"Who could have possibly injured the General so severely?! Tell me, who did this?!"
"It was a group of red-eyed people ganging up on him. Also, this is the 387th time you've asked this question in four days..."
"Brother Qianqiao! Don't you die on me!"
"If you keep hitting him with chicken wings, he just might..."
…………
The clamor surged like a tide, then gradually receded until the room fell into complete silence.
The curtain was gently drawn aside, and an extremely bitter, unpleasant odor mixed with the sweet aroma of food assaulted his senses. Feeling a soft hand applying medicine to him, Lu Qianqiao could no longer bear it—his face flushed crimson as he finally opened his eyes.
In his field of vision was Xin Mei's profile. She was turned away, looking at something while simultaneously applying a foul-smelling, bitter medicine to him and holding a skewer of meatballs in her other hand, taking occasional bites—a truly impressive feat of coordination. As her hand moved down his chest toward his abdomen, he decided this had gone far enough and stopped her.
"You..." He tried to speak, only to find his voice hoarse and raspy.
"Hmm?" She turned in surprise, then brightened upon seeing him awake. "You're awake? You've been asleep for four days. How do you feel now?"
Lu Qianqiao blinked and twitched his fingers slightly. "Sauce..."
While he hadn't expected her to burst into tears and throw herself at him crying, "You're finally awake, I was so worried!" he certainly hadn't anticipated her dripping sauce from her meatballs onto his hand either—somehow, this was even more irritating.
"Sorry, let me wipe that for you."
She carefully cleaned the sauce from his fingers with a handkerchief, then picked up a small narrow-spouted jug. Cradling his head slightly, she carefully gave him a few sips of water.
"Since you're awake, I'll go call Si Lan and the others. They've been waiting outside."
Xin Mei set his head back down and stood to leave, but her wrist was caught in his grasp.
"Sit." Though weakened by his injuries, these two words carried undeniable authority. "Don't call them yet."
Xin Mei leaned over the bed with a mischievous grin. "Oh? Do you want some alone time with me to pour out your heart?"
That's how it always went in the plays, right? After the hero saves the beauty or the beauty saves the hero, the injured party would wake up and there'd inevitably be a tender, romantic scene.
Lu Qianqiao neither confirmed nor denied this, simply keeping a light but firm grip on her wrist.
"I told you to run. Why did you come back?"
His voice was quiet, unexpectedly gentle, devoid of the cold arrogance from their first meeting.
Munching on a meatball, she mumbled, "If I'd really run, you'd be dead now. So you owe me a favor—don't forget to repay me."
Lu Qianqiao smiled faintly. "Weren't you afraid of coming back and getting bullied again?"
Xin Mei snorted. "My dad says people should thank the heavens if I don't bully them—no one in this world can bully me."
...Spoken like a true Boss Xin, what profound insight. Recalling Xin Mei's various formidable exploits and the numerous poor souls she'd driven to tears, rage, or fainting spells, Lu Qianqiao couldn't help but sigh sympathetically.
"Lu Qianqiao, now that you're okay, I should go home. Tomorrow's my sixteenth birthday."
She popped the last meatball into her mouth, wiped her greasy hands on his clothes, and tried to pull her wrist free—but his fingers only tightened their grip.She looked at him in confusion, but he remained silent, his eyes tightly shut, lashes trembling slightly. After a while, they fluttered open like butterfly wings, his deep black pupils fixed on her as if he had much to say yet hesitated whether to speak.
Xin Mei leaned closer. "Is there something else you want to say? Are you worried about the cloud mist array? Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone."
He was silent for a moment, his fingers tightening slightly. "You... wait a moment. Bring me the doll and the small knife from the bundle."
She quickly waved her hands. "No, forget it! Your injuries aren’t healed yet!"
"My fingers aren’t hurt."
"...Alright then."
She stood up, trying to move her wrist, which he still held firmly, showing no intention of letting go.
Huh? She was bewildered.
"Xin Mei." He smiled faintly, calling her name for some reason.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, feeling both unfamiliar and lost. His fingers were cool from his injuries, slowly relaxing to gently grasp one of hers. They were still smeared with the bitter-smelling trauma medicine, leaving a greasy, sticky sensation. He carefully wiped her hand clean with his sleeve.
"Go get them," he said, slowly releasing her hand.
The basic form of the Celestial Lady’s doll was already shaped. Since this time the doll didn’t need movable joints, the process wasn’t as complicated. Propped up on the bed, he used the small knife to carve the doll’s features bit by bit.
Just like that day at Meishan’s residence, she leaned her whole body close again, cupping her chin as she intently watched each stroke of his knife. Sunlight fell on her head, making her stray hairs appear soft and fuzzy. He could smell the faint fragrance of her hair, the salty-spicy scent of sauce on her fingers, and the bitter tang of trauma medicine.
The warmth of the sunlight brought out these scattered scents, unexpectedly fragrant—he found himself liking it.
Under the windowsill, a group of demons lurked. Si Lan, tears streaming, repeatedly charged forward as if to break through the window, only to be blocked again and again. Tao Guoguo, flushed red, tried to peek through any crack in the wall. Ying Lian hid in the shadows, stabbing a lotus-leaf effigy labeled "Xin Mei" with nails.
Everyone was restless—except for Zhao Guanren, who stroked his thin beard with a lecherous grin. "Hear that? Who dares say the General is a clueless virgin? Even gravely injured and unable to act, he still has his fingers! You brats should take notes!"
As dusk fell, Xin Mei woke up.
She had spent the entire afternoon watching Lu Qianqiao carve the doll by the bedside before dozing off. She had been exhausted these days—few demons in the Imperial Mausoleum knew how to care for the sick, so aside from private matters like washing, tasks like changing bandages, feeding water, and keeping watch had all fallen to her.
She yawned; sleeping hunched over was uncomfortable, leaving her whole body sore. Just as she tried to stretch her neck, she felt something heavy on her head—Lu Qianqiao’s hand resting on her hair, gently stroking.
Xin Mei turned her head, and the thin blanket draped over her shoulders slipped off.
She didn’t move, just lay there with her head tilted, smiling at him.
Someone had brought a candle to the table, its flickering light dancing in his eyes. He continued to softly stroke her hair, his expression gentle.
"Lu Qianqiao," she suddenly spoke, grinning. "Do you like me?"His hand paused for a moment but didn't withdraw, nor did he speak. After a brief silence, he picked up a small yet exquisitely colorful doll from the bedside and placed it before her.
"A gift," he said.
The completed Celestial Lady stood gracefully before her, with cloud-like long hair and vibrant robes—both majestic and beautiful. Xin Mei took it up in delighted surprise, handling it with such care that she only lightly traced its hair and clothes with her fingertips, murmuring, "It's finished so soon? Even the hair and clothes are done..."
"Zhao Guanren sent them."
Xin Mei gazed at it intently for a long while before finally looking up at him. "Mm, thank you. I really like it."
Lu Qianqiao stiffly withdrew his hand and turned his face away. "Glad you like it. It's getting dark. I'll have Si Lan escort you back. You should go now."
Xin Mei absentmindedly stroked the Celestial Lady's hair for a while before suddenly standing up and placing the doll into her bundle. She smiled and said, "Lu Qianqiao, this doll doesn't count as a gift—you promised me one long ago. For my birthday present, you'll have to give me another one."
He froze.
"I also liked the general from the last operatic script. Though he was utterly wicked, sometimes he was quite endearing. Make me a general doll too. I'll come pick it up in a few days."
With a playful grin, she turned and left.
Left behind, Lu Qianqiao sat dazedly on the bed, suddenly touching his face: utterly wicked, yet sometimes endearing? Wait, where's the mirror? Where is it? What kind of complicated, tangled feeling was this? He needed to take a closer look.
Si Lan, red-eyed, had been crouching outside the door like a dispirited old dog. When Xin Mei emerged, he only gave her a sidelong glance.
Xin Mei stared at him for a long moment, making him shudder with discomfort. "What are you looking at?!" he snapped. "You... you shameless girl... how dare you seduce the general..."
She sighed. "Your deadpan expression has gotten worse—now it's turned into a resentful husband's face. You should really see a doctor."
Trembling all over, Si Lan went to fetch the spirit beast, wishing he could howl at the sky. Why did the general have to fall for this kind of girl?!
Without the burden of a large group of spirit beasts this time, the journey back felt especially short. By just before noon, Xin Mei was already hovering above the Sinister Clan.
Si Lan, stone-faced, couldn't be bothered to engage with her. He turned the spirit beast around and left without a word.
Xin Mei waved goodbye from behind. "Thanks for escorting me back. Don't forget to see a doctor soon!"
He nearly fell off the spirit beast's back.
Xin Mei cheerfully directed Qiu Yue to land in the courtyard of the Sinister Clan. Xin Xiong, who had heard the commotion, rushed out eagerly, only to find her returning alone—without even a shadow of a man beside her. Instantly, he bristled with anger.
"What have you been doing fooling around outside for over a month?! Where's the son-in-law?! The son-in-law you were supposed to find?!"
Calmly putting Qiu Yue away, Xin Mei waved at him with a smile brimming with domineering confidence. "I've got my eye on one—he lives near Turn Tide Mountain. I'll go settle things with him in a few days."
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