Chapter 345: Truly unhappy
Aside from Imperial Physician Gu and esteemed w.a.n.gfei, n.o.body else knew how Han Yunxi was planning to get rid of the arrow. But everyone knew that the wound located three inches below the navel would require closer treatment than just stopping the blood. That meant…they had to take off Gu Beiyue’s pants!
Important things needed to be repeated three times. Something like that definitely, definitely, definitely couldn’t happen! Especially inside the Duke of Qin’s estate! Zhao mama was in a frenzy. She rushed right back to push at the door, but a sudden gust of wind beat her to it and violently threw it open. Before anyone could react, Long Feiye had already entered the guesthouse, leaving a strong sense of killing intent in his wake.
Zhao mama finally expelled a breath as she was freed from her fear. But she was quick to suck in a breath in its place. This isn’t right. Wasn’t that His Highness Duke of Qin? He actually came back at just the right time? There’s something fishy about this!
The people around Zhao mama were equally stunned. n.o.body expected that this reclusive, icy duke would show his face at a time like this. Because Han Yunxi was situated behind a folding screen, she didn’t see who came in. Currently, she was carefully weighing the quant.i.ty of poison in her hands as she prepared to prepare her toxin. The one thing she hated the most was being disturbed in the middle of her treatment process, especially at a time like this. Gu Beiyue wasn’t poisoned, so there was no way for the detox system to give her an accurate dose of ingredients she should use. Han Yunxi had to calculate the dosage based on the depth of the arrow in his body. It was a complicated calculation that needed meticulous work and allowed no interruptions!
She was distracted as soon as the door flew open, the numbers jumbling themselves up in her head. Gloom! Disregarding the visitor, she roared, “Get lost!”
Long Feiye’s steps halted as everyone outside gaped dumbstruck at the scene. They were all frightened out of their wits! So…so there actually exists someone who dares to speak to His Highness Duke of Qin like that…no, not speak, but ‘shout!’ This mistress of theirs was a bit too tough, wasn’t she? Both the s.p.a.ce within and without the room fell silent!
Blocked by the folding screen, Han Yunxi could only see that the door to the room was still open. She furrowed her brows, feeling utterly furious. She was certainly capable of treating patients under distractions, too, but only when there was no other choice. Most of the time, she relied on the detox system to do her calculations for her, but today’s case was an exception.
“Who is it? I told you to get lost, didn’t you hear me?!” she shouted again.
“Your lords.h.i.+p!” Long Feiye finally spoke up with a voice that seemed to come from the very depths of h.e.l.l itself, the sound made one’s hairs stand on end.
Your lords.h.i.+p? No, wait–that’s Long Feiye!
Stunned, Han Yunxi’s nerveless fingers lost their grip, and her bottle of poison fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. Long Feiye slowly circled around the folded screen and emerged before her, his icy face frozen over with a new layer of frostiness. Han Yunxi only felt the temperature around her plummet to the point that the very air seemed thinner.
Why did this guy suddenly show up? She swore she didn’t mean to yell at him on purpose. If she had known who he was, she wouldn’t have shouted even if anyone beat her to death. Long Feiye glanced expressionlessly at Han Yunxi as he surveyed her from head to foot, including the broken bottle on the floor. Then he looked at Gu Beiyue’s face, body, and injury. Imperial Physician Gu was currently lying on the bed with a white face, struggling to keep his eyes open. He only seemed half-conscious as he faced Long Feiye’s aggressive stare. A little nervous, he strained to keep his eyes open as he spoke, “Your High…Your Highness Duke of Qin…forgive this official for not…for not being…”
According to custom, he should get off the bed and greet Long Feiye, but he was too weak to explain himself. Long Feiye knew what he meant, but allowed him to keep on speaking without paying him any attention. Because of that, Gu Beiyue couldn’t stop. As a subject, he was inferior to a duke and needed to pay him obeisance.
“Your Highness Duke of Qin, please…please forgive…” Gu Beiyue could only stammer on weakly.
After Long Feiye took in everything at the scene, his eyes drifted back to Han Yunxi’s face, causing her to feel an involuntary chill. “Your…Your Highness…”
Long Feiye looked significantly at the shuttered windows before moving to sit down on one side. “Aren’t you in a rush to save someone? Why don’t you keep going?”
Han Yunxi feared his silence the most, because sometimes he’d act without speaking, resulting in frightening consequences. The fact that he said something greatly eased her breathing.
“Chenqie didn’t know Your Highness had returned and committed a breach of etiquette! Imperial Physician Gu is injured, so he’s unable to pay his respects,” Han Yunxi said, excusing Gu Beiyue at the same time.
Gu Beiyue nodded smilingly at Long Feiye, who simply ignored him. Still, he kept his cool and said, “Saving people is paramount. Go on.”
Indeed, his treatment was of the utmost importance. Long Feiye didn’t look too unhappy in Han Yunxi’s eyes, so she simply collected her thoughts and started calculating her quant.i.ty of poisons again. Long Feiye didn’t say a single word until Han Yunxi finished preparing the medicine. Then he asked, “What are you doing?”
“Using poison, then detoxifying it. I’m going to have the toxin dissolve away the arrowhead in Imperial Physician Gu’s dantian region,” Han Yunxi explained. Afraid that Long Feiye wouldn’t understand, she added, “This way, we won’t need to pull out the weapon and put his life in danger again. He won’t need to worry about losing too much blood, either.”
Long Feiye’s patience evaporated at her words. Great! Just great! He’d wracked his brains thinking of a way to sound out Gu Beiyue. Here was something even Imperial Physician Gu couldn’t fix with his medical knowledge, yet Han Yunxi had solved with her poison skills.
“Indeed, it’s an excellent method!” Long Feiye said cooly. On the side, Gu Beiyue couldn’t resist breaking into an especially good-looking smile. Han Yunxi wasn’t someone insensitive, but Long Feiye was simply too good at hiding his feelings. Again he asked, “Then how are you planning to give him the poison?”
“He can just drink it,” Han Yunxi said honestly.
“How will you detoxify it afterwards?” Long Feiye continued.
Han Yunxi didn’t think twice before she answered. “He can take the antidote too. Then I’ll use needles to expel the poisonous fluids from his body.”
“And where will you use those needles?” Long Feiye continued.
“Right where…where…” Han Yunxi trailed off as she suddenly realized what was wrong. Her line of vision followed Gu Beiyue’s navel and swept downwards. Long Feiye’s hands had clenched into fists in his sleeves as he waited for Han Yunxi to answer him.
She would have to find Gu Beiyue’s acupuncture points below his abdomen!
If this was any other time, with even more mysterious acupuncture points, Han Yunxi would still be able to admit it freely without any qualms in her heart. But faced with Long Feiye’s questioning, she realized for the first time that she couldn’t answer him. Before, she’d even told Zhao mama that she wanted to make him unhappy. Here was a perfect chance, but she simply withered up and forgot all about her goals. In fact, she was even worried that the fellow would turn unhappy and misunderstand the situation.
“Where is it?” Long Feiye kept asking.
Gu Beiyue wore a half-smiling expression and didn’t say a word. Han Yunxi was still quick-witted enough to salvage the situation. “Three inches below the navel, in the dantian region. It’s only a few acupuncture points, all ordinary ones too, so after Imperial Physician Gu takes the antidote we can have Imperial Physician Huang do the needle work for him.” Han Yunxi was very nervous. There shouldn’t be any flaws in that explanation, right?
But Long Feiye simply asked, “What about now? Does your lords.h.i.+p still have to get lost?”
Han Yunxi’s face stiffened before she explained herself again. “Your Highness, because chenqie had to measure the quant.i.ty of poisons, I didn’t want to be disturbed because it’d mess up my calculations. That’s why… Chenqie didn’t know Your Highness came back, excuse me for my impropriety!”
Long Feiye stood up. “Since that’s the case, your lords.h.i.+p will leave first.” Then he turned to walk out.
That’s it? Han Yunxi was thoroughly surprised. Was I over thinking things? But wait, it didn’t feel like I was? So confusing!
When she saw Long Feiye leave for real, Han Yunxi decided she’d worried too much. Taking a deep breath, she collected her thoughts and decided to save her patient first! However, Long Feiye’s expression looked utterly terrible when he left the room. Neither him nor the people outside really expected Han Yunxi to chase him out.
This woman. Just great!
Han Yunxi concentrated her efforts on adjusting the dosage, using poison and antidote, and preparing her needles.
“Esteemed w.a.n.gfei, I’ve made you work hard,” Gu Beiyue said mildly.
Han Yunxi was so focused that she didn’t even hear him. Gu Beiyue simply smiled and said nothing more. Once the needles were prepared, Han Yunxi didn’t tarry and called immediately for Imperial Physician Huang. But everyone else followed him into the room as well–with the exception of Long Feiye.
Han Yunxi felt a little uneasy when she didn’t see the duke, but she was too professional to dwell on that thought. Gu Beiyue might have taken the antidote already, but it’d be a big problem if they didn’t expel his poisons soon. She held her patience and told Imperial Physician Huang in detail on how to use the needles, including the exact quant.i.ties, locations, and pressure needed to apply each one. Poison expelling needles differed from regular acupuncture needles. In the end, Imperial Physician Huang had to ask a few more questions before he completely understood.
After explaining everything, Han Yunxi and Zhao mama both retreated from the guesthouse. Even Zhao mama had forgotten Han Yunxi’s vow to make Long Feiye jealous after these recent developments. Her heart was trembling as well. Long Feiye was standing with his hands behind his back right in front of the house.
“Your Highness…” Han Yunxi carefully walked to his side.
“You’ve finished treatment?” Long Feiye asked coldly.
“Imperial Physician Huang’s doing the needle work now. It’s not a big problem,” Han Yunxi answered truthfully.
Zhao mama lightly tugged on Han Yunxi’s robes, hinting to her that His Highness Duke of Qin was truly angry. Han Yunxi wasn’t an idiot. Of course she could tell, but she couldn’t figure out how to offer an explanation to him. After all–she hadn’t done anything, in the end! Everything she did was for the sake of saving others. Although she hadn’t noticed the location of the injury at first, she would’ve realized the issue even without Long Feiye showing up and ask someone else to use the needles.
He had already reminded her multiple times to remember her status and ‘wifely virtues.’ Even if she wanted to use the needles personally, Gu Beiyue wouldn’t have let her! After a period of silence, it was Long Feiye who ended up speaking first.
“Come with your lords.h.i.+p.” He left as soon as he spoke, but Han Yunxi didn’t budge.
“Your Highness, Imperial Physician Huang is still doing work with the needles. Chenqie cannot leave for now.”
Although there were no more complications, especially with Imperial Physician Huang’s excellent acupuncture skills, the prudent and cautious Han Yunxi still wanted to stay behind in case of something unexpected. That was one of the basic tenets of being a doctor. Until the patient recovered, the doctor couldn’t lower her guard.
Long Feiye didn’t turn back, but simply left her with a cold remark. “Then there’s no need for you to come along…”