Chapter 57-Part 2

Feng Liwu, however, was annoyed by her self-harming behavior and yanked her hand away.

“Where does it hurt? Just tell me, why bite yourself?”

Jiang Xiurun’s eyes filled with tears from the pain, but she still spoke softly, “I must have hurt something badly. I can’t move… Please, Your Highness, call my maid Qian’er to help me change clothes and carry me back.”

Because she was in her female attire, her voice was no longer deliberately low, and with the pain, her soft voice trembled slightly, making Feng Liwu’s ears tingle with warmth.

He checked her ankle, which was badly sprained, and it seemed her back had also taken a hit.

So he lifted her up and carried her back to the room.

Then he picked up her clothes to help her change.

Jiang Xiurun subtly hinted that the Crown Prince should give her some privacy, but Feng Liwu was growing impatient after spending so much time with her.

He sternly said, “Aren’t you still wearing inner clothes? Hurry up and change, or I’ll have you taken to the physician like this!”

Jiang Xiurun noticed his look of disdain and bit her lip in determination.

She quickly removed the red wedding gown and hurriedly changed back into the scholar’s robe she had been wearing before.

What she didn’t realize, however, was that the cloth she had used to bind her chest had loosened a bit during the struggle when he lifted and set her down.

As she changed clothes, the fabric became even looser, revealing the contours of her chest.

Feng Liwu said nothing; his gaze lowered.

Only after her chest was fully covered by the scholar’s robe and she had neatly fixed her hair and secured her hairpin did he speak.

“Your hair is too messy to call anyone. I’ll carry you back myself.”

Jiang Xiurun was mortified at the idea of troubling the Crown Prince and immediately waved her hands, saying, “That won’t be necessary.”

But Feng Liwu’s patience had run out.

Without a word, he effortlessly hoisted her onto his back.

Seeing that Jiang Xiurun was still uneasy, he coldly remarked, “Never been carried before? Get closer! Or do you want to fall again and blackmail me for medicine from the crown prince’s residence?”

Realizing she couldn’t be too fussy at this point, Jiang Xiurun reluctantly clung to Feng Liwu’s broad, firm back, muttering quietly, “Replying to your highness, I’ve been carried before. My mother used to carry me like this in the garden…”

Feng Liwu didn’t respond, striding forward with long, swift steps.

The guards, without the Crown Prince’s orders, dared not approach.

So in the garden, lit only by the soft glow of lotus lanterns, the master and his tutor walked closely together…

If this scene were to spread, it would surely be praised as a story of the Crown Prince’s fondness for talent!

At first, Feng Liwu asked if she was still in pain.

When Jiang Xiurun said that the pain had eased and asked to be put down so she could walk on her own, he didn’t reply, continuing to carry her steadily.

It was already quite dark, but Jiang Xiurun noticed something odd about the Crown Prince’s route.

He was winding through the garden, crossing small bridges, passing through bamboo groves, and taking a path full of twists and turns—remarkably similar to the route the two madams had taken when they came to inspect the house a few days ago.

She wasn’t heavy, but the Crown Prince didn’t need to take such a detour.

Could it be that the darkness had caused him to lose his way?

She cautiously whispered this into his ear, but Feng Liwu only responded with a casual “Hmm,” continuing his unhurried pace.

Occasionally, when descending a bridge quickly, he felt a soft, undulating pressure against his back… Feng Liwu had to admit, he often underestimated this young tutor.

When they finally reached the courtyard, Qian’er, seeing the Crown Prince carrying the young master, was startled and rushed forward to assist, helping Jiang Xiurun onto the couch.

However, it took some time for the physician to arrive, and it wasn’t the usual elderly physician, but rather an older woman who was reputed to be an expert in massage therapy, with skills passed down through generations in Luo’an City, specializing in treating injuries from falls.

The old woman quickly assessed that Jiang Xiurun’s most severe injury was in her lower back, so she carefully massaged the area.

Perhaps because the Crown Prince had instructed her to keep silent, she paid no attention to the secrets hidden beneath Jiang Xiurun’s clothes.

After applying medicinal oil, she instructed Qian’er to remove the binding cloth to avoid restricting blood flow and worsening the bruising on her back.

Qian’er took note of everything, then brewed and gave Jiang Xiurun medicine to reduce the bruising.

A little while later, the steward of the front yard had a low couch brought in from storage, said to be a tribute from a foreign tribe, covered with soft, thick goose feather cushions.

The steward explained that it was the Crown Prince’s order, saying that since the young tutor had injured his back, he shouldn’t sleep on a hard mat.

The couch was just sitting idle, so it was to be given to him for use.