His eyes darkened suddenly, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
After a moment of silence, he said in a low, hoarse voice, "Okay."
“However…” Duan Xingzhi’s gaze fell, staring at Shen Zhiyi’s hand still resting on his belt, a smile playing in his eyes, “How long are you going to keep touching me?”
They were extremely close. He leaned down slightly, as if to embrace her completely, their breaths mingling softly.
Shen Zhiyi's cheeks flushed, and she quickly withdrew her hand.
"Dr. Shen!" A sudden, urgent knocking sound came from outside the courtyard gate. "Dr. Shen! Please come out and take a look!"
Shen Zhiyi and Duan Xingzhi exchanged a glance, then immediately turned to open the door.
Outside the door, several young men were supporting the injured Apan.
The person is already unconscious.
His body was covered in blood.
What happened?
Shen Zhiyi was shocked when she saw the blurry, bloody flesh on Apan's arms and thighs.
"Quick! Carry him inside!"
As the group of young men carried the animal, they said anxiously, "A ferocious beast appeared in Fuling Valley yesterday! Apan ran into it while hunting and tried to tame it, but he ended up being bitten like this!"
"Before he lost consciousness, he said that the beast was very likely to come down the mountain, and I had to go to the village chief and ask him to find a way to deal with it as soon as possible."
After the young man finished speaking, he put Ah Pan down and left in a hurry.
"You all go out first, I'll help him treat his wounds," Shen Zhiyi said to the remaining youths.
They left one after another.
Duan Xingzhi watched as she cut open the cloth covering Apan's wound, carefully cleaning the injury and gently pressing on the unblemished areas.
A sudden tightness in my chest.
"I'll stay here and help."
"No need." Shen Zhiyi didn't even look up. "Go out and close the door for me."
Duan Xingzhi: ...
He walked to the door, and glanced at her one last time before closing it.
Seeing that she was still focused on Apan's injury and didn't even spare a glance for him, he pursed his lips and closed the door.
He leaned against the door with his arms crossed.
Like a guardian deity, his eyes were half-closed, his jawline was cold and hard, but his ears were listening attentively to the sounds inside.
Several young people gathered together and discussed the matter.
"This beast is extremely ferocious; it even injured Apan."
"He's a master hunter. If even he can't handle a beast, who else in our village can?"
"I don't think it will make a difference even if the village chief comes."
"With so many elderly, weak, women, and children in the village, how can we sleep peacefully?"
"We can't stay home forever, can we?"
"We cannot rest easy until this beast is caught."
"Oh no... what should I do?"
A few people suddenly nudged each other and winked at Duan Xingzhi.
"Hey, what do you guys think? Is he any good?"
“Last time in the backyard, we all saw him fly up the wall with our own eyes!”
"Yes, that piece of firewood they threw at us even stuck itself in a tree! How much force must have been involved?"
They looked at each other, mustered their courage, and crowded around Duan Xingzhi.
"Hey, you from out of town, would you be willing to help us go up the mountain to catch some wild beasts?"
Duan Xingzhi raised an eyebrow, looked at them coldly, and didn't say a word.
Seeing that he was taciturn and didn't pay much attention to them, a young man slapped his thigh and said, "If things go well, we... we can pool our money and give you some silver, that wouldn't be out of the question."
"How about three hundred coins?"
Duan Xingzhi parted his lips and let out a soft sneer.
The young man steeled his resolve and said with a sigh, "Then we'll add five more bolts of coarse cloth, three bolts of fine cloth, and ten large bags of herbs. In addition, we'll give each family fifteen catties of grain. Is that alright?"
Duan Xingzhi remembered Shen Zhiyi's instructions not to do rough or heavy work, and even less to engage in fighting or killing. He closed his eyes as if he hadn't heard them.
The young people were dejected.
"Since things have come to this, the only thing we can do is reinforce the village entrance."
"I heard that the beast has a particular fondness for sweet-smelling things. As soon as it smells them, it becomes agitated and becomes its target."
"In my opinion, everyone should make their homes smell a bit bad, so as not to attract its attention."
Duan Xingzhi suddenly looked up.
I turned my head and looked at the tightly closed door.
Thinking of the gardenia scent that I had just smelled on Shen Zhiyi.
That sweet and alluring aroma still seems to linger in my nose.
Even he couldn't help but feel restless.
Not to mention ferocious beasts.
His brows furrowed, and his aura suddenly became cold and sharp.
"Where is that beast?" he asked in a deep voice.
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