Chapter 97
**Chapter 97: Ah Xun, You've Run Too Far This Time**
In modern society, a male doctor treating a female patient wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows. But in the feudal past, for a male physician like Mo Shenyi to ask a princess to loosen her garments would surely stir up controversy.
Yun'er was taken aback, her eyes reddening as she exclaimed, "No! The princess is of noble birth; how can... how can she be seen by an outsider like you? It would tarnish her reputation!"
Mo Shenyi shrugged helplessly. "She has blood stasis inside her; it seems her back was struck by something heavy. I need to needle her back to clear the stasis. If the blood remains in her heart channels, she could perish in a few days."
Tears streamed down Yun'er's face in desperation.
On one side was the princess's honor, and on the other, her life—how could one choose?
"Oh dear, little beauty, don’t cry," Mo Shenyi said, his heart aching at the sight of Yun'er weeping like a rain-soaked pear blossom.
He couldn’t bear to see girls cry.
Mo Shenyi glanced around the room, quickly locked the door, and shut the windows tight, leaving only Shen Wei and Yun'er inside.
He rubbed his forehead, his long fingers pinching his collar. "Once, a scoundrel told me I was too soft-hearted, claiming that soft-hearted people can’t achieve great things. But when I think about it, he wasn’t entirely wrong..."
He was indeed a soft-hearted doctor.
Seemingly having made a decision, Mo Shenyi pulled his collar apart.
As the fabric parted, it revealed his delicate, fair collarbone. Below it, Shen Wei saw a layer of white cloth wrapped around his chest, the subtle rise and fall of his form clearly visible.
Shen Wei was stunned.
Yun'er was equally shocked.
Mo Shenyi gathered his collar back, exasperated. "Can we now remove the princess's clothing?"
Yun'er hurriedly propped the unconscious princess up and began to loosen her garments. Sure enough, a deep purple bruise marred the princess's back.
Mo Shenyi took out a silver needle, fully focused on clearing the blood stasis from Zhao Yang.
Shen Wei sat quietly to the side, sipping cool tea to calm herself, occasionally glancing at the concentrated Mo Shenyi.
Who would have thought that the renowned physician, known across the lands, was actually a woman disguised as a man?
After half an hour of needling, Mo Shenyi finally laid the unconscious Zhao Yang back in bed. Yun'er brought over the prepared medicine for wind-cold and carefully administered it to Zhao Yang.
Yun'er felt a pang in her nose, hesitating for a long time before gritting her teeth and asking, "Mo Shenyi... my princess, she... she is in disarray. Has she suffered some unwarranted disaster?"
Zhao Yang had gone missing last night and returned this morning in disarray, covered in injuries—it's hard not to let one’s imagination run wild.
Mo Shenyi reassured her, "There's no need to worry; the princess is safe and sound."
Only then did Yun'er breathe a sigh of relief.
Mo Shenyi added, "What happened today must not be spoken of outside."
Both Shen Wei and Yun'er nodded in agreement. The secret of Mo Shenyi's disguise would remain between them.
Mo Shenyi clasped his hands politely and said, "I must take my leave now. The world is vast; may we meet again by chance."
He gathered his collar and walked heavily out of the princess's chamber. By now, the sky was bright, and after a night of storms, the lotus flowers and leaves at Luo Yue Lake were askew and scattered.
A cool breeze from the lake brushed against Mo Shenyi's hair, lifting two strands of black hair at his temples. He sighed, "I can’t stay in Yanjing any longer... I need to leave quickly."
Having lingered too long in Yanjing, it was hard to conceal his whereabouts. That man had likely already sent someone to infiltrate Yanjing, lurking like a beast in the depths of the forest, watching in the shadows.
Mo Shenyi left the guest house discreetly.
In the early morning at Luo Yue Lake, there were no tourists around. Mo Shenyi reached the dock and tossed a couple of silver coins to the boatman. "Take me south along the lake, towards the Nanshan dock."
He needed to follow the lake into the river and leave the Kingdom of Qing. He had heard that Nanchu was beautiful; if he hid there, that man would surely not find him.
The boatman silently accepted the coins.
Mo Shenyi had drunk too much the night before and had exhausted himself treating Zhao Yang this morning, feeling utterly drained and sleepy. He yawned, slipped into the cabin, and covered his face with a green lotus leaf, collapsing onto the wooden bench and falling asleep.
The boat glided gently across the lake, swaying back and forth, and Mo Shenyi quickly drifted off.
Time passed, and eventually, he felt the boat come to a stop. Mo Shenyi stretched, lifted the tattered curtain of the cabin, and lazily asked, "Boatman, why have we stopped?"
The small boat was anchored in the middle of the lake.
There were no other boats around, just the green mountains and clear waters, the surface of the water like a round mirror.
The boatman, wearing a bamboo hat, stood at the bow. The lake breeze blew, and his hat was swept off into the water.
As the hat fell, it revealed a strikingly handsome face, dark and brooding, with eyes like deep abysses.
Mo Shenyi's mind went blank.
The man was like a beast that had been lying in wait, his pitch-black eyes locking onto her. He spoke gently, "Ah Xun, you've run too far this time."
Mo Shenyi's face froze, a chilling dread coursing from her heels to her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
...
...
In the guest house at Luo Yue Lake, Princess Zhao Yang's high fever had yet to subside, and she remained unconscious.
In the afternoon, Yan Yunting arrived late, coming to apologize to the princess. Last night, he had missed their appointment due to caring for the ailing Dan Tai Rou, compounded by the heavy rain.
He knew he was in the wrong.
Bringing gifts as an apology, Yan Yunting personally came to the guest house. He understood Zhao Yang's temper; she was likely fuming.
But that was fine; as long as he soothed her a little, she would forgive him as she always did.
However, he was stopped at the door.
Yun'er, suppressing her anger, coldly said, "Sir Yan, the princess caught a chill last night and cannot see anyone. Please leave."
Yan Yunting was momentarily taken aback. A chill?
This was likely just an excuse Zhao Yang used when she was angry.
He presented the prepared gifts. "Please give this to Her Highness."
Yun'er felt disgusted at the sight of Yan Yunting's face. There were countless noble sons in Yanjing, yet the princess was infatuated with this Yan Yunting. Faced with the princess's affections, he neither rejected nor accepted her, merely stringing her along.
Yun'er replied coldly, "The princess will not accept your gifts, so please leave."
With that, she signaled the guards to close the door of the guest house. Yan Yunting stood at the entrance, sighing helplessly.
Indeed, the princess was still angry with him.
After much thought, Yan Yunting decided to return the next day to apologize.
...
Princess Zhao Yang's fever finally subsided at night. She lay in bed, trapped in a deep, terrifying dream.
In her dream, she was back on that stormy night. The howling cold rain lashed against her face as she stumbled through the downpour, desperately running. That lecherous, terrifying man was laughing behind her.
"Fairy, why are you running?"
"God has eyes; look at this lonely man, and now he’s been sent a bride."
"Why are you running, you filthy woman? Once I catch you, we’ll consummate right here, haha."
Zhao Yang stumbled and fell into a muddy puddle. The details of what happened next were hazy, but she remembered the icy rain pouring down her face, mingling with her tears.
When she finally woke up, she found herself clutching the hairpin that Yan Yunting had given her.
The man lay in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open, bulging and fixated on Zhao Yang, blood seeping from his eyes.
"Ah—"
Zhao Yang jolted awake from the nightmare.
For a moment, she thought she was still dreaming, screaming in panic. It wasn’t until warm hands grasped hers, and a gentle voice whispered in her ear, "Your Highness, don’t be afraid. You are safe now."
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