Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Became Friends
Zuo Xiangning raised her head and listened carefully to the noises outside.
"At this time of the day, why should she be sleeping?" Zuo Xiangyu's voice was crisp, tinged with a trace of sarcasm, "You worthless maids are really good at fooling people!"
Pan Xia and Pan Cui were maids who had grown up with her. She usually couldn't bear to speak a harsh word to them, so by what right did Zuo Xiangyu scold them?
Every time Zuo Xiangning thought about how in her past life she had foolishly treated Zuo Xiangyu as a dear sister, she wished she could slap herself.
Just as Zuo Xiangning was about to retort a few words to Zuo Xiangyu, she heard the sound of a hairpin clinking as it entered the room.
Zuo Xiangyu, wearing a water-red long gown embroidered with peach blossom petals and with her slender waist swaying, walked in gracefully.
"Younger sister, what exactly happened today?" Zuo Xiangyu quickly walked to the bedside, took Zuo Xiangning's hand affectionately, and asked with a furrowed brow, "I clearly saw you fall into the lake; how come you ended up going to the King of Chu's mansion with elder sister soon after?"
Zuo Xiangning withdrew her hand and replied indifferently, "If I didn't go with elder sister, was I supposed to drown in second sister's residence at Prince Qi's?"
"What kind of talk is that, little sister? It sounds as if someone is trying to harm you." Zuo Xiangyu was taken aback and said mockingly, "What did elder sister confide to you again?"
"It doesn't matter what elder sister said, but why doesn't third sister seem to be worried about little sister's health, and instead, appear to be worried about something else?" Zuo Xiangning stared into Zuo Xiangyu's eyes and smiled, "Third sister wouldn't be worried that I wasn't rescued by Eldest Young Master Gu and thus have difficulty explaining to him, would she? Or is she worried about not being able to explain to someone else?"
Startled by this jab at the truth, Zuo Xiangyu stood up with an ugly expression, pointed at Zuo Xiangning, and said, "What do you mean by that? I'm worried sick about you, and instead of comforting me, you're making these insinuations and biting remarks. Who has been stirring you up?"
"Little sister just cracked a joke, why is third sister getting so angry over it?" Zuo Xiangning leaned on the headrest, her smile blooming beautifully as she looked at her, "Little sister has returned safe and sound, sister should be overjoyed and treating me to a celebration, that would be proper, so why are you getting so furiously angry?"
Seeing the usually obedient and docile Zuo Xiangning suddenly become so sharp-tongued, Zuo Xiangyu felt something was amiss in her heart.
She had already found today's events somewhat strange. Now seeing Zuo Xiangning's composed demeanor, she feared that everything would come to light, grew tired of pretending with Zuo Xiangning, and left after dropping a remark.
"Since little sister is fine, you should rest early."
Zuo Xiangning watched Zuo Xiangyu's flustered departure and pursed her lips slightly.
That thoughtless Zuo Xiangyu, was she in such a hurry to go back and seek advice from Auntie Liu, or was she eager to send a message to her second sister, Zuo Xiangyun?
Zuo Xiangning couldn't understand for the life of her; she had always treated Auntie Liu and her daughter quite well, but why had they turned around and tried to harm her?
She was of a different mother than Zuo Xiangyun and Zuo Xiangyu, but they still shared the same father. Broken bones were still joined by tendons; how could they bring themselves to harm her?
It wasn't long before another set of hurried and heavy footsteps could be heard in the courtyard.
Zuo Xiangning's face brightened, and she quickly slipped on her shoes to greet him.
Her brother, Zuo Zimo, had arrived!
Zuo Zimo was sweating profusely as he ran inside.
"How did you end up in the water again?" Zuo Zimo asked in a panicked tone as he looked at Zuo Xiangning, whose eyes were slightly red, "How are you feeling now? Why does your face look so pale?"
At that moment, tears instantly welled up in Zuo Xiangning's eyes.
Her brother Zuo Zimo was two years her senior; he was just seventeen this year, a head taller and both broad and sturdy, like a small mountain.
But the thought of how Zuo Zimo later became thin and wizened like an old man with worry carved into his face, running errands for her sake... it pained her, causing her eyes to sting and her tears to flow irresistibly.
Zuo Zimo's brows were knotted into a "Chuan" character as he asked repeatedly, "Stop crying and tell me where it hurts. Have you seen a doctor yet? What did the doctor say?"
"Third Brother, I'm fine." Zuo Xiangning used a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her eyes, then handed a new handkerchief to Zuo Zimo, smiling reproachfully, "Why did you run over here? Your head is covered in sweat."
Zuo Zimo looked at Zuo Xiangning with suspicion as he took the handkerchief and wiped his face, "Why do you ask why I ran? I just heard that you fell into the lake and it almost scared me to death!"
"It's my fault, sister apologizes to you."
Zuo Xiangning smiled and bent her knees to perform a curtsy for him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her up, "Get back to bed right now and tell me what really happened."
Zuo Xiangning poured Zuo Zimo a cup of tea and laughed, "I did fall into the lake today, but big sister saved me, and I wasn't hurt. I haven't even told mother about this."
"Don't tell Third Brother either, I don't want to worry Mother."
"Do you think you can keep it from Mother?" Zuo Zimo drank a cup of tea and said, "I'll let the people at the second gate know in a bit. If you feel unwell, send someone to find me."
"What for? Can you treat illnesses?" Zuo Xiangning teased with a smile, "I'll be fine after I sleep, don't worry about me."
"I'll be in the front yard, I can find a doctor faster." Zuo Zimo instructed anxiously, "If you feel unwell, don't tolerate it."
Zuo Zimo was in a hurry to leave when Zuo Xiangning called out to him, "Third Brother—"
"What's the matter?" Zuo Zimo turned his head.
Zuo Xiangning had many things to say, but looking at Zuo Zimo's childish, youthful face, she pressed them back down into her heart.
"I just feel that Third Brother is extremely kind to me, but I'm not good to you at all." Zuo Xiangning's eyes reddened again.
"Realizing mistakes and making amends is the greatest virtue," Zuo Zimo said with a laugh as he ruffled her hair.
"Third Brother!" Zuo Xiangning playfully swatted his hand away, her lips slightly curving, and her watery big eyes slowly formed crescent moons, "I'll ask Nanny Cai to make some Sanxian dumplings in a while. Would you like to dine here with me?"
"I still have friends waiting for me over there. Have someone bring the dumplings to the front yard, I will go back to eat," Zuo Zimo said, observing that Zuo Xiangning's complexion still wasn't good, and spoke gently, "You should rest early too, I'll come check on you tomorrow morning."
"Which friend of yours came over? I wasn't aware. Since when did you have friends?"
"You really underestimate me, how can I not have friends?" Zuo Zimo said with a hint of pride, "That friend of mine is the Tanhuang Lang of the previous session, Eldest Young Master Gu, Gu Zhiqing..."
Gu Zhiqing?
Zuo Xiangning's jaw almost dropped in shock.
When had her Third Brother become friends with Gu Zhiqing?
How come she didn't know about it?
After leaving Prince Qi's Residence, Gu Zhiqing went to inform Zuo Zimo about her falling into the water. What was he plotting?
Had she ever met him in this life? Why was he focusing on her?
All of a sudden, Zuo Xiangning's mind became a tangled mess, without a clue to unravel it...
Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The Man Who Suddenly Appeared
Zuo Xiangning had drunk a bowl of ginger soup and sent all the maids out before diving into bed early.
Her head felt heavy, and she was worried about Zuo Zimo in the front yard.
Suddenly, she sensed a dark shadow slowly approaching her, and subconsciously thought it was Gu Zhiqing barging in!
She abruptly opened her eyes to see the bed curtain being lifted, and a large hand firmly covering her mouth.
Zuo Xiangning was shocked. She had just come back to life and had only just returned to her mother and brother, how could she let that beast Gu Zhiqing take her away again?
Like a dying wild beast, she bit down on the large hand and reached out to grab at the face of the dark figure.
The person clearly didn't expect such a small girl to be so fierce. Stunned for a moment, they didn't loosen their grip on her mouth, and with their other hand, they lifted her hands above her head. Then, with a lift of their leg, they heavily pressed down on her.
Zuo Xiangning instantly felt as if a thousand pounds were crushing her, nearly suffocating under the weight.
She immediately stopped all her struggles, fearfully looking up at the man covering his face on top of her.
The man was also looking down at her.
He hadn't expected it would be Fourth Miss Zuo, whom he had seen during the day.
Their eyes met, and Zuo Xiangning let out a long sigh of relief.
This man was not Gu Zhiqing!
Gu Zhiqing had double eyelids, but the man with the mask had slender, phoenix-shaped eyes.
The man also noticed the change in her.
"If you don't want to die, keep quiet!" the man said in a low voice.
Zuo Xiangning nodded.
The man frowned in confusion.
She was fighting like a desperate person just now, so why had she suddenly become so docile and obedient?
Looking at her deer-like, sparkling eyes, he added, "Considering I could come in without making any noise, you should know what I'm capable of."
Zuo Xiangning not only nodded but also blinked emphatically.
The man gave her a deep look, released her, sprang up from the bed, reached out to lift the bed curtain, stood by the bed, and looked down at the woman who was still lying there, stunned. "Do you have any hemostatic medicine?"
Zuo Xiangning quickly sat up in bed, her mind struggling intensely about whether to say yes or no.
The man took out a gold ingot from his waist and threw it on Zuo Xiangning, "Hurry up!"
As Zuo Xiangning held the gold ingot, she was taken aback. Was this man trying to bribe her with gold?
But this thought only flashed through her mind before she lifted the blanket and got out of bed.
A wise man does not eat losses before his eyes; she did not wish to die not even a full day after returning.
She obediently took out a white porcelain bottle from the lowest shelf of the Duobao lattice and handed it to the man, "It's been stored for a while, I don't know if it's still effective."
The man looked at his palm where there was a ring of a bite mark.
She was born in the year of the dog? Biting as soon as she opened her mouth!
Glancing at her, he disdainfully wiped his hand with the hem of his garment.
Zuo Xiangning watched his actions, pursing her lips.
The man then began to untie his clothing.
"What are you doing?" Zuo Xiangning hastily stepped back, leaning against the Duobao lattice, and reached behind to grasp a jade ornament, holding it high.
"I'm telling you, if you dare to do anything inappropriate, I'll fight you! My father is the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, with a third-rank…"
The man, looking at the plump woman who resembled a little piglet, couldn't help but laugh quietly, "You're just a little kid and you sure think of a lot."
The man took off the black outer garment to reveal the white Middle Garment underneath and pointed to a bloodstain on his back.
"Find a soft piece of cloth and help me apply the medicine."
Zuo Xiangning sighed in relief, hurried to the cabinet, searched for a while, then took one of her new Middle Garments and cut a piece from the bottom with scissors. She explained to the man, "This one is new; I really don't have any suitable cloth here."
The man's gaze merely brushed over the few pale blue flowers embroidered on the white cloth before he lifted his middle garment to expose his back to her.
Xiangning looked at the half-foot-long wound with flesh turned inside out and felt her legs go weak, her heart fiercely recalling the sight of Pan Cui being whipped by Gu Zhiqing until her skin split and bled.
"Hurry up!" The man, sensing some stirrings outside, urged her on.
Xiangning bit her lower lip and poured all the powder from the porcelain bottle onto the wound at once.
The man's body stiffened, his fingers on his knees clenched into fists.
Xiangning leaned in to see the sweat trickling down his forehead and whispered an apology, "The medicine wasn't spread evenly, shall I smooth it out with my hand?"
As she spoke, Xiangning reached out a finger to scrape the medicinal paste beneath the wound…
"Hiss—," the man recoiled, sucking in a breath of cold air and glaring at Xiangning, "Do you have a death wish?"
"I... I didn't mean to," Xiangning said with an innocent face.
The man looked at his trousers, now dotted with white powder, and said irritably, "It's all wasted, are you an idiot?"
Xiangning shook her head, "Some of it did get on the wound... wait a moment, I think I have another bottle."
Xiangning went back to her vanity to retrieve another medicine her elder sister had given her, "I don't know if this one is any good."
"It's fine," the man warned, "Be more careful this time!"
"Oh," Xiangning was extra cautious this time, she opened her hand wide and placed it beneath the man's wound.
The cool touch of her fingers met the burning heat of the man's muscular back, making him unconsciously flinch.
Xiangning looked up at him and carefully sprinkled the medicinal paste onto the wound, then reapplied what she caught in her hand back onto it.
Only then did she wrap a white cloth band around the man's waist.
However, her middle garment was only long enough to cover most of the man's waist, so she asked him to hold down both ends of the cloth while she fetched a pale blue silken cloth to wrap around the outside.
Being short with stubby arms, she nearly had to press up against him to secure the silk properly.
The man inhaled the faint jasmine scent in the air and looked down at the small woman who earnestly tied the silk into a butterfly knot, then reached into his waist and presented her with a gold ingot.
What kind of wealthy bumpkin was this?
Xiangning's eyelid twitched, too scared to accept it, "This medicine isn't worth that much."
The man withdrew his hand and tossed the gold ingot onto the bed.
He dressed himself and walked to the window, only turning back after hearing the outside had again become peaceful, to look at the small woman standing barefoot in the middle of the room in a white crescent-shaped middle garment, her hair loose, and whispered, "Clean up the room thoroughly, and if you don't want to invite a deadly disaster, don't mention this to anyone!"
Xiangning obediently nodded her head.
"And don't make any noise!" the man added.
Xiangning nodded obediently once more.
The man reached the doorway and turned to glance back at Xiangning, considering reminding her that a lady's boudoir should not be so close to someone else's residence.
But her parents must have had their own considerations, so why should he bother commenting?
He slipped out of the room.
Xiangning didn't even see clearly how the door opened and closed before the man disappeared.
Only then did she run back to the bed, terrified, place the two gold ingots in the nightstand by the head of the bed, cover her head tightly with the quilt, eyes wide open, ears alert for any sound from outside.
By the time the next morning arrived, having barely slept during the night, Xiangning felt not only unrested but oddly energized and remembered many things.
She first called Pan Cui to her side.
Xiangning's gaze landed on Pan Cui's delicate face.
In her previous life, Pan Cui and Pan Xia had entered the Gu Residence with her as part of her dowry, but neither had met a good end.
"Miss, is there something dirty on my face?" Pan Cui was confused under Xiangning's intense gaze.
Xiangning blinked and asked seemingly offhandedly, "Did you hear any noises outside last night?"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
30 Power
stone 
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