The man watched the woman before him as she focused intently on dressing his wounds. Having also neutralized the poison in his system, a sense of relief seemed to wash over him, and his eyes slowly drifted shut.
When Su Mingyue finished bandaging him, she discovered the man had fallen asleep. Seeing him so completely unguarded, she was so exasperated she couldn’t help but laugh. Where had that defensive spirit gone?
As he slept, she took a moment to observe him. He was handsome, with sharp, sword-like brows, bright eyes, and refined features. However, the jade pendant at his waist looked strangely familiar; for a moment, she couldn’t quite place where she had seen it before.
She casually took a light quilt from the bed to cover him, then returned to her own bed and picked up a book to read. She could hardly sleep soundly with a man in the room.
An hour later, the man awoke.
The moment he regained consciousness, he noticed the quilt over his body and the faint scent of blood lingering in the room. He realized his poison had been neutralized and he was safe. He lifted his head to glance toward the bed.
The woman, dressed in thin sleeping attire, had fallen asleep while holding a book. The book rested against her face, obscuring it, leaving only her fine eyelashes and smooth forehead visible. He shifted his body, and the pain in his chest caused him to gasp.
This slight movement woke Su Mingyue instantly. She set the book aside and walked slowly toward the man. "You’re awake?"
"Many thanks for saving my life, miss," Xiao Zhan said, his voice raspy.
"At least you aren't talking about fighting and killing the moment you open your mouth." Su Mingyue poured herself a glass of water, then looked at him. "Do you want some?"
"That would be a great help." He was indeed parched.
Su Mingyue gently poured a cup and held it to his lips. Xiao Zhan looked at her long, fair fingers and tried to open his mouth, but Su Mingyue said coolly, "Take it yourself. Or were you expecting me to serve you, too?"
Xiao Zhan: "..."
He took the cup slowly, struggling to drink the water.
"Your life-saving grace, I, Xiao, will certainly keep in mind." If this woman hadn't neutralized the poison yesterday, he would surely be dead by now.
"I didn't save you for free," Su Mingyue said, glancing at the jade pendant at his waist. "There are conditions. You either pay me a consultation fee or owe me a favor. When I have need of you in the future, you must repay it."
"What is the fee? And how would I repay a favor?" Xiao Zhan was curious. If it were just a fee, that would be a clean and simple transaction. Looking at her cold, composed face, he found himself wanting to know her terms for the favor.
"You leave me a token. Whenever I need your help, no matter what it is, you must comply. As for the fee, it’s quite steep. Your life is worth at least a hundred thousand taels of silver."
Xiao Zhan gasped. This woman was incredibly bold. Yet, remembering her medical skills from the night before, he mused that she had the capital to be arrogant.
He unfastened the jade pendant from his waist and toyed with it. "I am not short on silver. You saved my life; I do indeed owe you a favor. Take this. When you need me to return the favor, bring it to me."
It was a high-quality piece of jade—cool to the touch, crystal clear, and translucent. Su Mingyue didn't stand on ceremony; she took it and said, "Fine, it's a deal."
"But how can you be sure I’ll be able to help? If I fail, do I owe you the fee instead?"
"If you want to pay, I won't stop you. Who would complain about having more money earned by their own hands, don't you agree?"
Hearing this, Xiao Zhan was speechless for the first time. This woman was independent and unique; she did not act like a typical lady of a noble family.
"My surname is Xiao. May I ask how to address you?"
Su Mingyue gave him a lazy look. "Young Master Xiao, are you interested in me, trying to learn my name? Seeing as your wounds are no longer a major issue, I assume you can leave now."
Xiao Zhan struggled to rise and cupped his hands in a salute. "I beg you to tell me your name, so that I may repay you in the future."
"Su Mingyue." She stifled a yawn. "See yourself out. I haven't slept all night; I’m exhausted."
Xiao Zhan looked at the night sky outside. There was only an hour until dawn; he had to leave quickly. "Miss Mingyue, thank you. Until we meet again." He walked to the window, dragging his injured body, and prepared to leap out.
Seeing the blood-stained clothes and bandages on the floor, Su Mingyue pointed at them. "Take those with you. I don't want any misunderstandings."
Xiao Zhan picked them up and poured the basin of bloody water out the window before vanishing into the night. Su Mingyue closed the window, drew the curtains, and closed her eyes.
...
Ye Wushuang lay on his bed, coughing weakly. He asked A-Fei, who stood nearby, "Still no news of Mingyue?"
A-Fei shook his head. "Miss Mingyue has been missing for ten years now. I fear the worst."
"Search. Keep searching. As long as I haven't seen her body, I will never give up."
"Young Master, Young Master He just sent a message saying he saw you today and you looked to be in good health, and he intends to invite you for a drink today. But you haven't left the estate all day—what does he mean? When did he see you?"
"When did he send this?"
"Just now. He also mentioned that you looked no different from an ordinary person, and asked if you had been feigning illness all along."
"Go find out where he went today and whom he met."
"Do you suspect someone is impersonating you, Young Master?"
"I am a sickly man; who would want to impersonate me?"
Soon, the man A-Fei sent returned with news.
"Young Master, today was the Gratitude Banquet for the new top scholar. Young Master He went to the Fu Estate and... saw you at the banquet. As for the impostor, they vanished after leaving the Fu Estate, and we could not track them down."
Ye Wushuang was intrigued. There truly was an impostor.
"Did this person do anything untoward?"
"Not particularly. They only had a few drinks, argued a few words with Young Master He, and then left. That is why Young Master He sent the message after you returned to the estate."
"What did they say at the time?"
"They asked which daughter of the Su Family the young master of the Fu family intends to marry. The Su family has two daughters—they asked if it was the elder or the younger one."
Upon hearing this, Ye Wushuang sat bolt upright in bed. His eyes gleamed. "It's Mingyue. It must be her. She’s back."
"Young Master, it was only a single question. How can you be so sure it’s Miss Su? She has been missing for so many years that the Su Family has long since given up hope; to them, she is already dead."
"It is precisely because no one has mentioned Mingyue in years that many have forgotten the Su family has another daughter, one who went missing. If someone impersonated me and did nothing but ask that one question, it must be to let the world know that the Su family still has a daughter."
"Young Master, could we be overthinking? If it really were Miss Su, why wouldn't she come straight to you instead of posing as you to cause a stir?" A-Fei whispered.