Xie Yanlai looked at the girl standing by his bed.

The girl’s attire wasn’t extravagant, but it was of fine quality. Her black hair was like clouds, her face white as jade, with bright, large eyes and a faint smile at the corners of her mouth.

She seemed somewhat unfamiliar.

He actually couldn’t remember what Chu Zhao looked like anymore.

They were strangers, after all—their brief time together on the road, and Chu Zhao had deliberately concealed her appearance.

Yet she also seemed familiar.

Looking at this girl’s smile, Xie Yanlai’s mind conjured up that A-Fu with tattered clothes and disheveled hair, covered in a layer of dust, emanating a strange cunning from inside out.

“What do I have to gloat about?” he said. “With my Third Brother here, who in this world could laugh at our Xie family?”

Chu Zhao sat down on the round stool: “It’s not a joke anyway, I don’t mind.” She looked around, “Your living quarters are quite nice.” Then she glanced at the maid retreating to the doorway.

Since the maids couldn’t attend to her, they began attending to A-Le instead, serving her tea, offering snacks, and inviting her to sit by the window to see the gourd carvings hanging there.

“You have more maids than a pampered young lady.”

She truly didn’t seem to mind, instead looking around at everything. Xie Yanlai frowned, then suddenly said: “Do you think it’s easy to sit and watch tigers fight? Miss A-Fu, your courage and appetite are growing. Do you think Xie Yanfang can’t see through your little scheme?”

Chu Zhao looked at him and asked: “What scheme of mine?”

Because he disliked bright light, his bedroom was very dim. The girl sat upright on the stool, also shrouded in the dimness, but there was an inexplicable light in her eyes.

She was smiling!

Xie Yanlai gave a cold smile.

Chu Zhao laughed audibly: “If Xie Yanfang won’t say it, then you tell me.”

She knew everything!

If she was willing to take risks, why should he meddle? Why should he interfere in matters that didn’t concern him?

Xie Yanlai withdrew his gaze and turned his face inward, his voice cold: “I have nothing to say. It has nothing to do with me. Miss Chu is all-capable, making a striking debut, unstoppable in all directions.”

The girl’s voice didn’t sound again, but footsteps rustled closer. Xie Yanlai alertly turned his head back.

“What are you doing!” he shouted.

The girl’s hand had already grabbed the quilt, about to lift it.

“Looking at your wounds,” Chu Zhao said. “Did you use the medicine I gave you? I’ve prepared a new batch this time. Let me see your condition to determine if I need to adjust it.”

Xie Yanlai found this somewhat amusing. He held down the quilt and looked at her.

“Chu Zhao,” he lowered his voice, “you only need to please Xie Yanfang. There’s no need to come here and play the good person.”

“Of course there is,” Chu Zhao said, also looking at him with a lowered voice. “You need to recover quickly and help me send a letter to my father.”

Xie Yanlai had imagined she might say various things, but he hadn’t expected this statement.

The young man’s phoenix eyes widened.

Surprised, confused, angry, yet also amused.

“Chu Zhao!” he gritted his teeth, almost cursing, “What are you talking about?”

Chu Zhao gestured for him to keep his voice down: “I won’t let you help for nothing. That’s why I’m treating your wounds.”

Xie Yanlai laughed: “Without your treatment, would I be dead?”

That was true, Chu Zhao said quietly: “To help you recover faster, suffer less. Of course, it still counts as you helping me, but if it weren’t for you, how would I have been caught and brought back?”

Xie Yanlai almost jumped up from the bed, but as he propped himself up, the pain from his wounds made him stop.

“Chu Zhao, are you sick in the head?” he said, then thought, he must be sick too, discussing who was helping whom. He suppressed his anger, his expression calm, and said word by word, “You already told Xie Yanfang everything. If you need to send a letter to your father, why come to me? Are you playing me?”

“Why would I play you? I’m serious,” Chu Zhao also had a calm expression as she looked at the young man. “Xie Yanfang is different from you.”

No, different? Xie Yanlai was momentarily speechless, looking at her.

“He can’t handle a difficult task like delivering a letter,” Chu Zhao said.

Xie Yanlai took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and the next moment threw off the quilt and jumped down from the bed—

The young man was bare-chested, wrapped in layers of bandages, appearing fierce and terrifying.

He looked as if he wanted to grab her and tear her apart.

Chu Zhao quickly retreated, shouting: “Xie Yanlai, I am Third Young Master Xie’s honored guest! You should be polite to me!”

The maids by the door were startled.

A-Le sprang up from her stool, not even setting down the gourd cricket cage in her hand as she rushed over.

Xie Yanlai’s maids also surged forward, separating the two.

“What’s happening?” “How did you start fighting when everything was fine?” “Young Master, you mustn’t strain your wounds.” “Miss Chu is a guest.” “Miss Chu, please don’t be angry. Our Young Master just has a quick temper.”

The room was filled with the gentle persuasions of women’s voices.

Chu Zhao stood behind A-Le, concealing the smile at the corners of her mouth, and took a small pouch hanging from A-Le’s waist.

“These are medicinal pills for wounds, the same as before. Take one at a time,” she said, extending her hand to pass them to the nearest maid.

That maid happily accepted and curtseyed: “Thank you, Miss Chu.”

Xie Yanlai shouted: “Who allowed you to accept that?”

The maid lowered her head, hunched her shoulders, and retreated, but didn’t drop the medicine in her hand.

Chu Zhao looked at Xie Yanlai: “I was being serious. Only you can help me with this matter.”

Xie Yanlai stood by the bed, his expression cold.

The maids standing between them didn’t retreat further, nor did they interrupt their conversation. Everyone fell silent.

“Others could help me achieve this,” Chu Zhao said. “But this is different from other matters. It’s just between my father and me.”

With that, she said no more, curtseyed, and turned to leave. A-Le, though reluctant, also curtseyed with her mistress and hurriedly followed.

The mistress and servant quickly disappeared from the dim room.

The room fell silent.

“Everyone has left, and you still don’t see me as the master here?” Xie Yanlai said.

The young man stood by the bed, his body trembling slightly, clearly unable to support himself any longer.

The maids rushed forward, calling “Young Master,” and helped him lie face down on the bed. Some fetched water, some brought tea, some wrapped bandages, and some tried to put medicine in the Young Master’s mouth—

“Ptui—” Xie Yanlai bit the pill and held it against his tongue.

The maid coaxed: “It’s medicine from Miss Chu. We just ran out, and she brought more. Young Master, open your mouth, ah—”

Xie Yanlai bit the pill and smiled coldly: “You’re not afraid she’ll poison me? Don’t you know she’s gotten into trouble and been framed? There are rumors everywhere about her and me being improperly involved. If she poisons me, that would end everything—”

“Young Master,” a maid smiled, “But there’s the Third Young Master. Miss Chu said she’s the Third Young Master’s honored guest. How could she harm you?”

Xie Yanlai’s phoenix eyes darkened as he looked at that maid: “So you have to respect the dog’s master, is that it?”

The maid’s expression turned sorrowful: “Young Master, that’s not what this servant meant—”

Xie Yanlai turned his face inward, his voice indifferent: “Leave.”

Yanlai Young Master was indeed good and indulgent toward them, but that was because he didn’t hold grudges against them. If they truly angered him, he would never use that person again.

In this household, they lived comfortably with Yanlai Young Master because they couldn’t live without him, not because Yanlai Young Master couldn’t live without them.

Yanlai Young Master could be comfortable on his own.

The maids put away their smiles and laughter, held their breath, and retreated.

But one young maid couldn’t help herself and said softly, “Young Master, Miss Chu is quite nice, she genuinely cares about you.”

The other maids quickly pulled her out.

Xie Yanlai faced inward, a trace of mockery at the corners of his mouth.

Quite nice? Miss Chu was nice indeed—terrifyingly so.

Knowing that Xie Yanfang could see through her intentions, she still dared to come and borrow his strength.

Having borrowed Xie Yanfang’s power, she remained wary of him, not letting him get close to her father.

Of course, Xie Yanfang could deliver a letter, but if he did, it would no longer be just between Chu Zhao and her father, General Chu. It would become a matter between Xie Yanfang and General Chu.

So she came to him instead.

What a Miss Chu, not only spying on the rift between the brothers but daring to exploit it.

Where did she get the confidence that he would be at her beck and call?

Because of a few medicinal pills for his wounds?

Xie Yanlai rolled the pill with the tip of his tongue. Compared to the last time, this pill was round and of the right size to swallow in one gulp.

He didn’t swallow it directly, but bit down hard, letting the bitter taste spread in his mouth.