Chapter 8: Sending Off the Black-Clothed Guard

Inside the Dimensional Space, Shen Yiran checked on the black-clothed man and discovered that he would be waking up very soon.

She couldn’t wait any longer.

She had to move him out of the Dimensional Space immediately.

She quickly examined the condition of his wounds.

Not bad. The incisions had already begun to scab over. Still, worried about a postoperative infection, she decided to take the risk of exposing her identity and left him a box of powerful antibiotics.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, she removed the outer packaging.

Taking a prescription slip from the table, Shen Yiran wrote down the medical instructions.

“The wound must not get wet. Take the medicine three times a day, one capsule each time. Swallow it with warm water. If a high fever develops, seek medical attention immediately.”

She muttered the instructions to herself as she wrote.

After finishing, she wrapped the three blister packs of antibiotics inside the prescription sheet and tucked them beneath his waist sash.

Once she was done, curiosity suddenly got the better of her.

She wondered what kind of face lay beneath the silver mask.

Unable to resist, she reached out to remove it.

A mischievous smile curved her lips.

“Come on, let this Miss see if you’re actually handsome.”

Just then, she noticed the man’s fingers twitch ever so slightly.

Oh no. He’s waking up.

Feeling rather disappointed, Shen Yiran had no choice but to grab hold of him. With a single thought, the two of them instantly appeared behind the ancient tree.

She glanced at him.

His eyelashes were already trembling.

He was about to wake up.

She immediately shouted toward the two black-clothed men nearby,

“Why is there someone lying here? You scared this Miss to death!”

Sure enough, upon hearing her cry, the two men rushed over at astonishing speed, arriving in front of her almost instantly.

Their gazes landed on the black-clothed man lying on the ground.

“Master?”

The two exchanged disbelieving looks.

The Master they had searched for so desperately had suddenly appeared right before their eyes.

They carefully helped him sit up and softly called,

“Master… Master… Please wake up.”

Only after confirming that they were indeed together did Shen Yiran quickly head back toward Yun’er.

Just then, Yun’er came hurrying over carrying two bowls of sweet soup.

“Let’s drink them by the river over there and watch the fish.”

Yun’er looked at her Miss, sensing that something seemed different, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She simply nodded, and the two walked toward the riverside together.

“…Miss… Miss…”

The man slowly regained consciousness, murmuring the words over and over.

“Master, what miss?”

The two guards looked at each other in confusion.

Then they carefully examined him from head to toe and discovered that the arrow had already been removed and all his wounds had been properly dressed.

Could the young lady Master mentioned have been the one who saved him?

They hurriedly looked around, but there wasn’t a single young lady in sight.

Even the girl who had screamed in fright moments ago had disappeared without a trace.

Once the silver-masked man was fully awake, he immediately reached beneath his waist sash and pulled out the folded prescription Shen Yiran had tucked there.

Opening it, he found that the contents were exactly the same as the instructions the young woman had been reciting earlier.

In truth, while inside the Dimensional Space, the black-clothed man’s consciousness had gradually begun returning.

Every single word Shen Yiran had spoken had reached his ears without omission.

Her attempt to remove his mask had hastened his awakening.

He didn’t know who she was, but he feared that if she learned his identity, it might bring fatal disaster upon her.

The man examined the medicine in his hand with great curiosity.

The tiny cylindrical capsules were unlike anything he had ever seen.

Bringing one closer, he caught a faint medicinal scent.

They even looked… rather adorable.

The handwriting on the prescription was neat and elegant, though he had no idea what kind of pen had been used.

Even the paper itself was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

Everything about it was strange.

It reminded him of the pursuit the previous day.

While fleeing for his life, he’d had no choice but to leap into a moving carriage.

There had been two young women inside, one of whom had been unconscious.

The conscious one had seemed to be wearing a brilliant red bridal gown.

Yet the shabby carriage hadn’t looked anything like a wedding carriage.

At the time, he’d only seen the coachman and assumed the carriage compartment was empty before climbing inside.

The moment he realized someone was there, he’d inwardly cursed his luck and immediately pressed his dagger beneath the young woman’s chin, threatening her into silence.

By then, the poison from the sword wound had spread rapidly through his body, blurring his vision.

Before losing consciousness, he never managed to see the young woman’s face clearly.

Was she the one who had saved him?

Suddenly, he remembered that his dagger had fallen inside the carriage.

Would that young woman have picked it up?

If she had, then perhaps it would provide the only clue to finding her.

“Master, are you alright?”

The silver-masked man’s prolonged silence made the two black-clothed guards think he hadn’t fully recovered yet.

“I’m fine. Let’s go back.”

Moments later, the three of them disappeared beneath the ancient tree.

..

Meanwhile, Shen Yiran sat by the riverside drinking sweet soup, though her thoughts were elsewhere.

“Yun’er, let’s head back. We still have some things to buy for our room.”

She thought to herself that now that she’d safely sent that great Buddha away, one troublesome matter had finally been resolved.

Yun’er nodded.

“Yes, Miss. I’ll go hire a carriage.”

With that, she walked toward the roadside.

As luck would have it, a carriage was already parked there.

The carriage itself looked quite well-made.

“Coachman! Over here! We’d like to hire your carriage!”

Hearing her call, the coachman immediately drove the carriage over.

As it drew nearer, Yun’er’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Brother Lin Bei? Why are you here?”

“The Heir Apparent learned that the Consort had come to the outskirts, so he ordered me to fetch you. He said it would be difficult to hire a carriage back from here.”

Lin Bei answered calmly.

Without giving it much thought, Yun’er hurried back to fetch her Miss.

Seeing Yun’er return so quickly, Shen Yiran walked over.

“You found a carriage already?”

“Yes… and no. Lin Bei came to pick us up.”

The young maid answered between breaths.

“Lin Bei?”

Did Ren Jingzhi send someone to follow her?

Was he afraid she’d run away and leave no one to detoxify him?

Or was he actually worried about her safety?

When exactly had Lin Bei arrived?

Had he seen that crucial moment?

She looked toward where the carriage was parked.

From that angle, the massive ancient tree completely blocked the view.

They had been on the opposite side of the tree the entire time.

Only after confirming this did she finally relax.

After all, the Dimensional Space was an origin she couldn’t possibly explain.

When the mistress and servant approached the carriage, Lin Bei respectfully bowed.

“Greetings, Heir Apparent Consort.”

Ever since learning that the Heir Apparent Consort could cure his master’s illness, Lin Bei had sincerely respected Shen Yiran.

As someone from the modern world, Shen Yiran didn’t care much for formal etiquette.

“There’s no need for formalities. From now on, when we’re outside, you don’t need to bow.”

“Heir Apparent Consort” was only a title.

Within the Prime Minister’s Residence, aside from Yun’er, Lin Bei was the only one who treated her with genuine respect.

“Lin Bei, we’re still missing a few things for our courtyard. Take us to the marketplace.”

Lin Bei nodded in acknowledgment.

The carriage rolled along smoothly.

She hadn’t expected that despite his young age, Lin Bei was actually quite a skilled driver.

Completely focused on driving, Lin Bei had no idea that his Heir Apparent Consort had quietly given him another point of approval in her heart.

In less than half the time it took a stick of incense to burn, the three of them arrived at the bustling marketplace.

Their first stop was a ready-made clothing shop.

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged woman with an exceptionally kind appearance.

As soon as she saw the mistress and servant enter, she greeted them enthusiastically.

“Young ladies, what kind of clothing are you looking for? Take your time browsing. Once you’ve made your choice, I’ll give you a good price.”

Shen Yiran looked around the shop.

The clothes were of average quality, and all the styles were rather old-fashioned.

She casually picked out several changes of clothes for both herself and Yun’er.

Once she recovered her health and lost some weight, she’d visit a tailor and have a few outfits custom-made.

With that in mind, she had Yun’er pay the silver.

“Take care, young ladies!”

Accompanied by the shopkeeper’s cheerful farewell, the two left the clothing shop.

Lin Bei, who had been waiting outside, quickly stepped forward upon seeing them.

He took the bundle of clothes from Yun’er and placed it inside the carriage.

“Thank you, Brother Lin Bei.”

Yun’er thanked him politely.

Next, they needed to buy Yun’er a bed.

Last night had been unavoidable.

But tonight, no matter what, Shen Yiran refused to share the same bed with her again.

After all, people in ancient times placed great importance on social hierarchy.

If she forced them to cross those boundaries, they would only end up feeling uncomfortable instead.

“Lin Bei, we still need to buy a bed and bedding. Do you know where we can find them?”

The sky was already beginning to darken.

She wanted to finish their shopping and return early.

With her injuries, overexerting herself wasn’t a good idea.

“Heir Apparent Consort, there’s a shop in the alley ahead. Please get into the carriage first, and we’ll head there now.”

Lin Bei lifted the carriage curtain while Yun’er helped Shen Yiran climb aboard.

Shen Yiran wasn’t used to people supporting her.

Back in the modern world, she’d always been energetic and constantly on the move.

She truly disliked being stuck in this frail, sickly body.