A basin of ice water was poured over his head, and in the end, he was utterly betrayed.
However, since Xie Jiang was already so miserable, how could he hold it against her?
Besides, Xie Jiang had always bullied him like this before, and he was used to it. It was when she was delirious and pathetic from illness that he felt truly distressed.
Seeing that her throat was a little dry and hoarse, Xu Hengyan went to pour her a cup of warm water.
"You've been frowning. Are you getting a headache?"
Xie Jiang took the cup and hummed in response.
Xu Hengyan raised his hand, tapped Xu Hengyi's shoulder, and said to Xie Jiang.
"Then rest well. We won't disturb you. Call us if you need anything."
Seeing that Xie Jiang had no intention of keeping them, Xu Hengyi swallowed the words that had welled up in his throat and dejectedly followed Xu Hengyan out.
It was completely different from what he had imagined. Xie Jiang, upon seeing him, wasn't surprised at all!
She was also cold to his second brother.
Alright, Xie Jiang was still Xie Jiang.
He had been thinking too much.
Xie Jiang not only had a headache but felt uncomfortable all over, inside and out, and had no mood to deal with anyone.
She leaned her head against the headboard for a while, then hugged the quilt and buried her head in it, but her head still felt very uncomfortable.
It wasn't exactly painful, but… it was hard to describe.
Qian Qiu tiptoed in from outside, "The medicinal bath is ready. Would you like to soak in it? It might help relieve some discomfort."
"Where is it?" Xie Jiang got off the bed without hesitation.
Qian Qiu led her to the adjacent bathroom and retreated after giving some instructions.
Xie Jiang soaked in the tub for a while, and her head felt lighter, and her whole body relaxed considerably.
It was then that she suddenly remembered something and glanced at the two maids serving her, "Aren't you from Yi Yan Gen's residence?"
One of the maids replied, "In case the servants from Duke Wei's mansion were not attentive enough, Young Master Yi sent us to serve you."
Although they had served Xie Jiang during baths many times, and were serving her during a bath at this very moment, and no one knew Xie Jiang's gender better than they did, they called her "Young Master" without any mental burden.
"Was that doctor just now also from Yi Yan Gen?"
"Yes."
Xie Jiang smiled with an unreadable expression, "Yi Yan Gen is truly thoughtful."
This way, Xu Hengyan would have no chance to discover she was a woman.
She felt much better after the medicinal bath. Upon hearing that Yi Yan Gen had arrived, and thinking of Yi Yan Gen's adorable behavior, Xie Jiang magnanimously granted an audience.
When Yi Yan Gen arrived again, Xu Hengyan did not appear.
Yi Yan Gen was here to see Xie Jiang, and perhaps she was too lazy to deal with him, so there was no need for him to intrude.
However, Xu Hengyi was idle, so he was sent to greet him.
Xu Hengyi nervously welcomed him into the Shi'an Courtyard, but when they reached the wing where Xie Jiang was staying, Yi Yan Gen politely sent him away.
"Young Master Xu San, please feel free to do as you please. I am well acquainted with Young Master Xie and do not require Young Master Xu San's company."
Xu Hengyi: "..."
Wen Feng and Shan Bai stood like two formidable guards outside the wing's door.
Xu Hengyi felt a sense of dread.
Xie Jiang leaned against the soft couch by the bed, gazing at Yi Yan Gen with a half-smile.
When Yi Yan Gen saw her lively appearance, a smile finally appeared on his expressionless face.
"Are you feeling better?" Yi Yan Gen reached out to feel her forehead as soon as he arrived.
Xie Jiang frowned and swatted his hand away with distaste, "What's with you people? Touching my head the moment we meet."
Yi Yan Gen's eyes turned dangerous, "Who else touches your head the moment they meet you?"
Xie Jiang blurted out immediately, "Xu Hengyi."
Although Xu Hengyi had quickly retracted his hand, judging by his natural movements, it was clear that he had been up to no good on her forehead when she was unconscious.
Yi Yan Gen stared at Xie Jiang, don't think he didn't know her mischievous nature, did she really like being jealous, being unreasonable, and not making any sense?
Xu Hengyi was indeed a bit annoying. He heard that he had stayed by her bedside all night. He admitted that he was indeed very jealous.
But it wasn't enough to break that brat's hands for it.
Especially not in someone else's home.
He wasn't her.
Bullying someone else's child at their home and still being so righteous.
"Did you take your medicine on time?"
"I just finished a medicinal bath. Smell me, I'm covered in the scent of medicine."
Xie Jiang spread her arms, waiting for him to come and smell her.
Yi Yan Gen went over and pulled her into his embrace, lowering his head to sniff her neck. The faint medicinal scent mixed with her own, still a captivating aroma to him.
"You're still a bit warm."
He pressed his forehead against hers.
"You've lost so much weight."
Her shoulder blades were more prominent beneath the soft fabric. Thinking of her despondency in the Dali Temple prison, Yi Yan Gen still glared at her with some anger.
"You don't eat properly!"
Hearing him say that, Xie Jiang suddenly remembered something and was stunned.
Yi Yan Gen noticed and touched her face, "What are you thinking about?"
Xie Jiang nestled further into his embrace, finding a comfortable position, and closed her eyes, unwilling to speak.
Even though she had always known she wasn't Song Er, in many instances, she still possessed Song Er's emotions.
After being imprisoned, she had been in a daze. The Nanxiong Marquis's mansion was engulfed and consumed by maddened rioters, and she seemed to have witnessed the past experiences of the Dingguo Duke's mansion.
Even though she hadn't experienced it herself.
Even though she didn't have those memories.
But her emotions seemed to have been affected at that time.
Recalling her emotions during her initial imprisonment, she still felt overwhelmed and breathless by the emotional turmoil.
Her head, which had been soothed by the medicinal bath, began to ache again.
Could it be that her soul had merged too perfectly with Song Er's body?
Had she even merged with Song Er's residual soul?
It was highly possible.
That was why she had inexplicably developed a strong bond of kinship with Song Ze before ever meeting him.
Yi Yan Gen anxiously massaged her head, "Don't overthink things. Just focus on recovering from your illness."
With great effort, Xie Jiang managed to push away those emotions and slowly recovered.
However, she couldn't help but recall other things, as if they had happened after she lost consciousness.
"I think I had a very long dream. The dream was chaotic, and I can't remember anything clearly, except that I seemed to have fallen into the sea, surrounded by an overwhelming expanse of seawater, and the feeling of suffocation was very vivid."
"And there was a part where I seemed to be locked up somewhere, pitch black in front of my eyes, my hands and feet tied, and no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't break free..."
Xie Jiang murmured lazily, frowning and thinking for a moment, but couldn't recall anything else.
"I was so anxious in the dream, and so scared... no one came to save me."
Seizing the opportunity to act spoiled with Yi Yan Gen, her wicked hand slid down his lower back, but he seemed oblivious!
Xie Jiang rejoiced secretly!
She continued to feign helplessness without sincerity, "A series of chaotic dreams, I seemed to have been bullied quite badly, I tried my best to escape, and I was so exhausted that I had no strength left..."
She touched him again and again.
Pat, pat, pat, she lightly patted him twice, but there was still no reaction.
Yi Yan Gen's heart was in turmoil. She spoke so casually, treating them as mere chaotic dreams.
But it was hard for him to convince himself not to overthink.
What if everything in her dreams had actually happened to her?
What if she had experienced even more terrifying things than what was in her dreams?
Her incredibly precise killing techniques at the foot of Mount Xian.
And her calm demeanor amidst the bloody carnage in the desolate wilderness.
How could he not overthink?