The Untamed Princess

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Puzzle Solved

Lin Xing Fu looked up to see four crazed horses almost on top of him.  He closed his eyes and barely had a moment to register his impending death before a pair of strong arms circled around his waist and pulled him from the path of the oncoming threat.

He fell, but did not meet the hard ground.  Instead, he felt soft fabric and a warm body cushioning the impact.

Xing Fu opened his eyes slowly to see a handsome, intelligent face looking up at him.  A single eyebrow lifted inquiringly, before a deep voice spoke.

"Are you going to get up, or shall we stay here all day?"

Xing Fu scrambled to his feet, offering a hand to his saviour to help him rise.

"Sir, thank you.  You saved my life.  How can I possibly repay you?"

The man dusted off his robes and made a non-committal gesture.

"No need," he said.  "I pride myself on saving lives every day.  Although, I must admit, I have never done it in so dramatic a fashion.  Are you hurt at all?"

At this point Weisheng and Luo Jian had reached the two, and Lin Yang was not far behind, albeit without Ming Yue.  Still, Weisheng was not worried.  He had a fair idea what she was doing.

"Doctor Xiao!" exclaimed Weisheng.  "I never took you for a man of heroic gestures.  I am very impressed."

The long-suffering physician turned to the prince to utter a sarcastic retort but, fortunately for the young royal, noticed his plain robes before he spoke.

"Ah, Weisheng, my good friend" he said instead, smirking at the man.

The prince gritted his teeth and smiled back.

"Doctor Lin Xing Fu," he said, turning his attention to the younger man.   "Let me introduce you.  This is my dear friend, Doctor Xiao Yu."

Xing Fu almost fell a second time. Xiao Yu quickly reached out an arm to steady him.

"Doctor Xiao, I am honoured to meet you.  Your reputation amongst the medical profession is unparalleled.  I have long admired your theories on the prevention of infection, and you must tell me how your research is going into the matter of transferring blood from one person to another?"

Xiao Yu looked shocked for a brief moment, then pulled himself together and shot a smug look towards Weisheng.

"It's always nice to meet someone who appreciates my work," he said.

Ming Yue arrived in time to catch the final sentence of their conversation and, having a pretty good idea of what had transpired from the expressions on the faces of Weisheng and his physician friend, stifled a giggle.  Lin Yang, on the other hand, took hold of her brother's arm anxiously.

"Gēge, are you okay?"

He patted her hand reassuringly.