Chapter 6: Slapped in the Face

In Doctor Xiao Jingshan's view, anyone personally carried into Rose Manor by Fu Jichen for meticulous care must be of high status, and he dared not be negligent.

After carefully examining the woman's injuries on the bed, Xiao Jingshan initially determined they were superficial and did not damage any organs.

Fu Jichen had previously described the situation over the phone. He handed over the medicine for treating external injuries from the medical kit he brought to Zhou Rongzhen: "It's best to clean the dirty water from the wounds before applying the medicine to avoid infection."

"Got it," Zhou Rongzhen replied.

After showering, Fu Jichen walked slowly from the master bedroom, his damp short hair semi-dry, giving highlights to his exquisitely handsome face, intensified by the deep blue robe that draped his tall, slender frame. He paused at the doorway, meeting Xiao Jingshan, who was on his way out, and asked, "How is it?"

Xiao Jingshan stopped and replied, "I've checked everywhere except the inconvenient areas. Most of the injuries are from falls and scratches by hard objects, not from being beaten, and there shouldn't be any internal damage. If you're worried, you could take her to the hospital for a full check-up once she regains consciousness."

Upon hearing it wasn't serious, Fu Jichen pondered briefly and asked, perplexed, "Why is she unconscious?"

Xiao Jingshan hesitated, then smiled, "There could be many reasons. I'm not sure what happened to her, so it's hard to conclude. It might be due to excessive fright and physical exhaustion, leading to unconsciousness."

"Alright, I understand," Fu Jichen said.

He took out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from the square pocket of his robe, handed Xiao Jingshan one, took one for himself, lit it, and tossed the lighter to Xiao Jingshan.

Xiao Jingshan used both hands, almost failing to catch it: "I forgot to remind you, even though her condition isn't serious, don't take it lightly; there's a risk of a high fever tonight."

In the quiet, dim hallway, the cigarette glowed intermittently, shrouding Fu Jichen's face in a pale white mist, obscuring his expression. Only his voice could be heard: "Then stay the night."

"What?"

"If you don't want to be woken up in the middle of the night and rush to my house."

It took a moment for Xiao Jingshan to understand: Fu Jichen wanted him to stay at Rose Manor overnight to prevent having to rush over half-asleep if the young woman had any issues during the night, which would be troublesome.

Strange, who exactly is the girl on the bed?

Fu Jichen called the housekeeper to prepare a room for Doctor Xiao on the second floor, telling them not to go to the third floor.

The third floor was his private domain.

What could Xiao Jingshan say? Naturally, he agreed respectfully.

*

The three buildings of Rose Manor were connected by a corridor, with four floors above ground and two below, with over a hundred rooms of various sizes.

Unreservedly, Xiao Jingshan chose a suite-like bedroom on the second floor. It was regularly cleaned by servants, hence spotless. Zhou Rongzhen only needed to change the bed linens, and it was ready for occupancy.

"Thanks for your trouble, Aunt Zhen," Xiao Jingshan said, sitting on the sofa by the bed.

He crossed his legs, flicked open his metallic lighter, and lit the cigarette Fu Jichen had handed him earlier.

"It's my duty," Zhou Rongzhen replied kindly, smoothing the wrinkles on the sheet before standing up. "Call me if you need anything. I'm going upstairs to check on the girl."

Mentioning the "girl," Xiao Jingshan couldn't contain his curiosity. He exhaled a puff of smoke, sat up straight, and asked, "Is the girl Fu Da's girlfriend?"

As a housekeeper, discussing the employer's private matters was taboo. Zhou Rongzhen was particularly cautious in this regard. Startled, she quickly said, "I don't know, I truly don't know."

Xiao Jingshan was a few years older than Fu Jichen, now thirty-five, amiable and humorous, occasionally making innocuous jokes. His question had been casual, with no hidden meanings, so he gestured for the housekeeper to leave.

Zhou Rongzhen breathed a silent sigh of relief, closed the door, and went upstairs, entering the guest room.

By herself, she enlisted the help of a maid, and together they removed Shen Jianian's tattered dress, fetched a basin of warm water, and carefully washed her face and body, afraid of causing further harm.

The young maid, seeing the cleansed face, was amazed by its delicate beauty and murmured, "She's so pretty."

Zhou Rongzhen shot her a warning glance.

Aunt Zhen, usually gentle and forgiving, rarely showed temper. There were no others around, and the master was working in the study, so the maid pretended not to see the warning, softly saying, "I'm just speaking the truth. I've never seen such a beautiful girl; her skin is white as milk. Do you know who she is to the master?"

"Tsk," Zhou Rongzhen frowned, her tone stern, "All my previous warnings seem to go unheard. Are you planning to stay on this job?"

The maid stuck out her tongue, lifted the girl's hand from the bed, and gently wiped it with a cloth towel.

Regarding the application of medicine, Zhou Rongzhen took over, disliking others' clumsy inattention to detail.

*

At just past two a.m., the study was bright as day.

Fu Jichen took a sip from the now-cold coffee beside him, slightly furrowing his brows, his focus on the computer before him. The screen's glow illuminated his handsome face, revealing the darkness in his eyes.

He gripped the mouse, deleting an email from Beicheng's old department.

Fu Family members were not to be trifled with. He'd been away from the group headquarters for only half a year, and significant movements had already begun. His second and third uncles and aunt, along with their children, were openly and covertly vying for control.

It's often said that when gods fight, bystanders suffer.

When Fu Family members fought, even those who weren't bystanders suffered. It's a shame for the Shen Group; reaching this stage from scratch wasn't easy…

Fu Jichen turned off the study light, kneading his neck to relax the stiff, aching muscles.

As he passed a certain guest room, he hesitated briefly, then pushed open the door.

A wall lamp emitted a faint, warm glow. The person on the bed was curled up in their blanket, and a few murmurs broke the night's profound silence.

Initially planning to just take a look, Fu Jichen changed his mind, stepping inside to sit on the bed's edge to hear more clearly.

"Mom... Mom... Little Nian misses you..."

The person on the bed shuddered slightly, brows tightly knitted, with a painfully stricken expression, tears silently dribbling down her face, tracing the tender skin to her ears.

Fu Jichen retrieved a tissue from the bedside box, gently wiping her tears.

Suddenly, a soft, burning hand grasped his large palm, and a sorrowful voice intermittently pleaded, "Mom... can you... read 'The Little Prince' to me again?"

Covering her forehead with his other hand, Fu Jichen sensed a fever, confirming Doctor Xiao's prediction — she indeed had a high fever.

Shen Jianian had a dream. In it, her mother sat by her bed, holding a hard-cover copy of 'The Little Prince' with colored illustrations. Though her mother moved her lips, reading the words, her ears seemed enveloped in fog, hearing nothing.

As her mother read, her figure faded away like a mist dispelled by the wind. Desperate, she reached out, trying to grasp her, but all in vain.

"Mom, don't leave me!"

Shen Jianian's hand flailed in the air, then her body trembled, jerking her awake from the nightmare. Her dim vision caught a glimpse of deep blue. In an instant, fear overwhelmed her, for a moment believing herself still trapped in that maniac's cage, unable to escape.

She recalled the maniac wearing a deep blue robe, approaching her step by step.

Every hair on her body stood on end, she lashed out blindly, yelling, "Monster! Get away! Don't touch me!"

A sudden "slap" echoed, and Fu Jichen, unable to retreat in time, was hit, leaving red imprints on his pale cheek.