Chun Qiao snapped out of her daze and shook her head. "No!"
When their young master was carried back, he was covered in blood and had lost consciousness. How could he have given any instructions about who should attend to him?
"Since the young master didn't specify who should serve him, as his concubine, it shouldn't be improper for me to go and attend to him, right?"
Chun Qiao was rendered speechless and didn't know how to reply. She could only nod silently.
When the two of them entered the main courtyard one after another, they saw Chun Hong, the maid beside He Shulan, standing guard outside the hall.
Seeing them, Chun Hong curtsied. "Madam Zhou, Sister Chun Qiao."
Chun Qiao nodded slightly and led Zhou Danlin to wait outside the hall.
Not long after, He Shulan, supported by Nanny Zhou, came out of the hall with red - rimmed eyes.
When she saw them, He Shulan covered her face with a handkerchief. Her almond - shaped eyes instantly exuded the authority of a superior.
Seeing this, Zhou Danlin stepped forward quickly, knelt down and curtsied. "Your servant Zhou Danlin pays respects to the princess."
He Shulan raised her eyebrows slightly, as if wondering who this Zhou Danlin was.
Nanny Zhou whispered a reminder beside her. "She's the daughter of the prefect of Yangzhou. She was brought into the mansion last year."
He Shulan nodded in understanding. "You're going to attend to the young master tonight?"
"Yes, I am, Your Highness."
"And where's Lin Wanyu?"
"Miss Lin sprained her foot when she went out just now and can't move around easily, so..."
Zhou Danlin answered all of He Shulan's questions truthfully.
Her obedient and polite manner was quite pleasing.
Hearing her words, He Shulan's eyes filled with a hint of sarcasm. "You're a well - behaved one. Serve the young master well, and you'll surely be rewarded in the future."
"Your servant thanks the princess."
Zhou Danlin was overjoyed. After watching He Shulan leave, she lifted her skirt and entered the main hall.
This was the first time she had stepped into Lu Huaijin's courtyard. As she walked towards the bedroom, her mind was already filled with the vision of living in this large courtyard in the future.
Yuncheng Residence was much larger than her family's mansion. Sooner or later, she would become the most respected mistress of Yuncheng Residence. No, of the entire mansion, and return to Yangzhou in grand style.
As soon as she entered the bedroom, a strong and pungent smell of blood assailed her nostrils, making her instinctively want to cover her nose.
Si Chen was standing guard on one side. When he saw her, his expression darkened slightly. "Why is it you, Madam Zhou?"
Zhou Danlin gave a gentle smile and curtsied. "Miss Lin sprained her foot and can't move around easily, so she asked me to come and attend to the young master."
Si Chen frowned tightly. "I'll take care of the young master here. Please go back, Madam Zhou!"
The young master hated the pungent smell of powder the most. This Madam Zhou had only been standing here for a short while, and the air in the room had already become quite stuffy. If the young master woke up, he would surely be angry.
Zhou Danlin had finally got such an opportunity. How could she give it up so easily?
"I'm the young master's concubine now. Since he's injured, it's only right for me to come and attend to him."
After saying that, without waiting for Si Chen to speak, she started to work on her own initiative.
First, she opened the window to ventilate the room, then she carried out the blood - stained clothes that Lu Huaijin had changed out of. All night long, she fed Lu Huaijin water and wiped the sweat off his brow. She didn't stop for a moment.
As soon as the morning bell rang at the fifth watch, Si Chen needed to send someone to ask for leave. He glanced at Zhou Danlin, gave a reminder, and then stepped out.
Zhou Danlin finally waited for Si Chen to leave. She carried a cup of tea over and was about to feed Lu Huaijin.
The man on the couch had his black eyes tightly closed. His face was pale, but his handsomeness was still undeniable. Zhou Danlin finally had the opportunity to sit on the couch and look at him carefully. Her eyes were now filled with admiration.
Her slender fingers couldn't help but want to touch his face.
Just as her hand was raised halfway, the man in front of her suddenly opened his eyes. A pair of rough big hands instantly clamped down on her wrist.
His deep eyes were now filled with caution.
But Zhou Danlin still felt the man's hand on her wrist loosen a bit.
"Your Highness, you're finally awake. You've scared your servant so much."
The woman's gentle voice echoed in his ear. Lu Huaijin became more sober. When he saw the person in front of him clearly, a hint of disgust appeared in his ink - colored eyes.
"Get out!"
His voice was hoarse, filled with impatience and coldness, as if an invisible pressure was weighing on people's hearts.
Zhou Danlin's heart trembled. She quickly got up and knelt down to plead for mercy. "Your Highness, please forgive your servant. Your servant didn't mean to offend. You've had a fever all night. Your servant was just too worried about you and wanted to see if the fever had gone down."
As she spoke, she deliberately put on a delicate and aggrieved look as if on the verge of tears. Any man would feel pity for her at this sight.
But Lu Huaijin was no ordinary man.
When he heard that it was this woman who had attended to him all night, his irritation grew even stronger.
"Si Chen!"
Hearing this, Si Chen outside the door quickly gave a few instructions and then rushed into the bedroom.
"Your Highness."
As soon as Si Chen entered, he saw Zhou Danlin kneeling there looking like she was about to cry. He instantly had a bad feeling.
Lu Huaijin stretched out his hand. Si Chen understood and quickly stepped forward to help him sit up.
"Your Highness, you're covered in wounds. The imperial physician said you should rest in bed."
Lu Huaijin frowned tightly, his voice as cold as frost. "Have you forgotten all the things I've told you?"
Si Chen pursed his thin lips slightly and immediately said, "I'll send someone to clean the west side hall right away."
"Do you want the young master to wait?"
Lu Huaijin scolded in a deep voice. His pale face was now full of ferocity, and an aura of being unapproachable surrounded him.
At this point, even if Si Chen was slow - witted, he understood.
"Both the east and west side halls will take time to clean. Your Highness will have to make do and rest in the neighboring Huanhua Pavilion, Miss Lin's residence for now."
As the words fell, the hostility of the person beside him still hadn't dissipated, but he didn't refuse either.
...
It had rained all night, and everywhere was filled with the fresh fragrance of the soil.
On summer thunderstorm nights, Lin Wanyu always slept restlessly, and last night was no exception.
After she returned to her room, she applied some medicine and sat on the couch all night.
Finally, when dawn broke and the noise outside gradually stopped, she was just about to take a nap when there was a knock on the door.
Her ankle still hurt a bit after applying the medicine, but it didn't hinder her from walking.
Lin Wanyu put on her shoes and walked to the door. When she opened the door, Lu Huaijin's cold face came into view.
She stood there stunned, even forgetting to curtsy.
"Your Highness..."
Lu Huaijin was only wearing a white robe. At this moment, the shoulder of his robe was already stained red with blood, looking extremely frightening.
Lin Wanyu's face turned pale. Instinctively, she wanted to support him, but as soon as her hand was raised, she put it down again.
"Paying respects to Your Highness. I don't know what instructions Your Highness has for me by coming here with an injury?"
In the pale light, Lu Huaijin curled his lips. His slender eyes were tinged with a bit of coldness.
He reached out and pinched Lin Wanyu's delicate chin, forcing her to look up at him. He lowered his voice and said, "The young master is here to see if you slept well last night?"