Chapter 11

Without Qin Yanwei barring his way, Cui Shiyu stayed long enough to drink an extra half cup of tea when he visited that day.

Seeing that he still showed no sign of leaving,

I asked, “Is there something else you want to say?”

Cui Shiyu’s eyes reddened. “Zhaozhao, what must I do for you to forgive me?”

“I know it was all my fault. If I hadn’t neglected you for three years, you would never have thought I was taking a concubine, and you wouldn’t have kept a secret lover…”

“And in our previous life, I should have spoken plainly. You chose me, but I still sulked and refused to speak to you day after day.”

“After that, I couldn’t sleep at night. As time went on, somehow I often found I couldn’t control what I said.”

“You have every right to hate me. But could you please stop shutting me out?”

“I want to see you every day.”

“Even one glimpse would be enough.”

I took it for the ravings of a madman.

Whatever the case, those words had come from his mouth.

He had done those things.

Was anyone falsely accusing him?

I sighed. “Cui Shiyu, there’s nothing between us anymore. Why keep clinging to me?”

“How many recipes do you have left? I’ll buy them all today. Don’t come again.”

Cui Shiyu ran away again.

Clutching his half-roll of remaining recipe pages.

He wouldn’t part with them for anything.

A little later, an imperial physician came to check my pulse.

Qin Yanwei had arranged it.

While taking my pulse, the physician suddenly asked, “Was that young Lord Cui who just left?”

I paused. “You know him?”

“No, but I knew his father. He died young, leaving only this one son, I hear.”

I’d never met Cui Shiyu’s father, even after marrying into the family.

I’d heard he had died very young.

The physician sighed. “You should have as little to do with the Cui family as possible, my lady.”

“Why?”

“Madness runs in the family.”

I stared. “What?”

“His father died of it. Before his death, he raved incoherently and behaved like a madman. The Cui men have all been exceptionally gifted. Alas, heaven envies talent. They all died of the same madness.”

My heart lurched. “Could it make someone suspicious of everything, saying things he doesn’t mean?”

Stroking his beard, the physician said, “If his behavior is wholly unlike his former self, then yes.”

So Cui Shiyu really hadn’t lied to me.

“Can it be cured?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Fewer upsets might help. But I hear Lord Cui recently divorced his wife…”

Things had become complicated.

I certainly wasn’t willing to sacrifice myself to save Cui Shiyu.

But I couldn’t bear to see him die either.

After the physician left, I sent a message to the Cui residence.

The recipe deliveries could continue as before.