Elder Yue wore a purple court robe, just returning from the palace. His expression was grim as he stepped into the house, cursing under his breath, calling Young Master Zhou an old scoundrel and a useless brat.
"Master, the young master is waiting in the study," said the chubby head steward, running over with a slight bow.
Ever since Elder Yue unusually punished his wife, the atmosphere in the house had become more tense each day. The steward wondered if he should call the young lady back for a visit.
"What is he waiting for?" Elder Yue asked, pretending not to know, and frowned, "Tell him to get back to the Hanlin Academy and focus on his duties."
"Father, calm down," Ishmael stepped out from behind the door in a moon-white long robe, wide sleeves flowing like clouds. His long brows and elegant looks made him appear beyond worldly beauty.
There were two shining stars in the capital, Ishmael from the Yue family and Ludovic from the Ning family. Each had their strengths, but in terms of temperament, Ishmael stood out more.
One looked like a cool immortal, the other a graceful nobleman. Countless noble ladies admired both deeply.
Seeing such an outstanding son, Elder Yue's tone softened a little, "It's not your rest day today. Why did you come back?"
"Father, mother made a grave mistake. How can I ignore it?"
"You don't need to speak for her."
Ishmael followed his father into the study. "I'm not asking on her behalf. But something is off about the matter."
"Do you think it was just a simple punishment?"
"Then why did you still"
"Women and petty men are the hardest to manage. A foolish woman like her is better off staying at home." Elder Yue didn't want to discuss further. "Ishmael, you don't need to bother with these trivial household matters. A gentleman must cultivate himself, manage his family, and govern the nation. You should start thinking about your marriage."
He spoke seriously. In these times, noble women were rare, so it was best to settle these matters early.
Although Ishmael's current rank didn't allow him to marry a noblewoman outright, he could begin to make connections.
Later, Elder Yue would pull some strings. As long as Ishmael liked her, marriage would be no issue. He sighed at his son, who always avoided this topic and never gave him peace of mind.
"No need to worry, father." Ishmael looked quietly out the window at the budding willow branches and said softly, "I'll go see mother now."
"Go on, go on," Elder Yue waved him off, then leaned over his desk and wrote a secret letter, handing it to the person behind him. "Deliver this quietly to Young Master Zhou. I have something important to discuss."
"Yes, master."
The wind stirred as if a storm was coming. It seemed some news had already leaked. Elder Yue's face grew heavy.
"Cough, cough" Aenwyn dug Indigo out from the sand.
"Wake up, wake up," she patted his face. Indigo was unconscious. His wound had stopped bleeding, but his abdomen was covered in sand and blood.
Aenwyn's hands trembled as she checked for breath. He was still breathing, though barely.
Good, not dead
But his forehead was burning. He seemed to have a high fever.
Alizeh was nearby, chewing on grass. After the sandstorm passed, they had luckily ended up on the edge of a small oasis with a little pool of water inside.
Aenwyn dragged Indigo over to the pool. While moving him, she spotted Haozhou not far away.
He lay on his back, half-buried in sand, only his head sticking out. If the horse beside him hadn't caught her eye, she wouldn't have seen him.
Sadly, the horse was already dead. She had probably struck too hard earlier. Aenwyn went over and touched the horse's head, then dragged Haozhou over as well.
A good deed a day. She couldn't just leave someone to die.
She had already gotten her revenge. Besides, she had tricked him.
Haozhou had only injured his leg. When she touched him, he was already awake.
He felt himself being dragged and then thrown roughly by the water's edge.
"I thought women were gentle as water?" Haozhou looked up and teased the short figure moving around busily.
Aenwyn was treating Indigo's wounds. Hearing him, she glared at him, "Who are you calling a woman?"
"Heh, still pretending?" Haozhou smirked. "I already heard your voice earlier."
"Indigo looks like he's about to die. Maybe you should consider me instead."
Aenwyn laughed. Even in this state, he was still flirting. Wasn't he afraid she'd kill him with one stroke She walked over, crouched down, and said, "I'm thinking about how to suffocate you right here."
Since she had been exposed, she stopped lowering her voice. Her tone was soft and a little raspy. Haozhou's eyes lit up in surprise when he heard it.
As she spoke, she pulled out a knife and gestured toward Haozhou's injured leg. "What if I make the wound a bit bigger?"
"Haha, don't dirty your pretty hands."
Aenwyn pressed the back of the blade hard against his wound.
"Ah" Haozhou broke out in a cold sweat from the pain. He was furious. "Don't push your luck. When I recover"
A slap answered him. Aenwyn's hand turned red from the strike.
"What will you do?" she rubbed her palm, clearly ready to slap again if he dared speak.
Haozhou's face turned red from the slap. He clenched his fists, wanting to retaliate, but for some reason, he didn't move.
"Hmph, stay put."
Indigo's injuries were more serious, so Aenwyn continued treating his wounds. The ointment she found on him earlier was only suitable for small cuts. She had already used it elsewhere, and now only his abdomen was left.
The wound there was more severe, and she hesitated to touch it. The blood had already clotted, so she carefully tore open the fabric over the injury, but it must have hurt because Indigo's lips trembled.
This would not work, he might start bleeding again. Just then, a white porcelain medicine bottle rolled over to her foot, thrown by Haozhou.
Aenwyn looked up at him suspiciously. Was he really being helpful?
"My leg's hurt too. After you finish with him, help me out as well," Haozhou said.
Aenwyn picked it up and smelled it. It was medicinal powder, with a strong scent.
But still…
She had to test it first.
"How do I use it?"
"Sprinkle it directly on the wound."
Aenwyn walked over to Haozhou and tore open his pant leg, making him scream in pain. "Be gentle!"
"Are you even a man?"
"Don't move." Crying out over a little injury like that.
She roughly cleaned his leg, then sprinkled the powder on. The blood immediately coagulated.
This medicine is good. Aenwyn smiled with satisfaction.
"Hey, hey, bandage it too!" Haozhou was annoyed when she started to walk away after applying the powder.
"You don't have hands?"
Grumbling, Haozhou ripped up his undershirt and quickly bandaged himself. Watching Aenwyn carefully tend to Indigo's wounds, his eyes turned red with jealousy.
He glared viciously at the man lying there.
"What's so good about him? Still hasn't even grown all his hair," he mocked.
"Are you looking for death?" Aenwyn looked up at him.
She realized that men in this world didn't understand respect. If they were good-looking, she had more tolerance. But someone like him, she didn't even want to glance at.
Indigo really was too handsome, the perfect mix of dark and proud. A beautiful young man through and through.
As a painter, good looks were a free pass in her book.
"Hmph, Indigo's still a virgin. Can he even satisfy you?" Haozhou continued to sneer, looking at Aenwyn. Her black mask was off, her skin rough and her complexion dull.
But he had seen her in women's clothes before. She was breathtakingly beautiful. He cursed Indigo in his heart, wishing him dead.
And if he didn't die, Haozhou would help him on the way.
Aenwyn's foot itched again. That last kick had been too light. This guy actually dared to lust after her.
She prepared to slap him hard across the face.
"Don't hit me!" Haozhou saw her hand rise and cried out pitifully.
Aenwyn lowered her hand and smiled faintly, then began undressing him.
Haozhou was stunned.
"The little beauty is this bold? You've finally come around, haha!" He helped her take off his outer clothes, chest burning, face flushed.
"Hehe, I'll let you taste paradise," he said, only to watch Aenwyn slash his coat into strips with a knife. He finally realized he had misunderstood.
Aenwyn tested the strength of the strips, they were just usable. She walked behind him and tied up his hands with the cloth.
Not just his hands, but also his feet.
In the end, she stuffed a wad of rag into his mouth.
"Mmm! What are you doing?" Haozhou stared at her, muffled.
"You're too noisy." If she wasn't holding back, she really would've stabbed him again.
When Haozhou glared at her again, Aenwyn kicked him, making him fall so his back was facing her. Only then was she satisfied.
Indigo was still lying there, but his temperature was starting to rise again. His beautiful face looked parched, lips dry. Aenwyn scooped a few handfuls of water and helped him drink.
His throat moved as he swallowed. He still had some consciousness. Aenwyn let out a breath of relief.
But this fever couldn't go on.
She tore more strips from Haozhou's clothes, soaked them in water, and placed them on Indigo's forehead. It helped him feel a little better.
Maybe it was because of the illness, but the usually aloof and proud boy now looked obedient, his face pale as paper, with a hint of fragile youth. He finally looked like a teenager.
Her feelings for him were always different.
Alizeh had finished grazing and now wandered over, lying down beside her and swishing its tail.
"Alizeh." Aenwyn gently touched the scars on its back. It licked her face with its tongue.
"Stop licking, Alizeh. It's dirty."
She had removed her dust mask when the sandstorm died down. Now her face was smudged with dirt, blood, and smears of worn-out disguise.
After two licks, Alizeh seemed to think she tasted bad and let out two sharp cries.
Aenwyn had no choice. Her face felt sticky. She went to a puddle to wash her face and hands.
Her clean face revealed soft, fair skin, bright eyes, and rose-colored lips, with a pair of shallow dimples.
She looked beautiful and pure. Her waist-length curls had slipped from the hairpin, and her slender hands combed through them under the setting sun. There was too much sand. She needed a quick fix.
The man who had been kicked over had already rolled back to face her. He stared wide-eyed, drooling at the sight.
The one lying on the ground also opened his eyes. His dark gaze swept over Haozhou, then closed again.
…
Night fell quickly in the desert. As the last bit of sunlight vanished, darkness arrived.
The black night, like a giant curtain, emboldened someone. He quietly worked to free his hands from the cloth binding and crept toward the small figure.