Su Ruanruan had just come out of the side room when she heard the sound of the courtyard gate being opened. When she returned to the courtyard, she immediately saw Ziwu following behind Mu Bai.
Why is she here?
"Ruan Ruan..." Mu Bai's heart pounded as he saw Su Ruan Ruan come out from the side room.
Does Ruan Ruan know about him... like that?
Her face flushed even more, and she wished she could disappear into a hole in the ground. It was so...so embarrassing.
Su Ruanruan looked at Mu Bai with dissatisfaction in her eyes, while Mu Bai looked ashamed and dared not look at Su Ruanruan.
Zi Wu, keeping her eyes downcast and seemingly oblivious to her surroundings, promptly interrupted, "Young Master Mu, aren't you busy? Go ahead and leave this to me."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, shopkeeper." Mu Bai then looked at Su Ruanruan and said softly, "Ruanruan, I have some things to attend to and need to go out for a while. Um... I'll trouble you to apply the medicine for me, shopkeeper."
He didn't dare look Su Ruanruan in the eye, thanked Ziwu again, and left as if fleeing.
Su Ruanruan, "..."
She didn't know what to say. After being with her for so long, Mu Bai was still so bound by etiquette, like a piece of Tang Monk's flesh that could only be looked at but not eaten. It was really torturous.
They've already gone through all that, so why does Mu Bai always act like a shy, demure wife whenever he sees her?
Su Ruanruan sat on the stone bench, resting her chin on her hand, and asked absentmindedly, "Why are you here?"
"Oh, what a coincidence! If I hadn't been quick enough to call out to Young Master Mu first, the one who would have come to apply your medicine today would have been that veiled girl, the one you mentioned last time, Su He."
Su Ruanruan frowned and looked at her, looking puzzled.
“I just came out of the restaurant and saw Young Master Mu wandering around the street as if looking for someone. Then I saw Miss Su He walking towards Young Master Mu in the crowd.”
"This servant could only clear her throat and call out to him first. Su He was quite sensible; upon hearing someone call for Young Master Mu, she turned and left."
"Later I learned that Young Master Mu wanted to find someone to apply the medicine for you. But I'm not sure who he was looking for. Could it be that it was Su He by chance?"
Su Ruanruan's gaze fell on the plate of dried fruit on the stone table.
His gaze was deep, and he did not delve any further.
Zi Wu touched on the topic briefly, without mentioning Su He again. She then took out the IOU that Mu Bai had given her that day from her bosom.
"This is the IOU that Young Master Mu wrote to me today. He is so good to you, he didn't want me to tell you about this. Even the fact that this courtyard was sold to buy ginseng is only known to a few people."
Su Ruanruan's lips curled up slightly.
"That's why I say he's just too kind."
Recalling his experience at the academy, Su Ruanruan concealed the sharpness in her eyes. "But being too kind isn't a good thing; it makes you easy to be bullied."
"Find a clever, unfamiliar guy to help me with something these next few days."
Zi Wu asked, "What does Master intend to do?"
Su Ruanruan tapped her fingers rhythmically on the stone table.
Her red lips parted slightly, "I need to know all of Zeng Yuan's movements at Tianhong Academy."
Zi Wu agreed, changed the medicine on Su Ruanruan's shoulder, and rewrapped the gauze around her shoulder.
As for the bruises on other parts of her body, Su Ruanruan wouldn't let her apply any medicine.
Mu Bai returned at Shenshi (3-5 PM).
He glanced at her discreetly and saw Su Ruanruan lying motionless on the bed with her back to him; she must have been asleep.
He picked up her clothes from the side and quietly slipped out.
She sat in the courtyard and gently washed the silk dress. It was lent to Ruan Ruan by Master Bai, and she would return it after it dried.
He hung the dress on the rack, but Su Ruanruan was still not awake.
He then went to the kitchen to stew chicken soup and decoct medicine for Ruan Ruan.
The hen had already been cleaned and prepared, which was very convenient. He also went to the pharmacy to buy some herbs that nourish blood and qi and help heal wounds, which he would simmer with the chicken soup later.
He didn't have much money on him to begin with, but now that he was short of cash, he had no choice but to agree to paint for someone else, and that person gave him a deposit first.
He would never have taken this job before, as the return after deducting costs was not much, and it was time-consuming and laborious.
But now he's willing to try any way to make money.
The chicken soup was ready, and the medicine was decocted, but Ruanruan still didn't come out of the house.
He then divided the chicken soup in half and put it in a food box before hurrying off to the academy.
Bai Ruan was still being looked after by Fang Ru, and he had even been injured while helping him. Even though Fang Ru told him to take care of Ruan Ruan and not worry about him, how could he really ignore her?
When Mu Bai rushed back from the academy, he found that Ruan Ruan was still not moving, and then he realized that something was wrong.
He tiptoed to the soft bedside, reached out and touched her forehead; she didn't have a fever.
Just as he withdrew his hand, Su Ruanruan's muffled voice came from under the covers, "Go away, I never want to talk to you again."
Mu Bai stood by the bed, wanting to comfort her, but he didn't know how to start.
Ruan Ruan must be angry with him because of the dressing change at noon. He looked at his hands and thought of that flutter in his heart, and his fingertips began to burn.
He almost made a mistake in bed last time; he can't do it again this time.
Ruan Ruan harbored the intention to tease him, and fearing he might hurt her, he could only seek help from others.
"Ruanruan, I made some chicken soup. Get up and drink some. Fill your stomach first, then take your medicine, okay? You're angry with me, but you can't neglect your health."
"I don't want to."
Mu Bai, "..."
He hadn't expected Ruan Ruan to refuse so decisively.
He tried to persuade her for a long time, but Su Ruanruan refused.
Mu Bai sat weakly on the edge of the bed, his body slightly hunched, his dark eyes filled with exhaustion.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat subtle, excessively quiet.
Su Ruanruan didn't get a reply from Mu Bai, so she quietly turned around and saw Mu Bai sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to her.
His silhouette looked somewhat lonely, and she felt a pang of sympathy for him.
She gently tugged at Mu Bai's sleeve, looking aggrieved, "Brother Mu Bai, are you disgusted with me?"
Mu Bai turned around, stared intently at Su Ruanruan for a long time, and then suddenly smiled.
"Ruan Ruan, you are not the Ruan Ruan I first knew."
Su Ruanruan's hand froze, and she looked up in surprise. He had figured it out?
She blinked her long, curled eyelashes. She hadn't thought about revealing her origins so soon.
"People always change, so does Brother Mu Bai prefer the me from when we first met or the me now?"
Mu Bai took her hand, his eyes tender.
"You asked me this before, have you forgotten? I like you the way you are now, lively and energetic."
He paused, then added, "And a touch of willfulness..."
"Then do you think I'm annoying?" Su Ruanruan hugged Mu Bai's neck.
"No, never." Mu Bai tucked a stray hair behind Su Ruanruan's ear. "Ruanruan, please forgive me. I don't know how to coax you when you're angry."
"Brother Mu Bai, stop hiding. Will you change my dressing later?" Su Ruanruan cupped Mu Bai's face and pressed her lips to his.
Mu Bai's ears turned even redder, but she didn't give a direct answer. "I...I'll go reheat the soup."
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