The long sword in Jian Yi’s hand radiated a wave of cold, biting aura.

Feng Jiu’er was nearly frightened out of her wits. She frantically pulled her foot back into the blanket.

But her ankle was still swollen — moving it sent a shock of pain that brought cold sweat streaming down her face, and she nearly could not hold back her tears.

Jian Yi decided not to wait any longer. He reached out and seized her leg, pulling it back out.

“I was joking! Don’t cut off my foot!” Whether it was her hand or her foot, both were vital parts of her body — neither could be cut off.

“I was truly only joking. Besides, there’s no physician here right now, is there? Don’t cut me! Please!”

She was on the verge of tears. How could this man not tolerate even the slightest joke? He had actually drawn his sword — was he planning to kill someone?

“Was it truly only a joke?” Jian Yi fixed his gaze on her — not a trace of amusement.

Feng Jiu’er dared not try her luck any further, nodding emphatically again and again. “A joke. Truly only a joke. Don’t cut off my foot.”

Jian Yi let out a soundless sigh and set the long sword on the table. He helped move her foot down from the bed.

He applied the medicinal ointment to her ankle and gently began to massage it.

He was often injured himself, and a minor injury like this was nothing to him — a few days of massage and it would be fine.

Feng Jiu’er’s gaze kept drifting involuntarily to the long sword not far away, and the cold glint of the blade still sent a chill through her heart.

Seeing her so visibly shaken that she likely would not be causing any more mischief, Jian Yi exhaled softly and said quietly, “I was only joking as well. What are you so frightened about?”

“You…” This man had actually been toying with her?

He had acted so convincingly she had genuinely believed he was about to chop off her foot for real.

He called himself an upright gentleman? He was nothing but an actor!

“Consider it my revenge for the two times you tricked me. We’re even now, all right?”

Jian Yi had never intended to be angry with her. A little fright, that was all — he had only wanted to stop her from causing more trouble.

Her foot was already in that state, and she still insisted on making a scene. In the end, the one suffering was not him — it was herself.

Feng Jiu’er knew as well that all her fussing brought her no benefit whatsoever.

She was simply resentful and indignant. She had done absolutely nothing wrong, so on what grounds was someone allowed to cut off her hand?

Though he had not done it yet, she had been living in fear of it every single day, and her life had been anything but easy.

She looked back at him — still bent over her ankle, focused and attentive.

She was not sure whether it was the technique, or whether his touch was simply light, but somehow it had not felt all that painful.

Yet looking at that large hand of his wrapped around her ankle set her troublesome thoughts stirring again. “Does this count as physical contact between us right now?”

Jian Yi paused and looked down at the small foot held in his grasp. His thought was not about physical contact — it was simply: how could her foot be so small?

By any proper measure, it was smaller than his palm.

Held in his hand, it was soft, smooth, and the sensation was unexpectedly pleasant.

So this was a woman’s softness. Having never touched another woman’s foot, he had nothing to compare it to. He only knew that Feng Jiu’er’s foot was fair and fine-boned and genuinely quite lovely.

After a moment, he gave a nod — with something almost like sincerity. “It counts.”

“And you still dare touch me?” She gave a cold huff, slanting a glance at him.

Jian Yi had no way to answer that. Whether it counted or not, he had already touched her.

He kept his head down and continued carefully working on her foot. After a moment, he said, “This will hurt.”

Feng Jiu’er tilted her head. “What do you — OW! That hurts! Lighter, lighter! Ah! Lighter—”

A moment ago it hadn’t hurt at all, and now suddenly this!

Right — this was the real pain of properly applying medicine to a sprained ankle. What had that been just before, then?

Pain! She was in genuine agony! More painful than anything she had experienced before!

“Wuu…” She was absolutely not about to cry — it simply hurt that much, truly!

Was he doing this on purpose? Was he punishing her for her rudeness toward him just now?

She would apologize if she had to! It was unbearable!

“Mmh…” She did not know what her teeth had closed around — only that the pain in her ankle was growing worse and worse, and when the agony surpassed everything she could endure, she bit down on whatever happened to be in front of her face.

Pain! Her scalp prickled in waves! She nearly blacked out from it.

This made no sense — and yet it hurt precisely this much.

“What are you doing?” At last the pain eased slightly. Feng Jiu’er released whatever her lips had been clamped around and instinctively drove her foot into Jian Yi.

“Were you deliberately trying to get back at me? I never thought you would be the type to—”

The rest of the words died in her throat the moment she realized she had just kicked Jian Yi — and had barely felt any pain from doing so.

“What’s going on?” Jiu’er looked down at her ankle.

It was still red and swollen — and yet… it didn’t really hurt anymore.

How was that possible? Even if she treated herself with her own needles, it would not improve this quickly.

What was the principle behind this?

Excruciating pain, and then — healed?

Feng Jiu’er was thrilled and astonished. She carefully climbed down from the bed.

Both feet touched the ground — and she could actually stand. How was that possible?

“This is my own specialized method. Simply a matter of practice over many years.”

Jian Yi looked down at her small foot — and could not help but feel again that this fair and dainty little foot was genuinely lovely.

He gave a quiet cough and quickly averted his gaze, not allowing himself to keep looking.

Looking at a young lady’s foot was indeed a discourtesy.

“Don’t make any large movements for now. The fact that it doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean you’re fully healed — you still need rest. Don’t push yourself.”

“But I can walk now.” This specialized method of his was nothing short of miraculous.

“What kind of technique is this? Will you teach me?”

“I—”

“I’ll take you as my teacher — teach me!” To think that someone’s massage technique could surpass the results of her own needling.

To encounter a master of this caliber, Feng Jiu’er had no room in her mind for anything else.

Medicine was boundless, and the world was vast and full of wonders.

“Jian Yi, teach me!” She grabbed his arm, urgent and eager.

But Jian Yi frowned as she took hold of him and instinctively tried to withdraw his hand.

“You…” Feng Jiu’er paused, then suddenly seemed to recall something. She yanked up his sleeve.

Beneath the sleeve, on his forearm, was a vivid red bite mark — broken skin in some places, slightly bleeding.

This was what had been pressed to her lips just now. In that moment of pain, her whole consciousness had gone hazy, and she had not seen clearly what it was before sinking her teeth in.

It turned out to have been his arm.

“I…” What would he say now if she told him it was unintentional? Would he believe her?

But at the time, she had truly been on the verge of losing consciousness.

“I offered it myself. It has nothing to do with you.” Jian Yi drew his hand back. “How do you feel now?”

After realizing that she had not only bitten him but had also wrongly accused him of deliberate revenge, Feng Jiu’er now felt rather ashamed of herself.

Her manner, without her quite noticing, had softened considerably. “I’m… fine…”

But before she could finish the words, a wave of dizziness swept over her. Her body went limp, and she collapsed suddenly toward the floor…