Lin Xihe was violently pushed to the ground. Her eyes were blindfolded, and she was completely unprepared, falling to the ground in a disheveled state. Her wrist hit the hard ground, and a piercing pain instantly struck her. Her little finger also felt as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer, making her gasp in pain.
But she knew in her heart that this was the perfect opportunity.
So, she went along with it, pretending to be in unbearable pain, curling up into a ball, her hands trembling as she tightly gripped her aching wrists, her fingers deliberately shaking from the "pain," looking weak and helpless, just like a wounded lamb struggling helplessly.
She sat on the ground, motionless, even letting the cloth covering her face hang down, deliberately creating a pitiful appearance.
As expected, this appearance successfully caught Mu Ruoyan's eye, and just as she predicted, it successfully enraged him.
"Who are you trying to fool with your pitiful act?" Mu Ruoyan's voice was icy cold, filled with impatience and anger.
Hearing this, Lin Xihe was secretly delighted that her plan had succeeded. Anyone who saw her in her current state would feel pity, and she believed that Mu Ruoyan, given her personality, would not be able to bear seeing her so pitiful.
Her lips trembled slightly, as if she had been quite frightened by Mu Ruoyan's words. She bit her lower lip until it turned white, deliberately making her body tremble more violently to make the "performance" more realistic.
Not long after, Mu Ruoyan saw that Lin Xihe was still tightly gripping her right wrist, her little hand trembling in pain and even turning bluish-purple. A complex emotion welled up in her heart.
"stand up."
Mu Ruoyan tried her best to make her tone sound strong and authoritative, but her words still unconsciously carried a hint of concern.
Upon hearing the word "Get up," Lin Xihe sneered inwardly, but deliberately remained still, continuing to feign fear and weakness.
She was thinking to herself that she needed to put on an even more convincing performance in order to completely control Mu Ruoyan.
Seeing Lin Xihe's stubbornness and inability to move, Mu Ruoyan finally couldn't hold back and strode forward to help her up.
Lin Xihe keenly sensed the commotion before her and immediately shrank back like a frightened rabbit, crying out in a terrified voice, "Don't hit me..."
Mu Ruoyan paused for a moment, then reached out and pulled Lin Xihe up from the ground, frowning as she said, "When have I ever hit you?"
After saying that, he reached out and pulled off the cloth covering Lin Xihe's face.
As soon as the strip of cloth fell, Lin Xihe's eyes revealed just the right amount of fear and grievance.
She timidly raised her injured hand slowly between the two of them, but soon, as if afraid of suffering even more serious harm, she quickly withdrew it, feigning fear.
Looking at Lin Xihe at this moment, Mu Ruoyan found herself unable to utter the harsh words that were on the tip of her tongue.
He stared intently at Lin Xihe, then loudly ordered outside, "Xu Qi, fetch the Lingpo Regenerating Ointment."
A moment later, the attendant Xu Qi hurriedly handed over an exquisite medicine bottle.
The carriage moved slowly forward. Mu Ruoyan looked at the injured Lin Xihe beside her and felt inexplicably irritated, but she couldn't help but reach out to take her hand.
However, the moment his fingertips touched her wrist, Lin Xihe cried out in pain, "It hurts!"
The voice was somewhat delicate, yet filled with deep grievance.
"If you had just reached out to me, I wouldn't have had to pull you, would I?" Mu Ruoyan frowned, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and reproach.
"It's none of your business."
Lin Xihe turned her head away in a huff, leaving Mu Ruoyan with a stubborn profile.
Seeing her attitude, Mu Ruoyan's anger flared up instantly.
He reached out and threw the medicine bottle heavily onto the cushion next to Lin Xihe, coldly saying, "You don't know what's good for you."
The medicine bottle landed on the cushion with a dull thud, but it didn't attract Lin Xihe's attention at all.
Lin Xihe didn't even glance at the medicine bottle.
She shifted slightly, shrinking into the corner of the carriage, and sat back in her own little corner. She straightened her back, raised her head, and put on an act of feigning strength despite being wronged, her eyes revealing stubbornness and resentment.
A deathly silence fell over the carriage, with only the sound of the wheels rolling echoing in the air.
Mu Ruoyan sat to the side, her gaze occasionally falling on Lin Xihe.
Looking at her small, thin figure, his anger gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of guilt and unease.
Finally, after a long silence, Mu Ruoyan couldn't hold back any longer.
He sighed softly, reached for the medicine bottle that had been tossed aside, and slowly opened the cap. He carefully scooped out a spoonful of ointment with his finger, placed it on his fingertip, then stood up and slowly squatted down beside Lin Xihe.
Mu Ruoyan raised her head, looked into Lin Xihe's eyes, and said in a gentle tone that she herself did not realize: "I really didn't mean to hit you. It was my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you."
As she spoke, Mu Ruoyan gently took Lin Xihe's hand, her movements so gentle as if she were afraid of hurting her.
He carefully applied the ointment to her swollen wrist, bit by bit.
Recalling the scene at the teahouse that morning, Lin Xihe's every smile and gesture, her attentiveness and enthusiasm, stirred ripples in Mu Ruoyan's heart.
He clearly felt that Lin Xihe was deliberately trying to please him, but for some reason, his heart was involuntarily drawn to her.
Once he was in the carriage, his inner turmoil and agitation intensified, leaving him completely silent.
It wasn't until Lin Xihe got close that he suddenly realized he didn't actually want her to keep her distance. But after recognizing this, Mu Ruoyan resented himself, and even more so, resented Lin Xihe for disturbing his heart in this way.
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