Chapter 3, Embracing

Jun Ke, having made up her mind, would no longer hesitate. While softly whistling to call the little chick over, she quickly walked towards the wall

Hong Yan slowly poked her head out, her face flushed and covered in sweat. She pulled the blanket aside and, with a sobbing voice, said: "Miss, what do you mean by that... Oh?"

Although the night traveler on the wall during this rainy night clearly comes with ill intent, a crisis can sometimes also be an opportunity

Miss

Before reaching the wall, a sudden gust of wind swept past as a shadow flashed by. Jun Ke felt a rush of wind hit her face, and something leaped down from the wall, crashing into her arms. Accompanied by the clear breath of a man and a hurried whisper, he urged, "Hold me tight"

Jun Ke did not understand her meaning. His gaze shifted to her swollen arm, and suddenly he reached out, grabbing Hong Yan's arm. With one hand pressing under her armpit and the other hand sliding along her muscle, he pulled forcefully.

She stared blankly at her arm, which smoothly pushed aside the covers, and became stuck

You should leave quickly! Take the one with the number one with you!

Jun Ke was taken aback and turned around, just about to say something, when he suddenly noticed Hong Yan's expression change dramatically. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and turned her head to see Cui Mo standing at the door with a lantern.

Jun Ke was both angry and amused, thinking to herself that this girl was not dull at all, but rather a chatterbox. She patted her face and said: "Yes, you are going to die, suffocated by your own words"

"Have you been punished?" She gazed at the red inkstone, her expression calm. "Why is that?"

As soon as he stepped outside, a cold wind rushed at him from the corridor, mixed with fine, moist droplets. Junke looked at the sky and said, "It is raining; bring me the windproof hat and oilskin coat."

She turned and left, the wind slipped in through the half-closed door, lifting the hem of her garment. The girl's silhouette was upright yet slender, a bit thinner than when she first arrived. After all, she was constantly on guard, her mind often preoccupied, which did not allow her to gain weight

Jun Ke smiled and thought to herself, even if you were to break a bone, I could still skillfully and accurately set it back in place, for I can see all your bones and meridians

Jun Ke rolled her eyes and smiled, saying, "Hong Yan, do you want to hug Yao Ji? Sure, once you recover, I will let Yao Ji play with you." While turning her head to complain to Cui Mo, she continued, "What are you all doing? You didn't even prepare some good medicine for Hong Yan? She cried so much that I couldn't sleep, so I came to check on her. Oh, what did she do to get punished? Can't you plead for her?"

Jun Ke pushed open the door; the room was unlit, and a faint smell of blood lingered in the air. In the dark corner of the room, on the bed, Hong Yan lay there, hissing as he gasped for breath, the sound trembling with a kind of painful quiver. Upon hearing the sound of the door, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes in the darkness filled with a startled light, like a wounded deer.

The subtle sound is the sinews and bones of the arm, the scream is the red inkstone

The girl’s face was hidden in the light, making her expression invisible, and it was unclear how much she had heard

Hong Yan was instantly drenched in sweat, crying out in the bed: "I am going to die, I am going to die, I am going to die..."

Her tone was gentle, yet her gaze, directed away from Jun Ke, was sharp and imposing. Hong Yan shivered slightly, lowering her head in silence. Jun Ke did not turn around, lazily stifling a yawn, and said: "Take good care of your injuries; I will come to see you another day." She stepped out the door.

The commotion was subdued with a certain restraint, all sounds suppressed within delicate movements, as if reluctant to be noticed by her. Soon, silence was restored. Junke waited for a moment, confirming that everyone had left, before lighting a lamp. She circled around the embroidered couch where Cui Mo lay asleep in her clothes, and followed the direction of the sound until she found the room from which low moans were emanating.

A faint sound, followed by a sharp scream

She smiled lightly, said nothing, and found a bottle of ointment on the table. She gently applied it to Hong Yan's wound, her fingers moving softly and her expression focused. Hong Yan lay down, turning her head to gaze at her in a daze, her lips twitching several times as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Cui Mo was taken aback; she intended to refuse but found it hard to voice her thoughts. She could only pick up the lantern and leave quickly. Jun Ke saw her figure disappear around the corner of the long corridor and was about to turn back to look for Hong Yan when suddenly, a sound echoed sharply from beside the wall.

Jun Ke set down the lamp and looked down at her. Her clothes were tattered, her arms were swollen and bruised, and there were raised red marks on her body, as wide as a palm, clearly indicating that she had been beaten with a rod

Jun Ke, quick-witted and agile, seized the bedding and stuffed it into Hong Yan's mouth, stifling her half-formed scream.

That is the house of Hong Yan

Click

Hong Yan stood there in a daze. Jun Ke asked a question but did not press further. Why force someone into a difficult situation? She had already suffered greatly because of a single reminder; was it necessary to push her to the brink of despair? It would be better to investigate slowly.

"Is there any medicine?" She said nothing, searching for medicine in the room. Hong Yan cried softly and shook her head at the books, "... It’s no use, I’m useless... My hand... is broken..." It seemed she recalled some sorrowful memory, bursting into tears, "... I’m useless, the lady will surely give me to the servants in the outer courtyard as a shared wife..."

Hong Yan stared intently at her silhouette, suddenly sitting up straight, lunging forward fiercely, and grabbing hold of her garment.

Hong Yan instinctively shrank back, raising her head to look at her. The girl before her, of a similar age, stood with her back to the light, making it difficult to discern her features and expression. Yet, one could still sense a rare, carefree elegance about her. The dim light scattered softly, casting a faint golden outline around her. Her soft hair glimmered gently, resembling delicate flames, illuminating the night's solitude and the coolness of the heart.

Jun Ke smiled, pinched her rosy little round face, and said: "Oh, what’s this? Are you disappointed? Can’t be a shared wife anymore? Do you want to turn it back again?"

Jun Ke pretended not to see, skillfully applying the medicine, encouragingly holding Hong Yan's hand, and tucking her in with the blanket, saying: "I shouldn't stay too long, take good care of yourself."

With a green inkstone raised high like a lantern, she scrutinized the innocent-looking Jun Ke. After waking up and finding Jun Ke missing, she hurried out to search. Upon reaching the door, she vaguely heard words like "... ... one chicken ... ... go" and felt puzzled. However, Jun Ke's demeanor was natural, and her bewildered expression made it difficult for her to gauge the situation. She could only awkwardly respond to Jun Ke's words, saying: "Miss, you are right to be upset, but this girl is both lazy and greedy, having sneaked into the kitchen to steal food several times. I had no choice but to discipline her. Rest assured, I have brought medicine, haven't I?" As she raised the medicine package in her hand and tossed it onto the red inkstone bed, she added: "You, girl, be sure to use it carefully!"

The maid quickly retracted her hand, and at that moment realized that she had not severed her hand, but merely dislocated it. She couldn't help but look at Jun Ke with sparkling eyes, her tone filled with astonishment, "Miss, how did you do that? I have seen people correct dislocations before, even renowned doctors, but none were as swift as you."

Jun Ke's gaze turned cold; she was penalized for reminding her that the one was trapped, wasn't she

Jun Ke halted her steps and turned back to take a look. She vaguely saw a shadow flicker on the wall. A thought stirred within her; this was the inner courtyard, where most women rarely ventured beyond the main gate or the second gate. Who would be running along the wall?