"I don't know why, but Miss Cui also sent some burn ointment..."
He draped his open robe back on, his expression calm.
"It's nothing."
Luo Xiang didn't care about his attitude. With sobs, she took out two jars of medicine from her sleeve. "These are two jars of Snow Spirit Ointment that my father got from Imperial Physician Wen of the Imperial Hospital. There's also the Jade Complexion Powder for stopping bleeding. They're both excellent remedies for burns!"
Saying this, she timidly looked up at Pei Zhaolin, her voice dropping a bit with a hint of pleading.
"Zhaolin, can I stay tonight to take care of you? This medicine needs to be applied immediately to be effective. I can't rest assured if I leave it to others."
Luo Xiang opened the medicine box. It seemed to be specially designed for women, and a sweet medicinal fragrance mixed with rose dew wafted out.
She picked up the jade cup, scooped up the ointment with a silver spoon, and her fingertips seemed to inadvertently brush across the back of Pei Zhaolin's hand. Her tone was as gentle as if it could drip water.
"Zhaolin, don't blame me for being talkative."
"I know you rushed into the fire to save people because you care about the common folks. But look at those people you saved tonight. Which one of them cares about your injuries like I do?"
"Unlike me..."
She lowered her eyelashes, her ear tips turning red. "I only have you in my heart and eyes, Zhaolin!"
Seeing that Pei Zhaolin remained unmoved, Luo Xiang rolled her eyes, then turned around and poured another cup of wine.
She held the cup to Pei Zhaolin's lips. Her voice was gentle with a hint of charm. "Take a sip of warm wine first, and then apply the medicine. It won't hurt, okay, Zhaolin?"
Luo Xiang's fingertips were only an inch away from Pei Zhaolin's lips. In the flickering candlelight, the medicinal fragrance mixed with the floral scent on her fingertips was sickeningly sweet.
But Pei Zhaolin suddenly let out a soft laugh.
The laugh was short, like a blade scratching across ice.
Luo Xiang was stunned, her fingertips trembling slightly. Before she could withdraw her hand, she heard the man's gentle voice.
"Are you done talking?"
These four words were spoken extremely calmly, but they made Luo Xiang freeze instantly.
The next moment, Pei Zhaolin looked up.
There was no anger or impatience in his dark eyes, only a kind of calm that was forcibly suppressed and could be considered gentle.
He looked at Luo Xiang, and his tone was even polite. "Whether I save people or not depends on me."
"As for whether she cares about my injuries or not, that also depends on her."
"All of this has nothing to do with you."
With each word he uttered, his expression grew colder.
Luo Xiang's face turned pale, and she involuntarily took half a step back. She didn't quite understand Pei Zhaolin's mood at this moment.
She called out uneasily, "Zhaolin, don't be like this. I'm scared..."
Pei Zhaolin glanced faintly at her face, which had turned a bit pale because of fear.
In fact, he didn't understand.
Why he was feeling his emotions on the verge of collapse at this moment.
"Zhaolin?" Luo Xiang's voice trembled.
But Pei Zhaolin stood up and avoided Luo Xiang's touch. He said softly, "From now on, you'd better stay in your own courtyard."
These words were like the last crack before an avalanche, making Luo Xiang's limbs tremble.
She had never seen such a Pei Zhaolin before.
Although his tone was almost gentle, it carried an undeniable determination.
"Okay."
Luo Xiang gritted her teeth, filled with unwillingness.
She left in a hurry, but she really couldn't figure out what was wrong with Pei Zhaolin tonight.
It wasn't until Nanny Zhang, limping, came back from inquiring about the news outside.
"Old servant had the painter draw the appearance of that young master. You won't believe it, but it's clearly Miss Cui!"
Nanny Zhang had always hated Cui Jintang and wished she could skin her alive and trample her underfoot to relieve her hatred!
"Why is it Cui Jintang again! Why does she always go against me!"
Luo Xiang was so angry that her facial features were distorted.
Her originally beautiful face now looked extremely hideous in the candlelight.
Nanny Zhang rolled her eyes. Enduring the pain in her waist, she quickly stepped forward.
"Miss, do you still remember that Cui Chunniang?"
Luo Xiang glanced at her impatiently and said disgustedly, "A barbarian from Wuyue. There's nothing worth remembering."
Saying this, she covered her nose with a handkerchief.
Nanny Zhang didn't have much silver, but in order to treat her illness, she had to believe a folk remedy from a grave robber and used a lot of human feces.
After a long time, she smelled bad, and the stench couldn't be dispelled.
It was disgusting.
Nanny Zhang endured her discomfort and took a step back. She said, "In ten days, it will be the birthday of Mrs. Pei."
"Mrs. Pei values face the most. If that barbarian causes the Pei family to lose face because of Cui Jintang..."
Nanny Zhang said flatteringly with a smile, "By then, Cui Jintang, a lonely girl from the countryside who is disliked by Mrs. Pei, won't it be easy for Miss to torture her as she pleases?"
Luo Xiang, who showed disgust on her face, didn't say a word, but her movements of fanning slowed down a bit.
It seemed that she had taken it to heart.
Nanny Zhang volunteered, "As long as Miss gives the order, old servant will definitely handle the matter properly for Miss! I will never leave any evidence."
Luo Xiang smiled gently.
She reached out to help Nanny Zhang up and took off a jade bracelet from her wrist.
"Nanny has always loved Xiang'er the most since childhood."
Taking in Nanny Zhang's greedy expression, a hint of mockery flashed across Luo Xiang's face.
"It's all that Cui Jintang's fault that has caused Nanny so much suffering. Nanny must be extremely careful this time. Don't let Cui Jintang catch any evidence again."
Nanny Zhang carefully hid the jade bracelet close to her body and grinned from ear to ear, repeatedly agreeing.
"Miss, don't worry!"
---
The weather was hot. Cui Jintang asked Zhu Er to buy some lotus seeds to make sweet soup as an excuse and tidied up the fireworks stall that had an accident last night.
"The young assistant in the shop accidentally broke the water storage tank while moving it. The owner of the fireworks stall was reluctant to part with it, which led to this disaster."
Cui Jintang frowned and didn't show any mercy. "Pay them enough silver and fire them all."
Zhu Er understood her unyielding personality, so he swallowed all the words of persuasion.
Just then, Ying Lan happily ran in with a bowl of lotus seed sweet soup with ice cubes.
"Miss! I added honey specially. Try it quickly. It's good for relieving the heat!"
Cui Jintang smiled and agreed.
She stirred the sweet soup and suddenly thought of Pei Zhaolin. It was a bit belatedly that she recalled.
Did Pei Zhaolin rush into the fire last night?
She stirred it twice more but didn't drink it.
Ying Lan was very puzzled. "Does Miss have no appetite?"
Cui Jintang coughed softly and said no.
She scooped up a spoonful of sweet soup and put it into her mouth. It was ice - cold and very refreshing.
"Ying Lan, is there any more sweet soup in the kitchen?"
Ying Lan nodded with a smile. "Brother Zhu Er bought a lot of lotus seeds today. There's plenty!"
Cui Jintang stood up, walked to the rosewood medicine cabinet behind the screen, rummaged around, and selected a bottle of ointment.
"Send a portion of this medicine along with the sweet soup to the East Courtyard."
"Sure thing, Miss!"
---
In the East Courtyard.
No one knew why, but Pei Zhaolin suddenly returned to the Pei Mansion in the middle of the night last night.
Early this morning, he sat at the desk to study. His face looked quite amiable.
But the servants below unconsciously held their breaths.
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.
Pei Zhaolin looked in the direction of the sound and saw Fu Li holding a food box. He lowered his eyes and asked, "Where did this come from?"
Fu Li said, "It was sent by Ying Lan, Miss Cui's maid. She said that the weather is hot today, and the young master can drink the lotus seed sweet soup to relieve the heat."
Saying this, he opened the lid. Looking at the medicine jar, he was puzzled. "I don't know why, but Miss Cui also sent some burn ointment..."
Pei Zhaolin's eyes suddenly lit up.