At the third quarter of the hour of Hai, the long street was silent and deserted.
Only a Blue-maned Sweat-blood Horse broke into the spring night, hooves raised as if treading upon the moonlight.
Su Tan sat on the horse, half-leaning against the man’s chest.
Her slender back occasionally scraped against his Black Armor, making the whip wounds increasingly unbearable.
After days of constant anxiety, caught between a cold and her monthly cycle, and now enduring this ordeal, her body had been pushed to its limit.
Finally free from the nightmarish cage, a faint sense of relief rose in her heart.
Yet, the thought of having to follow Shen Xiuwang and inevitably enter the Jingning Marquis Estate filled her with renewed worry.
That deep courtyard with its phoenix trees and mountains of wealth would likely prove even harder to gain a foothold in.
The more she pondered, the more her head ached.
Her mind was a muddled mess.
She bit her lower lip hard to keep from fainting.
Nevertheless, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Shen Xiuwang held the reins behind her, half-embracing the girl in his arms.
The long night stretched on, the evening breeze intoxicating.
A few strands of the girl’s ink-black hair were blown loose, and waves of faint fragrance mixed with the scent of blood drifted straight to his nostrils.
He couldn’t help but frown.
Badly injured, yet still enduring it.
A surge of anger rose within him—how bold the servants in the mansion were, daring to detain his personal attendant under the orders of his grandmother and mother.
The girl in his arms swayed slightly, her waist finally giving way as she could hold on no longer.
Soft as a ball of cotton, her small face deathly pale.
Shen Xiuwang pressed her firmly against his chest with one hand, spurred the horse hard with his legs, and galloped back to the mansion.
The Pine Crane Garden remained brightly lit throughout the night.
The next day.
Dawn’s light broke faintly, the warm sun rising in the east.
A maid in green lifted the Plantain Leaf Curtain, and a maid in a green skirt emerged from the room, holding a copper basin in both hands. With each step she took, the faintly blood-tinted water rippled in the basin.
The maid in green who had lifted the curtain nudged her chin toward the other: “Has she awakened yet?”
Xiang Zhu carried the basin, raised her hands to pour the dirty water into the drain behind the house, and turned back to reply: “Not yet. Her body grew feverish in the latter half of the night, and her wounds are still oozing blood. Xiang Song is applying compresses for her now.”
The maid in green lowered her voice, muttering: “We were all first-class maids assigned by the Old Madam, specifically to serve the young master.”
“Now we have to attend to a girl from a brothel, truly…”
“Surely the young master doesn’t intend to take her into his chambers…”
Xiang Zhu glanced around, reaching out to cover her mouth. “You Luo, you really must learn to guard that loose tongue of yours.”
“Since the young master brought her back and instructed us to take good care of her, we should simply follow orders.”
She poked You Luo’s forehead with a finger. “Daring to gossip about the young master behind his back—it’s fortunate Nanny Jiang has been on leave these past few days, or you’d surely be severely punished.”
You Luo reluctantly closed her mouth, grabbing Xiang Zhu’s wrist to plead: “Good sister, I won’t talk nonsense again. Please don’t let Nanny Jiang know.”
Nanny Jiang was the head stewardess of Pine Crane Garden, meticulous and strict, with a stern demeanor.
More importantly, she had once served beside the Empress Dowager.
When the young master was a child and often entered the palace, it was she who attended to him.
She could almost be considered his governess.
Later, when Nanny Jiang reached the age for special pardon and left the palace, the Empress Dowager specifically assigned her to continue overseeing the young master’s daily life.
In the mansion, regardless of rank—even the capable matrons serving the Old Madam and the Madam—all had to show her respect.
Thus, the maids and servants in Pine Crane Garden were especially afraid of her.
Xiang Zhu swayed as You Luo shook her arm, and she couldn’t help but chuckle: “Fine, I’ll indulge you just this once.”
Yu Huai entered through the moon gate from the west, carrying a food box, and from afar, she saw the two bantering playfully.
She deliberately spat out, “Well, sending me to the Medicine Hut to brew the medicinal soup while you all hide here enjoying leisure.”
“Hurry and feed it while it’s hot. If the person doesn’t wake up soon, the young master will throw another big tantrum.”
You Luo gave her a sheepish smile, took the food box, lifted the curtain, and went inside.
Xiang Zhu, holding a copper basin, was about to return to the room when Yu Huai grabbed her arm.
“Just now, passing by the Hall of Eternal Longevity, I heard that the young master ordered people to tie up Nanny Sun and a few lads overnight, gave them a good beating, and threw them down to the manor.”
“Those were people from Old Madam’s courtyard,” Yu Huai winked at Xiang Zhu, tilting her chin toward the inner room, and said, “It seems the young master truly values this one.”
Xiang Zhu sighed, her words carrying hidden meaning: “Then her days will only grow more difficult from now on.”
The two stood under the corridor when they spotted a young lady in a pale yellow silk dress walking from outside the courtyard through the Drooping Flower Archway, carrying a medicine chest.
Xiang Zhu hurriedly stepped forward with a smile and bowed in greeting: “Fifth Miss, good health to you.”
Yu Huai deftly took the medicine chest, greeted her, and asked with a smile, “This medicine chest is quite heavy. Why didn’t you send a maid or an old servant? Let me help you.”
“It’s not heavy at all. Perhaps I’m just used to carrying it.”
Fifth Miss’s voice was like silver bells as she stepped toward the room. “Has that young lady woken up yet?”
Xiang Zhu lifted the curtain and replied, “Not yet. She was given a dose of medicine during the night.”
“Alright, then I’ll examine her again.”
Su Tan slept deeply this time.
Perhaps having escaped that place, both her body and mind found a brief moment of relaxation. Once the tightly wound string snapped completely, exhaustion set in intensely.
A cool, gentle touch brushed her forehead, followed by someone reaching to untie the sash at her chest.
She suddenly jolted awake, instinctively grabbing the person’s wrist.
What met her eyes was a sweet, lovely oval face.
The young woman wore a pale yellow silk dress, her hair styled in hanging buns, her round almond-shaped eyes gazing at her.
She looked about fourteen or fifteen years old.
Her demeanor and attire didn’t resemble that of a maid—she must be a young lady.
Only then did Su Tan remember: last night, she had followed Shen Xiuwang into the mansion, and now no one was harassing her.
In her dazed state, someone had indeed examined her, applied medicine, and fed her medicinal soup.
She released her grip apologetically, parting her dry, pale lips: “I’m sorry, I was muddled from sleep. Thank you, Miss.”
Shen Peien was taken aback for a moment before smiling. “Don’t be afraid. I just wanted to check how the whip wound on your back is healing.”
A young lady of the Shen Mansion knew medicine? Was it she who had treated her last night?
Suppressing her many doubts, Su Tan turned to the side, allowing her to remove the inner garment and expose her bare back.
On her snow-white skin, a hideous crimson scar stretched from her left shoulder blade down to the small of her back.
The wound was deep and healing slowly. Although the most severely injured area had been bandaged, traces of blood still seeped through.
Shen Peien opened the medicine chest, took out fine cloth gauze, medicinal powder, and other supplies, intending to re-bandage the wound.
“You’ll need to bear with it a little.”
Su Tan nodded in agreement. “I dare not trouble you, Miss. I can endure it.”
Changing the dressing required tearing off the previously applied fine cloth, then cleaning the wound again and sprinkling it with medicinal powder.
The flesh had already adhered to the fine cloth, stuck together by dried blood. Removing it would inevitably feel like peeling off skin.
Su Tan clenched her teeth, not uttering a single sound, her body remaining perfectly still.
It hurt, but she was best at enduring pain.
By the time the dressing was changed and re-bandaged, a thin layer of sweat had formed on her forehead.
Shen Peien worked quickly. This body was delicate, after all—a young lady who couldn’t bear much pain.
The result, however, surprised her.
Su Tan adjusted her inner garment and sat up, about to step off the bed to bow and express her gratitude.
The fifth young lady stopped her, smiling mischievously, “Don’t push yourself. Your sprained ankle still needs a couple of days to heal. Just lie down and rest.”
“Oh, wait—lying on your stomach or your side would be better.”
Su Tan could only smile and thank her again, “Thank you, young lady. I’ll follow the doctor’s orders.”
Even without makeup in her illness, the beauty still possessed a delicate, fragile charm that was captivating.
Shen Peien was momentarily lost in thought, then the young girl pursed her lips into a faint smile and said, “You truly are beautiful, no wonder my second brother is so anxious.”
She tidied up the medicine chest, stood up lightly, and instructed, “Rest well and recover soon. Don’t let this ruin my reputation.”
Su Tan nodded repeatedly, watching her leave with a smile in her eyes.