Chapter 224: Chapter 224: She Didn’t Know, In That Instant
In a split second, the Big Housekeeper, who had been watching the duo of Pei and Qu, quickly pushed Doctor Qu aside, avoiding the danger of being hit by the falling thick tree trunk.
The trunk hit the ground with a heavy "bang."
If it had hit someone’s head, they would be either dead or severely injured.
Qu Fulan, realizing what happened only after the fact, felt her heart tremble. Before she could thank the Big Housekeeper for saving her, she heard someone urgently shouting from a distance, "Heir Pei!"
Everyone looked over and saw Pei Ji’an clutching his chest and kneeling on one knee, his face extremely pale, meanwhile blood was seeping through his shirt.
"Heir Pei, are you alright?" Qu Fulan hurried over to check.
Pei Ji’an looked at Qu Fulan. She didn’t know that his heart had stopped beating for a moment, but he managed to suppress the tightness in his chest and slowly shook his head, "I’m fine."
Despite his words, the wound had worsened due to his exertion, causing further bleeding. How could he be fine? He was assisted back, but before leaving, Pei Ji’an ordered that several trees in the area be cut down.
His tone held a hint of anger.
Upon returning, Qu Fulan tended to his wound, which was indeed severely aggravated. She frowned, "You should stay inside from now on. It was hard to get better, and now it’s like this again."
Qu Fulan didn’t know it was due to his attempt to use martial arts; she didn’t practice martial arts herself, so she didn’t understand such things. She just thought he had accidentally pulled it while walking.
Pei Ji’an said nothing, lying on the bed with his eyes closed, looking quite weak.
Qu Fulan finished changing his medicine, thinking he wanted to sleep because he was tired, covered him with a blanket, and left.
As soon as she left the room, Pei Ji’an opened his eyes, his deep black pupils fixed intently on the direction she had departed, silent, with a complex emotion swirling in his eyes, deep and unfathomable.
Some things may be beyond imagination, making them uncontrollable.
In the days that followed, Qu Fulan noticeably sensed Heir Pei’s odd behavior. It was as if he had become more withdrawn, mostly staying in his tent looking at maps, rarely stepping out, and even when he did, he wouldn’t stray far from the tent.
Meanwhile, the management in the military camp became increasingly strict, forbidding anyone from easily leaving the designated area, with violators subjected to military law.
This way, even Prince An couldn’t go out to pick wild fruits. Had that incident not occurred, he would surely have rebelled, but after the accident, he obediently kept silent.
If not for the Big Housekeeper’s timely help earlier, he likely wouldn’t have escaped unscathed.
Speaking of luck, it’s fortunate the Big Housekeeper was attentive; otherwise, without concern for Qu Fulan, the rescue would not have been so prompt.
This shows there are always causal relationships in the world; good deeds lead to good outcomes.
It took two months for Heir Pei’s wounds to heal before heading back to the battlefield.
Every day brought wounded soldiers, and Qu Fulan was busy saving lives and healing injuries, unable to pay attention to anything else.
Heir Pei still got hurt, but none of his injuries were fatal, although the scars that covered him, large and small, were shocking.
The war lasted a full year, and when the enemy was finally defeated, everyone cried tears of joy as no one liked war.
As a key figure, Heir Pei had many matters to handle afterward, so he asked Qu Fulan, Prince An, and others to return to the Capital City first.
This couldn’t be helped; after all, bringing them over wasn’t sanctioned by proper procedure, and if they returned together, how would it be explained?
Prince An merely came to pursue his ambitions, but having realized his actual capabilities, he dared not indulge in unrealistic daydreams any longer.
Perhaps this was Prince Anyang’s intention, knowing Heir Pei would protect his son well and understanding his son’s limitations. It was better to let him experience the battlefield firsthand than later err in arrogance.
They didn’t even report to the emperor, stealthily sending him.
Now, of course, they would return covertly.
One who has seen hard days will cherish good ones.
On the day of departure, the Big Housekeeper gave them a farewell, becoming quite emotional himself, perhaps knowing that after this goodbye, they might never meet again.
Prince An was also saddened, patting the Big Housekeeper’s shoulder, "If you have a chance to visit the Capital City, I’ll treat you to a feast."
The Big Housekeeper agreed orally, knowing full well he wouldn’t go; his home was here with no reason to visit the Capital City. It was meaningless.
Finally, the Big Housekeeper wanted to talk to Qu Fulan privately, not letting Prince An listen, who grumbled but gave them space.
The Big Housekeeper first spoke some farewell words to Qu Fulan, then blushed for some reason.
"Actually, I know you are a woman..."
Qu Fulan was shocked, her eyes widened, fearing her disguise had been exposed.
It turned out that when the trunk fell, he pushed her, and when he fell, his elbow accidentally touched... He’s not a naive man, naturally aware, but kept it secret all along.
Upon realizing this, the Big Housekeeper breathed a huge sigh of relief because he wasn’t attracted to men. Otherwise, how would he face the other brothers?
However, the Big Housekeeper specifically told Qu Fulan, not for a confession, but to share something about Heir Pei.
His keen observation led him to believe Doctor Qu was unaware, so he intended to give her a little advice.
Before he could say anything, they were interrupted; it was time to set off.
The Big Housekeeper ultimately swallowed his words, perhaps deciding it’s best to follow fate’s course.
Qu Fulan returned quietly to the Capital City.
After more than a year, the Capital City had undergone quite a few changes.
Qu Fulan wasn’t concerned about unrelated matters; she only cared about her business.
Seeing her business develop smoothly as expected relieved her; with the year’s accumulation, the wealth appeared substantial, and Qu Fulan collected her earnings with pleasure.
Having witnessed the cruelty of war, she understood the importance of living well each day.
To die, die with meaning; to live, live vibrantly and richly, not wasting this life.
Just two days after returning to the Capital City, the mansion on Gaoyi Lane received its first guest.
Not Ren Hua.
Qu Fulan also learned that Ren Hua had a miscarriage last month and is recuperating at home.
Nor was it Third Miss, who had married into the Wen Family six months ago.
So much had changed in a year, requiring time for Qu Fulan to digest.
However, those changes were not the hardest to digest.
The visitor was Fang Yuan.
Compared to a year ago, Fang Yuan had become much more silent, no longer laughing as much as before.
She seemed to have an unresolved sorrow.
"Miss Qu, why did you return alone? Didn’t Second Brother come back with you?"
"He might return a month or two late," Qu Fulan replied.
Fang Yuan sighed, "You should have waited for him."
Qu Fulan was puzzled, "Fang Yuan, you seem to have something on your mind?"
Fang Yuan, after all, was a lady from a respectable family and not proficient at speaking ill behind the back, but some things burdened her if left unsaid.