She softly comforted: “Why don’t you sleep for a while? Remember, you can’t come out until tonight.”
“As you say, my lady, I’ll sleep a bit. I’m just worried I’ll snore and scare the people in the memorial hall.”
Yu Yi almost laughed out loud, holding back: “Don’t worry, you don’t snore.”
I’m using Luo Zhan’s body now, not my own. You know I don’t snore, but you don’t know if Luo Zhan snores.”
Yu Yi smiled: “I’m outside watching. If you start snoring, I’ll wake you up.”
“Forget it, I’ll just endure. Playing dead is hard work.”
“My dear, you’ve worked hard.”
“My lady, give me a kiss, and I won’t feel tired anymore.”
Yu Yi looked around, saw no one, and opened her terminal. She sent him a monkey blowing a kiss from the images he had sent earlier.
—
Late that night, Xia Xuan came to replace the guards in the memorial hall. After a while, Yu Yi, Shu Lan, and Xia Zhe came to the memorial hall, dismissed the servants guarding it, closed the door, and gently moved the coffin lid to help Meng Qing out.
Meng Qing had been lying motionless inside all day. With poor blood circulation, his feet were painful when first touching the ground. He leaned on Xia Xuan’s shoulder, frowning and standing in place for a while before he could move slowly. After moving his limbs, Shu Lan handed him a servant’s uniform. Meng Qing changed out of his mourning clothes.
Xia Xuan and Xia Zhe filled water-filled skins of equal weight and placed them in the coffin, then put Meng Qing’s discarded mourning clothes back, covered them with a mourning blanket, closed the coffin lid, with Xia Xuan continuing to guard the memorial hall, waiting to seal the coffin the next day.
Meng Qing returned to the inner chamber with Yu Yi and Shu Lan. Shu Lan, who had long prepared warm porridge, brought it over. She tested the temperature and was about to feed him personally.
Yu Yi, though also feeling sorry for him, could only watch Shu Lan feed him.
Meng Qing casually took the spoon and bowl from Shu Lan’s hand, ate a spoonful, and smiled: “Shu Lan, you’re thoughtful.”
