Are you all right?

Evening at the Shang Residence.

Qi Qi had been staying at the Shang Residence to take care of Shang Zhixia. Aside from an elderly butler and a pageboy, there was no one else in the entire estate. Did Shang Zhixia truly have no family members? The physician finished bandaging Shang Zhixia's wound and instructed, "The wound must not get wet, and he needs plenty of rest. I will return in seven days to check on him. Remember to take the medicine on time!" With that, he packed up his medicine chest and left.

Qi Qi boiled the medicine and brought it to the side of Shang Zhixia's bed. Shang Zhixia was propped up against the headboard. Qi Qi glanced at him and said, "My lord, please take your medicine!" Shang Zhixia smiled. Qi Qi wanted to hand the bowl over to Shang Zhixia's pageboy, but the pageboy merely walked out of the room with a mischievous grin. Qi Qi stood there awkwardly, holding the bowl of medicine, unsure of what to do. In ancient times, it was improper for a young man and an unmarried woman to be alone in a room together. However, if she did not feed him soon, the medicine would grow cold. With no other choice, Qi Qi stepped forward, sat down on a stool, and began feeding Shang Zhixia spoonful by spoonful.

Shang Zhixia gazed at her with eyes full of affection, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his lips. It looked as though he were drinking sweet nectar rather than bitter medicine, which made Qi Qi deeply flustered. Finally, she finished feeding him. Smiling, Qi Qi stood up and said, "My lord, it is getting late. You should get some rest. I must be leaving now, but I will come back to see you tomorrow!" She felt a genuine fondness for him; after all, he had saved her life. A young woman would naturally harbor romantic feelings toward someone who had rescued her, and thus Shang Zhixia's heroic act had been a resounding success.

Shang Zhixia was reluctant to let her leave so soon, but he merely said, "Lady Qi Qi, it might be dangerous for a young lady to return alone at this hour. Allow me to have Jiayan escort you back." Jiayan was his pageboy.

Qi Qi politely declined, saying, "There is no need. The Yang Residence is not far from here. Besides, it is not dark yet, so it will be fine. Furthermore, what if you need something while your pageboy is away? I can manage the walk back by myself, my lord. Please rest assured!" On one hand, Qi Qi was worried about Shang Zhixia; on the other hand, she was afraid of being seen by Old Master Yang and facing punishment. She was genuinely terrified of Old Master Yang.

Shang Zhixia smiled and said, "Lady Qi Qi, from now on, please drop the formal titles. If you do not mind, you may simply call me Brother Shang." He felt that calling him "my lord" created too much distance between them; calling him "elder brother" sounded much more intimate.

Qi Qi nodded with a smile and said, "Alright, Brother Shang, Brother Shang! Then you should stop calling me 'lady' this and 'lady' that. Just call me Qi Qi!"

Shang Zhixia nodded and gazed at her affectionately. Both of them looked at each other with completely lowered defenses, and anyone could tell there was a palpable spark between them—a silent language belonging exclusively to the two of them. With just a single exchange of glances, each could feel the other's heartfelt intentions.

At that moment, Yue'er entered the room accompanied by Shang Zhixia's pageboy, Jiayan. Yue'er had come to fetch Qi Qi and also to report on official matters to Shang Zhixia. As soon as Yue'er stepped inside, she sensed the subtle atmosphere in the room. Having experienced love herself, she immediately understood what it meant. Looking at Shang Zhixia half-reclining on the bed, she asked, "My lord, are you alright? Thank you so much for saving my younger sister earlier. I truly don't know how to repay you!" If any harm had come to Qi Qi, Yue'er would never have forgiven herself for the rest of her life. After all, Qi Qi always considered her in everything she did. Yue'er would rather have suffered harm herself than see Qi Qi meet with any misfortune—though if this mishap could help Qi Qi find a wonderful romantic fate, then the accident could be considered worthwhile.

Shang Zhixia looked at Yue'er and smiled. "I am fine. Has that man confessed?" Even while injured, he was still preoccupied with official business. Truly, he was a dedicated and conscientious official, Qi Qi thought as she looked at him with a shake of her head, her admiration for him growing even deeper.

Yue'er smiled and replied, "That man lost too much blood and passed out before we even reached the Ministry of Punishments. However, the coroner has examined his blade, and it is precisely the weapon used by the assailant. Moreover, I searched his residence and discovered a journal recording the progression of his crimes. He began plotting them on the fifth day of the second month of this year. His most sensitive nerves were triggered because on that very day, he happened to witness a family marrying off their daughter as a concubine to a wealthy household. After every crime, he would torment himself with guilt, writing down his inner conflicts in his journal. He wrote, *'Whenever I hear that a young girl is to be sold to an old man, it is as if thousands of voices are screaming to kill them, to kill those damned people, and I cannot help myself from going out to kill them.'* Perhaps he has completely lost his mind?"

For Yue'er, the case was solved, which ought to have brought her joy, yet her mood remained heavy. She looked at Shang Zhixia and said, "My lord, perhaps we should wait until you have recovered before interrogating him further. In any case, he needs time to heal his own wounds as well. Would that be acceptable?" As a Junior Vice Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, Yue'er was fully authorized to handle cases whenever the Minister took a leave of absence, since the Vice Minister acted as the deputy and could take full charge of the Ministry's affairs during the Minister's absence.

Hearing this, Shang Zhixia nodded in agreement. "Very well, I approve of Vice Minister Yang's suggestion. Once his condition permits, Vice Minister Yang may conduct the interrogation and pronounce the sentence in my stead!" They were quite humane and treated the criminals rather well, reflecting the notion that prisoners were human beings too.

Qi Qi gently reminded, "Elder sister, we should be going!" Although she herself felt reluctant to leave, she feared the punishment from Old Master Yang if she returned too late.

Yue'er cupped her fists in a salute to Shang Zhixia and said, "My lord, my sister and I will take our leave now. Please take good care of your health and recover well. I will come to visit you another day!"

Shang Zhixia nodded. Yue'er walked out first, wanting to leave a few moments of parting time for Qi Qi.

Qi Qi looked at Shang Zhixia with a smile and said, "Brother Shang, you can rest easy now. I am going back with my sister. Goodbye, Brother Shang!" With that, she waved at him. Shang Zhixia smiled and raised his uninjured hand to wave back in farewell. Qi Qi turned and left. Shang Zhixia kept his hand up until her retreating figure completely vanished from sight, whereupon he finally lowered it, sitting there with a foolish, blissful smile on his face.

Yue'er did not immediately question Qi Qi about her feelings for Shang Zhixia. Since it was only the beginning, Qi Qi herself might not yet fully understand her own emotions. Many things were best left unspoken; putting them into words prematurely might ruin the desired effect. Yue'er simply observed Qi Qi, and watching the way Qi Qi remained lost in thought all the way back, wearing a silly, happy smile, Yue'er understood everything.