Song Qingshu smiled faintly. “I simply admire Miss Cheng’s temperament. Don’t let your thoughts become too sordid.”
Cheng Ying sat to the side, her expression flustered, still not recovered from her shock. Lu Wushuang, seeing this, fumed, “If you’re only doing it for my cousin’s sake, why do I still have to agree to something?”
Song Qingshu looked at her in surprise. “I’m treating your injury, not your cousin’s.”
Lu Wushuang felt something sweet rise in her throat—she nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood.
Cheng Ying was no ordinary young woman. After her initial fluster, she quickly regained her composure. She held back Lu Wushuang, who was about to lunge at him, and looked at the man before her. “What exactly do you want us to agree to?”
There was a hint of anger in her voice now, and her address had unconsciously changed from “Young Master” to “you.”
“I haven’t thought of the specifics yet. I’ll tell you when I do,” Song Qingshu replied.
Cheng Ying’s anger flared. “Young Master, don’t you think it’s excessive to ask two young women to agree to such terms with a man?”
Song Qingshu smiled. “Miss Cheng, rest assured. It’s nothing as sordid as you imagine.”
Cheng Ying’s face warmed. She knew he had guessed her concern. But even so, such terms were still too harsh.
Seeing her hesitate, Song Qingshu rose to leave. “Since you’re both unwilling, I won’t force you. I’ll take my leave.”
But he had only taken a few steps when a soft voice called out, “Wait—”
“Cousin!” Alarmed, Lu Wushuang tugged at Cheng Ying’s sleeve, signaling her not to agree.
Ignoring her, Cheng Ying fixed her gaze on Song Qingshu’s eyes. After a long moment, she said, “Fine. I agree. But whatever you ask of us cannot violate chivalry and righteousness, nor can it…” She paused, her face reddening, then continued, “nor can it have any lewd or obscene meaning.”
Song Qingshu spread his hands in exasperation. “Do I look like that kind of person to you?”
Cheng Ying and Lu Wushuang nodded in unison.
Song Qingshu quickly coughed to cover his embarrassment. “Fine, I agree. Now, you there—stick out your leg and let me see.” He knew that the Lu family would find a way to send word back to Lin’an. All he needed now was to wait for Han Dingxiao’s response. With time on his hands, he might as well amuse himself with these two characters from the original novel, for whom he felt some fondness.
He had to admit that deep down, he and Yang Guo were cut from the same cloth—by nature, a bit frivolous and roguish. Though without malicious intent, he took pleasure in teasing and bantering with young women, causing their hearts to flutter.
Hearing his words, Lu Wushuang hesitated, biting her lip. She looked at Cheng Ying, who gave a slight nod, before finally extending her leg from under the covers.
“Take off your p@nts—ah, I mean your socks.” Song Qingshu quickly corrected himself, inwardly disgusted. *My mind is wandering too much. Who knows what I was thinking, blurting that out.*
Lu Wushuang glared at him, her face red. Even Cheng Ying looked at him strangely.
“What are you looking at? I need to examine it carefully to treat your injury,” Song Qingshu retorted.
With no choice, Lu Wushuang removed her cotton sock. After a long hesitation, she tremblingly extended her foot.
Seeing her acting as if fending off a pervert, Song Qingshu was both amused and annoyed. *If they knew that in a later era, a gynecological examination might require a w0man to undress in front of a male doctor, they’d probably die of shame.*
He grasped her injured left foot. He had intended no ulterior thoughts, but the moment he touched her warm, soft ankle, he was startled. *Even after so many years of injury, her foot is still this beautiful.*
In this world, a woman’s foot was no less private than her breasts. Now held in a strange young man’s hand, Lu Wushuang trembled and instinctively tried to pull it back. But his grip was steady and strong. She could only sit there, her face crimson with shame.
Feeling the warmth emanating from his palm, a strange sensation spread through Lu Wushuang’s b0dy. For some reason, she suddenly remembered Yang Guo setting her broken bone all those years ago. She became momentarily lost in thought.
Cheng Ying, seeing them like this—one holding on, the other sitting there blushing in a daze—deliberately coughed.
They both snapped out of it. Lu Wushuang was now both embarrassed and angry. “Hey, how long are you going to keep touching me?”
Song Qingshu’s face reddened. *Look at me, an old hand, losing my composure over a young girl. What a blunder.* To cover his embarrassment, he snorted, “Stop your noise. I’m examining your injury.”
He then focused his mind and began to probe the meridians in her leg.
Seeing his serious expression, the natural authority of his concentration made the two women dare not disturb him.
Song Qingshu’s hand moved back and forth over Lu Wushuang’s leg. If not for his solemn expression, Cheng Ying might have thought he was deliberately taking advantage. Lu Wushuang, however, did not misunderstand. She could feel the true qi he was channeling into her leg through his fingertips, exploring. But despite knowing this, having her leg t0uched like this still made her flush crimson.
“Are you… are you done yet?” Lu Wushuang finally couldn’t help herself. As soon as the words left her mouth, Cheng Ying shot her a surprised look. Even Lu Wushuang herself was startled. *Why did my voice suddenly become so coquettish?*
“I’m done.” Song Qingshu finally let go.
Lu Wushuang quickly withdrew her leg and turned her back to him, her expression hidden.
“Can it still be cured?” Though Cheng Ying believed that, given Song Qingshu’s status, he would not speak without certainty, she couldn’t help worrying.
“It can be cured.” His words made her sigh with relief. But his next words made her heart clench again. “But she will have to endure great pain.”
“What do you mean, Young Master?” Cheng Ying asked curiously. Even Lu Wushuang turned to look at him.
Song Qingshu spoke slowly. “She was injured as a child. The person who treated her didn’t set the bone properly. Over the past decade or so, the bone has grown back together. And because it continued to grow and develop, the break has healed irregularly…”
Cheng Ying nodded in agreement. “Yes, Master examined her as well. He sighed that if my cousin’s fracture had occurred as an adult and healed poorly, he could still do something about it. But there was nothing he could do for an injury sustained in childhood.”
Thinking of that childhood incident, and then of her parents who had died tragically, Lu Wushuang’s eyes reddened. Her thoughts drifted from her leg injury.
“So I need to break her leg bone again and reshape it. But the pain she will endure during this process is beyond what ordinary people can bear,” Song Qingshu said with a wry smile.
Cheng Ying was shocked. “Can a leg bone… after being broken… be reattached?”