In the few weeks that had passed, not many changes happened in Wu Gong's medical centre. He Chun and the twins busied themselves with the never-ending flow of the incoming patients while Lu Wen and Fan Ling were completely immersed in picking up men and women according to Xia Lian's instructions.
Inside a plain wooden room, Xia Lian sat on the floor while stacks of paper lay by her side. Her hair was combed into a neat bun, while a few strands of wild locks traced her fair neck. Her sleeves were rolled up revealing her slim arms; while one hand rested on the study table the other hand held the wooden brush in a death grip. Squinting her eyebrows, Xia Lian dipped the brush in the ink and finished filling up yet another paper with a series of words.
Her calligraphy was nowhere appealing to the eye, it did not contain the elegance and neatness. Her strokes were bold and unruly, displaying her unprecedented intelligence.
Seated near another table which was a few feet away from hers, was Yinri who had drowned her head in the fleet of papers and bamboo scrolls, her hands copying the texts in a relentless fashion.
"Commander, I'm done!" As soon she finished writing the last character, Yinri exclaimed in glee, tossing the badly mutilated brush in her hands to the side.
"Good!" Xia Lian praised the girl without lifting her head.
I've copied countless copies of your notes, can't you be a little more generous with your words?, Yinri facepalmed in her heart, shaking her head she began to stretch her back and hands which had turned numb from sitting in the same position for a long while.
Xia Ming who sat on the side like a little bear stared at his sister with a sulky face- the reason being she had not spared him even a single glance all this time. He wanted his sister's attention, but, the latter was too busy to notice his futile attempts.
He had pulled out many tricks attempting to steal all her attention to himself, but his sister only smiled at him or pinched his cheeks. That was her only response after which she busied herself in her work.
As much as he wanted to disturb her and burn all the papers, he did not find the courage to do so. He had witnessed his sister's anger when Lu Wen accidentally mixed up the papers, he had never seen her so angry. The memory still sent shivers down the poor kid's spine.
Not knowing what to do, he folded his plump arms across his chest while his cheeks puffed up in annoyance. Even Yinri, who had an aversion to kids, stared at his adorable figure haltingly. She then looked up at Xia Lian who remained oblivious to the kid's attempts and sighed, somehow the whole situation seemed funny in her eyes.
Wanting to see how the situation will further develop, Yinri leaned her chin against her palm observing the pondering kid- Soon, a Cheshire cat-like smile spread on his lips as he crawled towards the busy Xia Lian. As soon as she paused the movements of her brush, the little fellow leapt into her lap and settled into a comfortable sitting position after squirming for a while.
The sudden weight on her thighs made Xia Lian cast a helpless glance at the little one who sat straight like a little Buddha. She knew that she had been ignoring the kid all these days, but, it was not on purpose. She wanted to finish writing so that she could spend some quality time with him, but, the kid seemed restless.
Not having the heart to put him down, Xia Lian resumed writing with Xia Ming sitting on her lap.
"pfft..."
Witnessing the entire scenario, Yinri rolled in laughter. With tears in her eyes, she commented cheerfully "Commander, I've never seen you so helpless. Hehe, It seems I finally found your weak spot."
Weak Spot?
Glancing at the fluffy one in her arms, Xia Lian's lips lifted into a faint arc.
Whether he is her strength or weakness, only time will tell. She did not respond to Yinri's tease and continued her work.
Finally feeling bored, Yinri strode towards Xia Lian and plopped down on the floor unceremoniously. Bending forward, she stared at the drawings on the table with astonishment.
"Commander, are you planning to train the men in battle formations?" A glint of excitement flashed in Yinri's eyes which reflected in her voice.
"If they are worthy, then yes."
"But, why are you noting them. Are you not the one training them?" Yinri asked, puzzled.
Xia Lian's paused her movements, which Yinri had clearly noticed. Before she could voice out her doubts, a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in..." Putting her brush down, Xia Lian called out.
The door slid open, revealing a tense Bao Su. Closing the door behind him, he entered the room bringing in the gloomy atmosphere with him.
"Did you find anything suspicious about Fan Ling?"
Feeling suspicious about the background of Fan Ling, she had sent Bao Su to investigate everything about the girl. Bao Su had done a month's worth of work without any results- There were no clues about her or her family. So, she asked Bao Su to monitor her activities secretly.
In response to Xia Lian's inquiry, Bao Su shook his head in denial. Rubbing his head in frustration, he spoke "She is not acting suspiciously. She is doing her work diligently."
Tapping the table softly, Xia Lian nodded "Fine then, let's leave this matter."
Bao Su did not expect Xia Lian to dismiss the matter so easily. Thinking that she is soft-hearted, he started preaching "Master, it's not the right thing to keep questionable people on our side."
"Oh? Then what do you suggest?" Xia Lian narrowed her eyes at Bao Su.
"We can dispose of her..."
Before Bao Su could finish, Xia Lian interrupted.
"Are you saying that we should kill everyone we find suspicious?"
Killing anyone suspicious so as to prevent future threats. Isn't that how all the masters work? Bao Su nodded his head.
Aiya! The thinking of the ancient people is cruel and scary~
She was from a modern world, where the concept of human rights was engraved deep inside her. She knew that she could not change his way of thinking all of a sudden. So, feigning a stern tone, she chastised Bao Su "We will not kill a person without any proof of their wrongdoings. The matter of life and death should not be taken into our hands."
Noticing his bewilderment, she continued "For her entire background to be unknown, something big must have happened. Let's not dig into her past. If she wants to tell us, she will."
" As long as Fan Ling doesn't do anything unforgivable or betray us, I will not harm her. Since we did not find anything about her past, leave it be."
No wonder the prince asked me to guard her, Bao Su still thought that his master was very kind.