Xu Hengyi arrived at the residence of the Crown Prince of Yu by carriage. He had no intention of going inside. Dealing with Yi Yanteng made him somewhat apprehensive. The carriage stopped far away, and he paced beside it, glancing around from time to time.
How could he not worry?
After all, Xie Jiang's physique was so slender, appearing very frail.
Yesterday morning, she had administered acupuncture for her grandmother, in the afternoon she had pulled Madam Zhou back from the brink of death, and at night she still had to treat Yi Yanteng. She must be exhausted. Would it affect her treatment of her grandmother later?
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. He saw Xie Jiang emerge from a distance and Xu Hengyi hurried over.
"Huh?"
To his surprise, Xie Jiang didn't seem weak or dispirited as he had imagined. Instead, she looked radiant, as if she had taken some miraculous elixir.
"You're alright?"
This was completely different from what he had expected.
"Are you cursing me?" Xie Jiang glanced at him with a faint smile.
Xu Hengyi quickly waved his hands, "I didn't mean that. How could I dare?"
Seeing the considerable distance they still had to cover, Xie Jiang impatiently asked, "Why did you park the carriage so far away?"
Xu Hengyi leaned in and whispered, "I was afraid the Crown Prince of Yu might invite me in for tea."
"You..." She had intended to mock Xu Hengyi, but then she recalled yesterday when she mentioned being beaten, Yi Yanteng's silent reaction had indeed been quite chilling. Suddenly, she could understand Xu Hengyi's timidity.
"Your complexion is even better than when you came yesterday?"
This shouldn't be the case.
Yi Yanteng's injuries were so difficult to treat, no less so than saving her grandmother and Madam Zhou. How could she not only not be depleted but also be beaming with energy?
Xie Jiang gave a mysterious smile, "By absorbing yin to supplement yang."
Her legs felt as if they no longer belonged to her, and Xu Hengyi suddenly found himself unable to move.
Xie Jiang had walked a considerable distance when Xu Hengyi finally snapped out of his daze and hurried to catch up. What had she just said?
"What did you do in the Crown Prince of Yu's residence?"
"Your elder brother is a Celestial Master now, shouldn't his experience be richer?"
"Not at all. My elder brother is a proper cultivator. Absorbing yin to supplement yang, that's the path of heretics."
Xu Hengyi raised his voice in defense of his elder brother. As he followed Xie Jiang into the carriage, he found it utterly impossible. This wasn't the Prince of Yu's manor. Were there any women in the Crown Prince of Yu's residence for her to absorb yin from? "Are you kidding me?"
Xie Jiang lay back against the large bolster, drowsy. Seeing Xu Hengyi follow her in, she turned over and faced away from him, "Come here and give my shoulders a massage."
Xu Hengyi pointed at himself in disbelief, "Me?"
"Hurry up."
It seemed there was no one else. Xu Hengyi was reluctant, but for his grandmother's sake.
His grandmother's health was improving day by day. When he returned last night, she had woken up once and even eaten half a bowl of congee served by his third aunt.
When he visited this morning, he heard from his eldest aunt that his grandmother had woken up at dawn. Not only had she eaten congee, but she had also spoken at length with her.
They were all overjoyed to hear this. It was all thanks to Xie Jiang. It wasn't impossible to give her a shoulder massage.
Xu Hengyi flexed his fingers and knelt on one knee beside her. The moment he touched her, he let out a surprised sound. How could she be even thinner than she looked?
"Are you made of paper? Why are you so thin? Is this pressure alright? I'm afraid I'll break your bones."
"Why are you so talkative? Do you want to donate your tongue if it's useless?"
"..." Xu Hengyi shut his mouth tightly. How could someone so young be so fierce, always threatening people? Would she have any friends if she continued like this?
Xie Jiang hugged the soft pillow, drowsy. Suddenly, her shoulder ached, and she let out a muffled groan before kicking out.
"Xu Hengyi, do you want to die!"
Xu Hengyi flew towards the carriage door and then fell down, clutching his shoulder and howling.
"I just got distracted and accidentally squeezed too hard..."
Xu Hengyi felt extremely wronged. He hadn't done it on purpose.