Chapter Twenty: Healing the Wounds

I pulled my hand back and nodded. “It hurts so much!”

“I’ll take him to the infirmary first,” Ma Wencai said as he carried me toward the infirmary.

Wang Lan rebandaged my wound, and the pain made me cry out loudly. “Miss Lan, could you be a little gentler? I’m flesh and blood, you know!”

“Master Liu, you’ll have to bear with it. Your foot injury will hurt even more, but once the pain passes, it will be fine,” Wang Lan said as she began removing my shoe. I instinctively pulled my foot back; I admit, I’m afraid of pain.

Ma Wencai, who had been sitting quietly listening to my cries, came over and patted my shoulder. “Miss Lan is very skilled. Just endure it a little longer, and it will be over.”

“That’s right, Master Liu. You’re a grown man; this little injury and pain are nothing. Come,” Wang Huitian said, giving my leg a firm tug. Startled, I clung tightly to Ma Wencai’s waist. He stood while I sat, and the angle was just right.

“Ugh!!!” The pain was excruciating. I buried my head against Ma Wencai’s waist, unable to stop sobbing.

“Yi Qing, what exactly are you two doing?” Xie Daoyun and the others hurriedly arrived at the infirmary.

Hearing Xie Daoyun’s reprimand, I quickly lifted my head and realized I was still clutching Ma Wencai’s waist, my mouth biting his belt. What a humiliating scene. I wiped my face, glanced at Ma Wencai, then at Xie Daoyun. She looked anxious, staring at me intently, while Ma Wencai’s expression was strange—those four words came to mind: beyond description.

“Yi Qing, how could you…” Xie Daoyun strode toward me, glancing between me and Ma Wencai.

I knew what she wanted to say about boundaries. “Sir, I was in so much pain just now, I lost control in the moment.”

Xie Daoyun gave me a meaningful look, then turned to Wang Lan. “Miss Lan, how are Yi Qing’s injuries?”

“Master Liu’s foot injury has healed. The arm wound will take some more time to recover,” Wang Lan replied.

Xie Daoyun nodded. I noticed Zhu Yingtai’s face showed some anxiety too. She probably wasn’t worried about me—she must be concerned about Ma Wencai. Since she didn’t ask, I decided to speak up. “Brother Wencai, are you all right?”

Ma Wencai shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Sir, Liu Xiangdong has really gone too far. This must have been his doing,” Zhu Yingtai said.

Xie Daoyun nodded in agreement. Then she looked at Ma Wencai. “Ma Wencai, I never expected he would dare to kill you.”

Ma Wencai sneered and cupped his hands. “Sir, please do not interfere in this matter. I will handle it myself.”

“Very well,” Xie Daoyun agreed.

Ma Wencai helped me back to my room and called Yezi to take care of me. The sun was about to set when Yezi prepared to fetch dinner, but Wang Lantian came in carrying only one tray of food.

“Yezi, you should eat first. I’ll take care of my young master,” Wang Lantian said.

Yezi nodded. “I trust you to take care of my young master the most, Lord Wang.”

Wang Lantian smiled faintly and pushed the tray toward me. My right hand was injured, so I could only use my left hand to hold the chopsticks. Though it was a struggle, I managed to get some food into my mouth.

Wang Lantian pressed his lips into a smile, took my chopsticks, and picked up a piece of meat, bringing it to my mouth. I was momentarily stunned. Wang Lantian chuckled, “How can you eat with your left hand? Let me help.”

I smiled awkwardly and opened my mouth to eat, when suddenly Ma Wencai shouted, “What are you two doing?”

“Ah!” A piece of braised pork fell splendidly onto my white robe. Angry, I stood up. “Ma Wencai, we’re just eating. Why are you yelling? Look at the mess you caused.”

“I…” Ma Wencai pouted and said nothing. I saw he was holding a tray of food as well.

Wang Lantian took out a handkerchief. “Your clothes are all stained. Let me help you clean it.”

“No, no need,” I declined.

Ma Wencai stopped Wang Lantian with one hand. “Wang Lantian, he has hands and feet. Surely he can handle such a small thing himself.”

“Didn’t you see he’s injured? Even eating is a problem,” Wang Lantian said.

Ma Wencai stood firm. “Brother Yi Qing was hurt because of me. Naturally, I will take good care of him. No need for your concern.”

“You…” Just as the argument was about to escalate, I quickly intervened. “Brother Lantian, I’m fine. If the clothes get dirty, I’ll just change. The sun is about to set; you should return to your room and rest.”

Wang Lantian glanced at Ma Wencai, then looked at me. “Yi Qing, be careful with your arm wound. If you need anything, ask Acheng to help you. I’ll take my leave now.”

I nodded and saw Wang Lantian out the door. Ma Wencai followed. “Call Yezi to help you change your clothes.”

I watched Ma Wencai walk away. He said to call Yezi to help me change—could he have really noticed something? I thought about it and immediately dismissed the idea. If Ma Wencai had discovered I was a woman, he would have reported me to the headmaster long ago.

Back in the room, there was an extra meal on the table—Ma Wencai had left it for me. Using my left hand, I picked at the food and roughly finished my dinner. Yezi came back to help me change clothes, and I lay down on the bed to sleep.

In the middle of the night, I rolled over and accidentally hit the wound on my arm, waking me with sharp pain. I opened my eyes and sat up, noticing the candle was still burning. Ma Wencai had not returned to his room yet; how strange.

I didn’t want to bother him and tried to go back to sleep, but the pain kept me awake. I put on my outer garment and opened the door. The night air in July, even in ancient times, was still cool. Unconsciously, I walked into the garden. The air here was indescribably fresh—completely different from Beijing.

By the pavilion, I saw someone lying face down on a stone table, dressed in scholar’s robes. I stepped quietly to the table and recognized Ma Wencai. His eyes were tightly shut, his brow furrowed, as if he was sleeping restlessly. I reached out and shook his shoulder. “Brother Wencai, Brother Wencai, wake up! Wake up!”

“Don’t touch me,” Ma Wencai swung his long arm, pulling me down to the ground. I gasped in pain.

It seemed this woke him up. His eyes looked vacant as he scanned the surroundings before finally resting on me. He hurried over and helped me up. “Why you? What are you doing out here so late? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Tears welled in my eyes as I touched the cursed wound again. “I was worried because you hadn’t returned to your room, so I came to check on you.”

“You came looking for me?” Ma Wencai looked surprised, then explained, “I… I was just admiring the scenery and accidentally fell asleep.”

I glanced around. “Admiring the scenery in the middle of the night? That’s boring enough. Let’s go back.”

I patted Ma Wencai’s shoulder with my left hand, but he didn’t react at all. Curious, I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I…” Ma Wencai’s eyes flickered. “I want to stay a little longer. You should go back first.”