After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

Afu lowered her sleeves, straightened her collar, and got up to leave the side room.

As she passed the moon gate of Seian-in Temple, she happened to meet Nagamatsu coming from the direction of the main building. He was carrying an empty tray and nodded to her, saying, "Miss Afu."

"Brother Changsong," Afu called out to him, "Is the young master feeling any better today?"

Changsong said, "I'm much better. Doctor Lu said that the blood dryness is mainly due to the residue of the previous bone-corroding incense. It comes on quickly and goes away quickly, but I need to recuperate for a while."

Afu's heart tightened slightly. It was that bone-corroding incense again. Last time, she had to sacrifice herself to relieve it, and this time Tao Yao had to cut her wrists to bleed. This poison was truly wicked.

"It's good that the young master is alright." Afu nodded to Changsong and continued walking towards the main house.

The door was ajar; she gently pushed it open and went inside.

Xie Xun was leaning back on the soft couch, with a plate of freshly made pastries beside him. Tao Yao was sitting on an embroidered stool beside the couch, talking softly, as if she was sorting through the official documents on Xie Xun's table.

Today she wore a streamlined dress in a simple color, and the heavy perfume she usually wore had completely disappeared, replaced by the bitter scent of mugwort.

Afu paused for a moment, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

No wonder Xie Xun didn't send her away like before; it turns out he had figured out Xie Xun's likes and dislikes towards women.

Of course, there should also be some gratitude for the life-saving wrist-cutting, Afu added in her heart.

Afu walked in, stopped a few steps away, and bowed: "Young Master."

Xie Xun looked up at her, his gaze lingering on her pale face for a moment before he said, "Get up."

Tao Yao turned her head and looked at Afu with a smile: "Why aren't you resting in the room, Afu? You're injured, you should take good care of yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Taoyao." Afu said gently, "I am much better now, and the young master cannot be without someone to serve him, so I came here."

Xie Xun was about to lower his head to read when he suddenly coughed, pressed the back of his hand to his lips, and frowned slightly.

Afu quickly poured a cup of tea and was about to hand it over when Taoyao beat her to it.

Tao Yao took the heavy teacup from Afu's hand and handed it to Xie Xun, saying, "Young Master, have a sip of tea to soothe your soul."

Afu was somewhat surprised, not because she snatched the teacup, but because she used the hand with the bandaged wrist, and her movements were very nimble, seemingly unaffected by the injury on her wrist.

However, the next second, when she put the teacup on the table, she accidentally bumped the corner of the table, and then let out a low hiss, covering her bandaged wrist with her other hand.

A faint line of pale red seeped through the gauze, as if the wound had been aggravated by the exertion.

"What happened?" Xie Xun's expression immediately turned concerned, his tone gentler than Afu had ever heard before. "Did you bump into something? Let me see."

Afu stood aside, somewhat puzzled.

Judging from the force with which Tao Yao snatched the teapot from her side, the wound shouldn't be serious, so why is it bleeding?

Xie Xun obviously didn't see that scene. He carefully lifted Tao Yao's hand and saw a little fresh blood seeping through the layers of gauze. His brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Afu with obvious reproach: "The maid is right here, why did you need to do it?"

Tao Yao quickly shook her head, her eyes already brimming with tears, but her voice remained sensible: "It's not Afu's fault, it was my own carelessness. Don't be angry, Prince, I'm fine."

The more she said this, the darker Xie Xun's expression became. He released Tao Yao's hand and called out, "Changsong! Go and call Doctor Lu over to change the dressing again!"

Tao Yao's eyes flickered. She tugged at Xie Xun's sleeve and whispered, "No need, Young Master. Changing the dressing is bloody, and don't disturb your work. I can change the dressing myself; it's just a minor injury."

Xie Xun looked at her delicate yet sensible appearance, his expression showing a tenderness that Afu had never seen before.

He sighed, his voice softening considerably: "Alright, then you should go back quickly and let Doctor Lu give you a proper check-up."

"Mmm." Tao Yao nodded obediently and walked away, turning back every few steps.

The room returned to silence.

Xie Xun withdrew his gaze, and when he looked at Afu again, that tenderness had vanished without a trace, and he had returned to his usual indifference.

Why were you so speechless just now?

He leaned back on the couch, his tone showing concern but more of an inquiry, "Is the injury on your arm any better?"

Afu slightly curled her right hand, then replied in a businesslike manner, "Your Highness, it's all better now."

"That's good." Xie Xun pointed to the desk. "Grind the ink for me; I need to write an official document."

"Yes," Afu replied and walked to the desk.

The inkstone was a fine Duan inkstone, and the ink stick was pine soot ink bestowed by the emperor; both were arranged neatly.

She habitually picked up the ink stick with her right hand, but a sharp, pulling pain shot through her wound. Not daring to exert any force, she silently switched to her left hand.

Grinding ink with my left hand is inherently difficult; I can't control the force or angle well, and the ink I grind is either too thick or too thin, making an unpleasant "sizzling" sound.

Xie Xun was laying out the paper when he heard the sound. He looked up, annoyed, and said, "Why are you taking so long to grind the ink?"

Afu sighed inwardly and could only reply, "Almost done, Your Highness."

She gritted her teeth and switched back to her right hand. The wound protested; each turn felt like being pricked by fine needles. She endured the discomfort and quickened her pace, her wrist movements gradually becoming more skilled. Finally, before Xie Xun lost patience, she had ground a well-preserved inkstone with a uniform and lustrous color.

Xie Xun picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write rapidly on the paper.

Afu stepped aside and silently began to tidy up her somewhat messy desk. She sorted the scattered documents by category and straightened the wolf-hair brushes on the pen holder one by one.

After doing all that, she felt a slight itch in her injured arm.

Without making a sound, she rolled up her sleeve slightly and looked down, only to find that the wound, which had already scabbed over, had reopened because of the force she had used while grinding ink, and several beads of blood were rolling down her skin.

There wasn't much blood, but it still looked a bit scary.

Afu's heart skipped a beat. If she were to say that her hand wound hurt at this moment, it would seem like she was imitating Tao Yao by using her injury to curry favor.

Xie Xun hated servants having ulterior motives, so she couldn't say anything at this time.

She casually lowered her sleeves, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and quietly wiped away the bloodstains while turning around to tidy the bookshelf.

After finishing the official document, Xie Xun put down his pen and rubbed his temples. Seeing this, Afu was about to step forward to take her leave and let him rest.

Before she could speak, Xie Xun said, "Come here and get me a new cup of tea."

He paused, then added, as if talking to himself, "Your tea is still the best."

Afu responded with a "yes" and went over to take the teacup from his side.

She deliberately used her uninjured left hand to pick it up, while tucking her right hand into her sleeve, trying to use the wide sleeve to cover the little bit of blood that might seep out.

But she forgot how sensitive Xie Xun's nose was.

As soon as she approached, Xie Xun frowned: "What's that smell?"

He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp and intense, and fixed on her.

Afu's heart tightened, and she subconsciously took a step back.