Chapter 2

At this moment, the procession on the official road was gradually approaching through the mud, while inside the General's Mansion, the Shuyu Courtyard was already filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere.

The group finally arrived at the General's Mansion, and the heavy vermilion gates slowly opened.

"Your Highness, Second Young Master, Sir," the deputy general guarding the manor greeted them, his gaze lingering on the boy on the stretcher.

—Dark purple scabs mixed with mud stained the coarse cloth hem, resembling an indelible stain in the twilight. Half a blade of grass still clung to the edge of the stretcher, rustling off with each sway of the sedan chair.

"The general has prepared hot water in the main hall for everyone to rest."

Sheng Xuan casually brushed aside the cloak handed to him by the lieutenant, his gaze snapping away from the boy as if it had been branded with a hot iron, as if looking at his disheveled state for even a second longer would offend his eyes.

The moment the carriage curtain was blown open by the wind, he not only caught a glimpse of the mixture of mud and blood smeared on the boy's pale face, but was also choked by a strong, sour smell of medicine, blood, and sweat, which made his throat tighten.

Although the bandage on her right eye was new, it couldn't hide the dirt that had spilled out of her collar. A few strands of wet hair clung to her neck, still covered in dried mud. She looked like a tattered rag doll just pulled out of a mud pit, both repulsive and inexplicably irritating.

"I understand." Sheng Xuan's voice suddenly turned cold, and he clicked his tongue against his back teeth.

He remembered that his elder brother had specifically instructed him to let this "mud monkey" stay at Shuyu Courtyard—a place where he was not even allowed to get his boots muddy! At this moment, he could almost see the boy rubbing mud all over the warm jade hot spring pool, his forehead veins throbbing with anger.

He stomped his foot hard, splashing mud that nearly hit the hem of the lieutenant's robe. "What are you looking at? Hurry up and have someone take this..." He swallowed back the "eyesore" part and changed his words, "Take the wounded to Shuyu Courtyard!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Su Yan, carrying a medicine box, climbed out of the carriage. Upon hearing this, he immediately glared at Su Yan and said, "Second Young Master, please be more polite! He just crawled back from the brink of death, and he's covered in injuries; how could he care about being clean?"

Su Yan's sleeves were still stained with blood from when he changed the dressing, but now he stood in front of the stretcher like a hawk protecting its young.

Sheng Xuan was choked so badly that his face turned ashen. The veins on his hand, which was resting on the hilt of his sword, throbbed slightly, and his knuckles turned white. Just as he was about to lash out, he heard Xiao Qiyun's clear and gentle voice from the side: "Second Young Master." The fourteen-year-old Crown Prince stepped forward, his clothes still stained with mud from the road, but this did not diminish the composure between his brows.

He first nodded to Su Yan before turning to Sheng Xuan, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable weight: "Mr. Su has already worked hard to treat this patient. This young master was seriously injured while saving someone and certainly needs to rest. We should treat him well both out of courtesy and reason. Besides, the general specifically instructed us to avoid neglecting our distinguished guest."

Sheng Xuan opened his mouth, looked into Xiao Qiyun's clear eyes that seemed to reflect his current rage, and then remembered the words "honored guest" in his brother's report, and his anger dissipated.

"Hmph, consider him lucky!" Sheng Xuan exaggeratedly pinched his nose and took three steps back. "Hurry up and carry him inside!" After saying that, he turned around and left, his silver armor cloak sweeping over the stretcher with a brute force.

He didn't turn around, but roared at his guards, "Hurry up and find me a room away from that medicine pot!!"

The lieutenant watched his angry retreating figure, then glanced at the medicine box in Su Yan's arms, and helplessly gave the servants carrying the stretcher a look: "Carry it gently, and avoid the corridor that the second young master usually takes..."

As dusk fell, Sheng Xuan's footsteps echoed loudly on the bluestone slabs, each step seeming to vent his disgust for that "troublemaker"—he wanted to see what this dirty, smelly kid of unknown origin had done to occupy his Shuyu Courtyard.

"What are you standing there for?" Gu Linzhao's voice came from behind. He had somehow already slung Su Yan's medicine box over his shoulder. His dark-colored outfit was several shades darker from the rain, clinging to his body and outlining his smooth muscle lines. He walked steadily toward the courtyard.

Shuyu Courtyard was indeed warm and inviting.

As the guards carried the stretcher into the inner room, Su Yan practically jogged in after them, directing the maids to make the bed, change the water, and prepare the medicine, all the while muttering, "The water must be warm, not too hot and not too cold! Warm the ointment in the hot water first, we'll change the dressing later..."

Sheng Xuan leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, watching the chaotic scene inside, and felt his temples throbbing. He had never seen his courtyard so "lively"—servants were coming and going, and the air was filled with a strong smell of medicine.

She turned to leave, but Gu Linzhao called her back.

"Wait a minute," Gu Linzhao handed over an oil paper package, "Su Yan asked me to give this to you, saying... to thank you for making room."

Sheng Xuan raised an eyebrow and took the package. Upon opening it, he found several pieces of candied plums. He frowned, curled his lip in disgust, and picked up a plum with his fingertips as if he were picking up something dirty. Just as he was about to throw it away, he heard Su Yan's voice from inside the room: "Where's the medicine that's been decocted? Bring it over quickly."

He stopped in his tracks as if possessed and peered through the crack in the door.

Su Yan sat in front of the bed, bending over slightly, and gently fed the boy medicine little by little with a small silver spoon.

The boy's eyes remained closed, his chapped lips moved slightly, but no sound came out. Su Yan gently wiped the medicine stains from the corners of the boy's mouth with a handkerchief, and whispered reassuringly, "We've arrived. We're safe now."

The gentleness in that voice sounded particularly grating to Sheng Xuan.

"Tsk." He muttered under his breath, but threw the plum back into the paper package, clenched it tightly, turned around and strode out of Shuyu Courtyard. The sweetness of the candied plum seeped through the paper and clung to his fingertips, like an unshakeable trouble.

After dinner, the corridors of the General's Mansion cast dappled shadows of trees under the moonlight.

Xiao Qiyun changed into a casual outfit embroidered with a four-clawed python pattern, and held a hand warmer that the kitchen had just prepared. He gently knocked on the door of the Shuyu Courtyard.

The aroma of herbs mingled with the heat wafted from the room. Su Yan sat under the lamp, examining the strangely shaped, pale purple scar on the back of the boy's neck, while Gu Linzhao sorted herbs beside him. The clear water in the copper basin reflected the two men's features.

"Your Highness." Gu Linzhao was the first to raise his head, and a medicinal fragrance wafted from him as he stood up to pay his respects.

Su Yan then raised his head from the desk, his eyes bloodshot, but his tone softened: "Why hasn't Your Highness rested yet?"

"Come and see how Su Zhelan is doing." Xiao Qiyun approached the soft couch, his gaze lingering on the boy's pale and fragile face for a moment before finally settling on the scar on the back of his neck, his eyes darkening.

He carefully placed the hand warmer beside the boy, the heat dispelling the medicinal smell around him. Seeing that the boy's breathing was more stable than during the day, and that his curled right leg had been properly secured, he finally felt relieved.

"Sir, you've worked hard. If it weren't for you..."

"Your Highness is too kind," Su Yan interrupted him, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the brass clasp on the edge of the medicine box. "Saving lives is my duty, and he is my apprentice."

Gu Linzhao suddenly spoke up: "If His Highness hadn't been willing to give up the carriage, his leg would probably have been dislocated even more severely from the bumpy ride."

After saying that, he exchanged a glance with Su Yan, who, though he didn't speak, nodded slightly to Xiao Qiyun—this was the most straightforward way he could express his gratitude.

Meanwhile, in the guest room in the front yard, Sheng Xuan was impatiently removing his silver armor.

The cool moonlight shone through the window lattice and fell on the oil paper package on the table, with a faint, sweet aroma of candied plums.

He recalled the boy's mud- and blood-smeared face from earlier that day, as well as Su Yan's protective gaze and Xiao Qiyun's words, "He should be treated kindly both emotionally and rationally." His heart felt like it was being stuffed with thorny vines, making him restless.

He cursed under his breath, but couldn't help walking to the window and gazing across the courtyards towards the direction of Shuyu Courtyard, where the lights were still on, like a needle piercing his heart...

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. But just as he lay down on the bed, he heard very light footsteps outside the window.

Sheng Xuan sat up instantly, his right hand already on the cold, hard sword beside his pillow, when he heard Gu Linzhao's voice outside the window: "Is the Second Young Master asleep? Su Yan asked me to bring some calming soup."

Sheng Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt inexplicably irritated.

He opened the door and saw Gu Linzhao holding a white porcelain bowl, the soup inside still steaming.

"Why doesn't he come by himself?" Sheng Xuan raised an eyebrow, his sharp gaze landing on Gu Linzhao's face.

“He said…” Gu Linzhao paused, as if choosing his words carefully, “that the Second Young Master has been traveling all day and may not be able to sleep well.”

He handed over the soup bowl, his gaze calm, "This soup contains something to help you sleep."

Sheng Xuan took the soup bowl, and as his fingertips touched the warm porcelain, he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

He recalled his disdain for the boy and his rudeness towards Su Yan during the day, but now he was drinking the calming soup they had brought him, and the warmth seemed to be mocking his awkwardness.

“During the day…” He opened his mouth, but found the words of apology stuck in his throat, “I was just…”

"Second Young Master, there's no need to take it to heart." Gu Linzhao interrupted him, his tone calm. "Su Yan knows you're straightforward."

After he finished speaking, he turned to leave, but then he heard Sheng Xuan ask in a muffled voice, "Then... how is he?"

Gu Linzhao paused, and when he turned around, a faint smile appeared on his lips: "The fever has subsided a bit, and the leg bone is temporarily immobilized. Su Yan said that as long as we get through tonight, there won't be any major problems."

He looked at Sheng Xuan's hand, which was gripping the soup bowl tightly with his knuckles, and added, "Thank you, Second Young Master."

“Who’s worried about him!” Sheng Xuan retorted immediately, his voice lower than usual, carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency. He picked up the soup bowl and took a sip; the sweet fragrance of mimosa flowers mixed with the slight bitterness of angelica spread across his tongue. “I just… I’m just afraid he’ll die in my yard and dirty my place!”

Gu Linzhao didn't say anything more, but simply cupped his hands in greeting before turning and disappearing into the night.

Sheng Xuan stood at the door, looking at the calming soup in her hand, and then looked towards the direction of Shuyu Courtyard—where the lights had finally gone out.

He leaned against the cold door frame, the night wind blowing his clothes, but it couldn't dispel the itchy and annoying feeling in his heart, like being scratched by a wild cat's claws.

Perhaps this mud monkey is incredibly resilient and can really make it through the night. He thought to himself, and then drank the rest of the calming soup in one gulp. The lingering warmth of the porcelain bowl spread from his fingertips to his heart, and it actually dispelled some of the lingering restlessness, leaving only an indescribable, empty, and strange feeling.