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Jun Wuxian slowly picked up the teacup and sipped it with poise, chuckling softly when he noticed Xun Qingqing staring at him in shock. "Did I scare you?"

"Why would I be scared? He got what he deserved!" Xun Qingqing said indignantly, though she looked at Jun Wuxian with some concern. "But aren’t you afraid? If the Mei Family seeks accountability, you’ll be in trouble."

Jun Wuxian replied wistfully, "I’m not even afraid of killing someone, let alone being held accountable. Didn’t you say he got what he deserved?"

Seeing that Jun Wuxian truly seemed unafraid and knowing his Kung fu was formidable, Xun Qingqing said, "If something really happens, you should run away first. Let my father deal with the mess."

"If I dared to do it, then I’m not afraid. You don’t need to worry about me." Jun Wuxian picked up the teacup again and leisurely sipped the hot tea.

"Right, I’ve been missing for so long, my father must be worried. I need to go back," said Xun Qingqing, standing up to leave, but Jun Wuxian stopped her.

"It’s already very late, and you have injuries on your face. You should rest more. I’ll have Chu Zhao go back and reassure your father."

Xun Qingqing hesitated. "But what if my father doesn’t believe it?"

"Your father is a general; he has his own judgment. Would a kidnapper send a reassuring message to your father?" Jun Wuxian countered.

After thinking it over, Xun Qingqing said, "You make sense. Tell Chu Zhao to inform my father that I’m fine and to not worry."

Jun Wuxian asked, "Did you hear that?"

Chu Zhao, standing by the door, hastily replied, "This subordinate heard it. This subordinate will now go to the Capital to deliver the message."

The journey back to the Capital was quite long, and Chu Zhao would ride a fast horse to convey the message of safety.

After Xun Qingqing had eaten her fill, drowsiness crept over her, but she didn’t want to sleep. She was afraid that upon waking, she would discover it had all been a dream, and that Jun Wuxian hadn’t descended from the heavens to play the hero and save the beauty.

Xun Qingqing, greatly frightened over the past two days, lay down on the bed after Jun Wuxian’s soothing words. "You rest first. If there is any issue, knock on the wall; I can hear you from the next room."

As Jun Wuxian stood to leave, he hadn’t taken a step before noticing someone tugging at his sleeve. He turned to see Xun Qingqing, her eyes full of reluctance.

"What’s wrong?"

Xun Qingqing was now too scared to sleep, even more so to be alone in the room. Only with Jun Wuxian by her side could she feel a bit at ease.

Seeing that she remained silent, Jun Wuxian asked again, "What’s wrong?"

After hesitating for a moment, Xun Qingqing said, "I’m scared. Could you stay with me?"

Jun Wuxian curved his lips into a slight smile. "I thought it was something serious. If you don’t mind..."

Before he could finish, Xun Qingqing interrupted eagerly, "I don’t mind at all."

"Well then," agreed Jun Wuxian as he lifted his robe and sat back down.

Xun Qingqing clutched Jun Wuxian’s sleeve, only relaxing when he had sat down again.

"Jun Wuxian, will my face be disfigured?"

Jun Wuxian had seen the deep gash on her face, the flesh turned inside out. He didn’t know if Xun Qingqing’s face could be fully restored, and he didn’t want to give her hope only to disappoint her later.

"Do you care so much about your appearance?"

Xun Qingqing said, "Of course. There are only two most important things for a girl, her reputation and her face. Losing either is like living a life worse than death."

Jun Wuxian corrected her, "The most important thing is to be alive."

Xun Qingqing countered, "But what’s the point of living if you lose those two things?"

Jun Wuxian comforted her, "A woman adorns herself for the one who cherishes her. If the person who appreciates you doesn’t care about your appearance, then you can ignore all those external factors."

Xun Qingqing challenged, "Would you be willing to marry an ugly freak?"

Jun Wuxian asked in confusion, "Why would I marry an ugly freak?"

Again, Xun Qingqing paused. Yes, who would want to marry an ugly freak? She realized that even the men who had been rejected by her during arranged dates probably wouldn’t want to marry her now.

"Even you say you wouldn’t marry an ugly freak, let alone other men. Who doesn’t care about appearance? I care about appearance myself."

As she spoke, Xun Qingqing lowered her eyes in sorrow, not seeing Jun Wuxian. She had thought that if he returned, she would confess her feelings to him.

Now with this incident, how could she confess? How could she even show her face?

Jun Wuxian hesitated upon hearing her words. It was only natural for a girl to care about her looks.

"I’ll find the best Doctor to treat the wound on your face."

Xun Qingqing, looking at the earnest reassurance on Jun Wuxian’s face, was not foolish. His words meant her face certainly couldn’t be restored.