CHAPTER 387: CHAPTER 387: INJURED

Su Jin sat on the bed, rolled up her pants, and saw her bruised knee.

Xie Jingchen reached out and touched it, making Su Jin grimace in pain and harshly slap his hand away.

Knowing she was in pain yet still touching it, this behavior was akin to rubbing salt in her wound.

"Do you have any medicine?" Xie Jingchen asked.

"At Agarwood Pavilion," Su Jin replied.

Although she and Xingxing always carried medicine with them, it was either life-saving or for comforting themselves.

Carrying medicine for minor pains like this would mean carrying a whole medical chest, and it still wouldn’t be enough.

Xie Jingchen called out twice, but no one responded.

"I’ll get the medicine for you," Xie Jingchen said.

"I’ll just endure it," Su Jin replied.

But Xie Jingchen still put on his brocade robe and returned to Agarwood Pavilion.

Su Jin sat on the bed, looking at her bruised knees. This was acceptable in ancient times; if it were modern times, wearing something cool would garner a 200% return rate, and people would look at her with an understanding gaze.

Meanwhile, Xie Jingchen took advantage of the night to return to Agarwood Pavilion, guided by the dim moonlight instead of carrying a lantern.

This casualness gave others an opportunity.

Princess Nanzhang moved to an auxiliary courtyard in Qihao Hall. Everyone knew how she was bitten by a snake.

Xie Jingchuan saw Xie Jingchen on his way back from Qihao Hall and recognized him by sound.

Everyone’s footsteps are different. Xie Jingchuan and Xie Jingchen grew up together, very familiar with each other’s steps.

His mother’s attire got burned, and much of her hair was scorched. This vendetta could not go unavenged!

Some people are unreasonable; they might harm you, but you are not allowed to retaliate, especially successfully; otherwise, you’re gravely guilty.

The hazy night was perfect; a cloud covered the moon, presenting a perfect chance to strike.

In the deep night, no one could see each other; even if someone were beaten, it would be regarded as an assassin, allowing no one to catch them.

Then—

Xie Jingchuan rushed at Xie Jingchen.

Xie Jingchen knew it was Xie Jingchuan. Although he didn’t want Princess Nanzhang to find out that the poison had been neutralized, he couldn’t just take a beating without fighting back.

Even if he were on the street, he would fight with Su Chong; when it was time to fight back, he had to, dealing with the aftermath later.

What’s more, Xie Jingchuan’s punches were quick, leaving Xie Jingchen with no time to hesitate.

They started fighting in the garden.

They were so focused on fighting that no one noticed that area was planted with Princess Nanzhang’s favorite peonies and camellias.

Inside the house, Su Jin looked at her knees and occasionally glanced toward the door, hearing no footsteps.

Did he have to take so long?

He was only fetching medicine, wasn’t he fast at scaling walls?

Waiting and waiting.

A quarter of an hour passed.

Su Jin felt she was almost falling asleep waiting.

After another half of a tea’s time, Xie Jingchen’s footsteps finally came.

The door creaked open as Xie Jingchen walked in, closing it behind him.

But as he turned around, Su Jin was startled.

There was a bruise at the corner of his mouth.

"Weren’t you going to get bruise ointment?"

"Why were you beaten?" Su Jin’s voice drifted.

Xie Jingchen walked over, saying, "Just sparring with Second Brother in the garden."

Su Jin, "...."

"Such cultured interests," Su Jin noted darkly.

Xie Jingchen, "...."

Of course, Su Jin knew what Xie Jingchen meant by "sparring."

She was worried that Princess Nanzhang might find out that the poison in Xie Jingchen was neutralized.

If it were known that he was debilitated by poison and nearing death, Princess Nanzhang feared direct action in case Old Master Xie found out, so she used a slow, poisoning method.

But once his healing was known, and if his martial arts were strong, the lethal dosage would sharply increase and become unpredictable.

Xie Jingchen applied ointment to Su Jin’s knee, saying, "I’ve already made the arrangements."

Looking at his bruised mouth, after Xie Jingchen applied the ointment for her, Su Jin tried to apply it to him, only to be refused.

If she didn’t guess wrongly, the bruise was likely self-inflicted.

Her ointment was effective, healing bruises almost completely overnight, making this beating pointless.

She wondered how injured Xie Jingchuan was?

Probably not too badly?

With such thoughts and curiosity, Su Jin fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, as dawn broke, the maids and matrons were already up.

Though the Buddhist Hall housed few people, one could sleep in if not for the punishment of the Eldest Young Madam being stationed there, which kept the maids and matrons from slacking off.

In the morning, they swept fallen leaves and heated water.

But stepping out, a maid was scared; there was a bloodstain on the steps leading to the Buddhist Hall.

Bloodstains weren’t from just anything and appearing exclusively on the steps could only indicate an intruder?

The maids and matrons trembled in fear.

This fright lasted until Xingxing came inside, and Su Jin yelled, "Quick, call the doctor, Eldest Young Master vomited blood and fainted!"

Maid, "...."

Matron, "...."

Could the blood on the steps be Eldest Young Master’s?

Entering, they saw Xie Jingchen’s injured face.

For a moment, Su Jin took the blame. The maids and matrons instinctively presumed Su Jin had beaten him, but upon closer thought, it seemed unlikely.

Eldest Young Master returning to accompany Eldest Young Madam in the Buddhist Hall seemed over the top, especially since the steps bore evidence of his blood.

"What’s wrong with Eldest Young Master?" the matron asked.

"Last night, on his way back to Agarwood Pavilion, someone attacked him in the garden. My husband cannot fight, so he struggled with the assailants, and the poison took effect," Su Jin said, her eyes reddening.

"Before sleeping last night, he insisted he’d be fine after a rest, but this morning, he wouldn’t respond no matter how much I called."

Lying on the pillow, Xie Jingchen’s eye twitched as he tried hard not to cry out.

Su Jin accidentally knelt on his arm.

It hurt.

Was she doing it on purpose?

The maid hurried to inform the Old Madam, while the matron stayed by the bed. When Xingxing walked in, her gaze drew them back.

Xie Jingchen pulled his arm out forcefully.

Su Jin, "...."

She had been so focused on her acting that she didn’t notice she was kneeling on him.

With her ears burning, Su Jin silently rubbed his arm, grateful for his patience.

Soon, the Hidden Guard brought Doctor Li into the mansion.

Doctor Li had treated many before, but never in a Buddhist Hall. Seeing the blood at the door, his own corner of the mouth twitched.

The Duke Zhen Country Mansion surely lived a lively and eventful life.

First, a fire, then burns, and now vomiting blood.

Being one of their own, Doctor Li fully cooperated with Xie Jingchen and Su Jin, describing Xie Jingchen’s illness heavily.

After writing a prescription, he even administered acupuncture in front of the maids to wake Xie Jingchen up.

After a hectic session, Doctor Li finally left.

But just as he reached the garden, a maid ran over, "Doctor Li, please wait, my family’s Second Young Master is also injured, please have a look."

So, Duke Zhen’s Second Young Master was injured too?

The people at Duke Zhen Country Mansion were truly beset by troubles.

Doctor Li inwardly ridiculed.

Xie Jingchen was only pretending to be sick; aside from facial injuries, his body felt no pain anywhere.

For Xie Jingchuan, it was quite the opposite; his face remained smooth, but his body was covered in bruises, hurting at the slightest touch.

Doctor Li was a smart man; he guessed that Xie Jingchuan’s internal injuries involved Xie Jingchen.

The Eldest Young Master and Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen Country Mansion were indeed clever folks.

One, intelligent, of exceptional medical skill.

The other, astute, with high-level martial skills.

Going against them, wasn’t that asking for trouble?