[Host, what do we do now?]
[Let alone the streamer, she herself is seriously injured and barely holding on. And don't you guys think this whole thing is suspicious?]
This is really strange. Xu Nian's head was spinning, and she could see double when she looked at the comments. "Family, I'll take a break from live streaming for two days."
As soon as she finished speaking, the hand that had been gripping Gu Zhan’s collar for support suddenly went limp and fell to the ground!
The general's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly pulled the person up in his arms again and gave the two who were still crying and cursing coldly: "If I hear you arguing again, you'll lose your heads."
"Gu Er, go and fetch a doctor, one you can trust." Only after the two men were silenced by fear did he speak to the servant who had rushed over behind him.
Without turning his head, he carried Xu Nian into the inner room and carefully placed her on the bed.
"Who's there?" Xu Nian knew she was dreaming. In the pale light, a figure slowly appeared before her. It was somewhat familiar, yet she couldn't see it clearly.
She called out a question, and the figure moved a few steps closer, beckoning to her: "Niannian, come here."
Master?!
Xu Nian's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she sprinted towards the figure. Since promising to lift the spatial seal and some of the magical seals on her, this cheap master hadn't appeared again.
Thinking about what had happened during this time, she felt a little wronged.
"Master, why did it take you so long to arrive?" The girl's voice was trembling with tears. No matter how strong she was, she was still only twenty years old. "Master, I don't understand. Did I really do something wrong these past few days?"
She buried herself in the familiar embrace, feeling a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just that your methods were sometimes a little inappropriate. And..."
"And what?" Xu Nian pressed.
A soft chuckle seemed to come from above, and an aged voice slowly said, "You're still young, so you might not understand. Being too kind is often a sign of foolishness."
He gently patted his apprentice's shoulder, as if he were treating his youngest daughter: "I've seen everything that's happened these past few days. Niannian, you need to learn to be a little more ruthless."
The sound drifted further and further away, and Xu Nian found her arms empty. When she looked up again, there was nothing in front of her.
Learn to be a little more ruthless?
She sat there, frowning in thought. Outside of the dream, a day and a night had passed.
Gu Zhan sat by her bedside, his eyes bloodshot. He had dark circles under his eyes, and bluish spots appeared above his lips.
His body, possessed by a vengeful ghost, should have been properly cared for, but Xu Nian was unconscious at the moment, and no one told him this. He also had no mood to go anywhere else.
"Why isn't she awake yet?" Another day passed, and the general looked at the person on the bed whose eyelids didn't even move, and asked in a hoarse voice.
The doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead. "General, please don't worry. Miss Xu is severely depleted of qi and blood, and her shoulder injury hasn't fully healed yet. She needs to rest and recuperate properly to recover."
Every time he came to the doctor, he heard the same things over and over again; he was practically sick of hearing them.
He crumpled the hem of his clothes by pinching them, but in the end he didn't lose his temper with the old man. He just waved his hand and sent the man away.
How could he not be anxious? After being treated by the doctor, most of the villagers outside were able to get out of bed and move around, if not completely healed.
Gu Zhan hasn't dared to close his eyes for the past few days. Whenever he closes his eyes, the images of Xu Nian collapsing into his arms from exhaustion keep flashing before his eyes.
I used to think this was a sign of trust.
But now he suddenly realized he was terribly wrong. Xu Nian had a special ability; every time she was exhausted, she would sleep for a long time. What if... what if she never woke up again...
Just thinking about it sent chills down Gu Zhan's spine, and his heart ached as if it were being ripped apart!
Unbeknownst to him, this feeling had grown from a tender seedling into a towering tree. With its branches and leaves flourishing, Gu Zhan realized for the first time that he wanted to be completely immersed in it.
So, without his knowledge, his feelings for Xu Nian had already run so deep?
What should I do if she doesn't wake up?
The pain always struck so silently, almost overwhelming Gu Zhan bit by bit. He locked himself in his room, refusing to leave even for a moment except to prepare medicine or cook.
"General, Miss Liu from the Minister's residence has arrived. She says she has something for you."
Liu Qingmei? How did she find this place?
Gu Zhan glanced deeply at Xu Nian on the bed, then got up and tucked the blanket around her. "Wait for me, I'll be back soon."
"Miss Xu, you're finally awake." Xu Nian slowly opened her eyes, stared at the curtains above her head for a while, and then turned her head when she heard a joyful call from beside her.
"Wet Nurse?" Seeing her, she was filled with confusion. What was Gu Zhan's wet nurse doing here? "What are you doing here? Where is Gu Zhan?"
The wet nurse helped her up from the bed. "The general has gone out. Miss Liu from the Ministry of Rites said she had something to discuss with him, so she asked me to look after her for a while. Usually, he stays by the young lady's side without taking off his clothes and never lets anyone else take care of her."
"Is that so?" Xu Nian smiled bitterly. No matter how much he cared, she probably couldn't compare to Miss Liu in his heart.
Liu Qingmei waited for a long time in front of the courtyard gate and hinted many times, but Gu Zhan did not agree to let her in.
Handing the brocade box to Gu Zhan, she feigned reproach, saying, "This is some top-quality ginseng and tonics that my father specially asked me to bring when he heard that Miss Xu was injured. I hope Miss Xu can recover soon. General, won't you invite me in? I'd like to see how Miss Xu's injuries are."
Gu Zhan took the box and handed it to Gu Er. "There's no need for a visit. Nian'er hasn't woken up yet. Don't disturb her. Please thank Lord Liu for me. Miss Liu, please go back. I won't see you off."
Snap!
Liu Qingmei was forced out; Gu Zhan was preoccupied with Xu Nian and no longer cared about proper etiquette.
When closing the door, he was even more decisive and efficient once he was sure Liu Qingmei wouldn't get hurt!
Even the maid Xiaohong was so angry that she couldn't help but stomp her foot. "Miss, look at him! What's so good about that Xu Nian? Is he worth the General's trouble and worry?!"
Liu Qingmei gritted her teeth, her eyes that had been full of spring just moments before now staring fiercely at the tightly closed wooden door. "Hmph, she's a newly appointed county princess. From now on, even we'll have to pay our respects to her first."
She's just got a seductive face! She can make men lose their bearings, how despicable!
"Miss, what do we do now?"
Xiao Hong had known her young mistress's thoughts for a long time, and even when Gu Zhan was betrothed by the emperor, she never gave up on them.
I don't know how heartbroken I'll be when I get back today. Su Wanting is one thing, she's the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion. But this Xu Nian, a country bumpkin, dares to compete with her young lady? She's truly overestimating herself!
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