The Prime Minister's Darling novel Chapter 1204

Chapter 1204: 587 Awakening (first update)

The wind was gentle, the sun was bright, everything pleasant and serene.

Gu Jiao woke to a cacophony of chirping birds. As she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in an unfamiliar room.

Given her nature, she should have been immediately alert, but she wasn’t.

The pillow and blanket carried a familiar scent, inexplicably reassuring.

Creak—

The door cracked open slightly, and a tall figure slipped inside.

It was Long Yi.

He entered, brandishing a large spatula, and ambled about the room.

Almost instantly, Gu Jiao shut her eyes again.

Leaning over, Long Yi stared intently at Gu Jiao for a long while, seemingly puzzled as to why she hadn’t awoken despite the noise he had heard.

In the end, Long Yi still left with his spatula.

Gu Jiao let out a sigh of relief in her mind.

She certainly didn’t want to be fed with Long Yi’s spatula.

The ambience of the bed and Long Yi guarding the door convinced Gu Jiao that she was in a safe situation.

Creak—

The door was pushed open again, and Gu Jiao instinctively closed her eyes—worried it might be Long Yi causing trouble again.

But the footsteps she heard were not Long Yi’s.

Opening her eyes, Gu Jiao turned her head toward the door.

Xiao Hen strode toward the bed. Seeing her eyes open, he quickly asked, "Awake?"

"Mhm," Gu Jiao hummed a response.

Xiao Hen crouched beside the bed, reached out his slender, jade-like hand to touch her forehead, "No fever."

"How long have I slept?" asked Gu Jiao.

"Three days," Xiao Hen replied.

"That long," murmured Gu Jiao.

"This is the mansion on Vermilion Bird Avenue. I told my family that my mother is suffering from heartache, and that you are staying here to care for her," Xiao Hen said as he sat down on the stool by the bed, meticulously examining Gu Jiao. He asked softly, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Shaking her head, Gu Jiao said, "No, just a bit weak from sleeping too much."

"It’s normal to feel that way after a long sleep. Let me help you sit up."

Xiao Hen’s words came too late, as Gu Jiao had already attempted to sit up by herself, only to stiffen halfway and then lie back down, "I seem to lack strength."

Xiao Hen: "..."

Xiao Hen helped the "weak" person sit up.

She was wearing a thin nightshirt, and he could almost feel the warmth and delicacy of her arm with the tips and palms of his fingers.

Xiao Hen’s lashes trembled slightly. He placed a cushion behind her and took a light coat from the wardrobe to drape over her.

It was clothing that Princess Xinyang had specially commissioned seamstresses to tailor for Gu Jiao. There were several wardrobes full of them, but Princess Xinyang never spoke of it, nor did she actively offer them.

"Thank you," said Gu Jiao, putting on the light coat.

Spring had arrived; the weather was not so cold anymore. But to aid Gu Jiao’s recovery, smokeless silver charcoal was still burning in the room.

Feeling sufficiently warm in the light coat, Gu Jiao instinctively touched her neck, finding an amulet strung with red cord. She made an inquisitive noise.

Looking at the amulet on her neck, Xiao Hen explained, "It’s not the original one; that can’t be found anymore. My mother had another one made."

The original one was lost amidst the chaos, mixed in with blood and mud in the darkness. Gu Jiao had lost her senses, and it was impossible to find it.

Xiao Hen had sent people to search for it, but the scene was too severely damaged, and the amulet was shattered to pieces.

Gu Jiao’s memories of the time after removing the amulet were fragmented. She remembered killing that expert from Yan Country, but what happened next? What happened to her after that?

She opened her mouth, "The medicine..."

Xiao Hen said, "It arrived. You delivered the medicine to the Capital City and handed it over to the guards at the city gates. Xiaoqi’s poison has been neutralized, and he’s recuperating in Kunning Palace. When you’re free, I’ll bring him over to thank you."

Gu Jiao thought seriously for a moment, "It can’t just be a verbal thanks."

Unable to contain his amusement, Xiao Hen said, "Alright, Kunning Palace will thank you with a generous reward."

"What about Princess Xinyang’s Dragon Shadow Guard?" Gu Jiao remembered they had been poisoned by a worm.

At this, Xiao Hen couldn’t help but feel somewhat proud of her, "The medicine you brought back also had the antidote for that worm poison. Nanxiang’s master has already cleansed the residual poison from their bodies."

Again, Gu Jiao asked, "And my worm..."

Xiao Hen smiled, "It’s with Nanxiang’s master. She says that kind of worm needs to be nurtured; otherwise, it would die within two days. She’s taking care of it for you for now, and will give it back to you once you’re fully recovered."

Gu Jiao nodded.