Chapter 24: Neither Painful nor Itchy

As Meng Zexiao and Kong Lingxin stepped out of the car, Sister Qi, who had come to open the door for them, remarked, "Dr. Peng is here; she has been waiting in the house all this time."

Kong Lingxin checked the time. It was nearly ten o'clock. What was the meaning of this woman waiting here at such an hour?

Perhaps hearing the sound of the car, Peng Nan emerged from the living room. Without so much as a glance at Kong Lingxin, she walked straight to Meng Zexiao, feigning deep concern. "Second Young Master, how is your wound? I’ve been waiting to change your dressing for today before I head back."

Meng Zexiao, however, replied with clear displeasure, "There is no need. You may go!"

Observing Meng Zexiao’s impatient attitude toward Peng Nan, Kong Lingxin thought to herself that this man was a cold-hearted creature once his pants were on; he acted as if the sheets they had shared simply never happened. Reflecting on this, Meng Zexiao’s image in her mind plummeted even further.

Although Kong Lingxin found Meng Zexiao entirely insufferable, she wanted to see Peng Nan suffer even more. After all, her opportunities to cross paths with Peng Nan were rare, and she wouldn't let this chance pass. Dealing with Peng Nan was the priority.

Striking a pose of authority as the lady of the house, Kong Lingxin said, "Dr. Peng, what is the meaning of this? Coming here in the middle of the night to pester my husband about changing his dressing? If we need you, we will contact you. When we don't, I suggest you recognize your place! Sister Qi, tell the security guards tomorrow that Dr. Peng is not allowed to enter unless the Second Young Master or I explicitly request her presence."

Peng Nan’s expression shifted dramatically. She retorted, "It was Madam Meng who instructed me to take good care of the Second Young Master. I cannot betray the trust Madam Meng has placed in me just because of a few trifling words from the Second Young Mistress!"

A fine excuse—"betraying Madam Meng’s trust." Indeed, this Peng Nan was clearly in league with Madam Meng. Perhaps the arrival of the psychiatrist, Dr. Liu Xitong, earlier that day was also orchestrated by her.

"Doctors are paid for their skills, not their tongues! When you are needed, you will naturally be summoned!"

Peng Nan was livid, but she dared not vent her frustration, as Meng Zexiao had yet to take a firm stance. She turned to him, her demeanor shifting instantly. "Second Young Master, let’s go inside and change the dressing. Once that’s done, I will leave immediately so as not to cause the Second Young Mistress any further misunderstanding."

Throughout this entire exchange, Peng Nan was focused solely on posturing and currying favor with Meng Zexiao, never once sparing a glance for his injured arm. Kong Lingxin couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for Meng Zexiao.

Kong Lingxin said bluntly, "Dr. Peng, you keep insisting you are here to change my husband’s dressing, yet until now, I haven't seen you look at his injured arm even once. I have every reason to believe you aren't here for the dressing at all. As for your true intentions, you know them well, and I see no need to spell them out."

Meng Zexiao flew into a rage. "Enough! Both of you, be quiet! Old Qin, take Dr. Peng to a place where she can catch a taxi."

To everyone's surprise, Meng Zexiao stood on Kong Lingxin’s side, and rather than having the driver take her home, he ordered her to be dropped off where she would have to find her own transport.

Peng Nan was clearly unreconciled to this arrangement. Just as she was about to protest, Sister Qi stepped forward and said, "Dr. Peng, this way, please!"

Even the servant was showing her the door. Peng Nan was so furious her face twisted, but with Meng Zexiao’s stance already clear, there was no point in lingering.

After Peng Nan left, Meng Zexiao turned to see the trace of a smile Kong Lingxin hadn't yet managed to hide.

"Satisfied now?" Meng Zexiao asked.

Since he had seen through her, there was no point in pretending otherwise. Kong Lingxin simply admitted, "It was alright."

Meng Zexiao’s face darkened. "Since you drove the doctor away, you can handle the wound yourself!"

"What?" Kong Lingxin imagined the bloody scene and felt her scalp tingle. "Is there no other family doctor in the Meng household? A male doctor, perhaps?"

"No!"

"Then what about Dr. Liu Xitong from this morning?"

"You ask too many questions!"

Perhaps he knew that the man who came this morning was a psychiatrist; naturally, her mother-in-law wouldn't keep the truth from her son.

Kong Lingxin didn't bother arguing. She told Sister Qi, "Sister Qi, please bring the medical kit to our room."

Sister Qi was unsure what was happening, but as the housekeeper, it was not her place to ask. She followed the Second Young Mistress's instructions and brought the kit to their room. "Second Young Mistress, is there anything else you need?"

"Nothing else, Sister Qi. Thank you, you may go and rest."

Sister Qi still found the Second Young Mistress's politeness somewhat jarring. "Second Young Mistress, there is no need to be so formal with me. I will head down now; please call if you need anything."

After Sister Qi left, Kong Lingxin turned to see the man sitting on the edge of the bed with a dark expression. She felt a sudden wave of trepidation. She had traded a moment of spite for an entire night of trouble—how tiresome!

Seeing her standing frozen at the door, Meng Zexiao snapped, "If you aren't dead yet, come over here and change my dressing!"

Kong Lingxin walked over and helped him remove his jacket and shirt. The white gauze was already soaked through with blood. She took cotton balls, gauze, hydrogen peroxide, and the ointment from the hospital out of the kit. She carefully peeled the tape from his arm, removed the old gauze, and tossed it into the trash.

The wound had reopened and was bleeding; blood scabs had formed along the edges. Kong Lingxin gripped a cotton ball with tweezers, soaked it in hydrogen peroxide, but hesitated, unsure where to begin.

"Shall we just go to the hospital instead?" she asked.

Meng Zexiao glared at her.

"Never mind, forget I said anything!" she muttered to herself. *It’s not my pain, and the scar won't be on my body.*

Following the first-aid knowledge she had once learned, she cleaned the wound carefully. Despite her caution, he winced, his brow furrowing as he gritted his teeth, though he did not make a sound.

She applied the ointment to the gauze, placed it over the wound, and secured it with tape, meticulously avoiding the areas where his skin was already irritated and red.

Finally, she wrapped the wound in plastic film. "There. You can take a shower now, but don't let it get wet, or the wound might get infected."

Meng Zexiao looked at her. "You will bathe me."

"What!?" Kong Lingxin leaped a full meter away.