Feeling anxious, Zhou Shu rushed to look inside and was stunned. Inside the narrow carriage, two people with disheveled clothes were tightly embracing each other.
Ning Wan Wan hurriedly explained, “No, it’s not what you’re thinking. When treating the wound, we needed to remove clothing, and if I moved, the uncle’s wound would bleed continuously…”
Zhou Shu’s eyes grew brighter as he listened, while Yuan Bi’s face turned redder. Ning Wan Wan felt she was only making things worse and decided to stop explaining.
As Yuan Zhu approached curiously, Yuan Bi pushed her head away and walked into the carriage. He politely said to Ning Wan Wan, “Thank you, Lady Junzhu,” before kneeling. Due to the carriage’s narrowness, he lifted Si Zhan horizontally and carried him out.
Ning Wan Wan covered her face for a moment, then quickly followed. Once outside, Yuan Bi had already carried Si Zhan on his back, and the group hurriedly entered the Yi Wang Mansion.
*
In the Jing Shui Liu Shen room, Zhou Shu was treating Si Zhan’s wounds in the East Warm Pavilion.
Ning Wan Wan stood outside the screen, anxiously waiting. Unable to contain herself, she asked Yuan Bi, “Shouldn’t you invite a doctor for the uncle’s injury?”
Yuan Bi replied, “Lady Junzhu, please be at ease. Zhou Shu, who appears as the mansion’s steward, is actually a top medical expert in the martial world. The master will be fine.”
Zhou Shu was a doctor? No wonder Si Zhan seemed so confident. She had worried that the imperial doctors might harm Si Zhan, but it seemed she had overthought it.
Half an incense stick later, Zhou Shu emerged from the warm pavilion and reassured Ning Wan Wan, “Young Junzhu, don’t worry. The young master’s injury is not serious. He’s just a bit weak, but he’ll be fine after some rest.”
“When will the uncle wake up?” she asked.
Zhou Shu pondered, “…It’s hard to say. Possibly not until tomorrow.”
Ning Wan Wan asked, “Can I… take a look at him?”
“Of course,” Zhou Shu said, gesturing, “Please, Lady Junzhu.”
Ning Wan Wan nodded and went around the screen. Fu Yi, feeling shy, waited outside.
Zhou Shu watched her enter with a loving gaze, then quietly pulled Yuan Bi aside, whispering, “Yuan Bi, what exactly is going on between the young master and that young Junzhu?”
Yuan Bi was stunned. “Just… what you saw.”
Zhou Shu lowered his voice, saying, “They were already embracing each other, so does that mean they have…”
Yuan Bi looked confused, “Already what?”
Zhou Shu rolled his eyes, “Forget it, I can’t explain it to this blockhead.”
*
Ning Wan Wan sat on a round stool by the bed, gently touching Si Zhan’s face, which was almost transparent, with concern.
“Wan Wan!” Si Zhan suddenly frowned, gripping the bedding tightly as if caught in a nightmare.
Ning Wan Wan quickly held Si Zhan’s hand, softly comforting, “I’m here, Uncle. Wan Wan is right by your side.”
Si Zhan urgently whispered, “Don’t be afraid, I will take you… out…”
“Out?” Ning Wan Wan asked, confused.
Si Zhan grasped her hand, as if afraid of losing her again.
“Uncle?” Ning Wan Wan called softly.
Si Zhan’s brow relaxed, his breathing becoming even – he had fallen asleep.
Ning Wan Wan sighed, glancing at the night sky. Seeing it was late, she tried to gently withdraw her hand, but couldn’t. When she tried again, Si Zhan’s eyebrows furrowed, frightening her into stillness.
After a while, Ning Wan Wan tried to pry open Si Zhan’s fingers while watching his expression. Si Zhan’s grip was firm; she couldn’t break free and didn’t dare use force. After struggling, Ning Wan Wan turned to Zhou Shu for help.
“Zhou Shu?”
Zhou Shu ran in, smiling, “Lady Junzhu, what’s the matter?”
Ning Wan Wan blushed, “The uncle is holding my hand too tightly. I can’t break free.”
Zhou Shu was about to offer help when his eyes flashed with concern. “Ah, it seems the young prince has gone mad. I can’t handle this.”
“Ah?” Ning Wan Wan said anxiously, “But… it’s getting late. If I don’t return soon, my grandmother will worry.”
Zhou Shu said seriously, “You’re right. I’ll use a needle to force the young prince to let go.”
“Use a needle?” Ning Wan Wan worriedly asked, “Won’t that be dangerous?”
“It’s not dangerous; his hand will just lose sensation for several days.”
“Ah?” Ning Wan Wan looked sympathetically at the unconscious Si Zhan. “Then, let the imperial uncle hold him.”
Zhou Shu suppressed his laughter, “What about Old Madam Ning?”
“I’ll have my maidservant go back and tell my grandmother.”
“I’ll call your maidservant in.” Zhou Shu then turned and left. Soon, Fu Yi entered.
“Fu Yi, I won’t be able to return tonight. Go back and tell my grandmother about today’s events to avoid worrying her.”
Fu Yi glanced at the unconscious Si Zhan, then replied, “…Yes.”
“If she asks why I didn’t return, say the imperial uncle was injured saving me, and I’m staying to take care of him. She will understand.”
“Yes.”
After Fu Yi left the warm pavilion, she bowed and exited.
Yuan Zhu hurriedly nudged her brother, “Brother, don’t just stand there. A young girl shouldn’t go home alone at night. You should escort her.”
Yuan Bi, stunned, responded, “Oh, okay,” and quickly chased after her.
Zhou Shu, watching them, sighed, “Yuan Zhu, if your brother didn’t have you, he’d probably be single for life.”
Yuan Zhu agreed.
*
Morning sunlight illuminated the warm pavilion as Ning Wanwan slowly opened her eyes, surprised by her surroundings. She sat up in panic.
“Awake?” Si Zhan’s low voice came from nearby.
Turning her head, Ning Wanwan spotted Si Zhan in a reclining chair, maintaining a distance from the bed. She was unaware when he had moved there.
Si Zhan’s hand was still holding hers as he lay on his side, looking intently at her. Somehow, she had slept on Si Zhan’s bed.
Chapter 42: Undercurrents
She covered her chest where her heart was about to burst, her small face pale as she looked at Yuan Zhu: “Why didn’t you take a carriage back?”
Yuan Zhu replied, “If I took the carriage of the Yi Wang Mansion back to the Ning Guo Gong Fu, it would tell everyone in Biandu that the Young Mistress spent the night at the Yi Wang Mansion.”
That made sense. Ning Wan Wan nodded, but before she was ready, Yuan Zhu jumped down from the roof. She didn’t have time to cry out before landing steadily in the courtyard.
“Yuan Zhu is returning to report, Young Mistress bids farewell.” The words were barely finished when she disappeared.
Ning Wan Wan finally experienced true lightness kung fu.
*
Su Yu Tang.
Ning Wan Wan sat in a red wooden chair opposite Old Madam Ning, holding a black-glazed tea bowl in one hand and a tea whisk in the other.
Old Madam Ning suddenly exclaimed, putting down the tea whisk, and teased, “What’s wrong with our Three Flavors Hand? You’re distracted; the tea foam is scattered.”
Ning Wan Wan came back to her senses and saw that the tea foam was indeed scattered.
She quickly put down the tea bowl and took a clean one. “This doesn’t count, let’s start over.”
“No need,” Old Madam Ning replied, giving Ning Wan Wan a reproachful glance. “Ever since someone came back from the Yi Wang Mansion, her soul seems to have been left there. She laughs one moment and looks worried the next. If we continue, I’m afraid it would be unfair.”
Ning Wan Wan blushed, coyly calling out, “Grandmother.”
Her grandmother pointed at her face, “Look, her face is red now.”
“Wan Wan won’t pay attention to grandmother anymore.”
Ning Wan Wan’s face turned as red as a pomegranate. She turned her back to Old Madam Ning and sat awkwardly, making Old Madam Ning laugh heartily.
“I wonder what magic the Yi Wang used to make our Wan Wan think of him so much,” Old Madam Ning sighed.
“He has no magic, he is just…” Ning Wan Wan said shyly, “He is just very good.”
