Chapter 41 041 The woman's eyebrow medicine slipped...
The courtyard was deep and secluded, and a cool breeze occasionally swept by, causing the lanterns under the moonlight to sway. Xie Huaiyuan stood with his hands behind his back in the night, draped in the soft moonlight, which made him look even more handsome and extraordinary.
Tonight, he could only be seen from afar on Lantern Street. But when Xie Huaiyuan actually stood in front of him, and he saw his own reflection in Xie Huaiyuan's dark eyes, he belatedly realized that his heart was pounding so fast that his cheeks were burning. He hurriedly looked away and refused to look at him again.
Lin Wan looked away from him, her gaze falling on the hem of the man's robe. She bowed gracefully to him, saying, "Your Highness."
Xie Huaiyuan's eyes then fell to her feet beneath her dress, noticing something amiss. Her rather unnatural standing posture was quite noticeable. He asked, "Are your feet injured?"
"Huh?" Lin Wan's heart skipped a beat, and she explained awkwardly, "I accidentally twisted my ankle on the street just now."
In just a moment, Lin Wan was helped to her feet by someone who suddenly approached.
"Lin Wan, there's no need for such formalities between us."
Xie Huaiyuan didn't ask any specific questions. He simply stepped forward, reached out to steady her, and then instructed a servant to fetch the medicine for her injuries. Afterward, he helped her walk towards the main hall of the courtyard.
Perhaps she had relaxed now and was no longer as tense as before. A slight pain began to spread in her feet. There were only a few steps left, and two low stone steps. Lin Wan walked slowly. The slight pain emerged, and fine sweat gradually appeared on her forehead and around her hair.
Lin Wan looked at the stone steps blocking the doorway, gritted her teeth, and was about to take a step up in one go when suddenly her feet left the ground and she fell into Xie Huaiyuan's arms.
Xie Huaiyuan scooped her up by the knees with one hand and held her slender back with the other, instantly lifting her off the ground and striding into the house.
"Your Highness?"
"What, do you want to startle everyone in the yard and make them come and see?"
That one sentence silenced Lin Wan's gasp. She quickly shut her rosy lips and looked at Xie Huaiyuan with an innocent and puzzled expression.
However, these words were just meant to scare her. The servants and maids in this mansion were all carefully selected, and there were no unruly servants or maids among them.
As Xie Huaiyuan stepped over the threshold, he tightened his grip on her arm to prevent her from swaying.
Lin Wan didn't exclaim again, but simply kept her mouth shut and quietly looked at him.
Looking up, she saw the man's handsome face magnified before her, and heard his hot breath. Even through her thin clothes, she could clearly feel his broad chest and hear his strong, powerful heartbeat. She couldn't tell if it was her own or his. Her cheeks grew hotter and hotter, and even her wildly beating heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Soon, Lin Wan was placed on a round chair in the hall.
Immediately afterwards, the servant who had been ordered to fetch the medicine brought it over and placed it on the low table next to the armchair.
"Hua Yisheng has been out of the capital for the past few days. Fortunately, we have always kept medicine for sprains and bruises on hand."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Xie Huaiyuan crouch down, about to take off her shoes and socks to apply medicine to her sprained ankle.
"No, how can we trouble the young master to do this?"
Lin Wan was startled and hurriedly tried to pull her foot back, but the man's arm strength was amazing, and his grip was firm. She tried several times but could not break free. She said with difficulty, "How about I do it myself? Tell me which bottle of medicated oil is usable, and I'll apply the medicine myself."
But Xie Huaiyuan had no intention of letting go. She was on the verge of tears. The ups and downs were too fast. How could she have jumped straight to taking off her shoes and socks in front of him? She was so ashamed that she wanted to struggle free from Xie Huaiyuan's hold.
"If you keep making a fuss, you'll probably alert the people guarding outside the courtyard."
The hall was brightly lit. Lin Wan looked up and saw that there were indeed several servants and maids standing outside the hall door, waiting to be summoned at any time. However, they seemed to be very obedient and did not look up at her when she exclaimed loudly. They all stood quietly outside the door unless they were given instructions.
"Hmm?" Xie Huaiyuan tried again to take off the shoe and sock on the side where she had sprained her ankle.
Lin Wan blushed, too shy to look directly at him. Even though they had been very close before, there were still clothes between them, and they had never truly opened up to each other.
She looked away, but only for a moment. She felt a chill on her feet; her shoes and socks had already been taken off and placed aside.
Her delicate feet were exposed. Her ankles were slender and rested on Xie Huaiyuan's thick palms. The touch was warm and pleasant. Her skin was white and smooth. However, a slight bulge was clearly visible at her ankles, and the red swelling was particularly noticeable.
Xie Huaiyuan tentatively pressed on her red and swollen area to confirm the location of the sprain.
"It hurts..." Lin Wan frowned slightly, yelped in pain, and her feet trembled slightly from the pain.
"Don't move."
Xie Huaiyuan had been silently observing the expression on her face when he suddenly spoke.
But his touch was much gentler; the slightly cool medicated oil, after being rubbed in, gradually relieved the pain in my ankle.
Lin Wan paused slightly, then looked up after a moment, still maintaining her obedient demeanor: "Thank you, Your Highness."
"There are many people admiring the lanterns on the street tonight, why don't you invite Miss Su to join us?"
Lin Wan looked embarrassed and stared at him for a moment before saying, "I got lost in the crowd."
After a moment of silence, Lin Wan gazed at the lanterns swaying in the night outside the hall and tentatively asked, "Did the young master also go to admire the lanterns tonight?"
Although it was already quite unexpected that she would meet Xie Huaiyuan in this mansion tonight, seeing the lanterns reminded her of how he had told her he was busy, yet she still encountered him on Lantern Street, and he was with Princess Zhaoyi.
She was still annoyed. He refused her invitation, but instead went to visit the lantern festival with Princess Zhaoyi.
If it weren't for his rejection, she wouldn't have gotten separated from Su Furong, nor would she have sprained her ankle.
The more I think about it, the angrier I get.
"Um."
Um?
Hearing the person's concise reply, Lin Wan didn't elaborate on why she had previously refused the invitation.
At this moment, Lin Wan felt extremely frustrated, as if the floodgates of her anger had been opened. "Wouldn't I be disturbing the young master? I would be grateful if the young master could apply the medicine for me. However, it is getting late, and I'm afraid Furong is waiting for me at home. I should go back first and not disturb the young master."
After these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.
Lin Wan glanced at him, then pulled her foot, which had been coated with medicated oil, back, intending to put on her shoes and socks and go back.
Xie Huaiyuan didn't speak, but he didn't let Lin Wan pull her sprained foot away either. After a moment, he spoke softly: "Don't rush. Wait for the ointment to dry completely before putting on your shoes and socks. Don't rush to walk. Although the sprain isn't particularly serious, it can still worsen if you're not careful."
Lin Wan was probably surprised, and muttered under her breath, "It's all your fault!"
"Yes, it is indeed my fault." Xie Huaiyuan was almost laughing in anger, but his expression remained unchanged, and he stared at Lin Wan with his indifferent handsome face.
"Xie Huaiyuan!" Lin Wan pointed at Xie Huaiyuan angrily.
Even so, Lin Wan looked at him, and in the bright candlelight, he was staring at her intently.
His eyes were dark and deep, yet they clearly reflected her image.
Lin Wan was a little surprised that Xie Huaiyuan was so easy to talk to at this moment. She swallowed back the words she was about to say in anger.
By this time, the medicated oil on her feet had dried completely. Xie Huaiyuan carefully put her shoes and socks on one by one, and took something out of his pocket, which turned out to be her lost floral purse.
Lin Wan paused for a moment, then asked, "How did my purse end up with you?"
Xie Huaiyuan hummed in agreement, "Your lost item was somewhere else, and I happened to see it, so I picked it up."
Lin Wan looked at him suspiciously: "What a coincidence?"
Xie Huaiyuan responded indifferently, but he took a half step forward, bent down slightly, and carefully tied the purse back to Lin Wan's waist.
"Don't lose it again."
Lin Wan felt a tightness around her waist and looked down at the purse she had found again, realizing that he was referring to the jade pendant inside.
She reached out and ran her hand along the floral pattern on the purse. The jade pendant inside was still there, untouched. She was somewhat absent-minded, fiddling with the purse, lost in thought for a moment before finally asking, "What if I lose it again?"
"The old prince only kept this one jade pendant. If it's lost, then so be it."
Perhaps the lights in the hall were too dazzling, and the bright shimmering light reflected in his eyes made his gaze appear softer than the moonlight, his eyes sparkling like the first melting of spring snow.
Lin Wan was stunned for a moment, her ears suddenly turning red. She hurriedly lowered her head to straighten the wrinkles on her dress, but the flustered movements in her hands had already betrayed her true feelings.
"Thank you for helping me find my purse, Your Highness... It's late, so I won't disturb you any longer."
She was sitting in the armchair, and it took her a while to come to her senses. It was already late at night, and if she stayed any longer, Su Furong would probably worry again.
Just as she stood up, ready to leave, she heard someone say, "When we brought you here, we sent word to Miss Su that we would take you back later. Let your foot injury heal a little longer before you start walking, or it will hurt again the next day."
When Xie Huaiyuan said this, he was quite close to her, and the cool sandalwood scent wafted over with him.
His expression was indifferent, revealing no emotion.
But Lin Wan knew in her heart that she was definitely not going to leave at this moment.
Xie Huaiyuan's gaze lingered on Lin Wan for a moment before turning to her hand hidden in her sleeve. He spoke slowly, "Give me the hairpin, and I'll put it back on for you."
Lin Wan hesitated for a moment, and he noticed that she had hidden the hairpin in her hand in the carriage. Her fingertips curled up slightly.
The next instant, her cool fingertips brushed past, and the hairpin in her hand fell into Xie Huaiyuan's hand.
The moment Xie Huaiyuan raised his sleeve, Lin Wan felt her hairpin shift slightly and be put back on.
Lin Wan pretended to be calm, but she swallowed quietly, causing the hairpin at her temple to sway.
She may have been certain of herself before, but after everything that has happened, she is still unsure of Xie Huaiyuan's true feelings for her.
I had once thought that we were about to understand each other, but he replied and blocked it.
Was tonight's commotion just another spur-of-the-moment thing?
Because her thoughts were in disarray, she didn't have the mind to think about what to say to Xie Huaiyuan for the rest of the time, and almost just went along with his requests.
It wasn't until Lin Wan was seated in the pavilion in the courtyard that she came to her senses and asked, puzzled, "Your Highness, what does this mean?"
Xie Huaiyuan's attendants directed people to set out a number of exquisite tea snacks on the stone table, and also thoughtfully prepared teapots and teacups. The jade rabbit lantern that used to be alone by the wall in the distance now had an identical lantern hanging together, gazing at the full moon in the night sky.
Suddenly, a thought popped into Lin Wan's mind, and she abruptly raised her eyes to look at him.
Just then, Xie Huaiyuan also turned around and looked at her as if by some strange premonition. When their eyes met, he subtly raised the corner of his lips.
"I will be leaving the capital for a while. If you encounter any problems that you cannot solve, you can seek out Physician Hua. He will return to the capital in three days."
Leaving Beijing?
Lin Wan banished all her previous chaotic thoughts, and suddenly, no longer shy or coy, she looked directly into Xie Huaiyuan's eyes: "How long will you be away from the capital? When will you be back?"
"It's hard to say. If everything goes smoothly, it could take as little as a month or as long as two months."
Suddenly, the sorrow of parting spread silently, and she felt a bittersweet emotion brewing in her heart.
"If everything goes smoothly and this matter is settled, I can grant your request for the question you asked last time."
What did I ask him last time?
Lin Wan seemed to have guessed it. At this moment, it was as if fireworks exploded in her heart, bright and dazzling, with a scorching heat that was enough to burn her cheeks red.
Her heart seemed to freeze for a moment, and she murmured, "Can...I go with you?"
Xie Huaiyuan: "Solving cases is not child's play. You can just wait patiently in the capital."
At this moment, a servant stepped forward to deliver a message. The servant was holding a document in both hands: "Your Highness, the people from the palace have just delivered the travel permit and left a message."
Xie Huaiyuan glanced at it briefly before looking away, asking indifferently, "What message did you leave?"
The attendant's eyes flickered, and he looked troubled: "Princess Zhaoyi said that she will be holding a sacrificial ceremony to pray for blessings tomorrow, so the departure time will be postponed to the day after tomorrow."
Lin Wan's throat was a little dry. She stared blankly at him and asked, "...Is Princess Zhaoyi also going to handle the case?"
"This matter involves a wide range of issues; we just need to leverage her influence to better handle the case."
Lin Wan paused for a moment before replying gently, "Then please be careful, Your Highness... I'll be waiting for you in the capital..."
Before long, Xie Huaiyuan needed to process the documents immediately and hand them over to the people in the palace who were waiting.
The night was cool and still, dispelling the lingering intimacy of the moment. Lin Wan's eyes darkened, her clenched fist tightened, and she slowly raised her hand to reach into her bosom.
He took out a love potion he had bought from a woman from the Western Regions...
A mix of emotions churned within her, swirling and shifting in an instant.
If it were just him handling the case, she wouldn't care, but with Princess Zhaoyi accompanying him, her heart was filled with mixed emotions, and her expression became slightly downcast.
The lid of the teacup on the stone table in front of her was lifted, and a faint steam rose from it, making Lin Wan's eyes glaze over.
The alluring pill on her fingertip hesitated...
Suddenly, a sound came from behind her, startling Lin Wan so much that she flinched and trembled, and the aphrodisiac pill on her fingertip slipped and fell to the ground.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com