The person lying on the bed moaned and opened their eyes. Xiao Man saw that he was awake. "You're awake. How do you feel?"
"Where is this?"
"My room," Xiao Man said softly. "You were injured, and in a moment of desperation, I brought you back."
Wen Mohan struggled to sit up. Xiao Man quickly stopped him. "Don't move, or you'll tear the wound. I haven't bandaged it yet."
Wen Mohan then realized his clothes were open, and his wound had been medicated but not bandaged. "If I don't sit up, how will you bandage me?"
Xiao Man cursed herself for being foolish. Fortunately, Wen Mohan let go. She got up and helped him sit up, then took a cushion from the side and tucked it behind him, making him more comfortable.
She then took the bandages and began to dress Wen Mohan's wound. The knife wound was quite awkward. The young girl, about seven or eight years old, had stabbed him directly in the lower abdomen. If she had gone a little lower, Wen Mohan estimated he would have skipped two levels and become a eunuch.
As Xiao Man wrapped the bandage around Wen Mohan's back, there was unavoidable physical contact. Wen Mohan suddenly felt his mouth dry.
Xiao Man was momentarily stunned, then looked up at Wen Mohan. His face was so red it looked like it could bleed. He turned his face away, not daring to look at Xiao Man.
Xiao Man quickly finished bandaging Wen Mohan. She had almost forgotten that Wen Mohan was now a vigorous young man who was not yet married, and his wound was in a sensitive area. Her dressing it without any reservation was no different from boldly teasing him!
After bandaging, Xiao Man quickly pulled the quilt over Wen Mohan. "That... you should rest well. The Prime Minister's mansion will come to pick you up tomorrow. I... I'll go to sleep too."
"Man'er," Wen Mohan said as Xiao Man was about to leave, grabbing her hand. The embarrassment on his face had not yet faded. "I..."
"I know. You don't need to explain."
Wen Mohan saw that Xiao Man's face was also a little red, and he immediately smiled. "Man'er, what are you talking about? I just wanted to say I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?"
The slow-to-realize Xiao Man truly wanted to find a hole to hide in. However, she was usually thick-skinned. She was only trying to find an excuse to leave because she was afraid of making Wen Mohan embarrassed, so she quickly calmed herself down.
"I'll go check the kitchen. They've all gone to sleep. Let me see what I can find to eat in the kitchen. Wait here."
"Okay." Wen Mohan released her hand and watched Xiao Man's somewhat eager retreating back. The smile in his eyes grew even more intense. The pain from his wound was nothing to him. If it could make her care more about him, he would be willing to endure even being covered in wounds.
A figure appeared silently by Wen Mohan's bedside. It was Gui Yi. "Young Master, the Prime Minister instructed you to return to the mansion as soon as you wake up."
Wen Mohan put away his smile. "Retire. I have my own plans."
"The Prime Minister said that if you disobey, he will take action against Miss Xiao."
"How dare he!" Wen Mohan said coldly. "Get out. Whoever dares to harm her, I will make them regret it for the rest of their lives!"
Gui Yi was shocked and did not dare to retort. He retreated silently. A murderous glint flashed in Wen Mohan's eyes. In the capital, under the Emperor's feet, those people dared to attack Xiao Man so brazenly? He would see who these audacious individuals were!
When Xiao Man returned, she entered with a small tray holding a bowl of steaming porridge. Before she got close, she smelled its fragrance, and Wen Mohan felt even hungrier.
Xiao Man placed the tray on the small table by the bedside and picked up the porridge. "I cooked a bowl of fish porridge. Fortunately, the small kitchen always has ingredients. It's light and delicious, which helps the wound heal. Try it and see if it suits your taste. I haven't cooked in a long time."
Wen Mohan's eyes sparkled. "You made it yourself?"
"Yes, Qiu Tong and the others are asleep. I didn't want to wake them up, so I cooked some porridge. Try it." Xiao Man scooped a spoonful, carefully blew on it to cool it, and fed it to Wen Mohan's lips.
Wen Mohan opened his mouth and ate it, praising it repeatedly. "It's delicious! I never expected you to be able to cook, Man'er."
"Cooking is also one of the essential skills," Xiao Man said, feeding him spoonful by spoonful. "It's just that I usually don't have the opportunity to cook."
"To be able to eat porridge made by your own hands, I suddenly feel that this wound was worth it."
"Silly boy!" Xiao Man chided him playfully. "In the future, if you encounter something like this, stay as far away as possible. You don't know martial arts, and getting involved could cost you your life, which would be a great loss."
"But I can't just watch you fall into danger and do nothing." Wen Mohan smiled gently. If there were a next time, he would still rush forward without hesitation, not for anyone else, but for her.
The bowl of porridge was quickly finished. Wen Mohan still felt a little unsatisfied and wanted another bowl, but Xiao Man refused. "You just woke up and you're injured. You can't eat too much. Besides, it's so late. Get some rest early, and I'll have the maids make you more tomorrow."
"But I want to eat what you made," Wen Mohan said, looking at Xiao Man expectantly. "This is the first time I've eaten such delicious fish porridge. It's comparable to heavenly delicacies. If I can't eat fish porridge made by Man'er tomorrow, I'll probably have a sleepless night."
Xiao Man smiled upon hearing this. "Mohan, this is the first time I've discovered how charming your mouth is. No wonder the young ladies of the capital all clamor to marry you. With such a glib tongue, those girls can't escape your grasp."
"Man'er, you're teasing me again. You know I..."
"Alright, alright, I promise. When you wake up tomorrow, I'll definitely let you eat porridge made by my own hands."
"It's a deal." Wen Mohan extended his little finger.
"It's a deal." Their little fingers hooked together, as if unspoken affections were surging between them.
Nangong Yu returned to Prince Qin's mansion and furiously smashed his favorite tea set. Wen Ruyu had been waiting for Nangong Yu for a long time. To his surprise, Nangong Yu started smashing things as soon as he returned. He was so frightened that he quickly hid behind a chair, fearing he would become Prince Qin's punching bag.
Ye Qing also silently shrank into a corner, letting Nangong Yu smash things as he vented his anger. After all, one needed to release their emotions so as not to fall ill. Normally, this man always kept things bottled up. It was rare to see him so distraught.
"It's obvious he's been upset by Xiao Man," Wen Ruyu whispered, moving closer to Ye Qing to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
"I think he secretly went to see Xiao Man and saw her and Wen Mohan being all lovey-dovey, and he got jealous!" Wen Ruyu lowered his voice.
"What did you say?" Nangong Yu looked at them angrily, scaring Wen Ruyu into covering his mouth. "I didn't say anything!"