After the physician finished examining him, he confirmed that Qin Ke's internal organs and bones were unharmed. Most of the injuries were superficial. Leaving behind some medicinal ointments for bruises and contusions, the doctor took his leave.
As Lu Youqing applied the medicine for him, Qin Ke watched her and joked lightly, "See? I'm tough-skinned and sturdy. Even the doctor said my constitution is good—I'll be fine after resting for a couple of days."
The original owner of the body had only average physical strength, but after Qin Ke transmigrated, he worked the fields daily. Later, even when there was less labor, he never stopped exercising. Combined with good nutrition, he had developed solid muscles.
Compared to modern people, ancient folk were far more physically active. However, because they barely had enough to eat and rarely had meat all year round, most of them looked thin and frail.
But Lu Youqing had no mood to joke with him. When Qin Ke saw that she hadn't replied for a long time and turned to look at her, he found her eyes slightly red. Her gaze was as clear and luminous as jade washed by water—beautiful, yet it made his heart ache.
When Lu Youqing had been harmed by villains, disfigured, and sold away, she hadn't shed tears. When she wandered the countryside starving, she hadn't cried either. Yet today, merely because of the wounds on Qin Ke's body, her eyes had swollen with tears.
He no longer needed to ask whether she truly held him in her heart.
She always did more than she said. Those feelings of love didn't need to be spoken aloud. Qin Ke saw her concern and tenderness more clearly than anyone else.
But he never wanted her to be as helpless as she had been this time ever again. He should have been the one protecting her, not letting her run around everywhere, lowering herself to beg others.
He never wanted to experience something like this again in his life.
A surge of love welled up in Qin Ke's chest. He tightly grasped the hand that was applying ointment to his chest, the touch making him itch slightly, and looked up at her, speaking softly, "I want to kiss you."
The shift was too sudden. Lu Youqing didn't react right away.
By the time she realized what he had said, he had already pulled her onto his lap, his shadow falling over her vision.
He kissed her carefully, as though afraid that even the slightest carelessness might shatter her.
Lu Youqing instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, yielding quietly to his movements.
Qin Ke held her soft, fragrant warmth in his arms. When his hands encircled her slender waist, it felt impossibly soft—delicate, boneless. The woman who was usually so cool and unyielding now nestled in his arms like a docile rabbit.
"Qingqing."
Qin Ke restrained his impulses, a trace of satisfaction at the corners of his eyes. He leaned his face against her shoulder and gently nuzzled her.
"…Mm, I'm here."
This was the first time Qin Ke had called her by such an intimate name. She froze for a moment before responding softly, her face flushed.
Catching sight of her glistening red lips from the corner of his eye, Qin Ke felt his heart melt into a muddy puddle, unable—and unwilling—to pull himself free. He tightened his hold slightly and turned his head to kiss her small, delicate earlobe.
The body in his arms trembled faintly.
"I miss you so much."
Even though she was already in his arms, pressed close skin to skin, he still couldn't stop himself from missing her intensely. Her hair brushed against his cheek, carrying a faint, fresh fragrance that made his heart sink helplessly into it. He held her tightly, as if wanting to fuse her into his very bones and blood.
With her hands against his bare chest, Lu Youqing felt the heat of his skin sear her palms. She sat quietly in his embrace, wordless, allowing his closeness.
This was already the most improper thing she had done in nearly twenty years. From the moment she didn't reject him, she had chosen him.
Qin Ke cherished her too much to do anything further at such a moment. In his heart, she deserved the very best in the world—she shouldn't be taken so easily, so hastily.
He merely lingered in gentle intimacy. After this ordeal, it felt as though only by her side did he have the courage to face such a world.
Lu Youqing didn't know how much time had passed. Even the oil lamp on the table had dimmed before Qin Ke finally loosened his hold.
Though he let go, his hand still clung to hers, unwilling to let her leave his sight. Even when she went to put away the ointment, he followed closely behind her.
Seeing this, Lu Youqing guessed he wouldn't be willing to sleep alone tonight. She could only lead him into her bedroom, signaling him to remove his outer robe and get onto the bed.
Only after they were both lying down did Lu Youqing begin to recount everything that had happened after he was taken away.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I used it as a bargaining chip without asking for your consent."
Qin Ke slowly turned onto his side, his gaze intense and focused as it traced her elegant nose bridge and lips. He spoke gently, "You did very well. Being able to think of a solution so quickly is already remarkable. It doesn't matter who those things were given to. Didn't you say before that they could only be brought out once we had backing? Isn't this just right?"
"Even so, relying on others is never as good as relying on oneself," Lu Youqing replied, her expression still solemn. "If the Gu family were to turn against us one day, we'd have no way to fight back. We can't put all our stakes on someone else."
Qin Ke lowered his gaze and asked, "Then does my lady have another idea?"
"I want to sit for the imperial examinations."
Lu Youqing stared at the canopy above the bed. Her tone remained calm, yet her eyes were unwavering.
She had always loved books. Trapped in the inner quarters since childhood, she could only imagine the vast world beyond through reading. Later, after misfortune struck and she experienced the coldness and warmth of human relations, and saw the suffering of the common people, she often wished she could do something.
However, the law clearly stipulated that anyone with damage or deformity to their appearance or body was forbidden from participating in the imperial examinations.
Thus, this thought had only ever surfaced occasionally in the quiet of the night before vanishing again. She had never spoken of it to anyone, treating it as an unreachable dream, content with the life she had.
Yet who would have known that the ointment Qin Ke gave her would truly heal the scar on her face? Now, from a distance, the scar was barely noticeable. Before long, her cheek would fully recover.
Qin Ke blinked.
She waited for quite some time without hearing a reply and turned her head, only to see him staring at her with wide, shining eyes.
"What is it?"
His voice sounded excited, almost thrilled, his eyes full of admiration. "Nothing—just that I never thought you'd have such an idea. You're so amazing. You'll definitely pass."
After transmigrating, Qin Ke had never felt any sense of superiority over others. People smarter and more capable than him were everywhere.
There was a living example right before him, so he never underestimated the ancients.
He had merely lived in a peaceful, technologically advanced era and had more opportunities for education.
He knew that becoming an official was the proper path to success, and he hadn't never considered taking the imperial examinations himself.
Those tales where transmigrators easily became top scholars were nothing but fantasy. He had tried reading the Four Books and Five Classics, but the prose was dense and difficult. Memorizing it was hard enough, let alone truly understanding it.
Even setting that aside, his handwriting would take a long time before it was presentable.
He wasn't a genius. How could he compare to scholars who had studied diligently for decades?
So hearing that Lu Youqing wanted to prepare for the examinations filled him with nothing but admiration.
Of course, Qin Ke wasn't belittling himself. Those things simply weren't his strengths—why compare his weaknesses against another's expertise?
"As long as you don't oppose it," Lu Youqing said softly. Seeing the faint smile on his face and no trace of reluctance, warmth crept into her eyes.
"How could I oppose it?" Qin Ke replied, deliberately exaggerating his expression. "If my lady becomes an official in the future, I can live off you! Ordinary people would never even dream of something like that!"
"…"
Who in the world talked about living off someone else so openly and shamelessly?
Lu Youqing turned her head away helplessly. She knew better than to judge him by normal standards.
---
Currently at chapter 204 for advance chapters
https:// ko-fi.com/rabi08