Doctor Gao's smile froze the moment he saw Xie Qiqi, but he quickly recovered his composure and said unconcernedly.
"Is there anything else the Fourth Young Miss needs?"
Xie Qiqi glared at the medicine bottle in Qiuju's hand and rasped, "Doctor Gao, didn't you say you were out of healing ointment? Then what is this?"
Doctor Gao said indifferently, "This is healing ointment for the master. A single bottle is worth thirty taels of silver. How could a mere slave like Yan'er be worthy of such fine medicine!"
Xie Qiqi's eyes turned red. Keeping her hands behind her back, she forcibly suppressed the rage surging up within her and asked, word by word.
"Then... what if I want this healing ointment?"
Doctor Gao frowned: "Fourth Young Miss, stop making a scene out of nothing. Didn't I already tell you, this healing ointment is for the master..."
Qiuju, standing off to the side with a look of disdain, suddenly caught sight of the herb-cutting knife Xie Qiqi was holding behind her back. Drained of all color, she shrieked in terror:
"Fourth Young Miss, what are you trying to do?"
"You can't just kill people simply because Doctor Gao won't give you medicine... Help! Someone come quickly, help! The Fourth Young Miss is trying to murder people..."
Before Xie Qiqi could even brandish the knife, Xie Wentao rushed into the room.
Catching sight of the blade in Xie Qiqi's hand, his eyes narrowed as he lunged forward and struck her wrist with a palm strike.
A sharp pain shot through Xie Qiqi's wrist, making it feel as though it were breaking, and her grip loosened so that the knife clattered to the floor.
Xie Wentao grabbed her by the collar and roared.
"Xie Qiqi, you have truly grown lawless! How dare you draw a weapon!"
"If you so much as hurt a single hair on their heads today, I will never let you off lightly!"
Doctor Gao, whose legs had gone weak with terror at the sight of the knife just moments before, was completely pale.
Seeing Xie Wentao enter, he finally let out a sigh of relief and straightened his back.
He hurriedly chimed in: "Second Master, the Fourth Young Miss came in just now demanding healing ointment. This old servant told her that all the ointment had been sent to the Marquis, and the few bottles left are reserved for the masters."
"The Fourth Young Miss became displeased and tried to murder this old servant... Second Master, although this old servant is merely a servant, I have always been utterly loyal to the Xie Residence. I never had any intention of making things difficult for the Fourth Young Miss!"
Wearing a deeply aggrieved expression, Doctor Gao beat him to the punch and accused Xie Qiqi first.
Upon hearing this, Xie Wentao flew into a rage and rebuked Xie Qiqi furiously.
"Healing ointment has been in short supply lately. The rule that the remaining bottles are to be kept for the masters is one that I established! Xie Qiqi, how can you be so utterly devoid of sense? Doctor Gao has already explained everything clearly, yet you still dared to draw a weapon on him!"
"Apologize to Doctor Gao!"
Xie Wentao pressed down on Xie Qiqi's head to force her to bow.
Powerless to shake off Xie Wentao's hand, Xie Qiqi was forced to lower her head.
She felt a stifling wave of grievance. She had only brought the knife in to frighten Doctor Gao and compel him to hand over the medicine.
Without bothering to clear up the facts, Xie Wentao simply assumed she was in the wrong, just as he always had.
Was her standing in the Xie Residence truly lower than that of a servant?
"If I apologize, will the Second Master give me the medicine?"
Struggling, Xie Qiqi turned her head to look at Xie Wentao: "I need the healing ointment to save Yan'er. Yan'er is gravely injured, and she needs this medicine to save her life."
Xie Wentao said impatiently, "Xie Qiqi, your Second Brother has his own principles of conduct; I will not take the lead in breaking the rules."
"Your Second Brother has other matters to discuss with Doctor Gao, so stop making unreasonable disturbances. Apologize and go back to your room, and I won't report this matter to the Eldest Young Master!"
Xie Qiqi let out a bitter laugh. She had actually expected her second brother to sympathize with Yan'er once things were made clear; she never imagined he could be so cold-blooded.
Of course, if her second brother could stand by and watch her die without lifting a finger, how could she expect him to show mercy to a maid?
Unwilling to waste another word with someone as arrogant and blind as her second brother, Xie Qiqi lowered her head and said, "Doctor Gao, I am sorry. I acted rashly!"
Doctor Gao smiled with satisfaction and threw in a sarcastic parting shot at Xie Qiqi.
"Fourth Young Miss, you ought to think thrice before acting in the future. For a young lady of noble birth to go around brandishing weapons—if word gets out, people will only laugh at you!"
Xie Wentao felt that Doctor Gao was right; Xie Qiqi's behavior was far too extreme.
He gave Xie Qiqi a harsh shove and scolded, "Get back to your room and reflect on your actions! If you ever dare to act wildly again, I will have the Eldest Young Master invoke family discipline upon you!"
The shove sent Xie Qiqi stumbling backward, causing her to fall right beside the knife.
Without a moment's hesitation, she snatched up the blade and slashed it across her other arm.
Fresh blood instantly seeped through her torn sleeve, pattering down onto the floor in heavy drops.
Xie Qiqi dropped the knife, forced herself up, and ignoring Xie Wentao entirely, fixed her gaze solely on Doctor Gao.
"Doctor Gao, you said the healing ointment is meant for the masters. Am I considered a master of the Xie Family? I have injured my arm; do I not have the qualifications to use fine healing ointment?"
She might be no match for Xie Wentao in a fight, but if she failed to secure the medicine to save Yan'er, Yan'er would die!
For the moment, self-harm was the only way she could think of to beg for medicine for Yan'er!
Her rapid-fire questions left Doctor Gao gaping and speechless.
Even if he usually flattered the favored and trampled on the lowly, who would dare deny right to Xie Wentao's face that Xie Qiqi was a young miss of the Xie Family?
Xie Wentao was likewise struck speechless, horrified by Xie Qiqi's sudden act of self-harm.
"Qiqi, could you not ask for medicine properly? Why... why must you be so willful?"
Recovering his wits, Xie Wentao stepped forward in a flurry of anxiety and anger to staunch the bleeding.
Xie Qiqi sidestepped, evading his reach.
"Spare the Second Master the trouble... The Second Master cannot take the lead in breaking the rules. Surely my current state doesn't force the Second Master to break the rules, does it?"
Xie Wentao froze instantly. Was Xie Qiqi accusing him of driving her to self-harm?
When had he ever intended such a thing?
Disregarding him completely, Xie Qiqi snatched the medicine bottle from Qiuju's hands and strode out, clutching her bleeding arm.
"Qiqi..."
Xie Wentao hurried after her a few paces and grabbed her arm.
Displeasure written all over his face, he said, "Qiqi, if you wanted the medicine, you only had to ask me nicely. What was the point of harming yourself?"
If word of this got out, outsiders would think their family mistreated Qiqi!
Xie Qiqi shook off Xie Wentao's hand and looked at him with detachment: "Second Master, is a servant's life in your eyes just like mine?"
Xie Wentao said impatiently, "How can they possibly be the same? You are my sister, the Fourth Young Miss of the Xie Family. Your life is infinitely more precious than theirs!"
Dislike her temperament though he might, Xie Wentao had never thought of disowning her as a sister.
Using her uninjured hand, Xie Qiqi brushed back the bangs on her forehead, exposing the jagged brand of the character "slave" for Xie Wentao to see.
Xie Wentao stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded.
He had known that Xie Qiqi's forehead was branded when she was reduced to a government slave, but ever since she returned, her thick bangs had hidden it from view. This was the first time he was actually laying eyes on that character.
Xie Qiqi gave a cold, mocking laugh: "Has the Second Master ever considered that I, too, was once a slave, and that I once knelt and begged for medicine from people just like you?"
"Second Master, one day we will all die. When we turn to white bones, whose life is truly more precious than another's?"
Stunned for a moment, Xie Wentao snapped back to his senses in a furious burst of anger.
"Xie Qiqi, are you cursing me? And what is this form of address? You've stopped calling me Second Brother? Are you trying to distance yourself from me just over a bottle of healing ointment?"
Paying him no further mind, Xie Qiqi continued on her way. She had to hurry back and check on Yan'er!
Xie Wentao was frantic and incensed.
He hadn't been the one who caused Xie Qiqi to become a government slave; what right did she have to vent her anger on him?
Irritated, Xie Wentao kicked a small stone at his feet.
This wouldn't do; he had to report this to the Eldest Young Master. Their mother was too soft-hearted and easily swayed by Qiqi, but the Eldest Young Master would definitely find a way to correct Qiqi's extreme temperament!