Chaos reigned in the severely wounded camp. Lu Xiao was placed in a slightly better cell. He had lost too much blood; his face was ashen, his breathing weak, and the blunt force trauma to his back had caused extensive bruising and internal injuries. The penetrating wound to his left scapula was even more horrifying, with the spearhead almost grazing his heart and protruding out. A slight mishap could have been fatal.
Upon receiving the news, Physician Li rushed over. Seeing Lu Xiao's injuries, he gasped, sweat instantly beading on his forehead: "This... a penetrating wound is too dangerous! It's close to the heart! And there's internal organ concussion! Quick! Prepare strong liquor, hot water, hemostatic forceps, mulberry bark sutures! And ginseng soup to keep him alive!"
Just then, a steady voice rang out: "Medical Officer Li, let me handle this."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw "Anping" carrying a medicine box and walking in quickly. Her face was covered in dust from her long journey, but her eyes were sharp and calm as she quickly scanned Lu Xiao's injuries.
When Physician Li saw her, it was as if he had seen a savior: "Anping! Quick! Young Master Lu's injuries are too severe! Are you confident?" He knew that Anping's ability to handle complex external injuries far surpassed his own.
An'an didn't speak, but quickly washed her hands and put on her homemade gloves treated with sheep intestines (a small invention she had popularized in the military camp). She walked to Lu Xiao's bedside, bent down and carefully examined the wound, her fingers steadily pressing and probing, assessing the damage to the bones, blood vessels and internal organs. Her movements were quick but not chaotic, with a convincing focus.
"The penetrating wound is in a dangerous location, but fortunately it avoided the main arteries of the heart. The spearhead has barbs, so it needs to be removed carefully. The blunt force trauma to the back has caused internal bleeding from the shock." An'an made her assessment clearly and quickly, her voice deliberately low and steady. "Prepare for wound cleaning. When removing the spear, two people need to stabilize his body to prevent secondary tearing. Prepare the ginseng soup, ready to be administered at any time. Double the dose of wound medicine and hemostatic powder!"
Her composure inspired those around her. Under her direction, the treatment proceeded smoothly. As the sharp dagger sliced through the flesh to remove the barbed spearhead, the unconscious Lu Xiao groaned and struggled unconsciously from the excruciating pain.
"Hold it down!" An'an hissed, her eyes unwavering. Her fingers moved with remarkable steadiness, precisely avoiding vital blood vessels and nerves. With specially made pliers, she carefully gripped the end of the spear shaft, slowly and painstakingly pulling the bloodied spearhead from Lu Xiao's body. Blood gushed out instantly, but she had already prepared gauze and medicinal powder to apply pressure and stop the bleeding.
The entire process was thrilling; the military medics and soldiers watching held their breath, their palms sweating profusely. Fine beads of sweat also appeared on An'an's forehead, but her hand remained as steady as a rock.
Just as the spearhead was successfully removed and An An was focused on cleaning the dirt and bone fragments deep inside the wound, Lu Xiao, stimulated by the intense pain, briefly regained a sliver of consciousness.
His vision blurred, and excruciating pain surged through his nerves like a tidal wave. Through the haze, he could only make out a blurry profile of someone in a grey healer's robe, head bowed, intently tending to the horrific wound on his shoulder. The contours of that profile… the slight pursing of those lips as they focused… and those few loose strands of soft hair…
A blurry and distant image flashed through Lu Xiao's chaotic mind—the Prince Jing's mansion in Jiangnan, a graceful figure tending to herbs in the herb garden, exuding a tranquil and gentle aura...
“An…” A barely audible syllable escaped from Lu Xiao’s chapped lips, filled with immense confusion and disbelief. How could this be? How could the beautiful, gentle, and cherished eldest daughter of the Prince Jing’s mansion, like the delicate rain of Jiangnan, appear on this bloody battlefield in the north? And dressed as a man, working as a military doctor?
"It must be because I'm too badly injured and hallucinating," Lu Xiao thought with a self-deprecating laugh, as his consciousness once again sank into boundless darkness and excruciating pain.
An'an was completely focused on stitching the wound and didn't hear Lu Xiao's faint breathing. She skillfully used mulberry bark thread to suture the wound, her movements quick and steady, trying to minimize the patient's pain and future scarring.
After several days of meticulous treatment and care from An'an, Lu Xiao was finally out of danger, and his injuries began to stabilize. He was young and in good physical condition, so he recovered quickly. However, every time his dressings were changed, his gaze would involuntarily fall on the taciturn and highly skilled military doctor, "Anping."
To avoid suspicion and to prevent anyone from noticing anything (especially since Lu Xiao was an acquaintance), An An tried to avoid going to Lu Xiao's cubicle except for necessary checkups and dressing changes. When changing dressings, she deliberately kept a straight face, her movements were quick and professional, and she never said a word of unnecessary words.
“Dr. An…” During a dressing change, Lu Xiao looked at An An, who was bending down to remove the stitches from his shoulder injury, and couldn’t help but speak, his voice still a little hoarse from weakness, “This time… thank you for saving my life.”
"It's my duty." An An didn't even look up, her voice deliberately low and calm, her hands moving without stopping.
"Is Dr. An from Jiangnan?" Lu Xiao asked tentatively, his gaze fixed on An An's lowered eyelashes and her deliberately groomed, somewhat rough profile.
"Mmm," An'an simply replied.
“Jiangnan…is a good place.” Lu Xiao paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully. “I…lived in Jiangnan for a while before. Doctor An’s accent…sounds somewhat familiar.” He stared intently at An An’s expression.
An'an paused almost imperceptibly as she removed the stitches, then resumed her normal, calm tone: "Jiangnan is a big place, so it's not surprising that we have similar accents." She quickly treated the wound, applied medicine, and bandaged it. "The wound is healing well. Change the dressing on time, don't get it wet, and don't exert any force." After giving the doctor's instructions, she packed her medical kit, turned around, and left without lingering.
As Lu Xiao watched that slender yet upright figure disappear behind the tent flap, the doubts in his heart not only did not diminish, but instead entwined him even more tightly like vines. That posture of turning away, that aloof indifference... all exuded a strange sense of familiarity.
He leaned against the headboard, his fingers unconsciously stroking the bandaged wound on his shoulder, his eyes becoming deep.
"Anping..." he murmured the name, a thoughtful smile playing on his lips. Whether it was a hallucination or not, this mysterious "Little Divine Doctor An" had piqued his interest greatly. He decided that once his injuries had healed a bit more, he would definitely investigate the background of this savior.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com