Lu Zhidao was naturally a woman of few words, and Chu Ning didn’t know the others, so she simply stayed by Lu Zhidao’s side as they walked together.
“What exactly happened?” Chu Ning asked in a low voice.
“Qi Shouyi is an old acquaintance.”
“You know that Chief?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you get hurt?”
“It’s no matter.” Lu Zhidao lifted her hand to glance at it.
“What about that Centurion Jia?”
“I let him escape.”
The group returned to Daqi Stronghold, where Qi Shouyi was already waiting in the main hall. Seeing them enter, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, “Was it smooth?”
“Smooth.” Lu Zhidao returned the gesture with a faint nod.
Chu Ning was completely bewildered, unable to understand what connection they could possibly have, but she didn’t feel it was her place to ask. She stood quietly to the side, observing them.
“I only just found out about the business with Qi San. I’ll leave him to you to deal with.”
“No need. I’ve already dealt with him.”
“Then stay here and rest easy. We’ll talk after your injuries heal,” Qi Shouyi said with a generous wave of his hand.
“I still need to get to the capital. I won’t stay long.”
“It’ll be hard to travel once it gets dark anyway. I’ll see you off tomorrow. Tend to your wounds first, and we’ll have a drink tonight. It’s been a long time.”
Lu Zhidao looked at Chu Ning, as if seeking her opinion. Seeing Chu Ning nod, Lu Zhidao finally accepted.
“Miss Chu was so fierce just a moment ago, why so quiet now?” Qi Shouyi teased intentionally.
“How was I supposed to know what medicine you were all brewing in your pot? I didn’t dare take a bite,” Chu Ning joked back, seeing that they were being relatively polite.
“If you want to know what’s in the pot, ask her,” Qi Shouyi pointed at Lu Zhidao. “That is, if you can actually pry open this silent gourd.”
Chu Ning looked at Lu Zhidao with a smile; she truly did want to see what was hidden inside this “silent gourd.”
Under her gaze, Lu Zhidao felt a bit flustered. She awkwardly rubbed her fingers, only to realize they were stiff and difficult to move, throbbing with pain.
“Oh? You actually know how to be embarrassed?” After teasing Chu Ning, Qi Shouyi turned his banter on Lu Zhidao.
Lu Zhidao gave him a sharp glare. “Arrange two rooms.”
Qi Shouyi smiled meaningfully. “One room is fine. Saves us the trouble of cleaning.”
Lu Zhidao made a move as if to strike him. After some playful bickering, he finally had someone lead them to the guest quarters, where two adjacent rooms were prepared.
The two returned to their respective rooms.
Lu Zhidao fetched some water and casually washed the grime from her wounds. However, some dirt and small pebbles were already embedded in the flesh and couldn’t be washed away easily. Lacking patience, she gave them a rough rinse and prepared to apply medicine. In a mountain stronghold, there was no shortage of ointment for bruises and injuries.
As she was tending to her wounds, there was a knock at the door.
Lu Zhidao opened it to find Chu Ning standing outside.
She opened the door soundlessly and didn’t speak, which made Chu Ning feel a bit awkward. “Um… where are those two books?”
“I’ll get them.” Lu Zhidao turned back, retrieved the two books from the bundle, and held them out to Chu Ning.
Chu Ning took the books and glanced at the butterfly knot tied on the Book of Documents. Confirming it was exactly as she had left it, she finally felt relieved.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Chu Ning cradled the books in one arm and grabbed the back of Lu Zhidao’s hand with her other hand, looking down to inspect it closely. After all, Lu Zhidao had been injured because of her; Chu Ning couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“It’s mostly taken care of.” Lu Zhidao gently pulled her hand back.
But Chu Ning caught it firmly and waved it in front of her eyes. “You call this taken care of? It’s not even washed clean.”
“It’s hard to wash. It doesn’t matter.”
“Let me help you.”
“No!” Lu Zhidao hurriedly hid her hands behind her back, refusing awkwardly. Fearing her tone was too harsh, she quickly explained, “No need to go to the trouble. It’s nothing.”
Chu Ning looked up slightly at her. “Do you truly not care, or are you trying to make me feel guilty on purpose?”
“It’s not that…” It was just that she didn’t know how to handle it.
Chu Ning stepped sideways into the room, set the two books aside, and pressed Lu Zhidao down into a seat. She tilted Lu Zhidao’s head to examine it.
“You haven’t even wiped your face. It’s covered in blood.”
Lu Zhidao sat upright with her hands on her knees, eyes downcast as she allowed herself to be handled.
Chu Ning brought over a basin of water, dampened a handkerchief, and began wiping the blood from her face.
“Mumu, I don’t think you care much for cleanliness.”
“I…” Lu Zhidao turned her head away, unable to defend herself.
“But it’s quite cute.” Chu Ning leaned down with a smile, wrapping one arm around Lu Zhidao’s neck to keep her from moving while she gently wiped away the blood with the other.
Her movements were very light. To Lu Zhidao, it felt like the soft brush of a kitten’s paw.
Lu Zhidao froze in place, lost. Looking up, she saw those shallow dimples; looking down, she saw the curves before her. No matter where she looked, it felt wrong. She simply closed her eyes, but this only made her other senses sharper—the touch on her face felt even gentler, and a faint fragrance wafted toward her.
She couldn’t quite name the scent—it was sweet and soft, but overall very pleasant.
Lu Zhidao felt her heart give a heavy thud, and she turned her head away awkwardly.
“Don’t move!” Chu Ning pinched her chin and turned her back. “How did you get this injury?”
“I…” Lu Zhidao felt like she couldn’t catch her breath. She instinctively wanted to flee, yet she also wanted to linger.
Chu Ning let go of her and casually rinsed the handkerchief in the water. The blood slowly dispersed, tinting the clear water a pale pink.
Only then did Lu Zhidao feel she could breathe again. She answered woodenly, “Hit by stones.”
Chu Ning rinsed the handkerchief clean and leaned in again to continue wiping. “And your hands? How were they injured?”
Lu Zhidao opened her mouth, but no words came out. The closer Chu Ning came, the tighter her heart tensed.
In the end, she couldn’t say a single word. Chu Ning didn’t think much of it, having grown used to her quietness.
It wasn’t until Chu Ning had finished cleaning her up that she stood to reach for the medicine bottle on the table. “Do we use this?”
“Yes.” Lu Zhidao nodded blankly. Coming back to her senses, she continued, “My hands were stomped on.”
“Stomped on?” Chu Ning’s voice rose in confusion.
“I stomped back.”
Chu Ning pulled out her own clean handkerchief, dipped it in the medicine, and carefully applied it to the wounds.
“I’m sorry… if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been hurt.”
Lu Zhidao bolted upright, waving her hands in a flustered mess. “It’s fine… no… it doesn’t matter… wait…”
“No need to be sorry,” Lu Zhidao said, looking down. “It is my mission.”
“A mission is a mission, but your life shouldn’t only be about missions.” Chu Ning reached out to pull her back but grasped at empty air.
Lu Zhidao hurriedly hid her hands behind her back and dodged.
“Are you not going to finish applying the medicine?” Chu Ning looked at her. “Or do you not want me to help you?”
“It’s not that…”
“Is ‘it’s not that’ the only thing you can say?”
“It’s not…”
Chu Ning simply put her own hands behind her back and took a large step back, giving her plenty of space. “Sit down if you’re going to finish the medicine.”
Lu Zhidao sat down stiffly, her back ramrod straight. While Chu Ning applied the medicine, she didn’t dare move a muscle. To her, injuries like these were as common as daily meals.
But this was the first time someone had tended to her so carefully. She cherished it, yet was at a total loss. She felt a surge of unease, thinking she didn’t deserve such kindness and tenderness.
After finishing the wound on her forehead, Chu Ning took her hand and chided, “You were going to apply medicine without cleaning it properly?”
“I’m hardy.”
Chu Ning placed her hand on the table, pulled up a stool to sit beside her, and lowered her head to carefully remove the tiny stones embedded in her skin.
“What’s the deal with that Chief? You know each other?” Chu Ning asked casually without looking up.
“We worked together.”
“Worked together? Isn’t he a bandit?”
“He wasn’t always.”
Chu Ning set down the handkerchief, looked up, and smiled with pursed lips. “Can you say a few more words and explain things properly, instead of just answering exactly what I ask?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Then tell it slowly. I’ll listen as if it’s a bedtime story.” Chu Ning thought for a moment and added, “Tell me what you can, and I won’t ask about what you can’t.”
Having said that, she went back to cleaning the wounds and truly didn’t ask another question.
“Okay.” Lu Zhidao quickly organized her thoughts and explained, “He was originally from the Governor’s Commandery. Last year, during the heavy rains, he was ordered to blow up the dikes in one of the counties. Later, to silence him, the Governor had him arrested on trumped-up charges. He bribed someone to escape just before his execution and had no choice but to become a bandit.”
Lu Zhidao spoke calmly, but Chu Ning was horrified. This confirmed that what her father had told her was true.
“He blew up the dikes? You say it so casually—do you know how many people were displaced or even lost their lives because those dikes were destroyed? That is helping a tyrant do evil!”
“We were both just following orders.”
“Did you go blow up dikes too?” Chu Ning stopped and stared at Lu Zhidao sternly.
“No,” Lu Zhidao explained hurriedly.
“Then how do you know each other?”
Lu Zhidao withdrew her hand and answered truthfully, “We collaborated on other missions in the past.”
“You follow orders without ever asking if they are right or wrong?”
“We aren’t supposed to ask.”
Chu Ning was speechless. Distinguishing between right and wrong, good and evil, was the education she had received since childhood. She never knew there were people in the world who acted without question.
And Lu Zhidao happened to be exactly that kind of person.
Chu Ning rinsed the handkerchief, took her hand, and helped her apply the medicine.
“You should be the wings of an eagle, not the claws of a tiger.”
Lu Zhidao listened quietly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Just as they were speaking, the door creaked open and Qi Shouyi walked in. “Finished yet? Let’s go drink.”
“Oh? Miss Chu is here too. Whispering secrets! Carry on, carry on…” Qi Shouyi retreated with a grin and closed the door.
The two were left facing each other, and a sudden awkwardness filled the air. What weren’t “whispered secrets” now felt like they were.
“Go on.” Chu Ning finished the medicine and gave Lu Zhidao’s hand a little push. “Don’t drink too much.”
“Okay.”
Lu Zhidao stood up hurriedly and opened the door, saying with a serious face, “There were no whispered secrets.”
Qi Shouyi waved his hand dismissively. “Brother Qi understands.” He then leaned past Lu Zhidao and shouted to Chu Ning, “Will you join us, Miss Chu? Have a drink!”
“You two go ahead.”
“I’ll have someone bring food to you in a bit. Just make yourself at home.” Qi Shouyi wanted to say more, but Lu Zhidao was already flustered and pushing him to leave. He managed to turn his head and shout loudly, “Zhidao and I have faced life and death together! If you need anything, just say the word!”
Chu Ning thanked him helplessly, then took her Book of Documents and Songs of Chu back to her own room.
Once they were far enough away, Qi Shouyi draped an arm over Lu Zhidao’s shoulder and said mischievously, “You look honest, but you’re actually quite sly.”
” I am not.”
“A young lady took the initiative to tend to your wounds, and you have no gesture in return?”
“What gesture?”
“Brother Qi knows all about this. I’ll teach you slowly in a bit.”