Shen Lingzhen’s heart and eyes were entirely on Huo Liuxing’s knee, only focusing on desperately rubbing it for him, completely unaware of anything amiss until a broad hand covered the back of her hand.

At the same time, Huo Liuxing’s smiling voice sounded from above: “I’m fine. Didn’t I tell you my legs lost the ability to feel pain long ago?” As he spoke, he pinched her index finger.

Shen Lingzhen froze, detecting the hint concealed in this gesture, and only then realized her emotions had been excessive.

Zhao Xun had stayed here for a long time yet still had no substantive actions—he was simply observing something in secret. Right now in broad daylight, in public, her panic might seem to those without ulterior motives like merely a momentary fluster causing her to forget that Huo Liuxing’s legs had long lost sensation. But to those with ulterior motives, it might not be without other meanings.

Shen Lingzhen immediately reacted, withdrawing her hand: “I forgot again.” As she spoke, she seemed to feel something was wrong, shook her head, and pressed her hands back to rub again, saying seriously: “But not feeling pain is even more troublesome. You probably wouldn’t even know if your bone was shattered!”

Huo Liuxing laughed helplessly: “If it truly shattered, rubbing it like this would only make it more shattered.”

“Ah…” Shen Lingzhen quickly stopped. “Then I won’t move carelessly. Quickly have Kongqing examine you. Let’s go back to the room.”

Huo Liuxing nodded. Just then, the four servants who protected their master heard the commotion and hurried over, both pairs pushing them back to the courtyard.

All the way into the bedroom, with no outsiders around, Shen Lingzhen calmed down somewhat. Recalling the scene earlier when Huo Liuxing pinched her finger, she sneaked a glance at him.

From the looks of it, he seemed to know she had discovered his secret.

Huo Liuxing noticed her expression and also imperceptibly glanced back at her.

Kongqing and Jingmo silently exchanged looks: What’s the situation?

Jianjia and Bailu both frowned: What’s going on?

A room of six people, each harboring their own thoughts, such that when Kongqing examined Huo Liuxing’s knee, no one dared breathe heavily. Only after confirming there was no major injury did he put on a cheerful expression, attempting to ease the currently strange atmosphere: “No damage to tendons or bones. The young madam rubbed it well, dispersing the bruising, so there won’t be any discoloration.”

If it were any other time, Shen Lingzhen would have been quite pleased with herself. But now she only gave a dry laugh: “A small effort. As long as you’re all right.”

“All right,” Huo Liuxing glanced at Kongqing who was arranging his socks and boots, “everyone go down.”

Kongqing and Jingmo acknowledged and withdrew. Jianjia and Bailu looked at Shen Lingzhen, as if requesting instructions.

Shen Lingzhen nodded at them, indicating they should listen to Huo Liuxing.

Only then did the two withdraw.

Shen Lingzhen pondered whether Huo Liuxing had private words to say to her, but saw him suddenly bend down himself, lifting his robe’s hem, raising his foot slightly, and pulling up the boot Kongqing hadn’t yet arranged properly.

This was the first time Shen Lingzhen had seen these legs move. Seeing Huo Liuxing’s completely unselfconscious manner, she was momentarily dumbfounded, stammering: “Hus-husband… I’m still in the room…”

Huo Liuxing looked up at her: “I have eyes.”

If before, various things had only made him suspicious about whether Shen Lingzhen had already seen through the truth, then that finger-pinching gesture just now completely confirmed this suspicion, nailing it down.

She could jump into the river in urgency, could also ask him in urgency “does it hurt terribly,” but she couldn’t possibly understand his hint just from urgency.

If this “unable to walk” performance continued, he feared he would be watched like a monkey by this young girl.

Shen Lingzhen stared fixedly at him, watching helplessly as he finished putting on his boots and stood up with his hands braced on his knees.

She panicked, quickly looking around to see if anyone was there, only then discovering the doors and windows had long been tightly closed. Huo Liuxing should have been certain in his heart.

Watching him walk toward her step by step, she suddenly swallowed nervously, making conversation where there was none: “You’re so tall…”

Because she’d sprained her foot and had to obediently stay in the wheelchair, with one sitting and one standing, the comparison naturally gave Huo Liuxing considerably more of a commanding air.

He stopped before her, one hand behind his back, one palm gripping her wheelchair’s armrest, bending down.

At such a distance, the two were so close their breaths could be felt. Shen Lingzhen inexplicably felt a chill, her shoulders shrinking, wishing she could penetrate through the chair back, asking in a trembling voice: “What are you doing?”

“What are you afraid of?” He looked down at her thoroughly reddened ear tips. “You’ve concealed things for me everywhere, thought of me everywhere—could it be I would repay kindness with enmity and harm you?”

Shen Lingzhen didn’t dare look directly at these eyes that seemed to smile but didn’t smile, only feeling oppressed by his imposing aura cultivated from who knows where until she could barely breathe. Turning her head away: “Of course I trust you won’t harm me.”

But Huo Liuxing wouldn’t relent, turning her face back, insisting she look at him: “Then tell me, you treat me with such deep affection and loyalty—how do you hope I’ll repay you?”

Shen Lingzhen was completely confused: “I don’t want you to repay me.”

Huo Liuxing seemed to find it amusing: “You risked your life for me, yet say you don’t want repayment? All people under heaven come and go for profit. Since you’re not seeking profit…” He lowered his head, drawing so close it seemed their lips and teeth would touch, lowering his voice: “Then are you seeking affection?”

Shen Lingzhen was so startled she pushed him away forcefully.

Huo Liuxing straightened up, dusting off his wrinkled collar where she’d shoved him, and smiled.

Shen Lingzhen breathed shallowly, so uneasy that sweat had seeped out on her forehead, her eyes flickering: “Why are you suddenly acting so strange?”

“Strange how?”

“You were never like this before…”

“How was I before, and how am I now?”

Before, he was consistently gentle and proper. Even when occasionally angry or stern, he was like a deep, still pool of water. But now…

Shen Lingzhen didn’t know how to describe it for a moment. A flash of inspiration struck, and a phrase popped into her head: slyly wicked.

But raising her head and seeing him with hands clasped behind his back, looking down at her with great interest, she didn’t have the courage to say it. She swallowed the words back, shaking her head to indicate it was nothing.

She cleared her throat: “You misunderstand me. I’m not seeking… not seeking your affection.”

“Oh?”

Shen Lingzhen calmed down, nodding to herself: “If you don’t believe I want no repayment, then I’ll ask you the same question. When you initially risked your life for me, then left without leaving your name—did you ever seek my repayment?”

Huo Liuxing’s confident smile faltered: “Initially?”

“Because you worried about exposing the secret of your legs, you refused to admit it before. But things have come to this point—you should be honest with me now.” Shen Lingzhen said indignantly: “I was kidnapped at Peach Blossom Valley. If not for you desperately saving me, I would have long since died at the cliff. You just spoke to me about profit—well then, tell me how you plan to have me repay this debt of gratitude?”

Huo Liuxing suddenly fell into silence.

These words, taken character by character, he understood them all, but strung together they made no sense.

He filtered these fragmentary phrases back and forth in his mind. The hand behind his back tightened slightly. He blinked extremely slowly, asking with some uncertainty: “So it was because of this matter that you saw through the truth about my legs?”

Shen Lingzhen nodded: “You were careless and let me see your sword and scars. Only then did I discover you were the same person.”

Huo Liuxing’s forced smile became somewhat stiff: “Is it also because of this matter that you’ve helped me so much?”

She said sullenly: “Yes. I already told you, I’m someone who repays kindness.”

Huo Liuxing drew out a long “oh,” not speaking again for quite a while.

Seeing his expression change, Shen Lingzhen said puzzled: “Husband?”

Huo Liuxing turned his back, slowly walking back to the wheelchair and sitting down. The hand gripping the armrest had a slight tremor.

He recovered his usual calm and unhurried smile: “What seeking profit, what seeking affection—I was joking with you. I don’t need your repayment. I saved your life once, you also helped me once. Consider it settled, neither owing the other.”

Shen Lingzhen sniffled: “Those words are truly hurtful. You and I are now husband and wife. How can husband and wife settle accounts and owe each other nothing?”

Huo Liuxing coughed unnaturally: “You’ve seen my circumstances. Following me will only implicate you.”

“If I were afraid of being implicated, I would have exposed your secret long ago!”

Shen Lingzhen’s eyes reddened, not knowing whether from anger or hurt feelings, looking about to cry.

Huo Liuxing wheeled forward, sighed, and raised his hand to gently stroke the corner of her eye: “All right, I misspoke. From now on, we two as husband and wife will weather storms together and never speak such distant words again.”

Shen Lingzhen nodded: “That’s more like it…”

Having barely stabilized her for now, Huo Liuxing reached out to touch her hair bun in comfort: “I still have matters to attend to. Can you rest here alone?”

“What do you need to attend to?”

Naturally, to calm himself down.

Huo Liuxing suppressed the earth-shattering waves in his heart, saying with a smile: “To hear news transmitted back from the north and see how Xiqiang’s drought situation is.”

Hearing it was important business, Shen Lingzhen immediately let him go.

Huo Liuxing returned to the study with a dark expression. Just as he was about to enter, he happened to hear Jingmo say: “It really doesn’t look fake…”

Next came Kongqing’s voice: “I told you so! That scene just now—if it still can’t prove the young madam admires our master, I’ll perform eating an inkstone for you!”

Huo Liuxing pushed open the door with a “bang,” saying coldly: “Eat it. Eat it for me right now.”