Mu Wanting smiled faintly. Indeed, he was still the man she had once liked.
Just after Shen Xinglan finished drinking the soup, Mu Wanting spoke.
“Turn over. I need to change your dressing.”
Shen Xinglan cooperated well. But the moment Mu Wanting leaned close to his wound and her breath brushed against his abdomen, it tickled so much it felt like insects were crawling across his skin—his abdominal muscles even twitched instinctively.
She couldn’t help but look up, and immediately saw that Shen Xinglan’s ears had turned completely red.
He awkwardly turned his gaze away, his voice low and hoarse.
“Don’t do anything unnecessary.”
Mu Wanting curled her lips. It seemed that the aloof Shen Xinglan, the so-called “flower on a high mountain,” was not completely unaffected by such intimate contact after all.
She deliberately slowed her movements while changing his dressing. By the time she finished, his entire face was flushed red, yet his tone remained cold.
“When will my injury heal?”
“Want to know?” she raised an eyebrow.
Seeing his cold expression, she couldn’t help teasing him.
She leaned closer. He instinctively turned his head away, and her lips brushed across his cheek. A strange tingling sensation spread through him, and even she paused slightly.
Mu Wanting smiled.
“If you want to know, why don’t you try moving your legs a little?”
Shen Xinglan moved slightly—and immediately widened his eyes in shock. His already pale face turned even whiter.
“I… I can’t feel my legs at all?”
“Yes, exactly what you think. You’ll never be able to stand again.”
Shen Xinglan’s face turned even paler. He stared blankly ahead, his eyes unfocused.
He murmured, “Never… able to stand again…”
Mu Wanting knew his emotions were unstable at this moment and didn’t want to be treated coldly for nothing, so she picked up her rough wooden bowl and left.
Shen Xinglan was surrounded by a heavy, oppressive aura. He looked up at the vast, cloudless sky and felt his life had turned completely gray.
Even when he was being tortured and beaten nearly to death, he still believed he had a chance.
Even when the emperor ordered his exile, he still thought he could rely on his own abilities and schemes to clear his name and force the emperor to recall him to the capital.
But now—he was crippled. As a man who had risen through military merit, he was crippled.
That meant all his martial skills were useless. He would never be able to fight enemies on horseback again.
At dinner, Madam Shen brought fish soup to Shen Xinglan, but he refused to drink it. So Madam Shen went to Mu Wanting again.
“Wanting, you have the skill. Why don’t you force him to drink it?”
Mu Wanting was surprised. Truly a mother.
She brought the bowl over and handed it to Shen Xinglan.
“If you want to die, then go ahead and drink this poisoned fish soup.”
Shen Xinglan lifted his dark eyes to look at her; they carried the killing intent forged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
“Don’t provoke me. I don’t want to drink it.”
Mu Wanting smiled.
“My mother once cured a patient who had been disabled for many years. If we find her, and I learn her methods, over time I might be able to treat you—and you may eventually recover.”
Shen Xinglan’s dim eyes lit up slightly.
“As long as you are alive, there is hope. If you starve to death, you’ll have nothing left.”
“Besides, if you die, who will take care of your family? It’s normal to feel upset and refuse to eat because you’re injured and disabled—but right now your body needs nutrition to recover. If you don’t eat, you’ll only ruin yourself.”
Shen Xinglan frowned, lowered his eyes, and after a long silence, took the bowl and finished it quickly and elegantly.
Mu Wanting said, “If you know where my mother is, you can tell me. Then your legs may still be saved.”
It was said that before her disappearance, there were spies who saw her in the northwest.
So she actually could have treated Shen Xinglan herself—but she chose to bring up her mother instead.
Shen Xinglan paused, then shook his head.
Mu Wanting narrowed her eyes. It seemed she still hadn’t earned his trust. She would have to keep trying.
She gave the bowl to Madam Shen to wash, then massaged his legs to prevent stiffness.
Shen Xinglan looked at her, head lowered as she carefully massaged him, and the irritation in his chest slowly eased.
He thought—she truly loved him deeply.
Even though she was also wearing prisoner’s clothes, her beauty was extraordinary. Her hair was neatly arranged; no matter the situation, she stood out like a fairy among a group of exhausted prisoners.
And yet this most dazzling girl cared only about him.
Even though he was crippled, she still refused to leave him. A pampered noble lady even doing servant’s work for him.
He was not unmoved.
But he could not repay such heavy affection.
He grasped her wrist, unconsciously gentle.
“No need.”
Mu Wanting removed his hand with her other hand.
“This massage is necessary. Otherwise your muscles will atrophy and treatment will become much harder.”
“If I’m busy, I’ll teach Mother, Shen Yujiao, Shen Xinghe, or Xingyi to do it.”
When Shen Xinglan heard the name “Xingyi,” he felt a strange emotion.
She called others so casually, even by full names, yet when it came to him—even “husband” was said teasingly. Only Shen Xingyi seemed spoken of with such familiarity…
But then he found it amusing again. She loved him so much that she even followed him into exile—how could there be anything between her and Shen Xingyi?
She truly loved him.
His doubts felt almost like an insult to her unwavering feelings.
The next morning, before departure, while everyone else was still asleep, Shen Xingyi had already gathered many vines and suitable weaving grass for Mu Wanting.
Mu Wanting gave him a meat bun as payment.
Shen Xingyi smiled brightly as he ate it.
“It’s been so long since I had a meat bun…”
Mu Wanting smiled slightly. The materials he brought were indeed good and worth it.
Now was the hottest time of the year; soon everyone was sunburned and some had already suffered heatstroke.
But Mu Wanting, wearing her straw hat and fanning herself with her woven fan, looked nothing like a prisoner—she looked like she was on a leisurely trip.
Many people were already envious of her hats and fans. Whatever she made could easily be sold or used for favors.
Shen Yujiao, seeing Mu Wanting’s fan and hat, couldn’t stand the heat anymore and moved closer to enjoy the cool air.
At first she was nervous, after all their relationship had been terrible before.
But after a few tries, Mu Wanting said nothing.
During a rest in the forest, Shen Yujiao saw Mu Wanting weaving a fan from reeds and couldn’t help asking curiously:
“How long does it take to make one?”
Mu Wanting replied flatly, “If you’re skilled, about half an hour.”
Shen Yujiao stared longingly at the straw hat and fan.
The sun was too hot, her skin was already peeling and burning.
“Um… Mu Wanting, can you teach me how to weave a straw hat?” she asked.
She thought: since Mu Wanting loves my brother so much, she’ll definitely teach me warmly if I ask.
Mu Wanting said indifferently:
“What will you trade for it?”