Ying Zhong was struck dumb, bewildered.
Bai Youan gave a silent smile, then slowly took out a crumpled sachet from his chest.
"Ah." Ying Zhong's face flushed. He scratched his head and quickly explained, "Chao Chao jie gave me a book on her medical skills, and I... I couldn't just accept it empty-handed, so... so..."
"So you used my belongings to curry favor?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Ying Zhong knelt on the ground, raising three fingers to his temple. "I swear I didn't, really Second Master. I..."
Bai Youan reached out and pressed down on Ying Zhong's raised hand. His voice was low, "Alright, I understand."
He helped Ying Zhong up, gestured for him to sit back down, and gently reminded him, "Call me Master. You don't have to be like those three."
Bai Youan handed the sachet back to Song Qingchao, then picked up the tea on the table and drank.
"Master..." Ying Zhong lowered his head, his voice listless, but still concerned about Bai Youan's injury. "If you keep moving around like this, even an immortal won't be able to heal it."
Bai Youan drew out his fan and slapped it on Ying Zhong's head with a rare fierceness mixed with affection. "Are you the Master, or am I?"
Ying Zhong rubbed his head and pouted. "You are, but you can't be so careless with your own body."
"What do you know?"
"Yes, I don't know." Ying Zhong's gaze shifted, but he still glanced towards the steps.
Bai Youan sighed and placed the tea back on the table. "What do you really want to say?"
Given permission, Ying Zhong immediately became like a curious little monkey, scurrying over to Bai Youan. "Master, why did you bring Chao Chao jie up here?"
Bai Youan gave him a sidelong glance. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Song Qingchao wake up.
He immediately closed his mouth and leaned weakly against the carriage, feigning his injury and signaling Ying Zhong to remain silent.
Ying Zhong immediately understood, pulling out a pile of medicinal herbs and an acupuncture kit.
"You're awake?"
Bai Youan's pale lips trembled, his voice weak.
Song Qingchao frowned, her hand going to the back of her neck where pain radiated.
She slowly sat up from the steps, rubbing her eyes several times before recognizing her situation. "Mr. Bai?"
"It is I." Bai Youan raised his hand, signaling Ying Zhong not to tend to his injury for the moment. "Do you feel any better?"
Song Qingchao nodded, but her body leaned outwards, her simple hemp clothing creating a shallow indentation at her waist.
She lifted the curtain and looked at the patrolling soldiers outside, and the people huddled together asleep on the ground.
She was dumbfounded.
Song Qingchao sat back into the carriage, pointing outside. "Mr. Bai, what about me?"
She clearly remembered being almost at the mountain peak, feeling her body give out and preparing to take out the sachet to relieve herself when she encountered Second Master.
Then Second Master snatched her sachet, and she fainted.
But how did she open her eyes to find herself in Mr. Bai's carriage?
Right! Where was the sachet?
Song Qingchao quickly looked down to find it, only to discover the crumpled sachet on the ground.
Her heart immediately relaxed, and her hunched shoulders dropped.
With lowered eyes, she pondered what to do next. It was probably too late to go up the mountain again. She would have to take her brother and run, or persuade the skinny monkey to change their route.
Bai Youan took in Song Qingchao's expression after she woke.
As Song Qingchao lowered her gaze, Bai Youan felt she was shy about sharing the carriage with him.
Bai Youan covered his mouth and coughed, subtly shifting outwards, and did not let Ying Zhong leave.
Finally, his gaze fixed on the sachet she was clutching.
"Miss's sachet..."
Song Qingchao snapped back to attention, looking up at Bai Youan's distant demeanor, then looked down at the sachet in her hand.
She handed the sachet to him. "This originally belonged to you, sir. It was kept by this humble girl for a day, and now I return it to you."
Bai Youan shook his head. "Since Ying Zhong gave it to you, it is yours now."
He opened his fan, obscuring the light that flickered in his eyes.
Song Qingchao said nothing further and accepted the sachet without reservation. "May I ask if you saw a man in black clothing, sir?"
Bai Youan's brows furrowed, his voice slightly hesitant. "Are there any other characteristics?"
Song Qingchao blinked and uttered a word: "dog."
The Second Master, in her impression, was indeed captivatingly handsome, but his manner of doing things was too much like a dog...
"Dog?" Bai Youan's fan almost fell from his hand. He took a few breaths. "Is that all?"
Song Qingchao thought for a moment. "His eyes, his eyes are very beautiful, slightly drooping but very bright, like a dog's."
Bai Youan: I shouldn't have asked.
He coughed lightly, covering half his face with his fan. "I saw him. I went to gather herbs and wandered a bit far, so I encountered the imperial troops raiding bandits."
Bai Youan caught sight of Song Qingchao's suddenly stiffening body, then deliberately drew out the end of his sentence, clearly seeing the anxiety in her eyes.
So, beneath his fan, the corner of his mouth curved. "The leader was wearing blue clothing. I only caught a distant glimpse and, worried about getting into trouble, didn't look closely before returning."
"I'm glad you're alright." Song Qingchao lowered her eyelids and accepted the tea from Ying Zhong. "Were the bandits wiped out? How did you find me, sir?"
She tried to suppress her shock and excitement, but her trembling eyelashes still betrayed her.
"You are very scared?"
"No." Song Qingchao lowered her head, somewhat disappointed. "I just thought if you were caught in the fight, it would be bad if you were injured."
Bai Youan also smiled. He put down his fan and lowered his head to pick up the tea on the table. "Thank you for your concern, miss."
He took a sip of tea and reached out to lift the curtain. "They've all been wiped out."
He turned his head, his gaze falling back on Song Qingchao's face.
Her pale little face, lips pressed together, delicate yet distant, yet possessing a certain fragile, exquisite beauty.
"As I was coming down the mountain, I heard a commotion and saw someone fighting with the imperial soldiers. You were leaning against a tree. Fortunately, they were so engrossed in their fight that they paid me no mind, so I brought you back."
"You saved my life again, sir."
Song Qingchao lowered her head with a touch of shame. She truly hadn't expected her body to be so unreliable.
"It's nothing. I promised the Princess to save you, and you don't need to thank me. The reward has already been paid by the Princess."
Bai Youan's tone was indifferent.
It made her feel as though she were inviting trouble, as if it were wrong to be in the forest with a man without reason.
"I suppose that person must have been a mountain bandit. I'm glad you are unharmed, miss."
Bai Youan pointed outside the window. "It's dawn. I shall not see you off."
While Song Qingchao was thanking him, she noticed the injury on his left arm.
Bai Youan, as if sensing her observation, explained, "They accidentally scraped me. It's nothing serious."
"Thank you for your trouble, sir."
"It's nothing."
After seeing Song Qingchao off, Bai Youan finally let Ying Zhong tend to his wound.
The moment he tore open the sleeve, Ying Zhong gasped, "That deep! It's good you applied medicine promptly. If it had been delayed, your arm might have been lost."
Bai Youan smiled indifferently. "It's nothing. If it's gone, it will be a fitting repayment for the debts of my past life."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ying Zhong worked efficiently.
He was skilled in treating external injuries, for no other reason than that his master was always returning with injuries. If his medical skills weren't good, the person in front of him would have long since gotten himself killed.
"The book?"
"Hm? What did you say?" Ying Zhong replied vaguely.
"The book Miss Song gave you."
Although Ying Zhong was reluctant, he still slowly fumbled it out of his pocket.
Bai Youan flipped through a few pages, his usually lazy gaze suddenly becoming serious.
He turned his head and lifted the curtain on the window to look at the departing, frail figure.
This woman...
"Eldest Sister! Where did you go?"
Song Qingchao was bewildered until Song Qingmu, who had rushed over, grasped her hands, and her eyes regained some clarity.
But fortunately, the most pressing crisis had passed. They were temporarily out of danger, and there was no need to make a choice.
Song Qingchao quickly comforted the anxious Song Qingmu.
She turned her head to look at the silent carriage, then gazed into the distance.
She wondered how Azhu was doing...
It was time for them to fight back.