Gao Huan naturally wouldn’t die. But injury upon injury was indeed serious.

Luoshen hurriedly had people carefully carry him into the tent and urgently called for a military doctor.

The guard unit included a military doctor who had just been treating injured guards. Hearing that Gao Huan was also wounded by an arrow, he rushed over.

Gao Huan lay there, grimacing in pain, groaning “ai yo, ai yo.” Suddenly seeing Li Mu, Fan Cheng, and the military doctor entering together, he immediately gritted his teeth against the pain and closed his mouth.

The military doctor roughly examined the wound, seeing the arrowhead lodged backwards into the flesh. From the appearance, it had penetrated deep to the bone, and the flesh wound seemed torn open—somewhat different from ordinary arrow wounds. He asked how the injury occurred.

Gao Huan immediately winked at Luoshen, signaling her not to tell the truth.

A servant woman bringing water hadn’t paid attention, heard this, and casually said: “Sixth Young Master was hit by an arrow but didn’t notice himself, still running around everywhere. Only when someone reminded him did he realize. Must have been weak in the knees—sat right down on the ground. My goodness, we watched him break the arrow shaft by sitting on it…”

Gao Huan was usually cheerful with everyone at home, had no airs before the servants, and was well-liked.

As the servant woman spoke, she kept hissing sympathetically, her face showing pain on his behalf.

The military doctor understood.

Seeing Li Mu’s gaze directed at him, Gao Huan felt extremely ashamed and weakly argued: “Brother-in-law, don’t believe it. I stepped on a pebble and momentarily lost my footing…”

As he spoke, his face reddened with embarrassment, extremely mortified, no longer daring to look at Li Mu.

Li Mu smiled slightly, reached out and encouragingly patted his shoulder, then turned to tell the military doctor to treat him quickly.

The military doctor took scissors to cut Gao Huan’s pants.

Gao Huan was startled, cried out, endured the pain, and kept glancing at Luoshen with both eyes.

Li Mu understood. Turning to Luoshen, he said softly: “Don’t panic. Please step out for a moment? I’m here.”

Seeing Gao Huan’s wound bloody and mangled, Luoshen felt her heart jumping with alarm, also feeling flustered and not thinking much at the moment.

Reminded by Li Mu, she realized his injury was in an inappropriate place. Though they were siblings, her younger brother was grown up and probably embarrassed to have her see. Listening to Li Mu’s advice, she nodded and went out first.

She sat on a ground felt temporarily laid outside the tent, listening intently to the sounds inside.

After Li Mu came, she hadn’t heard Gao Huan cry out in pain.

It was the same now.

Only occasional miscellaneous sounds came from inside the tent.

After a while, a muffled whimpering sound came out, as if Gao Huan was trying hard to restrain himself, then the inside became quiet again.

A servant woman came out carrying a basin of bloody water.

Fan Cheng also followed out.

Luoshen quickly stood up, went toward him, and anxiously asked: “How is my younger brother?”

Fan Cheng hurriedly said: “Don’t worry. The arrowhead has been removed, no poison. After resting for some time, Sixth Young Master’s wound will heal.”

Only then did Luoshen breathe a little easier.

Fan Cheng looked at her, stepped forward and said: “Miss, such an accident happened tonight. Not only can Sixth Young Master not travel, but over ten of our brothers were also injured, and all the tents were burned for fires. Setting out immediately would be quite inconvenient…”

He paused.

“Governor Li’s suggestion just now was to spend the night here temporarily, and tomorrow morning everyone should return to Yicheng with him first. When the injuries heal, we can discuss returning south again. What does Miss think?”

Tonight’s unexpected incident injured not just Gao Huan alone.

Actually, even without Fan Cheng speaking, Luoshen had long given up the thought of continuing on the road immediately. She nodded: “General Fan, please arrange as you see fit.”

She returned to the tent and saw Gao Huan still lying there, his lower body covered with a thin blanket. The wound must have been properly treated, but he still bit down on a piece of cloth, his face deathly pale with beads of cold sweat on his forehead.

Knowing he must have suffered greatly when the arrowhead was removed, she felt extremely distressed. Going forward, she knelt beside him, took a handkerchief to gently wipe his sweat, and asked: “Does it still hurt badly? If it hurts, don’t endure it—just cry out.”

Gao Huan glanced at Li Mu who was still speaking quietly with the military doctor nearby, spat out the cloth from his mouth, and declared loudly: “It doesn’t hurt! A real man—what’s this little wound?”

Luoshen said nothing, continuing to wipe his sweat.

“By the way, Sister, I’m injured like this—I must return to Yicheng to recover… Sister, you stay too and keep me company for a few days, alright?”

Gao Huan looked at Luoshen hopefully.

Luoshen nodded.

Gao Huan’s face showed joy. He glanced at Li Mu again, wiggled his body happily, but accidentally touched his wound and hissed.

Li Mu finished instructing the military doctor, glanced at Luoshen who was looking down caring for Gao Huan, turned and lifted the tent flap, leaving the tent.

Luoshen had actually been paying attention to him all along. Seeing him finish speaking with the military doctor and leave without saying a word to her, she couldn’t help remembering how before the incident, he had been holding her and forcibly trying to kiss her. Her heart suddenly felt empty.

She finished wiping Gao Huan’s sweat, gave him some water to drink, told him to lie still and not move around, then sat quietly beside him.

A’Ju came in from outside the tent, carrying a bowl of medicine. She came over, blew on it to cool it, fed him the medicine, complained about his carelessness, asked if it hurt, also with a face full of distress.

Luoshen watched from the side. After A’Ju finished feeding him the medicine, she called her out to ask about her solo return that morning.

“Nanny Ju, you concealed it from me and went back, talking nonsense before him was one thing, but how could you spit in his face?”

A’Ju could tell from her tone that she was very displeased. In her heart, she had already regretted it long ago.

“It’s indeed my fault. I was just too angry this morning… I’ll go find Li Langjun now to apologize and admit my mistake. Even kneeling would be fine.”

Saying this, she turned to hurry away.

Luoshen stopped her: “Never mind! Forget it this time, but there must not be a next time!”

She paused and sighed.

“Originally when I came on this trip, I didn’t want you to accompany me. The journey is hard, and your legs aren’t good. I wanted to have you stay in Jiankang to accompany my mother, but you refused, insisting on coming with me. Nanny, I know you do this out of care for me. But your humiliating him like this—what difference is there from humiliating me?”

A’Ju hurriedly said: “Miss, don’t be angry. Nanny knows she was wrong! I won’t dare again in the future!”

Seeing her express her position like this, Luoshen could only let it go. She returned to the tent to continue accompanying Gao Huan.

Fan Cheng began directing his men to clean up the chaotic battlefield, also cut some branches and thatch from nearby to hastily build a shelter for those dozen or so injured guards, while the rest slept in the open.

To guard against any eventuality, he also assigned additional personnel to take turns guarding outside the camp.

After all the bustle, the camp finally settled down again.

Gao Huan’s wound was painful. Lying there, he tossed and turned for a long time, finally unable to resist exhaustion, falling asleep in a daze.

Luoshen stayed with him throughout. Seeing him finally fall asleep, she sighed with relief, was lost in thought for a moment, then came out of the tent. Standing at the entrance looking around, she walked near a night guard and asked where Li Mu was.

The guard pointed toward the river.

The night was already deep.

After traveling during the day and experiencing such a terrifying battle at night, the guards who could finally rest had spread their outer garments on the ground, lying at the foot of trees or beside stones, already fast asleep.

Luoshen quietly passed by those guards lying on the ground and came to the waterside.

Not far away, on several flat stone areas by the water, people were already lying scattered in sleep.

But Li Mu wasn’t resting yet.

From afar, Luoshen saw him by the water in the moonlight, washing and brushing his black horse.

He used grass bundles in his hands to carefully clean the black horse’s body, completely absorbed.

Luoshen watched quietly.

After a while, he seemed to sense something, raised his head, glanced in her direction, stopped what he was doing, patted the black horse’s head, let it go freely, then washed his hands and walked over.

“Not sleeping yet?”

He stopped several steps away and asked.

Luoshen lowered her gaze and softly hummed in response.

“How is your younger brother?”

“He kept complaining of pain at first, but just now he finally fell asleep with difficulty.”

He nodded.

“The first few days are somewhat painful. When he gets to the city tomorrow, I have other wound medicine there. Once applied, it should ease the pain somewhat.”

After saying this, he glanced at her and seemed to suddenly remember something, then continued: “If you’re anxious to return, that’s fine too. Tomorrow after we rest and reorganize, I’ll personally escort you to Jingzhou. Your brother might as well stay behind and return after his wound heals.”

Luoshen raised her face and slowly shook her head.

“I’ll wait and return with my younger brother.” she said.

Li Mu made an affirmative sound.

“Good. At the fastest half a month, at most a month or so.”

After speaking, he turned to look at the dark wilderness around them.

“You traveled during the day and must be tired, and you were frightened earlier. Go sleep peacefully. I’ll keep watch.”

When he spoke to her, his tone was still so gentle.

But Luoshen always had a feeling.

After fighting that battle in the evening, his attitude had changed greatly, as if he were dismissing her.

She tried hard to ignore the faint sense of grievance rising in her heart, biting her lip.

“I came looking for you to apologize.”

“This morning didn’t Nanny Ju find fault with you and spit on you? I didn’t tell her to go back. She told me she was going back to retrieve something. If I had known, I definitely wouldn’t have allowed her to return. I already spoke to her just now. There won’t be such incidents in the future. I apologize to you—please don’t hold it against her.”

Under the moonlight, Luoshen saw him smile with relaxed brows, touch his forehead, and say: “No matter, just a bit of spit—nothing to me. Besides, I deserved it.”

As he spoke, he walked toward Luoshen.

“It’s getting late, and there’s wind outside. Let me escort you back.”

Luoshen was escorted by him, the two walking one after the other, again passing by those sleeping guards on the ground, returning to her tent.

“Go sleep.”

He said, his voice gentler than moonlight.

Luoshen glanced at him, turned her head, and silently went inside.

That night, she was weighed down with thoughts. Gao Huan beside her would occasionally groan a few times, and she barely closed her eyes. The next morning she got up, forced herself to be alert, waited for Fan Cheng to break camp, sat in the carriage, and set off turning back toward the city. The journey was smooth, and by evening they reached the city.

Li Mu hadn’t returned all night. Jiang Tao had sent scouts out today who encountered them halfway.

The scouts brought back news. Knowing that everyone had encountered an attack by the Hou clan last night, Jiang Tao brought people far out of the city to meet them.

Entering the city, Li Mu escorted Luoshen and Gao Huan back to the Governor’s residence, again settling them in yesterday’s courtyard.

Afterward, Luoshen saw him leave hastily, apparently going to the front hall to summon people for discussions.

A’Ju began busy leading people to tidy up the rooms, taking out all the daily necessities that had been packed away yesterday and arranging them again, re-making the bed. She also tidied up Gao Huan’s room and settled him in.

Gao Huan had shared a carriage with Luoshen today. The injured area on his buttocks appeared even more swollen than yesterday.

But compared to Luoshen’s forced cheerfulness, his spirits were exceptionally good today.

Luoshen brought the freshly brewed medicine to his room. The military doctor happened to come to change his dressing, saying Governor Li had specifically sent it over.

After the military doctor left, he lay on that broken bed that was barely a few inches wider than a door plank, looking like he could barely contain his laughter.

Faced with such a heartless Sixth Young Master, A’Ju was also helpless. Because the military doctor had instructed that the wound couldn’t touch water and needed regular dressing changes, plus it was inconvenient for him to get up, daily matters would be improper for young maidservants, while A’Ju worried that older ones might be too rough in their care. She told Qiongshu and others to serve Miss well while she moved over to care for him first.

With tidying here and bustling there, night quickly deepened.

Luoshen stayed in Gao Huan’s room until nearly the end of the xu hour before returning to her own room.

From departing Jiankang, traveling over mountains and rivers for more than a month on the road, arriving the night before last, leaving yesterday morning, camping last night with such an incident, and returning tonight.

There had been almost no pause in between.

Luoshen knew that the accompanying maidservants and servants were all exhausted. When bath water was brought over, she told everyone to go rest and not attend to her anymore.

In this late spring, early summer weather, she hadn’t bathed for several nights, only wiping her body.

Today at noon it had been a bit hot, and now her body was sticky with sweat, very uncomfortable.

Luoshen dismissed everyone and prepared to bathe. When closing the door, she discovered even the door bolt was broken.

Qiongshu had just offered to stay and serve her but had been dismissed. Not wanting to call people back now, she had no choice but to set her sights on the desk in the room.

The desk was very old, with peeling paint everywhere, but was made of solid poplar and very heavy.

Luoshen exerted tremendous effort and finally managed to drag the desk inch by inch to behind the door, propping it against the door.

Testing it, it seemed fairly secure. Only then did she feel at ease, turned to the corner where a curtain had been temporarily hung to serve as a bath area, removed her clothes, and stepped into the tub.

The tub had been found from somewhere by a servant woman in the evening, washed clean, and was barely usable.

The servant woman, knowing Miss loved cleanliness, had specially scalded it with boiling water. But Luoshen suspected it had been used by who knows whom before, refused to sit in it, and only stood in the water to wash.

While washing, suddenly she heard faint rustling sounds from overhead.

As if something had quickly scurried across the roof beam above her head.

Before she could react, a black object dropped straight down in front of her.

“Splash”—it fell perfectly into the water, creating a spray.

Luoshen was greatly startled.

Looking down, she was horrified to see something dark and seemingly crawling in the water.

Though the candlelight in the room was dim, it was sufficient for her to see clearly.

Crawling in the water was actually a mouse, its four paws paddling, squeaking, swimming rapidly toward her legs.

“Ah—”

Luoshen’s eyes went round as she let out an earth-shaking scream.

While screaming, she frantically scrambled out of the tub.

“A’Mi!”

Li Mu’s voice suddenly came from outside the door.

“What happened to you?”

A series of banging sounds on the door.

“Ah—”

“A’Mi!”

The calling from outside the door became anxious.

Accompanied by a loud “bang,” the desk propping against the door moved back and toppled over, and the door fell to the ground.

Li Mu appeared in the doorway, rushed toward the corner where she was making noise, and yanked open the curtain.

He froze, unable to move his feet.

“Mouse!”

Luoshen was jumping about constantly, face full of terror, one hand clutching a bundle of clothes, barely covering her chest. Turning her head, she saw that mouse had actually followed her out of the tub, dripping wet, claws gripping the edge, its beady little eyes seeming to stare at her. Her whole body shuddered with horror, she screamed again, and without regard for anything else threw herself toward that familiar man.

Li Mu instinctively opened his arms, catching that white body that threw itself at him.

The mouse was probably also frightened by Luoshen’s screaming. As if drunk, it fell back into the water with a thud, splashed around a few more times, then crawled out again, jumped down from the tub, and scurried away like a streak, disappearing without a trace.

Li Mu stood motionless, only coming to his senses after a long moment.

Tonight he had summoned people for discussions and arrangements, just finishing when he returned and reached the gate of the courtyard, hearing her screams from inside the room. The voice was full of fear—not knowing what had happened, and finding the door blocked, he forced his way in.

He hadn’t expected to be greeted by such a scene.

The girl in his arms clung tightly to him, her wet body curled into a ball in his embrace, her snow-white back covered with disheveled long hair.

Her skin was so slippery his hands could barely hold her.

Li Mu just looked down once and his blood surged, holding her motionless, only softly comforting: “Don’t be afraid, it’s alright. The mouse has run away.”

Luoshen felt her feet leave the ground, her whole person held in his arms, and only then did that feeling as if her entire body had grown cold hairs recede.

Slowly calming down, she suddenly realized she was still naked, with only a garment she had frantically grabbed covering her chest, her arms tightly hugging his waist.

Although before, they had already done such things together.

But this time was different from that time. So much time had passed in between.

Moreover, there were still some issues between them now.

She immediately flushed red, hurriedly loosened her arms, clutched the garment to cover her body as much as possible, twisted to get down, mumbling: “Put me down quickly!”