Baili Qingyi stood up with incredible speed, blocking her way, pressed down on her shoulder, and then quickly lowered her hand.
"Don't worry, I said I would protect you, and I won't let anything happen to you." He said to her earnestly, his eyes deep.
Yin Wuxiao's anger inexplicably subsided by more than half. She bit her lip and after a long while asked, "Are you... alright?"
"Well?"
"The divine doctor told me that you used up half of your internal energy to detoxify me."
Baili Qingyi smiled and said, "It's nothing serious. My internal strength will return in a few more years of training."
Yin Wuxiao got angry again. What did he mean by "I'll be back after a few more years of training"? Did he think she was a fool who could be easily fooled?
She crossed her arms and stared intently at Baili Qingyi, snorting softly through her nose as she looked. Baili Qingyi, under her gaze for a while, became somewhat uncomfortable and coughed lightly.
Yin Wuxiao suddenly understood that it was one thing for this person to save her and treat her well, but he would never go out of his way to please her or try to win her over.
He felt that whether she begged Qiao Fenglang or left his side, it was something he should do, but he didn't intend to undo the consequences.
"Young Master in Green." She lowered her eyes, making it impossible for him to discern her thoughts.
"What?"
"I have fulfilled the request made in the underground palace that day. I would also like to thank the young master in green for taking care of me all this time. I am deeply grateful." She paused, "I will be getting married soon. At that time, my husband's family and I will be forever grateful for the great kindness of the young master in green."
Baili Qingyi was clearly stunned for a moment, and then her face changed color.
He moved his lips slightly, but Yin Wuxiao had already pushed open the door and left without looking back.
Yin Wuxiao stood in the courtyard, a chill creeping into his heart.
Baili Qingyi hadn't done anything wrong. He was upright and wouldn't listen to only one side of the story; he had to be cautious and couldn't reveal too much personal emotion. Her heartbreak stemmed simply from the fact that she had developed feelings for someone.
Thinking this, not knowing whether to be angry at Baili Qingyi or at herself, she strode out, only to bump into someone. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was Xuan He.
Xuan He was also taken aback when he saw that it was her. His lips moved, but he didn't say anything.
Yin Wuxiao glanced at him quickly, ignored him, and left on her own.
After sitting in his room for two hours, Yin Wuxiao realized with a start that it was already late. He then gave himself a bitter smile and made up his mind not to be bothered by Baili Qingyi anymore.
Just as I was about to go out for dinner, I heard a cautious knock on the door.
"who?"
"..." The person outside the door seemed to hesitate for a moment before slowly saying, "What is the reason for this?"
Yin Wuxiao was taken aback. She didn't want to open the door, but Xuan Hegu had saved her once, and besides, he was now the master of Baiwen Manor, so she had to give him some face. With that in mind, she opened the door.
"Dr. Xuan, is something the matter?"
Xuan Hegu held a delicate porcelain bowl in his hand, steam rising from its rim. He seemed somewhat embarrassed, but still forced himself to say, "Yin girl, I've come to bring you medicine."
"Medicine?" Yin Wuxiao glanced at the medicine bowl.
Xuan He nodded, went straight inside, and placed the medicine bowl on the table.
"Although the 'unfulfilled desires' in your body have been resolved, the years of neglect have damaged your health, so you need to take the time to properly nourish it."
Yin Wuxiao frowned.
Ever since learning about Xuan Hegu and Aunt Nan's past, she harbored indescribable feelings towards Xuan Hegu. Back then, to prevent the residual poison from being passed on to the baby, Xuan Hegu forced an abortion, driving Aunt Nan away. While this act caused Aunt Nan a lifetime of heartache, it was ultimately well-intentioned. And Aunt Nan's departure to protect her child couldn't be considered wrong. This regret, if truly considered, makes it difficult to determine whose fault it was.
Perhaps it really is fate playing tricks on us?
However, she couldn't feel any affection for Xuan He, no matter what. Subconsciously, she still believed that this man was the one who caused Aunt Nan's tragedy.
Moreover, this person is mean-spirited, arrogant, insidious, and conceited. As a doctor, he has no heart to help the world and save lives. Although he is not a great villain, he is not a good person either.
Thinking of this, her disgust for Xuan Hegu intensified.
Xuan He didn't notice her thoughts and just pointed to the medicine bowl, saying, "Drink it while it's hot, or it won't be as effective."
Yin Wuxiao looked into Xuan He's unusually bright eyes and saw that they were full of concern, without the slightest hint of pretense.
Anyone who sees eyes like that will feel a warmth in their heart.
Despite having many grievances against Xuan He, Yin Wuxiao's heart softened considerably upon seeing his undisguised kindness.
She picked up the bowl of medicine and poured it down her throat in one gulp. After finishing, she looked utterly miserable.
It's true that good medicine tastes bitter. This medicine is so fishy and smelly; if she drinks it, she might live ten years longer.
Xuan He smiled when he saw her wrinkled little face, and then, as if by magic, pulled a piece of toothpaste from his sleeve and stuffed it into Yin Wuxiao's hand.
"Girl, eat up, it'll sweeten your mouth."
Yin Wuxiao was taken aback.
"What are you standing there for?" Xuan He scolded, and quickly peeled off the outer paper wrapping for her, stuffing the toothpaste into her mouth.
Yin Wuxiao subconsciously bit down, feeling the sweet aroma of sugar fill her lips and tongue, slowly suppressing the bitterness of the medicine.
Xuan He patted her with a smile and said, "It won't be so bitter now, will it?"
With a candy in his mouth, Yin Wuxiao couldn't speak, but his heart was filled with mixed feelings, a taste he couldn't quite describe.
Seeing her dazed expression, Xuan He didn't say much, only saying, "You should rest more. We'll be having dinner later, so it's best to eat something light and warming."
After saying that, he turned and left without even sitting down.
Yin Wuxiao, who was in the room, seemed to be in a daze.
She remembered that Xuan He always referred to himself as "this old man" coldly to everyone, but in front of her, he was like a nagging old housekeeper.
Is it due to transference?
Perhaps everyone has a soft side.
At this moment, Qiao Fenglang pushed open the door and came in, smiling at her, "Let's go have a meal together."
Yin Wuxiao smiled at him and said, "Okay."
Qiao Fenglang reached out and took her hand, then walked towards the door. She stiffened slightly, but did not pull away.
It was late at night.
The nights at Baiwen Manor are somewhat eerie. The steep cliffs on all sides often give the people in the manor the feeling of being trapped like beasts.
Rong Jufeng walked unsteadily through the deserted courtyard, slowly arriving at the residence of Yin Wuxiao. He looked at Yin Wuxiao's door, a complex expression appearing in his eyes.
Qiao Fenglang's room was next door, so he dared not make any rash moves.
Although the old scorpion ghost is dead, his scorpion venom still plagues Rong Jufeng. Although he has taken antidote, the scorpion venom is too potent, and he also abused his internal energy after being poisoned. Now, his martial arts skills are reduced to only 30%.
But Yin Wuxiao was like a thorn in his heart, something he couldn't remove or touch, yet it could pierce his very core at any moment. He had initially thought Yin Wuxiao was just an ordinary woman; even if she knew his secret, it wouldn't be a big deal, and even if she told anyone, probably no one would believe her. But he hadn't expected that Yin Wuxiao was actually the long-lost fiancée of the Qiao Gang leader. Judging from the situation, Baili Qingyi had also been quite kind to her. If she wanted to harm him, she only needed to say a word to Qiao Fenglang or Baili Qingyi—it was far too easy.
How can we keep this woman alive in this world?
Not to mention that the reputation that the Rong family has accumulated over generations in the martial arts world cannot be damaged, if Rong Jufeng is convicted, who will his sister Rong Qiurui rely on? And how will she get rid of her long-standing illness?
Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and thought to himself that now he had no choice but to take the risk.
The Hundred Questions Manor is teeming with experts at this moment; who would dare to make a move here?
But precisely because of this, who could have predicted that someone would dare to commit murder at Hundred Questions Manor at this moment?
Rong Jufeng looked around again, making sure that no one was around, which was the best time to kill him and silence him.
Having made up his mind, he no longer hesitated and was about to act when he heard a light, airy voice behind him:
"It's so late, Young Master Rong, aren't you going to rest yet?"
Rong Jufeng was startled and turned around to see the person who had spoken. His eyebrows were solemn and his blue robe fluttered gently in the night wind.
It was Baili Qingyi.
Chapter Sixteen: The Green Mountains Reflect My Dreams of Home (Part Four)
Yin Wuxiao was in a deep sleep when he suddenly heard faint voices.
Since the massacre at the Yin family mansion three years ago, she has been a light sleeper, easily awakened by the slightest noise.
She sat up in the darkness and heard the voices coming from outside the door, so she put on her coat and went out to see what was going on.
"Xiao'er, why are you out here?" Qiao Fenglang stood outside her door with a sword in hand, looking into the courtyard with a wary expression.
She followed his gaze and saw Baili Qingyi standing in the courtyard.
"The young master in blue?"
Baili Qingyi nodded politely: "Miss Yin."
Yin Wuxiao frowned and looked at Qiao Fenglang: "What are you doing?"
Qiao Fenglang snorted: "Young master in blue, what is your purpose in pacing back and forth outside a woman's boudoir in the middle of the night?"
Yin Wuxiao was surprised, then looked at Baili Qingyi, who said calmly, "With such a clear breeze and bright moon, Qingyi is just out for a stroll."
A gentle breeze and a bright moon... Yin Wuxiao glanced at the sky; thick clouds obscured the view. Where was this gentle breeze and bright moon...?
After a long pause, Yin Wuxiao sneered, "Brother Fenglang, the young master in blue saved my life. Let alone taking a walk outside my room, even if he wanted to take a walk on my head, I shouldn't say anything." She bowed properly, pulled her outer robe inside, turned around and went back to her room, the door slamming against the doorframe with a "bang".
Qiao Fenglang was somewhat surprised by Yin Wuxiao's attitude towards Baili Qingyi. However, he was quite pleased that Yin Wuxiao disliked Baili Qingyi, so he slowly hummed and turned to go back to his room.
Baili Qingyi stood quietly in the empty courtyard for a moment, then touched her nose with a wry smile.
After a long pause, he glanced indifferently at the flower bushes to the side:
"Young Master Rong, crippling your martial arts today is merely a mild punishment. Once the truth behind the murder at the Seventeenth Young Master's banquet is uncovered, you will be executed or imprisoned without mercy."
Rong Jufeng knelt on the ground, looking utterly dejected.
The following day, the Rong siblings bid farewell to everyone in the manor and returned to Luoyang.
Having stayed at Baiwen Manor for over a month, and thanks to Xuan Hegu's meticulous care, Mu Wanfeng's injuries had largely healed. Xuan Hegu's willingness to overlook past grievances and look after Mu Wanfeng was solely out of respect for Yin Wuxiao. However, although Mu Wanfeng's physical health had improved, her mental state remained unstable. Yin Wuxiao and Qiao Fenglang were anxious and helpless, seeing this.
At this moment, the old master of the Zhang family displayed an extraordinary spirit of protecting the flower, volunteering to take on the task of finding medicinal herbs, running around day and night, doing his best. Seeing him like this, Yin Wuxiao secretly sighed in his heart, this philandering old man Zhang Baitong was actually a devoted lover at heart, no wonder Bai Can, whom he raised, was also a devoted lover.
That day, Zhang Baitong returned from outside the valley, bringing back a woman whose face was covered by a veil.
The woman removed her veil, revealing herself to be Cui Shenghan, more than four months pregnant. Her belly was quite prominent beneath her clothes, and her expression was serene, unlike the cold-blooded assassin Mi Meng from that day.
When everyone saw it was her, their expressions turned sour.