High-class Spring Joy

The servant boy reported, "Young master, Miss Qingyuan said that as a maid, she cannot stay in your bedroom for long, and besides, men and women should not be too close, lest the guests in the mansion misunderstand. So she went back to her own quarters first."

Chu Jingyu was so angry that he smashed the medicine bowl: "What do you mean by 'men and women shouldn't touch each other'? What do you mean by 'lest the guests in the mansion misunderstand'? She's just trying to make me angry!"

-

As soon as Qingyuan returned to her residence, Hongdou rushed over with red eyes and helped her in: "Sister, sister, you're finally back safe and sound. I thought... ugh, sister, you're a lucky person, nothing bad would have happened to you. It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

As Hongdou spoke, she helped Qingyuan to sit down on the edge of the bed. Without giving Qingyuan a chance to speak, Qingyuan looked around frantically with red eyes, saying, "Yes...yes, medicine, I'll go brew some for my sister!"

After saying that, Hongdou grabbed the medicine packet and ran away.

Qingyuan felt a surge of warmth in her heart as she looked at Hongdou's anxious and flustered appearance. It seemed that her disappearance had truly frightened the little girl.

The physician said that Qingyuan's injuries were mostly external. The bruises on her legs looked scary, but only her foot was seriously twisted. The rest was nothing serious. As long as she took the medicine on time, applied the ointment, and rested for half a month, she would be completely fine.

When she rolled down the hillside, she was only focused on surviving and didn't care where she hit, so she was basically covered in bruises.

There were many places where she couldn't apply the ointment herself. If she had stayed with Chu Jingyu, he might have had to apply the ointment for her.

Qingyuan could only say that there was no need for that, so she left while he was away.

Hongdou went to brew the medicine, so Qingyuan could only apply it to the areas she could reach. After all that fuss, more than half an hour had passed.

"Sister, the medicine is ready!"

Hongdou came in carrying a tray of medicine bowls: "Be careful, it's hot. This medicine was just poured out, it's really hot. I almost got a blister when I just touched the bowl."

Just as Hongdou finished speaking, she suddenly heard a noise. The next moment, Chu Jingyu walked in from outside, his expression gloomy and not very pleasant: "You go out first."

Hongdou glanced at Qingyuan with concern, then put down the tray and left.

Qingyuan bowed and said, "Young Master."

Chu Jingyu frowned as he watched her upright and standard bowing posture. It felt like there was a big stone in his chest, stuck there, making him feel really uncomfortable.

How could she react like this... so calmly?

He had never set foot in such a place before, but once he did, Qingyuan would smile and cuddle with him for a long time.

Now, the girlish charm is gone from her eyes; all that remains is indifference and aloofness.

The strange feeling in his heart gradually grew.

To suppress the strange feeling in his heart, he said gently, "Alright, if you want to come back to live here, then come back. You don't need to use Ge'er as an excuse anymore. She never fights or snatches anything, and she won't make you sad. Even if you live in our bedroom, she won't compete with you for attention."

Oh.

What a fine example of not competing or grabbing!

Who instructed Jiang Qingyun to throw her to Qingyun Mountain to feed wolves yesterday?!

Qingyuan knew there was no point in arguing with him, so she said, "Okay."

The word "good" made Chu Jingyu frown even more, and the strange feeling in his heart grew stronger.

How could this be... If he had praised Ge'er in front of her before, even if she didn't question him in public, she would definitely have been angry with him.

What's going on now?

Chu Jingyu panicked. He didn't know why he panicked, but he felt compelled to do something.

He looked at the steaming medicine beside him: "Here, let me feed you your medicine."

"No need. I am of lowly birth and unworthy of your care, young master."

Qingyuan refused without saying a word, showing no emotional reaction whatsoever. She reached out to take the medicine without even looking at him.

Seeing her cold and calm appearance, Chu Jingyu's anger flared up. He raised his hand and overturned the tray next to him, splashing the scalding hot medicine all over Qing Yuan's outstretched wrist!

In the blink of an eye, the scar on Qingyuan's wrist was scalded bright red by the medicinal soup.

"You've had enough of being angry. I know I neglected you and misunderstood you yesterday, but I apologized, I paid the price, and I searched for you in the wind and rain all night. Isn't that enough? Are you acting like this because you think I'll be as anxious for you as I am for Ge'er just because you're sick?"

Qingyuan frowned, looking at the blisters that were rapidly forming on her wrist. She was in too much pain to pay attention to him: "I didn't mean that."

"You'd better watch yourself. The phrase 'spoiled and arrogant' doesn't apply to you."

Seeing her expression, it was like punching cotton; Chu Jingyu was so angry that he left.

He left, and Hongdou rushed in to help Qingyuan. She applied ointment to Qingyuan's wrist, bandaged it, and then brewed medicine again. She was busy for a long time.

Since that unpleasant parting, Chu Jingyu seemed determined to make her realize her mistake, and for the next few days he did not summon Qingyuan to serve him again.

She was happy to be free and focused on her embroidery work, despite the injury on her wrist.

Four more days passed. Qingyuan embroidered during the day and at night, and finally finished on the last day. Her eyes were blurry and she had burned several candles.

On the last day, it was the day Hongdou left the mansion. Hongdou helped Qingyuan see her off, and when she returned, she brought back a full seventy-five taels of silver.

Qingyuan asked in surprise, "Wasn't it only fifty taels?"

Hongdou explained, "The shopkeeper asked me why I came instead of you, sister. I said that you were seriously ill and are still sick, and I finished the embroidery while you were sick. The shopkeeper was a nice man. When he heard this, he added 25 taels, saying that the customer originally paid 100 taels for the embroidery, and that Hongxiu Shop was originally going to make 30 taels, but now he would only make 5 taels."

Qingyuan was overjoyed, not just because of the extra twenty-five taels, but because she finally saw hope of redeeming herself.

In total, she now has a total of two hundred taels of silver.

There is hope; as long as you are alive, there is hope.

She can definitely do it!

Qingyuan thought that the person she should be most grateful to for receiving this silver was the Third Young Master. She wondered if she could use the remaining half bolt of cloth to make something for him, since her best skill was embroidery.

Not knowing what the Third Young Master liked, Qingyuan decided to make some pastries and send them over, while also asking Chensha.

This time, Chen Sha was more experienced. As soon as she saw Qing Yuan, she invited her inside.

Upon seeing this, Zheji immediately dragged Chensha away, leaving only her and Chu Jingxian at the desk.

After thinking for a moment, Qingyuan brought out the pastries and presented them to him: "Young master, you have helped me a lot several times before, and even saved my life. I have nothing to repay you with, so I made some pastries. Please try them."

As she spoke, she pushed the pastries toward Chu Jingxian so that he could easily reach them.

Chu Jingxian picked up a piece of pastry, took a bite, and as if tasting an unexpected flavor, raised an eyebrow: "The fruity aroma is strong but not greasy, and it melts in your mouth. Not bad."

Before Qing Yuan could ask, with a hint of anticipation, if he liked it, Chu Jingxian abruptly changed the subject:

"However, I think you don't need to feel like you can't repay me, because there is indeed something I need from you."

"Alright, young master, please feel free to ask for anything. As long as it is within my power and does not violate the laws and morals of heaven, I will do my best to do it for you."

Qingyuan answered readily. After all, the Third Young Master had saved her life. If he hadn't appeared in time, she would have either been bitten to death by wolves or fallen to her death.

By the time Chu Jingyu finds her, her body will be half-cold.

Being grateful is the most natural thing to do, and she didn't hesitate.

But they overlooked the slight curve of his lips: "Good that you agree. I'd like to see your wrist."

Upon hearing this, Qingyuan was stunned for a moment, her mind racing. Wrist? What's so interesting about a wrist?

Wait a minute… she has a scar on her wrist, which he carefully touched that night.

Don't let him see it!

"What? You just agreed so readily, are you going to back out now?"

Chu Jingxian asked.

"No...this servant was just curious why young master suddenly wanted to see this..."

Qingyuan chuckled and thanked him again for not being able to see her; if he could, he would have seen her guilty conscience and nervousness at a glance.

"Because of you, Qingyuan, I always feel very familiar with you, as if we were once very close."