As the doctor put the salve onto Le Xaan blistered spots, Qiki's eye promised tears at any time. She stretched her hand out in an attempt to touch the wounds but soon withdrew it, in fear that she might make Le Xaan hurt.
After this, Le Xaan began to let his wounds mend at home and didn't bother to go to school over the following days.
In merely half a month, most of his injuries were fully recovered. But his skin appeared hairless now.
To his surprise, his skin was left with no burn scars. But all his hair was gone, including his head hair, eyebrows, and beard. His head looked like a glossy oval.
After his absence from school, the Annual National Examination drew near.
Soan Jingor didn't contact Le Xaan after he went back home. It was unclear what he was busy with. As for Chin Gerron, he sent a letter to Le Xaan, thanking him for saving his life. But Chin Gerron didn't mention anything about the ghost ship in the letter. Perhaps Soan Jingor didn't told him about it, or Chin Gerron simply didn't believe it after he was informed about it.
In the letter, Chin Gerron brought up the fact that he was barred from leaving home. Even though patronizing a pleasure cruiser couldn't be viewed as an evil deed, it's also not something decent. What's more, he nearly died in a fire on the ship. This caused his old father to hit the roof and ground him within the Chin Mansion.
But Chin Wensy, his younger sister, paid a visit to Le Xaan's dwelling to express the family's thanks and present Le Xaan with a pair of white jade pendants. On behalf of her father, she invited Le Xaan to visit their Mansion after his wounds were healed.
When when she came to Le Xaan's place, seeing Le Xaan's hairless head, she felt sorry for his sufferings but was amused at the same time. She kept his company for a long time and didn't return home until the twilight descended.
After Le Xaan had an extended period of rest at home, his body was gradually recovered. By then, he was of a mind to test his current strength. The last eruptive strike during combat with the white-dressed female ghost sparked his curiosity.
But before he could implement his test, a person appeared unexpectedly.
.........
At Intoxication Tea House next to the General Commander Prefecture.
On the third floor, Le Xaan was seated across a table from a pretty woman clad in black gossamer in a private room.
On the table was placed all sorts of desserts, fruits, and nuts. A vermillion red teapot rested in the center of the table, its spout releasing puffs of steam. In front of each of the two was a cup half-full of greenish tea.
Le Xaan picked up a piece of dried fig and put it into his mouth, chewing. His gaze on the woman opposite him was calm.
"This is what time we've met?"
Deumu Wann smiled, her face drawn with fatigue. "I Just dropped by the city to meet... well... a friend, probably. I have never expected that I would came across you on the street."
While riding through the street, she accidentally saw Le Xaan eating breakfast in a stall. Then, Le Xaan proposed going to a tea house together. And she accepted the proposal delightfully.
"Miss Deumu, had you been chasing after the treasure earlier on?"
The reason why Le Xaan was able to gain insights into the inferno in Gourian City was because Deumu Wann laid it bare to him. So, he expected to garner more information from the mysterious woman, especially those regarding the realm she was in.
"Yes... many people had been chasing after it." Deumu's tiredness was visibly evident. She was clad in black gossamer. On the clothes hanger in a corner of the room was her bamboo conical hat. While on the street, Le Xaan could barely tell she was Deumu Wann but for her distinctive dressing style, since her face was concealed.
Le Xaan glanced at her hands. The sleeves around her slender and snowy-white hands were tattered and bloodstained. Her pants legs was tainted with some muddy spots, apparently from a hasty journey. And the dark circles under her eyes suggested her lack of sleep recently.
"You looks like rather tired." Le Xaan said.
Deumu Wann nodded, releasing a sigh. Her calmness and enchanting charm from before had vanished without a trace on her face.
"Some people always believe that they will win and they're invariably right, turning a deaf ear to any advice. No matter how many pieces of evidences you lay before them and how sincerely you try to persuade them, they remain as strong-headed as ever... How do you view this kind of people? Are they nasty, or not?"
Le Xaan replied after a moment of silence.
"Yes, they are indeed nasty."
Deumu Wann wistfully reached up to smooth her hairs, then cast a glance out of the window. She suddenly said with a chuckle, "Sometimes I feel you people are happier. You know nothing and have no need to know anything. You only have to face the result."
"Maybe." Le Xaan smiled, shaking his head.
"Knowing too much is tiresome and puts me in panic." Deumu said with a low voice.
"Nevertheless, I hope to know more. This way, I could at least see the hope of taking the reins of my destiny." Le Xaan said faintly.
"Maybe." Deumu Wann heaved a sigh.
Actually, the two of them stumbled upon each other completely by chance.
The sight of Le Xaan reminded Deumu Wann of that man that she had admired and loved. However, she had no chances to get close to that man once more.
She could only stand and watch from the distance as the man emerged, walked into the spotlight, ascended to the peak, then fell like a meteor. From start to finish, she never got the opportunity to express her feelings to him.
Now, she found Le Xaan bearing a semblance to that man, that's why she agreed to drink tea with him.
While gazing at Le Xaan across from her, she could not help but laugh bitterly inwardly. If those people were to know that she had spent some time drinking tea leisurely with an ordinary person under such urgent conditions, she wondered what mocking words would escape their lips.
But, so what?
She was the Princess Chilling Autumn! A vicious woman to be feared! What if they said some sarcastic words?
She could do whatever she pleased! Who could make her change her mind?