"Thump, thump..."
Yun Feiwan stared at the large hand clamped around her neck, her heart racing with panic.
She was terrified of dying!
Should she help him or not?
If she didn't: she could avoid a series of subsequent dangers, but she would first have to find a way to get this large hand off her.
If she did: she had no idea whether this man would bring her fortune or disaster...
As she pondered, Yun Feiwan's throat twitched slightly, her delicate skin trembling in a way that made the man's palm itch.
The large hand gripping her neck couldn't help tightening. Such a delicate, fragile spot seemed like it could be snapped with just the slightest exertion of force.
"Miss... have you decided?"
The heavily threatening words forced Yun Feiwan to lift her chin higher, terrified that this large hand would turn vicious in the next second.
At this moment, according to her assigned persona, she should gently and kindly reply:
"Sir, your injuries are severe. Lie down quickly and let me help you."
Alas, under the influence of the Truth System, the words tumbling out of her pink lips were instead:
"I've thought it all out! Since you're so handsome, of course I'm willing to help you. But let's get one thing straight ahead of time: body-compensation is body-compensation, but don't expect me to take responsibility, okay? Oh right, what's your name?"
The man looked at Yun Feiwan in astonishment. He could not fathom how this girl, who looked so soft, sweet, and cute like a little white rabbit, could utter such... bold words.
He had no time to dwell on it, though; if the wound on his left arm wasn't treated soon, it would likely leave permanent damage.
He gave Yun Feiwan a deep look, loosened his large hand, and lay back down on the bed with the corners of his thin lips curling up:
"Xuan Junheng. I'll have to trouble you, Miss."
Xuan Junheng!
Wasn't this the major villain from the novel?
He had inherited his father's princedom title, making him the youngest Junior Prince in history.
Rumored to be dashing, unrestrained, and a frequent patron of pleasure quarters, he was actually a smiling tiger with ruthless methods.
Later on, he matched the protagonist evenly and was a wicked villainous supporting character forcibly written out by plot execution!
The hand Yun Feiwan had just stretched out jerked to a halt. She thought to herself: Why was she so unlucky? She got dumped into a brothel only to run into a plot-critical character.
This major villain must not be offended; in the book, he killed people without even blinking an eye!
And she had actually just wanted to ask him for body-compensation?
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile onto her lips:
"Lord Junheng, lie properly. I'm about to start!"
With that, Yun Feiwan's expression shifted, and she instantly turned serious and focused.
Faced with the blood-soaked wound, not only did she not show a trace of panic, but she was even as cold and composed as no pampered young miss of her age should be.
"It might hurt a little. Just bear with it."
Under Xuan Junheng's astonished gaze, Yun Feiwan tore a piece of fabric from nearby and shoved it straight and forcefully into his mouth.
Before transmigrating, Yun Feiwan had been a renowned doctor both domestically and internationally, one of the few female physicians to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
Faced with this situation, it was right up her alley, so naturally she felt no panic at all.
She could mess around whenever she wanted, but when it came to medicine, Yun Feiwan was always serious and focused.
She tucked her long hair behind her ears, her warm breath beating against Xuan Junheng's chest.
Her icy fingers touched his neck, sliding slowly down to his collarbone, and then she carefully tore away the clothing stuck to the wound.
His fair yet sturdy chest muscles were covered in a fine layer of sweat, and the pain made him gasp sharply.
Xuan Junheng bit down hard on the strip of cloth, his eyes reflecting Yun Feiwan's focused profile.
Whether from the pain or some other reason, he felt his heart hammering wildly, as if it wanted to leap out of his chest, slamming against his ribs beat after beat.
The room was very quiet, with only the sound of their light, shallow breaths intertwined...
A quarter of an hour later—
"All right. From now on, you just need to apply medicine daily and rest properly."
Yun Feiwan tied the cloth into a pretty butterfly bow over Xuan Junheng's chest and let out a long sigh of relief:
"You should consider yourself lucky to have run into me. If it had been anyone else, your arm would probably be crippled!"
As she washed the bloodstains from her hands, she said coldly:
"If this arrow had been off by two fingers more, it would have pierced your heart. In that case, even if Hua Tuo were reincarnated, you'd still be a gonner."
"Hua Tuo... who is that?"
Xuan Junheng spat the strip of cloth out of his mouth with a "thud," breathing heavily and speaking weakly:
"I didn't expect the young lady to look so delicate and frail, yet possess such remarkable medical skills."
Her hand-washing movement paused. Yun Feiwan only then remembered that this was a fictional, parallel-world novel, and the country they were in was called Xuanwu Kingdom.
Though various systems were similar to the Tang Dynasty, there were still discrepancies, and Hua Tuo was a non-existent figure here.
"Ahem..."
Yun Feiwan cleared her throat:
"Hua Tuo was a very famous physician, someone I deeply respect and admire. But he has already passed away."
As she spoke, she walked over to Xuan Junheng's side, picked up a damp handkerchief, and gently wiped the sweat from his temples—
"That's not important. You need complete rest now, so you'd better talk less."
Such close proximity made Xuan Junheng's breath catch.
That small, fair hand pressing against his chest felt so soft and gentle.
He could even catch the faint, youthful fragrance radiating from her!
For some reason, an unusual feeling suddenly welled up in his heart, and he felt a mischievous urge to tease the dead-serious young lady right in front of him.
Thinking this, Xuan Junheng did just that.
He suddenly grabbed Yun Feiwan's wrist, watching with soft eyes as the dead-serious girl tumbled defencelessly into his embrace, her warm breath spilling across his neck.
"My lady, such a life-saving grace is impossible to repay. I can only fulfill your earlier proposal of body-compensation. How about right now, Miss? What do you say?"
Xuan Junheng's voice was very low, the tail end carrying a soft, breathy tone that instantly made Yun Feiwan—who had been single for over twenty years—blush to the roots of her ears.
Huh?
Body-compensation! Right now?
Yun Feiwan held her breath, the magnified, enchanting, handsome face making her heart race even faster.
At this distance, she could even feel the breeze fluttered by his thick, fan-like eyelashes!
No!
She had to maintain her dignity!
Unconsciously, Yun Feiwan wanted to gently decline: "Sir, men and women should keep their distance; what we're doing is improper."
Yet the moment her pink lips parted, the words that tumbled out were instead—
"What! There's such a great deal? Hurry, hurry, right now! Handsome's six-pack abs, here I come!"
She was using the most cowardly tone and wearing the most innocent, pure expression, yet speaking lines full of dirty thoughts!
Wuuu wuuu...
Yun Feiwan wept, tears of repentance sliding down from the corners of her mouth.
Xuan Junheng hadn't expected that the innocent-looking girl not only wouldn't feel shy, but would actually utter such earth-shattering words. For a moment, he didn't know how to react.
After a long pause, the corners of his mouth twitched awkwardly as he tried to push away Yun Feiwan's leaning head. Who could have imagined that this movement would accidentally tug at his wound!
His body jerked, causing Yun Feiwan—whose center of gravity was already unstable—to pitch directly downward—
"Ufgh!"
A soft sensation pressed against his lips.
The two of them...
Kissed!