GBP Chapter 425 Self-blame
Chapter 425 Self-blame
A thought flickered in his mind, and he stepped aside to make way for the doorway: "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Wang. I'll have to trouble you then."
As he spoke, he turned and walked to the bedside, gently pulling over the thin blanket at the foot of the bed to cover Miss Shi's exposed arms and shoulders, before speaking to Wang Jinqian again.
"Please come in."
Wang Jinqian nodded, signaling the maid to go in first, and then followed closely behind.
The candlelight flickered, casting the two people's shadows on the wall, swaying slightly.
The maid walked to the bedside and carefully lifted a corner of the quilt. When she saw the wounds on the young lady's body, she couldn't help but gasp, and her eyes instantly turned red.
She gently and carefully untied the girl's tattered clothes, her movements as delicate as if she were handling fragile porcelain, but with each piece she lifted...
What I saw were shocking wounds—purple bruises covered my back, tiny scratches were densely packed, and several deeper cuts were covered with scabs, clearly caused by gravel or branches.
"Waaah... How did this lady get so badly injured..."
The maidservant choked back tears as she took out clean undergarments and a skirt and carefully helped Miss Shi change into them.
She moved very gently, afraid of hurting the unconscious person on the bed.
Even so, when she encountered those red and swollen bruises, Miss Shi unconsciously frowned and let out a barely audible groan.
Wang Jinqian stood aside, looking at the wounds on Miss Shi's body, and her expression also became solemn.
She thought it was just a minor bump, but she never expected the injury to be so serious.
Although she had little contact with this young lady, she had heard of her reputation. She held an important position at a young age and acted decisively and efficiently.
Seeing her like this today, I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration and pity.
She stepped forward, took the coat from the maid's hand, and carefully helped Miss Shi fasten the coat, her movements gentle and considerate.
Just then, the door was pushed open again, and Cui Zhihao and Shen Yanzhou walked in together.
Shen Yanzhou had come after finishing his business outside, and his face still showed signs of travel fatigue.
Hearing the commotion, Wang Jinqian quickly stood up, turned around and bowed gracefully to the two men: "Greetings, Third Young Master Cui, and Young Master Shen."
Choi Ji-ho's gaze passed over her and landed on Miss Shi, who had changed into clean clothes on the bed.
Her pale white undergarment made her face appear even paler, but at least it concealed her disheveled appearance.
He nodded slightly and said to Wang Jinqian, "Thank you for your hard work, Miss Wang."
Wang Jinqian said softly, "It was nothing, not worth mentioning."
"Lord Shi's injuries look quite serious; it would be best to have a doctor examine him as soon as possible."
Choi Ji-ho hummed in agreement, already having made his decision. The candlelight continued to flicker, and the room fell silent for a moment, save for the occasional chirping of insects outside the window and the faint sounds of counting things in the backyard in the distance.
Choi Ji-ho's gaze fell on the face of the person sleeping on the bed, his eyes deep and filled with complex emotions.
There was worry, self-blame, and a trace of indescribable concern that even he himself was unaware of.
The journey was long, and the night was deep. In this small guest room, feelings and silent concern were quietly stirring and spreading slowly in the quiet night, accompanied by the flickering candlelight.
The night, like ink-soaked rice paper, enveloped the small post station completely.
The wind outside the window swept away the withered leaves across the eaves, making a whimpering sound that eerily echoed the oppressive silence inside.
Cui Zhihao sat on the edge of Shi's bed, his fingertips gently resting on the back of her cold hands, hands that had once held a pen at the desk and plucked branches under the flowers.
Now, however, it was covered with wounds of varying depths, some with dark scabs, others with bluish-purple bruises, each one like a needle piercing his heart.
Cui Zhihao has already sent someone to fetch a doctor, and they are on their way back.
Wang Jinqian felt rather out of place being there, so she quickly bowed and took her leave.
"Your Highness, Third Young Master Cui, I still have some matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now. Yuan'er is very thoughtful, so please let her take care of Lord Shi for the next few days!"
Yuan'er quickly bowed, tidied up Lord Shi's clothes, and stood obediently to the side.
Choi Ji-ho understood her concerns; after all, she was an unmarried woman, and being alone in a room with a man late at night would damage her reputation.
As Cui Yu'an's third uncle, and since this Miss Wang was also the young man's betrothed, he, as an elder, did not make things difficult for her.
"Thank you, Miss Wang!"
Wang Jinqian quickly bowed respectfully, her voice trembling.
"Don't dare take it!"
Before she could say anything more, a knock came at the door, and she wisely withdrew.
When Cui Zhihao saw that the doctor had arrived, he covered the young lady with blankets and got up to lead the doctor over.
"Doctor, please quickly examine this young lady's injuries."
Before the doctor could even catch his breath, he hurriedly put down his medicine box, went to the patient's bedside, and took her pulse.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand, got up, opened the medicine box, and took out paper, pen, and medicine for treating external injuries.
"Young masters, this young lady is seriously injured. She swallowed water a few days ago, and her ribs, legs, and internal organs are all damaged."
"There is still blood stasis in his lungs. My medical skills are not good enough to cure it completely. Please forgive me, gentlemen."
Shen Yanzhou had not expected that Miss Shi's injuries would be so serious. It seemed that the only option now was to return to Chu City as soon as possible.
He brought imperial physicians with him, so they should be able to treat Miss Shi.
The doctor trembled and dared not speak. He could tell that these two young men were extraordinary in their speech and their identities were certainly not simple.
Choi Ji-ho suppressed the bitterness in his heart and told him to leave.
The doctor placed the written prescription on the table, picked up his medicine box, and quickly left.
Shen Yanzhou sighed and patted him on the shoulder.
"Huai'an. Don't worry, I have a royal physician with me. We'll arrive in Chu City tomorrow. Miss Shi will be fine."
"It's getting late, you should get some rest too. I'll check on the grain supplies first."
Shen Yanzhou thought it best to let the two of them be alone for a while, so he asked the maid to go and brew the medicine.
They went out, and the room fell silent for a moment.
The doctor's words were still echoing in his ears, each word like a needle chilled to ice, piercing his internal organs with a stinging sensation.
Rib injury
"Damage to all five internal organs and six bowels"
“Pulmonary congestion”...
These words swirled in his mind, piecing together an image of her falling into the water and enduring hardship.
He dared not think too deeply about it, but those images kept popping up one after another.
The rushing river swept away her frail figure, the icy water choked her mouth and nose, and the excruciating pain of crashing against the rocks caused her to lose consciousness...
Choi Ji-ho closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing forcefully as he suppressed the surging, bitter taste in his mouth.
Blame him.
This thought gnawed at his mind like a persistent, intractable disease.
If it weren't for the mistakes made by the guards he arranged, and if he hadn't failed to detect the danger sooner, she wouldn't have suffered such a terrible fate, lying here now with her life hanging in the balance.
He, Choi Ji-ho, prided himself on being thorough in his actions, and protecting the people behind him was a responsibility ingrained in his bones. But unfortunately, he failed to protect her.
The person on the bed suddenly frowned, long eyelashes casting a faint shadow under their eyelids, as if they were suffering pain even in their dreams.
Choi Jiho's heart clenched, and he quickly leaned down, his voice extremely soft, carrying a tenderness he himself was unaware of: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."