Mrs Qin left the room, giving them privacy. 

Rucheng turned her attention to the man who came for a visit and felt nervous from his stare. “Wh, why did you come here?” 

Juimin raised his hand and cupped her cheek. He ran a thumb over the hand print mark and Rucheng could tell that he was upset.

“Suspending her isn’t enough,” he mumbled. 

She raised a brow teasing, “Oh wow, don’t tell me you actually care about me.”

She chuckled, but the amusement disappeared when she saw sadness in his eyes. 

Swallowing, she moved her face, letting his hand hang awkwardly, and said, “Mr Kim, I think you’re overstepping your boundaries.” 

“Am I not allowed to care for you?” He asked her. 

She stared him dead in the eyes, saying, “It makes no sense to me.” 

Things went silent as they stared at one another.

Rucheng had a point.

Who was he to her?

But did it matter? 

Then again, he’s been warned to stay away from her and Rucheng?

He could tell that she had her walls up. 

Standing up from the bed, he walked to the window and saw two birds flying in the sky. “You said we’re all new characters in your life.” 

She recalled herself saying those words and said as she stared at his back, “Those are the words of a madwoman. Did you believe me?” 

He sighed as he turned around, saying, “Yes, I do. Would it be a problem if you got to know this new character?” 

She opened her mouth to answer him, but suddenly a sharp pain stabbed her brain as a flash of memories came flooding into her mind. 

Rucheng yelled in pain as her nose and eyes started bleeding. 

Juimin rushed to her side and held her as he screamed for help. 

Mrs Qin and the physician arrived in the room and the physician gave her a medicinal green pill to calm her down as well as to stop the pain she was experiencing, but it wasn’t helping. 

“What’s happening to her?” Juimin asked in panic. 

Mrs Qin looked at him confused then shook her head, but just then the door swung open and in walked a white-haired elderly man. 

He sat down on the bed and examined Rucheng. 

“Gwa, Gwanliin?” Mrs Qin asked, worried. 

He looked at her, saying, “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. Take them with you outside while I see to her.” 

Juimin and the physician looked at each other, stunned, then were urged out of the room by Mrs Qin. The man who walked in had a cultivation base beyond what they could see and they couldn’t recognise such an expert. 

As they stood outside the room listening to Rucheng’s screams, the physician asked, “Mrs Qin, who is that expert?” 

Gwanliin was in his current age form as a human. Before when Rucheng met him, she like his feminine look, but that was the previous Rucheng demand. He had wanted to age himself appropriately and dress accordingly, but she wouldn’t let him and when he addressed this with the current Rucheng, she allowed it and told him to play the role of her father. 

Mrs Qin looked at them nervously as she answered, “My, my lover.” 

*

Gwanliin stepped out of the room and looked at Mrs Qin. “She has settled down now. You can go check up on her.” 

Mrs Qin rushed in and stopped by the bed. Gwanliin took one glance at Juimin, then at the physician and said, “If it’s okay with you. We’d like to take her home.”

The physician nodded his head. “Su, sure.” 

Juimin didn’t stay to listen to him, he just wanted to make sure that Rucheng was fine. 

When he stopped at the bed, she was fast asleep as Mrs Qin wiped her face clear of the blood. 

Juimin looked down at his hand and it was trembling.

He was scared.

How could he be scared when it wasn’t him in trouble?

*

After Gwanliin left with his family, Juimin returned to the pavilion and saw that the meeting was over and his family was waiting for him.

When Sang Chul saw his brother, he rushed up to him and hugged his legs. Juimin picked him up as he asked, “Are you feeling better now?”

Sang Chul shook his head. “Is my teacher okay?”

Juimin nodded his head after thinking up a lie. “Mn she is. She is at home now and it’s time for us to go home too, right?”

“But I want to see her,” he whimpered.

Juimin shook his head, “Enough! Rucheng needs to rest too. We’re going home!”

Sang Chul was stunned that his brother raised his voice at him. General Kim and his wives, too.

Juimin looked at his parents, saying, “Let’s go. We still have to finish things at the base.”

“Brother…” Sang Chul whispered, drawing his attention.

Juimin sighed, patting his back saying, “Enough now, let’s go home.”