Chapter 217: Don’t Make Rash Oaths
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Lu Yuan Ze felt dizzy, his heart pounding and his vision blurring. He clung to a tree for support, his face as pale as a ghost.
[What is happening to me?]
It felt like something was draining away from him.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao, having loosened her grip on him, toddled towards the old lady.
Suddenly, joyous cries erupted from the mansion.
Maid Yuhua rushed out, tears still glistening in her eyes. “Little Miss, the old lady… she had stopped breathing, but suddenly she came back to life!”
“What?!” Lu Yuan Ze stammered, barely able to stand.
“The Royal Doctor said it’s a miracle! Her pupils were dilated, her body was cold, and she had no breath. But now she’s sitting up!” Yuhua could hardly contain her excitement. “The Xu family is holding a ceremony to thank the ancestors for their blessing.”
Lu Yuan Ze’s face grew even paler. “When did she start to improve?” he asked, his voice trembling.
Yuhua, still in high spirits, replied, “Just a moment ago, the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”
“All superstition, all of it,” Lu Chao Chao waved her tiny hand dismissively. “But still, thank you!”
“The Royal Doctor had given up hope. She really stopped breathing but now she’s alive again. Thank you…” Lu Chao Chao sincerely thanked him.
[Ten years of life should be enough for Grandma.]
Lu Yuan Ze felt panicked, but his body was too weak to move. He could only watch as Lu Chao Chao left.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
He remained there, questioning everything, while the Xu family celebrated like it was the New Year.
“Strange, your pulse is much stronger than before,” the Royal Doctor said, puzzled. “Your pulse is unique. I’ll need to check it daily for the next three days.”
[Heh, traded ten years of scum dad’s life for Grandma.]
[Heavenly Will, please don’t strike me down…]
[You heard it! He offered it himself, Chao Chao didn’t force him. He volunteered!!]
Lu Chao Chao glanced nervously at the sky, afraid of divine retribution.
Her uncles, overhearing her thoughts, paused.
[It’s Chao Chao!]
Madam Xu hugged Chao Chao, tears of joy streaming down her face. Her brothers surrounded Chao Chao, ready to protect her if lightning struck.
[Heh, Heavenly Will has eyes, no lightning!]
Lu Chao Chao’s small tail wagged with pride.
The Royal Doctor, still amazed, was called away to the Lu residence.
Lu Yuan Ze had lost his marquis title, but the doctor went out of old loyalty.
“Oh my, this pulse is strange,” the doctor mused. “The old lady’s vitality was gone, then her breath returned and her pulse is robust again. She’ll live another ten years easily!”
“But Lu Yuan Ze’s pulse… it’s weak, like he aged ten years overnight.”
The doctor joked, “Anyone who didn’t know better would think you gave those ten years to the old lady.”
Lu Yuan Ze coughed violently, his mind in turmoil.
“Take care of yourself, Marquis Yuan Ze. Your tooth will need a metal filling,” the doctor advised, before quickly leaving.
Lu Yuan Ze, panicked, called for Madame Pei.
“When does the abbot return to the capital?”
Madame Pei, displeased knowing he had visited the Xu family, replied coldly, “Next month.”
She adjusted her collar to hide the red marks on her neck.
“Trying to win her back? Got beaten up again?” she mocked, seeing his disheveled state.
Their so-called true love was now just a mess.
Smack! Lu Yuan Ze slapped Madame Pei, his eyes filled with hatred.
“If you hadn’t schemed against me, we’d be a happy family. Now look at us!”
“You schemed! You crawled into my bed!” she retorted. “Didn’t you call Shi Yun a dog you kept? Now you want her back? This is your retribution!”
Madame Pei stormed off to the small Buddha hall.
Since Shi Yun left, the house had been in disarray, not the life Pei had imagined.
Meanwhile, Shi Yun was by the old lady’s side.
The old lady, once blue-faced and cold, now held Shi Yun’s hand warmly. “The doctor says I’m fine, don’t worry.”
“Don’t hesitate with General Rong. I believe he’s sincere,” the old lady advised.
Shi Yun blushed. “Just hope you live well, so I can have peace of mind.”
The old lady patted her hand. “I’ll live another ten years.”
Shi Yun smiled, not expecting Lu Yuan Ze to trade ten years of his life.
“We’ll talk after Yuan Shu’s exams,” she glanced at General Rong.
General Rong, overjoyed, could barely speak. He bowed deeply to the old lady.
“Yuan Shu’s exams are soon, we shouldn’t delay. I feel stronger than ever,” the old lady assured.
That night, Shi Yun and her children returned home.
Yuan Shu had gone to rest early, preparing for his exams.
“First day of school, how was it?” Shi Yun asked Chao Chao.
Chao Chao, holding her milk bottle, replied, “Snacks were good, lunch was good. But classmates cried a lot…”
“Cried?” Shi Yun was surprised.
“Yeah, they don’t study right. They don’t listen and remember. They can’t recall after hearing once…” Lu Chao Chao shook her head in disdain.
From the doorway, Yuan Xiao remarked, “I understand why you were hit at school.”
Her intelligence was not scary, but assuming everyone had the same level was.
On the ninth of February, the first day of the provincial examination, Shi Yun woke early to pray for success.
The atmosphere at the Royal Academy was tense, everyone focused on the exams.
Lu Chao Chao overheard a boy boasting, “Princess Sunshine isn’t so smart. My sister Jing Yao is much smarter!”
“Jing Yao is her father’s daughter too, yet the princess can’t stand her!”
“Such a vile person,” said a five- or six-year-old boy, clearly from a noble family.
“Who is that?” Lu Chao Chao asked.
Xuan Jichuan replied, “He just returned to the capital yesterday. You were only at school for half a day, so you didn’t meet him.”
“His father is Prince Jingnan, the king’s brother. They lived in their fiefdom and only returned for the dowager’s birthday.”
Man condolences for 10 years of life.