"Who's there? Come out." Serena Feng reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small surgical scalpel, gripping it tightly as she scanned the room, every muscle alert.
It wasn't just her quick reflexes—Serena's nose was unusually sensitive to the scent of blood. Even though the smell was faint, barely noticeable, it hadn't escaped her trained senses.
"Such sharp instincts—how did you ever get caught in a trap?" Lance Quinn stepped out from the shadows, his voice laced with mockery.
Both Serena Feng and Lance Quinn knew exactly what he meant—the city gate scandal, where Serena had been set up and publicly humiliated.
That incident was like a brand burned into Serena's flesh—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wash it away.
Her invisible brand hurt more than the 'base' character branded on Evan Zhou's skin; this one cut deeper because no one could see it, but everyone felt it.
Luckily, Serena had the right mindset. Seeing a familiar face, she lowered her guard. "Even the best slip up sometimes. You think your martial arts make you invincible? Look at you now—still got yourself hurt, didn't you?"
Serena shot Lance Quinn a look, eyes lingering on his bleeding wound, then rolled her eyes with obvious annoyance.
"Get inside."
Lance Quinn hesitated for a moment, but the pain in his wound reminded him he needed Serena's help. He followed her inside without protest.
"Sit down." Serena Feng had been exhausted all day, and coming home to see Lance Quinn treating his own body so carelessly just made her mood worse.
If she had a white coat on, Serena would be the legendary iceberg doctor right now—cold, focused, and untouchable.
Lance Quinn frowned, his icy gaze sweeping over Serena Feng, a hint of killing intent lurking beneath.
But Serena was so thick-skinned she didn't even notice.
Or maybe, after surviving battlefields, doctors like her didn't bother with threats like these—they'd seen too much. Unless Lance Quinn actually meant to strike, she wouldn't flinch.
Serena lit every lamp in the room, drew three basins of water, then pulled out a camphor wood box.
It used to hold jewelry, but Serena liked the sturdy build and perfect size. She'd emptied it out and now kept her essential medicines inside.
After all, digging everything out of the Smart Med-Pack every time was a pain.
Lance Quinn sat down, watching Serena move with crisp efficiency. The coldness in his eyes faded a little; realizing how guarded she was, he relaxed and slumped into the chair.
With a glance, he took in every detail of Serena Feng's bedroom.
Honestly, this was the plainest, most austere room Lance Quinn had ever seen—no screens, no curtains, no washstand, no changing room.
The moment you walked in, a huge bed dominated two-thirds of the space. The sheets were snow-white, perfectly flat as if freshly laundered. The blue brocade quilt was folded into a stiff, brick-like block—no softness, no curves.
Next to it, a simple dressing table held only a wooden comb and a copper mirror. Serena's hair was just tied back with a strip of silk—nothing fancy.
It was the simplest look Lance Quinn had ever seen, but he had to admit—it suited Serena Feng. She looked clean, straightforward, and unpretentious.
Other than the dressing table, there was just a small desk and a wooden chair—the one he was sitting in now.
Was this really a woman's room?
The whole place was cold and bare, nothing like a woman's quarters—except it was spotless, the floors gleaming.
Lance Quinn knew there were no maids left in Feng Manor, which meant Serena did all this herself.
That realization made Lance Quinn reevaluate Serena Feng yet again.
This woman was fiercely independent. No wonder Adrian Dongling dumped her—she didn't cry or beg, just handled it with more grace than anyone else.
Such a personality—what a shame she's a woman.
While Lance Quinn was sighing, Serena had already finished prepping her medicines. She put on a mask and medical gloves, pinned up every strand of hair, and stood before him with a strict, professional air.
"Quit spacing out. Sit up straight."
Lance Quinn froze.
He'd actually let his guard down in Feng Manor.
Damn.
A surge of killing intent filled the room.
For a moment, Lance Quinn truly considered killing Serena.
Any woman who could make him drop his guard was dangerous.
Serena's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, she backed away three steps, putting distance between them.
"I don't know who you are, and I don't want to know. To me, you're just a patient—my duty as a doctor is all that matters. As a physician, I can't stand how little you care for your own body, and I can't bear to see the wound I worked so hard to stitch split open again."
Do you have any idea how troublesome it is when a wound reopens? It's not just a matter of stitching it up again. If it gets infected, your life could be at risk. Don't you realize that this disregard for your own life is an insult not only to yourself, but also to my medical skills?"
At first, Serena Feng only wanted to say a few words to distract Lance Quinn, to keep him from thinking about killing her. But as she spoke, her anger grew stronger and stronger.
Aaaaargh...
She really couldn't stand patients like this.
She had only stitched up his wound yesterday, and today it had split open again.
Add in the time needed for anesthesia, and it meant that as soon as he woke up, he was already making trouble. If he wanted to die so badly, why bother seeing a doctor at all?
Doctors are people too, aren't they? Don't we need rest?
Especially doctors like her, who had been working nonstop for thirty-four hours—she needed rest more than anyone.
Cold...
If Serena Feng knew that as soon as she left, Lance Quinn got up and even followed her for a long stretch, she would probably be furious.
Of course, Lance Quinn would never tell her about that.
He thought the woman in front of him seemed to be bristling.
Yes, bristling.
Just like those pampered ladies' little dogs or cats—when they're angry, all their fur stands on end. Clearly harmless, yet bold enough to bare their teeth and claws at you.
A woman like this wasn't scheming at all.
Thinking this way, Lance Quinn felt much less murderous.
Still, he had no intention of soothing Serena Feng. He simply pointed to the wound and said, "Go ahead."
He should be grateful that yesterday, Su Wenqing found Serena Feng for him. Otherwise, today he would have been exposed for sure.
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A hundred-plus-pound iron sword, by sheer coincidence, landed right on his wound. If you called that an accident, he'd never believe it.
Luckily, he reacted quickly, subtly shifting his body. If the sword hilt had struck the center of his wound, no matter how skilled Serena Feng was or how strong her stitches, it would have been pointless.
Uh...
Serena Feng was left speechless.
So this is what it means to punch cotton.
That's exactly how Serena Feng felt right now.
Damn it.
I said all that, and you can't even give me a reaction?
Fine! At least you've lost the urge to kill me—that counts as a reaction, I suppose.
Serena Feng comforted herself. After a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down, set her instruments aside, and picked up the medical scissors to cut away the fabric near Lance Quinn's wound.
The fabric was soaked in blood, with some pieces even embedded in the flesh. Serena Feng had to be extremely careful not to cut into Lance Quinn's skin.
And the lighting at this hour—well, it was just terrible.
Serena Feng was practically half-lying on Lance Quinn's body.
Their bodies were close—Serena Feng didn't notice, all her attention focused on Lance Quinn's wound.
But Lance Quinn was different.
A faint, feminine scent mixed with the smell of medicine—unique and refreshing, calming just to breathe in.
Their breaths mingled—Lance Quinn could feel warm air swirling around his neck.
Normally, he'd never allow his vital points to be exposed. But tonight...
Maybe it was just as Serena Feng said—he trusted her skills as a doctor.
Lance Quinn's eyelids lifted slightly. Looking at her face up close, he could see every detail—the length and thickness of Serena Feng's eyelashes, the fine, pale down on her skin.
Staring at her face, Lance Quinn remembered the news he'd heard that afternoon...