Delivering Medicine, If You Don’t Leave I Will

"Master, this is going to hurt a lot." Simon Sun had never suffered such severe injuries himself; he knew pain, but not this kind of pain.

"It's fine, I can take it. Go ahead." Serena Feng's voice was faint, her lips frighteningly dry.

Simon quickly dipped a cotton swab in water to moisten her lips, then applied medicine. He cursed inwardly at the imperial physicians—after all this time, they hadn't done a thing.

"Alright, I'll do as you say, Master."

Simon signaled Dominic Zhai to come forward and hold Serena Feng steady so she wouldn’t move, while he took surgical scissors and cut open her tattered pant leg.

He was a doctor, and in a doctor's eyes there was only the patient...

At this moment, he truly lived up to that ideal!

"Ah..."

The instant the disinfectant alcohol touched her wounds, Serena Feng cried out in pain, her whole body convulsing—yet she forced herself to stay still so as not to hinder Simon Sun.

Just then, she remembered how, when she stitched up Blue Nine's wounds, he hadn't moved at all. She had to admit, that man was truly admirable.

Serena Feng drew a breath and silently vowed, "Lan Jiuqing, I can do this too!"

She exhaled slowly; the stabbing pain cleared the haze from her mind.

The blood-soaked wound was fully exposed. Dominic Zhai shut his eyes, unable to bear the sight. "Serena Feng, if it hurts, bite me instead."

He'd seen wounds like this before, but never on a girl. And despite such serious injuries, Serena Feng didn't scream or make a fuss—her quiet endurance tugged at his heart.

Right now, he almost wished Serena Feng would yell and cry—it would make him feel a little better.

"Doesn't hurt," Serena Feng lied, biting her tongue from the pain and quickly clamping her mouth shut, afraid to open it again.

As the disinfectant alcohol hit the wound, it sizzled. Serena Feng knew that sound well—too well. Because she was so familiar with it, she understood this pain wouldn't end quickly. She had to hold on.

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, temples throbbing, veins bulging on her forehead. Serena Feng kept breathing in and out, eyes squeezed shut, repeating to herself: Doesn't hurt. Doesn't hurt.

It was psychological self-suggestion—forcing herself to ignore the pain and focus on something else. Gradually, Serena Feng felt the pain dull, or maybe she just went numb. Her body finally relaxed.

Simon Sun finally breathed a sigh of relief too.

Although Master always said that doctors shouldn't get emotionally involved with their patients—only then can they make the coldest, most rational decisions, and only then can they wield the scalpel without being swayed by feelings.

A doctor should be like a scalpel: cold, emotionless. Just remember your duty and fulfill your mission.

But people are still people. He couldn't help but worry about Master, and feel for her.

"Serena Feng, it'll be over soon." Dominic Zhai gently wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and half-held her in his arms, his face uncharacteristically soft and careful.

"I know. Simon is very skilled." Serena Feng's voice was so faint that Dominic had to lean in close to hear her.

"There's no way a disciple you trained could be anything but excellent." Dominic kept her talking, distracting her from the pain.

Serena Feng shook her head, disagreeing. "No, Simon's medical skills are better than mine. There's nothing I can teach him."

If doctors in this era didn't rarely study surgery, she wouldn't have any advantage at all.

"You're just being modest. There's plenty you can teach him, or Imperial Physician Sun wouldn't have let Simon become your disciple." People are strange—when you dislike someone, everything about them seems wrong; when you like them, everything seems good.

That's exactly how Dominic Zhai saw Serena Feng now. Everything about her seemed admirable, even the quirks he'd once found annoying didn't bother him anymore.

In just one day, he'd seen how strong and brave Serena Feng really was.

No wonder Jinling said Serena Feng had a backbone that noble heirs lacked, and a pride even the royal family didn't possess. There was a kind of untouchable nobility about her.

But right now, she was too weak, unable to protect herself—that's why she became a target for others.

Those people were just jealous—jealous of Serena Feng.

They chatted idly until Serena Feng finally passed out from the pain. Only then did Dominic Zhai's smile fade; he carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead. "If only you were my sister. If I had a little sister this amazing, I'd smile in my sleep."

"Don't even think about it. The Zhai family could never raise a daughter like her." Vincent Su strode in, travel-stained as if he'd come a long way.

Simon Sun jumped in surprise—he was using tweezers to clean the wound, and Vincent's sudden entrance made him jab Serena Feng's injury. She flinched in pain, and Simon dropped the tweezers.

"Vincent Su, what are you doing here? Ever heard of 'don't look at what's inappropriate'? Get out!" Dominic Zhai cursed his own lapse in vigilance and made a mental note—the Feng Manor's guards were too lax. He'd have to send more people over; otherwise, with only Serena Feng here, it was far too unsafe.

"I'm here to deliver medicine." Vincent Su took a jade box from his robes and handed it to Simon Sun. "Doctor Sun, use this for her wounds."

Simon Sun wasn't shy around Vincent Su. He could see Serena Feng's wounds clearly—they were terrifying, no wonder Blue Nine had rushed him to fetch the medicine.

"What is this medicine?" As soon as the box was opened, a delicate lotus fragrance filled the room, refreshing and calming everyone who breathed it in.

"Snow-Lotus Hundred-Flower Ointment—the number one healing salve in the martial world. It guarantees her wounds won't leave a single scar." Calling it the top healing medicine was a bit much, but it really did help wounds heal, leaving skin smooth as a baby's.

Snow-Lotus Hundred-Flower Ointment was also known as the number one beauty salve in the jianghu, but sadly, it was priceless.

"This is the Mystic Healer Valley Master's secret medicine—Snow-Lotus Hundred-Flower Ointment! Didn't he say this medicine is only given, never sold? How did you get it?" Simon Sun held the jade box in both hands, face full of delight.

If it's only given and never sold, that means money can't buy it. Even royal families from various countries can't get their hands on it—how could Vincent Su have it?

"Relax, the Valley Master gave it. Hurry and use it on Serena Feng. If you don't, give it back." Vincent Su looked at the ointment with obvious heartache.

Wuwuwu... Blue Nine risked his life to get this stuff, and now Vincent just handed it over. Blue Nine was way too generous.

"Of course we'll use it! Why wouldn't we? On behalf of Master, thank you, Young Master Su." Simon Sun clutched the medicine tightly, afraid Vincent Su might snatch it back.

If the Emperor or Empress found out about this medicine, they'd never allow it to be used on Serena Feng. That just showed how extraordinary it was.

"No need to thank me—it's not even mine. I'm just delivering it for someone else. Hurry and use it on your master; those wounds are terrifying." Vincent Su looked for somewhere to sit, but finding none, just stood there.

He was exhausted!

"Vincent Su, you've delivered the medicine—why are you still here? Aren't you leaving?" Serena Feng's injuries were on her legs; it was always awkward to have outsiders around.

"Why should I leave? If anyone should go, it's you, Young Lord." Vincent Su would never confront Dominic Zhai in public, but here in Feng Manor?

He knew Dominic Zhai wouldn't use his noble status to pressure him here.

"I'm here to take care of Serena Feng." That was William Wang's instruction, and Dominic Zhai had every reason to stay.

"Just like you, Young Lord, I want to look after Serena Feng too." Sigh, Blue Nine, you sure have a lot of rivals. Good thing I'm not competing with you.

A woman this formidable—I'm not brave enough to pursue her.

"Serena Feng doesn't need you to look after her. Young Master Su, you'd best keep your distance." Dominic Zhai was clearly annoyed by Vincent's presence.

"If anyone should leave, it's you, Young Lord. I knew Serena Feng first." For Blue Nine's sake, Vincent would stay by Serena's side—and tell her first thing when she woke that the ointment came from Blue Nine himself.

"I treat Qingchen as a sister." Since William Wang liked her, Dominic Zhai would only admire Serena Feng, never compete for her—that was his principle.

"I treat Serena Feng as a sister-in-law." After all, Blue Nine's wife would be his sister-in-law.

But Dominic Zhai thought Vincent Su was talking about Su Wenhang. Thinking of that brat, Dominic felt exasperated. "Vincent Su, don't say things so carelessly."

"I'll say what I want—listen or not, it's up to you..."

Simon Sun decisively ignored them both, focusing on applying medicine and bandaging Serena Feng's wound.

Once the wound was dressed, Simon Sun bluntly ordered everyone out: "All done. Young Lord, Young Master Su, my master needs rest. The maids will handle things from here. Please see yourselves out—I'm not escorting you."

"Fine, let's go, Young Lord..." Vincent Su wouldn't leave without Dominic Zhai.

"You go first."

"Young Lord first—you're the Young Lord, you should lead."

"I'm the Young Lord, so I order you to go first."

"There's a difference in status—how could I walk ahead of the Young Lord?"

......

Fine, if you two won't leave, I will.

Simon Sun rolled his eyes, pushing Serena Feng out. As for those two? Let them stay or go as they please...

That night, the day's bustle faded away, and the imperial city was quiet and peaceful. But beneath the calm, dark currents were stirring.

In the Ninth Prince's manor, Dongling Nine finished listening to the spy's report. After a moment of silence, he stood and looked out the window. "How much longer until the Second Prince of Beiling arrives?"

"Ten days." The man in black stood respectfully by the bookshelf, head bowed, his face hidden.

This man had almost no presence—if he didn't speak, no one would notice him.

"Leak Princess Anping's information to him. I want him to start considering an alliance marriage with Dongling within these ten days."

"Yes." The man in black needed only to obey, not to know why.

Beiling was a land of fierce people and harsh climate. For Princess Anping to marry into Beiling was almost like sending her to her death.

The Ninth Prince had finally made his move...