Wei Xun took the ointment and pulled back the quilt.
The little concubine’s jade-like legs lay upon the crimson brocade quilt, making the swelling and redness on her knees appear even more alarming.
His lips were pressed tightly together, his expression cold enough to freeze ice. A’Yuan tried to close her legs, but he held her down with a stern face.
“What are you hiding? There’s nowhere on you I haven’t seen.”
“Young Master!”
A’Yuan was so embarrassed she wanted to bury her face in the quilt. Her almond-shaped eyes shimmered with a watery light, the unspoken tenderness in her gaze most pitiable.
Wei Xun’s throat tightened. His fingers, gripping her ankle, subtly tightened, and with a pull, she fell into his embrace. His scorching palm lightly patted her bottom. “Don’t move. I’m applying medicine for you.”
The man’s strength wasn’t great, but A’Yuan was so ashamed she nearly cried.
How… how could he hit her there!
Wei Xun looked at his little concubine’s resentful, bashful expression and secretly curled the corners of his lips. Her appearance like this made him want to tease her even more.
But fearing he might truly frighten her, Wei Xun restrained his mischievous thoughts.
He lowered his head, opened the porcelain bottle, and scooped out a dollop of milky-white ointment.
This ointment was the same one he had sent over earlier.
A’Yuan’s body was delicate. On her first night in the Jade Clarity Courtyard, she had been in pain for a long time. Although Wei Xun had no particular feelings for this little concubine who had been forced upon him, seeing her cry so pitifully, he had taken the imperial-grade White Jade Ointment and personally applied it for her.
A’Yuan didn’t know what Wei Xun was thinking. Both of her knees were treated with medicine, but the bruising in between needed to be massaged away. The man pressed down on her leg and rubbed it with his warmed palm.
“…Mmm… it hurts…”
A’Yuan was most afraid of pain. Her small hand tugged at Wei Xun’s sleeve, pleading pitifully, but this time, Wei Xun did not soften.
“Endure it.”
Wei Xun only massaged for half an hour, but to A’Yuan, it felt like a year had passed. Only when the man’s hand left did she feel as if she had come back to life.
Wei Xun stared at her sweat-dampened forehead, the coldness on his face not fading in the slightest.
“Stay quietly in the courtyard these days. There’s no need to go to Mother. If you disobey again, I’ll punish you myself.”
“…Yes.”
Although Wei Xun’s expression remained cold and stern, a secret sweetness welled up in A’Yuan’s heart. She obediently nodded, looking at Wei Xun with admiration for the first time.
Wei Xun was almost unable to restrain himself under her gaze. With a dark expression, he tucked her into the quilt. “Don’t tempt me.”
A’Yuan blinked in confusion, her fan-like eyelashes hiding the grievance in her eyes. As for the man’s accusation of temptation, she was truly wronged.
But Wei Xun wouldn’t listen to her explanation. After wiping the ointment from his hands with a handkerchief, he pushed the door open and left.
Chang Yuan had been waiting outside the door. Seeing his master come out, he quickly handed over the food box.
“Master, breakfast and ginger soup are inside.”
“Mm. Call that maid over to attend to her.”
“Yes.”
Wei Xun still had official duties today. Helping A’Yuan apply medicine was already his limit. Chun Tao entered just as Wei Xun had finished feeding A’Yuan a bowl of ginger soup.
“Mistress… Young Master…”
She addressed them with fearful respect, the terror from her earlier scolding not yet faded.
Wei Xun set down the bowl, rose from the bedside, and yielded his place to her, instructing in a deep voice, “Your mistress’s legs must not touch water. Attend to her carefully these days. Only when she’s fully recovered can she go outside.”
“Yes, this servant remembers.”
Chun Tao noted it earnestly. Seeing their serious demeanor, the sweetness in A’Yuan’s heart felt as if she had eaten honey.
“It’s not that precious.”
“Of course it’s precious! The Young Master cares for you, Mistress.”
After Wei Xun finished giving his instructions and left, Chun Tao finally let out a sigh of relief, but she still couldn’t resist refuting A’Yuan’s earlier words.
A’Yuan curved her lips slightly, avoiding the topic. “Bring the breakfast over. Has the Young Master eaten?”
“Chang Yuan took two portions. The Young Master’s has already been sent to the study.”
“Mm.” Knowing that Wei Xun wouldn’t go hungry put A’Yuan at ease.
In truth, why would she need to worry about such matters? Everyone in the Marquis Manor was eager to curry favor with Wei Xun, and his daily needs were attended to by dedicated servants.
It was A’Yuan who, without Wei Xun’s protection, had to worry about not getting a warm meal.
Before the mistress and servant could finish their breakfast, Bi Wu from the Second Household’s courtyard arrived.
Like A’Yuan, she had also come from the Chunyan House in Yangzhou.
However, A’Yuan had been assigned to Wei Xun by Madam Wei, while Bi Wu had become the concubine of the Second Master, Wei Cong.
In some ways, she was better off than A’Yuan, but the women of the Second Household would likely prefer to follow Wei Xun without any status rather than become the concubine of a sickly man.
Thus, Bi Wu was jealous of A’Yuan.
“Oh, Sister A’Yuan is injured so severely that she can’t even get out of bed?”
When Wei Xun had carried her back earlier, Bi Wu and the others had seen it with their own eyes.
A’Yuan had only been punished by kneeling for half an hour—how could she be unable to walk? It must be this seductress pretending to be pitiful to complain.
Bi Wu inwardly cursed, wishing she were the one lying in bed.
A’Yuan finished her last mouthful of porridge, placed the bowl on the table, and glanced at Bi Wu. “Is there something you need, Concubine Bi, coming to the Yuqing Courtyard?”
The title “Concubine Bi” was particularly grating to Bi Wu. Suppressing her jealousy, she forced a smile. “What else could it be? The Second Mistress sent me to check on your injury and make sure the embroidery work she requested isn’t delayed.”
It was actually the two of them, the “skinny horses,” who had spread the word about A’Yuan’s skill in Su embroidery. Zhao Wan was harsh and petty by nature. When they had been taken into Wei Cong’s inner courtyard, Zhao Wan had gone out of her way to make things difficult for them, with sewing and embroidery tasks becoming routine.
Neither of the “skinny horses” could endure hardship, and the little embroidery they had learned was long forgotten. After being punished by Zhao Wan a few times, they thought of A’Yuan.
A’Yuan’s embroidery was famously good at Chunyan House. The madam had once said that if she hadn’t been born with such an alluring face, she could have made a living as an embroiderer.
With the “skinny horses” egging her on, Zhao Wan naturally wouldn’t let A’Yuan off.
At first, she had worried that Wei Xun would protect A’Yuan. However, Wei Xun was busy with official duties and rarely visited the Yuqing Courtyard more than twice a month. A’Yuan, on the other hand, was as silent as a gourd—even if she were bullied to death, she wouldn’t speak up.
In the end, all the embroidery work for the Second Household fell into her hands.
Bi Wu gave A’Yuan a disdainful look, certain that she would obediently hand over the embroidery as she had done before.
But A’Yuan merely curved her lips slightly, rubbed her delicate, fair hands, and replied in a gentle tone, “What a shame. The Young Master specifically instructed me not to overexert myself while recovering. I’m afraid the Second Mistress will have to find someone else for the embroidery work.”
She wasn’t a spineless pushover. In the past, she had only refrained from refusing to avoid causing trouble for Wei Xun.
But judging by Wei Xun’s attitude today, it seemed she could afford to be a little willful.
Since the Second Mistress had made her kneel in the ancestral hall, handing over the embroidery now would only embarrass Wei Xun.
“You!”
Bi Wu hadn’t expected her to dare refuse and immediately stood up from her stool.
“Aren’t you afraid the Second Mistress will punish you?”
“If she can persuade the Young Master, then I’ll accept it.”
A’Yuan’s delicate, charming face turned cold, and for a moment, she carried a hint of Wei Xun’s imposing aura. Biwu was momentarily stunned, standing there unsure how to retort.
How had this woman, soft as a steamed bun, suddenly changed her nature?