Wei Nanxun was almost startled by the sudden voice, but thankfully it was a woman’s voice, which eased her tense nerves a bit.
Perhaps not hearing her answer, the person outside paused and then said, “If the young lady feels uncomfortable, this servant will leave the clothes here. After you change, I will assist you with your toilette.”
Such an arrangement was extremely considerate, giving her respect while also resolving any awkwardness.
She quickly said, “Thank you.”
But the sound of her own voice startled her; it was too hoarse and seductive. Anyone could tell what had happened, which made Wei Nanxun’s face flush red.
Fortunately, she was alone in the room, and the woman acted as if she hadn’t heard, saying, “You are too kind, young lady. This is all according to our master’s instructions. If you need anything, just ask.”
With that, she put down the clothes and retreated outside.
Master?
It was actually that person who had instructed this. He was so thoughtful, even considering her feelings.
This reminded Wei Nanxun of her past life. Pei Yuyan undoubtedly liked her, spending most of the month with her.
He was also very lustful, tormenting her multiple times each night. Because he had to go to the imperial study every day, he feared being discovered and reprimanded by the emperor for his indulgence, so he would only come every five or six days. When he had accumulated enough desire, he would be even more fierce.
Sometimes, if the emperor summoned him unexpectedly, he would unhesitatingly leave, leaving her like a broken and discarded doll, unable to move, naked and at the mercy of the palace maids.
She could clearly feel herself being helped up and cleaned. Warm cloths gently caressed her neck, chest, and the base of her legs, pressing against the red and purple marks. Even her most private areas were not spared. No matter how gentle the maids’ movements were, they made her tremble all over.
The gazes of those maids, a mixture of mockery and envy, made her feel like she wasn’t the crown prince’s favored concubine, but a prostitute in a brothel, vulnerable to anyone.
But at that time, she was so infatuated that she thought Pei Yuyan loved her. She felt she was being too sensitive and thinking too much, so she pushed aside these discomforts and immersed herself in his favor.
Only now, with this small gesture, did she realize how foolish she had been.
A stranger, not knowing who she was, still knew to respect her, while the man in her bed did not.
No, he wasn’t unaware, just uncaring. After all, who would care about the feelings of a plaything?
Wei Nanxun gave a self-deprecating smile, further strengthening her resolve to leave.
She steadied her mind and carefully got up, but her legs were still very sore, and combined with the wounds she had inflicted on herself, walking was difficult. She instinctively hissed when her feet touched the ground.
Afraid of being discovered, she bit her lip and endured the pain as she took the clothes. She was surprised to find that the dress had been thoughtfully prepared, almost identical in color and style to what she had been wearing before.
Except for a slight difference in the neckline, even she couldn’t immediately tell them apart.
This made Wei Nanxun feel a little warmth and a little more curiosity about this person.
But now was not the time to think about that. She hurriedly changed into the dress, and as soon as she went around the screen, she saw someone standing by the door.
The woman was tall, looked to be under thirty, and had a clean and elegant appearance. She was wearing a light blue dress, the standard attire for a palace maid.
In her past life, Wei Nanxun had many palace maids serving her, but most of them wore pink or green palace attire. Even her elder sister, as the head palace maid beside the crown princess, wore cyan. She had never seen blue, which indicated that this palace maid was of a high rank.
Wei Nanxun paused and immediately gave her a curtsy. Even a minor official in front of the prime minister’s gate held some power, let alone someone in the palace. Even a palace maid had more status than a concubine from the Duke’s mansion.
Seeing this, the other party revealed a slightly surprised expression. She had thought that this girl, being so beautiful and having such wicked thoughts, would be difficult to serve and didn’t want to talk to her much.
She didn’t expect that upon meeting her, she would realize she had misunderstood.
She quickly put down the hot water in her hands, “How can this servant accept such a greeting from you, young lady? You are injured, so you should sit down quickly. Our master specifically instructed me to apply medicine and assist you with your toilette.”
“No need to trouble yourself, thank you…”
“Just call this servant Lingxi, young lady. How can serving a distinguished guest be considered trouble? Besides, it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to return like this.”
Wei Nanxun then realized that she had thought too little. Yes, she was disheveled and covered in injuries, which would definitely arouse suspicion.
She feared owing favors the most. Last time, she was saved by Pei Yuyan and repaid his kindness with a lifetime of freedom. But she had to accept this favor, and at the moment, she was penniless and had nothing to repay her benefactor with.
“Then thank you, Miss Lingxi. And thank you, thank you to your master.”
To have a palace maid of this rank by his side, what could the identity of this benefactor be?
While she was biting her lip and lost in thought, Lingxi was already applying medicine to her. Even Lingxi, who had seen a lot, couldn’t help but slow down her movements when she saw her wounds, afraid of hurting her: “Young lady, this is a scar-removing ointment. I’ll apply it once for you, and you’ll have to apply it every day when you get back.”
She couldn’t help but add, “You’re too hard on yourself. A young lady’s body is precious. You’re not yet married. It wouldn’t be good if you were left with scars.”
Wei Nanxun’s eyes stung with tears at this sudden concern, and her voice was slightly nasal: “I’m just a concubine’s daughter, not precious at all. But even if I’m like a weed, I don’t want to be trampled on by those people. At worst, I’ll just never marry.”
“I don’t plan to marry either.”
Although she said the last sentence very softly, as if she were saying it to herself, it was particularly resolute.
For such a tender-faced young girl to have the courage to say such words made Lingxi look at her in a new light: “Young lady, don’t worry. You were just framed. Our master has already…”
As she spoke, she realized she had said the wrong thing and immediately changed her words: “Our master is a gentleman and would never reveal this matter.”
Wei Nanxun was absent-minded and didn’t notice where she had gone wrong. She only thought that even if she and her benefactor didn’t have marital relations, she was already compromised. What would he think of her?
Soon, her medicine was applied, her hair was re-combed, and she drank a bowl of calming soup, finally feeling much more awake.
She was just about to ask Lingxi for directions back when she saw the other woman already waiting for her outside the door: “Miss Wei, let’s go quickly.”
“We?”
“Yes, you can’t find your way, and if you run into people on the road, you’ll have to waste your breath explaining. It’s best if this servant escorts you back.”
Wei Nanxun also thought this was best, but hearing the arrangement, it wasn’t Lingxi’s own idea, and she would have to owe another favor.
Well, she already owed it. She would just do her best to repay the kindness in the future.
Wei Nanxun sighed and was about to follow Lingxi out when she felt the sound of a book turning from her right rear as soon as she stepped out the door.
She subconsciously turned to look and realized that there was a bamboo curtain hanging directly opposite where she had been applying medicine. She could vaguely see a tall figure sitting behind the bamboo curtain.
The window was half-open, and a gentle breeze stirred, causing the bamboo curtain to sway.
Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes widened slightly. She saw the person behind the bamboo curtain, wearing a stone-blue robe with gold trim. Although she couldn’t see from afar how many claws the dragons embroidered on his chest and shoulders had, she could be sure that he was wearing a gold belt around his waist.
In her daze, she suddenly felt a pressure coming from all directions, instantly making it difficult for her to breathe.
And a scorching, sharp gaze fell directly on her face.