Chapter 40 Don't touch it, it hurts.
Suddenly, the sound of a dog barking came from afar.
"My lord! Someone is approaching!" Pei Heng's men immediately rushed over and reported to Pei Heng in a low voice.
Pei Heng turned back to look at Xie Yushu, who had already stood up and was saying to Xiao Dao, "Let's go."
Xiao Dao was still worried and hugged her again: "At least let me take Miss back. How will you get back from this deserted place?"
But it was too late. Pei Heng's men jumped down from the treetop and hurriedly reported to him that several groups of people were nearby. Before they could finish speaking, the barking of dogs was already approaching.
A huge mastiff suddenly appeared on a hill not far away, its bright green eyes staring at them. It howled in the night rain, as if it were sending a message.
"Panpan?" Xie Yushu couldn't believe it. That was actually Panpan? She thought Panpan was just a pet...
“They’re Song Jie’s men.” She pulled Xiao Dao along and walked out in a few steps, saying to Pei Heng, “Hurry up, Cang Shu, who’s with Song Jie, will be here soon.” She then pushed Xiao Dao again, “Don’t worry, Song Jie will take me back.”
Even if Xiao Dao didn't want to leave, it was no use. The huge mastiff leaped down the hill and charged to tear Pei Heng's men apart. Pei Heng grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him onto the horse, then quickly said, "Let's go first. I'll have Pei Shilin come to pick her up."
How could Pei Shilin possibly come to pick her up? He had no idea how despicable the Pei family was!
Xiao Dao glanced at Xie Yushu again. She stood there alone in the wind and rain, looking at him, her eyes reddened by the wind. He broke free from Pei Heng's hand, quickly went over and hugged her tightly again, his voice choked as he said to her, "Wait for me to come back and kill Pei Shilin for you."
"Okay." Xie Yushu hugged him back.
Without further delay, Xiao Dao mounted his horse and left with Pei Heng.
In the heavy rain, Panpan chased after it like a wild beast. Xie Yushu hurriedly called out, "Panpan, come here!"
Panpan actually stopped, turned its huge head to look at her, raised its head and barked loudly twice, then pounced on Xie Yushu like a wild beast.
Panpan pounced like a lion, its green eyes gleaming and a low growl emanating from its throat. Xie Yushu was genuinely terrified. She didn't have a deep relationship with Panpan, and if it went berserk, it could bite her neck off in one bite. So she didn't dare move and quickly called out, "Panpan, sit down!"
She tried to calm Panpan down with some commands, but to her surprise, Panpan actually stopped in front of her, its huge head panting heavily as it nudged her face, causing her to fall to the ground. She hurriedly called out to Panpan again.
Perhaps she showed signs of fear, for Panpan licked her face with its warm tongue and then flicked its wet tail.
She sat in the rain, feeling like she was being licked and suffocating. In a panic, she tried to push Panpan's head away, when she heard someone call out, "Miss Yushu?"
It was the voice of Atractylodes lancea.
Before she could respond, a figure darted in front of her and pinned down the head that was licking wildly.
"Miss Yushu, are you alright? Are you injured?" Cangshu reached out and lifted her up from the ground.
Xie Yushu was shivering uncontrollably from the cold. He didn't care about the proper separation between men and women. He grabbed Cang Shu's arm tightly and snuggled into his arms, shaking his head with his teeth chattering.
Her Taoist robe was already soaked through and clung tightly to her body.
Cangshu felt her warm body temperature, and his body tensed up involuntarily. He didn't dare to look at her, and only asked in a low voice, "Can you still walk?"
Xie Yushu nodded.
But Cangshu only helped her take a couple of steps before picking her up and carrying her in his arms. "I'm sorry to offend Miss Yushu, let me carry you to walk faster." She was trembling so badly and walking so slowly that she would get sick if she stayed in the rain like this.
Xie Yushu didn't struggle; she also felt that she would get sick if she kept getting soaked.
Panpan leaped forward to lead the way.
Fortunately, Song Jie arrived with his men not long after. When he saw Cang Shu holding Xie Yushu, who was curled up in a ball, his heart sank. He immediately asked, "Is she injured?"
Cang Shu carried Xie Yushu quickly to Song Jie's horse and handed her to him, saying, "Miss Yushu should be unharmed."
Song Jie held Xie Yushu tightly with both hands, lifted her onto the horse and pulled her into his arms. Her wet body was trembling uncontrollably, and her face was deathly pale, like a fish that had just been pulled ashore.
Seeing Xie Yushu, usually so sharp-tongued and full of vigor, transformed into this, Song Jie felt an indescribable mix of emotions—a complex mix of frustration and anger. He took off his raincoat and covered her with it, coldly asking Cang Shu, "Where are the people who kidnapped her?"
Fearing that Pei Heng and Xiao Dao would be caught by Panpan, Xie Yushu reached through Song Jie's cloak and hugged his waist tightly. She could feel Song Jie's lower abdomen tightening and his whole body tensing up, but his hands held her even tighter in his arms.
"It's too cold, take me back to Song Jie first," she said, her face trembling against his chest.
When Song Jie saw her trembling and smelled the floral scent on her body, his heart was in turmoil, and he could only remember to answer, "Okay, I'll take you back."
She looked up at him, like a pitiful little bird: "There are many of them, and they have swords. Don't let Panpan chase after them, Panpan will get hurt..."
Her fingers gripped his damp clothes tightly.
Soaked to the bone, she curled up in his arms as if she weren't wearing an outer robe, seeking warmth from him—something that had never happened before.
A secret sense of satisfaction arose in Song Jie's heart; she was so pitiful and needed him so much.
"Okay." He didn't want to think about anything else, he just wanted to take her back as soon as possible. He held her tightly in his arms and told Cangshu to take Panpan to the carriage first.
Panpan was also soaked by the rain. It's really hard for a long-haired dog like it to be agile in the rainy night when its fur is completely wet, and it's easy for it to get injured.
Song Jie turned his horse around and galloped through the rainy night, wanting to bring her back to the Prime Minister's residence as soon as possible, but he did not expect to run into Xiao Zhen, who was chasing after him, halfway there.
Xiao Zhen, accompanied by the Imperial Guards, blocked his path, his gaze falling on Xie Yushu in his arms: "Is Madam Pei injured?"
"Is the Fourth Prince concerned about whether Madam Pei is injured?" Song Jie stared at him coldly.
Xiao Zhen explained, "Madam Pei was kidnapped in order to save my mother, and I must bring her back safely so that I can give my mother an explanation."
"Take her back?" Song Jie sneered, his wet face as cold as iron. Not wanting to say anything more to him in the rain, he said directly, "What use are you if an assassin can kidnap her right under your nose? Get out of my way."
He told Xiao Zhen to get out of the way in front of the Imperial Guards. Xiao Zhen's face also turned cold. He suppressed his anger and said to Song Jie in a calm tone, "Where does Prime Minister Song intend to take Madam Pei? Her mother is still at Yuqing Temple. Does Prime Minister Song intend to disregard her reputation and take her back to the Prime Minister's residence?"
"Host, you have gained 1 point of green hat value, which came from Xiao Zhen," the system suddenly remembered.
Xie Yushu, in Song Jie's arms, pulled back some of the raincoat covering his face and looked at Xiao Zhen. When their eyes met, he frowned at him, as if asking: What are you doing?
After seeing Xie Yushu's expression, Xiao Zhen realized that Xie Yushu might want to return to the Prime Minister's residence with Song Jie.
Yes, she should go back to the Prime Minister's residence with Song Jie; it would be very beneficial for both her and Xiao Zhen.
Originally, his intention was to use Xie Yushu to get close to Song Jie, find out Song Jie's background, and pave the way for eliminating Song Jie...
So why is he trying to stop him now?
Xiao Zhen asked himself, what was he doing? This was such a good opportunity for Xie Yushu to get close to Song Jie!
But for some reason, he just didn't want Song Jie to take her away.
On such a rainy night, she was kidnapped right under his nose. He didn't even check if she was hurt before Song Jie took her away, as if he were a useless piece of trash who couldn't protect her at all.
Pulled by the emotions in his heart, Xiao Zhen tightened his grip on the reins and heard Song Jie sneer, "It seems the Fourth Prince cares a lot about her reputation. She's not related to you at all, so why are you so concerned?"
The question stuck in his throat. He didn't care about Xie Yushu's reputation; he just didn't want Song Jie to take her away.
Song Jie raised his hand and lashed Xiao Zhen's horse with his whip.
Xiao Zhen's horse neighed in pain and pulled away. He hurriedly tried to calm the horse, but Song Jie had already led Xie Yushu on horseback through the Imperial Guards and left without any restraint.
A huge mastiff followed behind his horse and growled at Xiao Zhen.
His horse kept retreating, just like him. Throughout his life, he was always retreating in front of Song Jie, forever suppressed by Song Jie.
Xiao Zhen lowered his head, clenching his fingers so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms, barely suppressing the anger and humiliation he had endured for so many years. The rain was pouring down on his face, chilling him to the bone. He thought that sooner or later, Song Jie would die at his hands.
He slowly wiped the rain from his face, then raised his head and ordered the Imperial Guards: "Send someone up the mountain to report to the nun Yusu and the Lady Hou that Miss Yushu is safe and sound, but the path up the mountain is impassable. Send her back first."
※
"Host, you have gained another 1 point of green hat value, still from Xiao Zhen," the system reported again.
Xie Yushu couldn't care less about anything else. She was so cold that her vision was blurring and she felt like she was about to faint. She couldn't faint, she couldn't fall ill. She really couldn't trust the medical level in this world. She immediately opened the system interface and was shocked to find that her previous [260 days of life points] had decreased by one day.
Why is my health still decreasing?
“You are a host whose health points will decrease.” The system explained to her, “If you get sick or injured, your health points will decrease. The worse your physical condition is, the more health points you will lose.”
Just like a health bar.
Xie Yushu cursed Pei Heng a thousand times in her heart, and exchanged all 21 points of green hat value she had accumulated for life points. Her life points were refreshed to [469 days]. Her body immediately warmed up, and her dizzy mind cleared up.
She could clearly feel the continuous warmth in her chest nourishing her body, a feeling that gave her a sense of security she had never experienced before. It was like a certainty that she wouldn't die, a sense of security that no one could give her.
She even felt that her wet clothes were almost dried by her warm body heat.
But Song Jie grew increasingly worried. Xie Yushu in his arms was like a small furnace; could she have a fever? A fever this high?
He rode back to the Prime Minister's residence at full speed, and despite his exhaustion, he carried her into his bedroom. He ordered someone to boil water and sent Cangshu to fetch Physician Lu Kang.
"There's no need to call the imperial physician." Xie Yushu sat on the couch and pulled Song Jie back. "I'll just take a bath and get some sleep." She was already better, so there was no need for anyone to make a trip in the middle of the night.
But when Song Jie turned around, he saw a flushed face, rosy lips, and even the hand holding his wrist was incredibly hot.
What else could this be but a fever?
He reached out and touched her forehead again. "It's so hot, you'll burn yourself out." He then ordered Cangshu to fetch the imperial physician.
The servants had already boiled the water and brought in buckets to fill the bathtub behind the screen.
Her black hair was still dripping wet, and a puddle of water had formed on the soles of her shoes.
"Take off your wet clothes and soak in the warm water for a while to warm yourself up." Song Jie couldn't very well help her take off her clothes, but there were no maids in his mansion, only a group of men.
He could only turn around and close the door, when he heard her softly call him from inside the bed curtains, "Song Jie." Seemingly realizing something, she changed her address, "Prime Minister Song, can you come and help me?"
Song Jie's heart skipped a beat. He withdrew his finger and slowly turned around to see her peeking out from under the bed curtains. Her gaze was as moist as if it had been soaked in water, making his heart feel wet and heavy, as if it had been drenched in rain.
He walked over, lifted the bed curtains, and saw that she had only taken off her outer robe, underneath which was a pink undergarment, and through the soaked undergarment, a begonia-red undergarment was visible...
"I can't take my hair apart." Xie Yushu tidied her messy, wet hair. She usually did it herself, but now it was all tangled up in the rain and she couldn't untangle it. "Can you help me take it apart? Or do you have any maids in your household who can help me?"
“In my household, only the cook who tends the fire is a woman.” Song Jie looked at her messy, wet hair, made her turn around, removed the hairpin for her, and gently ran his fingers through her tangled black hair, trying to untangle it for her.
"Don't you trust women?" she asked him, seemingly curious. "Why? Is it because you grew up without a mother?"
Song Jie's fingers paused for a moment, then he heard her say, "I've heard that Prime Minister Song's father, the Duke of Song, never married, and that you are his illegitimate child. Is that true?"
She asked a question that was as sharp as a knife, in an innocent tone.
"Xie Yushu, do you know what happened to the last person who asked me this question?" Song Jie's tone was icy cold, but his fingers were still patiently untangling her hair: "He's dead."
Xie Yushu then stopped talking and just sat there with his head down.
The room suddenly fell silent, and Song Jie felt uneasy. He couldn't help but steal glances at her face as he untangled her hair. Was she angry? Or was she delirious from the fever?
He deliberately struck up a conversation, asking, "Did you get a good look at the assassin who kidnapped you?"
She shook her head.
Song Jie knew that she was sulking and deliberately ignoring him.
For some reason, he wasn't angry; it was somewhat absurd. She wasn't afraid of him, called him Song Jie, didn't resist being taken back to the Prime Minister's residence by him, and even took the initiative to ask him for help, asking questions that others dared not ask, and then getting angry with him over a disagreement...
All of this gave him an indescribable sense of intimacy. He had never felt this intimacy with anyone before, not even with Jia Ning, because Jia Ning treated everyone well, but she treated Xiao Zhen even better. He was just an ordinary cat or dog that she had rescued.
Xie Yushu treated him differently than she treated Xiao Zhen; she was willing to get close to him and let him get close to her.
He lowered his head and untangled his fine, damp hair, his heart growing increasingly heavy. He realized that he, Song Jie, could also be needed and chosen by others.
His fingers brushed aside a tuft of black hair and gently placed it on her shoulder. When he brushed aside another tuft of black hair on her neck, he noticed a large red patch on the left side of her neck, as if it had been pinched.
"What happened to your neck?" Song Jie asked her, frowning, but he didn't dare to touch it with his fingers.
As if afraid he would touch her, she quickly covered her mouth and said, "Don't touch me, it hurts."
"I didn't want to touch it." Song Jie simply pulled her hand away: "Let me see."
She actually let go of his hand, allowing him to look.
Song Jie's heart softened. He moved the lamp closer to examine it, and saw that it was a patch of bruises: "How did you get this?"
"The assassin choked him." Xie Yushu hated Pei Heng even more; he was incredibly heavy-handed.
Song Jie suddenly stopped talking, but gently smoothed all her black hair and said softly, "Let's go take a bath."
Xie Yushu heard the system report: "Host, you have gained 1 point of Popularity Points, from Song Jie."
Why?
Before she could understand, Song Jie had already turned and left, closing the door behind him.
She thought Song Jie would linger for a while before leaving, but she didn't expect him to leave so decisively.
After she had taken off her clothes and soaked in the bathtub for a while, the sound of the door opening was heard.
"Song Jie?" she called out instinctively.
A woman in her forties or fifties walked out from behind the screen. She bowed to Xie Yushu and said, "Miss, I am Jiang Hua, the cook in the Prime Minister's mansion. The Prime Minister sent me to serve you."
She was carrying a bucket of hot water. She came over and slowly added some more hot water for Xie Yushu. She wiped her hands, then took an egg out of her apron pocket, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and smiled at Xie Yushu, saying, "The Prime Minister said you have bruises on your neck, so he asked me to boil an egg to massage it for you."
Xie Yushu hadn't expected Song Jie to be so thoughtful.
Jiang Hua gently cradled her face and tenderly rolled a warm egg onto her neck.
It hurt a little, but it was still within her tolerance. She looked up at Jiang Hua and asked, "Where is your Prime Minister?"
Jiang Hua answered her honestly, "The Prime Minister is instructing people to investigate the assassin who kidnapped the young lady."
Was Song Jie's popularity based on feeling sorry for her?
Xie Yushu wanted to strike while the iron was hot, so he asked Jiang Hua, "Did he change his clothes? He got wet too, and wearing wet clothes will definitely cause his old illness to relapse."
She took the egg from Jiang Hua's hand. "Go tell him to take a shower and change his clothes. I can rub it myself."
Jiang Hua paused for a moment, then responded as if pleased, bowed to her, and withdrew.
The torrential rain is still pouring down.
Jiang Hua walked to the front of the study and heard the Prime Minister coughing inside, instructing his guards: "Find him, cut off his hand and bring him back to me."
Jiang Hua bowed outside and called out, "Prime Minister."
Song Jie then ordered someone to open the door.
She walked in with her head down, and heard the Prime Minister cough twice and ask her, "Why did you come out? Has she changed her clothes?"
“Miss is still taking a bath.” Jiang Hua said with her head down, “Miss was worried that the Prime Minister was still wearing wet clothes, so she instructed me to tell him that he should also change his clothes and warm up, lest his old illness relapse.”
Song Jie sat in the armchair without saying a word. Was she worried about him?
Is it because they're worried about losing him as a generous sucker, or are they genuinely worried about Song Jie?
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Author's note: This is a little red envelope for everyone, thank you for granting me leave!
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