After Lu Bai left, Song Zhiyu stared blankly at the wound on her arm, not even noticing Zhou Xingzhi walking up behind her.
"Are you satisfied with this result, Yu'er?" Zhou Xingzhi bent down and whispered in her ear.
Warm breath brushed against Song Zhiyu's ear, and the man's voice, filled with laughter and obvious tenderness, made her tremble and a faint blush creep up her cheeks.
For some reason, ever since she was injured in the last assassination attempt, Zhou Xingzhi seemed to have become a different person, no longer the polite, restrained and patient person he once was.
They became aggressive and mad, and every move they made was full of predation.
He now makes Song Zhiyu feel dangerous.
The man's emotions were too obvious; he made no attempt to hide his feelings.
Song Zhiyu couldn't understand when she had attracted Zhou Xingzhi.
Does saving someone's life mean they have to repay it with their body?
"Breaking into a woman's boudoir at night is not like His Highness the Crown Prince's style." Song Zhiyu turned to meet Zhou Xingzhi's gaze, the blush on her face had faded.
Zhou Xingzhi smiled subtly, and before Song Zhiyu could say anything more, he changed the subject, "Are your injuries any better? Do they still hurt?"
I've already spoken to the Duke's mansion beforehand; they'll let you go over once your hand injury has healed sufficiently. As a healer, your hands are very important; you need to take good care of them.”
Upon hearing the last sentence, Song Zhiyu was visibly stunned for a moment, her expression showing a dazed look.
In her past life, when she rescued Shen Yanxi from the bandits' den, her hand was injured by the bandits and almost crippled.
If they had managed to escape successfully, and Shen Yanxi had found a doctor for her, she could have saved her hand and would have been able to continue using the silver needles.
But after Shen Yanxi was out of danger, the first thing he complained about was that she hadn't come to save him sooner, causing him to suffer so much.
He was completely unmoved by her pleas, even believing that she was just feigning helplessness to gain his gratitude and thus acknowledge her identity.
"It's just a little beating, what are you pretending for? Do you think you're as delicate as Shu'er?" Shen Yanxi's impatient tone still lingered in her ears, constantly reminding her of the pain of the past.
Song Zhiyu still remembers the expression on Shen Yanxi's face back then, which was indifferent yet filled with disgust, as if he was mocking everything she had done for them.
But he didn't realize how important a pair of hands capable of holding silver needles is to a doctor.
Perhaps he knew, but he just didn't care.
Finally, under Shen Jinshu's instigation, he personally pushed her, who was powerless to resist, into the hands of the bandits.
Those bandits hated her for destroying their stronghold, so they relentlessly suppressed and tortured her, even breaking the bones in her hands.
From then on, her hands were ruined, and she could no longer hold silver needles or save lives.
Thinking of this, Song Zhiyu's eyes turned bloodshot with hatred. Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched into fists, and veins bulged on her fair and delicate skin, forcibly tearing open the newly bandaged wound.
At that moment, a pair of large, warm hands covered her hands, enveloping them completely in their palms.
Once she calmed down a bit, he gently and carefully opened her tightly clenched hands, inserted his long fingers between them, and intertwined his fingers with hers, offering silent comfort.
"Your wound has reopened." Zhou Xingzhi looked worried, his dark eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.
He could sense Song Zhiyu's emotional fluctuations. She seemed to be trapped in a nightmare, unable to extricate herself, and her whole being was filled with a heavy aura of hostility.
But since Song Zhiyu was unwilling to talk about it, he decided not to ask for the time being.
Zhou Xingzhi took out the wound medicine and carefully applied it to Song Zhiyu's reopened wound. His expression was serious, his movements were meticulous, and his handsome brows were slightly furrowed.
Even when faced with incredibly difficult court affairs, his expression had never been so grim.
Everyone says that the Crown Prince of the Lintian Dynasty is exceptionally handsome, gentle and refined, and always has a calm and composed expression on his face, as if nothing or no one can change his expression.
But what they didn't know was that Zhou Xingzhi never bothered to pay attention to people or things he didn't care about.
Only those he cares about can cause him to have emotional fluctuations.
Song Zhiyu pulled herself back to reality and looked at the handsome face so close to hers. She couldn't help but raise her hand to touch Zhou Xingzhi's brow, wanting to smooth it out.
“Yu’er, you…” Zhou Xingzhi paused in his movements, his brow relaxed, his eyes seemed to light up, and the smile on his lips deepened, adding a touch of allure to his beautiful face.
"It's late, Your Highness should go back." Song Zhiyu withdrew her hand, her expression somewhat unnatural, and gave Zhou Xingzhi the order to leave under his hopeful gaze.
Song Zhiyu took a deep breath and adjusted her expression the moment she turned around. "Also, thank you, Your Highness, for avenging me. But there are some grudges that I still need to avenge myself."
She would resolve her feud with the Marquis's family herself.
"Alright, I won't force you. I'll wait for a satisfactory answer from you." Zhou Xingzhi put down the wound medicine in his hand, closed his eyelids slightly to conceal the madness and gloom in his eyes, gave Song Zhiyu a deep look, and then turned and left.
Once everyone had completely gone, Song Zhiyu sat on the chaise longue, utterly exhausted, her mind filled with countless thoughts.
This night was destined to be sleepless.
*
Songyun Temple.
"Shu'er, I heard that the new embroiderers recruited by Yushang Pavilion are all highly skilled and have made a batch of gorgeous and exquisite new clothes, which are very popular among the noble ladies of the capital."
"Haven't you always loved the clothes from Yushang Pavilion? Fourth Brother will take you there to pick out a couple of nice outfits. I'm sure you'll outshine everyone at the lakeside banquet in ten days." Shen Yanxi said excitedly, becoming more and more thrilled as he spoke, clearly already imagining Shen Jinshu shining brightly at the lakeside banquet.
Shen Jinshu covered her mouth and chuckled, feigning modesty but secretly pleased. She remained noncommittal to Shen Yanxi's words, saying, "Fourth Brother thinks too highly of me. There are so many noble ladies at the lake banquet, each one exceptional in talent and beauty. How could I possibly outshine them all?"
No matter how talented or beautiful other noble ladies are, they cannot surpass her. Lian Siyi, who was once as famous as her, is dead. Who in the capital can rival her now?
The title of champion at this year's lake tour banquet is undoubtedly hers; no one can compete with her.
"Shu'er is a famous talented woman in the capital. In terms of both talent and appearance, you should be number one."
"You are a well-bred young lady carefully raised by the Marquis's family, not someone like Song Zhiyu, who is utterly ignorant and uneducated."
Shen Yanxi proudly raised his chin. He was truly fortunate to have such an outstanding younger sister as Shu'er, who brought them so much honor.
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