“Miss, it really was me who saved your young lady. You all…”
Poor Song Ziqian was dragged back by them and forcibly seated in the main hall of Wanqing Courtyard. Surrounded by two frosty-faced women who looked as if they wanted to skin him alive, despite their striking beauty, their piercing gazes were more than he could bear. He tried to stand and explain, but as soon as he spoke, Honglian pressed him back down into his seat.
“Stay put. We hope it wasn’t you. Once our young lady wakes up and confirms it wasn’t you, we’ll let you go. For now, just sit quietly and wait. If you keep making noise, don’t blame us for not warning you…”
Seeing him try to rise again, Honglian shoved him back down. Inside the inner chamber, Chunlan and the others were working to expel the poison from their young lady. Though they didn’t know the full extent of her condition, their grim expressions suggested it was serious.
Naturally, they had little patience for Song Ziqian’s incessant chatter. Honglian stood guard, though her heart was uneasy. If anything truly happened to their young lady, none of them would have the will to live on.
Time passed slowly. In the main hall, Honglian and Chunlan were tense and anxious, while inside the room, Wanchun and Xiatao were on the verge of tears.
After an hour, Wanqing, who had taken the antidote pill—previously refined by their young lady—along with the combined efforts of the maids to force the poison out, finally coughed up a mouthful of black blood.
“Young lady, you’ve expelled the poison! Finally! Young lady, young lady… You’ve woken up! You scared us half to death!”
Among the maids, Chunlan was the youngest. Seeing their collective efforts pay off as Wanqing spat out several more mouthfuls of black blood, the dark aura on her face gradually faded.
Overjoyed, Chunlan supported Wanqing’s limp body, holding her tightly while calling out to her. As Wanqing blinked and finally opened her eyes, Chunlan nearly burst into tears from sheer relief.
“I… Did you bring me back?”
Wanqing regained her senses and saw all her maids gathered around. Though her chest still ached faintly, she guessed most of the poison had been expelled. Realizing she was lying on her own bed, she weakly asked about what had happened.
“No, it was a man who brought you back. He claimed he found you unconscious on the street. Young lady, what happened? Why were you outside in the middle of the night, dressed only in your undergarments? This…”
Dongmei, relieved to see her finally conscious, exhaled deeply. She recounted the events, then asked with concern.
“My poison is mostly gone. Fetch me another antidote pill. As for what happened… it’s a long story. Where is the person who brought me back?”
Seeing the lingering worry in their eyes, Wanqing, though still weak and longing to sleep, reassured them. Wanchun handed her another pill, and after taking it, she applied acupuncture to herself.
After a short while, her complexion improved noticeably. Remembering the familiar figure she had glimpsed before losing consciousness, she struggled to sit up, her emotions unreadable.
“Young lady, you’ve just expelled the poison. You should rest more. That man is in the front hall…”
Noticing her reluctance to elaborate on the incident, Dongmei and the others didn’t press further. But when Wanqing insisted on getting up, they anxiously supported her.
“I’m fine now. He brought me back—I should at least thank him in person.”
Despite their protests, Wanqing smiled weakly and stubbornly rose to her feet. The maids, though reluctant, helped her to the front hall.
“Honglian, don’t be rude to our guest. Was it… you? You saved me?”
Upon arriving, Wanqing saw Honglian roughly forcing the man back into his seat. The figure before her didn’t match the one in her memory, filling her with inexplicable disappointment. Still, she acknowledged that he had rescued her.
She gently reprimanded Honglian, who brightened upon seeing her. As she stepped forward, the man—now standing—seemed vaguely familiar. She recalled the young master she had met on her way back from Linglong Pavilion. Recognizing him, she couldn’t hide her disbelief.
“So, you remember me. If not for your timely intervention that day, my leg might have been ruined. It was I who saved you this time. Now that you’re safe, I can rest easy.”
Song Ziqian, delighted she recognized him, clasped his hands and bowed. Seeing her weak but otherwise unharmed, he beamed.
“Young Master Song, was it? Regardless, I must thank you for saving me and bringing me back. While I was unconscious… did you see any other men nearby?”
Song Ziqian’s warm, cautious smile faltered slightly at her question. Wanqing thanked him sincerely, then pressed further when he hesitated.
“…No, there was no one else. Since you’re well, and it’s late, I should take my leave.”
His evasive answer and sudden shift in demeanor didn’t escape her. She clearly remembered the figure she had seen—and the token at his waist marking him as a member of the Ji Royal House.
“Young Master Song, if you won’t say, I won’t force you. But your expression tells me someone else was involved. Wait—Young Master Song!”
As he awkwardly tried to leave, she stopped him.
“Young lady, please… I can’t speak of this.”
Song Ziqian, caught in his lie, sighed. Though he feared the Ji Royal House’s influence, he couldn’t bring himself to deceive her further.
“You misunderstand. I only wished to say that I, Mu Wanqing, owe you a debt. If you ever need anything, come to me. Healing and saving lives are within my power.”
Her calm assurance eased his guilt.
“You’re too kind, Miss Mu. If not for you, my leg would’ve been lost. If anything, I’m the one indebted. Well then, farewell.”
Flustered but touched, Song Ziqian bowed and turned to leave.
“Honglian, escort Young Master Song…”
Impressed by his humility and lack of opportunism, Wanqing watched him go, then instructed Honglian to see him out.
Reflecting on the night’s events and the timing of her earlier antidote delivery, she finally rested peacefully. The next morning, she summoned Honglian.
“Honglian, deliver this bottle of medicine to Qingfeng of the Ji Royal House. Tell him it’s repayment for his master’s timely rescue. From now on, Mu Wanqing owes him nothing.”
Handing over the bottle, she ignored the bewildered looks from her maids and retreated back into her room, closing the door behind her.
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