“Don’t be afraid, I am your Brother Huo.”
The voice above her was not one Ning Yuchan was familiar with.
But the tone of the voice gradually brought back memories from five years ago.
In the countryside, there was a habit of digging wild vegetables.
Every summer, Ning Yuchan and Ning Yuqiao would carry baskets into the mountains.
Bitter greens, goosefoot, ferns, and more.
The mountains nurtured people. No matter the season, there was always something that could be eaten.
Not long after her engagement was arranged, the two sisters went into the mountains to dig wild vegetables and pick mushrooms.
Ning Yuqiao suddenly felt playful and kept leading her deeper into the forest.
While Ning Yuchan was busy picking mushrooms, Ning Yuqiao left on her own.
In summer, the forest was dense. Standing inside, apart from the sun rapidly setting in the west, nothing could be seen clearly.
She walked forward by instinct, feeling both panicked and afraid.
No matter how she called for her elder sister, there was no response.
As darkness fell completely, the sounds around her were either barking dogs or howling wolves. Fear filled her heart. In her panic, she lost her direction and accidentally stepped into a ditch, twisting her ankle.
She found a stick to support herself and limped forward while silently crying.
She did not even know if she was heading in the right direction.
If it were toward Dayang Village, that would be fine. If not…
She might end up buried in a wolf’s belly.
Just when she was completely desperate and had no hope left, Huo Changsheng suddenly appeared.
In fact, Huo Changsheng had come from behind her. The wolf howls were getting closer, and she only heard rustling sounds, not daring to stop.
Huo Changsheng pulled her into his arms from behind.
“Don’t be afraid, I am your Brother Huo—”
…
At this moment, Ning Yuchan suspected she was having a hallucination.
She slowly turned around.
The boy from five years ago was no longer there. Only someone very familiar could still recognize traces of his former self.
He had grown taller, more mature, and darker, yet he looked more heroic.
Ning Yuchan examined him carefully.
The man wore a green long robe. On his wrist was a binding strap used by soldiers, and his hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin.
He looked both clean and neat.
There were no unnecessary decorations. A few slightly shorter strands of hair fell from the sides of his temples.
They added a touch of boldness and unruly spirit.
The two stood very close. Ning Yuchan could feel the man’s heart beating strongly, and she could also feel the heat of his breath.
Especially since his large hands were still resting on her left shoulder and right arm.
For some reason, she suddenly remembered that he had been her elder sister’s fiancé for five years.
She quickly stepped out of his “embrace.”
“Brother Huo, you… you are still alive.”
That was truly good.
Huo Changsheng saw the surprise in her eyes, and his heart grew warm.
“Yes, I am still alive… and I have seen you.”
The air suddenly carried a strange atmosphere. Ning Yuchan did not know what to say.
She had already bowed in marriage to a rooster, and her parents-in-law had submitted their marriage document to the authorities. She was now a proper wife.
But Huo Changsheng had originally been engaged to her elder sister.
The two sisters had secretly exchanged marriages without either man’s consent.
Liang Yunxian had spoken firmly and was only waiting for the provincial-level examination to finish before going to the Huo family to demand an explanation.
Now that Huo Changsheng had suddenly returned, if he thought the same as Liang Yunxian, then it would be simple. The sisters could switch back again.
But if he refused to accept it…
Of course, deep down, she believed that Huo Changsheng liked her elder sister.
He would certainly be willing to switch back.
But the sisters’ reputations would be ruined, and countless people would point fingers at them behind their backs.
She truly did not want to face that day.
Her mind was in chaos. She should have asked where he had been all these years, what he had been doing, why news of his death had spread, and why he had not sent word home.
But her throat seemed blocked, and she could not utter a single word.
Huo Changsheng could have spoken, but Ning Yuchan’s attitude carried a sense of distance. The girl who used to follow him around and call him Brother Huo five years ago seemed like a completely different person. The words at his lips were swallowed back.
He only asked, “Why did you come to the medical hall?”
The awkwardness was finally broken. Ning Yuchan thought for a moment before replying, “I became Doctor Cui’s disciple and am studying here.”
She paused. “Taohua is here as well.”
Huo Changsheng asked, “You two came together?”
Ning Yuchan did not know how to answer when she suddenly heard a pained groan from inside the room.
She instinctively looked over. “Someone is there?”
Huo Changsheng shushed her and strode over quickly.
Ning Yuchan was curious about the person inside the room and followed to the doorway to look in.
A very thin young man lay on the bed with a pale face, looking sickly, as if he had suffered a serious injury.
He was not very old, probably younger than her.
Huo Changsheng helped him sit up, then turned and gestured for her to come over.
Ning Yuchan hesitated briefly, then walked to the bedside and asked, “What illness does he have? Master is not here. I will go call my Senior Brother.”
Huo Changsheng grabbed her at once. “No need. This matter must not be told to anyone. Go to the front and get something to stop the bleeding. Help him stop the bleeding first.”
Ning Yuchan did not dare delay and hurried out of the room.
She had not seen where the wound was just now and wanted to confirm, so she was about to go back and ask when she heard a weak voice from inside.
“Changsheng, kill her.”
Ning Yuchan froze in her steps, her face turning pale with fright.
Soon, she heard Huo Changsheng say, “No need. She will not speak of it. She will not tell anyone.”
The patient on the bed said, “Are you certain?”
Huo Changsheng replied, “I am certain.”
The patient said, “You had better be certain. Otherwise, the first one to die will be you.”
…
Ning Yuchan covered her mouth and carefully walked down the stairs, not even daring to let herself make a sound.
The person lying on the bed was clearly of noble status.
Not only over her, but even over Huo Changsheng, he held the power of life and death.
Thinking of how they did not dare reveal themselves, and how the city gates had been strictly inspected these past few days, and how yesterday a group of officials had rushed in and interrogated everyone in the medical hall several times.
If these two matters were unrelated, she did not believe it was such a coincidence.
But the city gates had opened this morning, otherwise the villagers from Dayang Village and Huojia Village would not have been able to enter.
Could it be that she was overthinking?
Ning Yuchan hurried to the front courtyard. She did not know what should be used to stop bleeding and did not dare ask her Senior Brother, so she went to find Cui Shitou.
“Third Senior Brother, there is a dog injured in the back courtyard. Could you help me find some medicine to treat wounds?”
Ning Yuchan’s voice was gentle, and she was beautiful.
Cui Shitou already liked her. Even after learning she was married, treating her as a younger sister was still good.
Not to mention medicine for wounds, even half his life, he would be willing to give.
“I’ll go get it for you.”
Ning Yuchan instinctively grabbed him. “Third Senior Brother, I’m afraid others will find out and think I’m wasting things. Don’t tell anyone.”
Cui Shitou carefully considered the words “others.”
Master and Taohua were not here, so it must refer to Senior Brother.
Very good. Senior Brother was “others,” and he was one of her own.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
Ning Yuchan finally let out a sigh of relief. Soon, Cui Shitou stuffed a large pile of medicines, along with bandages and other items, into her hands.
Ning Yuchan hurriedly carried them to the inner residence.
Cui Shitou wanted to follow, but Ning Yuchan stopped him. “Master left you an assignment. He marked more than ten pages of medicinal herbs for you to memorize.”
Cui Shitou did not dare go to the inner residence anymore.
“Fourth Junior Sister, I still have things to do, so I won’t help you treat the dog. Be careful, don’t get bitten.”
Watching Cui Shitou slip away like a rabbit, Ning Yuchan could not help but smile.
Cui Shitou’s aptitude was average. Otherwise, Doctor Cui would not have delayed until now to accept him as a disciple.
The key was that he did not like studying and was fond of being lazy, with only a bit of cleverness.
If it were not for the fact that he was somewhat filial and had endured five years in the medical hall, asking Doctor Cui every year to accept him, and then happened to encounter Ning Yuchan and Taohua becoming disciples, he would probably have had to wait a few more years.
Ning Yuchan returned to the inner residence carrying a pile of bottles and jars and handed everything over to Huo Changsheng.
Worried about angering the patient inside, she stood at the doorway and did not dare to go in.
“Brother Huo, I have only just come to the medical hall and do not understand anything. You should handle his treatment.”
Huo Changsheng had fought in wars for five years. On the battlefield, there had been countless casualties. The military doctors could not possibly handle everyone. At critical moments, it felt as if the entire army had to become doctors, grabbing whatever medicine they could and sprinkling it onto wounds.
No one cared about the condition of the injured. The priority was to keep them alive.
Over the years, he had done this countless times. Even when he himself was injured, it was the same.
But the person in the room was different. He was of noble status and had been raised in comfort since childhood. He likely could not endure such rough treatment.
Yet Doctor Cui was not at home, and his identity could not be exposed.
If they waited for Doctor Cui to return, who knew how long it would take? After a brief hesitation, Huo Changsheng picked out two items that looked usable from the supplies and handed them to Ning Yuchan. “Try these.”
Ning Yuchan was somewhat incredulous. “Me?”
Huo Changsheng’s dark eyes were full of encouragement as he nodded. “Yes.”
Ning Yuchan did not really want to go. The person in the room had just wanted to kill her.
If she was too heavy-handed or too light-handed, or even if she stepped with the wrong foot and displeased him, what if he killed her?
But Huo Changsheng was asking her to do it. Would it be inappropriate to refuse directly?
After hesitating, Ning Yuchan finally took the medicine bottle and went inside.
The young man’s wound was on his chest. The flesh was torn open, and there were signs of decay. It looked extremely frightening.
Ning Yuchan felt nauseated.
“Maybe Brother Huo should…”
She turned to leave, but the young man suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Where are you going?”
His voice was filled with anger. “Do you despise me?”
Ning Yuchan was terrified, afraid that if he became angry, he would kill her.
She stammered as she explained, “I do not. It is just my first time seeing such an injury, so I am a little worried.”
The young man’s thin face was pale from blood loss, but his eyes were especially sharp.
As he stared at Ning Yuchan, the authority of someone in a high position naturally revealed itself.
It made Ning Yuchan’s heart tighten.
Huo Changsheng sighed helplessly and patted the young man’s hand that was gripping Ning Yuchan. “Do not scare her.”
The young man was surprisingly obedient and quickly let go.
He opened his clothing and ordered Ning Yuchan, “Hurry and clean it.”
Suppressing her nausea, Ning Yuchan first cleaned the wound with water, then applied the wound medicine.
There was also a bruise on his leg, so she simply applied a medicinal plaster to it.
“I have only been here for one day and do not understand medicine. When my master returns, I will have him take a look at you.”
Ning Yuchan’s tone was gentle and unhurried, like a spring breeze and light rain, gradually reaching the young man’s ears.
His restless emotions and pained body were soothed, and he gradually calmed down.
He waved at Huo Changsheng. “Go handle your matters.”
Huo Changsheng instructed Ning Yuchan, “You must not tell anyone about him coming to the medical hall. No one except Master. I am going out to handle something and will return as soon as possible. Help me take care of him.”
Ning Yuchan said with some difficulty, “Taohua stays with me. I am afraid I will not be able to hide it from her.”
Huo Changsheng paused. “Tell her carefully. She is very smart and will listen to you. But do not tell her that I have returned.”
Ning Yuchan was puzzled. “Why?”
Huo Changsheng did not have time to explain. “Just listen to me.”
Just like before, he climbed out through the window and left.