Chapter 28: Very Light, Very Heavy

Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Very Light, Very Heavy

Ling Qianjun’s expression remained impassive as he explained calmly, "My younger brother’s hand was injured earlier. I was just using water and cloth to clean his wound, and he couldn’t hold back the pain, which is why he cried out. I am truly sorry for causing you trouble, officers."

Playing along, Ling Qianfan raised his palm to show the two government officers. Seeing the wound bubbling with white foam—a genuinely gruesome sight—the officers had no choice but to believe Ling Qianjun’s explanation. Still, they shot Qianfan a look of slight disgust.

Qianfan thought, "So a world where only I suffer has finally taken shape. I want to be a tough guy who bleeds but never cries! Why is it so hard?"

"Keep it down," one of the officers warned. "Bite on a piece of cloth if you have to. Don’t let it happen again.

"Also, we’ll be getting up early tomorrow to go shopping in town. If you need anything, you can ask us to pick it up for a small errand fee.

"Alternatively, you can send one person to come with us. It’ll cost one tael of silver for that person to tag along, but we won’t charge any extra fees for the items they buy during the trip."

After briefing them on tomorrow’s arrangements, the government officers turned and went to notify the other rooms.

There would be no water or food rations distributed at the inn tonight. During the assassination attempt, the water containers had been knocked over, and the food had fallen to the ground and been trampled into mush. If anyone wanted to eat, they had to pay the inn’s kitchen out of their own pockets, or else go hungry. Naturally, the exiles were forbidden from leaving the inn for the night.

Ling Qianjun watched the government officers head downstairs before locking the door and sitting back down. He shot Ling Qianfan a slightly chilling look. Qianfan hurriedly raised his fingers in a swearing gesture. "Qianjun, I’ll hold it in, I swear." To prove his determination, he pulled a piece of cloth from his sleeve and stuffed it into his mouth.

While disinfecting, medicating, and bandaging the wound, Ling Qianjun kept a close eye on Ling Qianfan’s expression. The young man’s face was deathly pale. Bead-sized drops of sweat snaked down his forehead, gathered at his chin, and dripped into the dust on the floor. At first, his gaze was unfocused. But slowly, as he committed the agonizing pain to memory and endured the suffering, a new quality began to take root in his eyes: human resilience.

In the past, Ling Qianfan had been heavily shielded by the Ling family. He was a sheltered young master oblivious to the world’s hardships, the legitimate third son of the General Mansion. Now, he had shed his protective cocoon, revealing a frame that, while still soft, possessed a quiet strength. A gratified smile touched Ling Qianjun’s lips. His brother had finally grown up.

Having finished with Qianfan’s hand, Ling Qianjun was now more experienced. He immediately moved on to treat the injuries on Ling Yunge’s and Xu Panqing’s arms and legs.

Since Qianfan had braved the process first, the two women preemptively stuffed cloth into their mouths to prevent themselves from crying out. It was their first time encountering such a disinfectant, and the sight of the bubbling white foam terrified them, filling their hearts with unease. Most importantly, it stung terribly.

Once they were properly bandaged, Ling Qianjun placed the bottle of disinfectant into Ling Qianfan’s hand and pulled back his own collar.

Two hideous, jagged gashes were instantly exposed to the group.

All three of them gasped in unison, looking at Ling Qianjun with deep heartache.

Xu Panqing stepped forward to examine the wounds, tears welling in her eyes. "Jun’er, when did you get hurt? Was it during the assassination attempt by those men in black? Why didn’t you say something sooner? You should have been the first one bandaged! How could you prioritize us over yourself? You... sigh!"

Ling Qianjun smiled faintly, brushing it off. "It’s stopped bleeding, so it’s fine. Besides, if I didn’t show you how to use these supplies first, you wouldn’t know how to bandage me. It’s a bit awkward to reach this spot by myself. Also, the wounds on my back from the caning have split open again. They need to be cleaned and re-bandaged.

"Qianfan, I’m counting on you for this."

Ling Qianjun’s tone was incredibly light. Yet, the weight of those words landed heavily on Ling Qianfan’s heart.