RPAGF Chapter 266 Hesitation on the Bed
Chapter 266 Hesitation on the Bed
Soon, the door to the ancestral hall was slowly pushed open, breaking the solemn silence inside.
It turned out that the maids and servants had prepared a sedan chair as instructed, and hurriedly entered the room to carefully help Cui Zhihao, who was seriously injured and almost unconscious, into the sedan chair.
Butler Cui Fan also hurriedly stepped forward to bow, his face full of eager smiles.
“Miss Shi, Madam instructed this old servant to take you back to your room to rest. Second Young Master, don’t worry, we servants will take care of you and everything will be fine.”
Shi Wanxia was extremely anxious, her mind and eyes were only on the injured Cui Zhihao, and she was unwilling to leave easily. She wanted to take a step to follow him, but before she could take a step, she was stopped by a quick-witted maid.
Although Cui Zhihao was extremely weak, he still managed a gentle smile as he looked at her and reassured her, "Miss Shi, don't worry, I'm fine. You should go back and rest!"
The concern and reluctance in her eyes made Shi Wanxia pause in her steps.
Upon seeing this, the steward Cui Fan immediately ordered his men to take the two of them away from the ancestral hall and back to their respective residences to rest.
Shi Wanxia kept turning back, craning her neck, and watching helplessly as Cui Zhihao was carried away.
She knew that she was staying at someone else's house and that she was just staying there temporarily. If she acted too willfully, she would only cause trouble for Brother Cui. She couldn't be too rude.
Then, reluctantly, she returned to her room, led by the maid.
Lying in bed, Shi Wanxia felt as if the bed was made of needles and needles, tossing and turning, unable to sleep all night.
As soon as she closed her eyes, all she could see in her mind was the horrifying image of Brother Cui covered in blood, being tortured in the ancestral hall. This would startle her awake, leaving her drenched in sweat.
Looking out the window, she saw the moon getting closer to the east. Based on her usual observation of the moonlight, she estimated it to be around 2 a.m.
Since I couldn't sleep anyway, I thought I might as well sneak off to check on Brother Cui's injuries. Once this thought came to mind, I couldn't suppress it anymore.
Shi Wanxia quickly dressed and tiptoed around the maid who was keeping watch outside the door, as nimbly as a cat.
Once she left the east wing, she was shocked to realize that she had no idea where Brother Cui lived.
However, when we first entered the mansion, the steward seemed to have mentioned that Brother Cui lived in the west wing, and that the west wing was in the direction of the ancestral hall.
She gritted her teeth and, taking advantage of the dim moonlight, like a ghost of the night, evaded the patrolling servants and searched the mansion for a long time.
Along the way, whenever she heard the slightest sound, she would hold her breath, press herself against the wall, and her heart would leap into her throat.
Fortunately, perseverance paid off, and she finally found the west wing courtyard.
The environment here is quiet and peaceful, with a lush bamboo grove in the corner of the courtyard. A gentle breeze rustles the bamboo leaves, and the layout is indeed exquisite and elegant.
Shi Wanxia crouched low and tiptoed inside. The moonlight cast a long shadow on the stone path, making her appear even more furtive.
As she approached the main house, she saw a dim, yellow light shining from inside. She was delighted, guessing that Brother Cui must not have gone to sleep yet.
Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock on the door, he hesitated. What if Brother Cui was already fast asleep? Wouldn't it be presumptuous of him to barge in like this?
Just as she was hesitating, a slight cough came from inside the room. Shi Wanxia's heart tightened, and she could no longer care about anything else, so she gently knocked on the door.
"Who?"
A hoarse, weak voice came from inside the room. Shi Wanxia lowered her voice and replied, "Brother Cui, it's me, Shi Wanxia."
The door slowly opened, and Choi Ji-ho held a candlestick in his hand. The flickering candlelight illuminated his pale, snow-white face, his eyes filled with shock and heartache.
"Miss Shi, what brings you here? It's the middle of the night, what if someone discovers you..."
Shi Wanxia's eyes reddened.
"I can't sleep, I'm really worried about you."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on his thickly bandaged wound, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Brother Cui, does it hurt..."
Cui Zhihao felt a warmth in his heart and stepped aside to let her into the house. "I'm not in pain, don't cry, girl."
In fact, every movement caused excruciating pain, as if the wound was being torn apart, but he gritted his teeth and endured it in front of her.
When Shi Wanxia entered the room, she looked around. The room was simply furnished but clean, and a faint medicinal fragrance filled the air.
She walked to the bedside and watched as Choi Ji-ho struggled to sit down, her heart filled with self-reproach.
"It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have..."
Cui Zhihao quickly interrupted her, "Miss, please don't say that. It was my own choice."
The two remained silent, only a tender affection flowing between them in the night.
Outside the window, the moonlight, like water, spilled across the tranquil courtyard, seemingly watching over the loving couple...
As soon as they finished speaking, they heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside the door, which were particularly clear in the quiet night. The two of them immediately panicked.
Cui Zhihao's mind raced, and he was just about to tell Miss Shi to hide in the closet to avoid the limelight.
However, as the person got closer and closer, Shi Wanxia was anxious and didn't think much before quickly taking off her shoes. In her panic, she almost tripped, but fortunately she steadied herself in time and stuffed the shoes under the bed.
Immediately afterwards, she quickly got onto Choi Jiho's bed, pulled the blanket over herself in the inner room, covered herself up completely, curled up into a ball and hid, not daring to breathe.
Choi Ji-ho was both amused and exasperated by her series of fluid movements, and was momentarily stunned.
This girl... she really acts boldly and recklessly, but a sweet feeling inexplicably wells up in my heart.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, letting in a gust of cold air that made the candlelight flicker.
To protect Miss Shi's reputation, Cui Zhihao quickly tried to remain calm, adjusted his posture, and looked up to see the physician bringing in a steaming bowl of herbal medicine, the aroma of which instantly filled the room.
Upon seeing this, the servant who had come in with him quickly stepped forward to help him up, since the injury was on his back and he had been lying on his side to recover.
Cui Zhihao was extremely anxious, fearing that they would discover the girl Shi hidden in the inner room of the bed while serving her.
So he gritted his teeth, endured the pain of his wound, refused their service, and calmly picked up the medicine bowl.
He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. The scalding hot medicine slid down his throat, burning his chest with pain, but he couldn't care less at the moment.
The physician stepped forward, took his pulse, and after a moment nodded slightly, saying, "Young master, your external injury is not serious. It did not injure any bones or tendons. You will recover in a few days. Do not worry too much."
"Young master, now that you've taken your medicine, you should rest early. I'll take my leave."
Choi Ji-ho nodded, trying to keep his voice steady: "Thank you, doctor. You can all go now. I'm tired, I don't need to keep watch."
The servant was about to refuse, after all, the young master was seriously injured, and what if something happened to him during the night?
However, when the young master glanced at him with an undeniable air of authority, the servant quickly nodded and replied, "Yes, sir!"
The servant and the physician quickly left the room, closed the door, and their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Cui Zhihao breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as he relaxed, he noticed that his heart was beating unusually fast when he reached out to take the medicine bowl.
His hand accidentally touched Miss Shi's body, and in that instant, it felt like being electrocuted, so frightening that he almost lost his composure.
He knew that if they saw the girl in bed with him, her reputation would be ruined.
Just as she let out a sigh, Miss Shi, like a little animal that had been suffocating for a long time and was finally seeing the light of day, eagerly threw off the covers and gasped for breath: "I was suffocating! They're finally gone!"
After a moment, as if suddenly remembering something, her eyes filled with worry and apology, she looked at Cui Zhihao: "Brother Cui, are you alright? Have I caused you any trouble?"
Looking at her disheveled hair and rosy cheeks, Cui Zhihao smiled gently, a smile as warm as the spring sun, dispelling the tense atmosphere in the room: "No, Miss Shi, it's late, you should go back and rest!"
In truth, he also wished she could stay a little longer, but it was really inappropriate for a man and a woman to be alone in a room in the middle of the night.
Shi Wanxia shook her head: "I'm worried about you, Brother Cui. I'll stay with you a little longer."
Cui Zhihao felt a warmth in his heart, but reason prevailed: "I appreciate your kindness, young lady, but if someone finds out, your reputation will be ruined..."
Shi Wanxia bit her lower lip. She naturally understood the implications. After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded and said, "Okay, Brother Cui, then you should get some rest. I'll come see you again tomorrow morning."
After saying that, she got off the bed, found her shoes and put them on. She looked back at Cui Zhihao and then tiptoed toward the door.
Choi Jiho watched her leave, and only after the door closed again did he lie back down on the bed. Recalling the thrilling yet sweet scene from just now, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. This night was destined to be sleepless.