. She was still wearing his old clothes, too big for her, loose and baggy, like a lost little thing.
The problem was, he didn’t know what she should be doing either.
Lin Miao walked up to his bed. “Why don’t we go for a walk?” Her mom had said, going to sleep right after eating wasn’t good for you.
The rain had stopped. Her room had no view of the sky, and she missed home. She wanted to see the stars.
The young master didn’t feel like moving. But she clearly really wanted to go. He remembered how she didn’t dare reach for the mushrooms earlier. Maybe if he didn’t go with her, she’d be too shy to go out at all.
He was just about to say “fine” when the doctor came in.
Seeing Lin Miao, he said, “After dinner, don’t disturb the young master’s rest. Understand?”
Lin Miao glanced guiltily at the young master, then turned and left for her room.