Unparalleled medical and martial arts skills, saving the CEO's fiancée at the start.

Ye Chen's injury this time was more severe than ever before.

Qin Wuyi's sword looked light and airy, but when it landed on him, it felt like a red-hot iron bar. Every wound was extremely fine and deep. The most dangerous one grazed past his shoulder blade; if it had been just half an inch off, it would have injured his heart.

The ghost servant and the family doctor worked for most of the night to treat the more than thirty wounds, large and small, all over his body.

It took almost two hours just to sew the needle, and the gauze used could wrap around the coffee table several times.

Ye Chen was rarely awake; he spent most of his time in a deep sleep.

Jiang Ruoxi entrusted the company's affairs to Secretary Wang and stayed at home, busying herself with medicine and water.

Aygul's injury hasn't fully healed yet, but she's already able to change his dressings. Her technique is clumsy, but she's extremely attentive.

The ghost servant stood guard in the courtyard without ever leaving its side, like a stone lion that had taken root in the ground.

For the first two days, Ye Chen developed a high fever, his lips became dry and cracked, and his face was as white as paper.

Jiang Ruoxi didn't sleep a wink all night, wiping his body with warm water and calling his name over and over again.

In his half-dreaming, half-awake state, Ye Chen felt as if he were still by the river, with Qin Wuyi's sword light revolving around him like fragments of the moon.

Ye Chen called out "Ruoxi" a few times, and then mumbled "Master".

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ruoxi buried her face in the blanket and didn't lift her head for a while.

On the third day, the fever subsided.

When Ye Chen woke up, his mouth tasted of bitter melon, making his face contort in pain. He struggled to sit up, but Jiang Ruoxi stopped him with a look. She sat by the bed with a bowl of congee, helped him sit up against the headboard, and fed him spoonful by spoonful.

"Honey, could you get me something else? This porridge is as bland as plain water," Ye Chen said pitifully, smacking his lips.

"No way. Your intestines are practically tied in knots, do you even want to eat greasy food?" Jiang Ruoxi scooped up another spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth without saying another word.

Ye Chen had no choice but to swallow it obediently, but his face clearly showed that he had no will to live.

Aygul brought in a bowl of dark, murky medicinal soup, placed it on the bedside table, and looked at him with her arms crossed: "Drink it. It has wild ginseng in it to replenish your qi."

Ye Chen sniffed it, then shrank back: "Why does this smell like horse piss?"

Aygul didn't even bother to lift her eyelids: "Your master had Uncle Gui bring you this recipe, saying that if you can't finish it, just force it down your throat."

Ye Chen cursed inwardly, "Master, you really dote on me."

Ye Chen pinched his nose and forced the bowl of medicine down his throat.

"What's going on over at Blackwater?" Ye Chen asked after a moment's pause.

"Song Tiezhu's men have been staking out the docks for days, but Qin Wuyi hasn't shown up again. Qiao San sent word that a few unfamiliar faces have recently arrived in the provincial capital. They're all martial arts practitioners and have checked into a small hotel in the north of the city. They haven't left for several days, and Zhou Wantong has people keeping an eye on them." Jiang Ruoxi put down her bowl of porridge, peeled an orange, and fed it to him segment by segment, her tone indifferent.

"Also, Hu Tian and his wife have already sold their shares and left Jiangcheng with the money. They're smart to be so discreet."

Ye Chen chewed on an orange and mumbled, "Are Han Dong and Ding Wanshan still locked up? Have they pried their mouths open yet?"

"Han Dong was easily intimidated and told everything. He's just a gofer and doesn't know much. Ding Wanshan is tight-lipped, but you had Song Tiezhu and those veterans talk to him for two days, and he revealed a lot. He confessed about the contact point in Heishui in the provincial capital, several undercover agents, and two channels for transporting goods. He Jianping compiled the confessions into a dossier and handed it over to Qiao San's men. Old Master Qiao has intervened and has already stabilized several merchants in the provincial capital who have dealings with Heishui."

Ye Chen nodded and said nothing more.

He knew all too well that Qiao Yueshan was a seasoned veteran who might say he didn't care about the younger generation, but when he got going, he was more ruthless than anyone else.

The Qiao family is gradually dismantling the legitimate connections that Heishui has cultivated in the provincial capital.

Qin Wuyi isn't unwilling to act now; she just needs to think things through before she does.

"Han Song came by yesterday," Jiang Ruoxi suddenly said.

"What's he doing here?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

"I brought you a bottle of medicine for injuries. It was said that Grandpa Wu Qingyuan asked him to bring it over. It's very effective for treating internal injuries. I had Uncle Gui check it, and it's fine." Jiang Ruoxi took out a small celadon bottle from the drawer, opened it, and let Ye Chen smell it.

A refreshing fragrance wafted to Ye Chen's head, and his eyes lit up: "Good stuff. Old Wu is really generous."

Ye Chen asked Ayiguli to apply the medicine to the deepest wounds on his back. It felt like cool little hands were gently patting the wounds, which made him groan with pleasure.

"You sure know how to enjoy yourself." Jiang Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him, threw the empty orange peel into the trash can, and poured him a glass of warm water.

The days of recuperation were extremely slow, but Ye Chen had a good constitution and had grown up in a world of medicine, so his recovery speed was more than one or two times faster than that of ordinary people.

By the seventh day, he was able to get out of bed and wander around the house. Although he walked slowly, he was able to gesture with the ghost servant in the courtyard.

The ghost servant only fought him for a few moves before stopping, saying, "Your internal organs aren't fully recovered yet, don't push yourself, lie down for a few more days."

Ye Chen was not convinced and went to tease Ayiguli again, but she pressed him down on the recliner with one hand and he couldn't move at all.

Jiang Ruoxi returned from the company and happened to see this scene.

She stood at the doorway, looked around for a while, and then suddenly smiled.

The setting sun shone in from behind her, casting a long shadow.

Ye Chen, reclining in his chair, shouted at her, "Wife, your man has been bullied!"

Jiang Ruoxi walked over and casually added, "Guli, well done. Help me take off his shoes so I can see if he stole the bag of spicy strips I hid yesterday."

"I didn't steal it!" Ye Chen protested.

"You haven't wiped the grease off your lips yet." Jiang Ruoxi squatted down and vigorously wiped his mouth with a tissue.

Ye Chen gasped in pain, but still laughed, "Just half a pack, really just half a pack."

"Minister Ye, you lie without even thinking." He Jianping's voice came from the doorway. He was carrying a stack of documents when he saw Ye Chen's cowardly appearance and burst into laughter.

As night deepened, Jiang Ruoxi came to his room to see him, as usual.

Ye Chen had already lain down, but when he saw her come in, he moved a little further in.

Jiang Ruoxi sat down by the bed, took his hand and checked his pulse. She didn't know how to take a pulse, but she pressed it like he did and said, "It's beating quite steadily."

Ye Chen took her hand in return and said softly, "I'm fine now. In a few days, I'll be able to go to the provincial capital to settle accounts with Qin Wuyi."

Jiang Ruoxi was silent for a moment, then said, "I won't stop you, but this time, I want to go with you."

Just as Ye Chen was about to refuse, Jiang Ruoxi's fingertip touched his lips.

Her eyes shone brightly in the darkness, both soft and hard: "I can't stop you from fighting desperately, but you have to let me stand where I can see you, Ye Chen. I'm fed up with sitting here waiting for you to come back. If you dare to run away alone again, I'll lock you in the house and you're not allowed to go anywhere."

Ye Chen looked at her and finally said nothing more.

Outside the window, Ayiguli and her ghost servant were still sitting in the courtyard.

One was wiping his knife, the other was looking at the sky.

No one slept, as if they were guarding a belated peace for the people inside.