It doesn't hurt, so why would she still be dizzy?
Xiao Shan gently touched Xue Niang's forehead. Her temperature was normal, though her cheeks were a little warm and flushed, but not enough to be a fever.
"Are you still dizzy?"
"No, I'm not dizzy anymore. Maybe I was just scared." Xue Niang turned her head. "Go and check the room properly. Are there any more?"
"Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes, yes, go quickly!"
As soon as he stopped sucking, the symptoms disappeared. It wasn't the spider that was poisonous, it was him!
Xiao Shan was baffled. Seeing her turn away and ignore him, he had no choice but to go to the kitchen, grab a broom, and enter the bedroom.
He cleaned it meticulously, even climbing onto the rafters to check. There were indeed no insects or spiders. He picked up the dead spider on the floor and threw it away before returning to Xue Niang's side.
He saw her sitting on a stool, her complexion unchanged. Her right index finger was curled up, and she seemed lost in thought, staring blankly.
Thinking of how she had almost cried from fear just now, his heart couldn't help but soften.
"How did you get bitten? Did you climb onto the rafters?"
Xue Niang came back to her senses, her face instantly showing a hint of unnaturalness. She glanced at him sideways, with a touch of playful reproach. "Do you think I'm like you? I saw a white bump in the corner of the wall and went to tear it off. Who knew a big bug was hiding inside!"
"You disturbed the spider's home, and you're not allowed to be bitten?"
"Was that a spider? It built its home next to mine without my permission?"
Xiao Shan chuckled softly at her childishness, then suddenly composed himself.
Alas, this young lady, who knew nothing, didn't even recognize a spider. What kind of good life had she lived before? His heart was filled with complex emotions as he spoke softly.
"I mentioned before that I wanted to find your family. Do you have any impression of home?"
"Why did you bring it up? It's none of your business!"
Xue Niang suddenly stood up and returned to the bedroom.
Her expression turned cold, but Xiao Shan felt inexplicably happy, the earlier sense of闷闷 (mēn mēn - stuffy/depressed) completely gone.
"You said it yourself."
By evening, Xue Niang had taken her medicine and fallen asleep quickly. The medicine had calming incense added, and her sleep had improved significantly in the past few days.
Now, when she applied medicine herself, she always locked the door, not letting him see at all. He didn't know how her injuries were recovering. Xiao Shan quietly lifted the quilt, pinching the smooth silk nightgown with two fingers and slowly opening it. Two bright red shoulder straps hung on her fair neck, creating a stark contrast between red and white. He swallowed.
A faint medicinal scent wafted over, much weaker than before. It seemed she had only applied it once.
The nightgown was pulled aside, revealing an inner bodice covering her. He couldn't see anything. To undo the bodice would be taking advantage of her, and he preferred to untie it in front of her.
Xiao Shan's palms were sweating. He held the thin straps for a long time without pulling them. The scent was intoxicating. Amidst the faint medicinal aroma, there was a hint of another fragrance.
He leaned closer and sniffed deeply. Yes, there was indeed another scent, masked by the medicinal smell, which he hadn't noticed at first.
The scent was very clear and pure, not an unpleasant perfumed smell. He also knew that Xue Niang wouldn't be wearing perfume.
That's right, it was lotus fragrance, the scent of lotus flowers blooming in summer.
No lotus had been added to this medicine. So, was this fragrance something Xue Niang naturally possessed? Could such a miraculous thing exist in the world?
To verify, he turned to Xue Niang's feet. If it was truly body fragrance, then her feet should have it too. Tonight, he had washed her feet as per his arrangement. She had been so angry she almost kicked the basin over and was still sulking and ignoring him before bed.
Her feet were as delicate and small as her person, incredibly cute. He even doubted if she had ever walked much in her life. They were as tender as tofu, porcelain white and lustrous, making one want to put them in their mouth and eat them.
Xue Niang's feet were exposed to the air. She seemed uncomfortable and shrunk them further into the quilt. Xiao Shan quickly covered her and glanced upwards.
Seeing that she was not awake, he felt relieved and then buried his head in the quilt.
Indeed, her feet carried a clear and pure lotus fragrance. Since she hadn't applied medicine there, the scent was more obvious than on her body, easily discernible.
A woman with natural body fragrance?
Good heavens, what treasure had he found?
Logically, such an unparalleled beauty should have been famous in Jingguo long ago. Why had he never heard of her?
"Xue Niang, who exactly are you?"
Xiao Shan stared at the terrifying black markings on her face. For a moment, the woman before him seemed increasingly shrouded in mystery. He was certain that these markings on her face had not been there before, because she had never paid them any mind. Even if people looked, she appeared dignified and confident, as if there was nothing on her face.
Therefore, such a woman of unparalleled beauty had no reason to remain unknown.
Unless she had never shown herself to anyone.
In this era, although women were bound by rules, they were much better off than in the previous dynasty. Many young ladies from good families appeared in public. It seemed unlikely that she had never shown herself.
He knew of two young ladies from prominent families whose beauty was renowned, and he had met them. Their appearance was far inferior to Xue Niang's, not even close.
So, it was truly strange.
Even stranger was that both he and Qu Linglong had felt she looked familiar at first glance, yet were certain they had never met her.
What was going on?
As Xiao Shan pondered Xue Niang's identity, his fingers unconsciously caressed her cheek. Just then, Xue Niang suddenly opened her eyes, her beautiful eyes wide open, not at all like someone asleep. She seemed to have woken up long ago.
Xiao Shan was startled. Oh no, she was definitely going to be angry again.
"Xue Niang, it's me. I was just worried about your injury. Don't worry, I didn't do anything..."
Xiao Shan's voice gradually faded. He was astonished to see Xue Niang sit up, not even bothering to pull her nightgown closed. One side had slipped down to her shoulder.
Her delicate collarbone and smooth shoulders were flawless. If not for the bodice covering her, Xiao Shan might have lost control long ago.
Xue Niang walked around Xiao Shan and put on her shoes. Her movements were very slow, completely unlike her usual self.
Xiao Shan then noticed that although her eyes were wide open, they lacked any spirit.
His heart sank. Could Xue Niang be suffering from somnambulism?
This condition was quite dangerous. If she were to be startled awake abruptly, it could be life-threatening.
Back in the barracks, there was a new recruit who suffered from this condition. In the middle of the night, he had grabbed a knife and started attacking people. Fortunately, someone who got up to relieve themselves saw him and subdued him on the spot. The result was that the young soldier, upon waking, was so frightened that his heart stopped and he died.
Before he died, he had cried out that he was cutting watermelon and not killing anyone.
What should he do now? How should he guide Xue Niang back to bed?
Xue Niang walked a few steps and then stopped, standing in the center of the room, tilting her head up as if looking at the sky.
Xiao Shan dared not make a sound, watching her nervously.
Then, he saw Xue Niang spread her limbs and, with light steps, begin to dance.
Her posture was graceful, her movements ethereal, as if in a dream. For a moment, even his sharp eyesight couldn't follow the movement of her feet. If he hadn't been sure that Xue Niang didn't know martial arts, he would have suspected she was hiding her true abilities.