Dao Qin had just finished dealing with that girl who didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth and dared to put drugs in the wine. Returning to the courtyard gate, he ran right into Lu Xian who was coming back with furrowed brows to give instructions. They hadn’t even exchanged more than a few words when they suddenly heard a commotion from outside.

“Where’s Zhou Qihuang? Call Zhou Qihuang here!”

This was clearly Jian Shu’s voice, only it had lost its usual composure. Beyond urgency, it carried several points of panic.

Both Dao Qin and Lu Xian were startled.

A trace of foreboding flashed through both their hearts.

When they walked forward to look, they actually saw a large patch of spreading bloodstains on Xie Wei’s abdomen, his face already drained of color. Jian Shu and a soldier supported him, while all around them a dense crowd of people surrounded them left and right, talking over each other, flustered and at a loss.

Lu Xian was stunned.

Dao Qin nearly failed to hold steady the blade in his arms. After a moment of shock, he immediately stepped forward, harshly rebuking and dispersing the idle people around, helping to support the person into the room to lie down, only saying, “What happened?”

Jian Shu didn’t speak, hurriedly going to search through the medicine box.

Lu Xian said, “Wasn’t everything fine when I left? What happened? Who did this? Have they caught the person?”

Xie Wei hadn’t lost consciousness yet, but the pain was excruciating. His forehead was densely covered with cold sweat, unable to speak.

Dao Qin forcefully pressed him down to lie still, trying to minimize blood loss from the wound.

But hearing no answer from Jian Shu, rarely becoming anxious, he said, “Weren’t you following him? Speak up!”

What could Jian Shu dare say?

When he heard the commotion and turned to look, he only saw Jiang Xuening with blood on her hands, walking past expressionlessly. By the time he rushed to the city gate tower, the master had already collapsed.

Even if given a hundred times the courage, he wouldn’t dare say more.

Dao Qin was about to ask again.

But Lu Xian’s eyelid twitched. Discerning some clues, he pressed down on him and gently shook his head.

Dao Qin was startled, suddenly also thinking of something, and closed his mouth.

Even before the person entered the manor gate, someone had already rushed ahead to notify. Zhou Qihuang had only arrived at the border a few days ago, helping treat some wounded soldiers in the army. He was suffering from having no place to use his skills. He hadn’t expected that now that the war had ended, they would urgently summon him.

When he came, he was still wondering who he would be treating this time.

But upon entering the room and seeing Xie Wei covered in blood, he nearly scared himself into dropping his medicine box. He hurriedly came forward to examine the wound: “What happened? An assassin?”

Lu Xian frowned, “Look at the wound!”

After Zhou Qihuang examined it thoroughly, his heart settled somewhat and he breathed a sigh of relief: “Don’t panic, don’t panic. The problem isn’t serious. Narrow-bladed sharp knife, went in fast but not deep—the blade didn’t even go all the way in, as if showing mercy. The cut isn’t large either, didn’t injure any vital organs—just lost a lot of blood. Won’t be fatal.”

Xie Wei’s lips had turned pale.

Yet Zhou Qihuang ruthlessly pressed hard on the wound edges, ordering Jian Shu beside him: “In my medicine box, second layer—take out the Mafeisan and have the master take it with wine!”

Without a word, Jian Shu did as instructed.

A dose of Mafeisan was retrieved from the medicine box and served to Xie Wei with wine.

The medicine would take a while to take effect.

Only when Zhou Qihuang felt that Xie Wei had stopped trembling did he dip some liquor from beside him to clean and treat the wound.

At this time, the pain sensation became dulled.

Xie Wei finally had some strength to speak.

Yet gritting his teeth as he opened his mouth, he said to Dao Qin and Jian Shu, “Ning’er, go, find Ning’er…”

Both Dao Qin and Jian Shu froze.

Xie Wei abruptly threw the wine bowl from earlier onto the ground, violent energy growing: “Go!”

Lu Xian only felt his heart pounding with alarm.

Jian Shu and Dao Qin looked at each other.

In the end, it was Dao Qin who suddenly rose, saying, “I’ll go find her.”

He left the courtyard and grabbed those people who had followed them back, asking, “Have you seen Second Miss Ning?”

Most people shook their heads.

Someone said, “I did see Second Miss Ning talking with Master Shaoshi together on the city tower.”

So Dao Qin headed all the way out of the manor.

He originally thought that since the master told him to find Second Miss Ning’s whereabouts, Second Miss Ning might have left, so he wanted to start investigating from the city tower area and send several people out to inquire.

Unexpectedly, before even leaving the manor, he ran into the old steward.

Seeing him hurrying along, the other couldn’t help asking, “Where is Young Master Dao Qin going?”

Dao Qin casually replied, “To find Second Miss Ning.”

The old steward was immediately astonished, saying, “Didn’t Second Miss Ning return to the manor early? I just saw her from afar walking toward the eastern courtyard.”

Dao Qin was startled: “What?”

The old steward didn’t understand.

But Dao Qin couldn’t be bothered to explain more. Without another word, he turned around and headed toward the eastern courtyard.

He knew where Jiang Xuening was staying.

Walking all the way there, there were even maids carrying tea and fruit plates, chatting and laughing as they walked toward the courtyard.

Following them in, Dao Qin finally caught sight of Jiang Xuening.

As if nothing had happened, she had returned to the General’s Manor, washed the blood off her hands, actually called You Fangying over, and come to Shen Zhiyi’s room to keep her company. The three of them had set up a square table, lit a brazier, and gathered beneath the window for a game of leaf cards.

By now they had already played several rounds.

You Fangying had been waiting for her at the tea seat earlier, and seeing her come down from the city tower with blood on her hands, she nearly cried out in fright.

Following her back all the way, she didn’t dare ask a single question.

Now accompanying them playing cards, she just pretended she hadn’t seen anything, only holding the cards in her hand, frowning as she considered which one to play.

Shen Zhiyi still didn’t know anything had happened outside. Not paying attention, she’d gotten a good hand and asked with a smile, “Did you two go stroll the streets? Ningning, didn’t you say a couple days ago you were preparing to leave? Instead of hurrying to make travel arrangements, you’re here keeping me company playing cards.”

Jiang Xuening said, “Isn’t this because we see Your Highness is bored?”

As she spoke, she threw out a card.

You Fangying looked at it but didn’t take it.

Shen Zhiyi glanced at her own cards, immediately beaming, put down one that perfectly covered it, saying, “So when are you leaving?”

Jiang Xuening’s approach to playing cards had always been to just play her own hand well enough, not caring to calculate others’ cards. She gestured for her to continue, only replying, “Not leaving anymore.”

You Fangying immediately looked at her.

Shen Zhiyi was also startled: “What happened?”

Jiang Xuening wore a weary expression, as if too lazy to elaborate: “When people are shameless and trees are barkless, one survives however one can. An arm can’t twist a thigh—after calculating everything, I’m not the one who has to kneel. Consoling myself, I’ll just consider it accumulating virtue and doing good deeds. I’ll just muddle through life however. I’m a coward—I don’t have the guts to seek death or make a fuss.”

How perceptive was Shen Zhiyi?

She almost immediately sensed there was something she didn’t know about.

But seeing that Jiang Xuening didn’t seem to want to discuss it, after thinking it over, she ultimately didn’t ask further, only saying, “As long as you don’t wrong yourself.”

By this point in the round, the outcome was clear. You Fangying had lost quite a bit.

Jiang Xuening neither won nor lost, but looking at the cards You Fangying put down, couldn’t help saying, “You had cards but didn’t play them, deliberately not taking mine. With you being so kind-hearted and easy to bully, I don’t know how you’ve managed to do business these past two years?”

You Fangying only pressed her lips together and smiled at her shyly.

Jiang Xuening was amused despite her irritation.

But Shen Zhiyi held her cards to cover her lips as she laughed, magnanimously collecting the silver on the table, joking, “Then I’ll count myself lucky—through a happy coincidence, I’ve become the biggest winner in the end. I won’t be modest about it!”

This was just to keep her company and make her happy—no one took the bit of silver seriously.

Jiang Xuening just laughed along.

But raising her eyes, she saw Dao Qin entering from outside. So her eyebrows lifted slightly as she asked casually, “Your master has been saved and hasn’t died yet?”

Dao Qin truly felt utterly confused, instinctively answering, “The doctor said it’s nothing serious, he’s being treated now.”

Jiang Xuening tossed down her cards: “Such a strong fate.”

Dao Qin was bewildered: “The master sent me to find you.”

Jiang Xuening said lazily, “Well, haven’t you found me? Go back, but be careful to tell your master not to be so annoying, or next time someone gives him another stab, it might not be so easy.”

Dao Qin felt he understood these words.

But thinking carefully, he seemed not to understand anything at all.

Observing Jiang Xuening’s manner and tone, then thinking of his own master’s state earlier, he instead didn’t dare ask more. Seeing the person was here, he said “yes,” bowed in salute, and truly withdrew.

In Xie Wei’s room, the wound had been mostly treated.

A large basin stained red with blood was carried out.

Zhou Qihuang’s forehead had broken out in sweat.

Lu Xian watched for a long while. Seeing that Xie Wei’s condition had improved considerably, only then did he ask, “Perfectly fine, how did it come to using a knife?”

Xie Wei’s thin lips pressed tightly together, eyes lowered, not speaking.

Lu Xian said, “You forced her?”

He couldn’t imagine that someone with Jiang Xuening’s outwardly tough but inwardly soft temperament could be ruthless enough to stab him. How insufferable must his mouth have been, how absolute must his actions have been?

Xie Wei still didn’t speak.

Jiang Xuening longed for that bit of freedom, wanted to leave, but he refused to let her go no matter what.

Self-inflicted was self-inflicted.

Even if asked a thousand times, ten thousand times, he would still give the same answer.

At this moment, Dao Qin returned.

Lu Xian looked over.

Xie Wei quietly clenched his hand, asking, “Where is she?”

Dao Qin opened his mouth, truly not knowing how to say it. After pausing for a moment, he said, “At Grand Princess’s place.”

Xie Wei was suddenly stunned: “She didn’t leave?”

Dao Qin shook his head: “Didn’t leave.”

After holding back and failing to hold back, he ultimately added one more sentence: “Acting as if nothing happened—dragged Boss You and the princess, all sitting in the room playing leaf cards together!”

Lu Xian nearly spat out a mouthful of tea.

But Xie Wei heard nothing at all.

She didn’t leave.

Gripping that hand, his face showing some bewilderment, he finally slowly leaned back against the pillow propped behind him. His body, which had been tense all along, also gradually relaxed bit by bit. In the end, unable to hold back, the arc at the corner of his lips pulled wider and wider.

The daylight illuminated his pale, nearly bloodless face.

Yet Xie Wei actually smiled.

In that moment, it was as if all suffering had left him, the dark clouds parted, the heavy fog dispersed, and he finally saw light and brightness.

Lu Xian even tasted from this smile a hint of sweetness after bitterness, feeling deeply puzzled. But seeing him like this, for the first time he felt: Xie Ju’an finally seemed like a person truly alive.