17: A Good Deed Taken for Granted

Gu Yunru had been in a dilemma for quite some time. She felt that she needed to resolve Rong Zhen’s matter before she could leave.

In the palace of Prince Zhao.

Doctor Li was taking Rong Zhen’s pulse. His brows furrowed and his expression grew heavy.

“What’s the matter? Just tell me straight,” said Rong Zhen. Having fought on the battlefield for many years, he didn’t believe that such a small amount of poison would stop him.

“Your Highness, although the remaining toxins in your body won’t endanger your life, but…”

“I did it on purpose. I just wanted to see if that girl would ignore me,” Rong Zhen interrupted. Doctor Li wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, frightened and thinking that his medical skills were limited. It seemed that Miss Gu from the Gu family was indeed quite capable.

“Your Highness, Miss Gu from the Gu family is here!” Qingfeng stood at the door to report. Rong Zhen’s eyes lit up, but he quickly regained his usual solemn and cold expression.

“Everyone, leave first.”

“Yes.”

Gu Yunru arrived in the main hall and saw Rong Zhen sitting upright. She smiled with pleasure and walked briskly to his side.

“I, this commoner, pay my respects to Your Highness.”

Rong Zhen slowly opened his eyes and scrutinized her slightly smug face.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you pay your respects to me. Why did you come today?”

“I’ve come to see how the prince is recovering,” she said.

In her heart, Gu Yunru thought, “If I don’t cure your broken body, how can I feel at ease?”

As soon as she finished speaking, she went straight to check his pulse.

His heart rate was very stable and there didn’t seem to be any major issues.

“Today I brought many medicinal herbs- mung beans, talcum powder, white aconite, rosin, Chinese rhubarb, cicada slough, white flowered snake’s tongue, and Poria cocos, to make a medicinal bath for you.”

Rong Zhen looked at her puzzled and asked, “Can this help with detoxification?”

“Of course. This is a medicinal formula I created. It’s free for you to use, and it’s very cheap for you.”

Gu Yunru prepared the medicinal bath and called for two maidservants to assist. Before soaking in the bath, she massaged him to help him relax.

“Just lie down, no need to ask anything else.”

Gu Yunru had no shame, but Rong Zhen was nervous. Maidservants lined up outside, and they had never served the prince in bathing. They did not expect this young lady to be so open-minded that she wanted to remove the prince’s clothes and have skin-to-skin contact in front of everyone’s eyes.

Qingyu stood by with several medicine packets of different sizes in her hand, watching Gu Yunru slowly touch his back, biting her lips tightly.

Gu Yunru knew that Rong Zhen did not like many people serving him. She covered a large screen in front of the jade stone board and began to remove his clothes for him.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m helping you take off your clothes.”

“I can do it myself.”

“Of course, I know you can, but just expose your back. No need to take everything off.”

Rong Zhen felt a little embarrassed, but he followed the other’s instructions and revealed his broad and sturdy back. The defined lines of his muscles showed that he was indeed a seasoned soldier. Even touching his muscles could inspire endless imagination.

“What did you apply on my back?” he asked.

Did Rong Zhen feel a cold sensation on his back that made his scalp tingle, yet it also felt somewhat comfortable?

“I made a vegetable oil extracted from some traditional Chinese medicinal plants. Don’t worry, it won’t harm your skin,” Gu Yunru said, interlacing her fingers and starting to knead his back. This massage technique was something that others could not even buy.

Rong Zhen’s face was tense throughout the process. The feeling of pain mixed with pleasure was clearly visible on his face.

“If it hurts, you can scream. It’s a normal reaction,” Gu Yunru said.

“What a Joke, I’ve been stabbed and cut so many times without screaming,” Rong Zhen said, gritting his teeth while sweat dripped down his forehead. Qingyu crouched in front of him and wiped away the tears.

Gu Yunru rubbed his strong arms and hummed a tune, realizing that there were indeed many scars on his back, but they had all healed and merged with his muscles.

After about half an hour, Gu Yunru was exhausted. Rong Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t expect her to have such strength.

“It’s done. You can go take a herbal bath now.”

Gu Yunru loosened her wrist and stretched her muscles. The group of maidservants exited the room, and Rong Zhen felt relaxed all over. He took a deep breath. He had never felt so comfortable in years.

“What are you doing?” Gu Yunru just realized that Rong Zhen had stripped naked in front of her and quickly turned her head away.

“Of course, I need you to help me bathe. You’ve already seen my body, so why be shy?”

Rong Zhen found the shy expression of this woman interesting, so he teased her with a few words.

“You were just massaging and soaking in the bath, so you could have jumped in by yourself. There are others to attend to you, I’ll go back first.”

Gu Yunru covered her eyes with one hand and blindly felt for the screen, wanting to leave. However, she accidentally touched his broad chest. This accidental touch made Gu Yunru panic and step back, but she didn’t expect to fall into the bath.

Rong Zhen jumped down and pulled Gu Yunru out of the water who was not good at swimming.

“You are so eager to bathe with me?”

Rong Zhen’s magnetic voice sounded in her ear. Gu Yunru’s heart beat violently, almost skipping a beat, and she quickly pushed his body away.

“I want to get out, I want to get out!” Gu Yunru slapped the water surface in panic, and water splashed into her nose. Due to nervousness, she forgot to straighten her legs. Rong Zhen stood high and looked down at her.

Gu Yunru only realized after a while that she could actually touch the ground with her feet. She quickly wiped the water off her face.

Rong Zhen watched her run away, feeling helpless and amused.

Back at Gu’s residence, Gu Yunru sat panting in a chair, and Qingxing helped her change into clean clothes. Her delicate face was wrinkled into a frown.

“Miss, didn’t you go to see the lord’s illness? Why did you come back like this?”

“Forget it, that guy has mental problems. I never want to see him again.”

Gu Yunru massaged her aching head. There wasn’t a single normal person in this place, and she had to leave.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside the door, and Madam Gu came in with a group of servants and maids.

“Yunru, mother came to see you.”

Gu Yunru opened the door and looked at Lady Gu, who came with a group of people with an imposing manner. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought they were here to raze the place to the ground.

“Yunru, you are about to marry into the Wang family. Therefore, I have specially invited a Buddhist monk to pray for your blessings, hoping that you will bring honor to your ancestors and serve your lord well in the future,” Lady Gu said.

At some point, a group of young monks had surrounded the place, making it impossible to get out. It was clear that they were being watched. Gu Yunru looked towards Su Shi, who was standing not far away, and saw her slightly guilty expression, and everything became clear.

“Yunru, everything I do is for your own good. You won’t blame me for going to all this trouble, will you?”