Ji Mingzhu didn't want to see Xie Yunzhen, but upon hearing that Xie Yunxuan was drunk, she couldn't care about anything else.
There was no need to think about it; it must have been her words that affected Second Brother.
The seeds she planted, it was up to her to clean up the mess.
She hurried to the East Wing.
Xie Yunxuan was slumped over the table, his large hands with distinct joints clutching a wine cup, mumbling something to himself.
Seeing his face flushed, Ji Mingzhu was about to reach out to check his temperature when a cool voice pierced her ears.
"Men and women shouldn't touch."
Seeing Xie Yunzhen's stern face annoyed Ji Mingzhu.
Hearing his voice annoyed her even more.
This person meddling in her affairs made her impatience explode instantly.
Without caring about her image, she rolled her eyes, "Young Master, are you just going to let him lie there?"
Being rolled eyes at made Xie Yunzhen freeze for a moment.
Then his breathing skipped a few beats.
With anger.
The look in her eyes was full of concern for his second brother, but when it came to him, all he got was an eye-roll?
Men and women at seven don't sit together, much less when both are adults.
Was it wrong to remind about not touching between men and women?
With anger churning in his chest, both sour and bitter, Xie Yunzhen's grip on his teacup gradually tightened.
"Miss Ji, casually rolling your eyes at people—is this your upbringing?"
Xie Yunzhen was indifferent to both people and matters, and Ji Mingzhu didn't expect him to hold onto such a minor issue.
With his temperament, if unhappy, he would either leave directly or emit a cold aura to freeze people.
In short, making him expose his emotions was impossible.
Why was he so unusual today?
Sweeping a glance subtly at Xie Yunzhen's chest, he was heavily injured, with a faint medicinal scent lingering in the air.
He must have taken the wrong medicine to be so inexplicable!
She composed herself, giving a sarcastic smile, "Young Master, you must be mistaken. I didn't roll my eyes."
"Ha."
The man chuckled lightly, "Are you mocking me for an eye disease?"
"Not at all."
"I think that's exactly what you mean." The teacup was placed heavily on the table.
Ji Mingzhu rolled her eyes in her heart.
How did she ever fancy such a bad-tempered man!
"Big Brother, don't bully her."
Xie Yunxuan, eyes hazy with drunkenness, tried to get up to protect Ji Mingzhu.
Caught in a daze, his body swayed a few times.
Seeing that Xie Yunxuan was about to fall, Ji Mingzhu hurriedly reached out to support him.
The drunken man's body was limp, with no strength, collapsing onto Ji Mingzhu like a small mountain.
Ji Mingzhu, a daughter pampered in the inner chambers, couldn't bear such weight.
Her steps faltered.
She stumbled into a familiar yet unfamiliar chest.
Her body acted faster than her mind, and before reason returned, Xie Yunzhen had already pushed Xie Yunxuan aside with force.
And Ji Mingzhu was tightly held within his embrace.
His hand gripped that slender waist.
It was delicate.
Soft.
It felt as if the slightest force could snap it.
The air suddenly grew extraordinarily quiet, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, only the sound of breathing grew heavier.
Even though separated by several layers of fabric, Ji Mingzhu could feel the scorching heat.
In an instant, it was as if she was pulled back to that bewildering night.
Back then, Xie Yunzhen was burning hot, large beads of sweat falling on her body.
He had kissed her forehead, cheek, lips…
All the way down.
In the chaos of consciousness, he even called out "Mingzhu."
She thought she had a place in Xie Yunzhen's heart, abandoning all restraint and reason.
A night of downfall.
But the result was the start of her tragic fate.
That life was short and absurd; she truly didn't want to be entangled with Xie Yunzhen again!
Ji Mingzhu, her mind in chaos, couldn't understand what Xie Yunzhen meant.
If he disliked her, why did he act so intimately?
She abruptly broke free from that hand and quickly walked towards Xie Yunxuan, who was sprawled on the ground.
"Second Brother, wake up."
Ji Mingzhu shook Xie Yunxuan's arm, receiving no response.
Thinking he was hurt from the fall, Ji Mingzhu was extremely anxious.
In her anxiety, her eyes couldn't help but turn red.
"Someone, come quickly!"
"Quick, call the doctor!"
Upon hearing the shout, Tianshui rushed in first.
Seeing his master unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
But when he saw the second young master lying on the ground, with Miss looking like she was about to cry, that relief vanished.
"Young Master?"
Xie Yunzhen raised his hand slightly, "Lift him onto the bed."
Tianshui obliged.
"Leave."
Tianshui bowed his head and walked out.
Ji Mingzhu was angered by Xie Yunzhen's indifferent attitude, "Why not call a doctor?"
Seeing the redness at the corner of her eyes, Xie Yunzhen frowned tightly, "It's just drunkenness, not life-threatening."
The word "death" directly struck at Ji Mingzhu's sore spot.
In her previous life, she had died in childbirth, and when Xie Yunzhen received the news, he probably reacted the same way.
With a self-mocking smile, Ji Mingzhu turned to leave.
As she passed him, Xie Yunzhen grasped her hand, "Not concerned about your second brother anymore?"
The emphasis he placed on "second brother" carried an undertone of mocking sarcasm.
Ji Mingzhu no longer had the energy to ponder the reasons behind it.
"I'll go get the doctor."
Her voice was very bland, devoid of any emotion.
With her gaze lowered, "Young Master, men and women shouldn't touch each other casually."
Feeling the coolness from Ji Mingzhu's glance, Xie Yunzhen jerked his hand back as if scalded.
His expression tightened, his hand behind his back clenched into a fist.
Everything seemed off…
Seeing Ji Mingzhu about to leave while ice and snow awaited outside, Xie Yunzhen called out to Tianshui urgently.
"Young Master, what are your orders?"
"Have Xi Yu come over."
With someone going to fetch the doctor, Ji Mingzhu no longer insisted on going out.
Quickly returning to the bed, she used a cloth wetted with tea to wipe Xie Yunxuan's face.
Watching her opt for tea-water rather than ask for hot water from him, Xie Yunzhen felt a pang in his heart.
"He's my brother."
Receiving no reply, Xie Yunzhen added, "I wouldn't watch him die."
Ji Mingzhu's chest heaved, and she retorted angrily, "You're the one dying, your whole family is dying."
After saying that, she anxiously glanced outside.
If word of this spread, her aunt probably couldn't protect her.
Seeing Ji Mingzhu's frightened expression, Xie Yunzhen inexplicably felt a thrill.
Step by step, he closed in on her like pursuing prey.
"What did you just say? I didn't catch it."
The oppressive pressure made Ji Mingzhu's scalp tingle, and she lowered her head, unable to meet Xie Yunzhen's gaze.
Instead of arguing, she chose to play dead.
The inclination of her head exposed the slender swan neck, skin as white and delicate as fine jade.
Xie Yunzhen's sharp gaze landed on it, observing the veins beneath the skin.
Scorching blood flowed within.
If bitten, what would it feel like?
Ji Mingzhu's heart beat furiously, and just as she couldn't endure and wanted to leave, Xi Yu walked in, grumbling.
"Every single day, causing me trouble!"
"What's wrong this time?"
Xie Yunzhen reined in his gaze, nodding towards the person on the bed with his chin, "Wake him up, or some might think I'm committing murder."
Xi Yu's gaze drifted behind Xie Yunzhen, spotting Ji Mingzhu.
He glanced at Xie Yunzhen with a half-smile.
Didn't he say he didn't like Miss Ji? Why now is he shielding her so thoroughly?
Just looking won't harm, is his possessiveness too strong?
Without needing further examination, Xi Yu glanced at Xie Yunxuan and said, "The Second Young Master is asleep."
Ji Mingzhu was still uneasy, "He fell earlier and hit his head."
"If Miss Ji is really worried, she can wait for two hours to observe."
Xi Yu is a divine healer, and Ji Mingzhu couldn't doubt his judgment.
Being the only woman present among men, it wasn't appropriate for her to linger. Ji Mingzhu gave a bow, "Since Second Brother is fine, I'll take my leave."
Xie Yunzhen remained silent, so she assumed he agreed.
Nodding towards Xi Yu, she stepped out of the oppressive place.
Xi Yu clicked his tongue, "Just for such a trivial matter, you let Miss Ji make a trip?"
Xie Yunzhen snorted coldly, "I'm doing it for their own good."
If the Old Madame found out this brat was drowning his sorrows for Ji Mingzhu, she might marry Ji Mingzhu off by tomorrow.
Keeping him here to sober up was helping them, wasn't it?
Ji Mingzhu, as the 'culprit', should rightly come by.
Xi Yu looked skeptical, "Why don't I believe you?"
His intuition told him, this rascal clearly wanted to see Miss Ji!