"He's back, he's back!"
Zhong Li was sitting in the prefect's manor, drinking clear tea with the prefect's wife, A Li. Just as a cup of fresh tea was poured, the gatekeeper of the prefect's manor rushed in anxiously.
Zhong Li stood up and hurried outside.
The carriage was the familiar carriage, and the person was the familiar person.
It was just that she had never seen Lu Wuxie look so disheartened, like a defeated warrior.
"How was it?" Zhong Li walked to Lu Wuxie's side. Although she had already guessed the outcome, she still asked unyieldingly.
The minor officer following Lu Wuxie brushed the mud off his body and cupped his hands in front of Zhong Li, saying, "Officer Zhong, we didn't find those people."
Zhong Li shifted her gaze back to Lu Wuxie.
Lu Wuxie pulled at the corners of his mouth towards Zhong Li, showing a comforting smile and said, "We followed the golden cicada all the way and successfully found the carriage, but... I'm sorry, the silver in the carriage is all gone."
Zhong Li shook her head and said, "There's nothing to be sorry about. I expected it wouldn't be so smooth. After all, the yamen couldn't find them for five years, and we're not some chosen ones."
"Everyone says Officer Zhong is strict with people, but now it seems you're quite understanding." Seeing Zhong Li comforting people, the minor officer's courage grew a bit, and he said sincerely.
Zhong Li curved her lips into a polite smile for the minor officer and prepared to walk back.
"It's just that these people seem to have someone who uses hidden weapons, and the Young Master was accidentally injured."
"Shut up!" Lu Wuxie said with a sideways glance.
Zhong Li's body froze upon hearing this. She turned back to look at the man behind her, and only then did she realize that one of his hands was behind his back.
"Let me see!" She walked up to him and opened her hand.
Lu Wuxie gently turned his body sideways and said, "See what."
Without further ado, Zhong Li pulled his arm, causing Lu Wuxie to let out a low sound of pain: "Hiss..."
Zhong Li's brows furrowed into a knot as she looked at Lu Wuxie's arm, which was stained with blood. She held his other uninjured arm and helped him into the carriage.
During this time, Tian You wanted to step forward to check, but was stopped by A Li, who understood social niceties better.
"How could you be so careless?" Zhong Li took out the wound medicine and bandages from the small cabinet in the carriage, removed half of Lu Wuxie's sleeve, and began to busy herself.
Lu Wuxie smiled and said, "I could have dodged it, with those people's amateur skills."
"Then why didn't you dodge it?" Zhong Li asked.
Lu Wuxie remained silent.
As she examined the depth of the wound, she was afraid of hurting him and blew on it gently. Not receiving his answer, her fingertips paused, and she remembered the little officer, covered in dust, who had been behind him earlier, and asked, "Did you save someone?"
Lu Wuxie sighed, "Yes, it wasn't that Lin Jin's usefulness was unsuited."
Zhong Li sighed and placed something resembling a sewing kit on the table, saying, "The wound is too deep and needs stitches. Bear with it."
"Come on!" Lu Wuxie said, picking up a small handkerchief from the carriage bed and stuffing it into his mouth.
Zhong Li concentrated and began her work.
Cold sweat slowly trickled down the man's cheeks, hitting the dry bed. He turned his head to look at the woman's focused expression, unable to resist reaching out to smooth her furrowed brow.
Zhong Li's entire attention was on Lu Wuxie's wound, so she didn't notice his action. It seemed so casual that she let him stroke her like this.
Lu Wuxie's lips curved upwards, and he said, "I still remember when we were dealing with the Jia family case, you bandaged me like this too."
Zhong Li casually replied, "You did that on purpose that time."
"Yes, you still remember. That time when you were bandaging me, I pretended to cry out in pain on purpose, just to see what you would look like when you got angry with your cold expression. Who knew I would be inexplicably attracted."
Zhong Li's bandaging movements paused, and she looked up at Lu Wuxie.
At this moment, he was turning his head to look at the street scene outside the window, appearing calm and composed. If his arm hadn't been warm, she would have thought his words were just auditory hallucinations.
"It's too late now, and your wound cannot be exposed to the wind. I'll go down and inform Lord Tian, and we'll return to the post station."
"Okay!" Lu Wuxie said, looking at Zhong Li.
The carriage sped along Luohua Street.
After arriving, Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie had dinner and returned to their respective rooms. During this time, the two of them had very little communication.
When Lu Wuxie returned to his room, Lin Jin had already returned from outside.
"Master, you're injured?" He took off the mask and walked to Lu Wuxie's side, asking anxiously.
Lu Wuxie looked at his arm, which was very neatly bandaged, and smiled, "It's nothing."
Lin Jin's expression fell, and he rolled his three whites, asking, "Master, did you do it on purpose?"
Lu Wuxie remained silent, merely avoiding Lin Jin's questioning gaze subtly.
Lin Jin glanced at the half-torn clothing hanging on the screen, guessing the situation. He knew his master's abilities, and it seemed his master had gone to great lengths for Miss Zhong this time. "Master, Lin Jin has something to say, I don't know if I should say it."
Lu Wuxie shot him a sideways glance and ignored him.
Lin Jin thought for a moment, then boldly said, "Master, your subordinate advises you to take it easy with some things. Don't wait until you've won over Miss Zhong, and she ends up a widow for you!"
"Slap!" Lu Wuxie did not expect Lin Jin to say this and threw the cup in his hand onto the table in anger, "Lin Jin, do you know who you are talking to?"
Lin Jin flinched at the shock and walked out of the wing room with the medicine box behind his back.
"Where are you going?" Lu Wuxie asked irritably.
Lin Jin said, "To deliver the medicine box to Miss Zhong."
With that, he disappeared in a flash.
Lu Wuxie looked in the direction Lin Jin had disappeared and, as if out of spite, kicked a nearby stool forcefully. It seemed that after being a scoundrel for so long, even his subordinates had lost their sense of proportion.
Zhong Li couldn't sleep. She lay on the windowsill, looking at the stars in the night sky.
She didn't understand astrology, so she was basically just looking aimlessly. Throughout her interactions with Lu Wuxie, she had thought about what kind of mood she would face him with, at most, it would be polite greetings between colleagues. Little did she know that when she learned he was injured, her heart ached more than anyone else's.
"Sigh!" It was rare for her to sigh, and the emotions that had been suppressed in her heart for a long time burst forth. She felt like crying.
'Knock knock'
A clear knock on the door.
Zhong Li reacted and asked, receiving an answer, she opened the door.
"Lin Jin, you're back so late, have you eaten?" She welcomed Lin Jin inside.
Lin Jin placed the medicine box on the table and said, "I have, thank you for your concern, Miss Zhong."
Zhong Li nodded, opened the medicine box, and tidied up the bottles and jars for the face powder, asking, "Did you gain anything at the Wu Family Bank today?"
Lin Jin shook his head and said, "When I was at the Wu Family Bank, no one came to find the bank manager."
"Alright, my plan with the Young Master failed, and these people are still at large. Now that they have the silver, they are likely to deposit it. So, please continue to keep an eye on the bank," Zhong Li said.
"Okay!" Lin Jin said, cupped his hands, and prepared to leave.
Zhong Li also went behind the screen, intending to undress and rest.
"Miss Zhong." Lin Jin had just reached the door and, after enduring for a long time, finally spoke.
Zhong Li's hand, which was loosening her belt, paused, but she did not come out from behind the screen.
Lin Jin knew she was listening and said, "The Young Master only has Miss Zhong in his heart. Today's events, with Miss Zhong's intelligence, you must have also noticed. The Young Master did it on purpose. We subordinates should not say too much about our master's affairs, but..."
He paused, his eyes filled with heartache, and said, "The Young Master and I grew up together. I truly cannot bear to see him hurt himself like this just to catch your eye. If Miss Zhong still has the Young Master in her heart, can you forgive him?"
Zhong Li's eyebrows furrowed, and her throat felt a little choked.
Lin Jin didn't want to hear a refusal, so he cupped his hands and fled as if escaping.