Ji Xinhe frowned slightly and softly closed the door before stepping back. She glanced at the pitch-black night outside and felt her suspicion growing.
With such quick movements, it was not his first time sneaking out this late at night. It just so happened that she couldn’t sleep tonight and was more alert than most bystanders, which allowed her to notice his movements. What on earth was he up to?
Thinking back to how interested he seemed in the iron mine issue after they had heard about it in town, was his decision to hide away in Lian’an Town connected to the mine?
As Ji Xinhe pondered this, her drowsiness vanished completely. She had to wait for him to return and catch him red-handed to get some answers!
She pulled out the thick and warm cotton jacket she’d made earlier, wrapped it around herself, and sat by his door to wait, but time seemed to pass slowly, and he was still nowhere to be seen. The night grew darker, and Ji Xinhe’s drowsiness intensified.
Unknowingly, she fell asleep while leaning against the wall, sitting on the doorstep.
At midnight, a figure landed soundlessly in the courtyard. He spotted Ji Xinhe, who was asleep with her eyes closed at his door. He frowned slightly, walked over quietly, and horizontally picked up the squatting girl to carry her inside.
The large cotton jacket wrapped her up so that she looked like a zongzi, only revealing half of her small face. It made her look much bigger and rounder than she was.
With graceful movements, Mu Houchu placed her on the bed, but he was reluctant to let go due to her fragrance. So he decided to hold her and lie down beside her. He looked down at her peaceful sleeping face, and couldn’t help but chuckle. This girl could only be this well-behaved when asleep. Once her eyes were open, he knew she would be up to no good.
Perhaps Mu Houchu’s actions disturbed her, or maybe the sudden warmth of his embrace made her slightly more awake. Ji Xinhe rubbed her eyes and opened them sleepily.
Hmm? Wasn’t she sitting by the door? How was she lying in bed? Wasn’t she alone? Why did it feel like there was another person with her?
Ji Xinhe suddenly became wide awake and, with wide eyes, looked up to see a handsome face close to her face, smiling playfully, "Why are you awake?"
"What are you doing here?!" Ji Xinhe nearly screamed with her eyes wide open.
"This is my room. Where else would I be?" Mu Houchu looked genuinely innocent.
"Then why am I here?!" Ji Xinhe noticed the zero distance between them and felt alarmed. Was she really just sleeping in his embrace?!
Ji Xinhe immediately tried to sit up but was easily pulled back by Mu Houchu’s strong arm around her waist.
"You were sleeping by the door, and I didn’t want you to catch cold." Mu Houchu seemed both natural and indifferent, as if it were a matter of fact, making Ji Xinhe almost believe that it was the right thing to do.
Ji Xinhe glared at him, "Then why did you sleep with me?!"
Mu Houchu’s lips curved, "It’s my bed. If you can sleep here, why can’t I?"
"Then why are you holding me?!"
"For warmth."
"Get lost!" Ji Xinhe was thoroughly done with this shameless man and forcefully pushed him away, attempting to prop herself up.
Mu Houchu winced slightly, and a faint hissing sound escaped him.
Ji Xinhe paused in her actions, realizing her hand had touched something sticky - was that blood?
"What happened to you?" Ji Xinhe asked anxiously.
It was too dark, and there were no lights in the room. She could not see what happened or his pale face.
Mu Houchu closed his eyes and slightly tightened his hold on her, "It’s nothing, just a minor injury."
It was rare for her not to struggle, so he wanted to hold onto her a little longer.
"How can it be a minor injury? I just felt so much blood! Are you trying to die from blood loss?" Ji Xinhe didn’t even know why she was so anxious, and she didn’t have time to think about it.
"Worried about me?" Mu Houchu’s lips curved, and his pale face was tinged with a rare smile.
Ji Xinhe glared at him, "Who’s worried about you!" At a time like this, he still had the mood to say that?
Mu Houchu could naturally sense her concern but didn’t expose her. Instead, he merely said softly, "I’ve already bandaged it up myself. It’s just a minor wound, and the bleeding has stopped. It will be fine after a couple of days, don’t worry."
"Then why did I feel blood on my hand earlier?" Ji Xinhe asked accusingly.
"Because your push just now tore open the wound again," Mu Houchu replied calmly.
Ji Xinhe: "······"
In the end, it was all her fault.
"But how can you heal a wound like this without medication? Let’s go find Doctor Li Lang from the village," Ji Xinhe suggested as she wriggled out of his embrace.
"No one is to know about my injury today," Mu Houchu said solemnly in the thick darkness of the night.
No wonder he had only casually bandaged it up and didn’t want to see a doctor. His injury couldn’t be revealed.
Ji Xinhe bit her lip but, in the end, resisted the impulse to ask him what he’d been up to that night and climbed out of bed, "Fine, just stay like this."
Mu Houchu listened to her retreating footsteps and felt a growing emptiness in his heart. An unusual melancholy appeared on his usually aloof face.
Yet, the very next moment, Ji Xinhe returned with a bright candle.
The small, dim yet bright light filled the room the moment she entered, as if illuminating his entire heart.
Ji Xinhe carefully placed the candle on the bedside table and took out a roll of gauze and a small porcelain bottle from her chest, "It’s better than nothing to use some medicine."
Mu Houchu was surprised, "Where did you get the medicine?" One glance told him that the medicine was a specific golden ointment for external injuries. Who in the village would have such a thing? It wasn’t like they were involved in fighting and killing.
"It’s mine," Ji Xinhe said nonchalantly.
As a former assassin, she naturally had a professional habit of keeping some on hand.
Mu Houchu didn’t ask any further, as her skills were clearly not those of an ordinary village girl.
What surprised him the most was that he hadn’t realized she cared so much about him before.
Mu Houchu’s lips curved into a smile, and his eyes softened when he looked at Ji Xinhe.
"You should apply the medicine quickly. It’s good for stopping the bleeding," Ji Xinhe said, diverting her gaze to the side, unable to stand his naked gaze. She placed the medicine and gauze on the bed, feeling uneasy, and turned to leave.
However, Mu Houchu grabbed her wrist, bringing her back. Annoyed, Ji Xinhe turned to face his innocent gaze, "My wound is on my back. How can I apply the medicine myself?"
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