After sharing a body with her husband

【Ati, Lingfeng Courtyard has no shortage of servants, why do you have to do everything yourself?】

Huo Chuan really couldn't understand it. Shang Lingjun was personally massaging him and now she was personally bathing him. It was completely unnecessary.

Of course, Lord Shang Ling had his own plans.

Do you remember what I told you before? Xie Yan'an only has a year left to live. So, whatever I do during this year is only right, since I'm his wife.

It's true that Lingfeng Courtyard has servants to take care of me, but if I delegate everything to them and abuse my status to act arrogantly, what will the people in the courtyard think of me? Not to mention others, even Old Madam Wei will be dissatisfied with me.

Let alone massages and baths, I have to manage and personally handle everything from daily meals and preparing and feeding medicine to all the various chores within Lingfeng Courtyard.

I wasn't properly married into Xie Yan'an's family, so my situation was already awkward. Now, naturally, I have to do more and fulfill my duties as a 'wife' in order to gain the Xie family's approval.

I can do everything else, but I really need your help with bathing and drying off. You only need to help me once, and once you learn, I'll know how to do it.

Shang Lingjun paused, then said:

It's only for a year anyway, so I'll just consider it a thank you for providing me with such a good identity. I still have decades of work to do with the Xie family.

The reputation I've built up over the past year will determine how others in the Xie family will perceive me, so I must do everything a wife should do.

Since she told Old Madam Wei that she loved Xie Yan'an, and now that she's become Xie Yan'an's wife and has this status, she's not just here to enjoy a life of luxury.

With so many eyes watching from inside and outside the courtyard, she had to do everything herself and put in her utmost effort to take care of Xie Yan'an in order to have a place in the Xie family for decades after his death.

Shang Lingjun is self-aware; what can she rely on?

She has nothing to rely on, so she has to do this.

It has to be done for outsiders to see.

Huo Chuan really didn't know what to say. She was right to think that way, but...

It's normal to bathe yourself, but he always felt something was off...

【You can do everything else yourself, but do you really have to bathe him? That's so awkward, Xie Yan'an is awkward too, and I'm awkward too!】

Shang Lingjun pursed her lips in thought, then muttered to herself:

[But Xie Yan'an doesn't know that, so it shows I care about him. You're both men, don't men feel awkward looking at other men's bodies?]

Huo Chuan wanted to rub his forehead and smile wryly, but he was just a ghost, so he could only sigh:

This isn't a matter of whether it's awkward or not.

Shang Lingjun could tell that this was a polite refusal, and she was too embarrassed to press further, so she simply said:

"Alright then, I'll wash him myself. It's no problem. It's just a bath; practice makes perfect. I'll wash him tonight."

Although it's certainly a bit embarrassing to suddenly have to bathe a strange man, they're already husband and wife in name only, so they'll get used to it.

After a while, you get used to it.

Wait a minute!

Huo Chuan's voice trembled; he was truly at his wit's end and said helplessly:

"Fine, I'll help you. I'll take care of bathing Xie Yan'an from now on."

Shang Lingjun was pleasantly surprised.

[Really? Every single time? Isn't that too much work for you?]

Huo Chuan remained silent. What could he do?

It's better for him to take the bath himself; it's not good to leave it to someone else, especially a woman.

I never imagined that even after becoming a ghost, I still couldn't escape taking a bath.

Ugh!

The life of a ghost is so miserable!

It's alright, it's nothing.

These words made Huo Chuan feel utterly hopeless.

Shang Lingjun was deeply moved, her words as sweet as honey.

Thank you so much, Chuan Chuan! You never ask for anything in return, and you always help me. I really don't know what to say. Having you is my lucky thing!

【hehe……】

Huo Chuan chuckled bitterly. He just hoped that Shang Lingjun would stop acting on a whim. Taking a bath was enough; he just hoped she wouldn't do anything else.

He couldn't handle such a big shock.

Shang Lingjun was secretly delighted. Huo Chuan was willing to give Xie Yan'an a bath, which was a great thing. She could just watch from the sidelines!

You can also take a look...

That's it.

I still don't know if it will work.

Shang Lingjun cleared her throat, got up, and got out of bed.

Okay, I've rested enough. Now I need to oversee the decoction of the medicine and prepare the ingredients for tonight's medicinal bath.

Huo Chuan didn't say anything. This woman really never stops.

She's always talking about this or that, constantly praising Xie Yan'an, being so attentive to a paralyzed, bedridden, and soulless empty shell.

You'd be better off trying to please him more!

Xie Yan'an had to take medicine three times a day. Because the properties of the medicines were different, the methods of decocting them also varied. Some required simmering over a low flame, while others required rapid boiling over a high flame.

Some prescriptions require additional medication midway through treatment because the medicinal properties of several ingredients are easily lost, and the patient must remain by their side at all times.

Some prescriptions contain poisonous herbs that need to be decocted for a long time to reduce their toxicity before other herbs can be added...

It's very complicated anyway.

It was only after the servants who were preparing the medicine explained it in detail that Shang Lingjun realized there were so many intricacies involved in decocting medicine.

"Please repeat that: when was the agarwood added to this medicine?"

There's just too much information for Shang Lingjun to remember all at once.

"Reporting to Madam, when the other medicinal herbs have been boiled down from four bowls of water to one and a half bowls, add the agarwood and bring it to a boil three times. We only need to extract its aroma to invigorate the spleen and open the mind."

Meanwhile, the medicine pot over there is boiling aconite root. Aconite root is poisonous, so it needs to be boiled separately with six bowls of water over a low flame until the toxins dissipate before adding other medicinal herbs…”

The servant who was preparing the medicine explained in detail.

Shang Lingjun listened attentively, nodding as she learned.

When Xie Yan'an took his evening bath, he needed a medicinal bath, so someone had to help him get into the tub. By the time Shang Lingjun entered, Xie Yan'an was already sitting in the tub, with a servant supporting his shoulder.

Because if no one helps him, he could fall headfirst into the bathtub and drown.

Also, because it was a medicinal bath, the bathwater was murky, and Shang Lingjun couldn't see anything.

This really disappointed her.

With servants standing by her side, it was really awkward for Shang Lingjun to help Xie Yan'an wash, so she could only pretend to supervise as the two servants used ladles to scoop out the medicine and pour it on Xie Yan'an's body.

Even Doctor Huang came, bringing a bag of silver needles. He pricked Xie Yan'an's head like a hedgehog, his head covered in silver needles.

Shang Lingjun looked on with a grimace; how painful must that be?

She never expected that Xie Yan'an's bathing process was so complicated. She had originally wanted to use the bathing as an excuse to see if that thing would still work, but it seems that won't work.

We need to think of another solution quickly.

Xie Yan'an can only hold on for a year; she must conceive within that year.

[You made a mistake, didn't you? I told you, he didn't need you to help him bathe at all.]

Huo Chuan couldn't contain his joy. Luckily, the bath required medicinal bath and acupuncture, which saved him the trouble.

As if sensing that Shang Lingjun's mood was off, Huo Chuan hissed.

Why do I get the feeling you're quite disappointed?

No way, I'm too busy relaxing.

As expected, Shang Lingjun turned and left without looking back.

"I've gone to warm up some porridge for my husband."

"I'm going to warm up some porridge for my husband," Huo Chuan said, mimicking her.

Shang Yaojun: [……]

……

Before long, the day arrived for the trip to Puji Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings. Before dawn, Shang Lingjun got up.

Puji Temple is located on a mountain 30 miles outside Shengjing City. It is the most popular and largest royal temple in Shengjing, and the masters of the palace often come here to hold grand prayer ceremonies.

The Venerable Monk Hui'en of Puji Temple has met His Majesty many times.

Lord Shang's purpose in going there was to meet the Holy Monk Hui'en.

Because of the long journey, which takes half a day just to get there, Shang Lingjun and her party decided to stay at Puji Temple for a few days.

Although it is springtime, it is chilly on the mountain, so Shang Lingjun brought several thick clothes.

When she arrived late with her luggage, Shang Lingjun discovered that Lady Qu was also there.

Qu glanced coldly at Shang Lingjun, then looked away, completely disregarding her.

"Third sister-in-law, are you also going to the temple to pray for blessings? What a coincidence, we can keep each other company."

Shang Lingjun said softly, a faint smile on her face.

Madam Qu simply gave a perfunctory "hmm" and walked alone toward the carriage of the third branch of the family.

Shang Lingjun's eyes darkened slightly; it seemed this trip to the temple was unlikely to be peaceful...