In the end, the tense confrontation between Missy and Bryson ended when Bryson suddenly collapsed due to a high fever.
The doctor rushed over after being called.
He carefully reapplied medicine to Bryson's wounds and examined his condition thoroughly.
Then, in a serious and firm tone, the doctor warned Missy.
She had to take care of Bryson with full dedication. She couldn't let him go through any more stress or he might be in danger.
Missy had no idea that most of Bryson's wounds had reopened.
She stood beside the unconscious Bryson, looking at his pale and fragile face.
Her heart was full of helplessness and worry.
She sighed softly.
Even though Bryson had deceived her, she still hoped he would recover soon.
That way, she could leave this place as early as possible.
As for what she owed him, she would repay it slowly.
During the following days, Missy devoted herself fully to taking care of Bryson.
She no longer argued with him about what happened before. Instead, she focused on caring for him.
Thanks to Missy's careful attention, Bryson's condition gradually improved.
His face slowly regained color, and his wounds began to heal.
"Thank you for everything these past few days, Missy."
Bryson took the medicine Missy handed him and looked at her happily.
"Bryson, drink it quickly!"
Missy's hands, treated with the medicine Bryson had made, had already healed completely.
Bryson nodded and drank it all in one go.
In truth, Missy hadn't done anything especially remarkable.
She just went to the door each day to get the medicine from the inn servant on time,
then carefully gave it to Bryson.
Other than that, she hadn't really done much else.
But if one had to say what she did?
Maybe it was simply that she didn't make Bryson so angry that his wounds reopened.
Bryson's gaze fell on the men's clothes Missy was wearing.
"Missy, my wounds are almost fully healed. Let's check out of the inn and leave later."
He passed the bowl to Missy and continued speaking.
"I want to take you to choose some new clothes. You can't keep wearing men's clothes all the time."
For the past few days, Missy had been wearing the men's clothes that the carriage driver had bought for them.
Even though she had a slender figure, the clothes gave her a certain charm.
She gently took the bowl from Bryson and placed it on the table nearby.
She knew the inn servant would come clean up later.
"That won't be necessary. These clothes suit me well. I don't need anything new."
Bryson frowned slightly. He knew how stubborn Missy could be.
But since their relationship had just started to warm up, he didn't want to argue over a small matter.
He looked at Missy deeply and let out a quiet sigh.
He made up his mind to wait for a better moment.
Then he would help her pick out some suitable clothes.
...
The county town of Wujiang was full of people,
lively and crowded, with people coming and going along every street and alley. Vendors were everywhere.
There were all kinds of goods on display, dazzling to the eyes.
Missy wore a light veil and curiously looked at everything around her.
She noticed that even though the crowds were constant,
most of the faces were men.
The few women she saw were always accompanied by one or two men.
It was rare to see a woman walking alone.
Even the street vendors were almost all men.
Missy felt a bit uneasy inside. These sights were far beyond what she had imagined.
She couldn't help but ask the man beside her, Bryson, "Bryson, are women here not allowed to go outside? I haven't seen any women selling things along the way."
Bryson looked at Missy and replied, "Those things are done by men. Women just stay at home. It's not that women can't go out, but they can't go out alone."
Missy grew even more confused. "Why not?"
Bryson answered again, "Because someone might snatch them away."
Missy fell silent. She looked around and noticed that most of the women here had darker, rougher skin. Their facial features were plain, and some were even quite large in build.
She couldn't help but wonder, would anyone really try to snatch women like this? She couldn't understand the beauty standards here at all. It made her almost doubt whether people in this world had a distorted view of beauty.
But she didn't dare to ask Bryson that kind of question.
As they reached a corner of the street, they saw a large crowd gathered, shouting and talking about something.
Missy became curious. "Bryson, what are those people doing?"
"Selling something," Bryson said, trying to pull Missy away. He didn't want her to see what was happening inside.
"Let's go, Missy!"
Just as he grabbed her hand, the crowd started to break apart.
Two men were dragging a woman who had a tag on her head, clearly marked for sale.
She was crying loudly and struggling with all her strength, but it was useless.
Missy's eyes widened in shock. Was that woman being sold?
Then another man walked out.
The woman immediately turned to him, crying and saying something desperately. Her face was full of pleading.
But the man wasn't moved at all. He shouted at her harshly, then turned and walked away without hesitation.
In the end, the woman was forcibly taken away by the two men and disappeared from view.
"They're… selling people! Isn't that illegal? Why isn't anyone stopping them?"
Missy froze in shock. After all, she came from a law-abiding society where human life was respected. This kind of thing was horrifying.
"A deal is a deal. They both agreed. What law are you talking about? Little girl, you really don't know anything," said a man nearby with a mocking tone. From his appearance, he looked like a scholar.
"But…" Missy wanted to argue, but she suddenly stopped.
She realized this was no longer her familiar world. This was the ancient past.
"Missy, let's go," Bryson said. He didn't want her to stay here any longer.
"I'll explain everything to you later."
He tried to pull Missy away, but her face was still full of sadness and confusion.
"Brother, you look like someone who knows what's what. Why don't you teach your girl? She doesn't even know basic things like this. Bringing her outside is just embarrassing."
The scholar clearly liked to act superior and couldn't tolerate someone being so ignorant.
"I have urgent matters. Excuse me," Bryson replied coolly and firmly. He held Missy's hand tightly and quickly led her away from the scene.