The footsteps faded away, accompanied by curses.
Finally, the yard returned to silence.
Tian Yao let out a long breath. Her whole body went limp, and her back was soaked in cold sweat.
That night, Tian Yao couldn't fall asleep anymore. He Cheng Yu's appearance was like an alarm bell, making her clearly realize that danger lurked everywhere in this Marquis Mansion.
Clinging to He Ci Yuan was her only way out.
She quietly got up and walked to the outer room. Looking at the remaining few stalks of Duanxue Grass in the bamboo basket, an idea popped into her mind.
The effect of using it simply as an external medicine would surely be slow. If she could make it into an ointment and combine it with massage, the two - pronged approach would surely yield better results.
Without hesitation, Tian Yao set up a small pot and started boiling the medicine.
There was no other way. Anyway, she had already said it was a strong - acting medicine and it seemed ineffective no matter how it was used. As long as she controlled the dosage well, there might be a chance of success later.
In the dead of night, only the medicine juice in the pot was "gurgling" with tiny bubbles, and the clear fragrance of the medicine gradually filled the air.
I don't know how much time had passed when a hoarse voice suddenly came from the outer room.
"Tian Yao!"
Tian Yao was concentrating intently on the ointment in the pot. The sudden voice scared her out of her wits. Her hand trembled, and the hot edge of the medicine pot directly burned her hand!
"Ah!" She let out a low cry of pain and instinctively pulled back her hand.
"Come here." Inside the inner room, He Ci Yuan's voice carried a hint of impatience and command.
Not caring about the pain, Tian Yao quickly extinguished the fire and walked in briskly.
He Ci Yuan was half - reclined on the bed. In the dim candlelight, his face was still pale, but he was awake.
He seemed to want to sit up, but due to his inconvenient legs, his movements were a bit strenuous.
That momentary struggle and helplessness made Tian Yao's heart clench inexplicably.
She lowered her head and walked quickly to the bedside. "My lord, you're awake."
He Ci Yuan didn't say a word. He grabbed her hand.
On Tian Yao's hand, a clear red mark quickly swelled up, and it looked like blisters were about to form.
"Why are you so careless?" He squeezed out these words through his teeth. It was hard to tell whether his tone was one of annoyance or something else.
Could she even be distracted while boiling medicine?
Tian Yao was stunned by the scolding, and for no reason, a sense of grievance welled up in her heart.
It was all because of him that she got scared.
"I'm thirsty. Go pour me a glass of water." He let go of her hand, lay back down, and turned his back to her.
"Yes." Tian Yao obediently poured the water and served him to drink.
"Go and rest." He closed his eyes, his tone cold and harsh. "Don't get in my way here. The mansion doctor will take care of the medicine."
Tian Yao didn't dare to say more. She silently retreated to the small couch in the outer room and curled up.
Her hand burned with pain, and her heart was in a complete mess.
This man clearly cared about her, but he could never learn to say something nice.
Inside the inner room, He Ci Yuan had no intention of sleeping.
He opened his eyes and stared at the dark canopy. The red mark on that girl's hand lingered in his mind.
She climbed the cliff for him, boiled medicine for him until midnight, and even burned herself.
Why?
He couldn't figure it out. In this world, except for his deceased parents and the marquis, no one had ever been so kind to him.
Which of those maids and servants didn't tremble at the sight of him and try to avoid him?
This Tian Yao was incredibly bold and had a deep - hidden heart.
But the reckless and innocent way she did these things didn't seem like an act.
Could it be that... she was just trying to curry favor with him and seek his protection?
He Ci Yuan couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking. No matter what she was after, as long as she was under his nose, he could keep an eye on her.
...
On the other side, in the study of the heir apparent, He Huai Bi, the lights were brightly lit.
He had just returned from outside. His expression was a bit tired, and there was more of an indescribable irritation.
The other day, he accidentally saw Tian Yao in a hurry to find the mansion doctor. Curious, he asked around.
He didn't know until he asked. The servant came back and told him in detail how Tian Yao had gone up the mountain to gather herbs, how she had been injured, and how she had massaged the eldest young master's leg all night.
After hearing this, He Huai Bi felt a bit strange in his heart.
A莫名 sense of jealousy, like a vine, quietly wrapped around his heart.
Just then, the curtain was lifted, and a graceful figure walked in.
"My lord, you're finally back." Bi Xi was holding a bowl of ginseng soup. Smiling sweetly, she walked up to him. "I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Seeing that he didn't respond, Bi Xi became very nervous.
"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?" Bi Xi asked softly. "Did I do something wrong?"
He Huai Bi put down the scroll in his hand, glanced at her, and suddenly said, "What did you do today?"
Bi Xi was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "What else could I do? I tidied up your study, supervised the kitchen to make soup, and... waited for you to come back."
As she said this, she asked coquettishly, "My lord, the flowing cloud silk that just arrived at the Jinxiu Workshop in the south of the city that you promised me the other day, did you bring it back for me?"
It was always these things.
Clothes, jewelry, rouge, and powder.
The irritation in He Huai Bi's heart flared up instantly. His tone turned cold. "Do you only know about these things?"
The smile on Bi Xi's face froze. "My lord?"
"Look at Tian Yao. She even knows how to find a way to treat elder brother's leg problem. Although it's impossible for a cripple to get better, her loyalty is praise - worthy. What else can you do besides asking me for these things?"
Bi Xi's face turned deathly pale. Tears welled up in her eyes and were about to fall. "My lord... you're comparing me to a rough - working maid?"
"Didn't you used to be a maid?" There was no need for comparison. He Huai Bi said coldly.
She cried so pitifully. "I used to be just a maid. I'm really grateful for your favor. I only thought about how to dress up to make you happy. Is there something wrong with that..."
It was true that there was nothing wrong. A woman like her really had no other outstanding qualities besides her beauty.
Looking at her like this, He Huai Bi's heart softened. He also felt that he had spoken too harshly.
He sighed, pulled her into his arms, and softened his tone. "Okay, it's my fault. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you."
Bi Xi sobbed in his arms. She seemed aggrieved, but in fact, her heart was in turmoil.
Tian Yao!
It was that Tian Yao again!
This woman's name had appeared too frequently recently. She could even make these people jealous of each other.
A sense of crisis like never before gripped her heart tightly.
After finally soothing He Huai Bi, Bi Xi quietly returned to her own room.
"Go and find out what Tian Yao has been doing these days. I want to know every single detail."
"Yes." The maid quickly took the order and left.
On Tian Yao's side, she started preparing the medicine as soon as she got up early in the morning.