Chapter 329: 337: Want to Eat and Suffer Losses

“Madam, what are you doing?” Qi Luo was a smart person and sensed that something had been off about Madam for a while. And from this angle, after sizing up the surroundings, she guessed that Su Wenyue might have seen something near the restaurant’s window—that unmistakable bloody stain on the ground was unmissable.

“Qi Luo, don’t ask questions yet. Help me look around nearby for an injured man chased by those government soldiers earlier. Mr. Sun’s subordinates are not good people, and since we’ve stumbled upon this, we naturally should lend a hand.” Su Wenyue thought that the man, being so gravely injured, couldn’t have gone far, so she sent Qi Luo to search the area.

With those words, Qi Luo understood Madam’s intentions. Indeed, Mr. Sun was no good person, and he had done many unjust acts in his position as general magistrate, not to mention the existing grudge between their households. With these thoughts, it was easy to understand Madam’s actions—she seemingly hadn’t intended to meddle until she heard about the identity and background of those soldiers from Qi Luo, which is when she decided to intervene.

“Madam, it’s not safe to leave you alone here. Master has instructed me to not let Madam out of my sight,” Qi Luo hesitated, torn between obeying Madam’s command and not wanting to betray Master’s prior instructions.

“It’s fine, I’ll just stand here without moving. Don’t go too far away; look around nearby and give up if you find nothing. If anything happens, I’ll call out and you’ll be able to hear me.” Su Wenyue didn’t have a resolute determination to save someone; she had taken action merely because she encountered the situation and it involved Mr. Sun. She didn’t plan to exert too much effort.

Upon hearing this, Qi Luo thought it feasible and went to look for the man as Su Wenyue suggested, while Su Wenyue waited by the door. She was not adept at searching for people, leaving the task to Qi Luo.

As Su Wenyue stood there waiting, she unintentionally saw a red liquid trickling under the door, which startled her. Before she could react, the door swung open and someone covered her mouth from behind, a dagger held against her neck.

“Don’t move, or else don’t blame me for being inhospitable!” Su Wenyue could smell a strong, bloody scent coming from the person behind her, most likely the man she was seeking, the one pursued by Mr. Sun’s subordinates. Although the voice sounded vicious with a strong threat, it also seemed weak. Su Wenyue thought the man must be forcing himself to stay conscious through his severe injuries.

“Brave sir, don’t misunderstand, I have no intention of harming you, otherwise I would have informed the soldiers of your whereabouts long ago.” No sooner had Su Wenyue finished speaking, the man’s grip on her tightened, clearly not very convinced by her words.

“Who are you, and what do you want with me? You don’t recognize me, do you?”

“I don’t recognize you. I just saw you being chased by the soldiers while I was dining at the restaurant. Those soldiers work for Mr. Sun, and I thought to myself that he’s no saint, wondering if most likely a good person would be the one he’s after. That’s why I came to check on you.” Su Wenyue didn’t hide anything and spoke her mind, afraid that the man might harm her by mistake, seeing her as an enemy.

The man, after hearing Su Wenyue’s explanation, still wasn’t entirely convinced but eased his stance. “You haven’t fooled me, or else my dagger wouldn’t show mercy.”

“Why would I fool you? We haven’t wronged each other. If I really wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t have to come here in person—I could have just reported your whereabouts to the soldiers. Don’t disregard a kind heart; I just thought you were being pursued by Mr. Sun’s men, so I kindly came to check. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother meddling.” Su Wenyue became even more assertive as she spoke. If she showed even a hint of guilt or hesitation, she might be in danger. She only hoped that Qi Luo wouldn’t find anyone and would return quickly.

The man begrudgingly considered her words sensible. Already severely injured and only just managing to keep upright when someone approached, he now found it hard to stay conscious and let go of Su Wenyue, collapsing to the ground.

“Hey, hey, are you alright?” Su Wenyue was happy to be let go, but before she could enjoy the relief, the man fell. She tried to help him but couldn’t catch him properly, partly because she recoiled from the pungent, bloody smell of the stranger’s body. His pallor was very pale, likely from too much blood loss, but nonetheless, he had a quite handsome appearance.

Su Wenyue inspected the man freely with her gaze. If Han Yu had been there and seen her looking at another man that way, he probably would have had to take her to task.

Though the man collapsed weakly, he didn’t lose consciousness and was still lucid. Suddenly, he forcefully grabbed Su Wenyue’s sleeve but didn’t manage to say anything before fainting.

Qi Luo came back and didn’t see Su Wenyue in her original spot, which gave her quite a scare. It was only a doorway that had blocked her view.

“Qi Luo, I’m over here. Come quickly,” Su Wenyue heard Qi Luo’s anxious calls and hurriedly responded.

“Madam, how did you…” Before Qi Luo could finish her question, she spotted the man lying on the ground clutching at her Madam’s sleeve, particularly noting the dagger still in his hand. Her heart sank as she feared that Madam might have endured a very dangerous situation. She then noticed a thin red line on Madam’s neck, clearly from the dagger pressed against it.

The man hadn’t intended to hurt Su Wenyue; it was just that he was concerned about his whereabouts being discovered, which led him to restrain her. Due to his injuries, he couldn’t control his strength, leaving the faint red mark. However, to Qi Luo this seemed far more serious as she glared at the man lying on the ground with a somewhat sinister look.

“Madam, did this thief want to harm you? This ungrateful wretch! You were even thinking of saving him. Allow me to take care of him for you!” Qi Luo spoke with fierce determination and anger, though her loyalty to her mistress was a bit overzealous. Su Wenyue thought it might have to do with Qi Luo’s past experiences and quickly intervened to prevent her from taking any action toward the man.

“Qi Luo, it’s not his fault. He didn’t know I was trying to save him; it’s normal to be cautious. After I explained, he didn’t harm me further.”

“But Madam…” Qi Luo insisted. Regardless of intent, the fact that the man had harmed Madam was undeniable and something she couldn’t tolerate. If Master found out, he surely wouldn’t let it slide easily.

“There are no ‘buts’. We need to quickly find a way to hide this man and seek a trustworthy doctor to examine his wounds. Otherwise, with such serious injuries, it’s uncertain how long he can last. I’ve gone to great lengths to save a person; I can’t give up halfway.” Su Wenyue spoke decisively when suddenly noises came from outside, with footsteps growing nearer.

“Let’s go, search again. With such heavy injuries, he can’t be found anywhere, might as well be hiding here. This time, search thoroughly. If we can’t find him, when we go back, we’ll all be in trouble!”