The sash fell, and she gently helped him shed his clothes, applying new medicine to the wound.
"After finishing the medicine, are you going back to the valley?" Ling Xi sat still, letting her skillfully change his dressing, his gaze drifting out the window as he asked in a muffled voice.
"There are some matters in the palace. Even if I don't return to the valley, I will go back to the palace," Ye Ziling replied faintly, her mind entirely focused on bandaging his wound. A weight lifted from her heart.
"The road is fraught with danger. Are you sure you want to go?" Ling Xi looked up at her earnest expression, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes.
Ye Ziling paused in her movements, turning her head slightly. She stared at his solemn expression and suddenly frowned.
"Why are you acting so strange upon hearing I'm returning to the valley? Weren't you trying to get rid of me before?"
Ling Xi smiled faintly and mockingly, his rose-colored lips moving, "Why don't you remember my kindness so clearly?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a sharp pain shot through the wound at his waist. His handsome brows furrowed, and his smile vanished in an instant.
Ye Ziling had deliberately applied a little too much force when tying the knot, causing Ling Xi's wound to hurt. In a daze, she heard him gasp for breath.
"What's wrong, Scholar Ling? Did I hurt you?" Ye Ziling's brows furrowed, and she leaned closer to his profile, asking softly with feigned concern, yet her grip did not lessen.
"No..." Ling Xi gritted out the word, daring not to say more, his complexion turning pale.
How could it not hurt? His waist felt like it was being squeezed to pieces.
It was unspoken that this was likely revenge.
However, he mused, she had always resorted to hitting or killing before, so a habit of holding grudges was bound to form. He didn't dwell on it too much.
Fine. These past few reincarnations of love were something he had desperately sought. If he had to suffer her torment, he would do so willingly.
"Also, you'd best stick to what you said before and simply not like me," a smile bloomed on the corners of Ye Ziling's eyes and brows, her usual impenetrable smile gradually coming alive.
Ling Xi blinked in surprise, turning his head to look at her, his deep pupils rippling with a faint glow.
This matter wasn't over yet?
Ye Ziling neatly placed the medicine bottle back into the medicine box, her expression one of extreme sourness. After finishing the dressing, she draped his clothes back on him and stood up, walking out the door.
"Miss Ye..."
A voice called out. As Ye Ziling turned, a green figure, wiping sweat from his brow, hurried towards her, his full forehead beaded with perspiration.
Ye Ziling stopped, her brow relaxing slightly, a polite smile appearing in her eyes.
"Miss Luo Yao, what is it?"
"How is Ling Xi?" the young girl asked her anxiously, panting.
Ye Ziling glanced back at the room behind her, her eyes placid. "He sustained a minor injury. There's no need to worry."
"That's great!" Luo Yao breathed a sigh of relief, taking her hand. "Tomorrow is my birthday. I can't go back now, can you come and celebrate with me?"
Birthday?
Ye Ziling paused. Thinking of her own need to research medicine and the possibility of not having time, she quickly brainstormed reasons to refuse.
The young girl's apricot eyes were full of anticipation, a faint shimmer dancing within them as she quietly awaited her answer.
How could she refuse this? So, she forced a calm smile and actually agreed, "Alright. Tomorrow, I'll have Mu Heng help you prepare."
This way, she could use the time to research medicine.
"Then it's settled!" Luo Yao beamed upon hearing her agreement, a sweet smile spreading across her lips. "I'll take my leave now."
Ye Ziling watched Luo Yao depart, her brow furrowed in a touch of confusion.
Didn't it seem like Luo Yao's visit to check on Ling Xi was an excuse, and the real purpose was to invite her to help with her birthday celebration?
Come to think of it, she had never hosted a birthday before, and organizing one would surely be difficult for her.
However, Mu Heng should be able to handle this.
The next day, Ye Ziling sat quietly, eating her food, observing the people at the dining table with their varied expressions. She had long grown accustomed to Luo Yao and Ling Xi whispering constantly at the table.
Meanwhile, Mu Heng was shoveling food with a look of utter despair, his expression as if he had been owed eight hundred taels of silver, completely ignoring their interaction.
"I heard that in the human world, you eat longevity noodles for birthdays. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Could you make me a bowl of longevity noodles tonight?" Luo Yao put down her chopsticks, looking expectantly at Ling Xi, then at Ye Ziling.
"As you wish," Ling Xi's lips curved into a faint smile. He gazed intently at Ye Ziling, seeming hesitant, but ultimately agreed.
"Then the task of making longevity noodles falls to Miss Ye," Luo Yao said, a glint in her eyes as she looked at Ye Ziling.
Her to make longevity noodles?
What did this have to do with her?
This request was utterly preposterous to her, both in the past and now.
Even though she had learned some cooking skills before, she was absolutely unwilling to sacrifice her precious medicine research time to make a bowl of longevity noodles.
Moreover, a bowl of longevity noodles could easily be made by any chef; why the unnecessary fuss?
However, she couldn't bring herself to refuse, and at worst, she could have a chef make one and pass it off as her own.
"Alright," Ye Ziling said, looking at the food in her bowl, and readily agreed.
She had intended to refuse, but seeing the expectant little face, she ultimately didn't speak up.
This girl had been kind to her, and this small request wasn't excessive.
In the evening, Mu Heng, with a dark expression, arranged a simple setup at a restaurant according to Ye Ziling's instructions, then placed a bowl of longevity noodles before her.
"I made it as you instructed."
Mu Heng's tone was resentful and reluctant as he grumbled to her.
"Where are the other two?" Ye Ziling glanced around, noticing only Mu Heng setting up, with Ling Xi and Luo Yao nowhere in sight.
Mu Heng pouted and pointed inside the room. "Likely off enjoying themselves."
Ye Ziling peeked inside. The two were happily arranging dishes by the table, occasionally letting out hearty laughter.
They chuckled and whispered, not so much like newfound acquaintances, but more like an intimate couple.
Ling Xi was laughing.
He was actually laughing.
He laughed beautifully, but at this moment, she wished she could tear his mouth apart.
Ye Ziling stared at him, transfixed, her gaze unwavering.
Oh, so this was the legendary seriousness and lack of frivolous smiles? She had thought he only acted that way towards her; it seemed she had overthought things.
Ye Ziling was staring, lost in thought, when Ling Xi suddenly turned his head, his gaze meeting hers.
Ye Ziling quickly composed herself. Just as she was about to escape Ling Xi's gaze, Luo Yao enthusiastically called out to her.
"Miss Ye, we've arranged the dishes. Hurry up, or the food will get cold!"
Ye Ziling and Mu Heng walked to the dining table and sat down. They looked at the neatly arranged dishes but remained silent, as usual, their expressions placid.
It wasn't that she disliked celebrating birthdays; she simply disliked the hustle and bustle. Thus, celebrating a birthday was no different from having a sumptuous dinner for her.