Chasing Jade (Zhu Yu)

The Army Doctor had interacted with Fan Changyu before and knew she was looking for someone. Hearing her sudden outburst, he broke into a cold sweat for her, thinking that since the Wu'an Marquis was also inside the tent, if he heard Fan Changyu urging the soldiers to desert, who knew how he would punish her.

He was about to rush in to interrupt when Gongsun Yin stopped him. Wearing an enigmatic smile, Gongsun shook his head at him, made a silencing gesture, and then tilted his head to listen carefully to the commotion inside the tent.

The Army Doctor's heart was in his throat. He thought the woman had merely misspoken out of ignorance of military regulations, but why was even the strategist acting like he was enjoying the spectacle?

Standing outside the tent in trepidation, he feared the next moment would bring Xie Zheng's order to drag her out for a military rod punishment. But from inside, only the clamor of the wounded soldiers could be heard. One of them said, "Brother, if I were you, having a girl travel thousands of miles to find me, I'd die here with no regrets!"

"Who knows how many lifetimes of good karma you've accumulated. After this war, the rest of us just hope to return home in one piece, and even then, finding a wife might be impossible at our age. But you? The girl came straight to you!"

Others tried to console Fan Changyu: "Sister, we know you're worried about your man, but you shouldn't say such things in the military camp. Desertion is punishable by death! Don't worry, though. Surviving such severe injuries means he's bound for good fortune."

Of course, Fan Changyu knew she couldn't let Yan Zheng desert. Seeing the gruesome wounds on his body and knowing he had been conscripted to spare her family and nine other households, her heart ached with pain and guilt. In her desperation, those words had slipped out.

As she helped Xie Zheng clean the days-old medicinal residue from his wounds, the mingled stench of blood and medicine had formed a foul odor. The new flesh intertwined with the rotting flesh, and reapplying medicine would likely require scraping off the decayed layer.

A tear the size of a bean fell straight from her eye without even tracing her eyelid. Only then did Fan Changyu realize she was crying.

She raised her hand to wipe her eyes clumsily, trying to steady herself, but her voice still came out hoarse when she spoke: "I didn’t mean for him to desert, I..."

She looked at Xie Zheng, another tear falling, and finally managed three raspy words: "I'm sorry."

If not for the sham marriage to her, he wouldn’t have been on the conscription list.

If not for sparing her and the neighboring families, he wouldn’t have obediently gone with the officers.

Seeing him wounded like this on the battlefield filled Fan Changyu with sorrow.

Xie Zheng was still reeling from her words about taking him back. Raising his eyes to see the tears in hers, his pale, cracked lips pressed together slightly as he said, "Don’t cry."

He knew why Fan Changyu was apologizing and understood the guilt weighing on her heart. He wanted to tell her everything, but the timing and setting were all wrong. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

This was the first time he had seen Fan Changyu cry. His chest felt as though something were twisting inside it, yet also as if he were soaking in warm spring water—an odd and unfamiliar sensation.

He wanted to wipe her tears and hold her, but perhaps the tension that had been coiled in his mind these past days had finally loosened. The exhaustion and damage to his body surged forth with doubled intensity, his limbs feeling as heavy as lead. Even half-propping himself up to sit was a struggle.Fan Changyu noticed he wanted to move and pressed him back down by his shoulders, her eyes red as she said, "Don't move. Wait for the doctor to treat your wound."

She then turned and urgently called outside the tent, "Where's the Army Doctor? Has the Army Doctor arrived yet?"

Xie Zheng looked at her profile, his gaze settling on the hand she had placed beside the bed. Hesitantly, he reached out to lightly grasp it and said again, "Don't cry."

Suppressing the sting in her eyes, Fan Changyu glanced down at his hand weakly holding hers and firmly clasped back, pressing her warm palm tightly against his large, calloused one. His palm felt slightly cool from weakness, but under her tight grip, it seemed to gradually warm.

From the time they met until now, this was the first time they had held hands.

As if an unspoken understanding had been reached in this simple gesture, Fan Changyu met his eyes with clear determination and said, "I'm not crying. Don't be afraid. We brought plenty of wound medicine up the mountain. The Army Doctor will definitely heal you."

When Fan Changyu called out again, the Army Doctor hurriedly looked at Gongsun Yin. Gongsun Yin, seemingly disappointed at not hearing what he had hoped for, finally led the Army Doctor into the tent.

The Army Doctor felt uneasy, thinking to himself that this strategist was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing—how could he be disappointed that the Marquis hadn't punished the woman?

Gongsun Yin, always dressed in white robes and carrying a fan, was easily recognizable. The moment he entered, the wounded soldiers visibly tensed.

With a warm smile, Gongsun Yin said, "Rest easy, brave soldiers. I’ve come only to check on your injuries and ensure there’s enough wound medicine."

Yet his gaze subtly drifted toward Fan Changyu.

Hearing the commotion, Fan Changyu turned toward the entrance. This was her first time seeing Gongsun Yin, and though she could tell he was an official, Xie Zheng’s injuries took priority. She ignored him and immediately addressed the Army Doctor, urging, "Doctor, please examine him quickly!"

As she lifted her head, Gongsun Yin got a clear look at her face. His fox-like eyes arched slightly in surprise.

The woman wasn’t unattractive, but at first glance, she seemed plain and unassuming—like an overlooked noble daughter from a powerful family, one who had lost her mother early and been bullied by her sisters, never winning her father’s favor.

Unlike the delicate, pitiable type that evoked sympathy, she instead reminded one of a docile stray puppy—just looking at her inexplicably softened hearts. No one would believe she was the type to wield a butcher’s knife.

Recalling the rumors he’d heard about her, Gongsun Yin found it all rather strange. His eyes fell on her slender arms, and his brows furrowed further. With such delicate limbs, could she really lift a grown man and throw him several yards away?

Had the personal guard been exaggerating?

Gongsun Yin glanced toward the guard now huddled in the corner. The guard met his gaze, clearly confused by the unspoken question, his expression utterly blank.

Resigned, Gongsun Yin looked away, knowing no answers would come from the guard’s foolish expression.

The Army Doctor had already moved toward Fan Changyu with his medicine chest. From the moment he entered, he had cautiously glanced toward the main seat, relieved not to see Xie Zheng there. No wonder the Marquis hadn’t erupted in anger, he thought.

Now setting down his chest and rolling up his sleeves to check the pulse, he froze the instant he recognized the figure lying on the army cot. His legs nearly gave way, his mind turning to mush as shock and bewilderment overtook him.Marquis... why is the Marquis here?

Could it be that the woman's words just now were directed at the Marquis?

The Army Doctor sucked in several sharp breaths.

Seeing the Army Doctor frozen in place with a horrified expression, Fan Changyu quickly urged him again, "Army Doctor?"

The Army Doctor snapped out of it and glanced at Fan Changyu, swallowing hard before meeting Xie Zheng's gaze. As he sat on the makeshift wooden stool to take the pulse, his hands trembled so badly he could barely steady them, and his legs shook uncontrollably.

Had he heard too much that he shouldn’t have? Would the Marquis silence him afterward?

Noticing the Army Doctor trembling all over, Fan Changyu worried he might misdiagnose Xie Zheng and asked with concern, "Army Doctor, are you alright?"

In just this short time, sweat had already beaded on the Army Doctor’s forehead like rolling pearls. He wiped it away roughly with his sleeve and, under Xie Zheng’s gaze, forced a strained smile. "I'm fine... fine..."

Once he finally finished taking the pulse, Fan Changyu immediately asked about Xie Zheng’s condition. The Army Doctor wiped his sweat and said, "Mar—"

The moment the word left his mouth, he caught a warning glance from the Marquis’s personal guard and hastily corrected himself, "This young man is truly remarkable. The injury came within a hair’s breadth of his organs—extremely dangerous. But his constitution is strong, which is why he’s lasted this long. Still, he must take medicine promptly and rest properly. Due to severe blood loss, he’ll likely experience frequent dizziness in the coming days. It’s best... best to supplement his diet with meat for nourishment."

When it came time to clean the necrotic flesh from Xie Zheng’s wound and reapply medicine, Fan Changyu saw the Army Doctor’s hands still shaking and feared he might accidentally hurt Xie Zheng. She offered to do it herself.

The Army Doctor’s trembling was purely from fright, and he was trying hard to steady himself. He absolutely dared not let Xie Zheng suffer any harm, but he also didn’t trust Fan Changyu, a complete novice, to handle the task.

At this moment, Xie Zheng spoke up, "Let my wife do it."

The Army Doctor’s mind was instantly thrown into turmoil—this woman was their never-before-seen Marchioness!

Fan Changyu was momentarily stunned by the term but said nothing.

Even as the Army Doctor sat on a low stool nearby, directing Fan Changyu on how to scrape away the necrotic flesh, his mustache still quivered uncontrollably.

Gongsun Yin was clearly just as surprised. Under the pretense of caring for the wounded soldiers, he shamelessly stayed behind, enduring several sharp glares from Xie Zheng without budging. His gaze kept darting between Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng.

Fan Changyu held a dagger over the flame to sterilize it, her full attention fixed on the necrotic flesh on Xie Zheng’s chest, completely oblivious to the others around her.

A personal guard handed Xie Zheng a clean cloth to bite down on, but he refused.

Fan Changyu gripped the dagger, her other hand lightly pressing against his chest as she asked, "Are you afraid?"

Xie Zheng replied, "Just do it."

Suddenly, Fan Changyu felt her eyes sting. Suppressing all emotions in that moment, she focused entirely on scraping away the necrotic flesh from his chest. Her hand was steady, her lips pressed tightly together.

Xie Zheng never took his eyes off her, as though the wound on his chest and even his own life were of no consequence.

Sweat beaded on both their foreheads, yet neither made a sound.

When Fan Changyu noticed her palms were damp, she wiped her hands and the dagger’s handle hastily with a cloth before resuming the task.

Xie Zheng’s muscles were taut as stone, veins bulging from his arms to his temples. Sweat dripped from his eyelids, yet he didn’t even blink.

The entire tent was eerily silent, not a word spoken.Gongsun Yin stood to the side with his fan in hand, the teasing in his eyes and the smile at his lips both fading away.

It was a strange feeling. Just moments ago, he had thought that while this woman and Xie Zheng were a match in appearance, considering their family backgrounds, it was uncertain whether this union would bring her fortune or misfortune.

But now, he suddenly felt that in this world, there was probably no one else besides this woman to whom Xie Zheng would willingly entrust his life.

If he could even give his life for her, how could he ever let her suffer the slightest grievance in the murky waters of the capital in the future?

As for whether she was worthy of Xie Zheng—since she could make him willingly go to such lengths, who else had the right to judge her merits or worthiness?

He tapped the fan lightly against his palm twice, and a faint smile curved his lips once more.

As the last piece of decayed flesh was scraped from Xie Zheng’s chest, Fan Changyu’s back was almost entirely drenched in sweat. She turned to the Army Doctor and said, “Done.”

The Army Doctor hastily sprinkled a bottle of травма medicine over the wound and applied the herbal paste he had prepared in the meantime. He instructed Xie Zheng to stay in bed as much as possible in the coming days and avoid lifting heavy objects until the wound fully healed.

Fan Changyu remained silent, standing to the side the entire time.

Having seen enough of the spectacle, Gongsun Yin finally spoke a few comforting words to the wounded soldiers at a leisurely pace when Xie Zheng shot him another cold glare. Then, with a meaningful glance that promised to keep his secret, he gracefully rose and followed the Army Doctor out.

With everyone gone, the personal guard, afraid that Fan Changyu might notice something amiss, felt too awkward to linger inside and also stepped outside.

Only then did Fan Changyu ask Xie Zheng softly, “Does it hurt?”

Xie Zheng shook his head. “No.”

Changyu’s eyes were still faintly red. The medicine she had brewed earlier had anti-inflammatory properties, and Xie Zheng’s injury could benefit from it as well.

She brought over a bowl and fed it to him spoon by spoon. Seeing him so weakened, she said sorrowfully, “You should have signed those divorce papers sooner.”

Xie Zheng choked on the medicine, coughing violently as if his lungs would tear apart.