It was already the third watch by the time they finished the bowl of noodles. Fortunately, Li Zhao and Xiao Jingcheng's hair had completely dried, which relieved Ye Wanmian.
When she planned to go back to her room to rest, Xiao Jingcheng still wanted to follow her. Luckily, Li Zhao stopped him in time and forcefully sent him back to his room, allowing Ye Wanmian to catch a breath.
She had never expected so many things to happen within a single day. After relaxing, she felt utterly exhausted. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep. No matter what noise came from outside, it couldn't wake her up.
She woke up the next day when it was already bright.
She yawned, tidied herself up, and changed her clothes. When she opened the door and was about to go out, she was startled by the figure blocking the doorway.
Xiao Jingcheng was sitting on the ground with his knees bent, his head resting on them as he slept. His long hair was scattered behind him, and some strands even fell to the ground.
Beside him, Dahuang was curled up on the ground, snoring loudly in its sleep.
There was a certain distance between them, but traces of their rivalry were still visible. Perhaps they had fought again while Ye Wanmian was sleeping.
Xiao Jingcheng wasn't sleeping very soundly, so he woke up as soon as Ye Wanmian opened the door. When he looked up and saw her, he sprang up from the ground and pounced on her.
Ye Wanmian never expected him to be sleeping outside her door. Startled, she didn't have time to dodge and was hugged tightly by him.
The man wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled affectionately against her neck.
The feeling was very strange. His nose rubbed against her neck, and his warm breath hit her ear and neck, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Her legs felt weak, and her heart rate accelerated.
She knew that he still regarded himself as a dog. Therefore, whether it was competing with Dahuang for the territory outside the door or pouncing on her to rub against her, it was all due to canine instincts.
Ye Wanmian didn't always let Dahuang sleep in the room with her. If Dahuang was locked outside, it would always give her a warm welcome when she woke up the next day. So she was already used to the enthusiasm of dogs and didn't take it seriously.
But, but Xiao Jingcheng was a person!
Moreover, he was the Crown Prince of the Sheng Kingdom.
This was supposed to be a very intimate and charming gesture, but in her mind, she inappropriately recalled the cold look on his face when he publicly ridiculed and scolded her for her humble birth.
He had just temporarily lost his memory, but he would surely remember everything one day.
By then, would he blame her for being delusional, for deliberately indulging his actions while he was amnesiac, and for trying to seek favors and climb up the social ladder in the future?
Coming back to her senses, Ye Wanmian gritted her teeth and pushed the man away.
Perhaps the man didn't expect her to react so violently. He stared at her blankly, his wet eyes full of confusion and grievance.
Ye Wanmian took a deep breath and said, "You can't do this."
Xiao Jingcheng tilted his head slightly, as if he didn't understand. Ye Wanmian continued on her own, "I'm a woman, and you're a man. We're different after all, and we shouldn't be so close. Moreover, I don't like you doing this. Not at all."
"Don't... like?" Xiao Jingcheng tilted his head slightly and repeated her words.
"Yes, I don't like it." Ye Wanmian nodded firmly, her fists clenched, and her face a bit cold. "Don't do this again in the future, and don't get too close to me, lest you regret it after you regain your memory."
After saying that, she ignored him and walked out of the door.
Xiao Jingcheng didn't understand the meaning of her words, but he could tell that she was unhappy, and the reason for her unhappiness was his attempt to get close to her just now.
Why didn't she like to get close to him?
He hadn't seen her for a whole night, and as soon as he saw her, he just wanted to be with her.
Hearing the persistent footsteps behind her, Ye Wanmian knew that Xiao Jingcheng had followed her again. Some things couldn't be explained to him now, so she didn't waste any more words and just tried to ignore him.
Just as she was about to pass through the small door to go to the medical clinic for consultations, she suddenly stopped and turned around to look behind her.
Naturally, Xiao Jingcheng had also followed up. Seeing her turn around, he lowered his head nervously and whispered, "Far away."
As if afraid of making her angry, he quickly added, "Mind me..."
He wasn't very good at speaking yet and could only utter two words at a time, but Ye Wanmian understood what he meant.
He was saying that he wasn't getting too close to her and hoped that she wouldn't ignore him.
Ye Wanmian felt a bit helpless.
She had understood these past two days that whenever she left him alone, he would always cause some trouble for her. And in their current situation, the most important thing was to avoid causing trouble.
Since he always followed behind her, it might be better to just let him be.
She went back into the room and took out a small brocade pouch from the cabinet. The pouch contained the talisman papers left by Taoist Yuanzheng. She waved at Xiao Jingcheng:
"Goudan, come here."
Xiao Jingcheng's eyes lit up, and he came over to her side.
Ye Wanmian motioned for him to lower his head. He bent down and stared at her without blinking, his eyes full of curiosity.
Ye Wanmian hung the brocade pouch around his neck, brushed aside his scattered hair, and then stuffed the pouch into his collar.
Xiao Jingcheng felt a strange object pressing against his chest. He reached out to pick out the pouch, but Ye Wanmian stopped him.
"This is something that can save your life. Don't take it off easily. Remember, and never let it get wet."
Xiao Jingcheng blinked his eyes and tried to digest Ye Wanmian's words. It seemed that he understood, so he stopped touching it. He reached out and gently squeezed Ye Wanmian's soft fingers to show that he understood.
But Ye Wanmian was startled by his intimate gesture and quickly withdrew her hand.
Noticing that his hair was still scattered behind him, she asked him to sit down, picked up her comb, and combed his long hair into a simple bun.
Xiao Jingcheng saw his own appearance in the mirror. At first, he was startled, but when he found that he could also see Ye Wanmian behind him in the mirror, he calmed down and curiously observed the overlapping reflections of the two of them in the mirror.
When Ye Wanmian passed through the secret door to the front yard, the medical clinic hadn't opened yet, but Li Zhao and Qi Wen were already waiting there.
Seeing Xiao Jingcheng behind Ye Wanmian, neither Li Zhao nor Qi Wen was surprised. This man had already regarded Ye Wanmian as his life-saving straw. It would be really strange if they didn't see him.
Seeing the transformed Li Zhao again, Ye Wanmian still wasn't quite used to it. She just couldn't bring herself to call him "Uncle Li". It was Li Zhao who greeted her first.
"Doctor Jiang, from today on, I'll be the accountant of your medical clinic."
Hearing his familiar voice, Ye Wanmian smiled with her eyes bent. "It's an honor for our Huichuntang to have an outstanding person like Uncle Li as our accountant."
"By the way, Uncle Li, this is for you."
Ye Wanmian handed over the sachet in her hand.
Li Zhao was taken aback. "This is..."
Ye Wanmian blinked. "This is a precious thing that's hard to come by. Wear it, and Uncle Li won't have to worry about others seeing through your identity. But remember, don't let it get wet."
Li Zhao took it and smiled as he ruffled her hair. "Thank you."