Fright and False Accusations

“Miss Yan, you are finally awake.”

Wen Feng walked straight to the desk, his tone full of concern.

Seeing that she had awakened safely, he visibly let out a sigh of relief.

Yan Yi trembled all over and shrank into Wen Xiaoran’s embrace.

The look of extreme fear on her face did not seem feigned at all.

Wen Xiaoran assumed she was not fully conscious yet and was still immersed in the terror of falling into the water.

His heart tightened involuntarily, and his expression gradually darkened.

“Uncle Bu, how is her condition?”

Bu Shu carefully chose his words.

“There is still cold energy stagnating within her body.

However, it is nothing serious.

With several days of rest, she will recover.

Only—”

He stroked his silver-white beard, a trace of doubt flashing between his brows, as if hesitant to continue.

“Only what?”

Wen Xiaoran pressed.

Wen Feng’s gaze immediately fell on Bu Shu’s face, afraid of missing any detail.

Bu Shu said, “Miss Yan suffered a great fright.

Her emotions were excessively agitated.

She must be carefully nourished and allowed to recuperate.”

Wen Xiaoran lowered his eyes to glance at the trembling person in his arms.

His expression grew even more somber.

After hearing this, Wen Feng looked ashamed.

He hurried forward and dropped to one knee before Wen Xiaoran.

“Your Excellency, I have failed in my duty.

I did not protect Miss Yan well.”

After speaking, he looked up at Yan Yi and lowered his voice.

“Miss Yan, you have been frightened.”

Yan Yi timidly raised her head.

Yet she did not dare look directly at Wen Feng.

She lowered her head again, seemingly deep in thought.

Back on the Frost Continent, she had accidentally fallen into an ice crevasse.

Wen Feng had arrived in time, half kneeling at the edge of the glacier and extending a hand toward her.

Yan Yi had been both anxious and terrified.

Her instinct for survival forced her to struggle violently.

She could not quite reach Wen Feng’s hand.

But at the moment their eyes met, she shuddered uncontrollably.

At that time, Wen Feng had not wanted to save her.

It was clear from his gaze that he had hesitated for a long time.

The pain and struggle in his heart were written plainly on his face.

He could not make up his mind.

Just when Yan Yi thought she was about to die, Wen Feng suddenly leaned forward with force and used all his strength to pull her up onto the glacier.

Yan Yi could never understand the root of it.

Why had Wen Feng been willing to stand by and watch her die.

And why had he ultimately failed to harden his heart and abandon her.

Now she lay safely on the bed, still alive.

She was naturally grateful to him.

As for that accident, however, she dared not speak of it.

On the one hand, she worried that she had been overly frightened and invaded by cold energy.

Perhaps her consciousness had been unclear, and she had misjudged Wen Feng.

If she rashly spoke of it, it might seem as though she were trying to sow discord between the great villain and his subordinate.

On the other hand, if she had not been mistaken, and Wen Feng truly had intended to let her perish in the ice before struggling inwardly and finally rescuing her for reasons unknown—

Then she could speak of it even less.

It would only alert the enemy.

Thinking this through, she forced herself to calm down.

In a hoarse voice, she said, “Brother Wen, what are you saying.

If you had not arrived in time, I would have already become part of the Frost Continent.

I am grateful beyond measure.

How could I blame you.”

After saying this, she could no longer hold back her sobs.

She tightly wrapped her arms around Wen Xiaoran’s lean waist and turned sideways, burying her face in his firm chest.

“Your Excellency, I was terrified.

I—”

Tears burst from her eyes like a broken dam, sliding down and soaking Wen Xiaoran’s robes.

“I thought I would never return again.

Wuwuwu—”

Seeing the two tightly pressed together on the couch, Bu Shu’s eyes widened.

His mouth opened slightly, as though he had witnessed a rare treasure.

He had lived for thousands of years and seen much of the world, yet even he was too shocked to speak.

Wen Xiaoran’s entire body stiffened.

His hands hung awkwardly at his sides.

He clenched his fingers, unsure where to put them.

Seeing this, Wen Feng quickly stood up.

“Your Excellency, I shall take my leave.”

He immediately pulled the dumbfounded old witch doctor out of the room, shutting the strange atmosphere inside the study.

“All right.”

Wen Xiaoran stiffly raised one hand and lightly patted her shoulder.

In a low voice, he comforted her.

“Do not be afraid.

You are safe now.”

Her wailing stopped abruptly.

It was as though Yan Yi had just regained her senses.

Her muddled mind cleared somewhat, and the fear in her heart diminished by half.

She suddenly sat upright and looked up blankly.

Their gazes met.

They were very close.

Yan Yi could clearly hear Wen Xiaoran’s strong and powerful heartbeat, as well as his slightly heavy breathing.

With a loud boom in her mind, her thoughts went blank.

She must have lost her mind to recklessly throw herself into the great villain’s arms and cry like that.

She had even wiped tears and snot all over him.

“Your Excellency,” she panicked, speaking incoherently, “I—why are you in my arms?”

Wen Xiaoran had been worried that she was not fully conscious.

Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?”

As if intrigued by her reaction, he deliberately emphasized his tone.

“Why don’t you explain how I ended up in your arms?”

As if suddenly realizing something, Yan Yi jumped away from him.

In her fluster, one foot hooked onto the belt at his waist.

Her center of gravity tilted backward, and she fell unexpectedly.

The accident happened too quickly.

Wen Xiaoran’s internal injuries had not yet healed.

His movements were slow, and he did not even have time to reach out to steady her.

He could only watch helplessly as Yan Yi sprawled onto the floor.

“Ouch!”

Stars swam before her eyes.

She cried out in pain.

“Your Excellency, why didn’t you catch me?”

Perhaps her brain had been damaged by the fall.

Or perhaps she had been frozen silly on the Frost Continent.

She actually dared to blame the great villain.

Wen Xiaoran immediately bent down to help her up.

“Where are you hurt?”

Yan Yi stood unsteadily before him.

She reached up to rub the back of her head.

A large bump had already swollen there.

It hurt terribly at the slightest touch.

Her backside felt as though it had split open.

It burned painfully.

The fall had not been light.

Barings her teeth in pain, she could not help but hiss softly.

“My whole body hurts.”

Hearing the grievance in her tone, Wen Xiaoran’s expression stiffened slightly.

He asked directly, “Why did you suddenly jump away?”

Yan Yi’s hand, which had been rubbing her lower back, paused.

She looked at him in disbelief.

Then her expression changed, and she quickly squeezed out a few tears.

“Your Excellency, are you blaming me?”

Wen Xiaoran fell silent.

Before he could respond, Yan Yi continued tearfully.

“The cold of the Frost Continent must have frozen my brain.

I could not think clearly for a moment, so I forgot my place and threw myself into your arms.

It is all my fault.

I did not know my limits.

I overstepped.

Your Excellency, please punish me.”

After speaking, she limped toward him and raised her face to look at him.

Her eyes were moist and reddened, as though she had suffered endless grievances.

Wen Xiaoran suddenly softened.

The person before him had risked her life to harvest the Frost Lotus for his sake.

With a mortal body, she had resisted the thousand-year cold of the Frost Continent and ended up in such a miserable state.

His gaze fell on her face.

It lingered over her reddened eyes and tear-streaked cheeks.

Unconsciously, it paused upon her glistening lips.

His throat tightened inexplicably, and he quickly looked away.

“It is nothing.”

His voice was slightly hoarse, making one’s heart itch upon hearing it.

Although his reaction pleased her, Yan Yi’s whole body still ached terribly.

She truly had no energy to spar with him further.

After smoothing her messy hair, she pointed toward the study door.

“Your Excellency, I will return to my room to rest.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Seeing her abrupt change of attitude and her readiness to leave at once, Wen Xiaoran frowned.

This mortal physician was becoming increasingly unruly.

“Stop.”

He suddenly spoke in a stern tone.

Yan Yi jumped in fright and halted, turning back in confusion.

“Your Excellency, what other instructions do you have?”

Wen Xiaoran said, “Have you forgotten to report something to me?”

Yan Yi searched her mind but remained utterly puzzled.

“Report what?”

“Think carefully.”

Wen Xiaoran walked unhurriedly to the desk and sat down, seemingly in no rush to hear her explanation.

Without a hint, she was at a loss.

The more she thought, the more anxious she became.

Finally, a possibility dawned on her.

Her breath hitched, and her heart pounded wildly.

Help.

A few days ago, she had used the calming incense and caused him to cough up blood.

Was he pursuing that matter now?

Cold sweat broke out across her back.

She hesitantly stepped closer to him.

“Your Excellency, do you mean the newly made calming incense?”

Wen Xiaoran was slightly startled.

His scrutinizing gaze pressed toward her.

“What is wrong with the newly made calming incense?”

Oh no.

This was bad.

He had indeed noticed something amiss with the incense.

Was the scent too strong.

Had he smelled it out.

Was his nose that sensitive?

Her thoughts were in chaos.

She racked her brain to organize her words, trying one last struggle.

Lowering her head, she stammered, “That day when I awoke in the study and saw blood at the corner of your lips, I assumed you were not accustomed to the new incense.

It was my oversight.

I will change it next time.”

After saying this, she stole a glance at him.

The great villain’s expression was strange.

He did not seem intent on blaming her.

Yan Yi grew even more confused.

Was it not about that.

She was not a worm in his stomach.

How could she know what the unpredictable great villain was thinking.

At that moment, Wen Xiaoran was recalling the warmth of her fingertips.

And the peculiar sensation when her finger had brushed lightly across the tip of his tongue.

The blood at his lips had merely been from biting his tongue too hard to snap himself back to his senses when demonic energy disturbed him.

Naturally, he would not reveal such hidden thoughts to the mortal physician.

He casually poured himself a cup of hot tea and took a sip.

Without changing his expression, he said, “The newly made calming incense is very good.

There is no need to change it.”

“Ah?”

Yan Yi was utterly baffled.

She almost suspected that the great villain had not been injured by demonic energy but kicked in the head by a donkey.

At this thought, she suddenly remembered something important.

She hesitated over how to bring it up without appearing too deliberate.

Wen Xiaoran seemed to see through her mind.

His probing gaze fell upon her face.

“If you have something to say, say it.”