Song Ruotang took out the medicine packet she had been holding tightly in her bosom and handed it to Pei Zhiyan.
Pei Zhiyan looked at her eager face. Her almond eyes reflected the candlelight, shining brightly. Her face was tinged with a faint blush, her nose was red from the cold, and her clothes were wrinkled and stained with a lot of dirt. He felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.
"You went to look for the Snow - Heart Grass," Pei Zhiyan said softly, his tone affirmative.
Song Ruotang looked down at her clothes and pulled them together shyly. "I'm being impolite. I've soiled the fox fur cloak..."
Pei Zhiyan didn't say anything else. He was silent for a while. The servants beside them didn't know what to do. Afraid of his anger, they all knelt down.
Xiaoxi couldn't figure out what this master was thinking, but she still plucked up her courage and said, "Sir, the mistress almost fell off the cliff behind the Green Mountain Temple while looking for the Snow - Heart Grass today. That's why she accidentally soiled the fox fur cloak..."
"Xiaoxi..." Song Ruotang interrupted her. Xiaoxi pursed her lips and didn't say anything more, but Pei Zhiyan had already got the important information.
His brows furrowed even deeper. "Almost fell off the cliff?"
He knew there was a cliff behind the Green Mountain Temple. He never thought Song Ruotang had gone there to pick the Snow - Heart Grass.
Song Ruotang handed the medicine packet to the mammy beside her. Clutching the corner of her clothes, she said in a small voice, "Sir, I'm fine..."
Although she said so, her slender hands were full of scratches, which were especially obvious in the candlelight.
Pei Zhiyan let out a breath. He dismissed the servants, pulled Song Ruotang over, looked down at the wounds on her hands, pursed his thin lips slightly, and pulled her towards their courtyard.
Song Ruotang obediently followed behind. Looking down at Pei Zhiyan's warm big hand avoiding her wounds, the emotions in her eyes changed.
It seemed that this trip was not in vain...
Pei Zhiyan pulled Song Ruotang into the room and made her sit down. Then he went to the secret compartment beside the bed and took out a bottle of ointment. He originally wanted Song Ruotang to apply the medicine herself, but looking at the wounds on her hands, he silently walked up to her, squatted down, and took her hand.
He gently applied the ointment on Song Ruotang's hands. Seeing that her hands were full of blue and purple marks, he let out a soft sigh. "Don't take such risks in the future. Protecting yourself is the most important thing."
When Pei Zhiyan put away the ointment and was about to stand up, he saw that Song Ruotang's face was covered with a blush as she obediently nodded. In the candlelight, with her eyelashes drooping, she looked a bit shy, but the fine beads of sweat on her forehead had already dampened her stray hairs.
Pei Zhiyan frowned. Before he could stand up, Song Ruotang also raised her head, looking confused. "Sir, what's wrong?"
Pei Zhiyan didn't say a word. He just reached out and touched her forehead. His brows furrowed even deeper. "You're running a fever. You may have caught a cold."
Song Ruotang pursed her lips. She did feel unwell on the way back, but she never had the chance to take the medicine. She didn't expect Pei Zhiyan to notice.
"I'm fine, sir. This little cold is nothing..." Song Ruotang forced herself to stand up. Her head was really dizzy, and Pei Zhiyan's figure was a bit blurry in front of her eyes.
Her legs went weak, and she fell towards Pei Zhiyan. Naturally, he didn't let her fall. He pulled her into his arms, and a trace of worry flashed across his eyes.
Song Ruotang rubbed her temples with her slender fingers, looking delicate and frail. Her willow - shaped eyebrows were slightly knitted. She forced herself to apologize and tried to back out of Pei Zhiyan's embrace. "Sorry, sir. I'm being impolite..."
Pei Zhiyan pursed his thin lips slightly. He grabbed Song Ruotang's hand and pulled her back into his arms. Then he picked her up horizontally with the other hand around her waist and walked straight towards the bed.
"You don't need to apologize. Rest well here. I'll go and call the doctor," Pei Zhiyan said in a softer tone, with a hint of coaxing. Just as he was about to get up, Song Ruotang suddenly grabbed his collar and looked up at him with misty eyes.
"What..." Pei Zhiyan was just about to ask when Song Ruotang buried her head in his arms. Then she slowly raised her head. Her flushed cheeks, paired with her watery almond eyes and slightly parted red lips, looked extremely charming.
Song Ruotang pursed her red lips slightly and said in a small voice, "Sir, I don't want you to leave. I'm scared..."
There was a hint of coquetry in her tone, and her voice was soft and delicate. It made Pei Zhiyan feel a tingle all over his body. For a moment, he was stunned and didn't move.
"Sir..." Seeing that he didn't move, Song Ruotang carefully tugged at the corner of his clothes. She felt nervous. She wondered if she had gone too far and annoyed Pei Zhiyan.
Just as she was thinking this, Pei Zhiyan took a step back, keeping a distance from Song Ruotang. He turned his head slightly and no longer looked at her. Instead, he raised his hand to his lips and coughed lightly twice.
Song Ruotang quickly looked up. What she saw was Pei Zhiyan's ear tips tinged with a faint pink. The light was dim, and she wasn't sure if she was seeing things. She could only keep silent and didn't dare to say anything more.
After they were silent for a while, Pei Zhiyan walked out. Song Ruotang sat on the couch and didn't dare to try to stop him again. She could only watch him leave the room with open eyes.
After Pei Zhiyan had completely left, Song Ruotang let out a sigh. It seemed that she was still too impatient.
Song Ruotang clenched the bedsheet under her and gently bit her lower lip. Then she lay down on the couch.
After a while, the door was pushed open. The lamp flame flickered a few times, and the light in the room flashed.
Song Ruotang was feeling uncomfortable all over. She thought it was Xiaoxi who came in, so she didn't turn over to look. It was only when the footsteps stopped in front of the couch that she realized something was wrong and turned over.
Pei Zhiyan had just bent down when he came face - to - face with Song Ruotang. They were both stunned for a moment when their eyes met. Then he sat down on the edge of the couch and explained, "I just sent Xiaoxi to call the doctor."
After saying that, he reached out and poured a glass of water from the table beside. "Do you want some water?"
Song Ruotang nodded. Just as she was about to get up, he reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, helping her sit up.
At this moment, Song Ruotang was feeling dizzy. She leaned against him for support. Pei Zhiyan didn't reject her seeing her state. He just brought the water to her lips, fed her the water himself, and then put her down.
At this time, Song Ruotang didn't have the energy to seduce Pei Zhiyan. She was lying on the couch in a daze. She only felt Pei Zhiyan's big hand touch her forehead. Then he got up to get a cold towel and put it on her forehead.
She didn't know when the doctor came. When Song Ruotang regained consciousness again, she was leaning in Pei Zhiyan's arms. A stream of hot and bitter smell rushed into her nose, making her wrinkle her nose uncontrollably and instinctively push it away.
There was a sharp intake of breath from above her head, followed by Pei Zhiyan's voice. "Be good. Drink the medicine and you'll get better."
His voice was soft, as if he was afraid of waking Song Ruotang up or was coaxing her. Song Ruotang was still dizzy, but she still refused to drink the medicine. She just shrank into the warm embrace.
"Sigh..."
Pei Zhiyan tried several times but failed. Looking at Song Ruotang curled up in his arms, he let out a sigh. He looked down at the thick black medicine soup, and emotions welled up in his eyes, as if he was struggling...