Real Empress from a noble family

When she woke up, it was already evening. She realized that she was on Ruan Ciyi's bed when she saw the color of the bed canopy.

Ruan Ciyi fell asleep with her clothes on by the bed. There were tears at the corner of her eyes.

Seeing this, Qiu Yelan was surprised. She pushed Ruan Ciyi to wake her up regardless of how tired Ruan Ciyi was, "Ciyi, how is my brother?"

Ruan Ciyi said in a hurry without opening her eyes, "The arrows have been taken out. Now he is having a fever…General Jiang is taking care of him in person. And the Jiang Family has sent people over to guard us."

Knowing what Qiu Yelan was worried about, Ruan Ciyi explained the situation within one breath. And then she asked with care, "How are you feeling right now? Dr. Qi said that you and Miss Ou both inhaled toxic smog. Although it was not lethal, you guys' health…"

Qiu Yelan still felt a little dizzy. But she didn't have time to care. She interrupted, "My brother is having a fever? Did they take any measure to dissipate heat?"

"Dr. Qi has prescribed medicine. General Jiang went back home just now and brought two old soldiers of the Northern Army here. It's said that they have a lot of experience in taking care of people with traumatic injuries." A look of gratitude flashed through Ruan Ciyi's pale face, "General Jiang even took his homework here. He said he would stay here until Jinglan was no longer in danger!"

"Thank god!" Qiu Yelan pressed her chest and exhaled. She said, "I'm going over there to check on him!"

Ruan Ciyi stopped her in a hurry, "Dr. Qi said that you needed to stay in bed to rest for one or two days…"

"I can't rest unless I go to see him," Qiu Yelan insisted.

Ruan Ciyi couldn't talk her out of it. She had to go out and call a sedan over to take Qiu Yelan there. Ruan Ciyi was also exhausted to the core at that moment. She wasn't able to walk straight. So, Qiu Yelan refused to let her go along and asked the maid to drag her to sleep.

It was already late in the night. The Ruan Family which was uproarious in the morning was quiet right now. Only when people were focused, were they able to find the shadows lurking in the corners of the walls. The quiet courtyard was giving out a depressive and stern vibe.

There was no light in Qiu Jinglan's room. But there was light in the outer room.

Qiu Yelan went in and saw Jiang Yashuang drinking strong tea while reading an article by the lamp. Hearing that the door was opened, he turned around. He was startled, "Why are you here?"

"Where is my brother?" Qiu Yelan looked towards the inner chamber.

"There are people looking after him by his bed," Jiang Yashuang explained in a hurry, "I planned to look after him myself. But I'm not as experienced as Mr. Li and Mr. Xu in looking after people… So, I just wait out here."

Qiu Yelan knew that he was trying to make amends. She said with a sigh, "You need to prepare for the provincial examination. You don't need to come in person. What time is it? You are still doing homework."

"… someone's article. Grandfather borrowed it for me to study." Noticing the concern in her words, Jiang Yashuang was happy. He said, "I plan to go to sleep after finishing this article. Oh, one hour ago, Ruan… They just cleaned your brother's body. Mr. Xu said that he would be fine if he got through these days."

Qiu Yelan hesitated, "Can I go in and see him?"

"Um…" Jiang Yashuang was thinking how to say it, "Your brother is having a fever now… The quilt and his clothes…"

"I see," obviously, Qiu Jinglan was probably disheveled at that moment. It was inconvenient for the womenfolk to check on him up close. Qiu Yelan frowned a while and said, "Then I'm going to leave. You also should go to bed. Don't make yourself too tired!"

Jiang Yashuang stood up, "I'll walk you out."

They went out together. The sedan was in the courtyard. But one of the bearers was missing. The one remained explained in a hurry, "He just said he had a stomachache. He thought you were about to stay in there for a while. So…"

"It's okay," Qiu Yelan waved her hand and said to Jiang Yashuang, "I'll go back to Ciyi's place after the bearer comes back. You can go inside now. In my opinion, you don't need to live here. Mr. Li and Mr. Xu are here anyway. They can already take good care of my brother. Being here will only affect your studies and make your family worry."

Jiang Yashuang smiled embarrassedly, "I… just do what I can! Do what I can!" He thought about what he did when he mistook his brother-in-law as the rival in love… Now his brother-in-law was in trouble. How could he let go of the chance to bond and bury the hatchet? Tired? Only being tired could show his sincerity, okay?

Qiu Yelan didn't know that he was feeling guilty. She was deeply moved. She held his hand voluntarily and said, "I remember your arm was also hurt… How is your arm?"

"Just a scratch. I'm fine," Jiang Yashuang looked so casual like he didn't care it at all. However, he intentionally let the wind blow open his sleeve. The thick bandages inside were revealed.

As expected, Qiu Yelan was drawn to it. She pulled up his sleeve in a hurry and looked carefully. Then she said in a hurry, "It's bandaged like this… Why are you still here? Go back tomorrow! The wound will heal faster with the servants taking care of you at your home. There is nothing for you to do in person anyway. Why do you insist on staying? Thank god it's your left arm getting hurt. If it were your right arm, you wouldn't be able to hold an ink brush!"

Hearing her desultory complaint, Jiang Yashuang was very happy. He smiled and whispered in her ear, "Seeing you makes me feel I'm healed. How can getting taken care of by the servants compare to this?"

"Glib-tongued!" Qiu Yelan gave him a stare. Another gust of wind blew on their faces at that moment. The wind was soft and cool which made her feel soberer. She suddenly realized that she only asked about Qiu Jinglan after she woke up. She said frowning at that moment, "Right. What about the things that just happened?"

"Those two assassins were men of sacrifice. As for their backgrounds, we are looking into it… However, Empress Dowager Gu and her clique must be behind it," Jiang Yashuang muttered to himself for a while. Seeing that she was silent, he couldn't help asking, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Qiu Yelan puckered her lips, "What?"

"Why pretend?" Jiang Yashuang sighed, "He is your brother… If you told me early… At the farm outside the city back then, how could I talk to him like that?"

"He asked me to," Qiu Yelan bit her lip and whispered, "because he didn't want to trouble you."

Jiang Yashuang thought for a moment and then understood what Qiu Yelan meant. He said with frustration, "I can't think of a time when I was arrogant to you guys. Never mind. Enough of this. That bearer came back. You go get some rest. We'll talk later."

"Wait!" Qiu Yelan asked, "How about Miss Ou who has fainted?"

"She is fine," Jiang Yashuang said, "Yongfu is also okay. They both went back home. Oh, Madame Lian and Miss Wang came to visit at dusk. You and Miss Ruan were not well back then. So, I went to see them and asked them to come back in a few days. It's okay, right?"

Qiu Yelan smiled bitterly, "It's okay. Only they came?"

"The Xue Family also sent people here. But they were just servants. They said that people of the Xue Family were busy with their business." Since Jiang Yashuang knew Ruan Qingyan was actually Qiu Jinglan now, he understood why the Xue Family was suddenly aloof. So, he said flatly, "Some of your brother's classmates and colleagues also came… Oh, as for Qiu Nie who bumped into a scoundrel, got his face damaged, and asked for an early retirement, his sister was too busy looking after him to come. But she sent her servants to drop off some gifts."

He paused and then said, "Your first cousin also came."

Qiu Yelan listened quietly and sighed at last, "I got it. My brother. I don't know. I need to ask him how he wants to return the favor after he wakes up."

Jiang Yashuang comforted her, "You may be able to ask him in two or three days."

"Okay," Qiu Yelan nodded with frustration and went in the sedan.

The next day morning, when she was cleaning up, Chunran went in and reported, "The Jiang Family's servant is here to ask General Jiang to go back."

"That's the right thing to do," Qiu Yelan knew that it was impossible for Jiang Yashaung to look after Qiu Jinglan until he recovered. Let alone others, Marquess Qin who counted on him to get the first place in the exam wouldn't allow. How could his precious grandson whom he carefully cultivated waste his time in looking after others before the exam?

Even the one he looked after being his future wife's brother!

Besides, a silver-spoon kid like Jiang Yashuang looked after others. Qiu Yelan felt that even she could do better than him.

So, she finished cleaning up hastily and went over in a hurry to help the Jiang Family's butler persuade him. She pushed Jiang Yashuang who was unwilling to go out by force.

The butler looked at her in a strange way. She didn't know if he got some instructions from anyone of the Jiang Family. He was obviously sizing her up.

Considering that she and her brother were going to count on the Jiang Family to protect them in the future, Qiu Yelan pretended not to notice at that moment. She walked Jiang Yashuang to the front door and watched him get on the horse and then instructed the servants to close the door. Unexpectedly, just after they closed the door, there was a rapid knock on the door!

She thought Jiang Yashuang forgot something and wondered why he was in such a hurry?

Unexpectedly, just when the door was opened a little, Ling Zui squeezed in with a horsewhip in his hand. Seeing Qiu Yelan behind the door, he asked directly, "Where is Chunjun? How is he?"

Qiu Yelan answered in a hurry, "In the inner chamber. Still having a fever."

Hearing this, Ling Zui went towards the back without further ado. He and Qiu Jinglan were friends for years. He surely didn't need others to lead him to Qiu Jinglan's room.

Seeing this, Qiu Yelan was about to follow. She suddenly heard a quarrel outside the door!

"Why are you stopping me? This is not your home!" It was a familiar voice. But Qiu Yelan couldn't think of whose voice it was.

And then she heard Jiang Yashuang's unhappy reproach, "Don't mess around here! Didn't you know that people of the Ruan Family were busy recently? They don't have time to entertain you!"

"Then why didn't you stop Ling Zui?"

Jiang Yashuang was obviously annoyed, "He is here to visit the patient!"

However, the one quarreling with him also sounded angry, "I'm also here to visit the patient! And I need to thank Young Master Ruan for saving my life!"

Saving her life?

Qiu Yelan was stunned. Outside the door, Jiang Yashuang was also astonished, "Saving your life?"

"If Young Master Ruan didn't throw me out of the poisoned smog yesterday…"

Jiang Yashuang interrupted her in surprise, "Wait! It was me who threw you out!"

"Bullshit!" At this point, Qiu Yelan finally remembered that the one outside was Miss Ou from yesterday who was trying to be her sister-in-law. Miss Ou refuted angrily, "I felt it clearly! It was definitely Young Master Ruan. I know you well! You definitely would take care of your lover and Princess Yongfu first. How could you think of me?"

Jiang Yashuang said furiously, "I didn't want to save you either. But I didn't how to explain to Bicheng afterwards!"

"No need to explain. He is no match for you anyway!"

Sensing that they might keep on quarreling outside, Qiu Yelan had to go out, "Miss Ou, why are you here?"

"I'm here to say thank you." Ou Qinglan was happy when she saw Qiu Yelan. She went around Jiang Yashuang and ran towards Qiu Yelan. She grabbed Qiu Yelan's hand and asked enthusiastically, "Are you okay? You must be scared yesterday, right? Don't worry. Those two assassins were dead. Everyone is working on it…"

Qiu Yelan couldn't take it and took back her hand. "I'm fine. Miss Ou…"

"Why are you treating me like a stranger?" Ou Qinglan said like they were friends, "I said just call me Qinglan!"

"Miss Ou, you…"

"Let's talk inside. You were scared yesterday. Don't stand in the draught!" Hearing that Qiu Yelan didn't change the way she addressed her, Ou Qinglan had another idea. She pushed Qiu Yelan towards the inside with her great strength while talking and followed in. She instructed the servants happily, "Hurry! Close the door. Don't let the irrelevant person come in and interrupt us!"