Chapter 21: The Princess Consort’s Strange Worries
The original Lin Xueyi rarely touched dust or anything dirty because, ever since she was a little girl, her father had raised her to become the wife of a nobleman.
He always said that no nobleman would want to marry a woman who couldn’t take good care of her skin.
Because of that, she had been taught to avoid anything that might leave scars, roughen her hands, or damage her fair complexion. Even the smallest scratch would make her father unhappy.
As a result, her skin remained soft and flawless, but it also became much more sensitive than that of an ordinary person. Even a small amount of an irritating substance could cause a severe allergic reaction.
Fortunately, Lin Xueyi wore gloves while making the medicine yesterday, or her hands would probably have been covered in severe blisters since last night.
"How long will it take for my hand to heal?" Lin Xueyi asked, letting out a soft hiss as Physician Liu gently applied a soothing ointment to the burns.
After carefully wrapping her hand with clean gauze, Physician Liu replied, "It depends, Your Highness. But since your skin is so delicate, it may take about a week for it to recover completely."
Lin Xueyi pouted a little. [Who would have thought this woman’s skin could be this delicate?] she complained inwardly.
She added, [Back then, I was even used to cleaning my boss’s dirty toilet!]
Rong Shuyan frowned as he listened to her thoughts. He couldn’t understand why she had ever needed to clean someone else’s toilet.
Meanwhile, Lin Xueyi looked over at Rong Shuyan’s hands. They were still red, but after Physician Liu carefully applied the soothing ointment, the redness slowly began to fade.
[He’s the one with the fragile body, yet I’m the one who ended up looking like I’m at death’s door.]
She let out a soft sigh before turning to Rong Shuyan. "Your Highness, please forgive me," she said apologetically. "I failed to complete the task you entrusted to me."
[I actually have the real Golden Wound Medicine, but I’ll give it to him later.]
Lin Xueyi smiled to herself. [That way, Yanyan will definitely think I’m a hardworking person who never gives up!]
Rong Shuyan was left speechless. Even after getting injured, his scheming wife was still thinking about how to make such a dramatic reveal.
Most people would be worried about their injuries first. Lin Xueyi, on the other hand, was only worried about making the right impression on him.
He sighed. "You don’t need to apologize," Rong Shuyan said calmly. "Take good care of your hand first."
Lin Xueyi looked up at him and nodded obediently. "Yes, Your Highness."
[I’ll recover quickly. Then I’ll surprise you with the real Golden Wound Medicine!]
Rong Shuyan lowered his eyes, hiding the helpless smile that almost appeared on his face.
His wife was a little weird, but she was also a source of entertainment in his otherwise dull life.
"For the time being, you must keep your hand away from water, at least until the blisters have dried," Physician Liu said patiently. "You should also avoid touching anything dirty, especially dust. Otherwise, the wound could become irritated again, Your Highness."
Physician Liu then handed the jar of soothing ointment to Mei Lu. "Apply a thin layer to Her Highness’s hand three times a day," he instructed. "Each time you apply the ointment, remove the old bandage first and replace it with a clean one."
Mei Lu carefully accepted the medicine with both hands. "Yes, Physician Liu. I understand."
He nodded in satisfaction before turning back to Lin Xueyi. "If the blisters break on their own, do not peel away the loose skin," he reminded her. "Leave it alone and let it heal naturally. Otherwise, it may leave scars."
[Scars?!] Lin Xueyi suddenly panicked. [In this era, a woman with scars will definitely have a hard life. Maybe Yanyan will abandon me too!]
It wasn’t because she loved Rong Shuyan or anything like that. But in ancient times, if a noble husband cast his wife aside, her future would be ruined.
Her family would likely shut their doors on her. Her reputation would be destroyed, and no respectable family would be willing to take her in. Once that happened, living the rest of her life in peace would become almost impossible.
[What if he doesn’t divorce me? He’ll probably move me to some old, shabby building far away from the manor.]
In the original story, Rong Shuyan had killed his wife and never had another romantic relationship after that. Because of that, Lin Xueyi couldn’t be sure what he would do to her instead.
She swallowed hard. [No... I can’t let that happen.]
[If I end up living alone in some abandoned courtyard, I’d be bored to death.]
She stole a quick glance at Rong Shuyan before looking away again. [Besides, he’s finally starting to treat me a little better. It would be such a waste if all that progress disappeared because of a few scars.]
Rong Shuyan’s frown deepened. He couldn’t understand how Lin Xueyi could think ten steps ahead about something that hadn’t even happened yet.
If she was so worried about scars, perhaps she should remember that her own husband was a disabled man who could lose his life if he stayed too far from the brazier for too long.
"I won’t! I won’t peel it or let it leave a scar!" Lin Xueyi promised at once.
Before Physician Liu could say another word, Rong Shuyan spoke first. "Scars aren’t the biggest concern. If you peel the wound, it could become infected. If that happens, the wound will take much longer to heal."
Physician Liu nodded in agreement. "His Highness is right. The new skin underneath is still very weak. If you peel it too soon, the wound may reopen and become infected."
Lin Xueyi immediately straightened her back. "I understand."
[Yanyan just said that scars aren’t the main problem. Does he mean that even if I end up with a scar, he won’t divorce me?]