Chapter 14: Blushing, Taking His Pulse—Is Lord Jin Physically Weak?

Jin Yuchuan’s brows furrowed impatiently, a trace of agitation darkening his sharp gaze. His black eyes swept over with a brooding, ruthless intensity etched in the lines of his profile.

Startled, Ling Qiao immediately fell silent, lowering her head to eat.

Yet, the ingredients were far from cooked, and she feigned busyness.

Jin Yuchuan sighed in resignation, pointing at her as he introduced to Ye Chunxi, “From now on, whenever you go out, he’ll follow you to protect you.”

Ye Chunxi froze momentarily, puzzled. “Him? Protect me?”

Wasn’t he supposed to be close to my brother?

But judging from my brother’s tone, it sounded more like a subordinate.

Jin Yuchuan nodded. “He’s skilled in combat. Knowing he’s protecting you puts my mind at ease.”

Learning it was her brother’s special arrangement, Ye Chunxi felt a secret thrill.

Housekeeper Kong approached. “Young master, everything is ready. Why don’t you eat a bit before you leave?”

Jin Yuchuan inhaled lightly; the rich aroma was almost overwhelming.

Suddenly, his sleeve was grasped. Looking down, he saw Ye Chunxi gently holding the edge of his garment, giving it a slight shake.

“Brother, your health is important. Stay and eat a little before you go back to work.”

Her voice was sweet and obedient, a stark contrast to her usually aloof demeanor, yet utterly delightful to hear.

Jin Yuchuan withdrew his hand without a word, averting his gaze.

“Alright then.”

He sat beside Ye Chunxi, and the servants, quick to read the situation, handed over bowls and chopsticks.

Housekeeper Kong, uncertain of Ye Chunxi’s preferences, had prepared a variety of common dishes.

Yet, faced with such a spread, Jin Yuchuan seemed unsure where to begin.

Ye Chunxi glanced at him casually, spotting his awkwardness.

Ling Qiao was quicker to start, and in the blink of an eye, the ingredients in the pot had vanished into his stomach.

Ye Chunxi watched his whirlwind-like eating with a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.

Seeing only a few slices of meat left in the pot, he scooped them all out with a slotted spoon, dividing the portions between her bowl and Jin Yuchuan’s.

After finishing a full bowl, Ling Qiao was about to scoop more but froze at the sight of the empty copper pot, bewildered.

“Hey? How did it get eaten so fast?”

Ye Chunxi: “...”

Jin Yuchuan: “...”

Ling Qiao swiftly brought over a large basin of meat and continued eating, leaving the others speechless.

Ye Chunxi turned her head toward the still unmoving Jin Yuchuan and asked, “Brother, aren’t you eating?”

“Yes.” Jin Yuchuan responded quietly, picking up his chopsticks.

The spicy flavor hit his palate sharply, causing a momentary discomfort.

He rarely indulged in food desires and generally tolerated most dishes well, except for heavily spicy ones, which always caused him some adverse reaction.

Unaware of this, Ye Chunxi, probably bored of the bland hospital food, had loaded all ingredients into the spicy pot. Ling Qiao, a fan of heat, had never even cooked anything in the clear broth pot.

Housekeeper Kong watched from the side, embarrassed, and couldn’t help but stop Ye Chunxi from trying to serve Jin Yuchuan more food.

“Miss Ye, the young master really can’t handle spicy food.”

Ye Chunxi’s hand froze abruptly. Turning to look closely, she noticed Jin Yuchuan’s face faintly flushed.

Startled, she felt a little helpless and tentatively asked, “Brother, are you okay?”

Ling Qiao, focused on eating, looked up at the voice. Seeing Jin Yuchuan’s flushed face, he was also surprised.

“Why are you blushing in front of your little sister?”

Jin Yuchuan shot him a sharp glare, a surge of frustration rising in his chest, held back only by Ye Chunxi’s presence.

He grabbed a tissue to wipe the corner of his mouth.

The housekeeper promptly handed him a glass of water, which Jin Yuchuan drank deeply.

His chiseled profile was smooth and firm. He tilted his head back, exposing his prominent Adam’s apple, which bobbed up and down.

A drop of water slipped unwittingly down his throat, trailing beneath his clothing into a quiet, hidden place.

Both sensual and captivating.

Ye Chunxi shook off her daze, took the oil dip from in front of him, and turned to instruct the servant to prepare a new one.

After finishing the water, Jin Yuchuan’s complexion slightly recovered. Lowering his eyes, he saw the girl beside him placing ingredients into the clear broth pot.

Only then did Ling Qiao realize what was going on and teased, “Sis, you don’t know, Master Jin is very sensitive to spicy and stimulating food. The servants usually have to be extra careful. Didn’t expect to get hit just by eating with you once.”

He laughed without a care.

Ye Chunxi turned her head, her deer-like eyes blurred with moisture slowly clearing, becoming even more clear and sparkling with a delicate light.

“Sorry,” she murmured, feeling a bit guilty.

Jin Yuchuan composed himself and reassured her, “It’s fine. You didn’t know before.”

Lowering her eyes, Ye Chunxi said, “I’ll be more careful next time.”

Ling Qiao, suddenly feeling ignored, stiffened instantly, staring at the two opposite him with a speechless expression.

“You don’t know, but don’t you have any clue about your own condition? If you can’t eat it, why do you force yourself? Are you trying to make your sister worry?”

Jin Yuchuan said nothing. His cold, dark eyes swept over Ling Qiao, radiating an overwhelming pressure.

Ling Qiao immediately shut his mouth, not daring to speak, and buried himself in his food again.

---

Ye Chunxi dipped several slices of tripe and placed them into Jin Yuchuan’s oil sauce, puzzled.

“Why are you forcing yourself?”

Jin Yuchuan averted his gaze. “It’s nothing major.”

It had been a long time since he had eaten spicy food and had forgotten the flushed feeling it caused.

He only intended to manage a few bites before leaving, so he wasn’t concerned.

Ye Chunxi clenched her chopsticks tightly, whispering a complaint, “You really don’t take care of yourself.”

Ling Qiao couldn’t help but tease again, “With so many private doctors attending Master Jin, why would he worry about his own health?”

He spoke with his head bowed, looking both scared and mischievous, making it quite amusing.

Ye Chunxi took a deep breath, lips slightly parted, wanting to say something but the mood sank again.

Jin Yuchuan’s expression tightened at Ling Qiao’s words. His sparkling peach blossom eyes shifted slightly, a faint light flickering.

“You’re talented in traditional Chinese medicine,” he said tentatively, extending his hand. “Since you’re so worried about me, why not take a look?”

Ye Chunxi raised her brows, her gaze dropping to the suddenly extended hand before her, staring intently.

While leafing through Chinese medicine books, she had realized she possessed some aptitude in the field.

But it was all theoretical; she had never actually tried it.

Jin Yuchuan’s proactive offer to have her take his pulse made her heart flutter with apprehension.

Having lost her memory, she could only recall certain things through the books.

She felt unqualified to diagnose by pulse.

Hesitating, Jin Yuchuan moved his hand forward again.

His usually cold tone softened considerably, like the gentle warmth of spring.

“Just try. There’s no harm in it.”

Ye Chunxi pressed her lips, set down her chopsticks, and placed her hand over his pulse.

The air was cool, both their hands tingling with the chill.

Skin touching skin, nerves sparked, yet there was warmth that gradually grew, turning to a subtle heat.

A sharp pain shot through Ye Chunxi’s mind, and she frowned in discomfort.

After a long moment, she finally said, “You’ve been working too hard lately. It seems you’re a bit weak...”