Jiang Wuyan’s entire body stiffened. The next second, ignoring the sense of threat posed by the hand on her shoulder, she said calmly, "You don't know me, so perhaps you aren't aware of what those around me usually call me."
"They all call me the Plague Ghost."
She suddenly tilted her face up and smiled at Xiao Jinxu, her plain features instantly becoming radiant. "You... had better be careful."
Xiao Jinxu did not yet realize the gravity of those words. He even smiled as he lowered his hand and reached over to pick up the herbs nearby. "Do you need me to help... treat your wounds?"
Jiang Wuyan fumbled to pick up a stalk of the herb and held it to her nose to sniff. It was indeed a variety of herb used to reduce inflammation and stop bleeding, intended for topical application.
Her smile did not fade; it even took on an eerie quality. "Oh? And how exactly do you intend to help me?"
Xiao Jinxu paused, his gaze sweeping over her. She was likely covered in injuries from head to toe, not just on her hands and feet.
He turned and set the food down within her reach. "Eat something first."
Jiang Wuyan let out a scoff, picked up a hardened steamed bun, and began to eat it slowly alongside the thin rice porridge, showing not the slightest disdain for the food. She looked nothing like a pampered young lady of noble birth.
Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Jinxu said, "I’m going to have a look around and see what I can find out."
Before Jiang Wuyan could respond, he took a step back and suddenly trampled on something soft, accompanied by a sharp squeak.
He looked down to see a plump rat—a brazen one at that—which, instead of fleeing after being stepped on, retaliated by lunging at his calf to bite him.
It did not succeed, of course; Xiao Jinxu had a dagger concealed on his leg, which blocked the rat's bite. He then swiftly sliced the creature in two.
Hearing the commotion and subsequently catching the scent of blood, Jiang Wuyan asked, feigning ignorance, "What happened?"
"Nothing, just ran into a rat." Even then, Xiao Jinxu remained unaware of the impending calamity.
He stepped over the rat’s carcass and pushed the door open to leave. But the moment he crossed the threshold, several tiles from the dilapidated roof suddenly tumbled down, heading straight for his head.
Xiao Jinxu reacted with lightning speed and dodged to the side. The tiles crashed onto the ground with a loud *thud*. Had they actually struck his skull, it would surely have cracked his head wide open.Xiao Jinxu looked at the shattered roof tiles on the ground, then at the dead rat inside the room, and finally let his gaze fall upon Jiang Wuyan.
The latter seemed completely oblivious, spooning rice soup into her mouth one spoonful at a time. Using a battered wooden bowl and a battered wooden spoon, she was drinking nothing more than a thin, watery gruel of coarse rice, yet she drank it with a sense of leisurely composure.
However, recalling the words she had spoken not long ago and all the rumors surrounding her... Xiao Jinxu took one last glance at the tiles on the ground and calmly shut the door.
Hearing the retreating footsteps, Jiang Wuyan lowered her gaze and murmured softly, "Xiao Jinxu, I hope you will like this stage so carefully set up for the two of us."
***
Jiang Wuyan finished every last bite of her portion of food.
Having once known starvation to the point of fighting dogs for scraps, she naturally would not turn up her nose at any edible food.
Only after eating did she set about treating the various large and small injuries on her body.
She actually wanted to wash herself with water, but the current conditions did not permit it. Xiao Jinxu had perhaps meant well by going outside to give her private space to tend to her wounds, but he hadn't been considerate enough to prepare water for her, nor could she very well go asking Tao Dachai for water.
She had no choice but to simply dress her wounds and sprinkle on some of her own powdered medicine.
She loosened her belt, slipped off her outer garment, and let her inner tunic slowly slide down from her back, revealing fair skin covered in a patchwork of old and new scars, large and small—
The next instant, she hurriedly yanked her inner tunic back up, having sensed a gaze fixed upon her!
Almost simultaneously as she pulled her clothes back on, a pebble flew in through the loosely fitted window, striking the bowl and shattering the already chipped vessel completely.
The moment Jiang Wuyan pulled her outer robe back on over it all, Tao Dachai dragged a filthy child in by the arm. With rough movements, Tao Dachai pushed the child down to his knees in front of Jiang Wuyan. "This brat is too mischievous. I've brought him here to apologize to you."
With that, he slapped the child on the head. "Apologize, quickly!"
Glaring furiously at Jiang Wuyan with stubborn defiance, the child not only refused to apologize, but shouted loudly, "The steamed bun you ate was mine! That was my food!"His protests were met with a fist from Tao Dachai. Tao was a blunt man, not one for words; when faced with a child who refused to obey, he simply resorted to violence.
Jiang Wuyan could not see any of this. Even though she heard the commotion, she chose to remain oblivious, standing there with an indifference that made her appear quite heartless.
It was Xiao Jinxu, having turned back upon hearing the noise, who offered a word of advice: "The child doesn't know any better. Let it be, let it be."
Yet, he made no move to intervene.
"You two, take a rest. I’ll be taking this brat away now."
Tao Dachai hoisted the child up by the collar and dragged him toward the door. The boy’s mouth was bloodied from the beating, but even as he was dragged along the floor, he roared at Jiang Wuyan, "Give me back my food! Give it back to me—"
He was still clutching a stone tightly in his hand, which he flung with all his remaining strength toward Jiang Wuyan.
Jiang Wuyan heard the movement but was unable to dodge in time. The stone grazed her temple, leaving a bloody gash that added yet another mark to the many wounds she already bore.
Once Tao Dachai had dragged the child out and closed the door, Xiao Jinxu walked over to Jiang Wuyan and examined the wound on her brow. "That child is truly fierce. Are you alright?"
If he were truly worried, why would he only ask now, with such feigned concern?
Jiang Wuyan pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped her temple, saying only, "It’s dawn. Get some rest."
Xiao Jinxu glanced at the morning light filtering through the window, then, with a hint of foolishness, waved his hand in front of her face.
"I cannot sense the light, nor can I see any shadows. I am completely blind," Jiang Wuyan added.
Yet, nothing about the way she spoke suggested she was truly blind.
Xiao Jinxu retracted his hand sheepishly, only to see her lying down on the inner side of the wooden board bed, fully clothed, her eyes already closed. "We’ll be busy later. I suggest you rest while you can."
He didn't know how she had arrived at that conclusion, yet it felt strangely logical.
However, she had occupied the bed... He glanced at the table, which looked ready to fall apart at any moment, and the single bench, neither of which seemed capable of supporting him.
In the end, he deigned to lie down beside her, squeezing onto the wooden bed.
Jiang Wuyan opened her eyes. He had expected her to be angry at his presumptuous, almost lewd act of crowding her, but she merely shifted inward to make space for him before closing her eyes again.
She lay on her back, hands folded over her abdomen, looking so serene...
Under normal circumstances, having a delicate, fragrant beauty lying at one's side would cause any man’s thoughts to wander. Xiao Jinxu’s thoughts were indeed in disarray, but that was because the woman beside him gave him a chill, as if she were a corpse.
Only when she spoke did she give the impression that she was still alive.
"We’ve come this far, and I still don't know your name."
Jiang Wuyan was truly exhausted. Her wounds had not been fully treated and were still throbbing with pain, and after a night of fleeing, her frail body could not take any more. She was drained, and she genuinely wanted to have a brief, undisturbed sleep.
When the person beside her spoke, she didn't want to respond, but he refused to let her rest. Seeing that she wouldn't answer, he nudged her with his elbow, seemingly forgetting that she was a woman and how shameless his actions were!
"Are you asleep?" he asked again.
She couldn't tell if he was genuinely dense or simply trying to torture her. She suspected the latter.
Jiang Wuyan took a deep breath, suppressing her irritation, and spoke calmly: "What is it?"
"I just wanted to ask what your name is."
Jiang Wuyan let out a weary sigh. "...Buyu."
"Buyu? What a coincidence, my name is Duoyan!"
*Duoyan my foot!*
She turned over, facing the damp wall.
He turned over as well, facing her, and poked her back. "Buyu, Buyu? I have more questions for you."
Jiang Wuyan was poked right on a wound, and the pain made her wish she could kick him off the bed.
The world truly should see what kind of noisy, vicious person the Crown Prince really was!
For a moment, she even questioned whether her plan was right or wrong. Mostly, she had never expected Xiao Jinxu to be such an inscrutable person—someone who could seem both good and deeply malevolent at the same time.
—
Jiang Wuyan felt that peering gaze once more—
Her keen instincts jolted her awake, only to realize she had fallen asleep at some point.
When she woke, there was no one left by her side.