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He stormed off, and Li Yang didn't say anything. She only told Bei Hai to follow, and then sat down leisurely to continue learning about the types of tools from the woodcarving master.
She was certain that Yuan Chongjing would have to slink back in less than half an hour.
After all, he didn't have her sharp eye or her flexible and adaptable nature.
Li Yang thought for a moment, then called over a maid and told her to stand guard at the back gate and tell Yuan Chongjing as soon as he returned.
As she had expected, half an hour later, Yuan Chongjing quietly entered the mansion through the back door, without mentioning her, and went straight back to his courtyard.
Hearing the maid's words, Li Yang couldn't help but laugh. She got up and brushed the wood chips off her clothes: "Master, let's rest for a while. I'm going to see my husband."
She was just worried about not having a chance to deepen her relationship with Yuan Chongjing, so she had to make good use of this opportunity.
Bei Hai was guarding the entrance to the courtyard. Li Yang pretended not to notice and went over to ask, "Huh? Why are you back so soon?"
Bei Hai knew why Li Yang had come. He glanced at the tightly closed door and explained in a low voice, "We haven't even seen any of Ghost Hand's people."
"Oh?" Li Yang feigned surprise, and as she reached for the door, she turned back to Bei Hai and said, "Go and bring back the master and all the wood carving tools. Jing and I will work on them together for the next three days."
"Huh? Would the second young master agree?" Bei Hai asked doubtfully.
Li Yang said confidently, "Go ahead, he'll agree."
After arranging all these things, she pushed open the door and went inside.
Inside the room, Yuan Chongjing lay on the bed, feeling sullen. His body was weak from walking around for so long, and his lips had lost their previous rosy hue. He kept his eyes closed, as if asleep, but his rapidly rising and falling chest betrayed his continued anger.
Li Yang didn't call him. She walked to the table and slowly poured herself a glass of water.
The rushing water only fueled Yuan Chongjing's irritation. He assumed Bei Hai had returned and opened his eyes, shouting, "Didn't I tell you to leave?"
But then she saw Li Yang standing in the room with a beaming smile.
Bright sunlight streamed through the lattice window, bathing her in its glow. Even in her coarse cloth dress, she exuded an ethereal, mysterious, and noble aura.
He felt inexplicably guilty and said sullenly, "You came here to laugh at me? Yes, I haven't even seen Ghost Hand's face. I'm not as good as you. Are you satisfied now?"
Li Yang carried the water to the bedside: "You're so temperamental, are you thirsty? Have some water."
Yuan Chongjing hardened his face, his gaze like a piece of crimson wood about to catch fire: "None of your business."
“If you drink it, I’ll tell you how I got Ghost Hand to agree to my request,” Li Yang said.
This really struck a nerve with Yuan Chongjing.
If the address provided by Dr. Tao is true, and Ghost Hand really lives in that courtyard, he is genuinely curious about how Li Yang managed to do it.
When he arrived at the address provided by Doctor Tao, he saw a haughty young woman who claimed it was her husband's private residence and had nothing to do with any "ghost hand." Yuan Chongjing tried to ask more questions but was instead berated. Being a man, he didn't want to argue with a woman, so he had no choice but to swallow his anger and return home.
"real?"
Li Yang, holding her water glass, pretended to leave: "If you don't believe me, then don't drink it."
I'll drink it!
Yuan Chongjing quickly took the cup, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in two large mouthfuls. He drank it so fast, as if afraid she would change her mind, and tea dripped down the corners of his still-open mouth.
Seeing this, Li Yang's eyes crinkled into a mischievous smile. She reached out and wiped the water from his chin, then deliberately touched his lips, saying with a hint of regret, "Oh dear, your little lips are so red, I really want to give them a big kiss."
Yuan Chongjing immediately and instinctively twisted his neck to avoid her hand.
However, because the movement was somewhat swift, a sharp crack was heard from his neck, and a sharp pain spread from his jaw.
He touched his neck and glared at Li Yang with hatred: "Li Yang, are you out of your mind?!"
"If you can still swear, then there shouldn't be any problem." Li Yang chuckled and teased him, "We're husband and wife now, we've been in the same bed and under the same blankets, what part of your body haven't I touched? What, you can't remember now? Do you really think you're a virgin?"
Yuan Chongjing, neck stiff and refusing to admit defeat, retorted, "Shut up! Li Yang, how have you become so shameless!"
"You have a lot of shame? If you have a lot of shame, where did this little peach come from? Did it fall from the sky? You've forgotten all about how you used to cling to me in bed, saying you liked me to death."
Yuan Chongjing didn't want to listen to her nonsense anymore, so he immediately changed the subject: "You still haven't told me how you saw Ghost Hand."
Li Yang knew when to stop, and upon hearing this, she explained, "Then let me ask you, when you knocked on the door, who opened it for you?"
“A woman.”
Li Yang immediately chimed in: "She must be a proud and beautiful woman, like a fairy."
How did you know?
Li Yang explained, "Actually, the person you met was Ghost Hand. He likes to disguise himself as different people. When I arrived, a beautiful young maid opened the door. After I realized he was a man, he led me inside. Then he disguised himself as an elderly man in his seventies. At first, I was fooled. I thought that since he was a miracle doctor with such a great reputation and qualifications, most people's first impression would be that he was an old man. Later, with my sharp eyes, I recognized him as the person who had just disguised himself as a maid, and pointed him out. He didn't fool me twice, so he removed his makeup and showed his true face."
Seeing that Yuan Chongjing seemed unconvinced, Li Yang said, "Now think back. A person's appearance and voice can be changed with drugs, but height cannot. Isn't he very tall, even a little taller than you? And around his neck, isn't he wearing a silk scarf? That's to cover his Adam's apple."
Yuan Chongjing thought about it carefully and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that she was right.
"Don't envy my good taste, it's a talent you can't learn." Seeing that he really believed her, Li Yang pretended to be charming and smoothed her hair, sighing, "After all, you're so blind that you haven't discovered my goodness or been captivated by me, which shows you're really hopeless."
Yuan Chongjing snorted: "Stop being so arrogant. This is just your side of the story. Who knows if it's true or false?"
"You don't believe me? Let's make a bet."
"What are we betting on?"
Li Yang looked him up and down, finally fixing her gaze on his waist: "If I win, you'll let me touch your butt."
"You!" Yuan Chongjing blushed, his finger trembling as he pointed at her, his face a mixture of seriousness and shame: "You wanton woman! I really misjudged you before! You have no shame!"
"You used to peek at me? So, what do you think? Don't you think I'm especially smart, beautiful, lively, cute, and gentle?"
"No way! Don't flatter yourself!"
Li Yang laughed heartily, hands on her hips: "Alright, alright, don't worry, I won't do anything to you until you're better."
Yuan Chongjing gripped the corner of the blanket, straightened his back forcefully, and threatened without any real threat: "You dare!"
Just as he was about to lose his temper, Li Yang finally finished laughing: "Let's get down to business. Let's work on the statue together. Since we're husband and wife, there's no question of who owes whom a favor. I don't care, and you shouldn't take it to heart either."
Yuan Chongjing remained firm in his stance: "No, it must be made clear. I absolutely cannot owe you anything because of this!"
His eyes were filled with coldness and ruthlessness, as if she were some kind of monster, and he didn't want to have anything to do with her. If Li Yang hadn't confirmed that he was currently suffering from amnesia, she would have thought that he had reverted to his original self, Yuan Chongjing.
Her heart suddenly ached, a faint pain, like a familiar old wound, or like a new wound added to her heart.
Li Yang quickly composed himself, his tone becoming smug again, "How about this, we each take half. But I'm the one who saw the ghost hand, and I was the one who begged for the statue, so I should take the lion's share, and you can take the small half."
Yuan Chongjing did some mental calculations, thinking that even if Li Yang asked him for other favors in the future, he could use this statement to negotiate with her. He also wanted to regain his memories as soon as possible: "Okay, let's do it this way."
"Alright!" Li Yang cheered, "I've asked Beihai to move some things. He'll bring over all those knives, wood, and stuff in a bit. We're not going anywhere for the next three days. We'll just stay in the room. I don't believe we can't make a little statue!"
Yuan Chongjing also had this idea. His injury prevented him from getting out of bed every day, and now that he was in his room, it was more convenient for him to take action.
He looked up at Li Yang and saw her walking around the room excitedly, talking about moving this table and carrying that chair. Yuan Chongjing didn't know if she had said those words intentionally because she was concerned about his health or if she had just said them casually.
In any case, this is something he is happy to see happen.
Li Yang's work was small, so she used very few tools—just some ordinary carving knives and assorted files. The woodcarving master she hired gave Yuan Chongjing a brief introduction. Apart from working with Li Yang, Yuan Chongjing was always the most quick-witted. Even though he started learning two hours later than Li Yang, his progress was much faster than hers.
Seeing that he had reached the step of cutting the wood into pieces, Li Yang moved closer to him, quietly removed the protective gear from her finger, and then twisted the carving knife in her hand, revealing a small red mark on the pad of her left index finger. She immediately dropped the carving knife and exclaimed, "Ouch~ my finger is injured~ ouch~ it's bleeding so much~ oh..."
To everyone's surprise, Yuan Chongjing seemed not to hear him and continued to fumble with the carving knife.
Li Yang pursed her lips, her tone becoming increasingly weak, until finally she calmly uttered the last two words: "It hurts."
She lowered her head sullenly and continued putting on her finger guards, seemingly silent but actually complaining about his cold-heartedness in a voice that Yuan Chongjing could hear.
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