The man suddenly appeared before her, carrying the familiar and pleasant scent of fresh grass. Especially when his strong arms lifted her and gently placed her on the bed—his movements urgent yet tender—Wan Qing felt her heart race uncontrollably, her cheeks burning with an inexplicable warmth.
Before she could gather her thoughts, her shoulders were turned toward him. Gazing at the man’s flawlessly handsome, almost bewitching features, particularly the depth and brilliance in his eyes, she momentarily forgot everything else.
She had always known he was strikingly handsome, almost unnervingly so. But seeing him this close, close enough to feel each other’s breath, made her heart pound so hard it felt like her mind was short-circuiting.
“Little fool, tell me,” he murmured.
“Me? Oh, you mean the silver needles? Well, my late Granny Liu taught me some basics, and then I learned a bit more from a noble benefactor. With Brother Mu Chengfeng’s guidance, I picked up how to use them for acupressure and detox. Brother, is there a problem with that?”
Leng Mingye’s tone sharpened, snapping Wan Qing out of her daze. She mentally scolded herself for daydreaming at such a moment and feigned innocence. Seeing the deepening suspicion in his eyes, she cautiously added, “Why do you ask?”
“Just surprised. Didn’t expect my little fool to know such things,” he replied, his gaze still probing. “Now, answer me this—did you leave the Marquis’s residence ten days ago in the afternoon?”
Her heart skipped a beat at the question, but she forced herself to frown thoughtfully before answering, “I did go out, but as soon as I stepped out, Xianglan drugged me with tea and threw me into a carriage. If not for a kind stranger who rescued me, I might’ve been killed or sold into a brothel. Brother, have you found any leads on who stabbed you?”
She recalled the rumors Xianglan and Madam Liu had spread—claiming she had run away with someone. Watching his brows furrow further, she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you suspect someone?”
“Some suspicions, nothing certain yet,” he said, his voice low. “Little fool, I hope you’re not hiding anything from me. Otherwise, I might really—”
His words trailed off as he studied her face, searching for any flicker of deceit. But all he saw was innocent curiosity in her clear, watery eyes.
“If I did hide something from you, Brother, would you kill me?” she asked softly, inexplicably sensing a deep weariness and sorrow in his gaze.
She didn’t press further, merely watching him with the same inquisitive expression.
“I don’t know,” he admitted after a pause. “With anyone else, I wouldn’t hesitate to snap their neck—no, I’d make sure they suffered endlessly. But you… I don’t want you to lie to me. And I believe you wouldn’t, right?”
Despite the mounting evidence against her, the curiosity in her eyes made him waver. Releasing her shoulders, he stood and turned away, hands clasped behind his back. “Rest well. I’ll visit when I can. If you need anything, tell Hongyan.”
“Brother, wait!” she called out as he moved toward the window with effortless grace. Struggling to get up, she swayed unsteadily, her injuries and weakness making it hard to stand.
Before she could fall, the scent of grass enveloped her again as his strong hand steadied her. “You never take care of yourself,” he chided, guiding her back to the bed. “What’s so urgent? Don’t tell me you’re having nightmares again and want me to stay?”
“Brother, I’m not a child anymore,” she huffed, cheeks flushing at the memory of that night. “It’s just… before I got hurt, I saw Sister Hongyan fight. Her lightness skill was incredible—she leaped so high! And she knows pressure points too, freezing people with just a touch. Could you teach me those things?”
“Lightness skill? You’re probably too old to learn now,” he mused, though his calm eyes sharpened with skepticism. “But I can have Hongyan teach you some basic self-defense. As for pressure points… you know how to use silver needles for detox, yet you can’t target acupoints?”
His piercing gaze made her pulse quicken. Had she overplayed her act? Shaking her head vigorously, she clutched his sleeve and pleaded in a sweet, pleading voice, “Granny Liu and Brother Mu only taught me how to use needles for healing, not fighting. Please, Brother?” Her large, shimmering eyes blinked up at him, brimming with hope.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage