Seeing that Luo Sheng's face was really pale, Madam Luo advised, "Don't be angry with the children. They are just worried about Yun Ying."

"I know." Luo Sheng glanced at Luo Xin standing to the side and said to Zheng Yunwan, "Miss Zheng, please prepare some food for Xin'er and take her to rest."

Zheng Yunwan didn't want to leave; she wanted to stay with Xiao Yunying. She hesitated and didn't respond.

Luo Sheng added, "Don't worry, Miss Zheng, I'll keep watch over Yunying."

Luo Xin had been quite frightened today, and Zheng Yunwan couldn't bear to see her like that, so she agreed: "Then I'll take Xin'er to wash up first."

Madam Luo said, "There is some hot food in the kitchen, please make do with it."

"Understood, thank you, Madam Luo."

With only the mother and son remaining, Luo Sheng no longer hesitated to speak frankly: "Mother, Zuo Lanzhi has tormented Yun Ying to this state. Don't blame me for disregarding your relationship with the Minister's wife."

Madam Luo was also furious: "I never expected that Lanzhi would be so vicious. She was so well-behaved and sensible when she was little. Qi Shuang is really something. Not only did she fail to raise her daughter properly, but she also allowed her daughter to hurt Yunying like this."

She sighed, feeling guilty and remorseful: "It's also my fault. I shouldn't have been too proud to refuse her and brought Zuo Lanzhi here. If she hadn't come, none of this would have happened."

Unfortunately, what's done is done, and there's no point in saying anything more.

Luo Sheng couldn't blame his mother, so he could only say, "Mother, go back and rest too. I'm enough here."

Madam Luo looked at her travel-worn son with concern: "Don't overwork yourself. If you need anything, just call us for help, okay?"

"I know."

Luo Sheng entered Xiao Yunying's room, dragged a stool over and sat down beside her, staying by her side all night without leaving her side.

In the middle of the night, Xiao Yunying indeed developed a fever. Luo Sheng fetched water to wipe her sweat and lower her temperature, and coaxed her to take medicine. Her fever gradually subsided just before dawn.

Luo Sheng was also exhausted. He had been traveling day and night, changing horses frequently along the way without resting for a moment, before finally making it back.

Only after confirming that Xiao Yunying's fever had subsided did he lie down next to her and take a nap.

When it was broad daylight, Xiao Yunying woke up. She felt that she was lying face down and her breathing was not smooth. She used her hands to support her body and tried to turn over.

This movement startled Luo Sheng awake: "Yun Ying, you're awake?"

He helped Xiao Yunying slowly turn over and explained, "You have an injury below your buttocks, that's why I made you sleep like this. Does the injury still hurt? Is there anything else that's uncomfortable?"

Xiao Yunying straightened her body, her consciousness gradually returning. She remembered what had happened yesterday and stared straight at Luo Sheng without saying a word.

Luo Sheng asked worriedly, "Yun Ying, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"I……"

She only managed to utter one word before her voice became terribly hoarse, almost unable to utter a sound.

Luo Sheng hurriedly poured a glass of water over: "Wait a minute, let me pour you a glass of water to soothe your throat."

He helped Xiao Yunying sit up, then sat behind her for support and fed her water.

Are you feeling any better?

Xiao Yunying gave a stiff "hmm".

He asked again, "Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Xiao Yunying looked down at her clean clothes, and after a while said, "It hurts."

Luo Sheng asked anxiously, "Where does it hurt?"

"My whole body aches."

There was a knock on the door, and both of them turned their eyes to it at the same time.

Luo Sheng said, "Come in."

Zheng Yunwan brought over some food: "Sister Yunying is awake? I just brought you some food, and I also made some millet porridge. Sister Yunying, would you like some?"

Xiao Yunying tilted her head and looked at the children behind the door: "I'm fine. You can go do whatever you need to do. Don't be late for school."

Luo Yang sensed that Xiao Yunying's condition was not right: "Mother, are you really alright?"

"It's really nothing."

Luo Yang then thought that perhaps his mother was in too much pain and was not in good spirits: "Then let's go to the academy first."

"Go ahead." Xiao Yunying looked at Zheng Yunwan standing to the side and said to her, "Yunwan, you should go out too."

Although Zheng Yunwan was very worried about Xiao Yunying's health, she also felt that Xiao Yunying did not need her at the moment: "Then I will go out first. Sister Yunying can call me if you need anything."

After she finished speaking, she pulled Luo Xin away with her, leaving the two of them some space to talk.

After everyone had left, Luo Sheng asked, "Shall I feed you some porridge?"

Xiao Yunying continued to stare at Luo Sheng without saying a word.

Seeing her expression, Luo Sheng felt inexplicably flustered: "Yun Ying, what are you thinking about? Can you tell me?"

After a long pause, Xiao Yunying slowly spoke: "In front of so many maids, servants, and guards, Zuo Lanzhi took off my outer garment and hung it under the corridor to be exposed to the sun. She also had people put braziers around me, then splashed me with ice water, hit my head with a wooden basin, and had someone beat me five times with a cane."

She pointed to her bruised and swollen forehead, and recounted her ordeal with a blank expression: "I've never suffered such injustice in my life. Luo Sheng, can you help me get revenge?"

Luo Sheng grasped her hand: "How do you plan to get revenge on her?"

Xiao Yunying looked directly into his eyes: "Can you help me kill her?"

Luo Sheng sensed that Xiao Yunying's emotions were off: "Do you really want to kill her?"

Upon hearing this question, Xiao Yunying lowered her eyes and stopped looking at him.

After a long while, he murmured, "I can't just kill people. Murder is illegal. I should call the police."

She paused for a moment, then said uncertainly, "But... there doesn't seem to be a police station here..."

Luo Sheng couldn't understand what she was saying. He felt the temperature coming from her hand was much hotter than his own. He touched her forehead and realized that she had started to have a fever again.

"Yun Ying, you're a little delirious from the fever. Let's talk about this when you're more lucid, okay?"

Xiao Yunying suddenly looked up: "You want to protect Zuo Lanzhi?"

“I didn’t mean to protect her, it’s just that you’re not clear-headed right now…”

“I’m not delirious from the fever, I’m perfectly lucid.” Xiao Yunying said firmly, “I can’t kill people indiscriminately, but I can’t swallow this insult. Go and tie up Zuo Lanzhi, hang her under the sycamore tree in front of the house for a day, pour cold water on her brazier, and give her five lashes, no, ten lashes. I’ve said it before, I will repay you double.”

Luo Sheng thought for a moment and asked, "Will doing this make you feel better?"

"Yes, if you refuse to help me, then I'll find a way to get revenge myself."

Luo Sheng did not refuse and agreed immediately: "Okay, I promise you. You eat something and take your medicine first, and then I will go and bring Zuo Lanzhi to you so you can get revenge, okay?"

Right now, Xiao Yunying only has this one thing on her mind; she doesn't want to do or care about anything else.

"No, go now, or leave my house and I'll figure something out myself!"