When she woke up again, it was already dark outside.
She sat up in bed, beads of sweat dotting her forehead. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, as if that oppressive and heavy atmosphere still lingered in her mind.
Hearing the commotion, the maid outside carefully opened the door. "Miss, are you awake?"
It was Cuihuan.
Fu Zhen lifted the bed curtain and looked at her, saying in surprise, "You're awake? Do you still feel unwell anywhere?"
Cuihuan came over and hung up the curtain properly, smiling. "I'm all better after a good sleep. Don't worry, Miss."
"Where's Biyu?" Fu Zhen looked around. "Is she awake?"
Cuihuan sighed. "She's awake. But she's been brooding over things. Yesterday, she watched helplessly as you were abducted. When she woke up, she cried for a while and refused to come out. She kept saying that she was too ashamed to face you and that you might as well drive her out."
Fu Zhen couldn't help but feel both helpless and amused. "Am I really that scary to her?"
Although Biyu had overstepped by secretly keeping the hairpin, Fu Zhen wasn't blind. She knew that Biyu had meant well. For this alone, Fu Zhen wouldn't be angry with her.
The punishment of kneeling was just to convince the others.
But Biyu was stubborn. Once she got a bee in her bonnet, she wouldn't listen to reason. It really gave Cuihuan a huge headache.
"I'll go and see her," Fu Zhen said.
Cuihuan chased after her a few steps, draping a robe over Fu Zhen, and then followed her to Biyu's room.
Biyu was sitting listlessly at the table, her eyes as red as a rabbit's. When she saw Fu Zhen coming, she was startled and immediately turned her head to avoid her, but was caught by Fu Zhen, who teased her, "Look at our Sister Biyu. If the little maids saw you like this, they'd laugh their heads off."
Biyu stopped moving, her shoulders slumping. Her tears just wouldn't stop. "That unreliable Cuihuan. Why did she bring you to the servants' quarters? I'll scold her later!"
Fu Zhen turned to look at Cuihuan, signaling her to leave first.
The room fell silent. Fu Zhen turned Biyu's body around. "Are you angry with me?"
"How could I be angry with you, Miss?" Biyu said anxiously. "I'm angry with myself!"
She wiped away her tears. "I overstepped and meddled in your affairs. Just this one thing is enough for you to drive me out of the mansion. Yesterday, I failed to protect you, and you came back from the brink of death. I heard from the maid who brought the hot water that there was a huge bruise on your waist, and there was even a faint seepage of blood! If it weren't for my incompetence, you wouldn't have suffered like this!"
"The more I think about it... the angrier I get. I'm angry at myself for having wild thoughts and for being useless..." Biyu sobbed.
Fu Zhen sighed and lifted her head, using a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "Look at you. You've turned into a little panda."
"No one could have predicted what happened yesterday. Not you, not even me. Even if I was on guard against Liu Peipei, could I have predicted that she would drug us?" Fu Zhen looked at her. "I haven't blamed you. Why do you blame yourself?"
"You're my head maid, just like Cuihuan. I trust you deeply. It's just that you're sometimes too naive and need someone to guide you. But this isn't a big problem. Remember the time on Qingcheng Mountain? Weren't you very smart then?" Fu Zhen stroked her face and smiled. "I like your smartness. No one can compare to you, not even Cuihuan."
Biyu pouted and let out a sob, leaning on Fu Zhen's shoulder. "You're just coaxing me. Compared to Cuihuan, I'm still far behind."
Cuihuan had been trained as the head maid beside the mistress of the house. She had learned to be steady since childhood and had studied everything. Naturally, she was good at everything now. But Biyu was different. Her family was well - off, and her parents both worked in the mansion. She had been doted on since childhood, and her natural disposition hadn't been suppressed, so she was carefree.
But Fu Zhen didn't think this was a big problem. In fact, it wasn't a problem at all.
Biyu was smart. It was her nature. Was it really better to force her to be steady?
She just needed to be polished and occasionally guided.
Since she served beside Fu Zhen, Fu Zhen would surely guide her, and then there would be no problem at all.
Fu Zhen pinched her warm, tear - stained cheeks. "Far behind? I don't see it. I think you're just too close to the situation to see clearly."
"Cheer up quickly. I'm waiting for you to bring me some pastries."
Biyu was逗笑. Her tears had unknowingly stopped. She hugged Fu Zhen's arm and coquettishly said, "You're so kind, Miss. I'll serve you with my life for the rest of my life."
Fu Zhen laughed and pinched her nose, joking, "For the rest of your life? You're not going to get married?"
"I'm not getting married," Biyu said firmly. "I'll just follow you, Miss, and serve you for the rest of my life!"
Fu Zhen thought it was just childish talk and didn't take it to heart. She coaxed, "Okay, okay. Then we'll be together for the rest of our lives. Lift your head up quickly and let me see if those rabbit eyes are still there."
"Oops!" Biyu quickly turned around. It wasn't easy for her red - rimmed eyes to return to normal. She felt so ugly now. "Are you hungry, Miss? I'll go and get some pastries for you right away!"
Saying that, she really scurried out like a rabbit.
Fu Zhen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. When she went out and exchanged a look with Cuihuan, she couldn't help but shake her head and smile. "If she goes out like this, she'll surely come back crying and complaining that people are laughing at her."
Since Chen Xuan and Fu Zhen had returned safely, the mansion was no longer as gloomy as before.
In the main courtyard, Lady Bai and Chen Xuan were snuggled together in the dim candlelight, whispering.
"I wonder how Shaochuan is doing," Lady Bai sighed.
Chen Xuan stroked her back and said softly, "I think Shaochuan is even more capable than me. He knows what he's doing. Don't worry too much."
"You also told me that it was a small matter when you went to war and told me not to worry about you," Lady Bai sat up from his shoulder and patted him. "Look at you now. You can't even lift one of your arms. How are you going to hold a gun in the future..."
She didn't finish her sentence and turned her head away.
For a military general, the most feared thing was to injure the meridians. Practicing martial arts required continuous physical tempering. If it was just a flesh wound, it would heal with ordinary care. But if the meridians were injured, it was a question of whether one could still pick up a sword or a spear.
Chen Xuan's injury this time was really tricky. One strike had almost paralyzed his arm. At that moment, he knew that his meridians were severed.
Seeing Lady Bai's sad expression, he smiled. "What are you afraid of? If I can't hold a gun, then I won't. I'm middle - aged anyway. I've been fighting for most of my life. It's time to stop and take a rest."
Lady Bai was stunned and suddenly turned back. "Are you serious?"
Chen Xuan pulled her into his arms. His voice was soft but full of tenderness. "When have I ever lied to you? Tingfeng can handle things on his own now. I'm at ease leaving the Marquis Mansion to him."
"Moreover, our family can't accommodate two outstanding people."