Chapter 097: Applying Medicine

When Xie Wei walked in, he didn’t expect Lu Xian to be there, but thinking that Jiang Xuening probably didn’t know him, he didn’t say much. Hearing Lu Xian’s words, he paused, frowned, and said, “A young girl from the Jiang family, what nonsense are you talking about?”

Of course, Lu Xian remembered Jiang Xuening.

This Miss Jiang had been brought by Yan Lin to his residence to buy a qin, taking away the “Jiao’an” qin, which had secretly displeased Xie Wei for a while. But was he talking about whether she was a young girl or not?

Having known Xie Wei for so many years, there wasn’t even a maid in his residence.

Xie Wei, devoted to Buddhist and Daoist studies, was pure-hearted and abstinent, not close to women, not even keeping cats, dogs, or birds. In this large residence, the only females might be a few mice caught by the walls!

Bringing a girl back to the residence was like the sun rising in the west!

Lu Xian’s gaze fell on Jiang Xuening, noticing that she had become even more striking since the last time he saw her. Her slender waist, delicate figure, and clear black-and-white eyes, naturally charming due to her peach-blossom-shaped eyes, added a touch of innate allure.

From her features and demeanor, she couldn’t be considered a dignified beauty.

At nearly nineteen, not yet twenty, she was already like this. How much more stunning would she become as she grew older?

He felt an inexplicable strangeness.

Zhuoqin Hall was not a place just anyone could enter.

But in front of outsiders, young girls these days were smart, so Lu Xian didn’t say more. He picked up his dropped jaw, apologized to Jiang Xuening, and said, “Please forgive my poor eyesight, I was too surprised to recognize you. So, it’s the second young lady from the Jiang family. How is the ‘Jiao’an’ qin?”

Heaven knew Jiang Xuening was almost scared out of her wits seeing Lu Xian!

Others didn’t know Lu Xian’s relationship with Xie Wei, but she did. She almost gave herself away, but fortunately, Lu Xian was too surprised, and Xie Wei’s attention was on Lu Xian, giving her a chance to recover and cover up.

Hearing Lu Xian mention the ‘Jiao’an’ qin, Jiang Xuening calmed herself and replied, “Thank you, Boss Lu, for helping me find the qin. It’s an ancient qin, naturally excellent. Are you here to deliver a qin to Master Xie?”

Lu Xian was taken aback, then laughed, “Yes, yes, there’s news of a good qin recently, but the owner seems reluctant to part with it. Since it’s at Xie Wei’s request, I’m here to discuss it.”

This was a convenient excuse, and he had no suspicion of Jiang Xuening.

Jiang Xuening, however, deduced from his casual use of Xie Wei’s courtesy name that their relationship was indeed close, but she had nothing more to say.

Xie Wei then turned to her and said, “Show me your hand.”

Jiang Xuening was puzzled and felt a bit uneasy, but she extended her left hand.

Xie Wei frowned slightly and lifted her sleeve.

Her fair arm was clean, with no visible injuries.

He then said, “The other one.”

Jiang Xuening vaguely sensed something, her right hand hanging at her side, reluctant to extend it.

A flash of anger seemed to pass through Xie Wei’s eyes.

But he restrained himself and didn’t lose his temper.

Lowering his gaze slightly, he leaned forward and, without further ado, grabbed her right hand, which she was hesitant to extend, and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a bloody scratch on her wrist.

Jiang Xuening’s scalp tingled. “It’s just a small accident…”

Xie Wei released her hand and pointed to a chair. “Sit.”

Jiang Xuening couldn’t keep up with his thoughts, or rather, she couldn’t understand his thoughts at all. She blinked in confusion, noticing Lu Xian’s increasingly strange look, as if he were seeing a three-legged rabbit or a horned turtle.

She was full of questions but didn’t dare to ask.

Xie Wei told her to sit, so she nervously complied.

Zhuoqin Hall was where Xie Wei often stayed. The long table by the window was covered with materials and tools for making qins, even discarded qin strings coiled in the corner.

A box of ointment was on a nearby shelf.

Xie Wei fetched it, along with a small bottle of alcohol and a clean white cloth. He dipped the cloth in alcohol and approached her, asking her to extend her hand again.

Jiang Xuening was dazed.

They hadn’t spoken much recently, and now he was suddenly tending to her wound, making her feel like she was in a dream, both surprised and flattered.

Mostly surprised.

She extended her hand in a daze.

The alcohol-soaked cloth pressed against her wound. At first, she felt nothing, but after a moment, a burning pain seeped into the broken skin!

Only then did Jiang Xuening realize—

It was alcohol!

A young girl with delicate skin couldn’t bear such pain. Tears welled up, and she pulled her hand back, covering it, moving away from Xie Wei, feeling both wronged and angry. “What are you doing!”

A heavy pouch fell from her sleeve to the ground. Xie Wei, still holding the cloth, frowned: cleaning a wound with alcohol would sting, but was this reaction necessary?

“Ha!” Lu Xian, who had somehow gotten some sunflower seeds and was munching on them, couldn’t help but laugh at the scene.

Xie Wei bent to pick up the pouch, hearing the laugh, turned to see Lu Xian, his brows furrowing with a touch of frost. “Why are you still here?”

“…”

Lu Xian nearly choked on a sunflower seed.

He was speechless for a moment, then smiled slightly, thinking: Fine, I’ll leave now!

He tossed the sunflower seeds onto the table, scattering them, stood up gracefully, and said, “I’ll wait outside, not to disturb you.”

Lu Xian really left.

Jiang Xuening remained standing, warily watching Xie Wei, unable to hold back her tears because it truly hurt.

Xie Wei weighed the pouch, noticing a few pine nuts had spilled out when it fell. He looked at her and said, “Bringing these things to a coming-of-age ceremony.”

Jiang Xuening glared at him without speaking.

Xie Wei placed the small bag of pine nuts on the table, his eyes flashing slightly. “That must be from Yan Lin.”

Mentioning the young man, Jiang Xuening fell silent.

Xie Wei seemed to feel uncomfortable too, not speaking for a while before saying, “Come here. Can’t you handle a little pain?”

You wretched man, no wonder you can’t find a wife!!!

Jiang Xuening was almost furious.

She was both anxious and angry, but looking at the alcohol-soaked cloth in Xie Wei’s hand, she couldn’t help but feel scared. After a long standoff, she said, “I can do it myself.”

At least she wouldn’t be as harsh.

Xie Wei stared at her for a moment, finally handing her the cloth.

Jiang Xuening took it but hesitated for a long time.

Xie Wei said calmly, “Are you planning to spend the night in my residence?”

Hearing this, Jiang Xuening’s heart sank. She steeled herself, pretending her hand wasn’t her own, and gently pressed the alcohol-soaked cloth onto the wound. Doing it herself, she was somewhat prepared. It hurt, but she could bear it by gritting her teeth.

After cleaning the blood from the scratch, she felt utterly exhausted.

In the end, Xie Wei applied the ointment for her.

At this moment, Jiang Xuening felt a bit dazed.

In her previous life, before the rebellion, Xie Wei was seen as a saint, a sage, flawless in the eyes of the world. Even if people couldn’t get close to him, they were willing to talk to him.

He was too perfect, almost unreal.

After the rebellion, Xie Wei went from one extreme to another in the eyes of the world, becoming a traitor, a rebel, a wolf with ambitions, a villain in saint’s clothing.

He was too tainted, seemingly unfairly so.

Before her rebirth, she thought he was the latter.

After her rebirth, she was unsure.

He seemed neither this nor that, truly a mystery.

But what did it matter to her?

The matter of the Yongyi Marquis Mansion had already happened, and now she awaited the outcome.

Good or bad, it would be over.

She just wanted to pack her things and leave the dangerous, bustling capital, to live a carefree life she hadn’t had in her previous life. Xie Wei, Xiao Yan, the palace—all should be left behind.

Jiang Xuening was lost in thought.

Xie Wei noticed when he finished applying the ointment and brought her back to reality. “Cats and dogs are ungrateful creatures. Even if raised by people, their ferocity is hard to eliminate. Don’t get too close in the future.”

Jiang Xuening looked up at him.

Thinking for a moment, she realized Xie Wei’s attitude had changed back, likely because of the cat earlier.

She was silent for a long time, seemingly considering something.

Finally, she said, “Baoying helped me with something. When I returned that day, she happened to come by, so I shared half of the peach blossom cakes you gave me with her…”

Xie Wei, facing away from her, paused as he put the ointment jar back in the box, then said, “I see.”

His voice was calm, without emotion.

Jiang Xuening felt she had said everything she needed to, slowly lowering her rolled-up sleeve and standing to leave. But as she was about to go, thinking of the uncertain road ahead, she stopped.

Summoning her courage to stop trembling, she turned and asked, “Do you still want to kill me, sir?”

“……”

Xie Wei had just closed the box, and it seemed something else was locked inside with it.

He turned, his eyes deep and calm.

He seemed a bit weary, saying, “I said so much that day, and you only remember me saying I wanted to kill you?”

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

Her mind was a mess, unable to recall what else Xie Wei had said.

But Xie Wei waved his hand, saying, “Go back to the palace.”

Then he called out, “Jian Shu, see her out.”