Chapter 12: Hold Her Accountable

"Look, look, did you see it? It appeared out of nowhere, and it really appeared out of nowhere! Ghost! There must be a ghost here!"

The leading man also jumped in fright, and before they could retreat, several blood handprints appeared on the door.

They could no longer control their inner terror and screamed, "Ghost! Really, there really is a ghost!"

In the blink of an eye, those people vanished from the courtyard.

Inside the space, Chi Nan Yi washed her hands clean, pursed her lips and said, "What a small nerve."

She glanced at the still-unconscious man, ladled some Spirit Spring Water for him to drink, and then immediately led him out of the space.

"Cough, cough." The man coughed twice softly, slowly opened his eyes, instinctively touched the mask on his face, found it still there, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"You saved me."

"Consider it a favor repaid to you." Chi Nan Yi reached out to undo his collar, and the man didn't stop her, only a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth: "You looked at my body, and you have to take responsibility."

Responsibility? You big‑head ghost.

"I did bandage you, and if what you say is true, there are plenty of people I have to be responsible for."

The man's brows knit tightly, a strange hue flashing in his eyes: "What do you mean by that?"

"What does that have to do with you?"

The man snorted and said softly, "The wound is a bit ugly; it might scare you."

"Ha, how could anything be uglier than the mask on your face?"

The man was startled by her words, wondering when her temperament had become like this.

Unfastening his clothing, Chi Nan Yi looked at the intersecting wound on his shoulder, startled; besides this wound, his body bore countless knife and sword cuts, but none as severe as this one.

"What misdeed did you commit that made people hunt you like this?"

"There have been quite a few, I can't recall them all."

Even at this moment, he could still joke with her; Chi Nan Yi took out a Silver Needle, pierced an acupoint on his body, and the wound that had been bleeding nonstop stopped immediately.

The girl has improved a lot over the years; not only has her temperament changed, she has also learned martial arts and medicine. Who taught her? Given the Meng couple, they wouldn't let anyone teach her this; it seems she had her own opportunity.

Chi Nan Yi pretended to rummage in her sleeve pocket, but actually took the medicine from the space.

Watching her repeatedly pull out powdered medicine and pills from her sleeve, the man's brows lifted slightly; he really wanted to see what exactly she kept in that sleeve.

After giving him Spirit Spring Water to drink, his injuries couldn't heal instantly, but the recovery speed was several times faster than before.

His previously frail body also regained strength.

Chi Nan Yi moved her hands extremely quickly, washed the wound clean, applied powdered medicine, and then wrapped it with gauze.

"Why do you keep these things in your sleeve?"

There's even gauze.

"My sleeve, I put whatever I like in it; why do you meddle so much?"

Having swallowed the soft nail, he no longer asked.

Chi Nan Yi took out a pill, waved it before his eyes, and said, "This one is for healing wounds."

"I have no strength; I can't lift it."

Chi Nan Yi heard that and couldn't help rolling her eyes.

No strength?

Liar?

When we were fighting earlier, if I hadn't had something to keep me alive, that long sword would have sliced my throat.

"Open your mouth."

The man's thin lips barely opened, Chi Nan Yi flicked her fingertip, and the pill went straight down his throat.

"Cough, cough… You, you treat your benefactor like this?"

Chi Nan Yi snorted coldly, "Last time you helped me break the siege; today I saved your life. I have repaid that favor double, so don't ever use that favor to demand anything from me again. From today on, let's act as if we never met."

Chi Nan Yi stood up, "It's getting late; I have to go back. Figure something out yourself!" She took out a bottle of pills and placed it beside him, "These pills aid your wound recovery, one a day."

With those words, Chi Nan Yi turned and left without hesitation; her slender figure quickly vanished into the night.

The man held the porcelain bottle in his hand, a slight curl at the corner of his mouth.

"Never met before? This Prince might not be able to do that yet."

At that moment, several figures descended from the sky and knelt before the man: "The subordinate is late; please, Prince, forgive my offense."

"It was indeed very late before, but this time it's acceptable; return to the residence." He stood up from the ground, suddenly feeling his body much more comfortable than earlier.

The wound no longer hurt as much.

He glanced at the porcelain bottle in his hand, a strange hue flashing in his eyes—could it be related to her?

When Chi Nan Yi returned to the Minister's Residence, dawn was nearly breaking; she climbed through the window into the room, just as a knock came from outside the door: "Miss, are you up?"

She pretended to be weary and said, "I'll sleep a bit longer."

"Miss, the madam said the elderly lady is returning to the residence today, so you should get up early."

Grandma? Grandmother?

Chi Nan Yi instantly became clear‑headed.

Indeed, in the previous life it was at this time that Grandma was taken from the old house by the Meng couple.

"Come in." She pretended to have just gotten up; Cai Pin and a few maids carrying washing implements walked in.

Chi Nan Yi looked at the rose petals floating in the copper basin and sighed inwardly, "Life in the Minister's Residence is truly luxurious."

"Mother, did you say when Grandma will arrive?"

"The news from outside says she'll definitely arrive before lunch."

Chi Nan Yi nodded, and seeing Cai Pin about to change her into an elaborate dress and ornaments, she said impatiently, "From now on, such worldly trappings shouldn't appear on me." She casually pointed to the teal robe in the cabinet: "This one, then!"

"Understood."

Chi Nan Yi glanced at her wardrobe with some disdain—what taste did the original owner have? Everything is bright red and purple, as if afraid others wouldn't notice her.

After breakfast, Chi Nan Yi went to the Jiang Clan's courtyard. The Minister's Residence has many rules; each morning and evening, the several misses of the family, whether born of the main line or of concubines, must go to the Jiang Clan's courtyard to pay respects.

As Chi Nan Yi just reached the gate, Meng Qingrong and Meng Qingyue walked over.

Meng Qingyue saw Chi Nan Yi, smiled and greeted her, while Meng Qingrong's expression was odd—she not only failed to pay respects, but also pursed her lips and rolled her eyes at her.

"What's wrong with you, Second Younger Sister?" Chi Nan Yi chuckled: "Is your eye twitching, or your mouth?"

"I—I, when did I twitch?"

"Since your mouth can still speak, why don't you pay respects?"

"Elder Sister."

"Forget it—Grandmother has returned today, I'm in a very good mood, so I won't argue with you."

Chi Nan Yi glanced at her contemptuously, turned and walked into the courtyard; after just a few steps, she heard Chi Nan Yi laugh and say: "Qingrong Younger Sister, Elder Sister advises you to practice the zither well in your free time, so you won't embarrass yourself and bring shame to the Meng Family."

Upon hearing that, Meng Qingrong's expression changed.

She naturally knew that the person who played the zither in the garden that day was this elder sister before her, but now she had already taken credit for it in front of the Crown Prince; if she later cannot play that day's piece, the Crown Prince will surely suspect.

For the sake of future wealth and honor, she is determined to obtain the score she played that day.