ng Qianqian spent the entire day in the Book Collection Pavilion and managed to organize only a small corner.
Bao Shu crawled excitedly behind her, and when she grew tired, she sprawled on the floor, limbs outstretched, and fell asleep.
A stray tabby cat, drawn by the scent of food, cautiously and timidly approached ng Qianqian.
Bao Shu was teething recently and wanted to bite everything she saw, so the Governor Mansion’s chef made her so beef jerky for teething.
ng Qianqian picked a piece from a plate, tore it into small bits, and handed them to the tabby cat.
At first, the tabby cat didn’t dare co closer. ng Qianqian set the food on the ground and walked away before it ventured over to eat.
Seeing the cat struggling to chew, ng Qianqian fetched a pastry to feed it instead.
Gradually, the tabby cat stopped avoiding ng Qianqian.
ng Qianqian gently stroked its fur.
Bao Shu woke up and was stunned by the scene before her.
When ng Qianqian returned to tidying the bookshelf, Bao Shu crawled over without a word and fought with the tabby cat!
Of course, she won.
Lifting her small chin triumphantly, she declared:
"Only I can be petted!"
As night fell, both the big one and the little one grew hungry.
ng Qianqian wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the vast shelves: "After a whole day, I’ve only organized this much."
To finish everything, it might take months.
She thought: I need a pay raise! One breath isn’t enough; I deserve two breaths at least!
Qing Shuang appeared: "Miss ng, dinner is ready. Please head to Tinglan Garden."
ng Qianqian carried Bao Shu to dinner.
A maid first brought over a bowl of dicinal chicken soup for her.
ng Qianqian stared at it, noticing top-quality Red Ganoderma floating within the soup.
Sothing occurred to her, and she asked the maid, "When I stayed at Tinglan Garden last ti, did I eat this as well?"
The maid smiled: "Yes, we cooked three whole pieces for you!"
Understanding now, ng Qianqian said: "No wonder I recovered so quickly. Fine, just one breath then—it’ll just count as paying back the dicine’s cost."
Bao Shu sat in her specially-designed high chair, wearing a bib, her little hands cleaned and her posture full of pride.
She opened her small mouth, waiting obediently to be fed!
ng Qianqian smiled softly and fed her a spoonful of fish porridge mixed with rice and greens.
Bao Shu froze and looked like she was about to spit it out.
ng Qianqian said gently, "The well-behaved Zhaozhao who eats properly is the cutest."
Bao Shu looked like she was about to cry.
As if saying: I’ll eat what I’m fed—even if it makes want to cry!
Lu Yuan returned late and was surprised to see ng Qianqian still there.
Fearing he might misunderstand her intentions, ng Qianqian quickly explained, "Bao Shu just fell asleep."
The little girl, unhappy with dinner, was incredibly distressed and had clung to her all night.
Shangguan Ling heard movent and ca over from Lu Yuan’s room: "I knew you’d co to see Miss Bao Shu first. By the way, you need to change your dressings. Doctor Zhang waited at the mansion all day but had to return ho for so matters. I’ll take care of it for you!"
Lu Yuan returned to his room with a blank expression.
Eyeing the jars on the table, Shangguan Ling muttered, "What did Doctor Zhang say? Use this bottle first... no, it was probably that one..."
"Shangguan, allow ."
ng Qianqian spoke from the doorway.
Shangguan Ling replied, "Fine, then I’ll trouble you, Miss ng."
ng Qianqian stepped into the room, picking up the tray on the Eight Immortals table and bringing it to Lu Yuan.
She looked at him.
Lu Yuan didn’t move.
Feeling out of place, Shangguan Ling coughed: "Ahem, I’ll go check on Yu Zichuan’s archery practice."
He quickly vanished.
ng Qianqian placed the tray on the small table near Lu Yuan’s side and said calmly, "Please disrobe, Grand Commander."
Lu Yuan casually raised his hand, unfastened his belt, and lowered his upper garnt to his waist.
ng Qianqian opened the jars, sniffed each one carefully, and didn’t apply each treatnt bottle as Doctor Zhang did but instead mixed ointnt from three jars into a paste on a clean dish.
"These should suffice."
She said.
Lu Yuan didn’t object.
ng Qianqian pulled his clothing down further and cut away the bandages around his waist with scissors, exposing the injury more clearly.
She cleaned the wound first before carefully applying the ointnt with a clean bamboo spatula.
So close, she could sll the masculine heat emanating from him and trace a faint, uniquely cold scent he carried.
A loose strand of her hair fell and brushed against his arm unintentionally.
His solid, sculpted chest rose and fell slightly with his breath.
He turned his face slightly, his expression as sharp and cold as a blade.
Once ng Qianqian finished applying the ointnt, she wrapped the fresh bandages around him and remarked, "You should be able to remove your stitches tomorrow."
Lu Yuan dressed himself, saying, "I will be leaving for a while."
"Where to?"
ng Qianqian asked.
Imdiately realizing her question might have been a bit forward.
Lu Yuan replied indifferently, "The border."
ng Qianqian: "What about Zhaozhao..."
Lu Yuan: "She’s coming with ."
"When will you depart?"
"In three days."
ng Qianqian frowned: "Does she have to co with you?"
Lu Yuan glanced at her and said, "Once I leave, the wicked and unruly in the Capital City will surface. Leaving her behind will only make her a target for harm."
ng Qianqian said nothing.
Lu Yuan picked up the teacup on the table and spoke casually, "Being soone connected to has always been a dangerous thing. Before you involve yourself, you should consider carefully if you can handle the peril that follows."
After ng Qianqian left Tinglan Garden, Qing Shuang asked Shangguan Ling under the eaves, "Why not entrust Miss Bao Shu to Miss ng?"
Shangguan Ling sighed heavily and replied, "That would only invite endless calamity upon her!"
For the next two days, ng Qianqian did not visit the Governor Mansion again.
Lu Yuan let out a cold scoff.
Shangguan Ling sighed: "Why scare her with words like that? How is being connected to you necessarily so dangerous? Although, to be fair, it—"
Being by the Grand Commander’s side brought both tribulations and blessings—the protection of his unparalleled power and the relentless pursuit of his enemies.
With the Grand Commander leaving the Capital City, anyone with even a shred of wisdom would avoid associating with him at this crucial ti.
"Ah, seeking the good while avoiding the bad is human nature, after all."
Hanshan Temple.
ng Qianqian pushed open the door of the ditation room and, gazing at the snow-covered courtyard, turned to the elderly lady with a smile: "Great-grandmother, the snow has stopped. We can go down the mountain early tomorrow morning."
The night she returned from the Governor Mansion, she had encountered Wu Boy rushing back to the Lu Family through the snow.
Wu Boy ntioned that the elderly lady had fallen ill at the temple and locked herself in the ditation room.
ng Qianqian had ascended the mountain overnight to take care of her, staying stranded by snow for two days.
The elderly lady was eager to leave; the temple had no at, no entertaining storybooks, and no one to talk to except the monk endlessly chanting and beating wooden fish—it was utterly dull!
At dawn, ng Qianqian descended the mountain with the elderly lady.
She first escorted her back to the Lu Family and then asked Wu Boy to prepare horses before riding nonstop to the Governor Mansion.
Dismounting swiftly, she climbed the steps in one stride and knocked on the Governor Mansion’s door.
The one to answer was Steward Cen.
"Miss ng?"
Steward Cen was startled.
ng Qianqian was soaked in sweat, though her hands gripping the reins were red with cold.
She gasped for air and asked, "Where is the Grand Commander?"
Steward Cen sighed: "Miss ng, you’ve co too late. The Grand Commander has already left for the expedition."
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