Chapter 56, Section 56: "I don't like you... in this way..."

--

"Hey, don't move."

In the dimly lit, cramped room, Jiang Ling'er carried buckets of hot water back and forth, pouring them into the bathtub.

The little poisonous creature stood silently in place, trying to help but being stopped, and could only silently follow her with its gaze.

"You'll definitely get sick if you don't take a hot bath." Jiang Ling'er poured in the last tub of hot water, slowly exhaled, turned around, leaned her back against the tub, glared at him, and frowned slightly. "I know you're a highly skilled doctor, but you can't just do this recklessly. What if you get sick? Do you expect me to cure you?"

Seeing that the boy didn't speak, but only stared at her with his dark eyes, Jiang Ling'er paused, sighed, and resignedly picked up the bucket and walked towards the door. The person who had been standing silently just now suddenly moved and followed her step by step.

"Sigh, I was just putting down a bucket..." She placed the bucket outside and closed the door, only to turn around and bump into the hard, cold chest behind her. "You..."

Jiang Ling'er was a little angry, but she stopped when she saw the person in front of her with lips that were purple from the cold. She took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

She brushed the snow off the boy, then pushed him towards the bathtub, sternly saying, "Go take a bath!"

After saying that, she remembered something and added, "Don't worry, I'm just getting you some clean clothes, I'm not leaving."

But when she brought clean towels and clothes, the person was still standing in front of the bathtub, staring at her expectantly.

Jiang Ling'er: "..."

Jiang Ling'er scratched her hair in frustration: "You..."

She had only uttered one word when the boy interrupted her. The little poisonous creature glanced at her, lowered its eyes, and muttered, "I can't move."

"...Can't move?"

Jiang Ling'er was stunned for a moment before realizing that the little poisoner might have been standing outside for far more than just one or two hours.

Sure enough, when I was undressing him, my fingertips inevitably touched his bare skin... stiff and cold as ice.

Jiang Ling'er loosened his belt, thought for a moment, and then left him with an undergarment. She looked up and asked him:

"Can I go in by myself?"

Throughout this time, the little poisonous creature kept its eyes downcast, staring at her. Suddenly, its gaze met Jiang Ling'er's, and after a slight pause, it responded softly:

"……Um."

--

Hot water was poured onto the little poisonous creature's exposed chest, and seeing the pale, jade-like skin finally regain its color, Jiang Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief. She then worked even harder, using a wooden ladle to pour hot water over the creature, ladle after ladle.

The little poisoner, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said:

"I was too impatient."

Jiang Ling'er paused, her hand holding the handkerchief wiping his hair. "...What?"

The little poisonous creature seemed not to hear. Beneath its damp hair, its already dark eyes became even more obscure and deep. Its brows were furrowed, and its slender hands gripped the edge of the bathtub tightly, with extreme force, causing the veins on the back of its hands to bulge like coiled dragons.

It's as if I'm caught up in some unpleasant memories.

Besides, there was another unfamiliar young man who also came to collect trumpet creeper flowers. He was incredibly generous, giving away all sorts of things like heartbreak grass, arsenic, and yin-yang worms like water. Considering that my older brother would be coming to collect trumpet creeper flowers soon, I only kept a few plants for myself...

"The tall, thin young man is like the older brother," the stall owner gestured, "and that younger guy also has a human skin mask covering his face. Looks like... his skills are no less than the older brother's."

"He claims to be the Old Poison Master's only closed-door disciple. His entourage is so grand that ever since he arrived in Qing Shi Town, even in the dead of winter, snakes, insects, and rats have multiplied, and wherever he goes, nothing grows..." The stall owner paused, his smiling eyes, hidden behind the lucky cat mask, observing the young man's face, and gave an awkward smile. "Looks like the Old Poison Master... has taken on another decent disciple."

The old man... has probably come to Qing Shi Town too.

A fingernail scratched a dark mark on the tub wall, and a ruthless glint flashed in the little poisoner's beautiful, dark eyes.

"Um, actually I... I don't dislike that dress."

The wet handkerchief fell in front of him with a "plop" into the water in front of him.

The little poisoner paused, his thoughts interrupted. A warm breeze brushed past his ear, tickling him. He turned to look at the sound and saw Jiang Ling'er with her hands folded over the edge of the bathtub, her chin resting on it, tilting her head to look at him. The bathtub was small, and the two were very close. Jiang Ling'er seemed a little embarrassed, scratching her cheek with her fingertips, looking at the sky and the ground but not at him.

"I don't like it when you give me a dress this way."

As Jiang Ling'er said this, the red dress lay quietly on the table behind them.

Noticing the little poisoner's gaze fixed on her, Jiang Ling'er paused slightly, as if making a decision. She turned her eyes to look at him in return. Suddenly, the little poisoner felt a hand stroking the back of his head, followed by a slight pressure. The little poisoner's long eyelashes trembled, forcing him to lean forward, and their foreheads touched.

Jiang Ling'er stared into a pair of beautiful, dark eyes just inches away, and spoke clearly and slowly:

"Promise me you won't steal money again, or else..."

She quietly stretched out her other hand and waved it pitifully in front of the little poisonous creature:

"So our chilblains are pointless, right?"

Her left hand, slender and well-proportioned, was covered with visible calluses and a few frostbite. These were the result of her chopping wood in the snow and ice every day to pay for her lodging. It was an experience she had never had since she grew up in the warm south.

She knew that not only she had it, but Little Poison also did it, and he took on most of the rough work.

In fact, the ghostly flames on the little poisonous creature's body could have healed her frostbite, but she refused, because it was proof that she had survived by her own hands, and that they had survived by their own hands.

The little poisonous creature stared at the hardworking hand in front of it with trembling eyes, and suddenly the hand moved.

Jiang Ling'er cupped his face in her hands, pressing her forehead closer to hers, their pupils reflecting each other's images. Jiang Ling'er looked at him intently, her cheeks slightly flushed, and the little devil stared blankly into her almond-shaped eyes, hearing her speak to him in a tender tone only they could hear:

"I... also need to apologize. I'm six years older than you, but I'm still an immature adult. I took out my anger from all the setbacks I've had in trying to find that damned deity on you... Please forgive me?"

The little poisonous creature's breath hitched, staring blankly at her, as if lost in the clear almond-shaped eyes before it. Its heart, which had been frozen stiff, began to pound rapidly.

“I know that petty theft was a habit you had to break out of necessity in the past. Take it slow, just like I used to be used to spending money lavishly and eating big meals... Let’s change together.”

The little poisonous creature remained silent for a long time before finally uttering a single word in a hoarse voice:

"……good."

Jiang Ling'er paused upon hearing this, then finally smiled. Her smile spread like waves, her eyes sparkling, and the dim room seemed to brighten because of her laughter.

Jiang Ling'er cupped his face in her hands and rubbed his cheeks hard, then added:

"Also, I will not give up my revenge. As long as I live, I will not give up my revenge." Jiang Ling'er didn't want to say more about this point, because she had already said everything she needed to say to the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) at his grave. Suddenly, she remembered something and asked, "By the way, what did you mean by 'too impatient' before?"

The little poisonous creature paused upon hearing this, its thin lips, which had just regained some color, pressed tightly together into a thin line.

He was too impatient.

Everything that happened today was caused by the old man's dog throwing him into a panic.

He actually became paranoid over a dog, even thinking of taking Jiang Ling'er to the ends of the earth... How ridiculous.

The little poisoner's expression changed several times before finally settling on a familiar, handsome face with a hint of mockery.

He laughed at himself.

The mist and ammonia blurred his face.

The little poisonous creature didn't answer for a long time, but Jiang Ling'er didn't mind. She had been busy and sweating a lot, and seeing that the little poisonous creature had finally warmed up, she breathed a sigh of relief. Being sticky was still uncomfortable, and although there wasn't enough water for a bath, she could boil a basin of water to wipe herself down.

Jiang Ling'er got up and stretched her back: "You can move now, right? You can do the rest yourself. Don't soak for too long. I'll go boil some more water..."

Let's go together.

Jiang Ling'er paused, only stretching halfway: "...What?"

She heard a loud splash of water behind her, followed by a wet, hot body embracing her from behind.

His large hand landed squarely on her chest.

They pressed it down even further.

Jiang Ling'er's brow twitched, and she narrowed her eyes: "Hey..."

In response, the two hands that were pressing against her chest grabbed her waist and pulled her into the bathtub!