A Delicate Matter

Deep in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, beside a quiet lake, stood a small courtyard.

The furnishings inside were simple but neat, and the air carried a faint herbal fragrance.

On the soft bed, Yun Yun's long eyelashes fluttered a few times. Her consciousness struggled as if in the depths of the sea, slowly rising to the surface.

In her daze, she felt that the moon-white dress she had been wearing had been taken off, leaving her body enveloped in cool air.

Then a pair of warm, steady hands, bearing some kind of cooling ointment, gently spread it over and pressed it into the places on her back where she felt sharp pain and burning heat.

The hands seemed practiced, and the pressure was just right. As the ointment seeped into her wounds, a brief sting gave way to cool relief.

Who was it? That young man? He... What was he doing?!

Yun Yun's heart tightened. What little reason she had left, along with her instincts as a woman, filled her with shame and panic.

She tried to struggle, but her body was limp. She couldn't even open her eyes, and her Dou Qi was firmly sealed.

After losing consciousness and waking again several times, Yun Yun finally summoned all her strength and broke free of the heavy darkness. Her eyes flew open!

The first thing she saw was the young face of the mysterious man in blue, wearing an expression that was almost a smile.

Ning Chen stood beside the bed with his arms folded, looking at her in calm amusement.

Yun Yun's heart jolted. She instinctively tried to sit up, but the movement pulled at the wounds on her back.

A tearing pain shot through her, and she couldn't help sucking in a breath. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and she froze in place.

Only then did Yun Yun belatedly look down at herself.

Her damaged dress was gone, replaced by a clean, plain white dress made of soft fabric.

The length and waist fit quite well, but it was much too small across the chest, leaving her a little short of breath.

This dress... Who had changed her? Could it really have been him...

At the thought, two flushes of shame and anger spread rapidly across Yun Yun's pale cheeks, reaching all the way to her ears.

Outraged and alarmed, she ignored the pain in her wounds and struggled to raise an arm. Her fingertip trembled as she pointed at Ning Chen, her voice breaking with weakness and agitation.

"You... How dare you... You shameless man! I, Yun Yun, will make you..."

"Sect Master Yun, I'd advise you not to move."

Before she could finish her furious accusation, a clear, slightly cool female voice came from beside her.

"The wounds on your back are deep, and they've been tainted by the Amethyst Winged Lion King's fire poison. I just cleaned and dressed them. If you tear them open, all my work will have been for nothing."

Yun Yun froze at the sound and turned around in surprise.

At a wooden table by the window on the other side of the room, a pretty young woman in a light purple dress sat with her back to Yun Yun, carefully mixing herbs in a stone mortar.

A few dark red stains remained on the girl's sleeve, as if they hadn't come out in the wash.

The herbal scent in the air came from there, too.

So... the young woman by his side had treated her wounds and changed her clothes?

Yun Yun was stunned. Her anger and embarrassment deflated like a punctured balloon, replaced by overwhelming awkwardness.

She looked at Ning Chen. He shook his head helplessly and sighed, his tone tinged with rueful feeling.

"Ah, this world. You save someone's life and take good care of her, only to wake up and immediately get branded a 'shameless man' and threatened with violence."

"Honestly, it's not worth trying to be a good person."

At his words, Yun Yun's cheeks burned even hotter, turning so red they could have bled.

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

Yun Yun's voice was faint as a mosquito's. She struggled to get the apology out, unable to meet Ning Chen's eyes.

"Yun Yun misunderstood you and this young woman. I offended you both. Please... forgive me."

Ning Chen waved a hand. The teasing look faded from his face, and his expression turned calm again.

"There's no need to apologize."

"You trespassed on the place where I cultivate, fought the beast guarding it, and disturbed the wilderness. That was your fault."

His gaze settled on Yun Yun's pale face.

"And I stepped in to stop the Lion King from killing you, then brought you back while you were badly wounded and unconscious so you could be treated. That was my kindness."

"One wrong and one kindness. Sect Master Yun, do you think a mere apology—or a few trifling gifts from the Misty Cloud Sect—can make up for it?"

Yun Yun was stunned again.

She had expected him to take the opportunity to demand precious treasures, but she hadn't expected him to say something like that.

There was something in his words that seemed even harder to deal with than a direct demand for money or valuables.

Enduring the pain in her back, she tried to sit a little straighter and spoke earnestly.

"Then... what do you want? If it's within my power, and the Misty Cloud Sect has it, you need only ask. As long as it doesn't go against justice or principle, I, Yun Yun... will agree, to repay you for saving my life."

It was the greatest promise she could make.

"Oh? You'll agree to anything within your power, as long as the Misty Cloud Sect has it?"

Ning Chen repeated her words, his tone amused.

He didn't immediately state his demand. He simply watched her, his gaze lingering for a moment on her beautiful but pale face before taking in her fragile-looking form.

Under his gaze, Yun Yun grew uncomfortable. A faint sense of unease rose in her heart.

Could he...

Just then, Ning Chen let out a soft laugh. It was impossible to tell what he felt, but Yun Yun's heart skipped a beat.

He spread his hands slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.

"Sect Master Yun, I haven't even said what I want, yet you're acting as if you're facing a great enemy, as though I'm about to make some improper demand."

"And you specifically added the condition that it mustn't go against justice or principle. Does Sect Master Yun take me for the sort of man who expects repayment for a favor or lusts after beauty?"

Ning Chen shook his head, seeming a little disappointed.

"Looks like your so-called sincerity is only skin-deep. Fine. Since you think your virtue and principles matter far more than the life I saved, I won't press you."

"Once you're stable enough, you can leave on your own. As for the favor... consider it a time I meddled where I wasn't needed."

With that, Ning Chen turned away and headed for the door without another glance at her.

Yun Yun was completely at a loss.

She opened her mouth to explain, but then realized that her reaction really had made it seem as if she'd already assumed he was a lecher, rushing to draw a line before he'd even said anything.

But he hadn't said a thing. He'd only looked at her a few times... How had she ended up like this? Had she really mistaken a gentleman for a scoundrel?

Watching Ning Chen's back as he was about to leave the room, Yun Yun was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions.

She bit her lower lip, wanting to ask him to stay or say something, but not knowing how to begin.

The wounds on her back throbbed with burning pain, reminding her how helpless and disheveled she was.

Only then did Xiao Yi Xian, who had been quietly preparing the medicine, turn around. She carried the ointment she had finished mixing and walked to the bed.

She glanced at Yun Yun, her eyes pausing on her painfully tight chest. Her expression remained calm, and her voice was just as cool.

"Lie down. It's time to change your dressing."

Yun Yun looked at Xiao Yi Xian's cool expression, then glanced toward the doorway where Ning Chen had disappeared. Her heart was a jumble of feelings.

All she could do was slowly lie face down as instructed and bury her face in the soft pillow. The flush on her ears lingered for a long time.