Although Tang Zhou was blind, the intimidation he had displayed while dealing with the two servants earlier was very real.
Moreover, Mama Cui couldn’t afford to truly clash with him.
Since her goal had already been achieved, there was no reason to stay any longer—lest something go wrong and their disguise be exposed.
“Fine, I’ll admit you’ve got some skill, blind man. It’s just that I didn’t bring enough men today. I won’t bother with you for now. Another day, I’ll bring more people to deal with you. In any case, Bai Linglan’s marriage has already been settled, and no one can change that.”
With that, she left the courtyard with the two servants.
Once the carriage had driven away, Tang Zhou’s body went limp, and he nearly collapsed. Fortunately, Shen Zhixi reacted quickly.
“Herb, go get the key.”
Yuanyang hurried off to fetch the key to Tang Zhou’s room.
“Let me help you over.” Shen Zhixi tightly supported Tang Zhou, turning him around. “Be careful, take it slow.”
Looking closely, she saw that blood had seeped through the white robe on Tang Zhou’s chest once again.
The wound had reopened.
Yuanyang quickly returned with the key, unlocked the door, and rushed down the steps to help support Tang Zhou up. They assisted him to the bed, but he couldn’t hold himself up—he couldn’t even sit steadily before collapsing backward.
“Tang Zhou!” Shen Zhixi panicked for a moment, then immediately instructed Yuanyang, “Fetch some water.”
After Yuanyang ran off, Shen Zhixi leaned over and pulled open Tang Zhou’s robe.
The wound was bleeding heavily, and the flesh had stuck to his inner garment. Frowning, she carefully peeled the fabric away. Perhaps because she had never handled such a situation before, her hands trembled slightly.
To make it easier to treat him, she simply removed the clothing from his entire upper body.
This time, there was no appreciation in her gaze—only deep discomfort.
Not long after, Yuanyang returned with a basin of water.
Shen Zhixi used a damp towel to gently wipe away the blood from his body. However, the knife wound continued to bleed steadily. Even lightly brushing the towel near the edges would disturb the injury, causing more blood to seep out.
After just a few wipes, the water in the basin was already completely stained red.
“Miss, I’ve brought the hemostatic powder.”
Yuanyang was so nervous that she momentarily forgot to change her form of address. Fortunately, Tang Zhou was unconscious and couldn’t hear.
Setting aside the towel, Shen Zhixi took the hemostatic powder and sprinkled it generously over Tang Zhou’s wound. After applying several thick layers, the bleeding finally stopped.
Once she bandaged the wound, she removed his robe, leaving only his trousers on.
Then, the two of them carefully shifted his body to help him lie more comfortably. Finally, they covered him with a blanket, but only up to his waist and abdomen, afraid of putting pressure on his injury.
Even after leaving the room, Shen Zhixi remained absent-minded.
“Miss, I think Tang Zhou is actually quite good. Despite being seriously injured, he was willing to risk danger to save us. Perhaps… he’s different. Perhaps…”
“There is no perhaps!”
Shen Zhixi returned to her own room, closing the door without glancing toward the opposite room.
“Wasn’t Qin Mu good back then?”
She shut the door but didn’t turn around, instead facing the wooden panel, her eyes slightly reddened.
“Back then, Qin Mu was nearly beaten to death in an alley because of me. Wasn’t he good then? I believe he was sincere at that time. Those days were truly wonderful—we were innocent and carefree, our eyes clear and untroubled.”
“But… people change.”
“Perhaps from the day his family suddenly met with disaster overnight and his parents died, he changed. It’s just that I’ve always pitied him and felt for him, and never noticed it before. I’m afraid, I’m truly afraid.”
As she spoke, she sniffled.
Then she turned and walked to the table, sitting down and hugging her arms as she leaned over the desk.
“You say, he and I grew up together, all these years, all these years… Even if there’s no romantic love left, there should still be the affection of having known each other since childhood. How could he have the thought of killing me? To seize my family fortune and revive his Qin family, he actually planned to kill me after we married?”
“So, a complete stranger like Tang Zhou—what am I supposed to bet on?”
“Don’t pity men, or you’ll lose your life!”
“…”
Yuanyang was speechless, convinced by Shen Zhixi’s words and feeling she was right.
“I’m sorry, Miss. I misspoke earlier. What you said is true—someone who grew up with you could bear to kill you, let alone a stranger like Tang Zhou. Even if he seems genuinely good now, it doesn’t mean he won’t change in the future.”
Shen Zhixi turned and took Yuanyang’s hand, smiling as she said, “I’m not blaming you. Let’s not talk about this anymore. You must be tired too—you came back so late last night and got up early this morning. Go back and get some rest. Go on, I need to rest a bit too.”
“Alright then, Miss. Don’t overthink things. Just do as you think best.”
“Okay, don’t worry.”
Yuanyang left with a pained expression, and Shen Zhixi also wore a troubled look as she leaned back over the table.
Turning her head, the half-open window directly faced Tang Zhou’s window, which was still wide open. Looking at it, she couldn’t help but recall the scene of Tang Zhou leaping out from there earlier.
“I’m still waiting for you to repay my kindness…”
…
Night had fallen, and Tang Zhou still hadn’t woken up.
At noon, a doctor had been called, saying he was not seriously injured—it was just that using martial arts had put pressure on the blood clot in his head, causing dizziness and fainting. More rest would help him recover.
He remained unconscious, yet sweat continued to bead on his face.
Touching him, he felt somewhat feverish.
Shen Zhixi wrung out a warm towel and placed it on his forehead, sitting by the bed to keep watch.
She leaned over the bed, carefully studying Tang Zhou’s profile, and couldn’t resist reaching out. The pad of her index finger lightly traced from the tip of his nose upward, over his eyelids to the outer corners of his eyes, then down past his ear, curving along the contour of his cheek to the corner of his lips.
Pausing, seeing he still hadn’t woken, she pressed her fingertip there.
Resting on his lower lip, she gently tapped twice.
Finding it amusing, she chuckled softly.
But then, as if startled, she abruptly withdrew her hand.
Because Tang Zhou’s eyeballs suddenly shifted a few times. She stared intently, and after a long moment without him opening his eyes, she relaxed. He must be having an uneasy dream—she had been startled, thinking he was about to wake up.
Propping her head up, she continued to watch him.
As his eyelids continued to twitch restlessly, her throat inexplicably tightened, and she swallowed several times for no reason.
Then, somehow…
A sudden itch in her heart made her stand up and lean down to kiss his lips.
In that moment, everything around her seemed to freeze, and only the soft sensation on her lips was magnified infinitely, indescribable.
A breeze blew by, causing the window to creak and tremble.
Only then did she snap back to reality, pulling away abruptly.
Only then did her heart begin to race belatedly, pounding so hard it made her feel guilty.
Soon after, Tang Zhou also opened his eyes.
She was leaning close to him, so near that she could clearly feel each other’s breath.
“Who’s there?” Tang Zhou’s first instinct was to strike.
Shen Zhixi hastily pulled back, speaking urgently, “It’s me. You… you have a fever. I was covering you with a hot towel to help bring it down. The towel has cooled now, and I was just about to change it when you suddenly woke up.”