Qin Jiujiu had no idea what he was trying to do and was terrified, as any struggle might reopen the wound in her lower abdomen.
Xie Jing seemed to notice this. He suddenly stopped his actions, but did not move away. "Did you deliberately aggravate your wound, hoping I would help you apply medicine?" he asked.
Qin Jiujiu dared not move anymore. Xie Jing might actually do as he said.
The familiar scent abruptly receded, and Qin Jiujiu realized Xie Jing had moved some distance away from her. As he pulled away, the muscles all over her body relaxed considerably. She looked at her waist.
The Qiankun Bag was back on her waist!
She was naturally overjoyed to have the Qiankun Bag returned. So that was his intention, to return the Qiankun Bag. But why get so close and cause such a misunderstanding!
"Thank you..." Before she could finish saying "Second Young Master Xie," the figure in front of her flashed, and he left through the window again.
Why leave through the window when there was a perfectly good door? Villains truly couldn't be reasoned with by normal logic!
She put out the lamp and lay back on the bed. Darkness instantly enveloped the room, yet she found herself unable to sleep.
Perhaps it was because the room was so quiet, but her senses seemed to be amplified in the darkness. Images, those yellow-tinged ones, flashed through her mind like a movie at high speed.
She subconsciously touched her lips. The sensation of the kiss was still there...
No, what was she thinking!
Qin Jiujiu realized something was not quite right with her. She couldn't help but pat her head a few times. After controlling her thoughts and preventing them from going astray, she finally drifted off to sleep in a daze...
For the next three days, Qin Jiujiu remained in her room, recovering from her injuries. She downed bowl after bowl of medicinal soup daily. The soup was truly dreadful, but Bai Qianluo was strict, delivering it on time and watching her drink it all before leaving.
Although the medicine was unpalatable, its efficacy was undeniable. In these past few days, she could speak again, though as the doctor had instructed, she still needed to care for her voice and avoid speaking loudly.
The morning after the Qiankun Bag was returned to her, she had sought out Xie Yun to help her deliver a message to Master Qin. Calculating the time, it should have reached Master Qin yesterday, and with the letter from Xie Yun assuring his safety, Master Qin should respond!
Qin Jiujiu suddenly felt a pang of guilt towards General Liu, whom she had yet to meet. For the past few days, she had felt uneasy and wanted to compensate him. However, according to Liu Jin, her brother and Xiao Yuan had been leaving early and returning late for the past two days, reportedly investigating illegal transactions within Chunfeng Du City.
Liu Jin was also an extremely gossipy woman, so although Qin Jiujiu had not left her room these past few days, she had learned a lot about the outside world through her.
She heard that it was Xie Jing and Liu Qi who had rescued her that day. She knew this; she had indeed seen Xie Jing when she was semi-conscious. However, she felt Liu Jin's description was rather exaggerated.
According to Liu Jin, when she and others arrived at the brothel that day, people were already fleeing in droves, their faces contorted with terror, as if they had witnessed a scene of immense bloodshed.
A man in blue had gone on a rampage in the Hong Xiu Hui. Almost no one present had survived. However, soon after, the incident was suppressed as if by force, and not a single whisper escaped.
It seemed to be the usual modus operandi of the Ghost Market in handling matters!
Xiao Bai and the other rescued girls were not fully conscious at the time. By the time they woke up, they were already outside. Qin Jiujiu had asked Liu Jin to help her buy Xiao Bai's freedom and given her a lot of money. That girl was now working in the General's mansion.
These past few days, the girl visited her whenever she had free time, so Qin Jiujiu's room had not been quiet.
Ever since Xie Jing had inexplicably kissed her that night, that man had vanished. In the days since, Qin Jiujiu's mind had been replaying the scene repeatedly. The sensation had been so real, yet after kissing her, the man had completely disappeared, making her doubt if it had been a dream.
After all, she had many such dreams, even more intense ones.
But she had never had such a real dream. Ancient people were generally very conservative about such physical intimacy. If it wasn't a dream, how could she explain his attitude after kissing and embracing her like that!
Qin Jiujiu resolved to find an opportunity to ask Xie Jing for clarification! Although she was a modern person, she was still a conservative one. This had become a hurdle in her heart. She couldn't let it go without a clear explanation.
She had woken up relatively early today. Having slept soundly these past few days, her spirits were good.
It was worth mentioning that the maids in the General's mansion were very considerate. Not only did someone bring her water to wash her face, but another helped her change and comb her hair. It was the same today.
"Miss Qin, would you like me to style your hair today? Your hair is so beautiful; a styled bun would surely make you stunning!"
Qin Jiujiu suddenly recalled her time at the Qin family. Back then, someone had also helped her style her hair daily. However, later on, she found it troublesome and would only wear braids or buns. Hearing such praise now, she naturally wanted to try it.
In the mirror, she wore a light blue ruqun, revealing her graceful and alluring figure. An outer white jacket was worn over it, maintaining a sense of dignity, complemented by a silk scarf of the same color as the ruqun, exuding both youthful sweetness and elegance.
In short, she was very pleased with her attire for the day.
After thinking for a moment, Qin Jiujiu turned to look at the maid standing behind her and smiled, "Thank you for your trouble!"
The maid quickly replied, "It is my honor to style your hair, Miss! How could it be trouble..."
The maid's hands were skilled. In just a few movements, Qin Jiujiu saw the general appearance of the bun in the mirror. It was sweet and charming. She stared intently at the maid's hands, thinking that one day, she would learn it herself!
She suddenly wondered what the hairstyle was called, so she asked, "What is this hairstyle called?"
"Miss, this is called the Twin Cloud Buns... I think this hairstyle suits your temperament perfectly..."
Sweet and charming – that was the impression Qin Yunwan's appearance gave. However, the original Qin Yunwan, in an effort to highlight her allure, pursued a seductive look, wore inappropriate clothing, and applied mature makeup, thus losing the inherent beauty of her face.
In Qin Jiujiu's words, she was the spitting image of a wicked supporting character!
Qin Jiujiu looked at herself in the mirror. The hairstyle appeared simple, but she doubted if she could learn it. Even if she understood it visually, she would forget it once she tried it herself.
These cloud buns were symmetrical on both sides, resembling a butterfly. However, the lower part of the wings were braided into pigtails, and the upper hair was tied at the back with a lake-blue ribbon. Each side was adorned with a butterfly hairpin in the middle, which perfectly matched her white outer garment with blue butterflies.