Shao Mingyuan turned his head to look over, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth: “How did you all come over?”

Chi Can strode over, looking Shao Mingyuan up and down as he asked: “Did you roll around in the mud?”

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “Pretty much.”

Zhu Yàn and the other also walked over.

Yang Houcheng looked around and asked in puzzlement: “Didn’t you say you had some matters to attend to? Are you standing here admiring flowers?”

“Oh, no. On my way back from Great Fortune Temple, I encountered Miss Li. Her carriage overturned—”

Before Shao Mingyuan could finish speaking, Chi Can’s expression changed slightly as he interrupted: “Where is she?”

Shao Mingyuan looked at him in surprise and replied: “She’s in the room. Her maid is taking care of her. I’ve already sent someone to fetch the physician.”

Upon hearing that a physician had been summoned, Young Master Chi’s complexion returned to normal. Seeing all three staring at him, he said with a stern face: “I already said that girl is never peaceful – sooner or later she’d run into bad luck, hehe.”

Zhu Yàn and Yang Houcheng simultaneously gave him sidelong glances.

“What kind of looks are you two giving me?” Young Master Chi felt somewhat embarrassed. He coughed and said, “I’m going to see just how badly she’s gotten herself into trouble.”

He swept his sleeves and left, leaving Shao Mingyuan rather bewildered as he looked questioningly at Zhu Yàn and Yang Houcheng.

Zhu Yàn smiled gently: “Tingquan, you know how it is – Shixi has had this kind of temperament for all these years.”

His words don’t match his heart? Thinking of Chi Can’s words and behavior before leaving, Shao Mingyuan looked thoughtful.

“Yes, he’s very concerned about Miss Li, but insists on being stubborn about it.” Yang Houcheng agreed.

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “I remember Shixi used to run away whenever he saw young ladies. I didn’t expect it to be different now.”

“What’s different?” Yang Houcheng pursed his lips. “He still treats other young ladies as if their noses aren’t noses and their eyes aren’t eyes, making it impossible for Zi Zhe and me to even strike up a conversation with pretty girls. He’s only like this with Miss Li—”

At this point, Yang Houcheng winked at his two good friends and said quietly, “Could it be that Shixi has come to his senses? Does he want to take a wife?”

Shao Mingyuan was startled and couldn’t help but look back toward the doorway.

So Shixi likes Miss Li.

The moment he reached this conclusion, Shao Mingyuan smiled faintly.

Miss Li was a very good girl – it wasn’t strange that Shixi would be moved by her.

He withdrew his gaze and looked toward the rose bushes in the corner of the wall.

After the heavy rain, many rose petals had fallen to the ground, but those remaining on the branches appeared even more delicate and beautiful. The leaves were an especially vibrant green from being washed by the rain, full of vitality.

He looked at the gently smiling Zhu Yàn and the gossipy Yang Houcheng, thinking: Actually, all my friends have reached the age where they should marry and have children. This is wonderful.

“Tingquan, what are you thinking about?”

The post-rain sunlight was gentle as water, spilling across Shao Mingyuan’s fair face. He smiled and said, “I was thinking about that day when someone got drunk and cried about not wanting to take a wife. How is it that today you’re complaining about Shixi holding you back from chatting up young ladies?”

Yang Houcheng’s face turned bright red as he raised his hand and punched Shao Mingyuan: “That’s not fair, bringing up old embarrassments like that!”

Both Shao Mingyuan and Zhu Yàn burst into laughter.

“Tingquan, aren’t you going to change your clothes?” Zhu Yàn asked after laughing.

“I’ll wait until Physician Li arrives so I can explain the situation to him first, then I’ll go change.”

“Is Miss Li injured?” Zhu Yàn pointed to Shao Mingyuan’s torn hem.

It looked like it had been torn off to use for bandaging someone.

“She shouldn’t be.” Though Shao Mingyuan answered this way, he harbored some doubt in his heart.

That girl was too strong – if she had any injuries on her body, he wouldn’t know about them.

“Miss Li got caught in the rain and has developed a fever.”

“Today’s rain was too heavy, and it came down so urgently. Miss Li was truly unlucky.” Yang Houcheng sighed.

“Yes, unlucky.” Shao Mingyuan said lightly, though he felt somewhat guilty inside.

“The physician has arrived.” Zhu Yàn said, looking into the distance.

The three men walked over to meet him.

Physician Li asked Shao Mingyuan with a stern face: “How did girl Zhao get caught in the rain?”

How did this brat take care of her? As expected, young men without experience can’t handle things properly!

“I didn’t take proper care of her. Physician, please go examine Miss Li first before we discuss anything else.”

Physician Li snorted coldly: “Lead the way then!”

The three men accompanied Physician Li toward the room where Qiao Zhao was settled.

Chi Can, who had gone ahead earlier, stood outside the door for quite a while.

The door was slightly ajar, allowing him to see the little maid called Binglu bustling about inside. Sometimes she used a soft cloth to wipe the face of the person on the bed, sometimes she reached out to feel her forehead, and sometimes she paced around the room, talking to herself.

The person on the bed had her eyes closed, her long hair spread out like seaweed. Her palm-sized face was pale to the point of transparency, even her lips had no color, only the tiny red mole between her eyebrows remained as bright as ever, making her appear even more pitiful and adorable.

Chi Can stood there, silently watching like this, thinking: So this girl is actually this small. Why does she always give him the feeling of being a peer?

Such a small girl – what exactly was wrong with him?

Chi Can suddenly felt somewhat ashamed of the inexplicable urgency he had felt the moment he heard that Qiao Zhao had met with trouble.

This kind of feeling was unprecedented for Young Master Chi. He felt somewhat confused, somewhat panicked, and even more bewildered, to the point where he didn’t dare enter for a long time.

Binglu wrung out the soft cloth and placed it on Qiao Zhao’s forehead. As she carried the water basin toward the door, she muttered: “Why hasn’t the physician arrived yet? The miss’s fever seems to be getting worse and worse.”

Her mind was entirely focused on Qiao Zhao’s condition. She pulled open the door with one hand and reflexively splashed the water out, then stared dumbfounded at the person standing at the door who had instantly become a drowned rat: “Young, Young Master Chi?”

After a moment of stunned silence, the little maid immediately set the basin aside and laughed awkwardly: “Young Master Chi, you got caught in the rain too?”

The recovered Chi Can: “…” Don’t hold him back – he was going to kill this little maid!

Just as Young Master Chi was about to explode, laughter came from behind him: “Shixi, what happened to you?”

Chi Can spun around abruptly, grabbed Yang Houcheng by the collar, and pressed him against a pillar, with a fierce expression: “Yang Er, if you dare say one more word, I’ll make you regret it!”

Yang Houcheng was silent for a moment, but ultimately felt this threat wouldn’t work on him, so he spoke honestly: “But you can’t beat me anyway—”

Young Master Chi, having received this fatal blow, had veins bulging at his temples and his handsome face was twisted with anger.

Zhu Yàn gently patted his shoulder: “Shixi, I think you should go change clothes together with Tingquan.”

“Shixi, let’s go.” Shao Mingyuan smiled as he invited him, his gaze unconsciously sweeping into the room. He paused and said, “When Miss Li wakes up, it wouldn’t look good for her to see you like this either.”

“I don’t care whether it looks good to her or not.” Chi Can replied in embarrassed anger, then, after a pause, said: “Let’s go. Wearing wet clothes is uncomfortable. I don’t understand how you can stand it.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled casually: “This is nothing.”

In the Northern Territories, fighting ambush battles against the Tartars, during the most difficult times, he had even chewed on grass roots and tree bark. As long as he could stay alive and drive those wolves far away, what was there that he couldn’t endure?