Chapter 21: The Top Scholar, A Delicate Maid

Qin Jinghao glared at her. "Do not talk nonsense."

Despite being so severely wounded himself, he was still scolding her! Luo Yunyao turned her head away, feeling both aggrieved and wronged. "You won't even let me speak?" The pain and the injustice brought tears to her eyes. Feeling embarrassed, she buried her face in Qin Jinghao's chest and whispered, "They say when someone is losing consciousness, you should keep talking to them, otherwise, once they close their mouth, they might never open it again."

Qin Jinghao stroked her head to comfort her. "You will be fine."

Luo Yunyao asked in a daze, "Then can I sleep for a while? It hurts so much."

Qin Jinghao soothed her gently, "Sleep. It won't hurt when you wake up."

Luo Yunyao let out a soft sound of agreement. Deep down, she didn't even think to question this lie.

That night, Luo Yunyao retained no memory of what transpired. After such a long, arduous struggle, she finally lost consciousness in the safety of his embrace.

Of course, things were not so easy for Qin Jinghao.

He rushed back to his estate, hastily summoned a physician, and carried Luo Yunyao to his own room, placing her on his bed.

General Qin, that cold, jade-like figure, had always been composed and graceful, moving with effortless precision. This was the first time he had ever felt such panic and helplessness over another person.

It was only when he finally regained his senses that he realized the person in his arms—whom he had assumed to be a delicate, effeminate-looking youth—was actually a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair, a soft, graceful figure, and a willow-thin waist.

Beyond mere surprise, Qin Jinghao felt no other distinct reaction.

Whether Luo Yunyao was a woman or a man did not matter. She was the one he had chosen to spend his life with; as long as it was her, that was enough.

Loving someone has nothing to do with gender. It was about the spark of recognition in a crowd and the affirmation found in being together. Once that choice was made, it was a lifetime commitment to hold her in his palms and cherish her in his heart.

Qin Jinghao stared at Luo Yunyao intently, only realizing after a long while that, given the propriety between men and women, he could not continue to watch her so brazenly, especially while she was in such disarray.

He hurriedly turned his head away, a rare flush coloring his jade-like cheeks. He stepped back, still dazed.

Long after, as if waking from a dream, he stood with his hands behind his back by the window, recovering his steady, cold, jade-like composure. He called out in a deep voice, "Send in some maidservants to attend to the young lady, and bring clothes for her to change into." He paused, then added firmly, "You know the required standard. If you make any mistakes, you may resign yourselves."

When the maids entered with the clothes, Qin Jinghao cast a lingering, emotion-filled glance at Luo Yunyao before settling into calm. "Do not hurt her, and do not wake her," he commanded, his cold gaze warning the maids before he lowered his eyes and exited the room.

The maids were immensely intrigued by this sudden appearance of a young lady. They all knew their master, General Qin, was usually indifferent to worldly desires. Even Princess Yue Liuxi, who visited the General most frequently, was a beauty he consistently ignored, to the point that the maids felt sorry for her. As time passed, the General remained unmoved. Rumors in the pugilistic world suggested the General favored men; at first, they had tried to refute these claims, but the General ignored them entirely. Facts speak louder than words, and eventually, they stopped trying... as long as the General was happy.

But now! There was a beautiful young woman by the General's side! And judging by his demeanor, he cared for her deeply. Her origins were mysterious, but at least their General liked women.

The maids thought happily. Although they were incredibly curious about the relationship between Luo Yunyao and their master, once they had changed her clothes, they only stole a few glances and let their imaginations run wild. Despite their suppressed smiles, they did nothing more and reluctantly bowed their way out.

When Qin Jinghao returned, his gaze landed straight on Luo Yunyao.

Dressed in clean clothes, her dark hair spread neatly across the embroidered pillow, she looked docile and uncharacteristically quiet. Her face was pale, and her lips were devoid of color. Only upon closer inspection could one tell she was not sleeping soundly; her lips were pressed tightly together, a sign of enduring pain.

"Yunyao."

The low whisper was heavy with undefined emotion.

He had failed to protect her. When Luo Yunyao took on the case of the corrupt Marquis of the Prime Minister, Qin Jinghao had promised himself to keep her safe.

Every dusk, he would go to her estate to ensure her safety, though most of the time, he did not let her know because it was too late.

Today, while waiting at her estate, he had suddenly felt uneasy. Although Luo Yunyao had been later than this before, the sense of dread grew increasingly strong. His only concern was her.

Qin Jinghao was always rational, acting according to plan. Yet, he had tracked the route Luo Yunyao always took, from the Ministry of War to the Council of State.

He could not describe the feeling. When he saw Luo Yunyao covered in blood, so battered, like a red plum blossom blooming in defiance, his rage became uncontrollable; he killed the assassin in the most painful way possible.

From the moment he saw her, he had lost his composure. He appeared calm, but inside he was dazed and helpless, terrified of touching her and causing more pain. When had he, a jade-like gentleman who moved through the world like flowing water, ever been like this?

Qin Jinghao looked deeply at her face, smiling bitterly at himself.

Just as he was lost in thought, the physician arrived and knocked on the door.

Qin Jinghao turned to hide, but then paused, rushing back to lower the bed curtains.

Standing by the window again, he resumed his ethereal, jade-like gentlemanly appearance. He asked the physician outside in a deep voice, "Did you bring the silk thread for pulse-taking?"

The physician outside was startled. Hearing the General’s slightly hoarse voice, he sensed his tension and possessiveness. "The person who summoned me mentioned it was a young lady, so I naturally brought it," the physician replied respectfully.

Qin Jinghao nodded, laughing inwardly at his own foolishness.

He had always valued saving lives over strict gender propriety. Why had he become so pedantic?

Having spent so much time on the battlefield, he knew her injuries were not life-threatening, yet he had been acting this way.

He shook his head with a low chuckle and said, "Please, come in." His voice returned to its usual low, pleasant tone.

As the physician entered, Qin Jinghao bowed politely. "Forgive my earlier rudeness. Dr. Wang, you are as thorough as ever." He gestured toward the bed. "I leave it to you."

Dr. Wang smiled kindly. "It is no matter. The General’s concern is only natural." He now understood the weight this woman held in Qin Jinghao's heart.

Qin Jinghao said nothing. Dr. Wang had been the estate physician since his father’s time and had watched him grow up, which was why he was so respectful. Being teased, he only showed the shy expression of a child being poked fun at by an elder.

As Dr. Wang packed his medical kit, he whispered kindly, "There is no major cause for concern, General. You may set your heart at ease. They are merely superficial wounds. However, as she is a young lady, do take care to protect her; it would be a pity if any scars were left."

Qin Jinghao nodded and saw Dr. Wang out.

The night was warmed by moonlight, with thin veils of tender affection spreading through the room. Qin Jinghao leaned by the bed, leaning down to gaze intently at Luo Yunyao, his eyes tracing the girl's features.

Luo Yunyao was awakened by pain.

She struggled to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt impossibly heavy. Every part of her body ached, especially her waist and... her chest. At first, she was confused, thinking, who knows what I've been through. As she forced her eyes open, she suddenly remembered: right, she had courted death by refusing to flatter the middle-of-the-road politics of Qin Jinghao.

Damn it, if she ever met that assassin again, she would make them pay tenfold for what she had suffered.

"Awake?" A heavenly voice drifted to her ears.

It magically soothed all of Luo Yunyao's anger, regret, and even the pain.

Luo Yunyao groaned an "Mmm." Her gaze landed on Qin Jinghao's jade-like face, though he looked somewhat haggard.

She tilted her head to think, but the movement pulled at her wounds. She winced and gave up. "You wouldn't happen to have been watching over me all night, would you?"

Seeing she was awake, Qin Jinghao rose and walked toward the tea table. "Yes," he replied.

Luo Yunyao felt her wounds ache even more. She tried to soften her voice. "Am I going to die?"

Qin Jinghao poured tea with elegant movements, his voice hoarse. "I've warned you several times, no nonsense."

Luo Yunyao closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. "I'm not going to die, so why did you stay up all night! Is it fun? You're a grown man, how can you have so little sense?" The more she thought about it, the more she felt he didn't know how to take care of himself. "I'm perfectly fine, and you didn't sleep all night. What if something actually happened to me later? Would you mope around for a while? As a man, can you not be so emotional? Do you know what is most important? Your health! Your body is a gift from your parents; how can you damage it over a... cough, a woman? As a General, can you be more rational?"

Qin Jinghao listened quietly to her nagging like a wife scolding her husband, cooperating by remaining silent like a husband who had done something wrong. When she said "woman," he couldn't help but curve his lips, though only slightly. After she finished venting, he handed her the teacup. "You've been talking for so long, aren't you thirsty?"

In truth, she should have wanted a drink the moment she woke up, but Luo Yunyao had been too concerned about Qin Jinghao to remember her own needs.