Qi Zhenzhen looked at Gu Sinian in surprise. Did this man not remember her? Well, it was only a brief encounter, and she had been so disheveled. It was normal for him not to remember. Since there would be no further interaction with such a person, it didn't matter if he remembered her or not.
"I remember now," Gu Sinian said slowly. "Riding a horse is dangerous. Miss, you shouldn't do that again. It's not good to injure yourself or others."
His words were so stiff and uninteresting, a pity for his handsome face.
Qi Zhenzhen didn't dwell on it and nodded casually, "We are even now."
Gu Sinian frowned. Why was this girl so eager to draw a line between them? Did he look ferocious? No, everyone said he was exceptionally handsome.
"May I know the young lady's name, and where is the young man who entered the mountain with me?" Gu Sinian inquired.
"My name is Qi Zhenzhen. As for Qian Yuanbao, you protected him then, and he's fine. He carried you out of the mountain and then went to town to call for help," Qi Zhenzhen said, unconsciously revealing her name.
Gu Sinian breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he was alright.
"It was extremely dangerous then. How did the young lady save us?"
At that moment, Gu Sinian's peripheral vision caught sight of a brown bear. He knew the ferocity of a brown bear. Although he had protected his back with his internal energy, he didn't naively believe he could escape from a brown bear. He didn't think a slender girl could repel a brown bear's attack.
"It wasn't that troublesome. I told the brown bear that your meat didn't taste good, and that wild boar was more delicious. It probably thought I was right and carried away the wild boar, leaving you behind. I just woke Qian Yuanbao up and helped him get you back," Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile. "Strictly speaking, it was probably your good luck, and that wild boar also contributed."
Gu Sinian was a bit bewildered. Was it that simple?
As if guessing his thoughts, Qi Zhenzhen nodded solemnly. "You don't need to imagine me fighting the brown bear for hundreds of rounds to save you. With my small frame, a brown bear could swat me away with one paw. I don't have that kind of skill."
Gu Sinian found Qi Zhenzhen's words amusing. She was nothing like the young ladies from the noble families in the capital. Those women looked as if they were carved from the same mold, and their speech was like reciting from a script, like puppets. But Qi Zhenzhen was different; she was lively and interesting.
"Miss Qi is joking. Regardless, Yuanbao and I were saved by you. I will remember this. If you ever need help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask," Gu Sinian said, his voice carrying a hint of warmth, and a faint smile in his eyes.
In the future? She didn't look to the future, only to the present. Who could predict what the future held?
"I am a commoner. You can thank me in the most common way," Qi Zhenzhen said.
The most common way? Gu Sinian blushed. Miss Qi was too direct.
A life-saving debt, a marriage proposal.
"Miss Qi, marriage is not a child's play. After I inform my parents, I will give you a reply," Gu Sinian said, feigning composure.
Qi Zhenzhen suddenly stood up. Had this man been hit on the head by the brown bear? No, the brown bear hadn't hit his head. Why was he talking nonsense about marriage? Although he was stunningly handsome, was she that shallow? Did she judge people solely by their appearance? Discussing marriage on their first meeting? Weren't ancient people supposed to be reserved? Was that all a lie? Besides, her small frame was still that of a child, a scrawny child. Did Gu Sinian have such a preference?
"Young Master Gu, I think you might have misunderstood something. I am still young and have no plans to get married. Moreover, Young Master Gu's celestial beauty is not something a country girl like me can match," Qi Zhenzhen said quickly, not wanting to get into trouble unknowingly.
Gu Sinian looked embarrassed. "Didn't the young lady say to thank you in the most common way?"
The most common way. She meant money!
"Young Master Gu's definition of common is different from mine," Qi Zhenzhen chuckled, though her smile was a bit awkward. "I'll be direct. Just give me some money. As for the amount, you can decide."
Money? How truly common. Gu Sinian couldn't help but laugh. This Miss Qi was indeed very common.
"Alright, when Qian Yuanbao returns, I'll have him give you some money," Gu Sinian said.
Squeezing the gold nuggets in her purse, Qi Zhenzhen hesitated. Should she tell him that Qian Yuanbao had already given her some money?
Seeing their refined attire, this small amount of money was probably nothing, Qi Zhenzhen thought, and immediately felt at ease.
"Would you like some water?" Qi Zhenzhen asked Gu Sinian. Since she had accepted money from Qian Yuanbao, she should do something, otherwise, the money would feel hot in her hands.
Gu Sinian nodded slightly. "I am a bit thirsty."
Qi Zhenzhen quickly returned with a bowl of warm water and thoughtfully brought a spoon, feeding Gu Sinian a small spoonful at a time.
When Qian Yuanbao entered, he saw this scene: one feeding earnestly, the other drinking earnestly. Somehow, the scene looked rather pleasing to the eye.
"A Nian, you're awake," Qian Yuanbao said with concern. "The doctor said your ribs are broken, I..."
If he hadn't had to protect him, A Nian's skills would have made it easy to dodge.
"It's nothing serious."
"I've brought the best doctor from town," Qian Yuanbao said, leading a white-haired doctor over. "Have him examine you again."
The diagnosis was the same as what Doctor Mo had said. Qian Yuanbao was disheartened. "I'll go find the village elder to see if we can find a more comfortable place to stay."
Gu Sinian stopped him. "It's alright, we're going back."
The doctor tried to persuade him, but Gu Sinian was unmoved. "Just be careful on the way back. It's only broken ribs."
Qi Zhenzhen was a little stunned. She had broken ribs during a mission before and hadn't paid any attention to them during the mission. She knew that as long as she was careful, there wouldn't be any major problems. Besides, it wasn't particularly far from the capital.
He probably had something very important to do, something that required him to return, she mused.
"Prepare a comfortable carriage for him. When you head back, try to stick to the flatter roads, and go slower if possible," Qi Zhenzhen said. "Have him lie flat in the carriage, and it would be best to have a doctor with him."
Qian Yuanbao's eyes lit up. He could do all of that. So, were they able to return to the capital?
Qian Yuanbao quickly directed people to help Gu Sinian onto the carriage. This was his personal carriage, so comfort was not a concern. It had been specially crafted by skilled artisans for comfortable long journeys.