Chapter 32 Decision

That fleeting moment of confusion actually made things easier for Zhuang Dongqing.

People are already in a daze, so it's impossible to stay rational when exposed to toxins.

Then Zhuang Dongqing's cheek pressed against his, as if Cen Yan were some kind of magic potion, constantly sniffing his skin, his breath mingling with the warmth of his skin, sticking to his forearm, his lips parted, red and full, slightly open, revealing a little moisture, shimmering in front of Cen Yan's eyes, making it impossible for him to look away.

Almost instantly, a flood of thoughts rushed through my mind.

Many details surfaced before we could control them.

Details of that night at Guangyuetai.

Zhuang Dongqing pressed herself against him while sobbing and panting.

She couldn't speak, refused, or complained, but her hands clung to his neck, holding him tightly and never letting go.

In fact, Cen Yan never suspected Zhuang Dongqing of being a spy from the beginning, but the reason was too embarrassing to talk about and he never revealed it, leaving Liu Qi, Hao San, and Xu Si to investigate.

Simply put, it's too private.

That night, at first, was very difficult.

It's obvious that neither of them knows how to do it.

Zhuang Dongqing only knows how to complain about feeling unwell, how to rub it in, and how to stir up trouble.

After finally getting started with great difficulty, Zhuang Dongqing cried, saying it hurt and that she... wouldn't come anymore.

Yes, I'm not coming.

The arrow is on the bowstring, imminent, about to be released...

He's not coming.

At that time, Cen Yan was also suffering from the effects of the poison, and his mind was not very clear. Driven by instinct, it was impossible for him to release the poison.

Zhuang Dongqing kept crawling forward, trying to get off the bed... in that position...

Being caught and brought back became inevitable.

Taking a deep breath, the unspeakable process made Cen Yan's whole body feel hot. Recalling this point, he obviously couldn't stop himself. A warm and humid feeling was retrieved and washed over his nerves. He could still hear Zhuang Dongqing's crying and pleading in his ears, but both of them were poisoned. Soon, these voices also changed tone.

They became so decadent that it was impossible for outsiders to know.

Once the preferences that had been suppressed for many years were finally unleashed, they became unstoppable.

After that, things became extremely chaotic.

He thought Zhuang Dongqing was a virgin because he could say anything.

As my thoughts drifted to this point, a string of words flashed through my mind: something about being stretched, something about being broken, something about being...full, making it impossible to let go of them...

When it ended, Cen Yan remembered it clearly, because it wasn't his idea to end it.

Zhuang Dongqing was completely buried in the blanket, and they couldn't dig her out.

But if you were to say he was sincere, Cen Yan didn't quite believe it at the time, because Zhuang Dongqing buried himself in the quilt, only caring about his head, and covering his head was enough to bury him properly.

Completely ignoring the rest,

Slumped back, perky...

Cen Yan took a deep breath. All that thought was just a fleeting moment.

But in just that short moment, he also felt hot.

Suddenly feeling a soft touch on her arm, Zhuang Dongqing murmured, "It smells so good."

Snap.

A cool substance touched her cheek, and Zhuang Dongqing rubbed it against her cheek.

Cen Yan's rationality snapped.

In his field of vision, those full lips almost swallowed his bracelet.

He took a deep breath, and the next moment, he scooped up Zhuang Dongqing and carried her straight out of the house.

Once outside, amidst the violent jolts and jolting, Zhuang Dongqing's rationality returned, and she uttered a bewildered syllable: "Huh?"

Cen Yan put the person down, half-embracing Zhuang Dongqing, and turned his chin to the side.

At least it shouldn't stick to your clothes.

Wake up!

Cen Yan was serious.

A night breeze blew, and the air outside was much fresher than indoors. Combined with the slightly lower nighttime temperature, Zhuang Dongqing slowly came back to her senses, shook her head, and asked in confusion, "Why is my head so... dizzy?"

Cen Yan: "Can you stand up?"

Only then did Zhuang Dongqing realize that he was leaning against Cen Yan, almost being held in his arms. He quickly tried to let go, but Cen Yan wouldn't let him. As soon as he let go, Cen Yan's hand grabbed him, firmly stabilizing his swaying body.

"Stand firm before relaxing, slowly."

"Oh, oh, oh."

Zhuang Dongqing felt dizzy.

"Master, there is..."

A guard came out after hearing the commotion and was stunned to see the two of them almost embracing.

The next moment, Cen Yan scolded, "Go back, don't come any closer."

"yes."

The command was given, and the body reacted faster than the brain. The guard strode into the house, and once inside, he seemed to realize something, but dared not speak, and obediently squatted down inside.

Outside, Zhuang Dongqing, having taken a few breaths, found her short, rapid breathing had improved, and her body temperature was gradually decreasing.

Zhuang Dongqing didn't understand, and rubbed his forehead. His body also felt strange, as if he was... feeling hot and excited.

Something is surging under the skin.

"What's wrong with me?" Zhuang Dongqing asked, puzzled.

Cen Yan simply said, "Stand a little longer, get some fresh air, and catch your breath."

"……oh."

Cen Yan said this, and Zhuang Dongqing listened. Sure enough, the uncontrollable feeling in his body was slowly suppressed with his breathing.

Cen Yan kept his gaze fixed on Zhuang Dongqing's face. Only when he saw that Zhuang Dongqing had regained some of his senses did he call out to Liu Fu.

Liu Fu had just finished cleaning up the hot water and, fearing someone might get up at night to drink water, prepared kettles for both rooms for the night.

Before he could bring it inside, he heard Cen Yan call him. When he went out, he saw Cen Yan supporting Zhuang Dongqing, standing outside.

What happened?

Cen Yan: "Come here and help your young master. I'll go in and get the blanket first."

Everyone was wearing undergarments. It was fine when we first came out, but it got chilly after standing for a while.

Unsure of Zhuang Dongqing's physical condition, and recalling how Master Zhao had checked Zhuang Dongqing's pulse daily when they first arrived at the Prince's Mansion and repeatedly said that Zhuang Dongqing was weak and had a poor constitution, Cen Yan didn't want to gamble.

Liu Fuli took over and saw that he was steady. Cen Yan went into the house to get a blanket.

Liu Fu has washed both blankets; they are clean. Each of the two masters has one blanket, plus one for hot and one for cold.

He handed the blanket to Liu Fu, who draped it over Zhuang Dongqing and wrapped her up. Cen Yan then turned and went back to her room.

Open the window to let in some fresh air.

While doing these things, my mind was still racing. I had originally thought I could stay in this village for a while longer, but now I'm afraid that's no longer possible.

In a short while, Cen Yan made up his mind to have his guards go to town the next day to find someone to inform the Prince's Mansion to come and pick them up to return to the capital.

Having made up his mind, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and without going out, he crossed his arms and leaned against the window.

He also needs some fresh air.

*

When Zhuang Dongqing returned, she was awake and her face was flushed.

"The room has been ventilated, let's leave it like this for now."

Cen Yan wanted to find a different place, but where could he?

It's fine that Zhuang Dongqing can share a room with Liu Fu, but we've only just met Zhuang Dongqing, so if we put him in a room with two guards as well...

Cen Yan finally conceded, feeling it wasn't so unacceptable, "Or do you think I should go..."

"No, no, no, that's enough, I feel much better now." Zhuang Dongqing realized she was a little agitated after saying that, lowered her head, and added apologetically, "It's late at night, let's not make things worse."

"The wound has just scabbed over; it took so long to heal to this point..."

The arrow wound was deep; the bow was drawn with the force intended to shoot Cen Yan off his horse.

It takes seven or eight days for the scab to form, thanks to rinsing and changing the gauze every two days thereafter.

If things get messy again...

Zhuang Dongqing himself doesn't like being too close to straight men and has never lived in a dormitory before, so he can understand how awkward it is (Liu Fu is not included, firstly because he is young, and secondly because he really treats Liu Fu like a younger brother). In addition, Cen Yan is a germaphobe, so he must be crazy to ask someone to change rooms.

Remembering something, Zhuang Dongqing looked up again and said anxiously, "By the way, your wound..."

Before she could finish speaking, Cen Yan interrupted her, "It's alright."

"oh oh."

The room became quiet again.

As the conversation progressed, neither of them felt quite comfortable.

Liu Fu didn't dare to say anything more. He simply helped Zhuang Dongqing into bed, tucked him in, put down the kettle, and then left.

The oil lamp was blown out.

Cen Yan followed her onto the bed, making rustling noises. Once the noise subsided, Zhuang Dongqing spoke up: "I'm sorry about tonight."

Cen Yan remained calm: "What have you done to wrong me? It's not what you think."

Zhuang Dongqing hesitated: "I don't know either, I just..."

"I understand, stop talking."

"……oh."

Thinking Cen Yan was annoyed, Zhuang Dongqing shut her mouth. After a while, sleepiness came over her, and Zhuang Dongqing said drowsily, "Good night."

Cen Yan didn't understand what it meant, but she could get the gist of it.

He replied to Zhuang Dongqing with a simple, "Sweet dreams."

Zhuang Dongqing's breathing had become even, and it was unclear whether she had heard him.

Cen Yan wasn't annoyed.

He just...

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, Cen Yan still felt somewhat agitated and couldn't shake it off.

It's hard now.

It was only when Fu Zhuang Dongqing left that she realized what had happened.

I can't calm down right now, and if I want to sleep, I'm afraid I'll have to wait a while.

The wound on his shoulder was also affected, and it wasn't as easy as he made it out to be, but now it's actually turned into a good thing.

At least it can divert some of your attention away from walking.

*

The next day, Cen Yan left the room as soon as he woke up, not daring to stay in the same room with Zhuang Dongqing.

While Zhuang Dongqing was having breakfast, the guards set off for town to deliver a message to the Prince's Mansion.

Knowing that they were going back, Zhuang Dongqing was somewhat happy.

Regardless of anything else, the village's conditions were simply too rudimentary, and Zhuang Dongqing, having lived a life of luxury in the royal palace, found it difficult to adapt.

It was still the chef from the Prince's mansion; the dishes he made were both fragrant and to his liking.

Sensing Cen Yan's aloofness during lunch break, Zhuang Dongqing still pulled him along to rest together.

Cen Yan is still in the recovery period, and Zhuang Dongqing doesn't think it's that serious.

Moreover, after just one incident yesterday, he feels much better today. He has received word that Liu Qi and the others will definitely arrive soon, and he... should be able to hold on until he returns to the Prince's Mansion and sees Master Zhao.

Cen Yan refused to go, but couldn't persuade Zhuang Dongqing otherwise. The final solution was for the two to take their afternoon naps separately. Zhuang Dongqing, who was fine, took a short nap and then gave up the room for the patient to rest.

When the guards returned in the evening, this time they not only brought vegetables and meat from town, but also successfully delivered the message.

Guard: "At the latest, there will definitely be some activity by the day after tomorrow."

Cen Yan rejected the idea, saying, "No, I'll come tomorrow."

He knew his men well.

Zhuang Dongqing blindly listened to Cen Yan and happily said, "That's great!"

She could also think of other things, "I wonder if the flowers in the courtyard are still blooming, and if the flower cakes in the manor can still be made. Ah, I miss Liu Qi and the chefs so much..."

Cen Yan was both amused and exasperated: "Let's eat."

"Okay."

The plan was quite good, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

During the day, Zhuang Dongqing seemed perfectly fine, but at night she secretly watched Cen Yan. When Cen Yan asked her, Zhuang Dongqing stammered and just covered herself with the blanket, saying she was going to sleep.

He didn't even glance at them; Cen Yan didn't think much of it at the time.

But after blowing out the oil lamp and closing his eyes to rest, he heard Zhuang Dongqing tossing and turning. After a few times, he realized something was wrong.

"Zhuang Dongqing?"

"Um?"

The voice was muffled.

"What's wrong? Can't you sleep?"

"Oh right, right, I can't sleep... Sorry to bother you."

His voice was muffled and somewhat drowsy, indicating that he was feeling sleepy.

"..."

After tossing and turning twice more, Cen Yan frowned and got up.

When he called out the name, he only received a vague response. Sensing something was wrong, he touched Zhuang Dongqing's hand and knew something was wrong—it was hot.

It wasn't very hot, but you could tell by touching it that it wasn't at a normal human body temperature.

Having kept it a secret for so long, whether he was dizzy or something, Cen Yan heard Zhuang Dongqing's uncomfortable voice and murmured, "Ugh, you smell so good, so incredibly good..."

"I'm guilty, that's not what I meant..."

Cen Yan's heart softened, and she said softly, "It's not your fault, I know, don't be like this."

Zhuang Dongqing cried out in anguish, "But you smell so good..."

The suppressed longing in his voice made Cen Yan feel restless.

When the oil lamp was lit and brought to the bedside, Zhuang Dongqing's cheeks were flushed and there were fine beads of sweat on the tip of his nose.

Cen Yan sighed.

Knowing this, ventilation is no longer an option.

Zhao Ye's words echoed in my ears.

Actually, I've read it over and over again today, but Cen Yan is being selfish and hopes it won't be needed.

"This toxin exists in the bloodstream. Simply put, they might be each other's antidote, but these antidotes require intimate exchanges to be effective."

"The solution itself is naturally the best."

"But most of the toxins in Young Master Zhuang's body have been removed, leaving only a superficial one. If it weren't so strange, and if it weren't for the fact that he was poisoned by Gu, I would have cured him long ago... What was Your Highness asking again? Oh, another way to cure it, cough, back to the topic."

"The first step is naturally acupuncture and medication. Now that we have the young master, the dosage needs to be strictly controlled."

—"If acupuncture and medication are ineffective, we can first try some... relief measures to let the remaining toxins out and see if there is any relief."

"If that still doesn't work, I'm afraid the only option is..."

That's all for now.

Both Master Zhao and Cen Yan understood the remaining unspoken meaning.

If that's the case...

He furrowed his brow deeply, then slowly relaxed it.

Having made up his mind and calmed himself, Cen Yan blew out the oil lamp.

Back at the bedside, Zhuang Dongqing's body temperature had risen even higher.

"Go inside."

Zhuang Dongqing's thoughts seemed confused. Cen Yan had to repeat it twice before he understood and moved a little further to the inside of the bed.

Cen Yan lifted the corner of the blanket and lay down.

The bed is a bit small, but it's okay; two people can just lie down comfortably.

that is……

Smelling the fragrance emanating from Cen Yan, Zhuang Dongqing lost all sense of reason and instinctively climbed up.

As soon as Cen Yan lay down, Zhuang Dongqing hugged him tightly and buried his face in his chest, sniffing him.

It was as if he were some kind of spice.

Cen Yan didn't stop him. When Zhuang Dongqing accidentally touched his wound, he groaned and just patted Zhuang Dongqing's back, telling him to go easy on him.

His nose and lips brushed against his collar and touched his collarbone. Zhuang Dongqing nuzzled against him like a puppy.

Cen Yan simply stroked him repeatedly without scolding him.

After Zhuang Dongqing smelled him for a while, her senses returned a little.

Master Zhao's judgment was correct. The antidote for this poison can be found in people, through smell, saliva, and even... all of these can effectively suppress the toxin.

However, the effect of the odor must be so poor that it seems to trigger the toxicity.

Zhuang Dongqing regained consciousness, her whole body stiffened, her mind went blank, and she could only feel her body slowly moving backward.

Breaking down, she said, "I'm so sorry..."

"I...I didn't mean that..."

"I can't control it, sob..."

As soon as he moved, Cen Yan grabbed his back and wouldn't let him move.

In the darkness, nothing could be seen, but Cen Yan's steady voice could be heard saying, "I know."

He paused, then added, "Didn't you ask me a question last time?"

Zhuang Dongqing was extremely ashamed and couldn't think straight at all. "What?"

"Ask me if I only like men."

Zhuang Dongqing was bewildered.

A moment later, a soft sigh was heard, and Cen Yan took the initiative to pull him into her arms, saying, "It is I."