Chapter 74: Applying Medicine
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
After crossing over the mountain pass, the road became easier to traverse.
Xiao Jue urged his horse into a trot, and before they knew it, He Yan had fallen asleep. It was unclear how much time had passed when someone tapped his shoulder and called out her name, “He Yan!”
She opened her eyes and saw Instructor Liang standing before her. She had been dozing against Xiao Jue, and there was a faint damp spot on the inside of Xiao Jue’s sleeve—possibly her own drool.
He Yan wiped her mouth and started to apologize, “I’m sorr—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the person had already dismounted decisively, nearly causing her to topple backward. Xiao Jue said to Instructor Liang, “It’s in your hands.” Without even glancing at He Yan, he walked away on his own.
He Yan: “….”
Look, she thought, not even given the chance to say thank you. He Yan shrugged her shoulders as Liang Ping helped her down from the horse. Green Ear was obedient, and as soon as He Yan dismounted, the little hooves were already moving, briskly heading back to its owner.
He Yan was covered in blood from head to toe. Despite Liang Ping’s numerous questions, he couldn’t ask them now. He merely asked, “Can you still move?”
“Instructor Liang underestimates me too much,” she chuckled. “I’m perfectly fine.”
He Yan raised an eyebrow. Not even a chance to say thank you? She shrugged, and Instructor Liang helped her down from the horse. Green Ear, the horse, was well-behaved, taking a few steps before trotting off to find its owner once He Yan had left.
“Ah,” Liang Ping sighed, “forget it. I’ll take you back first, bandage your wounds, and then we can talk.”
He Yan agreed immediately.
Inside the room, Xiao Mai and Shitou were waiting. As soon as He Yan entered, they rushed over, bombarding her with questions.
“How are you? Are you okay? Nothing serious, right?”
“Why did you lose so much blood? Did someone die?”
He Yan even spotted Wang Ba sitting on a box in the corner. When he saw her, he seemed like he wanted to approach, but he restrained himself and snorted, “So you didn’t die after all.”
“Thank you, little brother,” He Yan had already learned from Instructor Liang that Wang Ba had gone to find Shen Han. She blinked at him with gratitude, “Little brother was so concerned about me. Boss is touched by your care.”
“You!” Wang Ba exploded like an angry cat. He jumped up from the box, glared at her, and left in a fury, nearly slamming the door off its hinges on his way out.
With assistance, He Yan was settled onto her bed. Shitou handed her a bowl of water, which she gulped down to soothe her throat.
“Brother Ah He, your hand has been bleeding all this time. Change your clothes quickly,” Xiao Mai suggested.
He Yan coughed lightly, “It’s not that serious.”
“Not serious?” Hong Shan furrowed his brow. “If Commander Xiao hadn’t come to the mountain to find you, with your condition, could you have survived until tomorrow morning?”
“You shouldn’t have tried to be a hero,” Jiang Jiao chimed in. “It wasn’t worth it for that kind of person.”
“That’s right,” Huang Xiong twirled the Buddhist beads around his neck. “You should’ve let them feed themselves to the wolves.”
He Yan: “…” Looking at the crowded room full of people, she realized for the first time that her popularity was unexpectedly good. But with so many people, the noise was giving her a headache.
Amidst the chatter, the door was pushed open again. A melodious voice called out, “Could you all please step outside? I’m here to administer medicine.”
The room fell silent in an instant.
He Yan looked over curiously and saw a young woman entering. She wore a snowy-white silk skirt made of palace satin, her long hair coiled with a white ribbon, and a lotus-shaped jade hairpin adorned her head, simple yet exquisite. Her delicate features radiated a quiet charm, with arched eyebrows and starry eyes that were truly captivating.
In Liangzhou Garrison, even mosquitoes were male. When have they ever seen such a graceful and elegant beauty? For a moment, the men fell silent like cicadas in winter, afraid of disturbing this charming and ethereal fairy.
He Yan was baffled and asked, “And you are…?”
“I am a female doctor of the Liangzhou Garrison,” the young woman said softly, “Shen Muxue.”
He Yan felt like she had heard this name before but couldn’t recall where. Shen Muxue gently placed the bowl of medicine on the bedside table and turned to address the others, “Could you all please step outside for a moment?”
Hong Shan immediately blushed and said, “O-okay.” He shooed the others out, and as he left, he gave He Yan an envious look.
He Yan: “…”
He Yan asked, “Is this the medicine for me?”
Shen Muxue nodded, and He Yan picked up the bowl and drank it all in one go. Shen Muxue was taken aback and said, “You didn’t have to drink it so quickly…”
“Huh?” He Yan scratched her head. “I was going to drink it anyway.”
Perhaps amused by her, Shen Muxue smiled and said, “Well then, young man, you should take off your clothes first. I’ll apply the medicine for you.”
Beside them, there was a basin of warm water. He Yan hesitated for a moment and said, “Um, Miss Shen, you can leave the medicine here, and I’ll apply it myself.”
“You?” Shen Muxue shook her head. “I’ll do it.”
“You’re still young and a girl,” He Yan advised her earnestly, “I’m a grown man, after all. It wouldn’t look good if you helped.”
“Gender doesn’t matter in front of a healer,” Shen Muxue replied.
He Yan pondered for a moment. “It doesn’t matter for you, but it matters for me.”
Shen Muxue looked up, and He Yan fearlessly met her gaze, saying, “I have a fiancée, Miss Shen. Only she can see my body. If my pure and pristine body has been tainted by you, you’ll have to take responsibility. Understand?” She wrapped her clothes tightly around herself, adopting a defiant stance.
Shen Muxue was probably not accustomed to dealing with someone so shameless. Her hands paused, and she didn’t know how to react.
“Just leave the medicine here,” He Yan said, “I’ll apply it myself. I need to maintain my purity for my beloved. Don’t ruin it for me.” She looked dead serious.
After a brief silence, Shen Muxue was finally defeated by He Yan’s shamelessness. She said, “The medicine and warm water are here. I’ll step outside, and you can call me when you’re done.”
He Yan nodded gratefully. “Thank you for understanding, Miss.”
Shen Muxue exited the room, and He Yan sighed with relief. She quickly removed her blood-soaked clothes, wiped her body with a cloth dipped in warm water, and changed into clean garments. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing the elbow where she had been bitten by the wolf. The wound was gruesome, and she took a deep breath before grabbing another cloth to clean away the blood.
At that moment, the door was pushed open again. He Yan was busy cleaning herself and didn’t look up as she said, “I told you not to come in. I’ll apply the medicine myself.”
A cold voice remarked, “Your dedication to your fiancée’s chastity is truly moving.”
He Yan looked up and saw Xiao Jue standing a few steps away, arms crossed, calmly observing her.
He Yan thought to herself, that was close, luckily, I changed clothes quickly. She squeezed out a smile and said, “Commander, why are you here? You’re not coming to settle scores with me, are you? I already said I didn’t deliberately touch your waist on the mountain.”
Xiao Jue’s expression stiffened, his eyes almost shooting fire. He raised his hand, and a round object landed in He Yan’s lap.
He Yan picked it up and realized it was an exquisite porcelain bottle, resembling a mandarin duck pot. She removed the stopper and took a sniff, finding the scent bitter and astringent.
“This is… medicine?” she hesitantly asked.
In a rather unsympathetic tone, he said, “Start by treating your own injuries.”
The words and the scene felt oddly familiar, and He Yan was briefly taken aback. She looked at him again, and he seemed to have changed into fresh clothes, looking neat as ever. Standing there, he exuded an aura of elegance and refinement, with moonlight pouring in from outside, casting his tall figure into relief. For a moment, it was as if she had returned to the past.
Just as it was then.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
