The man, still dressed, suddenly asked, "What kind of incense are you wearing?"

His sudden question startled Xiao Yunying: "Incense? I didn't use any incense."

She hasn't had a chance to use the incense Chen Yuancheng gave her yet.

"It's a... no, it's a blend of several faint floral scents and some other indescribable aromas."

The scent was unlike anything he had ever smelled before; it wasn't overpowering, but rather unique and memorable.

Xiao Yunying suddenly realized that he must be referring to the mixed scent of her shampoo, shower gel, and laundry detergent.

"The scent you can't smell is a very refreshing one, with a slightly sweet and sour taste."

"Yes, it has a very unique flavor."

Xiao Yunying packed her things: "This smells like lemon."

She used to use lavender-scented laundry detergent, which had a strong fragrance.

Once, Luo Chen told her that it wasn't good for them to have such a strong fragrance, so she switched to a lighter lemon-scented laundry detergent.

What is a lemon?

"Hmm... It's a fruit from overseas, with a bright yellow peel that looks a bit like an orange, but with raised edges. The peel is thick and the flesh is sour. It doesn't taste as good as an orange, but it smells very nice. It's usually mixed with honey and soaked in water to drink."

"Did you mix this fragrance yourself?"

"I said it's not incense, it's something like soapberry, used for washing clothes."

Xiao Yunying recalled the scene in the stable. She hadn't spoken then, but he had recognized her first.

"Just now in the stable, did you recognize me by my scent?"

The man did not deny it: "I'm sorry, I was being frivolous."

Although the person's upper half of their face was covered, making it impossible to see their eyes, the lower half of their face appeared to be quite attractive.

He spoke his apology with a tight-lipped, unsmiling expression, which almost made Xiao Yunying burst out laughing.

"Don't feel sorry. Everyone needs to breathe. It's inevitable that you'll smell something. I can't stop you from breathing."

At first glance, this person seemed intimidating, but after spending some time with him, I discovered that in some ways he was just as simple-minded as his subordinate.

The man finished dressing and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Miss, I would like to ask you for a favor."

"What's up."

The man took out a black cloth strip, the same as the one on his face, from his pocket, along with a porcelain bottle and a deflated cloth bag, and placed them on the table.

"My eyes need a new dressing. If the medication wears off, my eyes will be damaged. Could you please change the dressing for me?"

“So…” Xiao Yunying swallowed back the words “You’re not blind” that were on the tip of her tongue, and instead said, “Your eyes are poisoned.”

The man didn't reply. Xiao Yunying patted her mouth, silently warning herself not to ask questions she shouldn't.

"How do I do it?"

The man fumbled in the cloth bag and took out a piece of unidentified herb. It was fresh, but the leaves were withered and curled because it had been picked a long time ago.

“Crush this herb and mix it with the powder in this bottle.”

"Wait a moment, I'll go get a pestle for grinding medicine."

Xiao Yunying took a basin of water to the yard, poured out the bloody water, replaced it with fresh water, and then brought over a mortar and pestle.

The man listened to the sound as the herbs were crushed in a mortar and pestle and asked, "Does the young lady have a pestle?"

"No, this is a mortar and pestle, used for pounding garlic into paste."

Man in black: ...

For some reason, Xiao Yunying seemed to see the man's speechless expression through the black cloth, and quickly explained:

"Oh, don't misunderstand, this is a new one I bought, I haven't minced the garlic yet, it has no flavor."

"...Thank you very much, young lady."

Xiao Yunying opened the medicine bottle: "There's not much powder left, how much should I pour?"

The man mentally estimated the amount he would need over this period: "Just pour out 30%."

Xiao Yunying carefully poured out about 30% of the amount and continued to grind the powder and herbs into a fine paste.

"Someone's here."

Xiao Yunying looked nervously towards the door: "Who's here? Is it the people chasing you? Didn't you say your subordinates were very capable and they couldn't find you?!"

"Don't be nervous. Judging from the footsteps, it's a child. It should be someone from your family."

"...Hey buddy, can you finish what you're saying all at once? You scared me to death."

Luo Yang's voice came from outside the door: "Mother, is that you inside?"

Xiao Yunying called softly towards the door, "It's me."

"Is something wrong inside, Mother?"

Xiao Yunying unfolded the black cloth and calmly replied, "It's a personal matter. Don't worry about me. Go back to sleep. I think I'll be sleeping in tomorrow. Remember to open the door for my mother."

I don't know when this person will leave. If he leaves early, I can get some sleep. If he leaves late, I'm afraid I'll have to stay up all night with him.

"Then I'll go back to my room. Mother, get some rest."

"Go."

After waiting for a while, the man in black said, "He's gone."

"So what if you're leaving? I'm going to untie your bandages now."

"Aren't you afraid of me anymore?"

Xiao Yunying removed the black cloth strip from the man's face: "Whether you're scared or not, that's all there is to it. If you want to do something bad to us, you can do it no matter how many people see you, it has nothing to do with whether he can get in or not."

When she saw the man's eyes clearly, Xiao Yunying couldn't help but take a deep breath.

The man's skin around his eyes was covered with purple blood vessels, and his eyelids were so swollen that he couldn't close them, leaving only a slit through which one could vaguely see the bright red blood inside.

Xiao Yunying pursed her lips. "My goodness, what kind of strange poison is this? I've never seen anything like it before in my life."

I used to think that what I saw in TV dramas was fake and exaggerated, but I never expected to see it with my own eyes in this unfamiliar world.

Wait a minute, is she overlooking something?

"Hey, you're poisoned. Is your blood poisonous too?"

"Don't worry, young lady. As long as your hands are uninjured, you won't get infected."

Xiao Yunying looked down at her palm: "You probably forgot that I was dragged a long way by a sheep a few days ago. My palm was scraped and the scabs haven't completely fallen off yet."

Did she touch his blood with her palm just now? Oh no, she didn't notice.

I don't think so; at most, it might have been touched by the fingertips.

The man, seemingly having forgotten the incident as well, said apologetically:

"It was my oversight. Don't worry, young lady. This poison requires a special catalyst to activate, so even if you get infected, it won't easily take effect."

You make it sound so easy, but how can I feel at ease? This is like planting a time bomb for yourself.

"If I may ask, is there any way to cure your eye condition?"

It's clear this man is good-looking, but unfortunately, the area around his eyes and part of his forehead are swollen and distorted, plus those terrifying bloodshot veins...

That's such a pity.

"This poison can be cured. I went to the capital to cure my eyes, but I've been delayed for too long. If I don't get to the capital before the medicine to suppress the poison runs out, my eyes will probably be ruined."