步惜歡仍睡著，榻前香絲將盡，晨光熹微，照不見窗臺三尺明凈，華帳半掩，掩不住男子容顏蒼白憔悴。                                                                                                                                    暮青坐到榻邊，見烏黑濕透的發絲擋了男子半張容顏，不由伸手幫他撥開，指尖剛觸及他的發絲，手腕便忽然被握住！那力道甚大，毫不似虛脫昏睡之人，暮青頓時有腕骨欲折之感，眸中隱生痛色，卻不為腕痛。                                                                                                                                    宮中歲月磨人，怎樣的艱難險境才磨練出他的自衛警覺？                                                                                                                                    少女蔥白如玉的手漸生紫紅，卻望著男子半晌未動，不知望了多久，才低聲道：“先服藥吧。”                                                                                                                                    她的聲音很低，讓人想起竹林里拂過枝梢的清風，他睡夢中聽見，眉頭舒展，手慢慢松了開。                                                                                                                                    暮青從懷里拿出玉瓶來，忍著手腕的不適倒出粒藥來，巫瑾的藥藥粒兒都很小，方便重癥昏迷的病人服用，不需水送便可服下，她不必將步惜歡扶起來便可將那藥送入他口中。                                                                                                                                    “服藥了。”                                                                                                                                    他睡夢中似乎仍能聽出她的聲音，聽見她的話后便張嘴服了下去。                                                                                                                                    暮青見步惜歡氣息平穩，便到暖閣外的灶房打了盆熱水進屋，幫步惜歡將濕透的發絲松松綁好，又拿帕子細細幫他擦了額上和手心里的汗。                                                                                                                                    月影煎好藥后放涼了些才進了屋，一進屋便見暮青坐在榻旁，正試步惜歡的額溫，見他來了便吩咐道：“我來喂，你去準備身干爽的衣衫，再備熱水，待會兒我幫他擦身更衣。”                                                                                                                                    月影點頭應了，把藥放到桌上便出去辦事，走到門口想起一事來，回身問：“那個……褻褲也要備？”                                                                                                                                    暮青正扶步惜歡，聽見這話回頭，詫異地問：“你家主子平時不穿褻褲？”                                                                                                                                    “……”                                                                                                                                    “或者，他擦身時有不換褻褲的習慣？”                                                                                                                                    “……”                                                                                                                                    月影像看怪胎一樣地看著暮青，他總算知道月殺在她身邊待了半年，為何越來越急性子了——她真的有把人逼急的本事！他方才的話，本意是念著她尚未出閣，怕她羞于見男子的那話兒，因此才問她要不要備褻褲，可她想哪兒去了！                                                                                                                                    月影飛快地唆了眼步惜歡，見他半倚軟枕，垂首未醒，這才松了口氣。還好主子沒醒，不然聽見這話，怕是要再內傷一回。                                                                                                                                    “等著！”月影轉身便出了房門，他果然干不了月殺的活兒，日后他還是奉行以前的處事之道好了，主子的事兒和她的事兒，他一概不摻和，吩咐他辦的事他便辦，再不多嘴了。                                                                                                                                    月影走后，暖閣里便靜了下來，暮青又幫步惜歡調了調姿勢，但剛一扶他，她的動作便一頓，抬眼望了步惜歡一眼。男子低垂著頭，睡得深沉，暮青望了一會兒，默默端起了藥碗。                                                                                                                                    玉碗溫潤，藥湯清苦，少女執勺輕輕調著藥湯，湯聲悠悠，令人心生恍惚，好似回到西北的夜里，她大病初愈，他執勺喂藥。而今西北的天已遠，榻上的人已換……                                                                                                                                    藥送來時就是溫的，暮青卻還是調了會兒，舀起一勺放在唇邊觸了觸，這才送到了步惜歡唇邊。                                                                                                                                    “喝藥了，張嘴。”                                                                                                                                    仿佛睡夢里還聽得見她的話，他微微張嘴，將藥吞盡，一滴沒灑。                                                                                                                                    暮青深深望了步惜歡一眼，沒說破，又低頭去舀碗里的藥，明明剛才試過藥溫，她卻像轉眼又忘了那溫度，不放心地又試了一回才送去了他唇邊。                                                                                                                                    “張嘴。”                                                                                                                                    她說讓他張嘴他便張，讓他喝他便喝，這一碗清苦的藥喂了二三十口便喂盡了，竟是一滴也沒浪費。                                                                                                                                    暮青扶著步惜歡躺下，起身便出了屋。                                                                                                                                    后園里有間小灶房，通著兩間暖閣，一口鍋里煮著熱水，一口鍋還冷著。暮青便在那鍋里添了水，在灶下生了火，從米缸里舀了碗米出來煮粥，她在灶下生了小火，讓那鍋米慢慢的煮，隨后便回了屋里。                                                                                                                                    她前腳剛回屋，月影后腳便回來了，手里捧著套干凈的衣衫。那衣衫雖是中衣，做工卻講究，暮青翻看了一下，見那衣衫有兩層，里層是素棉料子，外頭是云錦，對著天光細瞧，只見銀紋如水雍容華貴，連條褻褲都是這般華貴。                                                                                                                                    暮青看過后不滿意，道：“換了！全都換成素棉料子的。”                                                                                                                                    素棉的？                                                                                                                                    月影暗暗挑眉，盡管覺得素棉衣衫乃是盛京城里尋常百姓穿的，主子穿著不夠尊貴，但他說奉行隱衛之道便要奉行徹底，堅決不再多嘴，接過便走。                                                                                                                                    “日后你家主子的中衣全都備素棉的，貼身的衣裳以舒適為上，素棉吸汗透氣，加層錦面兒反倒把汗給捂在身上了，尤其你家主子如今病著，汗散不出去，遲早要生病。這等衣衫也就是瞧著華貴，還真不如百姓家穿的素衣。”暮青看見月影挑眉便知他心里不贊同，她向來寡言，最不喜的便是多費口舌，但月影是步惜歡的貼身侍衛，他都這等想法，可見他以前穿的都是這樣的衣衫，她這才忍不住說清楚些。                                                                                                                                    月影回過身來，低頭瞧了眼手中捧著的華衣，搞不清楚一件衣裳還有這么多的講究。他出身窮苦人家，最知道窮苦百姓有多盼著能穿一日華衣，卻從不知這素棉還是好料子。主子自幼進宮，宮里給備哪樣的衣衫他便穿哪樣的，王妃過世得早，他身邊又不留女子服侍，哪里會有貼心的人提醒這些穿衣之事？                                                                                                                                    月影不發一言地走了，走時卻看了暮青一眼，目光有些深——她心細起來，倒也挺貼心的。                                                                                                                                    “衣衫一會兒再換吧，先備熱水。”月影剛出屋便聽見暮青的聲音傳來，于是便放下衣衫，又一言不發地打水了。                                                                                                                                    片刻后，他提了一桶熱水一桶冷水，端了只銅盆進來，隨后便退了出去。                                                                                                                                    暮青自己兌水，為步惜歡寬衣擦身。                                                                                                                                    巫瑾的藥見效頗快，暮青為步惜歡寬衣時便見他不再出汗了，男子平臥在榻，衣衫半敞，胸前玉肌生輝，她看了眼他的睡顏，低頭去解他的腰帶。指尖一勾，玉帶松落，那玉帶華紋暗隱流光暗動，緩落那一刻似歲月靜好，帶她回到西北那夜。那夜，她服侍他寬衣解帶，今夜亦如是，卻利落不再。                                                                                                                                    他玉肌似珠奪目生輝，細汗若銀霜，令人不忍擦拭。                                                                                                                                    她擰了溫熱的帕子來輕輕地擦，擦他如畫般的眉眼，她想起那祖洲仙山里的上仙；擦他清俊的手臂，她想起仙島的竹；擦他的胸膛，她想起仙島下寧靜的避風港；擦他的腹，她想起海波暗涌的潮……暖閣里只聞擰帕子的水聲和窸窣的擦拭聲，他睡著，氣息平緩，她在桌前榻旁來回忙碌，神游天外。                                                                                                                                    當他的腿也被她擦好，她指尖勾住了他褻褲的錦帶，剛要扯動，他的手覆來，按住了她的手。                                                                                                                                    她的手在他掌心里一僵，頓時醒過神來，轉頭看向他時對上了一雙深如瀚海的眸。                                                                                                                                    他的聲音都是啞的，“好了……”                                                                                                                                    她的聲音卻平靜，問：“醒了？”                                                                                                                                    步惜歡一笑，氣虛聲浮，“早醒了，你不是知道？”                                                                                                                                    暮青自然知道，他在她扶他起來喝藥時就醒了，應該是她搬動他時醒來的，起初她沒發覺，待遣了月影出去拿干爽的衣衫后，她往他背后塞軟枕時明顯感覺他輕了許多，他畢竟是男子，身高體重的，她頭一回扶他起來可不是這重量，她便知道定是他醒了，怕太重她扶不動，自己便用上了力，可他這力道一用，她倒是累不著了，他也露餡兒了。                                                                                                                                    但見他不想醒，她便也不說破，喂他喝藥，幫他擦身，還以為他能忍到何時，這么快便忍不住了。                                                                                                                                    “醒了便吃些東西吧，我在灶房熬了粥，去瞧瞧。”暮青拉過錦被來為步惜歡蓋上，便要起身。                                                                                                                                    “青青。”他喚了她一聲，手不松開，這力道比她剛近榻看他時被他握那一下子小太多，卻似海深比石沉。                                                                                                                                    “有話待你吃些東西有了氣力再說。”她明明能掙脫，卻沒有動，只如此道。                                                                                                                                    他不說話，只望著她，那般深深的凝望，許久才緩緩松了她的手，聲音啞沉，臉上卻帶著一貫的笑意，“好。”                                                                                                                                    暮青看了眼步惜歡那虛弱的笑，轉身出去了。                                                                                                                                    粥煮好了，只是還燙著，暮青盛了碗出來放在一旁待涼，順手在廚房里尋了兩樣溫和的冬菜下鍋炒了，待菜炒好了，粥也溫了。                                                                                                                                    再回屋時，暮青端著一方托盤，一碗白粥，兩碟素菜，粥菜冒著騰騰熱氣，模糊了她的容顏。她沒穿女裙，但面具摘了，那般從門口緩緩走到榻前的模樣讓他有些發怔。                                                                                                                                    “好香。”步惜歡望著那粥菜笑道。                                                                                                                                    暮青把木桶和銅盆都搬去了外屋，將桌子清理好，粥菜放上去，見月影還沒回來，便從衣架上拿了件外袍來。他昨日傍晚才睡，此前調息了三日，氣力已然耗盡，今日若她未搬動他，只怕他要睡上幾日，此時醒了，自然還虛弱著。暮青扶著步惜歡起身，幫他暫且將外袍穿上，拿了軟枕來讓他倚好，這才把清粥小菜端了過來。                                                                                                                                    菜夾到粥里，她坐在榻旁，一如西北那夜。