Jian Yan Heng follows a very tired Lou Chen to her room and asks about her leg. Lou Chen lights the lamp and tells him matter-of-factly. “Just a dislocation.”
“Ju-st?”
If his voice has sounded suspiciously low just now, something about his tone now is definitely off. She studies him and sees his usual devil-may-care grin has an added … forceful edge about it tonight. Or should she say morning? “It is nothing. I have sealed my pressure points with some silver needles.”
His smile, however weird, vanishes completely. “So you mean to say that. You. Do. Not. Feel. Any. Pain. At. All. Correct?”
He seems angry which got her puzzled. Given the circumstances, surely he has not expected her to limp around while she trying to escape? Besides, Yu Xuan has not made any fuss over it, what is his problem? Before she can reply, he turns around and leaves her room without a word.
Huh?
Lou Chen is dead tired. She is dirty, muddy and yet he is throwing his temper at her? Before she has a chance to feel too upset, Jian Yan Heng reappears with a basin of water. In such a short notice, it is impossible that he is bringing her warm water but given her present state, cold water, so long it is clear, is a welcome respite.
Placing the basin on the table, he leaves her alone to freshen up without much nagging, much to Lou Chen surprise. But by the time she has changed into a fresh set of clothes, he ireappears at her door again, this time with a tray of sturdy sticks and a roll of bandage.
When he sees that she has not tended to her foot properly, he can feel the anger boiling a hole through his stomach. There are medical supplies in the room, and he has made sure she has enough time to attend to her feet before reappearing but apparently, she does not see the need to take good care of herself.
Without a word, he kneels in front of her and takes her injured foot in hand. Lou Chen kicks at him with her free leg and to her surprise, he did not try to dodge, and fell squarely on his bum after getting kicked in the chest. Undeterred, he picks himself up, and reaches for her injured foot again. Lou Chen lifts her free leg once more but for some reason, she cannot find the heart to kick at him again.
Jian Yan Heng quickly removes her shoe and sees that her ankle is red and swollen. Finding the silver needles that she has mentioned, he removes them deftly. After checking that her hone is in place, he proceeds to bandage her ankle. Looking at the man in front of her, Lou Chen muses that this is the first time that his peach-blossom eyes are without their playful glint. His lips are tightly compressed and he looks dead serious. Engrossed, she did not pay attention to what he is doing until he has finished wrapping her ankle and straightens. After reminding her that such injuries require 100-day rest, he turns to go.
His unusual behavior makes her uneasy and an inner voice tells her that she should try to hold him back, so she tells him to stay, that she has something important to discuss with him. At his quizzical stare, she thinks quickly of something to say and hit on Ling Shui Meng – the assassin group who attached Xing Mu and stole his sword. They have discovered their presence in Ji Lin Ge and it can be a catalyst for Yan Heng’s aunt to reveal the mystery surrounding his family.
Jian Yan Heng is annoyed that her ‘something important’ turns out to be something soooo not time-critical and tells her that he has already made the connection and plans to speak to his aunt tomorrow. Surprised of his perception, she tries to talk about their mission, which ends up annoying him seriously. Really, how is she going to rest if she persists in talking? With practiced nonchalance, he blocks off any question she may have till the next morning and leaves her to catch up with some much-needed sleep.
The next morning, Lou Chen is on her way down to breakfast when she sees Jian Yan Heng waiting on the stairs. Somewhere further down, she can hear Ning Shuang and Grey Man arguing over who is the better man for Lou Chen .
“How can you make such irresponsible statements!”
“I am only speaking the truth.”
“Oh, so you think you know Ah Heng very well? So what if your Master is a General? Our Ah Heng is not a low-down scum you think he is ok? He is the best constable in our town!”
Jian Yan Heng has noticed Lou Chen and waves cheerily at her. There are two people below squabbling about his lowly birth, his despicable ways (what kind of constable can sink low enough to use drugged mist?!) so it will be really awkward if either or both of them appears now.
Listening to Ning Shuang’s defense of him is a nice surprise. He has not known that she thinks so highly of him despite knowing her for years and thinks to himself that he is going to be nicer to Ning Shuang from henceforth, especially when in front of her precious Fang Ge Ge.
As he waits, the banter continues at the foot of the stairs “…What a joke! So you think your Master is worthy of Lou Chen