Monitor words and actions
Yu Shu was holding a cloth that had just touched Li Yin's hair. Water seeped through the cloth and wet her fingertips. Upon hearing this, she stopped what she was doing, turned around, and frowned.
Zhu Nanren smiled and said, "If you want to know anything else, just ask me. I know him very well."
Li Yin gently patted Yu Shu's hand, feigning reassurance, before saying, "I'd like to ask you, young master, what kind of person does he like?"
Zhu Nanren sat down in the chair, speaking casually with a touch of the languidness unique to a noble family: "He likes those who oppose him, and he also likes those who listen to him. He values fate and likes those he finds pleasing to the eye."
As he spoke, he suddenly thought of something and smiled, "He likes girls like you the most. You are beautiful and talented, with a flawless personality. You don't need to think too much. Just wait for the wedding day to come and get married."
Li Yin listened attentively, noting down each detail and comparing them in her mind. Yu Ling and she looked alike, but Yu Ling was more accomplished in literature, enjoying poetry and prose and possessing a collection of famous landscape poems, making her even better than her. Li Yin then devised a plan.
Seeing Li Yin's attentive and obedient expression, Zhu Nanren smiled slightly, took out a green porcelain bottle from his pocket, held it in his palm, and then gently tossed it out. The bottle drew a perfect arc in the air and landed steadily on a small table not far from Li Yin.
Li Yin took it, opened it, and brought it close to his nose. The aroma of the medicine was intoxicating, light and slightly bitter, refreshing and soothing, like a gentle rain nourishing the fields. Such an item was extremely rare and must be very expensive; it was a top-quality medicine for injuries.
She looked at Zhu Nanren with a hint of confusion. This was for her, but they were just casual acquaintances who met only a handful of times. It was neither moral nor reasonable for her to give such an expensive gift.
After delivering the gifts, Zhu Nanren stood up and said, "Miss Li, there's no need to overthink it. These were all gifts from your fiancé. A beauty should be flawless. It would be such a pity if you had scars on your hands, given how beautiful you are."
Li Yin then accepted the porcelain bottle, holding it in her hand, and said, "Thank you, Young Master Wen."
Upon hearing this, Yu Shu's eyes flashed with surprise. What was the young master up to now? When did Prince Zhu become a member of the Wen family?
She really couldn't understand her young master's thoughts anymore. He tricked her into getting caught in the rain and then delivered medicine. He even had someone pretend to be away from home. She shook her head helplessly, hoping that this beautiful Miss Li could survive under her young master's control.
Zhu Nanren stepped out with one foot, and just as he was about to step out with the second, he suddenly turned around and smiled at Yu Shu, saying, "Have you grown taller again?"
Yu Shu ignored him and walked forward, reaching out to cover the door. She pretended to accidentally kick Zhu Nanren's foot, which was still inside the room, and then closed the door, pushing Zhu Nanren out.
Outside, rain poured down, splashing flowers on the ground. Moisture clung to the ground, gradually dampening the corners of her clothes. Zhu Nanren, still savoring what had just happened, smiled faintly.
A figure in blue appeared on the corridor not far away, and he walked over.
Raindrops lingered at the edges of the gray tiles, condensing into beads that suddenly fell, one after another, densely connected. Zhu Nanren walked lightly, each step swift as the wind, her footsteps accompanied by the sound of falling rain, gradually heading towards the end of the long corridor.
Inside the room, Yu Shu watched this scene, then closed the window, making the dense, intermittent sounds outside even quieter.
Li Yin sat down on a chair and called out, "Yu Shu." The name Yu Shu was too similar to Yu Su's, and the two even looked somewhat alike. However, Yu Su had a more obedient look in her eyes, and her large eyes were mostly filled with Yu Shu.
Yu Shu quickly stepped forward and asked softly, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Li Yin handed the medicine to Yu Shu and said, "Change my dressing."
Yu Shu reached out and took it, then knelt down beside Li Yin. She gently opened the bottle. Li Yin stretched out his hand, which was wrapped with several layers of gauze. The gauze was already wet and stained with blood, with varying shades as it spread out.
She carefully unwrapped the gauze and then peeled it off, her movements extremely gentle, as if afraid of hurting Li Yin.
After the last layer was peeled off, wounds of varying depths were revealed. Yu Shu opened the bottle and carefully poured the liquid inside onto Li Yin's wounds.
She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice Li Yin staring intently at her, observing her closely and paying close attention to her every expression.
The two people had similar names, appearances, and even personalities. Li Yin stared at them in a daze, and Yu Su's words came back to mind.
Her father's face, and all one hundred people in the family throughout the year, appeared in her mind one by one. She dared not think about how those people were treated by those soldiers.
Of the hundred people, only she remains. Everything happened so fast, so unreal, so dreamlike, like a long, drawn-out dream.
When will the nightmare end? Perhaps the nightmare will never disappear; it's just that the memories want to torment her. It's just that fate loves to play jokes.
As she thought this, she still felt resentful. Those emotions rose and burned within her like sparks.
She was indignant. Why was it that the wicked were pardoned while the good died unjustly? Why didn't Heaven take those people away?
Good and evil go hand in hand; when will the gods open their eyes and look upon the celestial fire of the mortal realm?
Thinking this, her fingers unconsciously curled up together. Yu Shu quickly exclaimed, "Miss, Miss, you can't do this, it will leave a scar."
She looked up and saw that Li Yin's eyes were slightly red, as if he was about to cry, but his gaze was firm. She was startled. She had seen this kind of look in the young master before. Back then, the young master was not well received, and the scene was just like today, except it was a rainy night in the ancestral hall.
Li Yin's fingers curled more and more, his nails seeping into the wound, and blood dripped down his wrist, "drip-drip" onto the ground, with the same rhythm as a drop of rain under the eaves.
Yu Shu held Li Yin's hand, forcefully prying open Li Yin's curled fingers. She knew more or less about the Li family's affairs, so she hadn't mentioned it these past few days. But when she saw Li Yin's calm and composed demeanor, she thought that this young lady was also heartless, just like the young master, rarely experiencing joy or sorrow.
Now it's clear that Miss is sentimental; she was just thinking about something painful again. A pang of heartache gripped her; she didn't know if this marriage was a blessing or a curse. It saved her life, but what about her young master…
She gently shook her head, deciding to stop thinking about it. The young master's temperament was unpredictable; it was best not to guess or ponder, otherwise it would only add to her sorrow.
Li Yin loosened his grip, and blood dripped from his fingertips onto the ground, a vivid and striking red, like a plum blossom obscured in the snow.
Yu Shu quickly poured the medicine from the bottle onto the wound. The medicine was pale green, had a bitter fragrance, and smelled cool, but it should have hurt when it touched the wound. However, Li Yin did not react at all and remained expressionless throughout.
Looking at this person who sometimes resembled the young master, Yu Shu felt even more admiration and goodwill. She had a strange feeling that Wen Youqing should be with this young lady. Although the two were not in the same frame, Yu Shu felt that they were a perfect match in every way, a match made in heaven, and should be a couple.
She looked at Li Yin with concern and asked softly, "Miss, does it hurt?"
Li Yin looked at the spot on her hand where blood and medicine were mixed together, and said only, "A little, but it's alright." She looked at Yu Shu and met a pair of bright but sad and concerned eyes. She felt that Yu Shu should smile more. Her eyes were like stars, and her smile would be so radiant.
She chuckled and said, "Look at you, you were fooled by me too. The wound doesn't hurt anymore. I was just trying to make it heal faster and avoid leaving a scar." As she spoke, she tapped Yushu's head with her other good hand and said, "Be smarter next time, don't be fooled by me again."
Upon hearing this, Yu Shu nodded, took a new gauze and gently wrapped it around Li Yin's wound, tying it lightly. She was completely focused, her eyes fixed intently on the wound, looking very serious.
After confirming everything was correct, she said, "Alright." Looking at Li Yin's bandaged hand, she added, "Young Master, you are permitted to go out, but you have stipulated two rules: first, you cannot bring anyone else in; second, you cannot cause any trouble that might disturb the people in the manor. As long as you don't violate either of these rules, you can go out for a stroll."
Upon hearing this, Li Yin said, "Thank you." She meant it sincerely.
Fine raindrops lingered at the corner of the corridor, and raindrops gathered on the corner. The raindrops pattered and dripped, their rhythm tight. Only when the moon rose did the sudden rain begin to subside and slow down slightly.
After Yu Shu watched over Li Yin until he fell asleep, she quietly left the room. She moved with exceptional lightness and slowness, being extremely cautious in everything she did, without stretching out her arms and legs.
She went out and closed the door before quickening her pace. Water stains remained on the corridor, and each step she took splashed water, wetting the hem of her skirt.
It was still raining outside the corridor. The rain was light and the raindrops fell very lightly, a stark contrast to the rough and wild rain at the beginning. Now, it carried a touch of tender affection.
She made her way through a maze of twists and turns until she arrived at a study in the mansion. She knocked lightly, and the door creaked open.
The lights in the room suddenly went out, and the room suddenly lost its light source, becoming dim and dark, with the moonlight hazy and the light almost invisible.
Seeing this, her hair stood on end, and she dared not take a step closer. Seeing the bottomless study, she took a deep breath and went in anyway. As soon as she entered, the light came on.
Seeing Yu Shu's resolute expression, Wen Youqing chuckled softly. He said, "You think I'm going to kill you?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Shu immediately knelt down on the ground and said, "I wouldn't dare."
Wen Youqing didn't make any more jokes; she simply sat down in the chair and rhythmically tapped her fingers on the table, making a regular "tick-tock" sound.
He asked, "Has she been acting strangely lately?"
Yu Shu quickly stood up and handed over a letter hidden in her sleeve, saying, "This is a record of Miss Li's words and actions today. I have kept in mind what I should and shouldn't say. You can rest assured, young master."
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