Since Huo Liuxing had taken to this wheelchair, he’d never lost composure so publicly.

Over these several years, there had been times when others nearly accidentally exposed him, yet he’d never been caught in any such embarrassing miscalculation.

Fortunately, because of the hail, the Huo manor’s servants had all taken shelter indoors. At this moment there were no outsiders in the front hall—the only one who’d been unaware was Huo Shuyi.

But even so, the situation was already extremely awkward.

No matter how careless Huo Shuyi usually was, having witnessed this scene with her own eyes and combining it with her mother’s and Kongqing’s reactions, she understood the truth.

She said haltingly: “When did second brother’s legs heal…” Seeing no one answer, she laughed dryly herself to ease the atmosphere. “Yesterday? Such good news—why didn’t you tell me…”

Yu Wanjiang patted the back of her hand: “Mother will explain to you later.”

Huo Liuxing exhaled deeply and frowned at Kongqing: “Where is she?”

“Perhaps the hail blocked the path on the way in, so they’re coming more slowly.”

The moment he finished speaking, Shen Lingzhen’s voice came from outside: “Sister-in-law is truly fine, just scraped some skin. Don’t cry anymore.”

Following the sound, they saw at the end of the corridor Huo Miaoling crying so hard she could barely breathe, while Shen Lingzhen supported her shoulder from the side, comforting her.

Huo Liuxing pointed at her and demanded of Kongqing: “Head split open? Blood flowing?”

Kongqing swallowed dryly: “It’s this servant’s fault. Upon hearing the second miss say that, without even seeing the young mistress I rushed to report to you in alarm.”

Huo Liuxing closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw Shen Lingzhen being helped by Jianjia and Bailu as they approached the front hall.

As Jianjia walked, she held a silk handkerchief, trying to wipe the corner of Shen Lingzhen’s forehead: “Young mistress, quickly sit down and let this servant have a proper look.”

Huo Liuxing wheeled to the doorway, his face stern: “Come here now.”

Kongqing glanced at Huo Liuxing, thinking how could he be displacing his anger? Clearly it was the master who couldn’t control his own legs—the young mistress had done nothing wrong.

Seeing his burning fury, Shen Lingzhen didn’t dare delay. She quickly hastened her steps. The moment she crossed the threshold, he pulled her down, forcing her to bring the corner of her forehead to his eye level.

Huo Liuxing stared at the bloody wound. Indeed it wasn’t as severe as “head split open and blood flowing,” but it was by no means as trivial as “scraped some skin” either.

He didn’t know who it was who’d made such a fuss in this front hall last time over his scraped elbow, yet when it came to herself, dismissed it with such understatement.

His face dark, he instructed Kongqing: “Bring a handkerchief and clean water, and the medicine box.” He asked Jianjia and Bailu: “Two people can’t protect one mistress properly?”

The two lowered their heads. Beside them, Huo Miaoling explained through sobs: “Second brother, don’t blame them, blame me… Sister-in-law said early on that the weather was changing and we should return quickly. I was playful for a while longer, which is why we got caught in the hail. On the road, the carriage roof was punctured by hailstones. They tried to protect sister-in-law, but sister-in-law rushed to protect me instead, so she didn’t have time to look after herself…”

Yu Wanjiang and Huo Shuyi both froze.

Huo Liuxing glanced at Shen Lingzhen, said nothing more, jutted his chin to indicate she should sit beside him, then took the water-dampened handkerchief Kongqing handed over, turned her head, and began cleaning her wound.

The moment water touched the wound, Shen Lingzhen’s whole body shuddered in pain. She wanted to cry out, opened her mouth but held back, her entire person trembling finely.

Huo Liuxing looked down at her: “If it hurts, make a sound.”

“Not… not painful, I’m not in pain, not in pain…” She seemed to be encouraging herself, repeating these words over and over.

Huo Liuxing suddenly recalled what she’d said last night when drunk.

She’d said she didn’t want to marry him, yet lied to her father that she was willing.

To preserve the greater good, she’d wronged herself even before her closest family—where exactly did she plan to voice her pain?

Shen Lingzhen was still talking to distract herself: “Husband, I’m afraid this hail disaster won’t be easily overcome. If the people’s crops in the fields and pigs and sheep in their pens are destroyed, how will they make their living?”

Huo Liuxing’s hands didn’t stop moving: “The prefect will quickly handle this matter. If necessary, he’ll open local granaries for emergency relief or petition the court for funds. You needn’t worry. However, starting today…” He looked at Huo Shuyi and Huo Miaoling. “Before I give permission, none of you may step one foot outside the manor gates.”

Huo Miaoling nodded, asking worriedly: “Will it hail again outside?”

Shen Lingzhen answered while enduring the pain: “Your second brother is worried there will be rioting refugees in the city these days. In such circumstances, this is common after disasters.”

Huo Liuxing looked down at her. Seeing she’d rather talk through the pain than cry out, he turned to look at Yu Wanjiang: “Mother.”

Yu Wanjiang understood and led Huo Shuyi and Huo Miaoling away from the front hall.

Kongqing, Jianjia, and Bailu also tactfully withdrew.

After everyone left, Huo Liuxing continued cleaning as he said: “You can make sounds now.”

Shen Lingzhen glanced at him. She’d been holding back earlier because she worried that crying earth-shatteringly would make Huo Miaoling feel even more guilty. She hadn’t expected Huo Liuxing to see through it at a glance.

She smiled and said: “I’m truly not in pain now, because you’re being tender with me, husband.”

“Oh?” Huo Liuxing took a bottle of wound medicine and sprinkled the powder bit by bit onto the cleaned wound.

“Aiya… ya!” Shen Lingzhen cried out until tears sprang from her eyes. Both hands wildly grabbed onto Huo Liuxing’s lapels for support, pulling hard at him. “Husband, lighter… be lighter!”

Huo Liuxing glanced at her and withdrew his hand: “All right. This wound shouldn’t be bandaged for now. Let it air out.”

Shen Lingzhen hadn’t recovered yet. The corner of her forehead seemed to have a taut nerve pulling, throbbing with pain. She couldn’t catch her breath and gasped: “But, but it still hurts very much.”

“What can be done? This medicine hurts, which is why it heals faster.”

Shen Lingzhen hinted: “In the past when I saw Mother get injured from practicing martial arts, Father would always blow on it for her…”

Blow… blow on it?

This procedure seemed never to have existed in Huo Liuxing’s life: “Blow with what?”

Shen Lingzhen looked at him, thinking he didn’t not understand—he was just unwilling. She said “Blow with a suona horn” and released his lapels, sitting to the side to recover on her own.

Huo Liuxing sighed, wheeled forward, silently steadied her head, leaned over and blew a breath toward the wound, paused as if feeling the force wasn’t right, lightened it somewhat, and blew again.

Shen Lingzhen watched his focused appearance, looked up to see close at hand his crimson thin lips, straight nose bridge, and pair of slightly upturned peach blossom eyes. A strange and peculiar feeling suddenly arose in her heart.

The corner of her forehead no longer hurt, but these breaths of air tickled all the way into her heart, making her whole body feel numb and tingly as if insects were crawling over it.

Not knowing why herself, she hastily drew back: “Good… good, I’m not in pain anymore. Thank you, husband.”

Huo Liuxing’s hand was still frozen in mid-air in the position of holding her head as he said “Oh.”

Shen Lingzhen turned sideways, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Seeing him looking at her, she quickly averted her gaze. After a moment, she glanced at him again.

Huo Liuxing looked down at himself: “What?”

“Have I ever told you, husband, that you’re very handsome?”

Huo Liuxing blinked slowly: “You’re only now discovering this?”

“I discovered it on the first day, but I don’t know why, today I suddenly wanted to say it.”

The corner of Huo Liuxing’s mouth twitched upward, then he put on a stern face again. After a while, he turned his head away and twitched the corner of his mouth again.