Hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled: “Lord Cao, please don’t say that. I’m not worthy of such praise.”
He turned to the young girl beside him, whose eyes were red from crying: “If you truly feel indebted to me, then in the future, please take care of Tang Ning and the Rong Sheng Academy. Also, I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend court in the coming days. If there are any accusations against me, I’ll need you to help defend me.”
His face was pale, and he seemed somewhat helpless. “My little sister insists that I stay in bed and follow the doctor’s orders.”
Lord Cao saw his frail appearance and couldn’t help but laugh. After laughing, he spat and muttered, “I should keep an eye on you, to prevent you from making a mess.”
After this sarcastic remark, his expression turned serious.
“Using your injuries to exchange for Lu Qin’s life is no small matter. You can’t be up and walking around so soon. Be careful that His Majesty doesn’t become suspicious. If you recover too quickly, the Lu family may try to use this against you. Since you’re injured, you should stay in the residence and rest properly. The longer you take to recover, the more His Majesty will remember your act of saving Lu Qin.”
He could also use this opportunity to apply pressure on Lu Chongyuan, at least to some extent.
It was rare for Lord Cao to genuinely consider Xiao Yan’s well-being, and his words had a more heartfelt tone. “As for the academy, even if you don’t bring it up, I will make sure no one disrupts the educational affairs. As for the matters in the court, you needn’t worry. Even without you, as the Governor, the court will still function smoothly.”
Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. “I understand. I’ll rest and recover.”
Lord Cao nodded. “That’s more like it.”
Lord Cao had already begun to change his opinion of Xiao Yan because of the Rong Sheng Academy and the matter concerning the Empress Dowager. After their conversation regarding Lu Qin, and seeing Xiao Yan’s pale face and weak condition, he didn’t stay any longer.
Tang Ning saw him off, and when he noticed her eyes were still red, he asked, “Did you get involved in today’s matters?”
Tang Ning nervously twisted her fingers. “I only knew that Brother was trying to get the Lu family involved. I didn’t know the specifics.”
Seeing her sincerity, Lord Cao didn’t press further. “I can tell that Xiao Yan treats you differently. You two are as close as siblings. You should really try to talk some sense into him. He shouldn’t be taking such risks. If he truly harms himself, it’ll be too late for regrets.”
Tang Ning’s eyes grew even redder, as though she were holding back tears.
Seeing her pale face and obvious fear, Lord Cao softened his tone. “Alright, don’t see me off. Go back inside.”
After Lord Cao got into the carriage, Tang Ning turned and went back to the courtyard. As she entered the room, she found Xiao Yan, who had been extremely weak just a moment ago, now sitting up in bed.
He was wiping the blood from his lips with a handkerchief. When he saw the girl return, he looked at her with some distaste. “That pill from Qin Niang was bitter. Next time, make her sweeten it.”
Tang Ning walked over to his side without saying a word.
Xiao Yan raised his eyes and saw that her eyelids were red, with traces of tears still lingering. She looked a little wilted. He reached out and pulled her close. “Are you scared?”
“Brother didn’t say things would be this dangerous.”
God knew that when Tang Ning had heard that he had been knocked unconscious by a mad horse, even though she had known about his plans, her heart had still raced in panic. When she had hurried back and seen him covered in blood, her heart had nearly stopped. Even now, her mind was still buzzing with fear and anxiety.
Xiao Yan saw the hint of tears in her voice and couldn’t help but soften his expression.
“Deceiving His Majesty isn’t so easy. There are always secret guards around him, and Yu Yanfeng is extremely cautious. If I hadn’t really been injured, they would never have believed it.”
“But don’t worry, I wore a golden silk soft armor. When I was knocked by the horse, I used my skills to reduce the impact. Most of the blood was just for show…”
He reached out and touched the corners of her eyes. “I just wanted them to see the extent of my injuries so that I could leave the capital safely. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Her tears hurt him more than the injuries on his body.
Tang Ning wasn’t unaware of Xiao Yan’s intentions. Seeing him with a pale face still trying to comfort her, she suppressed her discomfort, reached out, and gently touched his shoulder. “Does it still hurt?”
“A little.”
“Then I’ll apply medicine for you.”
“Alright.”
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows in the room. Xiao Yan had removed his shirt and was sitting on the bed in just his trousers, exposing his slim and toned back.
His back was bruised and marked in several places, most of which were from the impact. The large, dark bruises looked particularly frightening. Some of the spots had broken skin, and blood was still oozing from the wounds.
Tang Ning carefully applied the medicine, her pale fingers coated with the ointment as they gently spread it over his bruised skin. The warm, slightly cool sensation made Xiao Yan’s back tense, as though a taut string had been drawn.
“Did I hurt you?” Tang Ning asked anxiously. “Should I call Cang Lang in?”
“No need.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes darkened, his voice controlled as he tried to keep it as normal as possible. “It’s just bruising. It will hurt as I massage it, but it will help in the long run. Apply a little more force, and it will heal faster. Keep going.”
Tang Ning hesitated for a moment, remembering how, when she had been injured before, Brother had massaged the bruises and helped her recover faster by applying some force. She steeled herself and continued, “I’ll massage it. If it hurts too much, just let me know.”
“Alright.”
Xiao Yan sat with his back to Tang Ning, his face hidden. No one could see the complex emotions that flickered across his expression. He fought to control his emotions, trying to ignore the soft and gentle touch of her hands, which seemed to challenge the control he had worked so hard to maintain.
He had known that Tang Ning was attractive to him, but he had never expected that such a simple touch would almost break his resolve.
He let her continue, even as the sensation from her delicate hands seemed to set his nerves on fire. To distract himself, he spoke quietly, “The Lu family has softened this time, and there won’t be any trouble for a while. With Lord Cao keeping an eye on the court and the academy, and with Qian Baoqun assisting from the side, you will be safer once I leave the capital.”
“Once I leave, I’ll leave a secret guard behind in the residence to pretend to be me while I recover. He can change his appearance and voice, though it won’t be perfect. As long as he stays out of sight, it will be hard for others to recognize him.”
“All you need to do is pretend to visit him daily to keep up the appearance. If anyone gets too suspicious, just bring them into the residence and use a screen to cover up.”
Tang Ning had finished applying the medicine to one area and was now spreading some more ointment in her palm to apply to the next area. “Alright.”
Xiao Yan spoke quietly, “I originally planned to find an excuse to leave the capital on His Majesty’s orders. However, given how His Majesty has distanced himself from me and the Lu family is constantly watching, any excuse would be hard to pull off. If people find out I’m not in the capital, I’m worried they might take advantage of it to harm you or the academy…”
“I know, Brother, you’re worried that if you leave the capital, they might make a move.”
Xiao Yan knew Tang Ning was intelligent. He spoke softly, “Don’t worry. I’ll return as soon as I can. If anything happens, you’ll have to act on your own…”
Just then, his lower back was brushed by a hand, and the sudden sharp pain mixed with a tingling sensation caused Xiao Yan’s eyes to widen. A muffled groan escaped his throat, and his back muscles instantly tensed.
“What’s wrong…”
Tang Ning was startled, thinking she had touched his injury. She quickly leaned in to check, “Did I touch the wound? Let me see…”
Her warm, soft breath on his back made him shiver. Without realizing it, he turned to the side, forgetting that she was so close.
Tang Ning, caught off guard, accidentally pressed her lips against his lower back.====================
You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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