Chapter 56: No Need to Use the Hand

The candlelight in the room burned brightly, filling the space with light.

Song Ke came in carrying a medicine box and asked, “Where is the injury?”

After a whole day of exhausting work, he was about to sleep when someone pulled him up from his bed.

Looking up, he saw Pei Ji sitting beside the bed holding someone in his arms, saying, “Her hand is injured. Help her take a look.”

Song Ke, with a sigh of hardship, stepped forward. He looked at the wound wrapped in cloth, and just as he was about to examine it, another big hand blocked him.

“What are you doing?” Pei Ji narrowed his dark eyes slightly.

Song Ke was speechless at how possessive he was being. What else could he do?

“Prince, I want to look at the wound.”

Pei Ji paused for a moment, then reached out and carefully unwrapped the bandage that Qiuchan had applied to Jiang Huaiyue’s hand, layer by layer.

Then, he pinched Jiang Huaiyue’s hand and lifted it in front of Song Ke’s eyes: “Look.”

Song Ke: “…………”

He pursed his lips and just glanced at it. Thinking inwardly, it’s not such a serious injury — just some medicine and it’ll be fine. No need to make me run all this way. What a fuss.

Song Ke took two bottles of medicine from the box: “Here, this is a premium wound ointment. Apply it, and in less than four days it will scab over. After that, use this cream to prevent scarring.”

He gave clear instructions one by one and handed over the medicine.

Pei Ji reached out and took it: “Put it on.”

Song Ke snorted, annoyed, and carried his medicine box away.

Jiang Huaiyue looked at the person so close to her applying the medicine, her expression somewhat dazed.

What does he mean by this? Suddenly caring about her like this — it feels creepy.

Seeing her silence, Pei Ji spoke: “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing. Husband, how do you plan to help Miss Chu cancel the engagement?”

She worried about whether this matter could be resolved quickly. If not, she feared that if she ran away and Pei Ji got angry, he wouldn’t help anymore — and then she would have let down Chu Nanxi.

Pei Ji applied the ointment on her hand: “You’ll know in a few days.”

Jiang Huaiyue pursed her lips, looking at her hand wrapped up like a rice dumpling, and her mouth twitched involuntarily.

“Husband, isn’t your bandaging a bit too…”

She was about to complain when she felt the cold gaze of the man, and immediately swallowed her words.

Pei Ji said in a low voice, “Too what?”

Jiang Huaiyue bit her lip, then smiled: “Too perfect. Thank you, husband.”

Under the eaves, one must bow.

They say the light shows a beauty best — Pei Ji’s gaze swept over her snow-white neck, and the fire he had just been suppressing flared up instantly.

Suddenly being pinned down, Jiang Huaiyue looked up: “Husband, my hand is still injured.”

“You’re not supposed to use it anyway. What’s there to fear?” He said expressionlessly, then lowered his head and kissed her neck.

Jiang Huaiyue, ticklish, shrank slightly, a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes. That dog of a man, she was injured and he still wouldn’t let her go.

Pei Ji raised her injured hand above her head, untied her clothes, and gently played with it.

Jiang Huaiyue couldn’t help but arch her body from his touch. She looked up — though what they were doing was clearly an amorous act, he somehow still gave off a cool and restrained aura, which made her feel ticklish.

On the bed, ambiguous sounds came forth, and Jiang Huaiyue whimpered softly.

In the heat of the moment, she vaguely heard him say: “Be good.”

——————

Three days later.

The sky was gloomy. Jiang Huaiyue wore a pale yellow, narrow-sleeved garment, the hem flowing gracefully. Her three thousand strands of hair were lightly pinned up at the back of her head, adorned simply with a few pearl hairpins.

She opened the window, her brows slightly furrowed: “Qiuchan, have all the things been packed?”

“Princess, rest assured, everything has already been prepared,” Qiuchan replied, standing not far behind Jiang Huaiyue.

Jiang Huaiyue gave a hum of acknowledgment, then looked up at the sky devoid of any sunlight: “Bring an umbrella.”

It might rain tonight; it’s better to be prepared.

“Yes, Princess,” Qiuchan responded and turned to get ready.

At the same time, in the general’s mansion at the mourning hall.

Su Xiangwan, dressed in white and looking haggard, stood guard at the mourning hall. Guests paying their respects would offer condolences to her as they left.

She nodded slowly in response.

At that moment, Chu Nanxi, offering incense in the mourning hall, looked at the coffin and felt her heart tighten. Suppressing her sadness, she personally placed the incense sticks.

Turning back, she looked at the grief-stricken Su Xiangwan and said, “Madam, the deceased has passed on. You should take care of your health.”

Su Xiangwan looked up and met Chu Nanxi’s concerned gaze and said, “Thank you, Miss Chu.”

Chu Nanxi nodded, “Madam, you are welcome. If you ever need help, you can come to the Grand Tutor’s residence to find me.”

“Alright,” Su Xiangwan agreed.

When most of the mourners had left, Su Xiangwan suddenly staggered. Ning Xiang, quick and attentive, caught her: “Madam, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just a bit dizzy,” Su Xiangwan leaned into her arms weakly.

Ning Xiang sobbed, “Madam, because of the general’s funeral, you haven’t slept for three days. If the general knew, he would surely be heartbroken over you.”

Listening to Ning Xiang’s words, Su Xiangwan couldn’t help but drift into other thoughts. She thought Ning Xiang was quite good at acting.

“Ning Xiang, don’t say that. This is what I should be doing.”

The steward came over and said with concern, “Madam, please rest a bit. Leave everything here to this old servant.”

“But there are still many guests who haven’t left yet,” Su Xiangwan hesitated.

The steward cupped his hands, “Madam, don’t worry. I will handle everything. Please rest now. You are the only master of the general’s household.”

The general had no parents or siblings, and with no children from Madam, it would be up to her to keep the family going.

“Thank you, steward. I will go rest for a while. If anything happens, send someone to find me,” Su Xiangwan said, standing straight and speaking slowly.

“Madam, you are too polite. I understand,” the steward replied.

Ning Xiang helped Su Xiangwan back to the courtyard and, once inside the room, closed the door behind them.

“Miss, you should sleep for a while. I will call you later,” Ning Xiang said, looking at the dark bruises under her eyes.

Her earlier words were true; Su Xiangwan really hadn’t slept well these days.

But it wasn’t because of the funeral for Xiao Qingrong, but because of planning her escape.

“I’m not sleepy. You stay outside and keep watch,” Su Xiangwan whispered.

Ning Xiang knew she had things to do. She bowed and turned to leave, closing the door and silently guarding the entrance.

The room fell silent. Su Xiangwan opened the cabinet and took out a box from the packed luggage.

She slowly opened the box and took out a prepared hidden dart, placing it on her arm.

Whispering softly, “Hope everything goes smoothly.”

---

At night, Pei Ji, accompanied by Mo Ying, entered the palace gates and proceeded without obstruction into the Imperial Study. Behind him, Mo Ying held a sword stained with the blood of the young eunuchs they had just fought at the entrance.

Jiang Jingchen looked at Pei Ji, his face dark: “What is the Regent Prince doing?”

How dare he barge in without an imperial summons, and even have his men kill inside the palace? Such audacity.

Mo Ying pulled a chair over and placed it behind Pei Ji. Pei Ji sat down gracefully, looking at Jiang Jingchen, who seemed as startled as a frightened bird: “Does Your Majesty not realize?”