Chapter 23 Covered in Scars

The private doctor arrived quickly.

Before Qu Qingzhi came to Ninggang, she had already considered what to do afterward.

It just so happened that her family’s private doctor was a middle-aged woman.

“Cutting your wrists is absolutely something you cannot do,” the doctor said sternly. “If the artery is severed, it could be fatal!”

Xie Muhuan lay on the sofa, a thin blanket that Qu Qingzhi had placed over him covering his body.

His long, black eyelashes drooped weakly, his face pale as paper, and his lips had lost all color.

His wrist was now bandaged, disinfected, and the bleeding had stopped.

“Anywhere else he’s injured?” the doctor asked.

“His thigh…”

Just as Qu Qingzhi was about to speak, Xie Muhuan interrupted hoarsely, “No more injuries.”

The doctor glanced at Qu Qingzhi.

Qu Qingzhi made a gesture to the doctor, and the two of them walked out of the hotel room.

In the hallway, Qu Qingzhi finally spoke. “Dr. Pan, just leave me the medicine for external wounds and the anti-inflammatory drugs. I’ll apply them myself.”

Dr. Pan had been serving the Qu family for many years, so she didn’t ask too many questions. She handed over a medical kit and explained in detail how to use the medications inside.

After seeing the doctor off, Qu Qingzhi returned to the room.

Xie Muhuan lay quietly on the sofa, his delicate and handsome features resembling a frozen sculpture, cold and pale.

It seemed as if he had fallen asleep.

Qu Qingzhi tiptoed over.

But just as she opened the medical kit, Xie Muhuan suddenly opened his eyes, a flash of wariness briefly flickering within them.

“So, you weren’t asleep…” Qu Qingzhi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

He probably didn’t dare let himself sleep, did he?

For the past month, he had been hung in an iron cage, and whenever anyone came, it was likely to insult and torment him.

He didn’t dare relax, didn’t dare sleep, like a bow stretched taut.

Xie Muhuan didn’t answer, slowly closing his eyes again.

Qu Qingzhi’s gaze swept over his neck, noticing the faintly bulging veins, a sign that his body was still tense and on guard.

His eyes had a faint blue tinge, his dark circles were obvious, and he had become alarmingly thin.

If he kept pushing himself like this… he’d likely collapse from sheer exhaustion.

“Xie Muhuan, I’m going downstairs. I’ll be back soon,” Qu Qingzhi said, heading out.

She had come by her family’s car, and there were some things in the trunk.

Before she had crossed into this world, she had been attending university, studying at one of the world’s top perfume schools.

She loved essential oils and natural fragrances.

After becoming “Qu Qingzhi” in this world, she had asked the butler to help her collect various raw materials.

She carried a bunch of bottles and jars upstairs, and soon the clinking of glass sounded as she began mixing.

Xie Muhuan glanced at her, saw that she was standing far away, and then closed his eyes again.

The faint scent of fragrance began to fill the room.

Qu Qingzhi had carefully chosen neroli and lavender essential oils to soothe and aid sleep, blending them with precise amounts of natural ingredients to create a unique sleep-inducing aroma.

She turned her head and stole a glance at Xie Muhuan, who was still lying on the sofa.

His once-tense neck seemed to relax a little, and although his fists hadn’t unclenched, they were no longer tightly gripped but curled slightly.

He was drifting off.

…

Xie Muhuan slipped into a dream.

He found himself walking through a fragrant forest.

The forest had a peculiar scent, one that felt vaguely familiar, as if he had smelled it on someone before.

He felt his body and mind gradually relax.

Suddenly, the lush forest transformed into a massive iron cage!

He was trapped inside!

“You think you can escape? Dream on!”

“Once this shot takes effect, you’ll be begging us to satisfy you, hahaha…”

“This kid’s tough. The harder he is to break, the better. I’ll be the first to have him!”

“Well, I’ll settle for second.”

Fury exploded within Xie Muhuan, and he shouted, “Get lost! If any of you come closer, we’ll all die together!”

In the dream, a fruit knife suddenly appeared in his hand.

The men, sneering, advanced toward him, reaching out to tear his clothes.

Xie Muhuan stabbed at them, the knife plunging into the shoulder of the man in the lead.

The man screamed in pain and kicked him in the chest, the pointed toe of his shoe pressing against Xie Muhuan’s throat as he snarled, “Dare to fight back? I’ll give you a double dose of the drug. Let’s see how you beg for mercy later!”

A syringe with a glinting needle suddenly plunged into his arm.

Xie Muhuan began trembling violently in his dream.

“No… no!”

He knew how terrible that drug was!

He had barely managed to resist it with all his willpower. He could only keep stabbing himself, using the pain to stay conscious.

“Xie Muhuan? Xie Muhuan?” Qu Qingzhi stood by the sofa, carefully reaching out.

Her hand had barely touched the blanket when he started convulsing. His right hand formed a stabbing motion, repeatedly hitting his thigh… as if he were stabbing himself with a knife!

His thigh was already injured, and now fresh blood gushed out, staining the thin blanket red.

“Xie Muhuan, you’re just dreaming!”

Qu Qingzhi grabbed his hand, but he struggled violently, and she couldn’t hold on.

Seeing his self-harm grow more frenzied while he remained unconscious, Qu Qingzhi made a swift decision. She took a sedative from the medical kit and injected it into his arm.

When the needle pierced him, he reacted like a startled bird, jerking upright.

Gradually, the drug took effect, and he finally calmed down, no longer thrashing about.

Qu Qingzhi’s heart ached as she carefully pulled back the blanket and lifted his robe—

The inside of his thigh was a bloody mess.

The wounds were hideous, as though the flesh had been slashed a thousand times, a sight so horrifying it was unbearable to look at.

“Xie Muhuan…” Tears welled up uncontrollably in Qu Qingzhi’s eyes. How could he have been so cruel to himself?

She gently untied the belt of his robe.

There were injuries on his abdomen, his chest, and probably on his back as well.

Some were long whip marks, others were bruises from beatings, and there were even cigarette burns…

The sight was appalling, a scene of utter devastation.

Qu Qingzhi couldn’t hold back her tears. She bit her lip and took the external medicine from the kit, carefully applying it to each of his wounds.

Her hands still carried the faint scent of the calming fragrance, like a gentle summer breeze brushing softly over his skin.