The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

82. Impatience and Worry

Translator: Iris Guo

Zhong Mingwei looked at A’Chou’s immature face, listened to her nagging about the job, and felt heartbroken. He had to hold back the urge to roar. After a while, he finally calmed down and asked in a low voice: “How come you know how to embroider?”

“Mammy Xiang taught me.” Since Zhong Mingwei was lying on his stomach, A’Chou didn’t notice his mood swings but kept massaging his waist and murmuring: “She had been working at the Imperial Textile Mill for decades, and she was the best. She used to embroider for the Empress Dowager and Imperial Concubine Zhao. Then, she had presbyopia because of the heavy work she had done and was assigned to the Imperial Washhouse. When she was free, she would teach me embroidery. Haha, I’m not bragging or anything, but I’m better than the maids at the Imperial Textile Mill, and I would have got in there if Mammy Xiang hadn’t stopped me. I heard that they had to endure the hard labor for all day, and their vision would be impaired over time…”

“Stop… Stop talking.” Zhong Mingwei couldn’t bear to hear more. He gnashed his teeth and the blue veins stood out on his temples.

“What’s wrong?” A’Chou hastened to stop. She bent over cautiously, saw Zhong Mingwei’s closed eyes, and became stunned: “You sleepy?”

“Yes. I want a nap.” said Zhong Mingwei.

“Well, sure. If we go out now, you will easily get a sunburn.” said A’Chou while getting up to remove the handkerchiefs on Zhong Mingwei’s body. Then, she tucked him in and got out of bed gently. “I’ll leave.”

Zhong Mingwei answered vaguely. It seemed that he was almost asleep.

“Fallen asleep already?” A’Chou murmured and left with the basin. Soon, she went back with a bowl of jasmine tea and put it near the bed where Zhong Mingwei could easily reach.

Zhong Mingwei sniffed the faint fragrance of jasmine in the air and suddenly exhaled deeply as if he wanted to get rid of all the sulks in his body, which was impossible.

His mind was still in a whirl. When he heard the faint sound of A’Chou doing the laundry, he closed his eyes again, upset.

…

“Here, put your arms around me.” A’Chou held Zhong Mingwei’s waist, tried to help him stand up, and managed to steady him. Then, she tied their waists together with a rope she prepared. “Come on.”

Zhong Mingwei couldn’t move his legs at all, so he had to put all his weight on his arms while putting one harm around A’Chou’s shoulder and the other on the wall. She felt great pain on her shoulder as if the shoulder was almost crushed by him, but she could bear it and still held his waist tightly in case he fell.

“Don’t push too hard if your feet couldn’t bear the strength. Anyway, you’re able to stand against the wall today.” A’Chou panted and comforted Zhong Mingwei. “I’m standing still and won’t let you fall. Don’t worry and just hold onto the wall.”

“Why should I worry?” Zhong Mingwei couldn’t bear it at all. He was irritated looking at A’Chou’s sweaty face and listening to her nagging.

Precisely, he wasn’t irritated but impatient and worried.

A’Chou was a little dazed by Zhong Mingwei’s abrupt roar and it took her a long time to came to herself. She whispered: “Take it easy. Neither I nor you will fall.”

Zhong Mingwei was silent for a while holding his head high and compressing his lips tightly. Then, he took a few breaths and put his arms around A’Chou’s shoulder: “Try again.”

“Okay.” A’Chou held Zhong Mingwei’s waist instantly as if she worried that he would lose heart again. “Don’t rush to move your legs and feet. Try to push up with your waist.”