Hearing Shao Mingyuan say this, Qiao Zhao immediately didn’t dare struggle anymore and asked with concern: “What’s wrong? Is it a headache, or are your eyes uncomfortable?”

Listening to the concerned inquiry from the person in his arms, Shao Mingyuan secretly took a deep breath and pushed her away from his embrace: “It’s nothing now.”

Qiao Zhao looked at Shao Mingyuan with suspicion.

His face was slightly flushed, his breathing somewhat rapid—he looked quite different from usual.

As if sensing her gaze, Shao Mingyuan coughed lightly and changed the subject: “It should be almost time for dinner, right?”

“Mm, I still need to go to Miss Xie’s place. Several of the young ladies are emotionally unstable, and they’ll probably need someone to look after them during meals. Miss Xie can’t manage it all by herself.” Qiao Zhao said, her ears slightly warm.

She should reduce the time she spent alone with this man in the future, or sooner or later, he would take every advantage of her.

Shao Mingyuan frowned: “I should have bought some rough servant women earlier.”

“This wasn’t something we could have anticipated. I’ve already instructed A’Zhu to brew some calming medicine for them to take. Perhaps they’ll recover in a few days.” Qiao Zhao walked toward the door, but before she reached it, urgent footsteps could be heard from outside.

“Miss, are you there?”

Qiao Zhao yanked open the door: “A’Zhu, what’s wrong?”

She had never seen A’Zhu look so panicked.

A’Zhu’s face was pale: “Miss, the young lady with fever that you asked this servant to care for has awakened. When this servant was feeding her water, she suddenly knocked over the water cup, and now she’s convulsing all over and rolling on the ground!”

Qiao Zhao was somewhat surprised upon hearing this: “How could this happen? Come, let’s go take a look.”

“Zhaozhao, I’ll come with you.” Shao Mingyuan walked over.

“No need, there are only young ladies over there.” Qiao Zhao refused.

Those girls had fallen into a den of thieves and were extremely emotionally unstable—they would probably be afraid to see men at this time.

“I’ll stay outside and not go in.”

“You shouldn’t go over there at all. What if you frighten them?”

Shao Mingyuan’s brows raised slightly.

Was he being disdained?

“Rest assured, there won’t be any danger. Have you forgotten? There’s still Miss Xie—she can fight several strong men by herself. Those were your own words.”

Qiao Zhao left these words behind and hurried away with A’Zhu, leaving Shao Mingyuan to frown in distress.

His premonition had indeed been correct. When something happened, the first person Zhaozhao thought of wasn’t him, but Miss Xie.

Qiao Zhao hurried over with A’Zhu, and before reaching the door, they could hear women’s screams from inside.

Several women stood outside the door, all looking terrified.

Xie Shengxiao stood anxiously at the doorway. Upon seeing Qiao Zhao arrive, she hurried forward: “Miss Li, is there a doctor on the ship? She looks quite wrong!”

“Don’t worry, Miss Xie. Let me go in and take a look first.” Qiao Zhao consoled her.

Seeing that Qiao Zhao remained composed, Xie Shengxiao inexplicably felt relieved: “Good.”

Qiao Zhao stepped inside and saw a woman in pink clothing lying on the ground, holding her head with both hands, her body convulsing continuously while making unclear sounds from her throat.

Binglu stood not far away, wanting to help but not knowing how. Upon seeing Qiao Zhao, she quickly ran over: “Miss, you’ve finally come! This young lady is so frightening!”

Seeing the pink-clothed woman convulsing more severely, Xie Shengxiao couldn’t help asking: “Miss Li, didn’t you say earlier that her condition wasn’t serious? Why has she become like this now?”

Qiao Zhao frowned slightly: “Her situation is indeed somewhat strange.”

She had examined this young lady earlier—she had symptoms of a cold. Could her diagnosis have been wrong?

Grandpa Li had once said that while she had mastered medical theory fairly well, her lack of experience was her biggest problem. In such cases, she might misdiagnose some rare symptoms.

Qiao Zhao quickly walked in.

Binglu blocked her path: “Miss, please be careful. This servant feels this person is somewhat abnormal—what if she hurts you?”

“It’s fine, let me take a look first.” Qiao Zhao approached the pink-clothed woman with light steps, comforting her verbally: “Don’t be afraid, miss. I’m a doctor, here to examine you.”

After Qiao Zhao finished speaking, seeing that the pink-clothed woman was still convulsing uncontrollably, she reached out with one hand to grasp the woman’s wrist while taking out a silver needle with the other, preparing to insert it into the woman’s acupoint to temporarily put her to sleep.

The pink-clothed woman’s hair was already disheveled from rolling and convulsing. Sensing someone grasping her wrist, she looked at the newcomer through the long hair covering her eyes.

In that instant, Qiao Zhao felt inexplicably startled and instinctively released the woman’s wrist.

Just then, a sudden change occurred. The disheveled, pink-clothed woman’s face contorted, and she bared her teeth as she lunged at Qiao Zhao.

“Ah, Miss, be careful—” Binglu, standing beside Qiao Zhao, screamed and lifted her foot to kick the pink-clothed woman.

Faster than her was Xie Shengxiao.

Xie Shengxiao directly picked up Qiao Zhao and, in the blink of an eye, retreated to the doorway.

Only then did the young ladies standing at the door watching the pink-clothed woman’s condition react, immediately screaming.

The pink-clothed woman, kicked away by Binglu, supported herself on her hands and looked over. Her lips suddenly curled up, and making strange sounds from her throat, she lunged forward again.

Binglu screamed in terror: “Miss, is this person possessed by an evil spirit? So frightening!”

The little maid screamed while frantically kicking the lunging, pink-clothed woman. Qiao Zhao seemed to think of something, and her expression changed drastically: “Binglu, come out quickly! Don’t let her hurt you!”

The women’s screams had already alerted Shao Mingyuan and others who were rushing to the second floor.

“Chen Guang, Yeluo, quickly go protect Miss Li!” Hearing Qiao Zhao’s shouts, Shao Mingyuan’s face turned iron-gray, and even his fingertips were trembling slightly.

Never before had he so painfully hated his uselessness.

Chen Guang and Yeluo swept over like a gust of wind.

Yeluo directly blocked in front of Qiao Zhao, while Chen Guang hurriedly pulled out Binglu, who was frantically kicking the pink-clothed woman, and swiftly closed the door.

The sound of banging against the door came from inside, one strike after another, making people’s hearts race with fear.

“Zhaozhao—” Shao Mingyuan strode over.

Worried that the General might expose himself, Chen Guang quickly stepped forward: “Don’t worry, General. Miss Xie is holding Miss Li—they’re perfectly fine.”

Shao Mingyuan’s steps halted.

Miss Xie was holding Zhaozhao?

Well, this was an image he had no desire to imagine!

“I’m fine.” Qiao Zhao nodded to Xie Shengxiao. “Thank you, Miss Xie.”

Xie Shengxiao set down Qiao Zhao and breathed a sigh of relief: “As long as Miss Li is unharmed.”

Shao Mingyuan interrupted their conversation expressionlessly: “What’s wrong with the young lady inside?”

“Is that young lady mad?” Yang Houcheng frowned as he looked at Xie Shengxiao.

Chi Can maintained an attitude of indifference.

So this was why women were troublesome—they didn’t die at the pirates’ hands, but scared themselves insane.

Xie Shengxiao glanced at Yang Houcheng with displeasure: “Who said she’s mad?”

Yang Houcheng was puzzled: “If she’s not mad, what is she doing? Sleepwalking?”

Xie Shengxiao’s lips moved, wanting to retort sarcastically, but thinking that she was now under someone else’s roof, she could only press her lips tightly together.

“Miss Xie, had that young lady been injured before?” Qiao Zhao asked.