Chapter 66 – This Was the First Time He Ever Disliked a Woman So Much

Facing Lin Tingyu’s innocent smile, everyone’s expressions became somewhat difficult to describe.

Song Jiuyuan gazed at Lin Tingyu with a trace of melancholy, thinking, How is this a coincidence? You clearly chased after us with all your might.

“Young Master Lin has a frail constitution. He should be getting proper rest,” Jiang Wan frowned. Lin Tingyu was different from them. Song Jiuyuan’s health had never recovered, but as an exile, he had no choice but to continue traveling.

Lin Tingyu, however, was free. He could have easily stayed behind and rested for some time before setting off again.

“Ting—Young Master Lin, even Madam Song says so. You really should rest more,” Hua Xiao said, adjusting the form of address on her lips in response to Lin Tingyu’s cold gaze.

Only when she spoke did Jiang Wan realize, to her dismay, that this shameless woman had actually tagged along.

Even though Lin Tingyu had already drawn a clear boundary between them, Hua Xiao was unwilling to give up. Fortunately, both she and her father could ride horses.

Even if Lin Tingyu didn’t want to travel with her, she could follow on her own horse—he couldn’t stop her from doing that, could he?

“I’m fine,” Lin Tingyu replied without even glancing at Hua Xiao, his heart heavy with irritation. This was the first time he had ever disliked a woman so much.

Housekeeper Lin let out a helpless sigh. How is the young master fine? Clearly, he just doesn’t want Madam Song to know that he’s unwell.

But Madam Song was a physician—she could tell at a glance how bad his condition really was.

Sure enough, Jiang Wan glanced at Lin Tingyu and said, “If you keep being this stubborn, my acupuncture last time would’ve been in vain.”

“I’ll lie down in the carriage. I won’t move around,” Lin Tingyu insisted.

Jiang Wan didn’t bother dealing with other people’s issues. Since they were neither too close nor too distant, even Ren Bang found it hard to intervene.

“You gave him acupuncture?” Song Jiuyuan said quietly.

Their eyes met. Jiang Wan instantly understood what he meant, and she awkwardly rubbed the tip of her nose.

“I was too tired last night. I’ll do yours tonight.”

She had been in such a hurry to enter the space and plant things that she had completely forgotten about the promise she made to Song Jiuyuan.

Actually, Song Jiuyuan had remembered it the whole time, but when he saw her peacefully sleeping last night, he couldn’t bear to wake her up.

Anyway, his condition wouldn’t improve so quickly. Skipping a day wouldn’t make much of a difference.

That night, they stayed in a dilapidated old house in the wilderness. No one knew who had built this place.

The house was in poor condition, with long-neglected windows, but it was still better than sleeping outdoors.

There were several rooms. Jiang Wan stayed in one with the Chen family. To her surprise, Lin Tingyu’s group didn’t continue traveling but also chose to rest here.

Hua Xiao had chased after Lin Tingyu the entire way and naturally didn’t want to leave.

Since their relationship was now clearly severed, Jiang Wan didn’t bother with them. Instead, she took a small bunch of fresh green vegetables out from her basket, followed by a wild rabbit, leaving Song Jiuli blinking in surprise.

“Sister-in-law, when did you pick those vegetables? How come I didn’t notice?”

“You weren’t with me the whole time,” Jiang Wan replied, not wanting to explain too much. She instructed Song Jiuli to make dinner, then took out her silver needles and turned to Song Jiuyuan.

“I’ll do your acupuncture now.”

“Alright.”

Song Jiuyuan didn’t even ask where the silver needles came from. He was gradually realizing that she had secrets she didn’t want to share.

Since she didn’t want to talk about them, he’d act as if he didn’t know.

Song Jichi and Madam Song used a tattered curtain to give Jiang Wan and Song Jiuyuan some privacy.

Song Jiuyuan lay on the simple couch that Madam Song had cleaned up, while Jiang Wan began sterilizing her needles.

The water pouch actually contained alcohol from her space, though Song Jiuli thought it was liquor that Housekeeper Lin had given them from an inn.

“What are you waiting for? Take off your clothes,” Jiang Wan said, realizing he hadn’t moved. Her eyes landed on his trousers.

The worst of his injuries were on his lower body, so that was where she needed to focus her treatment.

Song Jiuyuan’s face darkened, and his voice carried a strange tinge of grievance. “Did you undress Lin Tingyu like this for acupuncture too?”

Just imagining Lin Tingyu taking off his clothes in front of Jiang Wan filled Song Jiuyuan with frustration.

“Of course. Don’t worry. In the eyes of a doctor, there are only patients,” Jiang Wan answered solemnly.

Thinking that Song Jiuyuan might be having difficulty removing his trousers due to his injuries, she simply reached out to help.

Song Jiuyuan: …

“Jiang Wan, you’re a woman!” he said, annoyed.

Although she had already applied medicine to him in the cave, he still felt embarrassed and ashamed now.

“I’m a doctor,” Jiang Wan replied calmly, pressing down on his body to stop him from squirming. “Song Jiuyuan, stop moving.”

There was no denying that Song Jiuyuan had a very well-toned physique. After all, he was a seasoned warrior with impressive martial skills, and it showed in his defined abs.

But Jiang Wan didn’t have time to admire that—she began calmly inserting the needles.

Fortunately, most of the wounds had already scabbed over, which made her job easier. His earlier injuries had been so severe that they were still bleeding, forcing her to use only external medicine.

Now that the external wounds had mostly healed, with her acupuncture and internal medicine, Song Jiuyuan should recover quickly.

“Can you feel this spot?” she asked in a neutral tone, not noticing that under the firelight, Song Jiuyuan’s ears had turned crimson.

“Yes,” Song Jiuyuan bit his lip. It hurt—a lot—but he didn’t want the others in the room to sense his weakness.

“Good. Hang in there. You’ll recover soon,” Jiang Wan said.

When the treatment was done, her forehead was beaded with sweat. She couldn’t help thinking that this body still needed to be strengthened.

Luckily, the items from her space contained spiritual energy, and her abilities seemed to be slowly improving.

“Mm,” Song Jiuyuan grunted softly, closing his eyes and turning his face away to hide his vulnerability.

Jiang Wan understood his pride and said nothing. She shifted her consciousness and retrieved an internal medicine pill she had prepared earlier from her pharmacy space.

Fifteen minutes later, she removed the needles. Her smooth, practiced movements made Song Jiuyuan fall into thought once more.

Is she really that “useless and talentless” Jiang Wan from the Ministry of Rites’ household?

As he was thinking this, he suddenly felt a cool sensation. Jiang Wan was using her fingers to gently apply salve to his legs.

While she worked, she said, “During this time, don’t use your inner strength, or it will affect your recovery.”

“Alright.”

Song Jiuyuan nodded and quietly focused on sensing the gradually returning inner power in his body. His gaze toward Jiang Wan grew more and more complicated.

He had already known, back when he was flogged, that the plank used on him had been laced with some kind of drug.

He didn’t know exactly what kind of drug it was, but once the poison had seeped into his body, he’d become like a cripple—unable to feel his internal energy.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have just stood there watching as he and Jiang Wan fell off the cliff.

He had never told anyone, not wanting his family to worry. Yet somehow, Jiang Wan knew?

“These pills need to be taken regularly. Keep them safe. Take one after every meal,” Jiang Wan said as she handed him a thumb-sized bamboo tube. Her fingertips brushed his palm, leaving a fleeting trace of coolness.

“Thank you, Jiang Wan.”

Song Jiuyuan’s thanks came from the bottom of his heart. Jiang Wan’s stomach growled in response.

“Alright, don’t get all sentimental,” she muttered, lifting the curtain and stepping out. Then she turned to Song Jichi and said, “Go help your brother tidy up.”