While Su Yuanyuan got up to look for the wound medicine and gauze, the man noticed the purple outer robe casually placed on the table.
His gaze didn't linger on the robe for long. It was as if he wasn't the least bit surprised by its presence.
However, when he saw Su Yuanyuan unhesitatingly slice a cut in the robe with a dagger, he failed to hold his breath and choked in his throat, breaking out into a violent fit of coughing.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Su Yuanyuan was startled by the noise. She quickly turned around again and covered his mouth with her hand.
"Shh!" Su Yuanyuan's eyes widened roundly. She lowered her voice and said, "Why are you so forgetful? My maids are guarding outside. Do you really want to draw them all here?"
The man didn't say a word, but his eyes were fixed on the robe that Su Yuanyuan had sliced beyond recognition. The question in his eyes was quite obvious.
Su Yuanyuan said righteously, "It's been washed. It's clean. It's more than enough to bandage your wound."
Was that what he wanted to ask?
The man felt like coughing again. Suppressing the itch in his throat, he signaled with his eyes for Su Yuanyuan to remove her hand.
Su Yuanyuan let go of him awkwardly and took a step back. But somehow, she felt that the touch of the skin under her fingertips just now was a bit strange.
"The finest Tiankui brocade, with pure gold threads hidden inside. It's the best thing to keep out the cold. You're really willing to use it to bandage a wound?"
She heard the man say so.
Su Yuanyuan's first reaction was, so this outer robe was actually so valuable? No wonder she didn't feel cold when Cang Xuan draped it over her. It was indeed a pity that she had ruined it.
But she quickly came to her senses.
— No, something's wrong. How did he know the material of this outer robe?
Before she could ask, the man dispelled her doubts.
"As far as I know, there's only one person in Shengjing who can afford to wear Tiankui brocade. Getting this robe from him proves that you've made a favorable impression on him. Why don't you cherish it and keep it to keep out the cold?"
So he, like her, felt sorry for this robe.
"A favorable impression?" Su Yuanyuan snorted. "Since you know that my father used to be the great general guarding the border, you should know what's most important to a military general."
"That big traitor. He slandered loyal officials before the emperor, harbored evil intentions, and caused our Su family to lose military power. We've been under virtual house arrest in Shengjing. He gave me this robe with no good intentions."
The man retorted, "What could he do to a 'stupid' little girl like you? Couldn't he just feel sorry for you?"
I don't know if it was on purpose, but he deliberately emphasized the words "stupid".
Su Yuanyuan pretended not to notice the mockery in his words and looked like "don't think you can fool me".
"Although my father has been deprived of military power, a toothless tiger is still a tiger. He still has quite a bit of prestige in the army. That man slandered my father for having the intention of treason before. Now he's doing this. Naturally, he wants our Duke's Mansion to owe him a favor so that he can ask for something in return in the future."
"Or maybe he's worried that my father will take revenge on him when he comes to Shengjing and cause him trouble. So he starts with me first to make the Duke's Mansion owe him a favor. In this way, my father won't be able to attack him easily."
The man looked at her wordlessly. After a while, he said, "... Your reasoning is convincing."
"Besides, I'm the young lady of the Duke's Mansion. My family has everything. It's just a robe. If I tear it, I'll tear it. What can he do to me? If he picks on a little girl, people in Shengjing will laugh their heads off."
Su Yuanyuan put her hands on her hips and said, "As for you, you've talked so much nonsense. Do you still want to treat your wound or not? If not, I'm going to sleep. You've disturbed my sweet dream. I haven't settled the score with you yet."
The man had experienced her sharp tongue and gave up discussing the robe with her. He said, "Pick up the dagger in your hand and hold it over the candle flame until the blade turns completely red. Then use this dagger to remove the rotten flesh around my wound."
Su Yuanyuan said "Oh" and sat on the chair as told, roasting the dagger in her hand over the candle flame.
The man leaned against the cushion. His robe was in a complete mess after being tugged by her. His hair tied behind his head scattered like a waterfall behind him. His fair and strong body was stained with dots of blood, looking a bit indescribably alluring. But when Su Yuanyuan's gaze fell on his face, his ordinary appearance completely ruined his aura.
What a pity. If he were a bit better-looking, he might be a match for that big traitor.
A thought flashed through her mind. Su Yuanyuan asked, "I've agreed to let you stay and treat your wound. You should at least tell me your name, where you're from, and what you do for a living."
The man looked at her bright eyes and then at the ruined robe. He said, "Yun Jian. I'm from Shuzhou. I'm temporarily living in Shengjing. I have no parents. I'm just a good-for-nothing, occasionally doing some cheating and swindling to earn a little money."
"Well, Miss Su, you've saved a villain. Are you regretting it to the core?"
Since he had teased her before, Su Yuanyuan didn't completely believe his nonsense.
While talking to him, the blade of the dagger had already been roasted red by the fire. Su Yuanyuan held the handle of the dagger and stepped forward. She neatly sliced off the rotten flesh on his wound and said,
"You talk so much nonsense. Why didn't this poison make you dumb?"
"Hiss—" Yun Jian gasped and gritted his teeth. "What a sharp-tongued and ruthless little girl."
As the hot dagger pierced into the flesh again and again, a pungent smell of char filled the whole room. But with her careful treatment, all the rotten flesh on Yun Jian's wound had been removed, and the color of the blood flowing out of it gradually turned bright red.
During this process, Yun Jian's body trembled slightly due to the pain, but he never let out a single cry of pain from beginning to end. When Su Yuanyuan looked up, she found that his body and forehead were already soaked with cold sweat.
"What next?" she asked.
Yun Jian opened his eyes. His voice sounded a bit hoarser than before. "Medicine."
With just this simple word, Su Yuanyuan knew what he meant. She poured the wound medicine on his wound and then bandaged it with the strips torn from the robe.
After doing all this, she was also sweating all over. But the sense of accomplishment of treating someone's wound made her eyes sparkle with joy.
"And then?" She looked at Yun Jian eagerly. "Can the poison be cured like this?"
Yun Jian had recovered from the pain that was almost unbearable. Looking at the eager and clear-eyed girl in front of him, he felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
"Silly girl." He said, "It's not that easy to be cured. Those who are poisoned by this will surely die if they don't get the antidote within three days."
Su Yuanyuan was startled. "Then, then I'll go and get the medicine for you?"
"No. I have a token on me. After dawn, find a way to take it to 'Quyang Cloth Store' in the East Market. Give the token to the shopkeeper and tell him about this. He'll give you the antidote."
The token! Su Yuanyuan was so excited that she almost jumped up. She took out the token from her bosom and handed it to him. She said, "Is it this one?"