Chapter 39 Applying Cold Compress to the Ankle The sudden feeling of weightlessness made Jiang Zhuoying...

The sudden feeling of weightlessness sent a chill down Jiang Zhuoying's spine, and she instinctively opened her eyes.

She had just stepped into thin air, and her other, already sprained ankle, stumbled.

"It hurts..." The girl's small, oval face crumpled, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly.

It really came from pain.

The man who was already standing to the side raised his hand and put it around her waist, then used his other arm to lift her legs up.

Her slender, petite body was embraced tightly, crashing into his firm chest.

Jiang Zhuoying gripped the fabric on his shoulder tightly; her twist of the ankle earlier had been quite severe, and her voice trembled as she spoke.

"My ankle, my ankle hurts so much."

Qi Fan glanced down at her and saw that she was in so much pain that her face had turned pale. Without saying a word, he carried her inside and went straight to the main room.

...

Once placed on the soft couch in the study, Jiang Zhuoying didn't dare to move at all.

She lay back on the pillow behind her, and her ankle throbbed with pain whenever she moved her right foot.

"Waaah..."

The girl bit her lip, her face scrunched up, and she breathed softly.

Qi Fan stood in front of the soft couch, his eyes slightly lowered. Seeing her looking like she was in pain, his expression became even more serious and heavy: "Don't move."

Jiang Zhuoying's long-hidden temper suddenly surfaced, and she glared at him, saying, "I know without you telling me! I'm in so much pain, and you're still not going to find a doctor for me? Do you want me to die from the pain?!"

She roared out without a care in the world, gasping for breath, a fire burning inside her.

Not long after he finished speaking, hurried footsteps could be heard from outside.

It was Chu Yixin who brought Doctor Yu with her.

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

She lowered her head somewhat guiltily, not wanting to offer any further explanation at this moment.

...

After Yu Ji's diagnosis, it was determined that she had simply sprained her ankle, without any fractures or dislocations in her joints.

This injury needs to be treated with a cold compress first, then immobilized with bamboo strips, and finally treated with a special herbal powder...

Qi Fan glanced at the silent girl with her head down, then turned and instructed Yu Ji to go out and pound the medicine, and to have Chu Yixin fetch some well water.

This left only the two of them in the room, and they remained silent until Chu Yixin fetched back the well water.

Jiang Zhuoying glanced at the shimmering water in the copper basin, then lowered her head and whispered, "Can we let A-Liu come over?"

Chu Yixin immediately interjected, "Jiang girl, A-Liu has gone out because of some family matters."

"ah?"

Accompanied by the girl's surprised and regretful cry, Qi Fan gave her a cold, detached look.

Chu Yixin swallowed hard and hurriedly said, "Master, this servant will go and see how Doctor Yu is doing right away. I'll leave Jiang to you in this situation."

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

Watching Chu Yixin's figure recede into the distance, she slowly turned her head and looked at the man with a cold expression.

She had completely calmed down by now, fiddling with her sash between her two fingertips, her voice soft and weak: "Second Prince, I didn't mean to do that."

The man had already brought out a handkerchief. Hearing this, he glanced at her indifferently and said, "Didn't you say you wouldn't call me that anymore?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

How can they be the same?

She was bluffing him then, but now she needs his help...

"I was angry just now and said things without thinking..."

"Second Prince, you are a magnanimous man. Why bother arguing with a little girl like me?"

"I know that the Second Prince won't be angry with me."

The man, usually indifferent, couldn't help but let a smile flicker across his eyes at this moment.

"Take off your shoes."

Jiang Zhuoying knew this wasn't the time to be sentimental, as Doctor Yu had just said so.

A sprain can be minor or serious, and it needs to be taken good care of to recover. If it develops into a chronic condition, that would be terrible!

She bent down to take off her embroidered shoes, but since she was sitting on the soft couch and holding the shoes in her hand, she couldn't just throw them down; that would be too rude...

Just as she was hesitating and struggling with her decision, a large hand casually took the embroidered shoe from her hand.

Jiang Zhuoying was taken aback, and then saw the man take off her other shoe as well, and then place the two embroidered shoes with pearl tassels on the toes side by side.

Her eyes widened, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.

After taking off the embroidered shoes, one sees silk stockings.

Since ice packs are needed, the stockings should be removed as well.

Jiang Zhuoying became a little hesitant again. She hadn't thought anything of it before, and was only focused on healing her foot.

But now... a tall, expressionless man was sitting right in front of her, her right leg already draped over his knee.

If the stockings were also untied, then his hands...

She was still hesitating and fussing, but the man didn't let her do it herself and directly took off her stockings.

The girl's pupils widened slightly: "I..."

Her ankles were lifted up, and her snow-white silk stockings were easily slipped off.

It's too late...

"What?" The man's voice was as indifferent as ever, and without careful listening, one could not detect a hint of hoarseness in it.

The girl's cheeks flushed even more deeply, rivaling even the red carp in the backyard pond.

"No...it's nothing."

But the next moment: "Ouch~ Be gentle!"

The man's movements froze. His palm held a slender, fair foot with slightly curled pink toes, and the smooth veins on the instep suddenly bulged.

Jiang Zhuoying frowned and complained, and the romantic atmosphere from just now immediately dissipated.

"……Um."

The hoarseness in that sound was already quite noticeable.

Although Jiang Zhuoying was somewhat displeased with his clumsy handling, she couldn't be too harsh on him at the moment...

She pursed her lips: "Second Prince has never served anyone before, so it's understandable that he might not be able to control his strength properly. Don't worry about it."

Only after she finished speaking did she realize that something was wrong.

What did she mean by those words?

Isn't this a veiled reference to being served by her at that moment?

Jiang Zhuoying felt anxious and immediately looked at the other person's expression.

Seeing that he had his head slightly lowered, his brows furrowed, and he appeared indifferent and aloof, just like usual, she slowly exhaled.

Little did they know that the muscles in the forearm hidden under the sleeve of his shirt were already taut, with veins bulging out.

The handkerchief was soaked with the well water that had just been drawn from the ground, and it was very cold.

The moment the other person touched her warm skin, Jiang Zhuoying involuntarily shrank back.

The man swiftly grabbed her calf without uttering a sound, but his tightly pursed lips betrayed his displeasure.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Jiang Zhuoying said cautiously, "I didn't mean to. It was just too cold, and I lost control for a moment. I won't do it again now."

"Um."

Once she had adjusted to the temperature, Jiang Zhuoying slumped onto the pillow behind her, her whole body gradually relaxing.

Now that she wasn't angry anymore, she started to recall the unpleasantness between the two of them on the carriage and wanted to do something to make amends.

Her voice was soft: "Second Prince, brother."

No one answered her.

"Second Prince Brother?" She tried to move her leg, but was immediately held in place.

The man frowned, his voice somewhat deep: "Hmm?"

Jiang Zhuoying wanted to coax him to let bygones be bygones, so she tried to say some nice things.

"I was being willful in the carriage just now. I hope you will forgive me, Second Prince. I will never do it again."

She had thought it through. Qi Fan was aloof and arrogant, so she would elevate him a bit and then humble herself.

"What else could happen?"

His voice sounded a little tense, but Jiang Zhuoying didn't notice; she was only thinking about his treachery.

I wanted her to admit again that what she said was wrong.

How cunning!

"It's what I just said, blaming my brother, the Second Prince, for not believing me... I've figured it out now. You must have your reasons for doing this. I won't blame you without knowing the facts anymore."

"I will be more sensible in the future."

Suddenly, someone pinched the instep of my foot.

"Hmm?" Jiang Zhuoying straightened up slightly and looked ahead: "Second Prince, brother?"

The man glanced at her indifferently, but upon closer inspection, his eyes held an unyielding, dark depth.

"Tell me, what's the reasoning behind this?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "?"

Wasn't she offering him a way out?

How can there be such people who take an inch and then a mile?

It's not enough for her to take one step back; she has to take hundreds or thousands of steps back.

The girl secretly sneered to herself, her soft voice full of dependence: "How could a mere maid like me know what the Second Prince is planning?"

"But I believe you wouldn't harm me, right, Second Prince?"

Look at her, how can her little brain be so smart?

How perfect those words are!

Any normal man would be moved by her words.

Whether you believe me or not, I no longer care. What matters is that I trust you, fake brother.

The man's gaze towards her did indeed change slightly, his eyes darkening.

Jiang Zhuoying felt a little uneasy under his gaze, and her eyes shifted slightly downwards, just in time to see the Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

"Okay, it won't happen again."

"What don't you know?"

The girl was still staring intently at the sliding protrusion, blinked, and subconsciously asked a question.

"Who was it that was crying and making a scene just now, saying that we shouldn't have sent her away?"

Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback, but immediately realized what was going on.

She met those dark, deep, narrow eyes again, and asked somewhat uncertainly, "Does Second Prince mean that he won't send me away again?"

The man nodded slightly.

But Jiang Zhuoying frowned: "So, does that mean you'll never take me out again?"

This kind of clever trick of exploiting loopholes was something she used to do all the time, so when she suddenly received this promise, she was subconsciously suspicious.

He said he wouldn't let her leave, but if he completely cut off all contact and never took her out again, wouldn't that be equivalent to fulfilling his promise?

Qi Fanyuan had already lowered his head and was soaking the handkerchief in the well water when he heard this, so he raised his head again to look at her.

A playful glint flashed in his slender eyes: "Ah Zhuo is indeed clever; I never expected this."

The girl's eyes widened upon hearing this, and she said in a slightly spoiled tone, "Second Prince, brother!"

A smile finally appeared in the man's eyes, and the corners of his lips curved slightly: "Having made this promise to you, I will not break it."

Jiang Zhuoying was immediately satisfied, and a sense of smugness arose in her heart.

Although the foot injury was accidental, it wasn't a complete loss!

In a way, could she have turned misfortune into blessing?

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Author's note: Yingbao is so cunning, does Qi Gou even know what's going on?