Su Tiyue turned her head and replied, "Nothing else, I just came to see you."

"Oh." He replied with a single word, then took another sip of tea before putting down his teacup and walking over to the bench where Su Tiyue was sitting.

"Master, I came here at noon too, but you weren't here..."

She sat up straight, her gaze following his slow movement, and spoke, deliberately emphasizing this point.

"This servant understands."

He curled his lips into a smile, his eyes fixed on her, but his expression was unreadable.

Su Tiyue said, "Eunuch Li said that you went out of the palace on business today."

"Yes, the people below were disobedient, so I gave them a scolding. It's nothing serious."

Before she knew it, he had a small square jar in his hand. Su Tiyue watched him unscrew the lid, and before she could ask anything, she smelled a peculiar herbal scent.

It had a faint smell, unlike the ointment the imperial physician had given her.

Xiao Heye sat down next to her and said in a nonchalant tone, "Stretch your feet out."

Su Tiyue paused, then looked down at her feet... She felt a lingering fear as she recalled the day he deliberately pinched her injured ankle.

But then again, he's holding the ointment in his hand now, so he probably wouldn't be so malicious as to deliberately pinch her sore spot, right?

"Master Xiao...?" she asked cautiously, "You don't mean to apply the medicine for me yourself, do you?"

"What? Your Highness is unwilling?"

Su Tiyue quickly waved her hand, frowning as she said, "Give me the medicine. Liu Wan will help me when we get back. There's no need to trouble Master Xiao."

Xiao Heye remained silent, his cold, sharp gaze fixed on her. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the rim of the jar, once, twice…

He didn't say a word, but his eyes seemed to kill...

That expression isn't good; it wouldn't be good if I refused again.

Su Tiyue was defeated and dared not disobey him again.

She forced a weak smile and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Master Xiao."

As soon as she finished speaking, she bent down, took off her shoes and socks, then turned to face him, gently placing her feet on the wool cushions of the bench.

Seeing that she was obedient, Xiao Heye lowered his eyes and took out a little ointment from the jar with his fingers, rubbed it in his palm to warm it, then pinched the soft flesh on her calf with one hand and placed the other hand on her ankle, slowly making circles.

Xiao Heye's hands were very beautiful; Su Tiyue swore they were the most beautiful hands she had ever seen.

The fingers are straight and long, with evenly spaced knuckles, each part delicate and strong, giving a sense of composure and nobility.

At first, the force wasn't strong, and Su Tiyue was able to endure it without crying out in pain.

But as his ankles slowly warmed up, the pressure in his palms seemed to increase.

Su Tiyue frowned, bit her lip tightly, and unconsciously pulled her feet back.

However, with just a slight exertion of his arm, Xiao Heye pulled her legs and her whole body closer to him.

Before long, he had pinched several shallow marks on her fair and delicate calves.

Unable to hold back any longer, Su Tiyue, her eyes red, whimpered softly and looked at him with a pitiful expression.

But to everyone's surprise, Xiao Heye didn't even raise his head, and just said coldly, "Don't shout."

Su Tiyue: ...

"But the palm print really hurts... please be gentle."

"It hurts so much..." Su Tiyue said softly, frowning.

She didn't want to scream either; she'd always been the one in her family most afraid of pain.

Besides, she didn't even scream... she didn't even open her mouth, those sounds were just whimpers coming from her throat...

"Endure it." Still, it was a cold, indifferent word.

Su Tiyue didn't speak again. She lowered her head, blinked, and tears rolled down her cheeks, wetting her peach-pink dress.

After a moment, seeing her pitiful state, Xiao Heye finally stopped, his voice much gentler than before, as if he were coaxing her:

"It wasn't that I deliberately used such a strong medicine. This medicine does need to be applied correctly to be effective quickly. Your Highness, your foot will be better tomorrow."

Su Tiyue frowned and said in a coquettish voice, "Do you even need to tell me that? The imperial physician said that my foot will be fine in a few days, even if I lie in bed without moving... it will be fine."

She spoke with a slightly tearful voice and a hint of displeasure.

She figured it would heal eventually anyway, so she wasn't in a hurry and just let it heal on its own. But Xiao Heye didn't think so.

Xiao Heye said patiently, "Your Majesty, it's better to have a short pain than a long one."

Su Tiyue rolled her eyes at her, quietly pulled her foot back, put on her shoes and socks, and said, "That's Zhang Yin's idea. If you ask me... it's better not to suffer at all than to suffer for a long time."

Anyone can talk the talk, but it's not like they're the ones who are suffering.

If she had a choice, she would definitely choose the least painful method.

"Your Majesty is right." Xiao Heye smiled, feeling that what she said made sense.

He didn't say anything more, but got up and walked behind the screen.

When he applied the medicine to her, his fingers were covered in ointment, and he was about to wash them off.

Seeing him stand up, Su Tiyue also stood up and asked, "If Master Xiao has nothing else, shall I go back?"

Xiao Heye stopped in his tracks, turned around and smiled faintly, "This servant has something to give to Your Highness."

Could it be that she has forgotten... the "big gift" that Xiao Heye mentioned to her that day?

"oh."

Su Tiyue followed him behind the screen, limping, and watched as Xiao Heye slowly and methodically washed the remaining ointment off his hands. Then he took a white handkerchief and carefully wiped the water stains off his fingers.

Xiao Heye always speaks and acts in a calm and unhurried manner. No matter how big or small the matter is, whether he is in a hurry or not, he always appears calm, composed, and confident.

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