Chapter 7

 Hearing Pei Yuan's voice, Bao Ning sniffled and hurriedly entered the room.

Just before pushing the door open, she was still thinking about that rat. She didn't know what it had been eating to grow so big and fat. There wasn't much here for it to feed on, right?

A thought from her aunt flashed through her mind: if a big rat appeared in a house, there must be a nest of little rats at least. Bao Ning shuddered at the mental image.

Compared to the furry rat, the cold Pei Yuan didn't seem as frightening anymore.

...The scent of alcohol filled the room.

Bao Ning focused her attention and saw what Pei Yuan was doing.

He was sitting against the wall with a thin coat draped over his shoulders. His right leg was bent, and his left leg was stretched out on the kang. He had rolled up his pants to the root of his thighs and was disinfecting his wound with alcohol.

This was the first time Bao Ning had truly seen Pei Yuan's leg.

She had always thought that Pei Yuan's left leg was just paralyzed, but she never expected it to be injured like this. There was a palm-sized knife wound near the knee, deep enough to see the bone. Perhaps due to improper treatment, the wound hadn't healed well, with some areas forming pus.

In addition, there were no other good parts on the entire leg. There were winding scars, shallow or deep, resembling a crawling centipede.

Bao Ning gasped.

She was afraid of pain and blood. Although the wound was on Pei Yuan's body, seeing it made her feel as if she were in pain too. A cold shiver ran down her spine.

Pei Yuan stared at her expression, expecting to see fear in her eyes. He tongue touched his palate, lowered his eyes, and smirked.

He lowered his head, and by the faint light of the candle on the table, Bao Ning saw that he also had wounds on his face. From the corner of his eyebrow, across his forehead, was a one-inch scar.

Pei Yuan's voice was low, seemingly indifferent as he asked, "Are you afraid?"

Bao Ning tightly clasped her skirt with both hands and nodded.

There was a moment of silence from Pei Yuan. There was an inexplicable taste in his heart, somewhat sour, somewhat relieved. He already knew the answer. Who wouldn't be afraid upon seeing this? It's better to see his true self sooner rather than later, and to leave earlier.

He grunted and reached for the alcohol on the table.

Bao Ning approached him, staring at his wounds for a while before asking softly, "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Not really," Pei Yuan said, splashing the alcohol onto his leg with a "whoosh".

The murky yellow liquid mixed with pus flowed down his calf. Pei Yuan closed his eyes, leaned against the wall, and clenched his teeth, enduring the pain without making a sound.

Bao Ning was startled by his actions and subconsciously closed her eyes. It wasn't until some time later that she dared to open them again, seeing the fine sweat on Pei Yuan's forehead.

Bao Ning sighed and took out a handkerchief from her waist, wiping the sweat off him. "It obviously hurts a lot, why pretend to be strong?"

Pei Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, staring at her strangely. "What are you saying?"

Bao Ning sat down and looked at his legs, saying slowly, "Are all men like this? My younger brother is the same. He plays with knives and guns every day, always coming back with a few cuts on his body. When I ask if it hurts, he says it doesn't. I thought he really didn't feel pain until one day when I went to call him for dinner and saw him sitting on the bed, hugging his knees, crying with red eyes while applying medicine."

Bao Ning shook her head. "Why pretend? If it hurts, just say so. It's not embarrassing to be a bit spoiled with someone close to you, right? Insisting on being strong only tires yourself out, and nobody knows."

Pei Yuan was dizzy from her twisted logic, looking at her as if she were some kind of monster.

Bao Ning didn't notice Pei Yuan's expression. She was only concerned about his wounds, thinking about what medicine to apply later.

Bao Ning had some knowledge of simple medical skills.

The father of Aunt Ming in the Duke's Mansion was originally a doctor, renowned in the capital. However, after his death and the decline of the Ming family, Aunt Ming married into the Duke's Mansion and became a side concubine. Her father was respected, and her position in the mansion was not low. She gave birth to a lone daughter, ranked second in the mansion, named Ji Tongchu, who married the legitimate son of the Marquis of Chongyuan three years ago.

Aunt Ming and Mrs. Xu had a good relationship, and Bao Ning had been close to her since childhood. She had read many medical books by osmosis and could remember most of the prescriptions. She also had some knowledge of acupuncture, but she had never saved anyone, only treated the dogs raised in the mansion.

At first glance, Pei Yuan's wound looked terrifying, but after getting used to it, it wasn't as scary.

Bao Ning sniffed the alcohol he had used, which was sorghum wine, of the inferior kind. It hadn't been filtered, so it smelled very pungent.

"Fourth Prince, you can't continue like this. The more you do this, the worse it'll get," Bao Ning stood up, patted her skirt, and said to him, "Wait for me here, I'll get some medicine for you."

After speaking, Bao Ning hurriedly left.

Pei Yuan watched her back, his mouth opening but unable to utter a word.

This was completely different from the outcome he had imagined.

He had prepared himself for her to leave, but she didn't. Instead, she stayed and cared for his wounds, wanting to apply medicine for him.

That woman was simply a little fool.

Did she even understand what was good and what was bad, what was beneficial to her? She was always so foolish, just laughing all day long, pouring all her energy and enthusiasm into him. But did she know that he couldn't repay her in any way?

After about half an hour, Bao Ning returned with a small bottle of powdered medicine and a bowl of herbal soup.

She handed the medicine to Pei Yuan. "Drink it while it's hot. I've prepared it according to the prescription, to clear heat, stop bleeding, and calm the mind and relieve pain."

Pei Yuan took it and smelled the bitter scent, wrinkling his brows involuntarily.

Bao Ning kept her right hand behind her back and smiled. "I knew you would find it bitter. Guess what else I brought for you?"

Pei Yuan lifted his face to look at her but remained silent.

Bao Ning was accustomed to his sparing words and wasn't angry. She continued to smile. "Close your eyes first."

Pei Yuan pursed his lips, not cooperating with her little game.

"If you won't close them, forget it," Bao Ning said disappointedly. She reached out her right hand, palm up, with a palm-sized oil-paper packet lying on it. After opening it, she handed it to Pei Yuan and said with a playful look, "Golden Silk Honey Jujube."

Pei Yuan looked over and saw the amber-like honey jujube, crystal clear, emitting a faint sweet fragrance that balanced out the bitterness in the air.

Pei Yuan's heart trembled slightly.

He really hadn't expected her to be so thoughtful.

Having grown up practicing martial arts, he had many scars on his body from his childhood. Seeing blood was a common occurrence, and he had drunk plenty of bitter medicine. But no one had ever asked him if his wounds hurt, if the medicine was bitter, or given him a piece of candy.

Pei Yuan didn't take the jujube from her, but he picked up the bowl of medicine and drank it in one gulp.

Bao Ning lowered her eyelashes and picked up a jujube, eating it herself.

The sweetness on her tongue counteracted the unpleasant emotions. Bao Ning ate another one, feeling much better.

She had always said she wouldn't argue with Pei Yuan. He was a patient, sometimes speaking and acting rashly, which made it easy for people to get upset. But once he recovered, he probably wouldn't be as irritable as he was now.

Bao Ning took out a folded cloth from her sleeve and said to Pei Yuan, "Fourth Prince, I'm going to apply the medicine on you. It might hurt a bit, so bear with it."

The cloth was cut from the undergarment she had been sewing for Pei Yuan before the fat rat appeared. Pei Yuan didn't have many clothes, and it would be difficult without undergarments. Moreover, the undergarments needed to be changed frequently to keep the wounds clean.

She had really put a lot of effort into it.

Bao Ning thought to herself, tit for tat. She treated Pei Yuan well, and even if he didn't say it, he should know in his heart. With persistence, she didn't expect Pei Yuan to treat her exceptionally well; being treated with respect was enough for her.

Pei Yuan quietly watched as Bao Ning bandaged his wounds.

Her technique was very skilled, and her serious expression while bowing her head, with fair and tender cheeks like jade, long and dense eyelashes like butterfly wings.

Pei Yuan didn't know why he thought of these things.

Having grown up in the palace, he had seen many concubines, many beauties: gentle ones, charming ones, fierce ones, gentle ones. But no one was like Bao Ning, so pure and innocent-looking, seeming shy but also passionate and strong-willed.

Bao Ning was like a beam of light, while he was the decaying mud in the corner. The light shining on the mud would dispel the haze but also expose the ugliness and decay of the mud, leaving it bare under the sunlight.

Pei Yuan had never hated his disabled body as much as he did today. The better Bao Ning treated him, the worse he became.

If one day Bao Ning wanted to leave, he had no reason to make her stay.

With these thoughts, Pei Yuan was momentarily stunned. Why did he want her to stay?

His mind was in turmoil. This wasn't like him. Pei Yuan resisted these emotions and desperately sought an outlet for release.

Bao Ning noticed his burning gaze and looked up at him, thinking that Pei Yuan was curious about why she was doing all this. She smiled and said, "The maids in the mansion raise dogs. Sometimes, the dogs get injured while running around, and the maids come to me, so I bandage them up."

Pei Yuan stared into her eyes and blurted out, "Do you treat everyone with such kindness?"

Bao Ning was stunned.

Pei Yuan saw her smile disappear instantly, her eyes gradually turning red.

Pei Yuan clenched his fists by his side, feeling even more agitated.

As soon as the words came out, Pei Yuan knew he had spoken wrongly. He felt a tinge of regret in his heart, but he opened his mouth and said nothing.

Bao Ning asked, "Is this how you really feel about me?"

Her voice carried a hint of tears, but she didn't wait for Pei Yuan's answer. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and ran out crying.

Pei Yuan felt his throat tighten. He wanted to apologize, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He was too proud, and even though he knew he was wrong, he couldn't lower his face to appease others.

He pressed his forehead and picked up the wine jug on the table, drinking two mouthfuls in one go. His stomach burned, and Pei Yuan breathed heavily, bending over in discomfort.

...

Bao Ning was really hurt.

These past few days, no matter how bad Pei Yuan's temper was, she could always smile and say it was okay because she knew Pei Yuan didn't mean it. But tonight, she didn't know how to convince herself.

Bao Ning even thought, why bother? She didn't need to treat Pei Yuan with all her heart. Since he didn't appreciate it, they could just be ordinary neighbors in the future.

She lay on the pillow in discomfort for almost half the night before falling into a drowsy sleep.

The next day, Bao Ning was awakened. She heard someone calling her "sister" outside the courtyard. At first, she thought she was dreaming, but after listening carefully, she realized someone was indeed calling her, with occasional faint barks.

It was Ji Yun!

Bao Ning threw on her coat and rushed out the door in a hurry.

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