The sky grew darker, and the wind outside howled with increasing ferocity, as if threatening rain.
When Xu Hengyan returned to the rear courtyard, lamps were already lit.
Guang Bai’s lantern swayed precariously, its flame flickering as he occasionally cupped his hand around it to prevent it from being extinguished.
Xu Hengyan’s tall, upright figure flickered in and out of sight amidst the flashes of lightning and peals of thunder.
Guang Bai, hearing the distant rumble, couldn't help but sigh, "Fortunately, we hurried on our way. If we had been any later, we would have been caught in the rain."
The young lord, having spent so long in the countryside, had actually learned to read the weather like those old farmers.
He spent all day with the young lord, yet why had he learned nothing?
Xu Hengyan, however, was thinking that it was already so late, she must have gone to rest. He had walked too slowly on the road.
Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind swept through, extinguishing several lanterns on the veranda. Guang Bai shielded his with his body, barely managing to save the one in his hand.
The light on the veranda grew dimmer, and the master and servant quickened their pace.
Suddenly, a head dangled from the beam ahead, its dry, yellow hair falling wetly before them!
A long, scarlet tongue kept extending, crawling along the ground towards their feet!
It was as if a vengeful spirit had crawled out from the underworld to claim their lives.
Guang Bai yelped in fright, almost dropping the lantern, and stumbled backward with a scream.
He bumped hard into Xu Hengyan and then remembered his duty, quickly spreading his arms to shield the young lord.
Xu Hengyan, however, stood as steady as a mountain, not taking a single step back.
In an instant, a bolt of lightning split the pitch-black night sky.
The face of the ghoul hanging before them appeared even more ferocious.
Guang Bai’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of his chest! At that moment, only one thought occupied his mind!
Run!
Run fast!
But the young lord remained motionless!
Just as Guang Bai thought the young lord had been paralyzed by fear, Xu Hengyan suddenly raised his hand and gripped Guang Bai’s shoulder.
Guang Bai was pulled aside.
Xu Hengyan, with his usual composure, took two steps forward towards the ghoul.
Guang Bai cried out in terror, "Young Lord—"
Then, he watched in disbelief as the young lord seemed to have gone mad!
He actually reached out and touched the ghoul’s face!
The ghoul’s eyes, from which blood was constantly streaming, seemed to reveal a terrifying smile.
Guang Bai felt as if he were about to die. He rushed forward to pull the young lord back, only to see the ghoul’s face being peeled off by the young lord.
Peeled off…
The face behind the ghoul’s mask, in the eerie night, was equally chilling.
Young Master Xie?!!!
Guang Bai mentally cursed a million times!
The eternal, clear, and solemn expression in Xu Hengyan’s eyes vanished the moment he saw the face, replaced by a scattering of bright smiles.
“Come down quickly, you’ll fall.”
Xu Hengyan held her shoulders, afraid she would truly fall.
Xie Jiang suddenly felt utterly bored. She landed lightly with a somersault and pouted at him unhappily.
Xu Hengyan looked at the ghoul mask in his hand, then looked up at her with a smile, “Where did you get this? Did you specifically want to scare me?”
“I bought it this afternoon when I was shopping. Xu Hengyi and the others all bought them.” She pointed to the one in his hand, “Ruan Ziji forced it on me.”
As Xie Jiang spoke, she complained with disdain, “How old are they to be playing such silly games? They insisted I join them.”
Xu Hengyan nodded, “Yes, they are too bored.” It’s not you who’s bored, it’s them forcing you to play.
Guang Bai leaned against the wall, letting out a long sigh of relief, only to find his legs were a bit weak. “Young Master Xie, you’ll scare people to death acting like that!”
Xie Jiang glanced at him and said, “It only scares timid people like you. Your young lord didn’t move at all, not scared in the slightest.”
Guang Bai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and muttered inwardly that the young lord had probably guessed it from the beginning.
Xu Hengyan walked forward with her, “How long have you been squatting up there?”
She had waited until she knew he was back before climbing up. Would she really squat there waiting endlessly? “Why should I tell you?”
Xu Hengyan thought she was angry with him, “I didn’t mean to break my promise. Something came up unexpectedly, so I returned late.”
Xie Jiang tilted her head and looked up at him, “I know you didn’t mean to. If you had, do you think all you would get is a mask?”
Xu Hengyan smiled, “Then what would I get?”
Xie Jiang grabbed his wrist and held up the ugly mask in his hand, feigning fierceness, “I’ll beat your face until it looks exactly like this!”
Guang Bai didn’t believe Young Master Xie would actually do that, even though when Young Master Xie got serious, she was truly formidable.
“It would be so ugly beaten like that. Don’t you find my young lord’s face a bit of an eyesore?”
“That’s true.” Xie Jiang nodded and glanced back at Guang Bai, “Then I’ll beat you, and after beating you, I’ll throw you far away. Out of sight, out of mind.”
Guang Bai wished he could slap himself.
Why did he have to butt in!
Although Young Master Xie wouldn’t lay a hand on their young lord, she certainly would on him.
Watching her pretend to be menacing, the smile in Xu Hengyan’s eyes deepened. “How is your injury healing?”
“Yi Yanting and Yi An stare at me taking medicine every day. They won’t even let me be weak for a few days longer.”
“Why would you want to be weak for a few more days?”
“I was just saying.”
Upon arriving at Xu Hengyan’s residence, Guang Bai and a servant lit several more lamps, quickly brightening the room.
Xu Hengyan took her hands and examined them carefully. The injuries on her hands had faded to faint scars. He then cupped her chin and looked at the wound by her ear.
The scratch on her ear had also healed, leaving no trace after so many days of care.
His gaze inadvertently swept downwards, and the elegant curve of her neck and her partially exposed delicate collarbone unexpectedly entered his sight, stirring a wave of indescribable emotions within him.
“I told you, it’s already healed,” Xie Jiang mumbled.
Xu Hengyan suddenly came to his senses, quickly released her hands, and stepped back.
He couldn’t quite understand what was happening, as if he had suddenly gone mad.
He had always thought his self-control was quite good.
But just now, he…
Xu Hengyan dared not think too deeply. “The external wounds have mostly healed, but don’t you still have internal injuries?”
Xie Jiang leaned back against the chair, looking resigned. “I’m taking medicine three times a day. Even drinking tea is like drinking medicine.”
“How will your injuries heal if you don’t take medicine? Once you’re healed, you won’t need to take it.”
Did she not understand this logic? It was just that the medicine tasted too awful!
“Have you had dinner?”
“Not yet.”
“What’s the use of keeping a useless attendant like Guang Bai? Throw him to the dogs!”
“I…”
Guang Bai wanted to explain a few things, but the young lord was worried about the rain, so he focused on hurrying back and didn’t find a place to eat.
Guang Bai suddenly thought of something and swallowed the words that were about to come out.
Actually, the young lord wasn’t worried about the rain, was he? He was worried about Young Master Xie waiting for him.
When he left this morning, the young lord had specifically mentioned that he would be dining at Young Master Xie’s place that evening.
Such a small matter, yet the young lord had kept it in mind.