Xie Chengxiao was quite easy to placate.
Just moments ago, his face was tense, but when he saw Bai Liuyue actively scoot closer to him, his brow unconsciously smoothed, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
He looked up, meeting those almond-shaped eyes.
The moment their gazes met,
he understood the meaning in her look.
All the displeasure in his heart instantly vanished.
He's so grown up now, how can he still sulk like a child? That's not good.
When Liuyue first sat down, it must have been unintentional.
She probably didn't think much of it.
He was the one overthinking it.
He told himself this.
Then he also actively shifted to his left, and the two finally sat side-by-side on the bench, knees touching knees.
But after he moved over, he realized a problem!
That was, they seemed to be sitting a bit too close!!!
And with just a slight turn of his head, he could clearly see the fine, light down on her cheek, while a faint scent of lily of the valley drifted to his nose.
Was it the fragrance of a scented ointment?
Or perhaps her lip rouge?
Xie Chengxiao's thoughts drifted a little, though his face still wore that same aloof expression.
"Hmm? Brother-in-law, there seems to be something on your eyelashes."
"Don't move."
As soon as the words fell, Bai Liuyue had already swiftly raised her hand. Her fair, slender fingers brushed past his cheek in the air, finally landing on his long eyelashes.
They were very close.
Xie Chengxiao didn't dare breathe heavily, because if he lifted his head just a little, he could feel their noses might touch.
He could only make his expression appear even colder.
So as not to reveal a single crack in his composure.
The fingers resting on his knees curled slightly, unsure of where to place themselves.
"There, done."
"It was probably some white dust or fluff that got stuck during the earlier fight."
As soon as Bai Liuyue withdrew her hand, the sound of leather boots tapping on wooden boards came from behind.
Pei Yu covered the distance in a few quick strides, arriving before them in the blink of an eye.
Without a word, with bull-headed strength, he directly hauled Xie Chengxiao up, being utterly unreasonable:
"Cousin, do you know what 'men and women should not touch when giving or receiving things' means?"
"I know," Xie Chengxiao pressed his lips together.
"If you know, then why were you sitting so close to my sister Liuyue?" Pei Yu glared.
"There was something on my eyelashes. Liuyue helped me remove it. Right?"
He tilted his head slightly, looking toward the well-behaved young lady still sitting on the bench.
Bai Liuyue nodded her head.
"Right!"
When Pei Yu's gaze shifted from her back to Xie Chengxiao's face, he clearly detected a trace of a smile in his eyes.
What did that mean?!
Was this a provocation?
Or was it gloating?
So what if she helped remove some lint from his eyelashes? What's the big deal?
As if no one else has had that.
When he was little and fell into the fountain pool, it was Sister Liuyue who pulled him out and even gave him a handkerchief.
Do you have that? Do you? Do you?
At that moment, Gu Qinghuai also came out and spoke up:
"The bullet in Young Marshal Pei's arm has been removed. For this period, try not to exert force with your right hand or get it wet. The dressing needs to be changed once a day."
Pei Yu blinked, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"What? Once a day? Is that really necessary?"
Gu Qinghuai was like a gentle and tolerant doctor, still very patient in answering the excitable patient:
"It will heal faster this way. If the dressing isn't changed regularly, the wound, if kept covered, could at best leave a scar, and at worst, potentially fester."
Pei Yu looked at his wound suspiciously.
He'd suffered gunshot wounds since he was a kid; it was never this serious.
Upon hearing this, Bai Liuyue said with concern, "Then does Young Marshal Pei need to come to the pharmacy every day?"
Gu Qinghuai smiled.
"No need. I can bring my medical kit to the Marshal's residence daily."
Pei Yu, hearing this, waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "That's too much trouble. I should just..."
Before he could finish, Gu Qinghuai interrupted:
"It's no trouble at all. As the saying goes, a doctor's heart is like that of a parent."
"Since you are now my patient, I must ensure you recover safely and soundly."
"Your wound healing quickly is the greatest recognition of my work."
Pei Yu blinked.
He hadn't expected this Dr. Gu, whose medical skills weren't much, to have such a strong sense of responsibility.
Running to the Northwest Marshal's residence every day, and he doesn't even find it troublesome.
Xie Chengxiao spoke up, "Then thank you, Dr. Gu. Since the wound is bandaged, let's head back."
Pei Yu nodded along in agreement.
Echoing, "Thank you, Dr. Gu."
"Not at all, no need for thanks," Gu Qinghuai said, then turned to inquire of Xie Chengxiao:
"By the way, Young Marshal Xie, has the Young Marshal's wife felt better after using the medicinal plaster prescribed by me and Second Miss Bai? Has her chill improved?"
The emphasis in his sentence was on 'Young Marshal's wife' and 'by me and Second Miss Bai'.
Pei Yu didn't notice, but Xie Chengxiao sensitively picked up on a certain undertone.
A flash of displeasure crossed his deep-set eyes.
Pei Yu looked at Bai Liuyue curiously, his tone surprised:
"Sister Liuyue, you're so amazing, you even know traditional Chinese medicine?"
Bai Liuyue smiled faintly and shook her head slightly, explaining:
"Self-taught, just some superficial knowledge, not fit for refined company. It's mainly Dr. Gu's prescription that's good. I merely made slight adjustments to a few herbs."
Gu Qinghuai's gaze naturally and gently rested on her face.
He said unhurriedly:
"It's precisely those slight adjustments to the herbs and their dosages that made the entire formula so effective, curing the illness completely."
"The Young Marshal's wife should be better now, right?" he asked again.
Xie Chengxiao shot him a sidelong glance.
He replied coldly:
"Whether Bai Baozhu is better or not, I'm not sure. She is an honored guest in our residence, and we cannot afford any mishap."
"How about you come back with us today, Dr. Gu, and take her pulse again for a check-up?"
"Is that convenient?"
Gu Qinghuai adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and replied gently:
"Naturally."
The pickup truck they came in had been shot full of holes and was now a wreck. For the return trip, they took Gu Qinghuai's car.
It was a white German-made sedan.
Pei Yu's hand was injured and he couldn't drive.
As the car owner, Gu Qinghuai entered the driver's seat first. He proactively invited:
"Second Miss Bai, the passenger seat is more spacious."
"And to avoid any impropriety, it's just right for the two Young Marshals to sit in the back."
Pei Yu felt the boomerang had just come back and struck him in the chest.
