Zhu Yan looked at Shen Du’s suddenly darkened face and swallowed nervously. She was truly afraid, but also somewhat bewildered.
As expected of the White King of Hell, his expression changed faster than turning pages of a book.
“It’s getting late. You should go back to bathe and change clothes first. Let Jinglin apply medicine for you and rest a bit. We can wait until dawn to interrogate the prisoners,” Zhu Yan said quickly before darting away.
Well, if she couldn’t handle it, she could at least avoid it. She didn’t want to become the target of his anger.
Watching her figure run away faster than a rabbit, Shen Du’s gaze darkened further. He let out a light sigh, pursed his lips, and returned to his room.
He called for hot water, hastily bathed, and planned to carelessly apply medicine and bandages before heading to the dungeon. This matter couldn’t be delayed.
However, just as he dried himself and put on his undergarments, Zhu Yan entered, leading someone carrying a medicine box.
Originally, Zhu Yan had planned to go directly to Pan Chi to check on the situation. But she knew without thinking that Shen Du must have been injured. After all, he had stormed into Guangchun Hall alone to rescue her. She… ultimately couldn’t harden her heart against him.
So, she turned back and encountered the town physician who was treating those injured by the Half-Faced Ghosts. She brought him along to see Shen Du.
But…
The man before her was tall and well-built, with broad eyes and a straight nose. His features were as if painted, with thin, tightly pressed lips. His hair, usually tied up, now fell loose around his shoulders, still damp from bathing. Without the imposing presence of his official Qilin robe, dressed only in white undergarments, Shen Du had lost his usual sharp and stern aura. He looked exactly like the dashing young gentlemen from storybooks.
The sash of his undergarments wasn’t tied yet, revealing his well-defined chest muscles. This sight captivated Zhu Yan’s gaze, involuntarily reminding her of the firm, strong chest she had felt when Shen Du held her in his arms.
Zhu Yan’s face flushed, heat rising from her ears down to her neck, turning her skin a rosy hue. This didn’t escape Shen Du’s notice, causing him to curl his lips slightly.
That subtle smile brought Zhu Yan back to her senses. She hurriedly averted her gaze, only to have it intertwine with Shen Du’s…
She had been gone for only half a moment. Given Shen Du’s usual efficiency, he should have been fully dressed by now, perhaps even on his way to the dungeon to interrogate the prisoners.
So she had just come here on the off chance of catching him. But…
No wonder Jinglin had seemed hesitant when he saw her, yet said nothing and let her pass. Damn that Jinglin.
Zhu Yan’s eyes widened as she watched Shen Du approach her, barefoot, leaving wet footprints with each step.
Before Zhu Yan could retreat, Shen Du’s presence loomed over her. His dark eyes narrowed slightly as he asked in a deep voice, “What is it?”
Zhu Yan glanced at him, then awkwardly shifted her gaze away. “You’re injured. Let the physician examine you first and prescribe the appropriate treatment.”
Shen Du’s cold expression cracked slightly. Only then did he notice the physician standing to the side, trying to remain inconspicuous while holding his medicine box.
The physician nodded at him, appearing somewhat nervous.
Zhu Yan knew that the recent operation to eliminate the Half-Faced Ghosts, especially her involvement, had left Shen Du in a foul mood. Feeling apologetic towards the physician, she said:
“Thank you for your trouble, Physician.”
The physician, faced with Zhu Yan’s politeness and beauty, dared not say anything. He opened his medicine box, waiting for Shen Du to lie down.
Shen Du remained silent and took a few steps inside. Zhu Yan thought he was unwilling and followed behind, trying to persuade him:
“I know that I held you back this time. You were willing to save me because you value me…”
Shen Du gave her a cold look.
Zhu Yan swallowed, not understanding his reaction.
“I know that the Area Commander’s martial arts are extraordinary, and your body is unlike that of ordinary people. But the matter isn’t settled yet. The people of Yingzhou City need you, the Imperial Guard needs you, Jinglin…”
“What about you?” Shen Du looked at her.
“I…” Zhu Yan was stunned. When she realized what he meant, the heat that had just subsided rose again, leaving her speechless.
Shen Du seemed to grow stubborn. He leaned close to her ear and asked again, “What about you? Do you need me?”
His breath tickled Zhu Yan’s earlobe, causing a tingling, numb sensation. She turned her head, trying to avoid it, but was frozen by Shen Du’s gaze. Before she could speak, she saw the disappointment in his eyes. Her mind went blank, and she hurriedly said:
“Of course, of course, I need you.”
Heavens, what had she just said?
But Shen Du was satisfied. The desolation in his eyes instantly vanished. He raised his hand to pinch her cheek, then quite obediently lay down on the couch.
“Physician, I trouble you.”
The old physician could tell at a glance that Shen Du was no ordinary person. He didn’t dare to put on airs and repeatedly said it was no trouble.
He then approached, took Shen Du’s pulse, and said, “Your pulse is chaotic, your heart rate is accelerated, and your breathing is rapid. It seems you’ve lost a significant amount of blood. You must have suffered quite a few flesh wounds, Sir.”
“Physician, are there any internal injuries? Or damage to his internal energy?” Zhu Yan asked anxiously.
Earlier on the city wall, she had witnessed him fighting fiercely with the Half-Faced Ghosts, and there was also Mo Qianzhi’s sneak attack from behind, which had left a knife wound on his arm.
The old physician shook his head. “There are none. The qi and blood are deficient, but no medicine is needed. Regular consumption of some blood-nourishing soups will suffice. I’ll write you a prescription for a tonic soup later. You can prepare it according to the instructions.”
The so-called tonic soup involved adding some beneficial herbs to chicken, duck, or fish broth. ‘Ginseng nourishes qi, notoginseng nourishes blood’ – given Shen Du’s current physical condition, using some notoginseng wouldn’t be too potent for him to absorb.
Zhu Yan repeatedly agreed, “I’ve noted that down. Physician, please examine his wounds now.”
The physician looked somewhat troubled, as Shen Du’s face clearly said “Strangers keep away.” Finally, he pointed at Zhu Yan:
“Madam, would you please help remove his clothing?”
Zhu Yan understood that Shen Du usually made people hesitant to approach him, so she readily complied. She stepped forward to help remove his undergarments, leaving him wearing only his middle pants.
Shen Du kept staring at her, seeing her pretend to be calm while her face turned as red as dripping blood. He didn’t make things difficult for her and cooperated by spreading out his body.
Zhu Yan tried hard to focus on Shen Du’s injuries rather than his excessively good physique.
Although the wound on Shen Du’s arm had stopped bleeding, there was still a gash that looked like a blood-sucking ‘mouth.’ Zhu Yan’s heart ached at the sight.
He had already been injured, yet he still carried her out of the secret hall and rode a horse all the way while controlling the reins, staying tense the entire time. No wonder the wound looked like this now.
His body had also been injured, and when combined with the scars from previous wounds, the sight was truly distressing.
The old physician drew in a sharp breath at the sight. Although they were flesh wounds, they were quite severe. Yet Shen Du didn’t make a sound, not even furrowing his brow, showing his incredible tolerance for pain.
Since Shen Du had just bathed, many of the wounds had been soaked and turned white, looking even more pitiful.
Zhu Yan gave Shen Du a reproachful look. She wanted to scold him for bathing while injured, but remembering it was her suggestion, she felt awkward when looking at him again.
The old physician rummaged through his medicine box while instructing, “The wounds mustn’t get wet again. If they become infected and fester, it could be life-threatening.”
“You exaggerate. This official has never had such concerns,” Shen Du scoffed.
The physician visibly became uncomfortable.
Zhu Yan hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, we’ve noted it down. We’ll be careful in the future.”
After her assurances, the physician’s expression improved slightly.
Zhu Yan silently thought she had overthought things. Shen Du had always been fond of cleanliness. To infiltrate Guangchun Hall and investigate her whereabouts, he hadn’t hesitated to change into the clothes of a Half-Faced Ghost. His body was now stained with blood. Asking him not to wash up would be worse than killing him.
She had wondered if Shen Du had bathed because of the physician’s words, but clearly, she had overthought again.