C16 It Was Especially Interesting!

Lin Shixuan sobbed uncontrollably, wishing she could release a decade's worth of pent-up sorrow.

Her yearning for her family, for her brother, had suddenly erupted.

Lin Shixuan was not typically one to wallow in sentimentality, but when it came to her family, her brother, she found her emotions overwhelming.

It had been far too long!

Her longing had accumulated over the years, building up like grains of sand into a towering skyscraper.

"Sister Xuan, I've missed you all too."

Jiang Zhuo inhaled the subtle fragrance emanating from Lin Shixuan, tinged with a hint of medicinal herbs, which stirred a special sensation within him.

Lau Ruoyan had informed him that Lin Shixuan had become an apprentice to a renowned healer in Lunamis.

The extent of her medical expertise was still unclear to him.

Jiang Zhuo himself was versed in the healing arts, revered by the military as a miraculous medic.

But his skills weren't limited to medicine; over the past decade, Jiang Zhuo had mastered nearly every skill imaginable.

Without such knowledge, he would have surely perished on the front lines long ago!

"Come on, Shixuan, look what you've done. You've bitten Zhuo so hard he's bleeding."

Lau Ruoyan approached with a tissue, separated the two, and began tending to Jiang Zhuo's wound.

The deep bite marks were clearly visible, evidence of Lin Shixuan's forceful reaction.

Flushed with guilt, Lin Shixuan pouted, "I thought he was trying to take advantage of you, so I bit him."

"Sister Xuan, do I really seem like that kind of person?"

Jiang Zhuo sat on the couch, resigned to Lau Ruoyan's care, his face a picture of helplessness.

Lin Shixuan took a seat beside him, blinked, and asked, "Then why were you undressing just now?"

"Undressing? I was putting on clothes," Jiang Zhuo replied with a wry smile.

"Putting on clothes?" Lin Shixuan's cheeks reddened.

Lau Ruoyan clarified, "I wanted to check the scars on Zhuo's body, so I asked him to remove his shirt. You've completely misunderstood him."

"And this tissue..." Lin Shixuan gestured towards the tissue on the coffee table.

"Sister Yan fell asleep and drooled on me, so naturally, I had to wipe it off with a tissue," Jiang Zhuo said with a smile, shaking his head.

"Uh..."

Lin Shixuan's cheeks flushed even deeper, and she felt utterly mortified, wishing she could just disappear into the ground.

How utterly embarrassing!

Could this get any more humiliating?

Such a grave misunderstanding!

Lau Ruoyan wiped the blood from Jiang Zhuo's arm and peered over with suspicion. "Shixuan, what did you think was on the tissue?"

"I thought... Oh, I got it wrong. Sorry!" Lin Shixuan gestured frantically, avoiding Lau Ruoyan's gaze.

Then, something occurred to her. She yanked open Jiang Zhuo's collar to inspect his shoulder.

Seeing no injury on Jiang Zhuo's shoulder, she was astounded and asked, "Didn't my shovel hit you just now?"

Jiang Zhuo simply nodded, "Yes, it did. You came out of nowhere, and I didn't have time to react."

At home, Jiang Zhuo was completely off his guard.

On the battlefield, however, no one could sneak within five meters of him unnoticed.

"If you were hit, how come you're not hurt at all? I used all my strength," Lin Shixuan said, growing more astonished.

Jiang Zhuo chuckled, "Sister Xuan, not to brag, but you couldn't hurt me even if you tried your hardest."

That was no lie.

The shovel couldn't scratch him, especially when he was fully defending himself.

Lin Shixuan fell silent, her head bowed, not uttering a word, her mood somber.

Noticing her demeanor, Jiang Zhuo's smile faded, and he spoke earnestly, "Sister Xuan, what's the matter? Did I say something out of line? I'm sorry, I..."

Before he could finish, Lin Shixuan, with tears brimming in her eyes, placed her hand over his mouth and shook her head as she choked up, "If you're so strong, why didn't you retaliate when I bit you? You could have easily pushed me away without getting hurt! Why didn't you fight back? Are you foolish?"

Jiang Zhuo chuckled, "If I had fought back, I would have definitely hurt you. And if I hurt you, wouldn't I be plagued with guilt for a lifetime?"

"So now that I've hurt you, are you saying I should be burdened with guilt forever?" Lin Shixuan said, her voice laced with sorrow as she dabbed at her tears.

"…"

Jiang Zhuo found himself at a loss for words.

"Come on, it's just a minor injury. No big deal."

Once Lau Ruoyan learned about Jiang Zhuo's past, she couldn't consider the injury significant.

"A minor injury? The cut is so deep. You need to apply medication. What if it gets infected?" Lin Shixuan's lips quivered, her eyes rimmed with red.

"It really is minor. It won't get infected," Jiang Zhuo reassured her as he dressed, concealing the wound.

To him, such an injury was trivial.

He feigned ease, not wishing to stir feelings of guilt or remorse in Lin Shixuan.

"It's getting late. Let me just tend to it for now. Tomorrow, you're coming with me to the hospital so we can get it properly treated!" Lin Shixuan rummaged through her bag, pulling out alcohol and gauze, and began to attend to the wound herself.

"I told you, it's nothing," Jiang Zhuo said, torn between amusement and frustration, yet he didn't intervene.

Lin Shixuan fixed him with a stern look. "Am I the doctor, or are you? Are we doing this your way or mine?"

Left with no choice, Jiang Zhuo conceded, "You're right, you're the doctor. We'll do it your way."

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow, you're accompanying me to the hospital, and no arguments!" Lin Shixuan declared firmly.

"Alright, alright. Whatever you say, Sister Shixuan," Jiang Zhuo agreed, nodding repeatedly.

He couldn't really refuse.

Without applying medication, Lin Shixuan would never be at peace.

Even just to ease her mind, Jiang Zhuo had to comply with her wishes.

"Shixuan, let's keep the news about Zhuo between us for now. We'll surprise them when we meet," Lau Ruoyan suggested with a grin.

Lin Shixuan rolled her eyes and retorted, "So you kept Zhuo's situation from me just to spring a surprise?"

Lau Ruoyan was taken aback and quickly explained, "It was an accident this time. How could we have known you'd misunderstand Zhuo? There won't be a next time, I promise."

"No! There has to be a next time! I can't be the only one tricked! Big Sis and the rest have to go through the same ordeal as me for me to feel balanced. You all have to help me out. Let's team up and give Big Sis and the others a taste of their own medicine," Lin Shixuan said with a sly glint in her eyes, making sure they understood the plan.

"Uh..."

Jiang Zhuo and Lau Ruoyan exchanged glances, both caught between amusement and disbelief.

"Remember, you can't back out on me. Just imagine Big Sis and the others' reactions—it's going to be so gratifying," Lin Shixuan said with a chuckle.

"Fine," Lau Ruoyan conceded, nodding in agreement. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, clearly excited about the prospect of seeing Big Sis and the others' reactions. It was bound to be entertaining.

"Okay! You're coming with me to the hospital tomorrow. I'm exhausted and need to get some sleep," Lin Shixuan declared. After quickly tending to Jiang Zhuo's arm wound, she stood up, stretched languidly, yawned, and headed to her room.

​