The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 26

26: He’s Not Your Husband, Is He?

The carriage jolted a few times before coming to a stop.

Fu Yu’an nudged Qi Ren, who was dozing off, and softly called for him to wake up.

I wonder what medicine Elder Shu changed for him again—why does it seem like he’s becoming sleepier?

The mountain villa was indeed much cooler than the capital. Fu Yu’an had never left the capital since he was a child, but now he couldn’t even care about the novelty, as he was too worried about Qi Ren’s condition.

The servant driving the carriage led them into the villa, explaining as they walked.

“Once we pass this grove, we’ll reach the center of the estate. There are several courtyards built there, all shaded by trees, with fresh water diverted from the big river outside. It’s very cool!”

This estate was said to have been gifted to Prince Qing by the Emperor, showing just how much His Majesty doted on his younger brother.

Fu Yu’an followed as they circled around the grove and passed by a small waterfall, where they happened to see Xia Xiu spearfishing in the river.

“Master Xia!” the servant called out to him. Xia Xiu noticed them and came ashore with his fishing spear.

“An’an! You’re finally here! I’ve been so bored all by myself!”

Fu Yu’an laughed. “You don’t seem that bored, judging by your energy!”

“Ah, well, now that you’re here, it’s all good! Let’s go put your things away first, and later I’ll take you fishing. I’ll personally grill the fish for you tonight!”

Naturally, Qi Ren wasn’t having it and quickly said, “I’m coming too!”

Qiao Ying also chimed in, “Me too!”

Xiao Zhu timidly spoke up, “Your Highness… may I go and help you watch the fish basket?”

Xia Xiu raised his arm and cheered, “Everyone’s welcome! I’ll have someone prepare more fishing spears for you. Let’s see who catches the most today!”

Fu Yu’an wasn’t particularly keen on going, as it was clear that he would likely end up in last place. It would be better to let the stronger ones compete among themselves.

But with everyone watching, he couldn’t very well back out, especially with Xia Xiu sticking close to him, making it impossible for him to feign illness at the last minute.

By the time he actually took off his shoes and socks and stepped into the river, any reluctance had faded away.

The river water was cool and soothing. Fu Yu’an had been confined to the desolate cold palace since childhood and had never had the chance to go river fishing with others. Moreover, no matter how mature he tried to appear, he was still just a young man of seventeen or eighteen—how could he not enjoy a bit of playful fun?

Xiao Zhu had said she would help watch the fish baskets, but just as she was about to take off her shoes and step into the water, she was whisked away by Li Ke, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. She didn’t reappear until after the sun had set.

Fu Yu’an couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy, as if he were lamenting that “a grown daughter is no longer hers to keep.”

After all the hustle and bustle, the youngest and most delicate-looking Qiao Ying surprisingly came out on top, having caught and speared enough fish to fill two large baskets all by herself. Xia Xiu, on the other hand, wasn’t very good with the spear but was quite skilled at catching fish by hand. In the end, if it hadn’t been for Qi Ren secretly slipping him a few fish, he would have been thoroughly embarrassed.

By evening, Fu Yu’an once again played the role of the hands-off manager, only helping to fan the fire with a palm-leaf fan and accomplishing little else.

I’m so useless, he thought.

The grilled fish sizzled as they were served, dripping with oil. Xia Xiu was quite the gourmet, and the fish he grilled were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and deliciously fragrant, making everyone’s mouths water.

“Here! An’an! This one’s the biggest for you!” Xia Xiu handed him a fish skewered on a stick, smiling warmly.

Fu Yu’an accepted it somewhat sheepishly and thanked him.

“Don’t be discouraged! Everyone has to start somewhere! For your first time fishing in the river, you did much better than I did back then!”

“Sigh, I’m so useless. I couldn’t even catch any fish. Those few I got were actually secretly given to me by Qi Ren,” he muttered in complaint.

Xia Xiu waved it off. “Isn’t he your husband? Whatever he catches is basically yours!”

Fu Yu’an’s face flushed red with embarrassment. He poked at the stick with his finger and mumbled in protest, “Who… who said that! We’re just… oh, whatever, stop talking nonsense!”

Xia Xiu pursed his lips and smiled, surprised to see Fu Yu’an so shy.

Weren’t the illustrated books supposed to be quite… explicit? How come he can’t even handle a little joke?

Tsk tsk tsk! So innocent!

Seeing that Fu Yu’an’s face was practically glowing red, Xia Xiu decided to stop teasing and changed the subject.

“Did you bring paper and brushes when you came?” he asked in a hushed tone, leaning closer.

Fu Yu’an looked puzzled. “What do I need paper and brushes for? Doesn’t the villa have them?”

“No, it’s not that. Did you submit your illustrations to Old Huang this month? It’s almost the end of the month!”

“I told him I’d finish the last set and take a two-month break before thinking about what to draw next.”

Xia Xiu immediately shot him an envious look and sighed, “That’s so nice! I still have to write tonight!”

Fu Yu’an laughed a couple of times and patted his shoulder in sympathy.

Fu Yanxiao, with a dark expression, watched the two of them chatting happily with their heads close together, feeling a pang of discomfort. He nudged Qi Ren, who was busy nearby, and gestured for him to look.

Qi Ren brushed him off indifferently. “Let them chat. Why do you care so much?”

Fu Yanxiao rolled his eyes. “You don’t understand a thing! Go back to grilling your fish!”

Qi Ren, thoroughly confused by the scolding, had no idea what had set him off this time.

The two kids are around the same age, so of course they have endless things to talk about. Besides, they’re both married—it’s not like they’re going to cause any trouble.

He’s really overthinking this!

The several platters of fish were mostly eaten, and Xia Xiu, satisfied, patted his round belly and waved goodbye to everyone.

The servants had arranged for them to stay in a small bamboo pavilion. It was airy and cool, with half of it built over the river. Standing by the railing on the second floor, you could look down and see the clear flowing water and the occasional flicker of fish, creating a serene atmosphere.

Xiao Zhu had finished brewing the medicine by the river and brought it upstairs. Qi Ren frowned at the sight of it and asked with a bitter expression if he really had to drink it.

Fu Yu’an comforted him, “Good medicine tastes bitter. Be good, drink it and get some sleep. You’ll feel better.”

Qi Ren had no choice but to down it in one go, and Fu Yu’an tossed a piece of candy into his mouth from his sleeve.

In truth, it wasn’t any kind of “good medicine.” Qi Ren thought resentfully. It was just a switch from a calming tonic to a heat-clearing one—it didn’t actually treat any “madness.”

…

Three days earlier.

“How has the general been feeling after taking the calming medicine these past few days?” Elder Shu tapped her cane on the ground rhythmically as she spoke leisurely.

Qi Ren wanted to play dumb, but he was simply too drowsy. In the end, he could only shoot her a resentful look.

Elder Shu let out a few cold laughs and said, “There’s no need for you to pretend with me. I’ve been around the world for so many years, and there’s no strange or bizarre illness I haven’t seen! You claim this condition of yours was caused by poisoning in the southern borderlands, but I haven’t detected any other signs of poisoning. You’re clearly lying!”

Seeing that he couldn’t fool her, he decided to come clean.

“You truly are perceptive, Elder. I thought I had done a good job pretending.”

“No, you acted very convincingly. Even His Highness was fooled, wasn’t he? It’s a shame that after sharing a bed with you for so long, he still couldn’t tell whether you were truly mad or just pretending!”

“Yu’an is pure-hearted, so it’s no surprise he couldn’t tell! Look at how he pretended to be mute—he could only fool those in the deep palace. Once he stepped outside, everyone could see he wasn’t actually mute.” Qi Ren yawned, then gulped down a cup of cold water to perk himself up a bit.