Shen Manyun was startled.
She rubbed her fingertips, wiping away the bloodstain.
She simply lowered her head to look at Yan Feiguang’s shoulder.
Under the cold moonlight, his shoulder trembled slightly, clearly injured.
He was wearing dark clothes today, so the bloodstains weren’t visible, nor could one tell how severe his injury was.
Shen Manyun didn’t speak.
She thought again of that flower, the one that had been trampled into the mud.
The giant beast returned to Wuwang City, first heading to the west side of the city to send Xinglan home.
“Don’t act so recklessly in the future,” Yan Feiguang’s voice was low.
Xinglan lowered his head in apology, “I’m sorry, City Lord. I won’t do it again.”
As the giant beast took off, Shen Manyun looked back at Xinglan and saw the child’s eyes darting towards her again.
“Next time I’ll dare, hehe,” he whispered to Shen Manyun.
Shen Manyun patted him and nodded.
She was still thinking about Yan Feiguang’s injury.
He didn’t mention it, and she didn’t speak either.
On the way back, they were silent the entire journey until Yan Feiguang arrived outside the City Lord’s residence and let Shen Manyun down.
He also dismounted, clearly preparing to go back and rest.
Shen Manyun stood still in place, lowering her head, mustering the courage to say to Yan Feiguang,
“Aren’t you going to the medical hall to have it checked?”
Her voice was very soft, but in the quiet of the night, it was exceptionally clear.
Yan Feiguang’s hand gripping the giant beast’s reins tightened.
He turned around and saw the blood pooling at his feet, impossible to conceal.
So it was already this serious.
Even Shen Manyun had noticed something was wrong.
“It’s nothing,” Yan Feiguang said to her.
“Accidents are inevitable on the battlefield.”
Shen Manyun’s hands hidden in her sleeves clenched.
She thought, Yan Feiguang can’t be like this.
He must go and treat his injury.
She didn’t consider whether speaking like this was too presumptuous.
“Still, go to the medical hall and have it checked, alright?” Shen Manyun didn’t move a step.
Her gaze lifted slightly, fixed on Yan Feiguang’s chest.
Yan Feiguang’s chest rose and fell.
He opened his mouth, “Alright.”
“I’ll take Xiaoye home to rest and then go over,” he said.
Only then did Shen Manyun learn that this ferocious-looking giant beast mount was called Xiaoye.
It was somewhat cute, making it seem less terrifying.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Mmm.” Shen Manyun felt reassured.
She believed Yan Feiguang’s words and ran towards her own residence.
Returning home, she took out the brocade box from her arms and carefully placed the orchid on the table.
The flower still had life.
Its extremely fragile petals were full of vitality.
In the courtyard, there was an old flowerpot Shen Manyun couldn’t bear to throw away.
She carried it over and planted the orchid in it.
She didn’t want it to die.
This flower was filled with Yan Feiguang’s feelings for the female lead.
It was so sincere and pure.
Even though it had been discarded and trampled, it still lived on tenaciously.
Shen Manyun dipped her fingertips in water and gently smoothed out the orchid’s messy petals one by one, until the golden petals were suddenly stained with blood.
Her hands were still stained with Yan Feiguang’s blood.
She hadn’t wiped it clean earlier, and after touching the water, she accidentally smeared it onto the orchid’s petals.
The bloodstain was a deep red, strikingly conspicuous against the golden petals.
Shen Manyun felt like she couldn’t breathe.
She was still thinking about Yan Feiguang.
His injury was so severe.
Had he gone to treat it yet?
He’s such a grown man.
He should know how to take care of himself, right?
Shen Manyun felt she shouldn’t be thinking about him every moment, but… how much pain must he be in?
His shoulders were trembling when he went back.
No…
Shen Manyun suddenly stood up.
She turned around, draped the thick robe from the hanger over herself, and ran outside.
She didn’t care if Yan Feiguang would find her annoying she had to go to the clinic to see him.
Shen Manyun ran out of the house and sprinted toward the clinic.
It was already late at night, the streetlights sparse, the night quiet, and the streets nearly empty of pedestrians.
Breathless from running, she arrived at the city clinic, only to find it dark and deserted inside.
Was Yan Feiguang not here?
Or had he already been treated and gone back?
Shen Manyun circled the clinic a few times.
Finally, she mustered the courage to knock on the door.
After a short while, a warm light flickered inside the clinic, and someone came to the door holding a lamp.
“Yan-” Shen Manyun, standing outside and feeling the chill, tightened her robe and called out expectantly to the person opening the door.
But when she looked up, she only saw a middle-aged stranger, his arm bandaged, holding the lamp with one hand, looking at her with slight surprise.
“Young lady? Dr. Song has already gone home. I’m a patient here. If it’s a minor injury or illness, come back tomorrow. If you’re in urgent need of a doctor, go to Dr. Song’s house to find her.”
The patient was quite kind, informing Shen Manyun that the clinic was closed and telling her where to find Song Yuchen.
“I’m sorry… I disturbed your rest. Then… did no one come here earlier?” Shen Manyun asked anxiously.
“Who would come at this late hour?” The patient pointed Shen Manyun in the right direction, telling her to go directly to Song Yuchen if it was urgent.
After giving her directions, he closed the clinic door.
Shen Manyun stood for a moment on the dimly lit street.
She thought, this is Yan Feiguang’s territory—he must know that Song Yuchen had already gone home by now.
So if he needed treatment, he would have gone directly to Song Yuchen.
Yes, go there and look for him.
As long as she saw that he was alright, that would be enough.
Shen Manyun ran a little further and arrived outside Song Yuchen’s residence.
Once again, she gathered her courage and knocked on the door.
This time, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen came to answer.
“Is Dr. Song here?” Shen Manyun asked.
“I’ll go call my master,” the girl said, running back into the courtyard.
“Oh, it’s Miss Shen. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Song Yuchen came out, her face still covered with a white beauty mask.
She rubbed it as she spoke to Shen Manyun.
Shen Manyun felt she had disrupted the other’s normal life and whispered,
“Did the city lord not come to see you earlier?”
“The city lord? Huh? Why would he come to see me?” Song Yuchen said in surprise.
Shen Manyun’s breath caught.
Had Yan Feiguang not come to see the doctor?
What about his injury?
“He…” Shen Manyun was about to say that Yan Feiguang was injured, but she thought that if he hadn’t come for treatment, there must be a reason.
She didn’t reveal her purpose for coming, simply nodding and saying,
“There’s a battle outside the city. I thought he would come to find you.”
“That? You’re overthinking it! For the Grand Ceremony Master’s birthday, the city lord specifically asked my master to accompany the army. If the soldiers are injured, my master will treat them in the military camp.”
Song Yuchen smiled reassuringly at Shen Manyun.
“Miss Shen, don’t worry. Go back and rest. My master’s medical skills are far better than mine.”
“Ah…” There were doctors outside the city and inside the city.
Shen Manyun couldn’t think of a reason why Yan Feiguang wouldn’t seek treatment.
She bid farewell to Song Yuchen and stood alone in place, lost in thought for a long time.
It seemed she had no choice but to go back and find Yan Feiguang.
This time, she would drag him to get his wounds treated, even if she had to force him…
Shen Manyun’s mind kept replaying the image of the blood-stained Orchid, and her heart ached with a sharp, throbbing pain.
She thought Yan Feiguang must still be at his own home.
She had trusted him too much, which was why she had taken such a long detour.
For some reason, Shen Manyun felt a hint of resentment toward him-resentment for not taking care of his own body, for bearing his injuries alone.
How could he do this to himself?
Shen Manyun ran for what felt like an eternity, her legs growing heavier with each step.
It was the first time she had ever run such a long distance.
Outside Yan Feiguang’s city lord’s residence, she bent over, hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
Without a second thought, she went to knock on the door of Yan Feiguang’s mansion.
She knocked for a long time, but there was no response.
However, Shen Manyun noticed that the door was slightly ajar.
With just a little more effort, she could push it open.
“Yan Feiguang, are you there?” Shen Manyun’s voice was faint, her exhaustion making it hard to breathe.
But the courtyard remained silent.
Shen Manyan panicked, fearing that Yan Feiguang had fallen into a coma from his severe injuries.
She shouldn’t have gone out to look for him in the first place.
If she had come here directly, perhaps Yan Feiguang would still be able to respond to her.
No longer concerned about propriety, Shen Manyun pushed open the heavy door of Yan Feiguang’s mansion in her urgency.
Inside, she saw a simple courtyard with a tall tree planted in the center.
Under the moonlight, there was no sign of anyone.
Had Yan Feiguang gone to his room to rest?
Shen Manyun lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold, calling softly,
“Yan Feiguang, are you asleep? How are your injuries? Why haven’t you seen a doctor?”
She hurried inside to look for him but tripped over something at her feet, stumbling forward.
When she turned to look, her breath caught in her throat.
Behind the courtyard gate, Yan Feiguang was slumped against the corridor, his head hanging low.
A large pool of blood had formed beneath him, and he had clearly passed out from exhaustion.
Under the moonlight, his figure looked lonely, like discarded trash left by the wall, unnoticed, quietly waiting for death.
At this moment, he no longer seemed as imposing as usual.
Instead, he appeared helpless, like a boy not yet twenty years old.
In that instant, Shen Manyun felt as if she were drowning, unable to breathe.
“Yan Feiguang-” Her voice trembled.
Shen Manyun crouched down and leaned over to hold him.
His body was cold, as if he were dead, yet she could still feel the faint pulse of his heartbeat.
He was heavy, and Shen Manyun couldn’t lift him.
She could only fumble around, trying to locate his wounds.
Pulling aside his large cloak, she saw a deep, bone-exposing wound on his shoulder that extended down his back.
She couldn’t tell how long it was.
If the strike had been any stronger, it would have been enough to split him in two.
Why-why hadn’t he gone to see a doctor?
Shen Manyun tried to pull him up but couldn’t manage it.
Yan Feiguang still had a sliver of consciousness left.
He gently pushed Shen Manyun away, and she didn’t resist.
After observing his wounds for a long time, Shen Manyun finally discovered the truth that explained all her questions.
The outer layer of Yan Feiguang’s wound was like that of a human’s body, bloody and mangled.
But deeper within the wound, the inner structure of his body was identical to that of a Soul Clan member.