TGWM Ch. 19

Chapter 19: Treatment

Yun Yan remained silent for a long time, her eyes seeming to shimmer with a hazy moonlight, making Lin Aoxue feel rather uneasy. Lin Aoxue stiffened her posture slightly in response, but then she heard Yun Yan ask her in return.

“Do you feel at ease, Young Master Lin?”

Lin Aoxue was taken aback by the question, not quite understanding its meaning. Instinctively, she looked over at Yun Yan and saw her leaning back slightly, propping herself up on the stone steps with her hands. Her head was tilted as she gazed at Lin Aoxue, her eyes crystal-clear, as if she could see through everything with absolute clarity.

Suddenly, a chill crept up Lin Aoxue’s spine from the soles of her feet, and after a moment of frozen stiffness, an overwhelming killing intent exploded from her.

She sprang to her feet and, in the next instant, had already closed in on Yun Yan, gripping her slender neck with one hand. A slight exertion of force would be enough to snap it.

What she feared most had finally happened. She didn’t know exactly when, but she was certain now—Yun Yan had discovered her true identity.

Yet, despite being half-pinned to the ground, Yun Yan did not struggle fiercely. She didn’t even attempt to call out and wake the soldiers sleeping inside the building. Instead, she gazed quietly into Lin Aoxue’s eyes—deep, tranquil, indifferent to life and death, to hatred and vengeance. It was as if nothing in the world could surprise or frighten her.

Lin Aoxue’s hand, still clamped around Yun Yan’s throat, suddenly trembled. That unnervingly calm gaze struck a chord deep within her, stirring emotions that surged and roiled silently in the vast darkness of the night.

“Do you feel at ease?”

Yun Yan’s voice seemed to echo once more in her ears, gradually extinguishing her killing intent.

Once upon a time, she too had been an innocent girl, growing up happy and carefree under the loving protection of her parents. She had dreamed of the future, unwilling to marry, wanting only to stay by her parents’ side and care for them in their old age.

But all of that had been shattered in a single winter disaster. Now, she was nothing more than a puppet bound by hatred. How could she possibly feel at ease?

She had hidden her identity, disguised herself as a man, and infiltrated the army. Every day, she lived in fear, never knowing if she would return from the battlefield. How could she possibly feel at ease?

She and Yun Yan shared a similar fate.

Even if she killed Yun Yan, it wouldn’t erase the truth. On the contrary, all her past efforts would be wasted due to an impulsive act. She might be expelled from the army. She might even face punishment. No matter what, she would lose any chance of avenging her family.

She rarely showed weakness in front of others, but now, she couldn’t stop the redness from creeping into her eyes. The pain in her heart, tangled and agonizing, combined with the torment of the wound pierced by an arrow, leaving her utterly devastated.

No matter how much she had planned, no matter how careful she had been, she still couldn’t escape the unexpected.

Now that Yun Yan had uncovered her identity, this dangerous woman had become an unpredictable factor in her future. Having her fatal secret exposed threw Lin Aoxue into turmoil.

Her calloused fingers, hardened by years of martial training, dug into Yun Yan’s throat, leaving bruised marks on her delicate, fair skin.

Yun Yan frowned slightly and sighed helplessly. “If you keep using such force, your already torn wound will take even longer to heal. Or perhaps, you simply don’t want that arm anymore?”

Lin Aoxue was bracing herself on her left arm, the scent of blood thick around her wounded shoulder. The coarse fabric of her military uniform was damp—her wound had reopened.

Yet she didn’t loosen her grip. She continued to stare into Yun Yan’s eyes, trying to decipher her true intentions.

“This place is too exposed. If you startle the people inside, would you really want them to see you like this?” 

Lin Aoxue looked murderous, but Yun Yan remained composed, as if she hadn’t noticed the deadly aura surrounding her. She raised a hand and nudged Lin Aoxue’s right shoulder before speaking again. 

“Get up first. Come inside with me.”

Lin Aoxue hesitated for a long time. Realizing that staying here any longer would only attract unwanted attention, she finally loosened her grip. Yun Yan rose naturally, making no attempt to escape, as if nothing had happened. With graceful steps, she walked toward the small room where she was staying.

Lin Aoxue stood motionless behind her for a while, her expression shifting repeatedly. In the end, she stepped forward and followed.

Once inside, Yun Yan lit the candle on the table and gestured for Lin Aoxue to sit. However, Lin Aoxue remained standing stiffly, like an unmoving pillar.

Yun Yan found it amusing. The way this person stubbornly resisted, like a child refusing to admit defeat, was oddly endearing. Unfazed by Lin Aoxue’s forced display of fierceness, she reached out, took her right hand, and gently pulled her to sit at the table.

“Don’t worry, I have no grudges against you. I won’t reveal your secret.”

This statement confirmed the undeniable fact—Yun Yan had already uncovered the secret Lin Aoxue had worked so hard to conceal. A wave of tension gripped Lin Aoxue’s heart before slowly easing. Just as Yun Yan said, there was no enmity between them. In fact, Lin Aoxue had even benefited from Yun Yan’s kindness on multiple occasions.

Even so, she couldn’t fully trust her. Her brows remained tightly furrowed, her expression cold and rigid.

Yun Yan shook her head slightly. The fact that Lin Aoxue had followed her inside meant she had already abandoned the idea of killing her. But she was incredibly stubborn—too caught up in her own thoughts, unable to fully process everything all at once.

Without warning, Yun Yan reached out to lift Lin Aoxue’s collar. Startled, Lin Aoxue instinctively clutched her neckline tightly, eyes wide with alarm as she demanded, albeit with a hint of uncertainty, “What are you doing?”

Yun Yan found her reaction unexpectedly adorable. Now that she had confirmed Lin Aoxue was, in fact, a woman, her voice softened involuntarily. Speaking in the gentle tone one might use to soothe a child, she said, “Don’t move. Let me see your wound.”

Lin Aoxue’s heart gave a jolt. The light, tender cadence of Yun Yan’s voice sent a shiver down her spine, raising goosebumps all over her skin. Her body stiffened as if she had been placed under a spell, completely unable to move.

As the blood-crusted fabric was lifted, it revealed her delicate shoulder—slender and soft, with the natural grace of a woman’s form.

The filthy bandages were removed, exposing her skin to the cold night air, sending a slight chill through her. It had been years since she had allowed anyone to examine her injuries like this.

Yet, oddly enough, it didn’t feel as unbearable as she had expected.

Her face remained rigid as she swallowed nervously, fingers clutching the hem of her clothing so tightly that fresh blood seeped from her torn wound once more.

“Oh dear, look at you—it’s already inflamed and festering.” 

Due to the lack of proper treatment, the arrow wound on Lin Aoxue’s shoulder had become infected, the flesh beginning to fester. The pain was excruciating.

Lin Aoxue stiffened but said nothing.

With a sigh, Yun Yan murmured, “Wait here,” before draping a clean robe over Lin Aoxue’s shoulders. Then, she quickly busied herself preparing medicine. After a short while, she returned with a set of medical supplies—bandages, ointments, and a jug of strong liquor in hand.

She smiled as she asked, “Are you afraid of pain?” 

Lin Aoxue lifted her eyelids slightly, glancing at the liquor in Yun Yan’s hand, her expression stiffening somewhat.

If she truly weren’t afraid of pain, then the arrow wound on her shoulder wouldn’t have tormented her so miserably. But if she admitted to being afraid, she wouldn’t have been able to endure it all this time without so much as a change in expression.

Perhaps… she wasn’t that afraid. But when one knew pain was coming in advance, there was always some fear, even if just a little.

She took a deep breath, pressing her lips tightly together.

Yun Yan seemed to understand the unspoken words on Lin Aoxue’s face. She chuckled, pulling out a small silver-bladed knife, her smile carrying a hint of mischief. “Even if you’re afraid of pain, there’s nothing to be done. Who told you to refuse to let me check your wound earlier?”

Lin Aoxue had no retort, only keeping her face stiff and unmoving.

Yun Yan heated the blade over the candle flame, then swiftly removed the festering, infected tissue around the arrow wound. She took a sip of the strong liquor and sprayed it over Lin Aoxue’s shoulder.

Lin Aoxue drew in a sharp breath, her hands gripping her clothing so tightly that her knuckles turned white, veins bulging on the backs of her hands.

Once the wound was cleaned, Yun Yan applied the medicinal powder she had prepared and carefully wrapped the injury with fresh bandages. The entire process took nearly half an hour, but finally, the wound on Lin Aoxue’s shoulder was properly treated.

After finishing the bandaging, Yun Yan spoke in a lighthearted tone as she tidied up the supplies, “Try not to use your left arm for now. Rest it for a few days and see how it heals.”

Lin Aoxue felt a mix of emotions. Watching Yun Yan bustling around the room, her heart felt as if it were stuffed with cotton—heavy, tangled, and difficult to make sense of. After a long silence, she finally asked, “When did you find out?”

It was strange. They had never been in particularly close contact, nor had Lin Aoxue ever let Yun Yan check her pulse. So how exactly had Yun Yan figured out she was a woman?

Yun Yan turned back to her with a gentle smile. “Has Young Master Lin forgotten? I am a girl from Yanyu Tower—I understand men better than anyone.”

Even if one had never eaten pork, they would have surely seen pigs run. Countless men came and went from Yanyu Tower, and Yun Yan had long since become familiar with their habits and distinguishing features.

As she spoke, she pointed at Lin Aoxue’s throat and added, “When I saw you today, your collar wasn’t fastened properly.”

A soldier’s uniform had a high collar designed to protect the neck, secured with separate clasps.

The reason she hadn’t noticed Lin Aoxue’s identity before was simply that she had never paid her much attention for long.

However, after Lin Aoxue had hastily treated her wound by the river the previous day, she had been in a dazed state. Her uniform’s clasps hadn’t been properly secured, and at some point during the long journey, they had loosened.

Yun Yan, as a healer with a meticulous eye, immediately noticed that Lin Aoxue’s smooth throat lacked the prominent Adam’s apple characteristic of men. Connecting this with their previous brief interactions, the truth had been obvious.

Lin Aoxue was utterly shocked. She hadn’t expected such a small oversight to be the reason her secret was exposed. But on second thought, with how observant Yun Yan was, it was only a matter of time before she figured it out.

A hint of embarrassment crossed her face, and the hostility that had surged within her since Yun Yan discovered her secret gradually faded. She glanced at Yun Yan’s elegant, mature features, her expression awkwardly rigid as she said stiffly, “I owe you another favor.”