“Your waist hurts?” Xiao Lingzhou lifted the hem of her robe to check. “Let me see.”
By the firelight, he really saw a dark bruise forming on the left side of her waist.
He lightly touched it, and she bit her lip in pain, letting out a hiss.
Frowning, his light brown eyes fixed on her. “Did you fall on the mountain?”
Tears welled up in her eyes from the pain, and she bit her lip, nodding.
Since they slept together every night, hiding it from him was pointless—it was easier to just be honest.
Xiao Lingzhou lowered her robe and looked around. “Stay here quietly. I’ll go out for a bit and be right back.”
Once her clothes were mostly dry, he put them on and stepped outside. Before long, he returned, holding a freshly cleaned herb.
He chewed it in his mouth and spat it into his hand, then lifted her robe to apply the paste.
“This is Sanqi (Notoginseng), which helps reduce swelling and bruising. Conditions are rough, so we’ll make do for now. Once the rain stops and we get home, I’ll treat it properly.”
The moment the damp herb touched her skin, Jiang Yu shivered slightly.
Then she heard a “tear”—Xiao Lingzhou had torn a strip of cloth from the hem of his inner garment and carefully wrapped it around her.
“Lift your arms.” He leaned slightly, his warm breath falling on her neck, his voice calm and gentle.
She obediently raised her arms.
But they soon grew sore from holding up, so she rested them on his shoulders instead.
Her misty peach-blossom eyes quietly watched him work methodically to bandage her.
His appearance was already striking.
Now, reflected in the firelight, he seemed draped in a soft veil of twilight, making him appear even more ethereal and handsome.
She thought: why does he have to be a prince?
If only he weren’t… he’d be perfect.
That face, that body—every inch of him lodged itself deep in her heart.
…Realizing once again she was distracted by Xiao Lingzhou’s looks, she wanted to slap herself twice.
Reminding herself not to be seduced by his beauty, she forced her gaze away.
“All done.”
His voice cut through her wandering thoughts.
He tightened her robe around her and took her hands from his shoulders, cupping them and warming them with his breath.
“When I came, the bridge was almost submerged. The storm caused a landslide too. I imagine the bridge has collapsed, so we’ll probably have to stay here for the night.”
With him here, Jiang Yu felt less afraid.
Looking at his jade-like profile, she tentatively asked, “How did you know I sneaked into the mountains?”
He had sent Ling Qi to protect her, which meant he had been watching her actions in a roundabout way.
Yet she had clearly avoided Ling Qi’s gaze. How did he find her?
Could it be he sent more than one person?
Xiao Lingzhou couldn’t exactly say that Ling Qi reported her absence to him.
Clearing his throat, he spoke clearly: “When I got home and didn’t see you, and it was raining, I guessed you went out to pick flowers. I asked the villagers along the way, and they said they saw you in the mountains. That’s how I found you.”
From his words, Jiang Yu concluded he had indeed only sent Ling Qi to watch over her.
Based on the timing:
The village school didn’t dismiss until the first quarter of the evening hour. It would take him at least half a quarter-hour to walk home.
So he wouldn’t have noticed she was gone until roughly the second quarter of the evening hour.
By the time he found her, it was about the same hour.
This meant someone had noticed her absence and informed him early, allowing him to arrive before school even ended.
Knowing only one pair of eyes was watching her gave her some peace of mind and more confidence in her escape plan.
Thunder and lightning roared outside.
The downpour clearly had no intention of stopping.
Jiang Yu curled up in Xiao Lingzhou’s arms, her long, fair fingers clutching his chest, her voice weak and quivering with tears: “I’m so glad you came. Otherwise, I’d have been in serious danger.”
Xiao Lingzhou gently stroked her back, soothing her. “Don’t be afraid. With me here, nothing will happen to you.”
Jiang Yu buried herself against him, nodding, pretending to be moved as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Xiao Lingzhou, you’re so good. In my past life, I must have burned the highest incense to meet such a good husband. In my next life, I want to meet you again.”
After saying this, she immediately muttered to herself: Better not meet him again.
She was just an ordinary person.
Playing mind games with someone as high-ranking as him was exhausting.
The warmth from the fire and his body enveloped her. Curled in Xiao Lingzhou’s arms, the tired Jiang Yu gradually grew sleepy.
“Sleep. I’ll watch over you.” Xiao Lingzhou gently brushed the strands of hair off her face, his clear voice bringing an unprecedented sense of security.
“Mmm,” Jiang Yu murmured.
Time passed slowly, the rain tapering off.
Just as Jiang Yu closed her eyes and was about to fall asleep, a sound at the door startled her awake.
She opened her eyes.
Jiang Mo was pawing at the door, whimpering, squeezing through the small gap, something clamped in its mouth.
As it got closer, Jiang Yu nearly lost her mind in fright.
That little rascal had her ginseng!
The ginseng still had the red ribbon she had tied on it. She wouldn’t mistake it.
It must have fallen accidentally, and Jiang Mo had retrieved it.
Almost instinctively, she glanced at Xiao Lingzhou behind her.
Seeing him asleep, breathing evenly and undisturbed, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
She gently removed her hands from around her waist and signaled Jiang Mo to be quiet.
Then, as it approached, she quickly snatched the ginseng from its mouth and hid it in her wide sleeve.
At that moment, Xiao Lingzhou’s clear, slightly hoarse voice came from above, just waking: “What’s wrong?”
“Woof! Woof!” Jiang Mo barked twice, looking at Jiang Yu expectantly.
Afraid Xiao Lingzhou would notice the ginseng, Jiang Yu covered its mouth, whispering a warning: “Don’t bark, or you won’t get meat buns later.”
She turned to meet Xiao Lingzhou’s gaze. “It’s hungry. Wants me to feed it. But out here in the wilderness, there’s nothing to give it.”
Looking at its plump little body, Xiao Lingzhou lowered his eyes. “It won’t die from missing one meal. Are you hungry? Should I get something to eat?”
Jiang Yu held his hand. “No need. It’s dark, raining outside, and dangerous everywhere. We’ll endure and eat tomorrow.”
Hearing this, Xiao Lingzhou sat down again. “Alright, as you say.”
Fierce wild animals in the mountains are active at night; it really wasn’t safe to go out.
He also didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone here.
The rain continued all night, only stopping completely at dawn.
Standing by the broken bridge covered in sand, Jiang Yu turned to Xiao Lingzhou. “Shall we follow the river and look for a narrow spot to cross?”
Their house was on the opposite bank, so they had to get across.
Fortunately, upstream, there was a shallow spot where a tree lay across the river, and they successfully crossed with Jiang Mo.
Back at home, the first thing Jiang Yu did was hide her treasured ginseng in a safe spot, then take a bath.
After washing and stepping out of the washroom, she heard unfamiliar voices in the main hall and quietly moved closer.
…
“Then this matter will trouble you, sir. I thank you on behalf of the villagers.”
“My family affairs keep me busy, so I won’t continue to bother. Farewell.”