Release the Heroine, Let Me Handle This

Chapter 68: Convincing Xiao Zhang

Xiao Zhang naturally wouldn’t remain passive. When Ye Wenxin greeted her, she feigned confusion, saying, "Sister, you must have mistaken me for someone else."

Ye Wenxin's lips curled into a slight smile. "There were three other people nearby. How did you know I was calling you?"

Xiao Zhang paused, recalling that indeed, there had been others nearby. She had inadvertently revealed herself.

"Because you were looking at me, I assumed you were calling me," Xiao Zhang tried to clarify, unwilling to easily concede.

"Really? But you did pause instinctively," Ye Wenxin continued, calmly pointing out her observations.

Despite the myriad disguises, one's eyes often betray them. Xiao Zhang's eyes were different from others—filled with a sorrowful struggle, as if on the brink of despair.

"No, I didn’t. Sister, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving..." Before she could finish, Ye Wenxin embraced her.

Startled, Xiao Zhang stiffened; had Ye Wenxin been a man, she might have responded with a slap.

"But you still carry the scent of Wanli Fragrance," Ye Wenxin noted, detecting the distinct aroma lingering on Xiao Zhang—a crucial clue.

Wanli Fragrance is a rare sandalwood incense that enhances cultivation and concentration. Such an expensive incense is rarely accessible to ordinary people. Prolonged exposure can cause the scent to permeate clothing.

"You... Miss Ye, please don't make things difficult for me. I'm just following orders," Xiao Zhang admitted, dropping her act when Ye Wenxin pinpointed the key detail.

"I'm grateful you covered for me in class this morning. I owe you, not the other way around," Ye Wenxin chuckled, holding Xiao Zhang's hand while channeling her qi to assess her condition.

"Pretending not to know me is the best gratitude," Xiao Zhang replied, disliking Ye Wenxin's familiar approach and trying to withdraw her hand, only to find she couldn't.

Realizing she had underestimated Ye Wenxin, Xiao Zhang's expression grew wary.

"Don't look so alarmed. I just think you're nice and want to be friends," Ye Wenxin pressed on, unbothered by decorum. Since arriving at Cangyu Sect, this was her first time taking the initiative with someone.

"I'm just a servant. Befriending Miss Ye would be presumptuous," Xiao Zhang replied coldly, her pride and dignity as a superior evident.

To Xiao Zhang, Ye Wenxin might seem like a mere plaything for her master. Once bored, Long Qing'er would discard her.

Thus, Xiao Zhang reserved her respect solely for Long Qing'er.

"I'm just a nobody too, not much of a reach. But Xiao Zhang, have you considered seeing a doctor? If I'm not mistaken, you might only have three months left," Ye Wenxin released her grip, delivering unsettling news that darkened Xiao Zhang's face.

"You... how do you know?"

"I'm trained in medicine, naturally I have some skills. I suspect you've often been injured without proper treatment, leading to excessive internal bruising and weakness, unable to gather qi, correct?" Ye Wenxin recalled the internal injuries described in the Soul-Calming Eighteen Needles: accumulated damage becoming debilitating.