As dawn broke, the soft light filtered through the carved window lattice, gently illuminating Shen Zhao's sleeping face. Her thick, long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. The familiar brocade canopy came into view. Her body felt as if it had been disassembled and reassembled; every part of her body exuded an indescribable soreness and heaviness, yet her consciousness remained perfectly clear.
She turned her head slightly and immediately saw the figure lying on the edge of the bed.
Lu Qi's tall frame was curled up on the footstool, his head resting on his arm, fast asleep. He was still wearing the same brocade robe, stained with dust and dark brown blood (from the abrasions he sustained yesterday). The edge of his undergarment, exposed by the tear in his back, even revealed dried blood and chafed flesh. Even in his sleep, his brows were furrowed restlessly, his eyes were dark and swollen, and short stubble appeared on his chin. He looked more haggard and...fragile than ever before.
Shen Zhao's heart clenched suddenly, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand, a mixture of soreness and pain. She opened her mouth, wanting to call out to him, but her throat was dry and tight, only managing to utter a faint breath.
This subtle movement was like a thunderclap, instantly waking Lu Qi! He abruptly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with the bewilderment of just waking up and the lingering fear. When he saw Shen Zhao's open eyes, that bewilderment was instantly replaced by immense joy!
"Zhaozhao! You're awake!" He almost jumped up, immediately grabbed her hand, his voice hoarse but filled with the excitement of having found her again, "How are you feeling? Does it still hurt? Are you thirsty? Are you hungry?" He spoke quickly, his warm hand nervously touching her forehead to check her temperature.
Shen Zhao's gaze, however, was fixed on the glaring dark red stain and the clearly untreated abrasions beneath his tattered clothes on his back. A surge of anger mixed with intense heartache instantly welled up in her head, causing her frail body to tremble slightly.
“Lu…Lu Qi!” she finally spoke, her voice hoarse with exasperation, her finger pointing forcefully at his back. “You…your injury! You…you’re just going to leave it like this?!” She tried to sit up in her haste, but the movement aggravated her wound, causing her to gasp in pain.
"Don't move!" Lu Qi was terrified and quickly pressed her down. "I'm fine! It's just a minor scratch, nothing serious! Really!" He tried to downplay it, but his eyes were somewhat evasive.
"A minor scratch?!" Shen Zhao's eyes reddened with anger, her voice rising several decibels, trembling with tears, "The blood has dried on it! Do you want it to rot! Do you want me... me..." She was too agitated to speak and began to cough violently.
Seeing her cough until her face turned pale, Lu Qi was both anxious and frightened, at a loss for what to do: "Zhao Zhao, don't be angry! I'll go right now! I'll go and take care of it right now!" Like a child who had done something wrong, he quickly got up, "Someone! Quickly! Bring a basin of hot water! Get a clean cloth and some wound medicine!" He shouted outside while looking at Shen Zhao nervously, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it right away! Please don't get angry!"
Seeing Lu Qi's flustered state, Shen Zhao felt both heartache and helplessness, and tears involuntarily rolled down her cheeks. This man, who could remain calm in front of thousands of troops, was now thrown into disarray by just one sentence from her.
Soon, hot water and medicine arrived. Lu Qi dared not delay any longer, hurriedly taking off his torn shirt, revealing his strong but sweat-stained and dust-covered back. The abrasions from his shoulder to his waist were exposed to the morning light, the skin and flesh rolled back, some places covered with dark red scabs, the edges red and swollen, it was indeed not light.
Shen Zhao lay on the bed, her head turned to the side, watching him clumsily wring out a cloth to clean his wound. His movements were stiff and awkward, and he winced in pain several times when he touched the wound. Her heart clenched even tighter.
“去…去把大嫂叫来…”她虚弱地吩咐旁边侍立的小丫鬟，声音带着不容置疑的坚持，“就说…就说陆骐的伤…需要大嫂看看…” 她不敢让陆骐自己胡乱处理。
小丫鬟连忙应声去了，陆骐想阻止，但看到沈昭通红的眼圈和坚持的眼神，只能乖乖坐下，任由她用眼神“监督”。
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