The summer sky resembled a doll’s face. Just yesterday, there was a fierce wind, but now, the sun shone brightly, causing the cicadas in the corner of the wall to chirp impatiently. If one listened carefully amid the cacophony of cicada calls, one could discern a few muffled groans and moans mixed in from within the walls.
The moans seemed elusive, drifting softly with the gentle breeze amidst the fragrance of flowers outside the window. If one followed the sound, one could see a man lying on the bed with his strong upper body exposed, his gaze gently fixed on the woman sitting at the edge of the bed. The woman’s sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she leaned towards his chest.
Yuexi carefully tied the last piece of gauze around Xiaodu, finally finishing changing the medicine. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and inquired carefully, “How’s the medicine today? Do you still feel numb?”
Xiaodu rested his chin on his hand and smiled at her, “Any medicine you administer is naturally the best.”
Yuexi frowned, “Stop flattering me. The injury on your shoulder could be serious or minor. I’ve only assisted Dr. Li in diagnosis and never prescribed medication alone. If this medicine doesn’t work, it could be troublesome.”
Xiaodu shrugged, “It’s just a bit more painful for a few days. Since you aspire to be a doctor, it’s a good opportunity to practice on my injury.”
Yuexi glared at him, considering for a moment before reluctantly saying, “Perhaps we should call Physician Zuo to have a look, just in case…”
Xiaodu grabbed her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it, “I want you to treat me. My lady is skilled and gentle. Why bother finding an old man?”
Yuexi’s irritation softened by his actions, her palm tingling from his touch. She shook her head helplessly, thinking she would find a chance to consult Physician Zuo later. At that moment, Xiaodu looked at her expectantly, “We haven’t done acupuncture today.”
Yuexi thought for a moment, then asked him to lie down properly. She took out the needle box and lightly pressed her fingers on his shoulder acupuncture points, asking, “Still feeling painful?”
Feeling her warm fingers gently massage his back, Xiaodu began to feel a tingling sensation spreading to his limbs. He said, “Yes, it hurts everywhere. Please needle me properly.”
Yuexi wasn’t very skilled in acupuncture, so she was very cautious with each needle, fearing she might hurt him by mistake. She leaned closer, almost touching her nose to his body, her warm breath constantly brushing against his bare skin. Xiaodu felt the tingling sensation all over his body turning into heat, rushing towards his lower abdomen. His voice became hoarse, “It hurts below too. Needle there as well.”
Yuexi found it strange; the injury was on his shoulder, so why would he feel pain below? Nevertheless, she cautiously explored downwards with her fingertips, finally reaching his waist and abdomen. Xiaodu smirked mischievously and teased her to needle lower. Yuexi suddenly understood, her face instantly flushing red. She randomly pricked the needle below his waist, scolding, “That should be where it hurts!”
Xiaodu, feeling a sharp pain at his waist, exclaimed, “Ouch!” Innocently, he looked at her, “Physician’s heart, Yuexi, how could you treat your patient like this?”
Yuexi withdrew the needle, saying, “You’re not afraid of knife wounds, let alone this tiny needle. Consider it a lesson. See if you dare to be improper with the physician again.”
Unexpectedly, Xiaodu sat up, leaned close to her ear with a wicked smile, and whispered, “It hurts below. Later, you should treat me properly.”
Yuexi understood his implication, her face reddening once again. She tried to push him away, but he caught her hand and pulled her towards him.
Yuexi felt that if this continued, there would inevitably be another battle, and his injury might never fully heal. She struggled to free herself from his grasp, saying, “By the way, what’s the matter with Xuan’er and Xia Qing?”
Xiaodu’s smile stiffened as he recalled the scene of returning to the mansion that day, feeling deeply unsettled. Even though Xia Qing had once proposed to marry Xuan’er in the dense forest, he had only considered it as a bargaining chip for cooperation. Who would have thought that at the entrance of the Marquis’ Mansion, seeing Xuan’er’s expression, he knew they must have met before? He wondered when Xuan’er had provoked this libertine.
What was most hateful was when Xia Qing passed by them, he said in a tone only audible to the two of them, “Your Highness, have you ever considered what would happen to your family if that time comes? You can protect yourself, but what about your family?” Then he turned to Xiao Zhixuan, winked at her, and said, “I’m the only one capable of protecting your family, so, Your Highness, think carefully about my previous proposal.”
It was clear that this statement contained a threat. Xiaodu shook his head, deciding not to let this unpleasant person ruin the atmosphere at the moment. He said to Yuexi, “Ignore him. Xia Qing is a person with a complex background and deep schemes. He did mention to me about wanting to marry Xuan’er, I think it’s because he wants to gain a way out. This way, no matter who between me and His Majesty wins in the end, he won’t lose everything. Unfortunately for him, his plan backfired. No matter the reason, I will never let my sister marry such an unscrupulous person.”
Yuexi sighed softly, “Although Xuan’er is young, she has experienced things that most women in the inner chambers would never encounter in their lifetime. I hope she can find a good marriage and live peacefully for the rest of her life, with someone to cherish and protect her.”
At the same time, the person they were discussing was sitting in the courtyard, fanning himself with a silk fan, lost in thought. Xia Zhixuan stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly turned to Rong Yue, the maid who had been serving her, and asked, “Do you know who Xia Qing is?”
Rong Yue was startled by her question, staring wide-eyed, “Miss, you’ve put me in a difficult position. I’m just a servant girl, how would I understand the matters of high officials and nobility?” After a moment of thought, she chuckled and covered her mouth, “But from what I’ve seen, he’s not bad-looking at all. His demeanor and appearance are not much inferior to His Highness.”
Xia Zhixuan playfully tapped her head with the fan, “You’re always so infatuated. Big Brother said that person is not a good character. It’s best to stay away from him.” For some reason, she always remembered Xia Qing’s words before leaving, “I’m the only one capable of protecting your family.” When he said that, his gaze was like a hook, sticking straight to her, making her feel as if the words had a hidden meaning. But… she sighed, propping her chin, feeling troubled, “But Big Brother is also unwilling to say a few more words. He just said to keep away from him.”
“If Third Miss wants to know, she can come and ask me herself!” A voice with a hint of laughter came from the wall. Xia Zhixuan was startled, and quickly stood up and looked towards the direction of the sound, only to see Xia Qing sitting on the wall with his legs dangling, leaning against a peach tree, smiling broadly.
She was stunned, stuttering, “You! How did you get here?”
Xia Qing raised an eyebrow, “I heard Third Miss missed me, so I rushed over immediately to relieve Miss’s lovesickness.” At this moment, seeing the maid beside Xia Zhixuan scared and running off to call someone, he plucked a peach blossom from beside him and tossed it into Xia Zhixuan’s arms, saying, “A peach blossom for the beauty, Third Miss, please accept it.” Then he leaped backward and disappeared.
Xia Zhixuan heard the hurried footsteps of the guards approaching, feeling her heart pounding faster. She quickly walked to a secluded spot, took out the peach blossom, and found a note tied to it, which read: “Tomorrow, at the third quarter of the hour of the rabbit, by the side of Qianjing Lake, at the Moon Pavilion, don’t be late.”
The next day, under the warm sunshine and gentle breeze, Qianjing Lake shimmered with ripples, and the Moon Pavilion stood by the lakeside, surrounded by green willows and lush grass, creating a picturesque scene. Normally, this place would be bustling with tourists, but today, there was not a soul in sight, as if someone deliberately kept outsiders away.
Xia Zhixuan looked at the figure standing with hands behind his back in the pavilion, feeling somewhat anxious. She had done many bold things in her life, but she had never secretly met a man like this before. She had only learned yesterday from Uncle Zhou how notorious this man had been in the past. Despite her young age, she was not naive. She could tell that this man had intentions towards her.
When Xia Qing heard footsteps behind him, he slowly turned around. Today, he was dressed in a bright red robe with a golden belt around his waist. His black hair was tied up with a jade crown, and his sleeves fluttered in the wind, giving him a more leisurely and elegant appearance than his usual martial attire.
His gaze blatantly swept over Xia Zhixuan from head to toe, and then he revealed a smirk full of ill intentions. Xia Zhixuan took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to retreat, and walked up to him with a polite gesture, saying, “Uncle Xia, greetings!”
Xia Qing’s smile froze on his face, and then he immediately showed a pained expression and said, “To address me like this, Third Miss, truly hurts my heart.”
Xia Zhixuan inwardly chuckled, then pretended to innocently widen her eyes and said, “I heard from Uncle Zhou that you’re twelve years older than me. But you’re still not as old as my father, otherwise, I could call you ‘uncle’.”
This time, Xia Qing couldn’t maintain his smile. He gave her a fierce glare but quickly returned to an indifferent expression, saying, “Uncle it is then. But if Third Miss insists on calling me ‘brother’, it won’t end well for you either.”
Xia Zhixuan was taken aback, then she remembered the first encounter with him. That day, she was supposed to go to the Western Hills for a picnic but happened to see Zhou Tong, the fourth son of the Minister of Revenue, bullying a peasant. Although the Marquis’ Mansion and the Zhou family were considered friends, she couldn’t stand by, so she approached Zhou Tong as if they were close siblings from childhood, then took advantage of his distraction to swindle a large sum of money from him and later compensated the old man with that money.
But she didn’t expect that the person accompanying Zhou Tong at that time could easily see through her actions. However, he didn’t expose her and just followed her for a few blocks, which infuriated her and ruined her mood for the day. She never imagined that the person she complained about to her sister-in-law would turn out to be the famous Commander of the Feather Guards, Xia Qing.
When Xia Zhixuan’s thoughts drifted away from her memories, she found that Xia Qing’s face had leaned in close to her, almost touching her. She couldn’t help but take a step back, saying, “So, Uncle Xia, what did you invite me here for today?”
Xia Qing, ignoring the annoying title, gave her a slight smile and said, “It’s not a big deal, just wanted to propose to Third Miss.”
Xia Zhixuan was truly surprised this time. She had never expected this man to have such intentions. She quickly steadied her flustered mind and said, “Uncle Xia, please don’t joke. I’ve heard that you have numerous concubines at home. Zhixuan is just an ignorant little girl, how can I be worthy of you?”
But Xia Qing didn’t relent, he kept advancing towards her, saying, “Xia is sincere towards Third Miss. If Third Miss minds, you just need to agree to enter the household, and I will send away all the concubines.”
Xia Zhixuan was truly flustered this time. She had just come of age and didn’t know how to handle such fervent confession. Meanwhile, the detestable smirk kept approaching her, almost reaching her face with his breath. She felt breathless and could only lower her head and keep stepping back. Suddenly, Xia Qing reached out and grabbed her waist, laughing, “Step back again, and you’ll fall.”