Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Ling Heng walked to the bedside in two steps, gently helped Wu Shuang up, and carefully turned her to lie on her side, his movements gentle, as if afraid of aggravating her wounds. Then he turned around and took the small silver knife from the table. With just two light cuts, he cut two neat slits in the fabric of her left shoulder, just enough to expose the wounds.

Ling Xi remained frozen in her half-step forward, standing motionless to the side. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she snapped back to reality.

Her brother acted without hesitation, perhaps because Wushuang was now his concubine, sleeping on his bed, and being personally looked after by him, which was perfectly reasonable. Fortunately, she had been full of doubts before.

Lu Baixu was ready. He took a cotton cloth and pressed it below the wound. He first used a burnt knife to cut open the wound and draw out the poisonous blood. The dark poisonous blood slowly seeped out. Lu Baixu's expression did not change. He took some ointment, used a jade spoon to scoop it out, and carefully applied it all over the wound.

Then, he picked up several silver needles, his fingertips moving swiftly and accurately piercing several acupoints. Wushuang, who was originally unconscious, frowned and let out a weak groan.

Just as Ling Heng was about to step forward, Lu Baixu stopped him with a hand.

"It's alright, the acupuncture will draw out the poison, and you'll be fine in a moment."

He sat quietly by the bed, concentrating on inserting the needles. Only when the ink on Wushuang's wounds gradually faded and the blood returned did he remove the needles one by one. After finishing his work, he checked her pulse again.

"The toxicity has been controlled. Change the medication daily for three consecutive days. I will write a prescription in a moment. Take the medication on time for seven days and you will be fine."

"Is she alright?"

Ling Heng's voice was tense, barely concealing his anxiety, after all, all the doctors who had come earlier today were helpless.

"Yes."

Lu Baixu responded calmly and bent down to methodically pack up his medicine box.

"I am very grateful to Vice Minister Lu for saving me today."

"General Ling, there's no need for such formalities. Saving lives and healing the wounded is simply the duty of a physician."

Ling Xi watched as her brother's brows finally relaxed slightly, and she breathed a sigh of relief as well.

"Professor Lu, it's getting late. Let me see you out."

"it is good."

Lu Baixu had just closed the medicine box when he hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Is there anything that Academician Lu desires but has not yet obtained?"

After leaving Linfeng Courtyard, Ling Xi couldn't help but speak up. Lu Baixu had saved Wushuang, and she wouldn't let him help for nothing. To be precise, she didn't like owing favors to others, so she had to find a way to repay him as soon as possible.

"Princess Consort...would you like to give me a gift?"

Lu Baixu stopped and turned back to look quietly into her clear eyes. He suddenly remembered the zither she had given him after he helped her last time. She was indeed as Qin Qi had said, unlike ordinary noble ladies, without any affectation.

"Yes. I am very grateful to Vice Minister Lu for his help today, but I think that it would be insufficient to express my gratitude with monetary gifts."

"No need, it's just a small favor for me..."

"Don't be so quick to refuse. I'm the kind of person who can't stand owing people favors."

Ling Xi frowned slightly, her expression showing some anxiety. She thought to herself: Why are all the people around Xiao Ce so difficult to deal with?

"There is nothing I desire, yet have never obtained."

Lu Baixu slowly looked away, avoiding the sincere and ardent light in her eyes. After speaking, he turned and walked straight ahead.

"How could there not be?"

Ling Xi stood there stunned for a moment, then quickly followed. This Lu Baixu was indeed just like Xiao Ce, both of them having an aloof and unapproachable demeanor.

Fine, fine, she'll just do what she did last time and choose two things to send to the Lu residence herself.

On the third day, a thank-you gift from Ling Xi was placed on Lu Baixu's desk: a set of fine calligraphy brushes and inkstones that she had ordered Arno to find on the black market.

The brush was a top-quality purple-haired brush from Huzhou, and the ink was pine soot ink from Huizhou, a tribute material. Although they weren't exactly rare items, she was afraid that if she gave them something too valuable, Lu Baixu might give them back to her.

When Lu Baixu returned to his residence and saw the set of writing brushes and ink on his desk, he hesitated for a moment before instructing his servants to put them away.

Whether he uses the ink or not, whether he likes it or not, is no longer within Ling Xi's consideration, just like many of the gifts she has given away.

The only thing she paid special attention to for several days was whether Xiao Ce had worn the cloak she had given him back then, probably because Mu Wanning had provoked her a few times at the time.

Since Wushuang was injured, Ling Xi has made it a point to go to Wanfang Pavilion every day from Shenshi (3-5 PM) to Youshi (5-7 PM).

Wushuang remained unconscious, and her brother was also in a bad mood. By the third day, she finally understood: Wushuang's identity as a concubine was fake, but her brother's worries were real.

When Ling Xi saw her elder brother personally bending down and carefully applying medicine to Wu Shuang, she finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Brother, do you really like Wushuang?"

Ling Heng continued to treat the wound with his fingertips, without looking up.

"She was seriously injured because of me."

Ling Xi's eyes flickered slightly, and she asked again:

"Do you still remember the marriage fortune slip I drew for you? I could never figure out who the woman in the fortune slip was who was binding you, but now I realize that person was Wushuang, wasn't she?"

Even if Ling Xi was slow to understand, she had long since realized that the sentiment of parting on a light boat was still strong, and who else could it be but Wushuang?

Ling Heng bent down and tucked the blanket around Wu Shuang, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed. His fingertips paused slightly, and then he straightened up. His thin lips were tightly pressed together, and he did not say a word.

Ling Xi followed behind him, her mind filled with unresolved questions, unaware of the suppressed emotions surging in her brother's eyes.

"But I don't understand, if my brother cares so much about Wushuang, why did he send her with me to Jinling? If you care about someone, shouldn't you keep her by your side?"

"Xi'er."

Ling Heng suddenly stopped. He glanced at the deep night outside the door, then slowly turned his head away, avoiding the direction of the bed.

"She was just a guard who had followed me for many years. I... have no one I care about."

After he finished speaking, he didn't turn back and stepped straight into the courtyard.

Don't care?

Ling Xi paused, no longer chasing after him. She stood blankly by the door, watching her brother's resolute departure, her heart filled with confusion.

He kept saying he didn't care, but she saw it all clearly: he stayed by Wushuang's bedside day and night, taking meticulous care of her. At that time, Wushuang's life was uncertain, and she clearly saw the ferocity and anxiety in her brother's eyes. His gaze was cold and intimidating, as if he wanted to kill. How could such terrifying affection be merely ordinary care for a subordinate?

"Princess..."

Just as Ling Xi was lost in thought, a low, weak voice suddenly came from behind her.

Ling Xi turned her head at the sound and saw that Wu Shuang had already sat up. Her hair was slightly disheveled, like scattered clouds, and her face was still haggard, without any of her usual radiance. However, her eyes were still as cold and indifferent as ever, quietly gazing in the direction of the door.

Judging from her appearance, did she overhear her conversation with her brother just now?