Chapter 25 Cui Huai glanced at it casually and said, "It's alright."
Shen Yunzhi slowly woke up.
She opened her eyes and saw Huo Ming with a furrowed brow and a worried expression on his face.
This place was completely unfamiliar.
The room was simply furnished, and the small couch beneath him was quite old, creaking with the slightest movement.
"Zhi Niang, you're injured." Huo Ming reached out and pressed Shen Yunzhi down to keep her from moving, then explained, "It happened so suddenly, and you fainted, so we brought you to the clinic first. Your wounds were treated while you were unconscious."
Upon realizing she was in a clinic, Shen Yunzhi belatedly noticed the strong smell of herbs in the room.
She was indeed injured, and it was a wise move to first see a doctor to examine her and confirm the condition of her wound.
She only pretended to faint after bumping into Cui Huai in the woods.
Cui Huai is not at the clinic at the moment...
"Thanks to Young Master Huo for being here today," Shen Yunzhi said softly to Huo Ming as she lay back on the small couch, concealing her thoughts.
A hint of unease flashed across Huo Ming's face.
Having shaken off the men in black, he intended to find Shen Yunzhi, but when he caught up with her, he ran into Cui Huai carrying the unconscious Shen Yunzhi out of the woods. Cui Huai indifferently told him that Shen Yunzhi was injured and should be taken to a clinic first, his tone so cold, as if he were talking about someone unimportant.
"It is the Crown Prince."
After a moment of silence, Huo Ming told Shen Yunzhi.
Shen Yunzhi asked in surprise, "Your Highness?" Seeing Huo Ming nod, she seemed to be trying hard to recall, "I only remember that I was desperate at the time and bumped into a young man. I didn't care about anything else and directly asked him for help."
Huo Ming said, "We are very grateful to the young master for saving Zhi Niang in time today."
However, no further details were provided.
Shen Yunzhi noticed that his mood was a little off, and looked at Huo Ming softly, saying, "Of course I also have to thank Young Master Huo. You always protected me when there was danger. If it weren't for you standing in front of me, how would I have had the chance to escape? Young Master Huo, thank you for being so kind to me."
Huo Ming's face flushed as Shen Yunzhi teased him with just a few words.
He raised his hand and touched the top of her head: "Zhiniang, you don't need to be so polite with me. This is what I should do."
As Cui Huai stepped into the house, he saw Shen Yunzhi and Huo Ming in a tender moment.
Shen Yunzhi's gaze towards Huo Ming was particularly tender and affectionate.
"Prince Cui."
Hearing footsteps approaching, Huo Ming snapped out of his reverie, stood up, and looked at the doctor following behind Cui Huai, asking, "How is Zhi Niang?"
Shen Yunzhi's gaze then fell on Cui Huai.
Seeing him now, she had to admit she felt much more at ease—only if Cui Huai cared did her injury today have any meaning.
The black-clad men who appeared on the riverbank acted cautiously and rarely harmed anyone, reminding her of Cui Xu.
The Fifth Prince wanted to humiliate her, but he wouldn't be aiming to take her life.
But so what?
Seeing through this only relieved her of the worry about her and Huo Ming's lives, but it didn't mean she would let go of this excellent opportunity to retaliate.
When Cui Huai went out today, his carriage was also prepared.
She knew that Cui Huai would come to light the sacrificial lanterns for the late princess, and she knew exactly where he usually lit the lanterns and which road he would pass by.
Choi Wook presented her with an opportunity, and even if it was just playing a role, she was determined to portray a desperate, all-out effort.
Cui Huai had promised to help her.
In this way, even if there's no chance to extract any dirt on Cui Xu from Cui Huai, it would still be a good outcome if Cui Huai were willing to use that dirt to control Cui Xu. The rest depends on how far Cui Huai is willing to go to keep his promise.
The doctor stepped forward and explained Shen Yunzhi's condition in detail.
Shen Yunzhi and Huo Ming listened attentively, and finally hesitated before asking, "Will such a deep wound leave a scar?"
"If you mind, young lady, I can prescribe some scar-removing ointment."
"I can't guarantee that it won't leave a scar, so I hope you can think positively, young lady."
After speaking sincerely, the doctor quickly left.
Huo Ming understood that the young lady loved beauty, so he said, "I have some excellent wound medicine and scar-removing ointment at home. I will send them to the Prince's Mansion tomorrow."
Shen Yunzhi smiled and thanked him.
Cui Huai remained silent after entering the room, watching the doctor bring in the medicine, watching Shen Yunzhi drink it, and then watching Huo Ming take out a candy box from his sleeve and hand her a pine nut candy, which she happily ate.
"It's getting late. If we don't return to the manor soon, Mother will find it strange." Cui Huai reminded her calmly at the very end.
Before Shen Yunzhi could answer, he turned and walked out.
When Shen Yunzhi came out of the mansion, she was wearing plain white mourning clothes, while Cui Huai was wearing a black robe.
Therefore, it was only when he turned around that Shen Yunzhi noticed the congealed bloodstains on his robe.
“Your Highness…” Shen Yunzhi spoke up, and Cui Huai paused slightly as she asked, “Why is there blood on Your Highness’s robes?”
Cui Huai glanced at it casually and said, "It's alright." Then he went out.
Although Huo Ming had no intention of mentioning the situation at the time, he also had no intention of deliberately hiding it from Shen Yunzhi. So he told her frankly, "When I went to find you, His Highness was carrying you out of the woods. It was probably around that time."
Shen Yunzhi then understood why Huo Ming's mood seemed off earlier.
It's always unpleasant for a beloved young lady to have overly intimate contact with other men.
Huo Ming, however, can be described as magnanimous and reasonable.
Knowing that she was injured and fainted, he did not make things difficult for her or take his anger out on her.
"I knew nothing at all." Shen Yunzhi looked surprised, reached out and tugged at Huo Ming's sleeve, then asked with a smile, "Brother Ming, are you jealous?"
Huo Ming blushed and was completely mesmerized by her calling him "Brother Ming".
"No, I wouldn't..." Huo Ming stammered, then quickly composed himself and said seriously, "His Highness is acting like a gentleman. If I were to be jealous of this, wouldn't that be unreasonable?"
Shen Yunzhi smiled: "Brother Ming is the most reasonable person."
Huo Ming blushed even more, and even after helping Shen Yunzhi into Cui Huai's carriage, the heat on his face did not subside.
Getting into Cui Huai's carriage and returning to the manor with him was undoubtedly Cui Huai's idea. He said it was to avoid any unforeseen complications, which made sense to some extent. In addition, Shen Yunzhi had something she wanted to say to him, so she naturally agreed without much hesitation.
The carriage started moving steadily. Shen Yunzhi didn't rush to speak, and Cui Huai was more accustomed to remaining silent.
The atmosphere inside the carriage gradually became awkward.
After carefully reviewing the events of the night and confirming that there should not be any major oversights, Shen Yunzhi said in a low voice, "Young Master Huo told me that it was His Highness who carried me out of that forest. Thank you, Your Highness... But Your Highness's clothes... I wonder what I can do to repay and compensate Your Highness?"
Cui Huai coldly refused his words: "No need."
Shen Yunzhi raised her eyes and looked at him sincerely: "One should repay kindness. Your Highness has no obligation or responsibility to help me."
Cui Huai ignored her words and instead asked, "Do you know where these men in black came from?"
Shen Yunzhi immediately shook her head: "They haven't said anything, so it's hard to tell. I can't imagine who I've offended that would go to such lengths to take my life."
"It doesn't necessarily mean they want to take your life."
Cui Huai stared intently at Shen Yunzhi, as if trying to see through her thoughts. "Miss Shen, do you really think they want to kill you?"
Shen Yunzhi looked back without any guilt and said innocently, "If they didn't want to take my life, why did they ambush me and chase me so relentlessly? And they were all carrying long knives and sharp swords. If they didn't want to kill me, why did they do this?"
Cui Huai then asked, "So you used a hidden arrow to injure them?"
"Yes..." Hearing him mention the hidden arrow, Shen Yunzhi bit her lip, then looked up in alarm, "The short arrow landed in the woods, did it cause any trouble?"
Cui Huai paused for a moment, then took out several short arrows from his sleeve and placed them one by one on the small table.
Although Shen Yunzhi expected him to handle all matters well, she still had a different feeling when the short arrow was actually placed in front of her.
The more Cui Huai does and the more she considers, the better it will be for her.
The plan went more smoothly than expected, and she was overjoyed, but her face showed a mixture of surprise and astonishment: "Your Highness, this..."
“Once it falls into their hands, it will become physical evidence,” Cui Huai said calmly.
Shen Yunzhi nodded, and after a few moments, she spoke with a hint of guilt: "Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, Your Highness. You have truly worked hard today."
"Your Highness... do you already know who did this?" Shen Yunzhi asked, as if finally realizing something.
Cui Huai said, "The Fifth Prince."
Shen Yunzhi was taken aback. Her eyes suddenly dimmed, and she lowered her head.
The carriage fell silent. After an unknown amount of time, a low voice rang out: "Is the Fifth Prince trying to force me to my death?"
...
Shen Yunzhi changed out of her plain clothes after returning to Yunxi Courtyard.
After washing herself, she lay on the bed, wondering why Cui Huai hadn't responded to her last words, and was somewhat unsure of his attitude.
Cui Huai may have become suspicious.
He asked her if she truly believed that those men in black wanted to kill her, which he considered evidence.
It seemed too much of a coincidence to Cui Huai.
She just happened to run into that grove of trees, he just happened to pass by there, and she just happened to faint in front of him.
However, Cui Huai couldn't find any evidence of her scheming. In his eyes, apart from Lin Yue, no one knew he would go to the river to release the sacrificial lanterns, let alone know where he would pass by. Lin Yue couldn't possibly betray him for her; this could only be a coincidence.
Shen Yunzhi raised her hand and gently touched her chest, feeling her heartbeat.
Everything depends on Cui Huai's decision.
Back at Qiyun Residence, Cui Huai ordered hot water to be prepared for a bath.
The faint smell of blood still lingered on her body, and Shen Yunzhi's sweet fragrance was also barely perceptible.
Tonight's events are too coincidental.
Even if Shen Yunzhi could guess that he might go to release the sacrificial lanterns, she would never have known that he would appear in that grove of trees.
Unless she has the ability to foresee the future.
"Take all the clothes and burn them," Cui Huai instructed Lin Yue as he came out of the bathroom.
But as Lin Yue was taking the blood-stained black robe from the bathroom, he called Lin Yue back again.
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Author's note: Goodnight, sending you all little red envelopes [hugs]
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