Sunlight shone through the window paper onto the head of the bed. A faint fragrance of osmanthus drifted in from outside, along with a few barely audible sounds in the distance:
"Chirp chirp?"
"Hold still. I'm almost done..."
His mind was a muddled mess. He had no idea how long it took for his awareness to gather again, but his thoughts had yet to return, leaving him unsure of where or when he was, or even who he was.
Fortunately, after a long rest, the memories from before he fainted flooded back, and his thoughts gradually cleared.
"Whew..."
Ye Jingtang softly exhaled a stale breath. His limbs were numb, almost entirely without strength, but the place where he lay was soft, and the temperature was neither cold nor hot, extremely comfortable. Someone also seemed to be holding his hand, with a smooth, delicate cheek resting against its back, though he could not tell whose.
"Lump?"
Ye Jingtang vaguely remembered collapsing into Lump's arms before he fainted, so he called softly while trying to open his eyes.
What greeted him was an exquisitely carved Eight-Step Bed. A pearl curtain hung across the middle of the room, and beyond it was an open window through which he could see all sorts of flowers. Judging by the furnishings, this was the new home he had bought with Ning'er and Third Madam.
He was lying in the spacious bedroom of Plum Blossom Courtyard, covered by a thin silk quilt, his arm resting flat beside the bed.
Yunli, dressed like a young lady from a fine household, was leaning over the edge of the bed, holding his hand with her cheek resting on its back.
Perhaps hearing his call, Yunli immediately sprang up, gazing at him with delighted surprise before frowning slightly.
"Lump?"
"Uh...?!"