616 Enjoy my own company [Bonus chapter]
Ai Fen caught her breath as she placed her hand on the tree beside her. She thought it was easy and fun to climb a mountain, but it was difficult.
âYour Highness, I think we should not go ahead. I will drop you at the palace,â Chang Shi said.
âNo.â Ai Fen refused to go back without seeing the place from where Chang Shi would pick up the herbs. âI can walk. It is my first time climbing such a hill, thatâs why I got tired,â she stated.
âIs Her Highness sure? We have taken more than ten breaks in the last thirty minutes. At this rate, it will take us two hours to reach the top,â Chang Shi told her.
Ai Fen stood straight and held her long waist skirt. She resumed the walk while Chang Shi walked behind her.
âSince you come here regularly, thatâs why this walk is easy for you,â Ai Fen told Chang Shi.
âYes.â
âHow do you know so many things?â Ai Fen curiously asked him.
âPardon me, Your Highness. I didnât understand the question,â Chang Shi said.
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âYou are a good spy, good at martial arts and even in medicine. It is difficult to possess all such skills at once,â Ai Fen stated.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âIt is not impossible though. My father was a medical doctor in the capital and he was good at martial arts,â Chang Shi replied. âI am good at observing people, so from there I developed the quality to be a good spy,â He stated.
Ai Fen nodded at him. âYour mother and father must be proud of you,â she said. âDoes your father no longer treat the patients?â She asked.
âAhh, my father, and mother are no more,â Chang Shi said.
âUmm... Forgive me. I didnât know,â Ai Fen said.
âItâs fine, Your Highness,â Chang Shi said.
âWhat about the siblings?â Ai Fen inquired.
âI am the only child,â Chang Shi replied.
âSo, do you live alone?â Ai Fen questioned.
âYes.â
âIt must be lonely,â Ai Fen said.
âIt is sometimes, but that happens rarely. I enjoy my own company more,â Chang Shi stated.
âThatâs good to hear,â Ai Fen said. âBut you should get married. Then, the remaining loneliness will disappear,â she opined.
âYes,â Chang Shi agreed with her.
âI found you are a good friend to Brother Lóng Wei. How did you two meet? To my knowledge, it was tough to be close to Brother Lóng Wei before his marriage,â Ai Fen asserted.
âI met Prince Lóng Wei when he was a kid. He had injured himself and I dressed his wound. From then onwards, Prince Lóng Wei acknowledged me as his friend,â Chang Shi answered.
âOh. Thatâs been a long time,â Ai Fen said.
Her shoe slipped and a scream escaped her mouth. But Chang Shi held her arm, thus preventing her from falling. âBe careful, Your Highness,â Chang Shi said and lowered his hand.
âThank you,â Ai Fen said. âChang Shi, you must have servants in your service. Donât you tell them to pick herbs for you?â She asked.
âI prefer to pick them myself. Wild weeds and poisonous plants also grow alongside useful medicinal herbs. That also needed to be taken care of,â Chang Shi explained to her.
She keenly listened to him. While conversing they covered most of the distance and soon reached the top.
Ai Fen saw the path leading to the bamboo forest ahead of them. The herbs were spread widely in that open area. Chang Shi asked Ai Fen to roam around and by the time he would pick up the herbs.
She hummed and went to the other side while Chang Shi went to the other side, holding the basket in his hand.
Ai Fen had her hands behind her back as she looked at the green shrubs. She touched the leaves when noticed a movement in the nearby bush.
She looked behind and then walked ahead to check. Her eyes fell on a rabbit and it made her smile. Ai Fen got on her knees and saw the rabbit was injured. She saw the blood on the rabbitâs leg and quickly picked it up in her hands.
She got worried and ran toward Chang Shi, who was a little far from her.
Chang Shi was busy picking up the herbs when he heard the footsteps. He turned around and saw Ai Fen with a rabbit in her hand.
âChang Shi, this rabbit is injured. What to do?â She asked him.
Chang Shi placed the basket on the ground and walked to her. He checked the rabbitâs leg and told Ai Fen to sit on the rock near them.
She did what he said while Chang Shi ground some healing herbs on a stone. After making a paste of it, he applied it to the rabbitâs leg. Ai Fen handed him the handkerchief which he tied to the rabbitâs leg.
âWill it be fine?â Ai Fen asked him.
âIt should be since the wound isnât deep,â Chang Shi said and saw the blood in Ai Fenâs hands.
âAre there any wild animals around?â Ai Fen looked around.
âNo. Judging by the wound, it seems the rabbit has injured himself while running,â Chang Shi replied.
âThatâs a relief,â Ai Fen said and told Chang Shi she would take care of the rabbit.
âAs the Second Princess seems right,â Chang Shi said.
âTell me. What should I do to make its wound heal faster?â Ai Fen questioned.
âRest and proper food. Rabbits love carrots. So Her Highness can give the carrots to this rabbit. The wound should not be infected, so it is needed to be dressed at regular times,â Chang Shi said.
âChang Shi, will the Royal Physician help me in dressing its wound?â Ai Fen asked as she gently caressed the head of the rabbit.
âPhysician Peng will surely help,â Chang Shi said and stood up. âI should pick up the herbs,â he said and, he again resumed the work while Ai Fen took care of the rabbit. She wanted to leave early for the palace now.
âChang Shi, what name should I give this cute rabbit?â Ai Fen asked. âWill Baobao be a good name?â She inquired him.
âIt will be a good name,â Chang Shi said while plucking the medicinal leaves.
âBaobao, Ai Fen will take good care of yours. We will soon go home,â Ai Fen talked with the rabbit, which made Chang Shi smile.