Chapter 120: Check Up!

"I will take my leave now, Kyle."

After finally addressing him without any honorifics, Xi Yue turned around and began walking toward the courtyard entrance, apparently intending to leave without another word.

Kyle watched her go, momentarily dumbfounded.

’Huh? Did you seriously come here because I wished for you to spawn and talk with me?’

He had certainly hoped she would visit, but he hadn’t expected his wish to be fulfilled so quickly. Besides, he was fairly certain that wishing for something didn’t make it magically appear in front of him.

As much as he appreciated the unexpected company, her behavior was rather strange.

She had arrived at his guesthouse late in the evening, exchanged a few words with him, and was now leaving almost as quickly as she had come.

There had to be a reason for her visit.

Surely, she hadn’t simply wandered over because the universe had decided to grant him a little entertainment.

’Let’s at least ask before she leaves, I guess.’

Kyle straightened slightly in his rocking chair, being careful not to strain his recovering wounds.

"You’re leaving? Are you sure you didn’t come here for something?"

His question stopped Xi Yue in her tracks.

She turned back toward him, her expression momentarily dumbfounded. For a second, she simply stared at him before a look of realization gradually appeared on her face.

’Wait... I forgot I came here to check on him. How could I forget something so important?’

She had nearly walked away without completing the very task that had brought her to his residence.

Elder Gu Yuan had instructed her to check on Kyle’s condition regularly until he had recovered enough to move around without aggravating his injuries. As his apprentice, she had naturally accepted the responsibility.

Yet somehow, during their conversation, she had completely forgotten about it.

Perhaps she had become too absorbed in their discussion. After all, Kyle had been unusually insistent about her abandoning the formalities between them, and she had spent much of their conversation trying to get accustomed to addressing him by his name.

Still, forgetting the entire purpose of her visit was rather embarrassing.

"Uh... I apologize. The reason I came here was to perform a routine checkup and examine the progress of your healing."

She gave a small, slightly awkward laugh at her own forgetfulness.

Kyle’s eyes brightened.

’Oh, baby. Did she just chuckle? Looks like the ice has begun to break pretty quickly.’

He was genuinely pleased.

It might have been an ordinary laugh to anyone else, but to Kyle, it was a welcome sign that Xi Yue was gradually becoming more comfortable around him. She wasn’t behaving quite as stiffly as she had when they first met.

Perhaps his strategy of getting her to drop the honorifics was already working.

Or perhaps he was simply so bored that he had started treating every little interaction as a significant event.

Either way, he wasn’t about to complain.

"Oh, that’s alright. Don’t worry about it. Feel free to do the checkup."

Kyle gestured toward himself with a smile.

Xi Yue nodded and approached him, her expression becoming more serious as she shifted her attention to his condition.

"Please sit still for a moment. I need to examine your wounds."

"Sure, go ahead."

Kyle settled back into the chair, trying to find a comfortable position without putting pressure on his injured shoulder.

Xi Yue stood beside him and carefully inspected the bandages wrapped around his upper body. Her expression grew focused as she examined the areas where the cloth had been secured, looking for signs of fresh bleeding or other complications.

"Have you experienced any unusual pain since the last dressing change? Has the bleeding started again?"

"Not really. It hurts when I move too much, but otherwise, it’s manageable."

That was only partially reassuring. His wounds were still severe, and even relatively minor movements could aggravate them. The fact that he could sit comfortably didn’t mean he had recovered enough to resume his usual activities.

Xi Yue seemed to understand this well.

"Please avoid moving around unnecessarily. Your injuries were quite serious, and you lost a considerable amount of blood. Even if you feel better, that doesn’t mean your body has fully recovered."

"Yeah, I’ve been trying to take it easy."

Kyle wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about admitting it, but there wasn’t much he could do about his current condition.

He couldn’t exactly go charging into the forest again with his body wrapped in bandages.

Xi Yue retrieved the supplies she had brought with her and began preparing to replace the dressings. She worked methodically, first loosening the outer layers of gauze and carefully removing them without pulling against the injured skin.

Kyle instinctively tensed when she reached his shoulder.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little."

"Then please bear with me. I’ll be as careful as possible."

Her voice softened slightly as she continued.

She removed the old bandages piece by piece, examining the wounds as they were exposed. Some areas remained tender and inflamed, while others showed early signs of healing. There was no reason to rush the process, especially when the injuries had been deep enough to leave him in critical condition.

Xi Yue cleaned the affected areas carefully before applying fresh dressings. Whenever she needed to reposition his arm or adjust the cloth around his shoulder, she warned him beforehand so he wouldn’t move unexpectedly.

Kyle watched her work in silence for a while.

’She’s actually pretty considerate.’

He had initially thought the visit might be little more than a formality, but Xi Yue was taking her responsibility seriously. Her movements were gentle and precise, and she seemed genuinely concerned about whether he was experiencing discomfort.

It was a pleasant change from the usual reverence and endless expressions of gratitude.

As she secured another bandage around his torso, Kyle glanced at her face.

"Do you have to do this every day until I recover?"

"Not necessarily every day, but your wounds need to be checked regularly. Elder Gu Yuan told me to make sure they don’t become infected and that the bleeding doesn’t resume."

She adjusted the fresh gauze and checked that it wasn’t too tight.

"If you experience increased pain, fresh bleeding, or a fever, please inform us immediately. And don’t attempt to remove the dressings yourself."

"Understood, Doctor Xi."

Kyle delivered the words with an entirely straight face.

Xi Yue paused and looked at him.

Then she realized he was teasing her.

"I’m not a doctor yet," she replied, a faint smile appearing on her face. "I’m still Elder Gu Yuan’s apprentice."

"Well, you’re the one treating me right now. Doesn’t that make you my doctor for the time being?"

"That’s not quite how it works."

She shook her head, though her expression remained gentler than before.

Kyle chuckled.

For someone who had initially addressed him with such formality, she was beginning to respond to his jokes more naturally. It wasn’t a dramatic change, but it was progress nonetheless.

After finishing the final dressing, Xi Yue inspected the bandages one last time to ensure everything was secure. She then gathered the used gauze and remaining supplies, setting them aside neatly.

"That should do for now. Please continue resting, Kyle. Your wounds still need time to stabilize, so don’t try to rush your recovery."

"Alright. Thanks for taking care of me, Yue’er."

She glanced at him when he used her familiar nickname, but she didn’t correct him.

Instead, she offered a small nod.

"You’re welcome, Kyle."

He leaned back into his rocking chair, feeling considerably more comfortable now that the dressings had been replaced.