Who wants to hurt you?
"Organ injuries won't heal quickly; you'll need at least ten days to two weeks of rest. Remember to stay quiet and avoid unnecessary movement." Physician Jing glanced at Xie Zhuo, then suddenly changed the subject: "Organ injuries are one issue, but on the other hand, this young lady has been soaking in the river for a long time, and the cold has entered her body. She may develop a high fever later."
Xie Zhuo was initially nervous when he heard that Fu Zhi Qiao had suffered organ damage, but he relaxed when he heard the words "high fever." "It's good that the internal organs are fine. Thank you, Physician Jing."
Physician Jing couldn't understand why Xie Zhuo's expression changed drastically upon hearing about the internal organ injury, but he seemed relieved upon hearing about the high fever. Severe internal organ injuries are difficult to treat, but minor injuries are not life-threatening. According to his diagnosis, the young woman's organ injuries were not too serious; the high fever was the more dangerous symptom for her, but that wasn't something he should be asking.
Having served as a royal physician in the palace for many years, Physician Jing knew that there were many things he couldn't inquire about or ask questions about. He waved his hand to indicate that he was welcome, picked up his medicine box, and went out to write a prescription.
Prescribing, dispensing, and decocting medicine all take time. Physician Jing instructed Xie Zhuo to pinch Fu Zhi Qiao's philtrum to wake her up and to give her a bowl of ginger soup to dispel the cold before the medicine was ready.
Fu Zhiqiao was dazed and confused after being given two bowls of medicine, and then fell into a deep sleep again.
After soaking in the cold river for half a day, Fu Zhi Qiao unsurprisingly developed a high fever that night. Xie Zhuo was already very experienced in dealing with high fevers, so he methodically instructed the maid to bring her alcohol to reduce the fever and give her fever-reducing medicine. After a lot of fussing, Fu Zhi Qiao's temperature finally came down.
Xie Zhuo didn't sleep all night, staying by her bedside the whole time.
Fu Zhi Qiao felt like she was having a very long dream. In the dream, she seemed to be in an ice cave, where nothing but coldness chilled her to the bone, making her shiver and her teeth chatter. All she could do was run forward desperately, hoping to escape this ice cave.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but the biting chill completely subsided, and flames swept over her from all directions. The raging fire was like a blunt knife cutting her body back and forth, causing her unbearable pain.
The alternation between ice and fire was a double torment to her body and mind. No matter how she ran, she could not escape this sea of ice and fire. Fu Zhiqiao was on the verge of collapse. Gradually, she lost her strength and fell to the ground.
The pain was excruciating!
It felt as if all the bones in my body had been crushed and then reassembled.
Fu Zhi Qiao's head was throbbing with unbearable pain. When she tried to speak, she found that she didn't even have the strength to open her mouth. She could only hum a couple of times.
Hearing her groans, Xie Zhuo immediately rushed to the bedside, placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature, and asked, "A Qiao, you're awake? How are you feeling?"
There was a faint scent of incense in the air, mixed with a hint of medicinal fragrance.
Fu Zhi Qiao slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were open, but her mind was not yet fully clear. Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, she murmured, "Where am I? Am I dead?"
"You're not dead, you're perfectly fine." Xie Zhuo said, both amused and exasperated.
Not dead? Fu Zhi Qiao was stunned.
Her confused thoughts gradually returned. It seemed she had jumped off a cliff. Did she really not die after jumping from such a high cliff?
Jumping off such a high cliff, one would logically be seriously injured, even if not killed. Broken arms, legs, or a few broken ribs would be the least of one's worries. How come she is still perfectly healthy?
An incredible feeling arose spontaneously.
She couldn't help but touch the Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist.
Xie Zhuo looked at her touching his hand, a little confused, and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Does your hand hurt?"
"Buddhist prayer beads?"
Xie Zhuo helped her roll up her sleeve and replied, "The prayer beads are here!"
Fu Zhiqiao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the Buddhist beads were still there. To be honest, she was a little unsure how to express her feelings. She couldn't help but recall Master Dongjue's words, "Doing good deeds and accumulating virtue will bring blessings." Could this be her blessing?
Aside from the excruciating pain all over her body, she could tell that her injuries weren't particularly serious.
She jumped off such a high cliff and not only did she not die, but she also didn't break her arms and legs. What is this if not a miracle?
Xie Zhuo understood her meaning from her shocked expression and said with a smile, "The imperial physician said that you are not seriously injured. It's thanks to the fact that you were caught by the branches of the tree during your fall that you were not seriously injured."
Fu Zhiqiao nodded in a daze, recalling the scene as truly terrifying.
She jumped off the cliff, hoping for a chance to survive. She intentionally kept her body vertical and landed in the water feet first. The leaves in mid-air cushioned the impact and helped her survive.
Otherwise, her internal organs would be shaken and damaged.
Almost twelve hours have passed since she was injured, and during this time, Fu Zhiqiao has only drunk two bowls of medicine and hasn't eaten a single grain of rice.
"Are you hungry?" Xie Zhuo asked.
"A little." Fu Zhi Qiao blinked and replied, but didn't move. Xie Zhuo twitched the corner of his mouth and took a bowl of fish soup from the maid and fed it to her.
Xie Zhuo fed her a bite, and Fu Zhi Qiao ate a bite. After finishing a bowl of fish soup, Fu Zhi Qiao's dazed mind finally cleared up.
When their eyes met, time seemed to stand still for a fleeting moment.
Xie Zhuo's heart suddenly raced.
The sunlight streaming through the window shone on her face, hazy and ethereal. Even lying in bed, it did not diminish her beauty; on the contrary, it gave her a kind of sickly beauty.
She had just finished eating and drinking, and her lips were still glistening with moisture, which unconsciously drew Xie Zhuo's attention.
Her lips were softer than he had imagined...
Memories surfaced in his mind, Xie Zhuo's Adam's apple bobbed, and his breathing became more rapid.
Unable to resist, he averted his gaze first, his eyes lowered, and his eyes fell on Fu Zhi Qiao's hands, her slender, jade-like fingers as delicate as alabaster. More importantly, their hands were clasped tightly together, feeling the warmth of each other's palms, a tingling sensation spreading from their fingertips to their hearts.
Xie Zhuo's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
The two hadn't seen each other for almost half a month, and they never expected their reunion to be like this. A thousand words welled up in her mouth, but Fu Zhi Qiao didn't know what to say. She stared intently at Xie Zhuo and said, "Thank you for saving me."
People always become vulnerable in times of crisis.
Fu Zhi Qiao had just experienced a life-or-death crisis when Xie Zhuo appeared in time to save her and gave her a warm embrace, so she couldn't help but show a dependent expression towards him.
Xie Zhuo pursed his lips. Fu Zhi Qiao rarely showed her vulnerable side in front of him. Now that she was relying on him, he had to take better care of her.
Seeing that the light in her eyes had returned, Xie Zhuo composed himself and asked in a deep voice, "Do you know who wants to harm you?"
Fu Zhi Qiao pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know." If she knew who it was, she would never let her go!
She claimed she didn't know who wanted to harm her, but she had someone in mind. The only person she had ever offended in the capital was Yu Yadan; they had recently had a conflict, and given what Madam Wei had told her, she had every reason to suspect that Yu Yadan was the one trying to harm her.
However, these are all just her guesses.
Seeing that she was feeling down, Xie Zhuo tightened his grip on her hand, offering her a silent comfort.
Fu Zhiqiao looked up, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Xie Zhuo could tell that her smile was feigned composure. Recalling how Fu Zhi Qiao had been pulled out of the river yesterday, he felt a wave of fear. This was the second time she had been lying unconscious in his arms.
The most urgent task is to find the person who wants to harm her.
Xie Zhuo pressed further, "Qiao, think carefully, have you offended anyone recently?"
Why do you ask that?
"Wang Qianxin has already found out the identities of those assassins. They are from the Soul Reaper Sect. They do things for money and will not stop until they achieve their goal."
Fu Zhiqiao asked, "Have you found out who's behind this?"
Xie Zhuo shook his head. "The clues died at the Gate of Death."
Xie Zhuo was somewhat aware of the reputation of the Soul-Snatching Sect, and they strictly kept their employers' information confidential. The Soul-Snatching Sect was a martial arts sect that adhered to the rules of the martial arts world; the imperial court and the martial arts world had always kept to themselves.
What if the other side continues to send assassins? If the first assassination attempt fails, there's no guarantee there won't be a second one.
There's no way you can guard against thieves for a thousand days if you're a thief for a thousand days.
Xie Zhuo's eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't keep Fu Zhiqiao under his watchful eye all the time. If the other party harbored malicious intentions, they would definitely find an opportunity. The enemy was in the dark while he was in the light. The Xiaoqi Army was not his private army, and the imperial court would not take action against the Jianghu sects. He would have no legitimate reason to fight, and even if he wanted to lead troops to deal with the Soul-Snatching Sect, he would be powerless to do so.
Xie Zhuo briefly explained to Fu Zhiqiao what kind of sect the Soul-Snatching Sect was. Fu Zhiqiao was shocked. She thought that Yu Yadan was just jealous and wanted to teach her a lesson. Now that she heard Xie Zhuo say that the person who assassinated her came from the Soul-Snatching Sect, how could she not be shocked?
It turns out that Yu Yadan intended to kill her.
Fu Zhi Qiao narrowed her eyes slightly. She had been too arrogant; she had underestimated the jealousy in others.
She stated her suspicion directly: "I do have someone I suspect."
Who is it?
"Yu Yadan".
Xie Zhuo asked in surprise, "Her? Why would she want to kill you?"
“Of course she had a reason to kill me. As the prince’s fiancée, who else would hate me so much that she would want to kill me?” Hearing Xie Zhuo’s doubtful tone, Fu Zhi Qiao rolled her eyes and said with a hint of annoyance, “You would rather believe Yu Ya Dan than me? Do you think I’m framing her?”
"It's not that I don't believe you, I'm just a little surprised." Seeing her pale face, Xie Zhuo quickly expressed his opinion.
One second Fu Zhi Qiao was moved by Xie Zhuo's rescue of her, but the next second, when she heard Xie Zhuo's disbelief that Yu Ya Dan would hurt her, she felt a little uneasy.
Does he really trust Yu Yadan that much?
Fu Zhi Qiao had barely escaped death and needed comfort right now. Hearing that Xie Zhuo didn't stand by her side immediately, she felt wronged.
"If you don't believe me, that's fine. I'm just guessing and I have no evidence."
Just as Xie Zhuo was trying to find the right words to explain, Fu Zhi Qiao pulled her hand away from his grasp, her tone icy: "I didn't say it was definitely her. You can leave now. I don't want to see you right now."
After saying that, she turned over in bed, her back to him.
Xie Zhuo's heart skipped a beat. He stretched his hand forward, which was suspended in mid-air, but Fu Zhi Qiao pulled her hand away quickly. He only touched air. After pausing for two seconds, he withdrew his hand and awkwardly touched his nose.
"Ah Qiao, I will definitely find out the truth and give you an explanation. No matter who the murderer is, I will never tolerate it!"
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