Destitute Maid × Warlord of the Turbulent Era Chapter 7

Lu Tingfeng placed Song Qian onto the bed with the utmost care, tucking the quilt around her with eyes brimming with tenderness and pity. He then gave a soft command, and a shadow guard appeared silently, kneeling on one knee to await his orders.

With a voice low and heavy with unquestionable authority, Lu Tingfeng commanded, "Go prepare some healing ointment and clean clothes. Furthermore, investigate immediately why she suffered such treatment today." The guard acknowledged the order and vanished into the shadows as swiftly as he had appeared.

Lu Tingfeng sat by the bedside, his gaze locked onto Song Qian’s profile. The internal conflict within him surged like a tide, threatening to drown him. He knew well that his affection for Song Qian had taken deep root, yet cruel reality stood between them like a sharp blade. The diagnosis echoed in his mind like a curse: low sperm motility, and the hopelessness of ever fathering a child.

He had consulted countless renowned doctors, both traditional and Western, only to return from each attempt with deeper despair. He realized with agony that he could never grant Song Qian the completeness of happiness, nor could he give her a child of their own. After a long and arduous struggle, he had resigned himself to burying his love, choosing instead to cherish her as one would a daughter.

Yet, the bitterness and torment of this choice were beyond words. Every time he looked at her, his love and his regrets wrestled within him like two venomous snakes, gnawing at his soul.

This was the first time he had ever given his heart so completely to a girl, only to be forced by fate onto this path of pain and helplessness. He did not know how he would face her in the days to come, nor whether he could truly transmute his love into mere kinship.

As Lu Tingfeng sat deep in his painful contemplation, the shadow guard returned as silently as before. "Master, the requested items are prepared, and the matter has been investigated," the guard said respectfully, placing a bundle of clothes and a bottle of medicine on the small table beside the bed.

Lu Tingfeng looked up, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. "Those who bullied her—spare none of them. Handle them according to the household rules. And look into the assassination attempt on me from before." The guard acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Lu Tingfeng sighed softly, picked up the medicine bottle, and poured some ointment onto his fingertips. His movements were gentle and cautious. As he slowly pulled back the quilt, the sight of the crisscrossing bruises on her body caused his brows to furrow, his eyes filled with heartache.

He applied the ointment to her wounds with delicate care; every touch felt like a prick to his own heart. Once finished, he reached for the clean clothes to change her, but the moment his hand touched her garment, he recoiled as if struck by lightning. His face flushed with a sudden, bashful awkwardness. Ultimately, he simply set the clothes aside, tucked her back in, and sat by her side to keep watch, his thoughts still spiraling in a vortex of pain and conflict.

In her sleep, Song Qian seemed to sense his attentive care. Her brows fluttered, and she murmured something unintelligible. Lu Tingfeng leaned in, trying to catch her words, but could only discern faint, broken cries of "pain" and "no."

His heart tightened further. He gripped her hand firmly, whispering words of comfort as if he could banish the terror and pain from her dreams.

Time passed until, eventually, Song Qian stirred from her slumber. She slowly opened her eyes to find Lu Tingfeng’s face, etched with concern and weariness, hovering over her.

For a moment, she felt dazed. The hardships of the previous day flooded back into her mind, yet the presence of Lu Tingfeng by her side offered a strange, unexpected warmth and solace. Seeing her awake, a look of relief washed over his face. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly. "Does it still hurt?" Song Qian shook her head slightly and attempted to sit up, but the movement tugged at her wounds, causing her to gasp in pain. Lu Tingfeng reached out instantly to support her, his eyes filled with profound worry.