Zhen Yu was conscious of his status, and surveyed the surroundings. “So it turns out that you’re the Commandery Prince. How did you fall into the poisonous plants? Did someone harm you?”
“No one harmed me; I fell by accident. Aren’t you going to massage my bones for me? Let me see how good your technique is.” Xie Yun reached out his right hand.
Zhen Yu pondered for a moment before convincing herself by thinking that it was a healer’s duty to save people. She didn’t dare to sit on the bed, so she simply remained standing as she reached out for his right index finger.
“I’ve only learned a little bit, so please forgive me in advance, Commandery Prince.” Zhen Yu lowered her head before she went forward to earnestly search for his finger’s acupoints.
Xie Yun couldn’t help but cast a few more glances at her earnest expression. But won’t she be tired from standing like this?
Thus, he pulled back his right hand, and in her moment of bewilderment, he wrapped his other hand around her waist before pulling her down to sit on the bed.
“You will get tired from helping me massage my bones while standing. It’s better to sit. A healer doesn’t care about the nitty-gritty details.”
Zhen Yu originally wanted to say protest because of the difference in their status, but the sentence died in her throat when she heard his last sentence.
“Come, it’s going to be hard on you to massage my bones for this period of time.” Xie Yun raised his right hand to her.
Zhen Yu softly replied with an affirmative and continued finding the acupoints. Fortunately, she had a decent memory and she remembered what Mei Jinxiu had taught her. It wasn’t long before she was slowly massaging his finger.
Her hands were very nimble, and despite the calluses on her hand, Xie Yun found it very comfortable. He closed his eyes, but soon opened them again just to sneak a few glances at her.
Suddenly, his sister’s words flashed past his mind. “Elder Brother, I should have an elder sister-in-law, and the Commander Prince Residence should have an heir.”
Xie Yun deeply gazed at Zhen Yu, involuntarily asking, “Zhen Yu, how old are you? Do you have a spouse?”
Zhen Yu paused, lifting her head to look at him in puzzlement. Why did he ask that?
“It’s nothing, you can continue massaging. I was just casually asking.” Afraid that she would feel awkward, Xie Yun immediately changed the topic.
However, he didn’t expect Zhen Yu to give an answer that caused his beating heart to sink.
“I’m 23, and I do have a spouse.” She then continued to help him massage his bones.
Xie Yun furrowed his brows. It’s very normal for a 23-year-old woman to be engaged. It’s ridiculous that I’ve taken a liking to a woman who’s already betrothed to another now that I think about it.
Zhen Yu continued. “However, he left the village that we lived in when I was seven. He made me a promise during our childhood, but I’ve never seen him since then. The reason I’ve come to the capital is to search for him.”
“You got separated when you were only seven?” Xie Yun immediately asked.
So she isn’t married yet. They made a childlike promise back then, yet has waited 23 years for it to be fulfilled.
Zhen Yu nodded. “Mmm, but I will definitely find him. He treats me very well, and he won’t let me down.”
“He treated you well when you were young, but will he continue to do so now? After all, you two have been separated for so many years.”
“Many people have advised me to marry another person, but I am unresigned. I insist on finding him, and I don’t believe that he would like someone else.” Zhen Yu calmly replied before continuing to massage his bones.
Xie Yun kept quiet as he watched the young lady earnestly massaging his bones for him. What a silly girl; how can she believe jokes made during childhood? Even for Prince Hao, he told Pei Yaran that he would look after her for her entire life when he had just entered the Pei Residence. But what was the result? After he grew up, he chose to marry Su Xi-er instead.
Once Mei Jinxiu was done giving instructions to the cooks in the kitchen, she left the Commandery Prince Residence and let Zhen Yu stay behind.
~~~
Meanwhile, in the main courtyard of the Prince Hao Residence, Pei Qianhao had just been thinking about carrying Su Xi-er to the inner chamber when a guard came up to him to report.
Hence, he could only stow away his plans and coldly ask, “What’s the matter?”
The guard immediately bowed. “Prince Hao, the Empress Dowager has gone missing, and we have yet to find any trace of her after searching for several days.”
