Wu Caiwei hesitated. If she were living in her own home, she would have no qualms about taking him back. But she was staying at Hua Yi's place, and they were ordinary folk. Bringing trouble back could easily implicate them.
Seeing the other person leave, Feng Yi's gaze dimmed. He struggled to get up, trying several times but finding himself unable to move. He looked up at the sky with a trace of mockery and unwillingness in his eyes.
Liu Dagui had just returned from outside. As he reached the village entrance, he saw Wu Caiwei leaning against a tree. Startled, he turned and ran.
After running for quite some distance, he stopped, panting. He looked back, but saw no one. Relieved, he turned around, instinctively taking a few steps back, his eyes wide with a look of seeing a ghost. He felt like crying.
"I haven't done anything wrong lately." Liu Dagui recalled his recent actions. Indeed, besides recovering from his injuries, he hadn't provoked anyone. This was partly due to a lack of money and partly due to his physical condition.
"I know. Otherwise, you wouldn't be greeted with my smile, but with my fists." Wu Caiwei crossed her arms, looking at him calmly.
"May I ask the reason for Madam's visit? If you command it, I will immediately do my utmost to serve you." After a moment's thought, he immediately put on a fawning smile. After all, the woman's skills were truly extraordinary. He had run with all his might, yet she had still outrun him. Even more terrifying was that he hadn't sensed her at all. Since he couldn't defeat her, he could only comply with her wishes.
"One of my subordinates is injured and needs to recuperate nearby, but must not be discovered. Do you know of any place where he can stay?"
"Oh, is that all? Just this? You've come to the right person." Liu Dagui was completely relieved.
"That's perfect, come and help." Wu Caiwei walked ahead with the child in her arms, followed closely by a bewildered Liu Dagui.
They returned to the man's side. He had already passed out. Liu Dagui reluctantly helped him up, looking at him with disdain as he did so. He wondered what kind of mission this subordinate of Madam's had been on to end up in such a state.
"Hurry up, stop dawdling." She took the lead and walked ahead.
Liu Dagui, not gently, propped the man onto his shoulder. He dared not do anything to Madam, but he could vent his anger on the subordinate. Since the man was unconscious and knew nothing, Liu Dagui, when Wu Caiwei wasn't looking, jabbed him hard in the stomach.
The man let out a muffled groan. A triumphant look flashed across Liu Dagui's face. He turned to see the man's pained expression, but instead, he saw a pair of murderous eyes. "Ah!" he screamed and quickly pushed the man down.
The man fell heavily to the ground, motionless. Wu Caiwei looked at the man hiding behind her with a speechless expression. Liu Dagui was genuinely in tears this time. Why did everyone he encountered seem abnormal? The Madam in front of him was already terrifying enough, and now another person exuded a killing aura. His life was truly hard.
However, under Madam's watchful gaze, he had to cautiously approach again. Confirming that the man had indeed fainted again, he trembled as he helped him up. This time, he dared not play any tricks. Fortunately, they had reached a secluded spot and no one had seen them. Otherwise, he didn't know how Madam would blame him. He hadn't forgotten that the first time she saw him, she had instructed him not to leak any information.
"This is it." They pushed through a thicket of bushes taller than a person and arrived before a dilapidated house. It was obvious that no one had lived there for many years, but the thatched roof was still intact, indicating that someone had been maintaining it.
"Whose house is this? Is it safe?" Wu Caiwei asked in a calm voice.
"This is our family's old ancestral home. No one comes here usually, as it's too remote. But we have many brothers in our family, and we fear there might not be enough space if we split up later. Father sometimes sends us to repair it. The path leading in is a bit eerie. I wonder if you'd be afraid to come alone." As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Dagui felt he had worried unnecessarily. With this lady's skills, few could match her.
As expected, Wu Caiwei ignored him completely and walked straight into the courtyard, instructing him to place the man on the only small, broken bed in the room.
"Can... can I leave now? I promise I won't say a word." Liu Dagui felt constantly on edge being with them and wanted to escape quickly.
Wu Caiwei nodded slightly. The man turned and fled as if pursued by a horde of monsters.
She smiled and shook her head, then looked back at the man lying on the bed. She frowned slightly and sighed. She might as well see this through.
After returning, she handed the child over to Hua Yi, then brought two quilts and secretly went to the house. She placed one under him and used the other to cover him. She then went up the mountain to gather some herbs.
"I don't know who you offended to be poisoned so severely. Fortunately, you met this granny and your life was saved. We must be fated. From now on, you are mine and must work for me." After bandaging his wounds, she sat on the ground, exhausted, and muttered to herself.
That evening, to Hua Yi's astonished gaze, she carried a food basket and walked out. From then on, Hua Yi always cooked enough for two people whenever she cooked for Wu Caiwei.
Feng Yi woke up early. He hadn't expected this woman to have saved him. Even more surprising was that his body felt much lighter, and the pain in his chest had disappeared. He felt his pulse and found his body to be normal.
In his memory, besides that shifty-looking man, only this woman and he had come into contact. He didn't know who had healed him, but he leaned towards the woman in front of him. Her expression was too composed, her gaze too profound, making it impossible to see through her, and he intuitively felt she held many secrets waiting to be discovered.
"If you were an ordinary woman, staring at someone for so long would get you labeled a pervert," Wu Caiwei teased, noticing his searching gaze.
"Thank you, Madam, for saving my life." He hadn't forgotten that the first time he met her, she was holding a small infant.
"You should thank me. Perhaps only I in this world could have saved you. You must have done good deeds in your past life to have met me in this one." Wu Caiwei agreed with him.
Feng Yi's mouth twitched involuntarily. She was truly unique. Most people would have been modest, but she readily admitted it.
Fine, it seemed he had overthought her. Suddenly, he felt very comfortable interacting with her, a feeling he hadn't experienced since childhood, making him incredibly fond of it.
He had initially planned to risk the journey as soon as his injuries improved slightly, but now he wished he could stay longer and enjoy a period of peace.
And so, half a month later, a little shadow followed behind Wu Caiwei. This shadow wore a perpetual frown, giving off a vibe of 'do not disturb.'