Chapter 39 Life-Saving Benefactor

Chapter 39: The Life-Saving Benefactor

“The tendons in your hands and feet are fine. You were poisoned, and the wounds on your hands were left from letting blood and draining the poison.” Xie Nai paused for a moment. “As for this bracelet, it’s only to help stabilize your blood and strengthen your constitution.”

Xie Nai noticed that Qin Jiao had been uncomfortable just now and wanted to shift his position, so he stepped forward and lifted him up again, the same way as before.

“No, no, no, how could I trouble you to stoop to this? I can manage on my own.”

Qin Jiao shrank back in Xie Nai’s arms, his hands not daring to touch him.

This was the Prince of Lingnan, after all. He was always the one being waited on, never the one waiting on others. The first time, Qin Jiao was a bit out of it, but now he wouldn’t dare to be so presumptuous.

Qin Jiao thrashed like a scared rabbit, and Xie Nai, worried he’d tear his wounds open, gently let him go. Freed, Qin Jiao slowly adjusted his position until he was comfortable.

Meanwhile, Xie Nai moved to the nearby writing table. Qin Jiao stole a glance at him—a divine youth standing there, tall and radiant, dazzling.

But... Qin Jiao frowned. “Your Highness, how did you get another red mark on your neck?”

At Qin Jiao’s words, Xie Nai suddenly fixed a deep gaze on him. “What do you think?”

Xie Nai’s tone was eerie, and Qin Jiao stared at his neck, blank for a moment. Then, with a sudden flash of insight, he looked at his own hands in disbelief. “Was it... me again?”

Xie Nai stared at him with an unreadable expression. “What do you think?”

“I don’t think it was me.” Qin Jiao’s gaze was firm.

“Sorry to say, it’s your doing.” Xie Nai’s voice turned icy, bursting Qin Jiao’s bubble of denial.

Qin Jiao: Someone, dig a hole and bury me right here.

Faced with Xie Nai’s unwavering, confrontational gaze, Qin Jiao suddenly lost the courage to resist. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. But I don’t remember how I could have hurt you...”

As he spoke, Qin Jiao looked at his own hands suspiciously, and Xie Nai’s gaze followed his.

Qin Jiao’s fingers were long and slender, with thin bones and neatly trimmed, slightly pale nails. Because of his long-term inability to clot and a deficiency in both qi and blood, clear vertical ridges on his nails.

Qin Jiao tried to recall, but his memory cut off at the moment he was poisoned at the Embroidery Pavilion and rescued by Xie Nai. Everything after that was a complete blank.

“I seriously don’t remember...” Qin Jiao grimaced, looking miserable.

He’d made a point to cut his nails short after accidentally scratching Xie Nai last time—so how did he still manage to hurt him?

Xie Nai found some odd pleasure in Qin Jiao’s anxious look. His delicate brows and eyes curved with a faint smile as he said meaningfully, “No rush. Young Master will remember everything eventually.”

Qin Jiao: “...Don’t be like that, it’s scary.”

Xie Nai paid no attention to Qin Jiao’s look of eager questioning. He picked up a brush and unrolled a folded letter. When Qin Jiao saw him start writing, he was confused. “Your Highness, aren’t you leaving?”

Xie Nai continued writing without pausing. “This is the commander’s tent.”

“Oh...” The young master was left speechless.

Well, okay. Not tossing me out is already a huge favor. I get it, I’ll shut up.

Back to his lively self, Qin Jiao’s eyes shone brightly.

Though his face was still pale, the vitality within him was undeniable. He was like the bright red plum blossoms in early spring back in the capital—bright and eye-catching. While everything else was still dormant in the winter chill, the spring breeze had already given him its special favor.

Qin Jiao tilted his head, watching Xie Nai for a while, then looked around at his surroundings. He figured Xie Nai had taken him to the army camp after he was poisoned. But what had happened before he lost consciousness?

Before losing consciousness...

Qin Jiao suddenly exclaimed, “Your Highness, did you catch Li Chengwei?”

Xie Nai: “No.”

Qin Jiao: “Huh? You couldn’t catch him? How can he run that far?”

“And why should I be able to catch him?” Xie Nai stopped writing and looked at Qin Jiao.

“Because you’re the Prince of Lingnan.”

Qin Jiao’s matter-of-fact tone reminded Xie Nai of their first meeting. Back then, too, he had bandied about the name “Prince of Lingnan” to bluff his way through, never expecting that in the end, he would be the rabbit walking into the wolf’s den.

“Don’t worry. I will catch him,” Xie Nai said, glancing at Qin Jiao again. “And let you have your revenge.”

Qin Jiao: “... I did get hurt, but I wasn’t asking you to catch him for me to get back at him.”

Qin Jiao just wanted to know how the Nanzhou murder case was going.

Xie Nai didn’t say anything else, and Qin Jiao assumed his remark was just a casual one. Soon, Cong Shuang came back carrying a lunchbox, followed by He Zhao and a man in white.

He Zhao was in front, arms crossed and clearly annoyed. Behind him, the man in white stared at He Zhao’s back with a gentle, smiling look.

“Little Qin Jiao, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

Seeing Qin Jiao, He Zhao’s expression softened slightly, though not by much.

“Much better, just really hungry. I feel like a sky lantern—so hungry I’m about to float away... Mm.”

As soon as Qin Jiao finished speaking, Cong Shuang fed him a spoonful of porridge. It wasn’t too hot, just right, smooth and fragrant, bringing great relief to Qin Jiao’s hungry stomach.

Cong Shuang fed him while giving a helpless smile. Ever since Qin Jiao fell into a coma from poisoning, she had been on edge. Now that he could laugh and fool around again, she finally let out a true sigh of relief.

Cong Shuang fed him half a bowl of porridge, which Qin Jiao obediently finished. He even mentioned wanting to eat drunk crabs tomorrow. Cong Shuang was about to “say” that she would make them in a few days when Xiao Baiyu spoke up:

“Young Master Qin shouldn’t have any shrimp or crab for now, and spicy food as well. It’s not good for his wounds.”

“Can’t eat this, can’t eat that. Since when do you get to decide that!” He Zhao muttered under his breath, and Qin Jiao looked at him in confusion.

Why was He Zhao the one complaining when Qin Jiao was the one on a diet?

Besides, those were perfectly normal precautions. He Zhao’s behavior seemed a bit unreasonable. Oddly, the man in white didn’t get mad at He Zhao; instead, he turned and gave He Zhao a gentle look.

What was that look? It was like looking at a proud, treasured, gorgeous peacock—full of instinctive tenderness and fondness.

Qin Jiao had been a bit foggy when he first woke up, but now he was totally sharp. At that moment, a sudden thought struck him, remembering something He Zhao once said a while back: “What use is being interesting if nobody likes you?”

Qin Jiao’s gaze darted back and forth between He Zhao and the man in white. “What are you staring at, little Qin Jiao? I’m on your side!”

He Zhao’s face showed a hint of impatience, but he added, “You do look like you’ve put on a little weight. Time to watch your diet. Shrimp and crab aren’t that great anyway!”

“Pfft...”

Cong Shuang couldn’t help but laugh. Even Xie Nai’s thin lips curved up a little.

Qin Jiao: ???

What the hell are you going on about, you peacock?

I've been unconscious for two days—where would I gain weight? From that half bowl of plain congee I just ate, bloating up?

But when faced with He Zhao's "icy, gritted-teeth" version of a "friendly" glare, Qin Jiao reluctantly gave in, letting out a regretful sigh:

"Fine, I've put on weight, I won't eat it. But who is this?"

After all that talk, he still didn't know the identity of the man in white robes who clearly had a close relationship with He Zhao.

Xiao Baiyu was a complete blank in Qin Jiao's memory. Fortunately, he had Cong Shuang, who quickly introduced Xiao Baiyu to Qin Jiao and explained how Xiao Baiyu and Doctor Hou had saved his life.

So he was a lifesaver.

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