After Marrying the Disabled Prince (BG) - Chapter 7: Injury

Hearing Pei Yuan’s voice, Bao Ning sniffled and hurriedly scurried into the room.

Just before pushing the door open, she was still thinking about that rat—what could it have been eating to grow so big and fat? After all, there wasn’t much here for it to feed on.

Her aunt had once said that if a house had one big rat, there would likely be a nest of smaller ones too. The thought of it conjured an image in her mind, making Bao Ning shiver.

Compared to the scurrying, furry rats, the cold and aloof Pei Yuan didn’t seem quite as frightening.

…The smell of alcohol filled the room.

Steadying herself, Bao Ning finally saw what Pei Yuan was doing.

He had a thin coat draped over his shoulders, sitting against the wall. His long right leg was bent, while his left leg lay flat on the small bed. The pant leg was rolled up to the top of his thigh, and he was disinfecting a wound with alcohol.

It was Bao Ning’s first time seeing Pei Yuan’s leg so clearly.

She had always thought Pei Yuan’s left leg was merely paralyzed, never imagining it to be in such a terrible state. There was a palm-length knife wound on the shin, deep enough to expose the bone. Perhaps due to the lack of proper treatment, the wound had not healed well, and some areas were even festering with pus.

In addition, his entire leg had no other intact areas. Wounds of varying depths crisscrossed his skin, twisting and turning in a horrifying pattern, like crawling centipedes.

Bao Ning took a sharp breath.

She was afraid of pain and terrified of blood. Though the wounds were on Pei Yuan’s body, just seeing them made her feel as though the pain had transferred to her, a chilling sensation running down her spine.

Pei Yuan observed her expression, and as expected, he saw fear in her eyes. His tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth, and he lowered his gaze, letting out a mocking smile.

As he bowed his head under the dim candlelight on the table, Bao Ning noticed there were scars on his face as well—a one-inch-long mark stretched from the corner of his brow across his forehead.

Pei Yuan’s voice was low, almost indifferent, as he asked, “Scared?”

Bao Ning’s hands tightly clenched the fabric of her skirt, and she nodded.

Pei Yuan fell silent for a moment, an unidentifiable feeling stirring within him—part bitterness, part relief. He had known the answer all along. Who wouldn’t be scared upon seeing this? It was better this way. Better to see his true self early on and leave sooner.

He let out a soft “Hmm” and reached for the bottle of alcohol on the table.

Bao Ning approached him, stared at his wounds for a moment, and softly asked, “Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Pei Yuan replied, pouring the alcohol onto his leg. A loud *splash* followed.

The yellowish liquid, mixed with pus and blood, flowed down his shin. Pei Yuan leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. The veins on his arm bulged as he gritted his teeth to endure the pain, making no sound.

Bao Ning was startled by his actions, instinctively shutting her eyes. It took her a long while before she dared to open them again, only to see sweat beading on Pei Yuan’s forehead.

She sighed, pulled out the handkerchief from her waist, and gently wiped the sweat from his brow. “It clearly hurts, so why act tough?”

Pei Yuan abruptly opened his eyes and stared at her with a strange expression. “What did you just say?”

Bao Ning sat down, her gaze falling on his injured leg as she slowly spoke, “Are all men like this? My younger brother is the same. Every day, he swings his knives and plays with his weapons, always managing to come back with a few cuts. I’d ask him if it hurt, and he’d say no. So, I believed him. Until one day, I went to call him for dinner and saw him sitting on his bed, hugging his knee. He was applying medicine while crying, his eyes red.”

Bao Ning shook her head. “What’s the point of pretending, huh? If it hurts, just say it. Showing a little vulnerability to someone close to you isn’t shameful, is it? Trying to act tough only makes things harder for yourself, and no one even notices.”

Pei Yuan was left dizzy by her odd logic, staring at her as if she were some strange creature.

Bao Ning didn’t notice his expression. She was entirely focused on his injured leg, already mulling over what medicine she should prepare later.

Bao Ning had some basic medical knowledge.

In the Guo Manor, Concubine Ming’s father had been a renowned physician in the capital. However, after his death, the Ming family fell into decline, leading Concubine Ming to marry into the Guo Manor as a concubine. Because her father was well-respected, Concubine Ming held a relatively high status in the household. She bore a single daughter, who ranked second among the children in the manor and was named Ji Tong Chu. Three years ago, Ji Tong Chu married the illegitimate son of Marquis Chong Yuan as his primary wife.

Concubine Ming shared a good relationship with Concubine Xu, and Bao Ning had been close to her since childhood. Over time, Bao Ning absorbed a lot of medical knowledge, memorizing numerous prescriptions and even learning a bit of acupuncture. However, she had never treated a person before, only tending to the manor’s dogs.

At first glance, Pei Yuan’s wounds looked horrifying, but after looking at them for a while, they became easier to bear.

Bao Ning picked up his bottle of alcohol and sniffed it. It was sorghum liquor, a rather low-quality kind. The liquid was cloudy, with unfiltered dregs, and its sharp smell stung her nose.

“Fourth Prince, this won’t work. You’re just making it worse,” Bao Ning said, standing up and dusting off her skirt. “Wait here. I’ll go get some medicine for you.”

With that, she hurried out of the room.

Pei Yuan watched her retreating figure, his mouth opening slightly, but no words came out.

This was entirely different from the outcome he had expected.

He had already prepared himself for her to leave, but she didn’t. Instead, she stayed, showed concern for his wounds, and even offered to fetch medicine for him.

That woman was simply a little fool.

Did she even understand what was good or bad for her? What would benefit her or harm her? She spent her days acting naive, smiling, and pouring all her energy and enthusiasm into him. But did she realize he had absolutely nothing to give her in return?

….

About half an hour later, Bao Ning returned, holding a small bottle of medicinal powder and a bowl of herbal soup.

She handed the medicine to Pei Yuan. “Drink it while it’s hot. I followed a prescription for this—it clears heat, stops bleeding, soothes the nerves, and alleviates pain.”

Pei Yuan took the bowl, catching a whiff of its intensely bitter aroma, and couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose.

Bao Ning tucked her right hand behind her back and smiled. “I knew you’d think it was bitter. Guess what I brought for you?”

Pei Yuan raised his face to look at her but said nothing.

Bao Ning, long accustomed to his taciturn nature, didn’t mind. She kept smiling. “Close your eyes first.”

Pei Yuan pressed his lips together, refusing to play along with her little game.

“Fine, don’t close them.” Bao Ning seemed a little disappointed. She extended her right hand, palm up, revealing a small oil-paper packet. Opening it, she held it out to Pei Yuan with a cheerful grin. “Candied golden jujubes.”

Pei Yuan glanced at them. The jujubes were amber-like, glistening, and translucent, their sugary fragrance cutting through the bitterness in the air.

Pei Yuan’s heart trembled slightly.

He truly hadn’t expected her to be so thoughtful.

Since childhood, he had practiced martial arts, accumulating countless scars. As a boy, he loved picking fights, and bleeding was a common occurrence. He had drunk plenty of bitter medicine, but no one had ever asked him if his wounds hurt, if the medicine was bitter, or offered him something sweet afterward.

Pei Yuan didn’t take the jujubes. Instead, he lifted the bowl and drained the herbal soup in one go.

Bao Ning’s eyelashes lowered slightly. She picked up a jujube herself and popped it into her mouth.

The sweetness on her tongue dispelled her less pleasant emotions, and after eating another one, she felt much better.

She had already resolved not to take things to heart with Pei Yuan. He was a patient, after all. It was normal for him to be impulsive, to say or do things on a whim, and to show people a sour face. Once he recovered, he probably wouldn’t be as irritable as he was now.

Bao Ning pulled out a folded cloth from her sleeve and said to Pei Yuan, “Fourth Prince, I’ll apply the medicine. It might hurt a bit, so bear with it.”

The cloth was cut from one of Pei Yuan’s undergarments. Before that fat rat had appeared, she had been sewing his undergarments. Pei Yuan didn’t have many clothes, and while outer garments were easier to manage, undergarments were trickier since he was mostly confined indoors. Undergarments pressed against the wounds and needed to be changed and cleaned frequently.

She had truly put her heart into it.

Bao Ning thought to herself that kindness begets kindness. She treated Pei Yuan well. Even if he didn’t say it, he must have understood in his heart. Patience could wear down even stone. She didn’t expect Pei Yuan to treat her exceptionally well; as long as they respected each other and lived in harmony, she would be content.

Pei Yuan quietly watched as Bao Ning bandaged his wounds.

Her movements were practiced, and she looked serious with her head bowed. Her cheeks were fair and lustrous, like jade, and her long, dense eyelashes resembled butterfly wings.

For some reason, Pei Yuan found himself thinking about these details.

Having grown up in the palace, he had seen many concubines and beauties—gentle, seductive, sharp, and delicate. Yet none were like Bao Ning, who looked so pure and innocent, seemingly shy but with a tenacious warmth.

Bao Ning was like a ray of light, while he was the rotting mud in a dark corner. The light could drive away the gloom, but it also made the ugliness and decay of the mud impossible to hide, leaving it nakedly exposed to the sun.

Pei Yuan had never loathed his crippled body as much as he did at that moment. The better Bao Ning was, the worse he felt in contrast.

If one day Bao Ning wanted to leave, he would have no reason to make her stay.

This thought left Pei Yuan momentarily stunned. Why had he started thinking about wanting her to stay?

His mind was in turmoil. This wasn’t like him. Pei Yuan resisted these emotions, desperately searching for an outlet to vent his feelings.

Bao Ning noticed his intense gaze and looked up at him, assuming he was curious about why she knew how to do these things. Smiling, she said, “The nannies in the manor raised some dogs. Sometimes they’d get hurt while running around, and the nannies would come to me. I’ve bandaged them before.”

Pei Yuan stared into her eyes and blurted out, “Do you treat everyone with this kind of blind kindness?”

Bao Ning froze.

Pei Yuan saw her smile vanish instantly, and her eyes slowly reddened.

His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his frustration mounting.

The moment the words left his mouth, Pei Yuan knew he had misspoken. A trace of regret surfaced in his heart, but even as he opened his mouth, no words came out.

Bao Ning asked, “Is that really how you see me?”

Her voice quivered with the edge of tears. She didn’t wait for Pei Yuan’s response, instead wiping her eyes with her sleeve before running out, crying.

Pei Yuan’s throat felt dry and tight. He wanted to apologize but couldn’t bring himself to say it. He had always been prideful, and now, even though he knew he was in the wrong, he couldn’t set aside his ego to comfort her.

He pressed a hand to his forehead, then grabbed the wine jar on the table and took a few hard gulps. The acidity burned his stomach, and Pei Yuan doubled over in pain, breathing heavily.

….

Bao Ning was genuinely hurt.

Over the past few days, no matter how bad Pei Yuan’s temper was, she had been able to smile and brush it off, understanding that his harshness was unintentional. But tonight, she couldn’t convince herself anymore.

For the first time, she thought, “Maybe I should just give up.” There was no need for her to pour her heart out for someone who didn’t appreciate it. Perhaps, from now on, they could just live their lives separately, like neighbors who kept their distance.

She buried her face in her pillow, feeling miserable for what felt like half the night. At some point, she fell into a restless, foggy sleep.

The next morning, Bao Ning was woken up by someone calling out.

“Sister! Sister!” came a voice from outside the courtyard.

At first, she thought she was dreaming, but as she opened her eyes and listened closely, the voice was real. Along with it, there were faint, weak barks from a dog.

It’s Ji Yun!

Bao Ning hurriedly grabbed her outer robe, threw it over her shoulders, and rushed out the door.