Shen Jue couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong with himself. It seemed that whenever he thought of this suddenly appearing young girl, his mind and heart would become a jumbled mess.
Unable to make sense of it, he eventually attributed it to feeling utterly humiliated.
His father’s few lashes were painful, yes, but it was only a momentary thing. Compared to the injuries he usually sustained, it was nothing more than a scratch.
He was tough-skinned, and Laotaifei, coming from a military family, had hired a master to teach him martial arts from a young age. The original intention was to strengthen his body, but who would have thought it would turn him into a fearless troublemaker.
He had gone out into the courtyard to catch some breeze, hoping to clear his mind a little, but unexpectedly, Laotaifei, who was returning to the courtyard, caught sight of him.
Bare-chested, with blood still oozing from the welts on his back, he nearly caused Laotaifei to faint again from worry.
She practically dragged him back to his room and carefully applied medicine to his wounds.
Laotaifei sat by his side the whole time, keeping a close watch, afraid he might sneak out again at any moment.
“Your Highness, rest assured, the injuries are not serious. This is the best golden wound medicine I have. Shiziye is young and has a strong constitution, so he will recover quickly. In just a few days, he will be fully healed.”
Shen Jue let out a scoffing laugh. “With his amateurish skills, I don’t know if he was wielding a whip or putting on a theatrical performance. Hitting someone like it’s a game—how serious could the injuries be?”
Hearing him still able to mock his own father, Laotaifei realized the injuries couldn’t be too severe and finally felt relieved.
Indeed, it was true. Prince Zhennan had preferred literature since childhood and only had a superficial understanding of martial arts. Someone truly skilled in martial arts would wield a whip to strike the bone, not just the skin.
Her son had been so infuriated by Shen Jue this time that he had resorted to family discipline.
“Alright, stop mocking your father. He shouldn’t have embarrassed you in public, but this time, it was indeed your fault. If you really wanted to go out and have fun, you should have left a message. Not knowing where you were, how worried I was!”
Shen Jue feared nothing in the world except Laotaifei’s nagging.
“If I had told you what I was going to do, wouldn’t you have prepared an entire team to follow me? Would that be to snatch a girl or to fight a tiger?”
Laotaifei was instantly amused by his nonsense. “You always have the most twisted logic. Since you returned safely this time, let it be, but there must not be a next time.”
Shen Jue casually picked up a sour fruit, tossed it into the air, and caught it neatly in his mouth before lazily replying, “Got it.”
Seeing him like this, Laotaifei couldn’t help but nag again. “Hurry and put that away. You have injuries on your back, so you should eat less sour and spicy food. Be more restrained with your diet during this time. You really shouldn’t let scars form.”
“If they form, so be it. I’m not a girl—what does it matter if I have a scar?”
Mentioning girls, Shen Jue couldn’t help but recall that soft sensation and asked casually, “Who was that just now?”
“Your cousin from the Wen family, have you forgotten? Her father is the prefect of Hangzhou. She came to play at our house when she was little.”
Wen Jinxin’s maternal grandfather was Laotaifei’s cousin. They had been close since childhood, and once, while riding a horse to save Laotaifei, he had broken his leg, leaving him with a lifelong disability.
Wen Jinxin’s mother had also grown up under Laotaifei’s watchful eye and was as dear to her as her own daughter.
Unfortunately, after Laotaifei married, she had less contact with her maternal family. She hadn’t even been able to see her cousin one last time before his passing, which remained a lifelong regret and guilt for her.
She would occasionally mention the Wen family in front of Shen Jue, so he had a vague impression of them. But as for having met her when they were young, he couldn’t remember it at all.
“My poor niece, who lost both her parents in an accident last year, leaving Jinxin all alone. How could I not feel pity for her? She looks exactly like her mother did as a child.”
Shen Jue chewed the fruit in his mouth slowly, recalling how she had looked earlier. No wonder the girl was dressed so plainly and was as thin as a rail—she had just lost both her parents.
“She has no other relatives, so when I received the news, I took it upon myself to have her come live with us. You, young man, must not bully Jinxin.”
Shen Jue was about to scoff. Though he was a troublemaker, he never laid a hand on women.
But before the laugh could escape, he remembered that this delicate little cousin had just taken a whip lash for him.
His Adam’s apple trembled slightly as he swallowed his words, spitting out instead: “Damn!”
“Right, and you mustn’t swear in front of her either. Be careful not to frighten her.”
Laotaifei was about to add more instructions when Mama Du hurried in and whispered something to her. Laotaifei’s expression immediately turned grave.
From a distance, Shen Jue caught something like “the young miss, not well,” but couldn’t make out the rest.
“Remember, no sour or spicy food, and don’t run around. Rest well and recover.” As soon as Mama Du finished speaking, Laotaifei could no longer sit still. After a few more parting words, she hurried away.
Once Laotaifei had left, Shen Jue stopped the servant clearing away the fruit, picked up another piece, and tossed it into his mouth.
“Shiziye, the mistress said you’re not to eat these.”
“Since when have I ever been the obedient type?”
Yet for some reason, Mama Du’s words kept echoing in his ears, making even the taste of the fruit seem bland.
After eating two pieces, he lost interest and set them aside, calling his attendant over to ask for news.
“Ah Bing, what’s the situation with that delicate little flower across the way?”
Ah Bing, Shen Jue’s personal attendant, had been trained since childhood to be observant. At first, he was momentarily confused by “delicate little flower,” but then realized Shen Jue was referring to Wen Jinxin.
“Shizi is asking about the young miss, right? I heard from the physician earlier that she’s still unconscious. They say her previous illness hadn’t fully healed, and now with the whip lash, she’s developed a fever. It looks quite serious.”
Shen Jue felt even more unsettled. What kind of situation was this? A grown man like him, needing protection from a frail, delicate girl?
He was about to say he’d go check on her when Ah Bing, with his sharp intuition, glanced meaningfully in that direction.
“Shizi, the mistress has gone back to rest, but Madam Li is there keeping watch now.”
Shen Jue immediately retracted the foot he had just extended and sat back down as if nothing had happened.
Everyone in the Prince’s mansion knew that Shiziye and Madam Li Shi were like fire and water. Wherever Li Shi was, he would never go.
“Shizi, if you’re worried about the young miss, I’ll let you know once Madam leaves.”
Shen Jue raised an eyebrow and scoffed. “Worried about her?”
What kind of girl would rush out to protect him for no reason and take a whip lash for him? Looking back now, there were too many suspicious points.
Even if it wasn’t a deliberate act of suffering, it was clearly an intentional approach. She was clearly scheming.
Perhaps she had already conspired with Li Shi. Otherwise, how could she have appeared there so coincidentally? The more Shen Jue thought about it, the more convinced he became that Wen Jinxin and Li Shi were connected.
Causing such a stir as soon as she entered the mansion—who knew what trouble she might stir up in the future.
This was exactly why he disliked these well-bred young ladies. They were troublesome, delicate, and difficult to deal with.
The strange feeling in his heart vanished instantly at that moment. Who cared about some cousin or not? They could all get lost.
Ah Bing saw Shen Jue’s expression darken the moment Li Shi was mentioned and knew he was displeased. He dared not provoke Shiziye’s wrath, so he quickly followed his lead.
“This servant spoke out of turn. Master must be worried that if the young lady remains gravely ill, Laotaifei will fret. Master’s filial piety is truly admirable.”
Only then did Shen Jue’s expression soften slightly. He stretched out his long legs and kicked the nearby chair.
“Enough with all that nonsense. Go get some food.”
He had traveled all day, and upon returning, had been dealt with again. He was already starving. Once the meal arrived, he ate his fill, applied medicine, and comfortably closed his eyes to rest—a rare occasion where he went nowhere.
Over there, however, Wen Jinxin’s condition was far from optimistic.
With injuries on her back, she couldn’t lie down and could only lie prone on the bed. Compounded by her headache and fever, this position made her increasingly uncomfortable.
Even in her unconscious state, one could see her pale, delicate face covered in fine sweat.
Fearing that Laotaifei might collapse from worry before Wen Jinxin woke, everyone persuaded the elderly lady to return and rest. Li Shi stayed behind in the room to care for her throughout.
But by evening, Wen Jinxin still hadn’t woken, and her fever persisted.
Upon hearing this, Laotaifei was so worried she couldn’t eat. No matter who tried to persuade her, she insisted on staying by her side.
It wasn’t until Wen Jinxin vomited from discomfort that everyone in the room grew even more panicked.
“It’s all right. This is just expelling the stagnant energy from her body. There’s no need to panic, Madam. This young lady’s constitution is simply too weak. After taking my medicine, her fever will subside tomorrow. After that, she’ll need to recuperate properly. However…”
Hearing there was no life-threatening danger, Laotaifei also breathed a sigh of relief. Recuperation wasn’t a major issue; the manor had all the finest medicinal herbs available. As long as she was safe, that was all that mattered.
But upon hearing the word “however,” she tensed up immediately. “However what?”
“However, this young lady has a constitution prone to scarring. The whip marks on her back are quite deep. Even with the best wound medicine, I cannot guarantee there won’t be scars.”
Laotaifei gasped sharply. If Shen Jue’s scars truly couldn’t fade, it wouldn’t matter—scars on a man could even enhance his imposing aura.
But it was different for a young woman, especially one who hadn’t yet been betrothed. With such a long scar, who would dare marry her?
“Doctor Zhong, you must think of a way. Our Jin’er is still young. If she’s left with such a long scar, what will become of her?”
“Don’t worry, Madam. This old man will certainly find a solution.”
After Doctor Zhong left to prescribe and fetch the medicine, Laotaifei overheard Li Shi sternly instructing the servants in the room.
“Absolutely no one is allowed to gossip about the young lady’s injuries. If I hear anyone spreading rumors behind her back, watch your tongues.”
Laotaifei’s gaze toward Li Shi grew much kinder. It had to be said that she had handled this matter correctly, considering it carefully—even Laotaifei herself hadn’t thought of this earlier.
“You’ve worked hard today. Go back and rest early.”
“Your daughter-in-law isn’t tired. Since Jin’er is no longer in danger, Mother should return first. With me here to accompany her, I absolutely won’t let anything happen to her.”
Laotaifei gently patted the back of Li Shi’s hand. “With an aunt like you treating her so well, what do I have to worry about? It’s just that until I see her wake up, my heart feels uneasy and restless.”
Li Shi softly comforted Laotaifei a few more times before finally managing to stop the elderly lady’s tears.
“When I last saw her, she was still a baby in swaddling clothes. Now, in the blink of an eye, she’s already grown so much. I called her to the mansion to take good care of her, but who could have imagined she would suffer as soon as she arrived? If something had happened to her, how could I ever face my brother and her parents again?”
Li Shi also found the matter strange. Logically speaking, Wen Jinxin was only seven years old when she last visited the Prince’s mansion. Even if she had met Shen Jue back then, she should have no memory of it.
Why would she suddenly rush forward to block the whip for no apparent reason? It was unclear whether the young cousin did it intentionally or unintentionally.
Li Shi lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes flickering with a hint of insight as an idea began to form in her mind.
“I actually think this might be a good thing.”
Laotaifei’s expression stiffened, and she instantly stopped crying, looking at Li Shi with a reproachful gaze. “What do you mean by that?”
“Please don’t be anxious, Mother. I just think that this Jin girl is Shizi’s lucky star. Look at how her arrival just happened to resolve Shizi’s predicament.”
Laotaifei paused in thought and carefully considered it. It did seem to be exactly as Li Shi described.
But why would Jin’er suddenly run out to block the whip for Ah Jue?
Before Laotaifei could figure it out, she heard the delighted voice of a maid from inside the room, “Old Madam, the young cousin has woken up.”