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

Afu didn't dare to move again.

Her eyes were lowered, but her heart was in turmoil. Xie Xun's obsession with cleanliness was known throughout the Marquis's mansion, so what was wrong with him now, repeatedly embracing her despite his own filth?

Not long after, Changsong ran back, carrying only two small porcelain bottles in his hands, his face showing difficulty: "Young Master, the ointment has been brought, but... Physician Zhang from the manor took leave early this morning and will probably not be back for a while."

Xie Xun frowned, took the ointment and gauze, and waved for Changsong to leave.

The room returned to silence.

Xie Xun removed the coarse cloth that had been wrapped around Afu's arm and looked at the wound. The edges were clean, clearly made with a knife.

His eyes instantly turned cold. He paused for a moment, then carefully sprinkled the powder on the medicine, spreading it with his fingertips with much gentler movements.

Afu lowered her head, looking at his profile as he bent down to bandage her face. The sunlight from the window cast a small shadow under his brow bone, and she suddenly felt a part of her heart soften.

In the blink of an eye, the wound on his arm had been treated. He then got up, took another white porcelain bottle, and turned to walk towards me.

Afu's heart started pounding uncontrollably.

Xie Xun squatted down in front of her and reached out to lift up her trouser leg.

"Your Highness!" Afu tried to pull her leg back.

But he was faster, having already rolled up her trousers above her knees. Her bruised, swollen knees were now exposed to the air without any cover.

Afu was a little embarrassed. She hurriedly said, "I dare not trouble you, young master. I will apply the medicine myself when I get back."

She tried to pull her leg back, but Xie Xun reached out with his other hand and grabbed her slender ankle.

His palms were dry and burning hot, holding her so tightly she couldn't move.

"Behave yourself." His voice was low and emotionless.

Afu didn't dare to move again.

Xie Xun opened the medicine bottle, poured some emerald green medicinal oil into his palm, then walked to the candlestick next to him, brought his palm close to the candle flame, and slowly warmed it.

A faint medicinal fragrance, accompanied by the heat, diffused in the air.

Aphrodite looked at his profile; the candlelight cast deep shadows on his sharply defined face. He was focused, as if he were doing something of utmost importance.

The next moment, the hand covered with scalding hot medicinal oil covered her knee.

"hiss--"

It was hot and painful. Afu shuddered and gasped for breath, her whole body tensing up.

She held back her cries, but her fingernails dug deeply into the brocade cushion beneath her.

Xie Xun ignored her reaction and began to rub her with his hot palm, applying pressure gradually, round and round, as if he wanted to knead all the medicinal power into her bones.

He held her calf firmly with one hand to prevent her from moving, while his other hand focused on pressing and kneading her swollen knee.

Afu felt dizzy from the pain, and she bit her lower lip, swallowing all her groans.

But the pain was too sharp, and she finally couldn't bear it any longer, beginning to struggle slightly: "Your Highness... no need, really no need..."

"It promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis; massaging it in will help it heal faster," he explained succinctly, without reducing the pressure in his hands.

Xie Xun's grip was extremely strong. She tried to regain control of her legs, but he stopped her with a shout of "Don't move!"

Afu was completely helpless. She could only shrink her upper body, bury her face in her arms, and silently endure it. The brocade cushion beneath her was crumpled into a ball from her grip.

After an unknown amount of time, just when Afu felt she was about to faint from the pain, Xie Xun finally let go.

She breathed a long sigh of relief, thinking that the torture was finally over.

However, the next second, Xie Xun poured some more medicated oil and his gaze fell on her other knee.

Afu's face turned pale instantly.

"Your Highness!" She no longer cared about the difference in rank, reaching out to grab Xie Xun's wrist as he reached out to touch hers. "Really, it's not necessary, please, it's not necessary!"

Xie Xun looked up at her.

Afu's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, a few strands of wet hair clung to her cheeks, her eyes were watery and red from pain and fear, and the tip of her nose was also red, like a kitten driven to the brink of despair.

The hand gripping his wrist was small and soft, lacking strength, yet it exuded a resolute determination to gamble everything.

Xie Xun felt a ticklish sensation in his heart, as if something had gently scratched it.

He had originally planned to rub one spot open and let her go back to the maid to do it herself, but seeing her pitiful yet stubborn appearance, he inexplicably changed his mind.

Just as he was about to make his move, Afu tightly covered her other knee with both hands, looked at him warily, and kept shaking her head.

Xie Xun's patience ran out, and he threatened, "Let go."

Afu continued to shake her head, her eyes redder, stubbornly pursing her lips, refusing to let go.

After a brief standoff, Xie Xun suddenly sighed, his tone softening: "Listen to me."

Afu shook her head again.

Seeing her defiant attitude, Xie Xun suddenly stood up, turned around, and walked to the window. Afu felt a sense of relief, thinking he had finally given up.

To everyone's surprise, he untied a bright yellow silk ribbon from the window curtain.

Afu stared wide-eyed in disbelief as he returned with the ribbon, grabbed her hands, and tied them together in her horrified gaze.

Beast!

Afu cried out silently in her heart, she was in so much pain!

However, louder than her shouts was an untimely voice.

"Gurgle—"

The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Afu's stomach growled.

Xie Xun paused, glanced down at her somewhat evasive gaze, and finally couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

The laughter was soft, yet it was like a thawing stream in spring, breaking through his usual coldness.

Afu wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground right then and there.

Xie Xun straightened up and called out towards the door, "Changsong."

Changsong immediately pushed open the door and entered: "What are your orders, Young Master?"

"Go to the small kitchen and have them prepare some light and easily digestible food and bring it over."

"Yes." Changsong accepted the order and left, thoughtfully closing the door behind him as he went out.

Xie Xun squatted down again, ignoring Afu's mournful eyes, pulled away her hand covering her knee, applied the warm medicated oil, and continued the "torture" he hadn't finished earlier.

When the food was brought over, Afu was lying face down on the tatami mat, half-dead.

As soon as A-Bian entered the room to serve the dishes, he saw his young master squatting by the couch. On the couch, Miss A-Fu's hair was disheveled, her clothes were in disarray, revealing a section of her fair and slender calf. A bright yellow ribbon was tied around her wrist, and the red mark on her snow-white skin was particularly glaring.