Lu Mingxiu's cold voice suppressed his overwhelming rage. He glanced again at An Ran, who had been carried away for treatment by the crowd.
The little girl's face, which was originally as delicate and fair as sweet porcelain, was now completely bloodless. Her beautiful eyes were tightly closed, and it was impossible to tell what was wrong with her.
Lu Mingxiu was both anxious and angry.
"Be patient, the girl isn't seriously injured." Lu Mingxiu only came to his senses when Chu Tianze walked to his side. "She has someone looking after her, and it's not appropriate for you to go there without any official status. You come with me to the palace first."
After saying that, Chu Tianze handed Lu Mingxiu's sword to him.
"You're so flustered, that's not like you."
Lu Mingxiu then realized that he had forgotten the sword that was like a brother to him.
He smiled, but the smile was more painful than a grimace.
“I’ve never felt like this before.” Lu Mingxiu surrendered, deciding to give in to his own heart. “When I saw her being held hostage, I felt completely empty.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Tianze was speechless, unable to utter a single word of comfort to Lu Mingxiu.
"Let's go."
He patted Lu Mingxiu on the shoulder.
The vulnerability and loss of composure were only temporary. Lu Mingxiu quickly regained his composure and followed Chu Tianze without looking back.
The only way to protect someone you want to safeguard is to hold them tightly in your hands.
When she was slandered by rumors, he was far away in Baoding Prefecture and only had a superficial understanding of what was happening in the capital; now that she was injured by Prince Rui's assassins, he couldn't even protect her!
He didn't want to wait any longer.
******
When Anran opened her eyes again, she found herself in an unfamiliar environment.
If it weren't for the little girl's soft sobs in her ears, An Ran would have thought she had been reborn.
"Sister, sister!" the little girl sobbed sadly, lying by the bedside and refusing to get up. "Sister, wake up, wake up and look at me!"
There were also some older people nearby gently advising her.
"Please don't cry, Miss. Miss An Jiu is alright. The doctor said she should wake up by noon at the latest. If you keep crying and ruin your eyes, Miss Jiu will be heartbroken for you!"
The little girl's sobs gradually subsided.
An Ran's eyelids twitched, and she opened her eyes with difficulty. What she saw was an apricot-colored curtain, and she was covered with a light purple satin quilt. She turned her head slightly, and the furnishings of the room were very unfamiliar.
Beside her bed lay the heartbroken Jia Niang.
"Jia Niang?" An Ran realized that her throat was very uncomfortable and she was too hoarse to speak.
Upon hearing this, Jia Niang and the maid who had spoken earlier both looked up at her. Jia Niang's ecstatic joy was self-evident, and the maid also wore a relieved smile.
Seeing that Anran had woken up, the other two maids also came over. One of them brought a cup of warm water and helped Anran drink it. Anran cleared her throat and felt a little better.
"Ninth Miss is awake!" she said happily. "I'll go and fetch a doctor to take a look, and then I'll go and tell the Princess."
As soon as she finished speaking, An Ran realized that the person looked somewhat familiar.
She seems to be the head maidservant of Princess Yunyang?
"Sister, it's all my fault, I caused you to get hurt!" Jia Niang felt extremely distressed whenever she thought about how An Ran was injured protecting her. She said remorsefully, "I was so stupid, I even dragged you into this, sister!"
An Ran didn't have time to think about anything else. Seeing Jia Niang getting stuck in a rut and blaming herself, she could only gently comfort her, saying, "Jia Niang, how can I blame you? It's clearly those men in black who are hateful. What does it have to do with you? Be good, don't cry."
As they were talking, Princess Yunyang lifted the curtain and came in.
"Ninth Sister, you're awake!" Princess Yunyang rushed to Anran's bedside, asking with concern, "Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
"Princess." An Ran struggled to get up and greet Princess Yunyang, but Princess Yunyang quickly pressed her down.
"Child, at a time like this, what's the point of formalities? Just tell me, is there anything else that hurts?"
Princess Yunyang's large eyes were filled with worry and concern, as were Jia Niang's beautiful eyes. Being stared at by two identical pairs of eyes, An Ran couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
Exactly the same?
An Ran was startled by her own thoughts. For a moment, she had been in a daze and felt that Princess Yunyang and Jia Niang were like a mother and daughter.
When the doctor arrived, Anran put aside her earlier wild thoughts and obediently let the doctor examine her.
"Ninth Miss's injuries are not serious, but she has been feeling a bit weak lately." The doctor asked An Ran a few more questions about her rest and diet.
An Ran didn't want to tell the truth, but she was afraid that if she didn't, Jia Niang would think that everything was caused by what happened today, so she had no choice but to tell her everything.
Upon hearing this, the doctor shook his head and prescribed several more nourishing formulas for her. He instructed the maid to decoct the medicine on time, watch over Anran to drink it while it was hot, and repeatedly assured Princess Yunyang that Anran was fine before leaving with his medicine box.
Jia Niang looked at her with affection, and as soon as the doctor left, she immediately rushed to her side.
An Ran wanted to reach out and touch her head.
"I'm fine, ouch—" An Ran hadn't noticed that her movement had aggravated the wound on her arm. Afraid that Jia Niang would blame herself and worry, she quickly gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, it's okay, it doesn't hurt!"
Although Jia Niang was young, her life had not been easy since she came to the capital three years ago. In her so-called aunt's house, she had long since learned to read people's expressions and moods.
She had long seen through An Ran's words, realizing that An Ran was only trying to comfort her, but she had kept quiet despite her pain. She felt even more distressed inside.
“Ninth Sister, you’re injured, so stay here with me for the next few days until you’re fully healed before you leave,” Princess Yunyang said. “I’ve already informed your family and your sister. Just focus on recovering.”