Chapter 38 A kiss from you will make it stop hurting

The morning sun had warmed the windowpane, the chill of the early morning gone, seeping in through the curtains and spreading a pale gold across the floor. Hei Xiazi was awakened by the tickling breath on his neck. Opening his eyes, he saw Zhang Qiling's head still resting on his shoulder, his long hair spread out on the pillow, the ends still warm from the sunlight.

He still had his arm around the man's waist, trying to sneak a break, but the hand on his waist tightened as soon as he moved even slightly—Zhang Qiling didn't open his eyes, but his brows were slightly furrowed, his knuckles unconsciously gripping his clothes, as if afraid he would run away. Hei Xiazi looked down at the dark circles under his eyes, the result of exhaustion from the previous tomb raids, and didn't move again. Instead, he moved closer to him and gently touched his forehead, the movement so light that he was afraid of disturbing him.

"If you're awake, stop pretending." Zhang Qiling's voice suddenly drifted over, flat, but her eyelashes trembled.

Hei Xiazi laughed out loud, his chest booming so loudly that Zhang Qiling's ears went numb: "Dumb guy, your ears are sharper than the rice dumplings in the tomb, you can hear my heart skipping a beat?"

Zhang Qiling then opened her eyes, her pupils bright and clear. She tapped his wrist with her fingertips—right on his pulse: "The rhythm is off."

Hei Xiazi grabbed his hand and rubbed it against the thin calluses on his palm: "Holding you is more comfortable than holding a piece of bronze. How can my heart not beat erratically?"

Zhang Qiling didn't reply, but she didn't pull her hand away. Instead, she snuggled closer into his arms, burying her face even deeper, her breath warm and hot.

When the doorbell rang for the third time, Hei Xiazi reluctantly got up, put on a loose coat, and walked to the door. Zhang Qiling sat on the bed, casually gathering his loose long hair behind his head, and then smoothing out the wrinkled sheets—the movements were so practiced as if he had done them a thousand times. Only Hei Xiazi knew that he was afraid that Wang Pangzi would see it and start making a fuss.

As soon as the door opened, Jie Yuchen was standing outside, followed by Wu Xie and Fatty Wang. Jie Yuchen was wearing a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, clutching a tablet in his hand, his brow furrowed, clearly in a hurry. Fatty Wang slumped onto the sofa as soon as he entered, his eyes sweeping towards the bedroom, his loud voice almost lifting the roof off: "Hey, you two are living the high life! The curtains are drawn so tightly, if it weren't for Xiao Hua urging me, I wouldn't dare come in as a third wheel!"

Wu Xie coughed twice and tugged at Wang Pangzi's arm. Xie Yuchen didn't reply, but glanced at the bedroom and saw Zhang Qiling come out. He handed her the tablet: "The auction list for the New Moon Hotel has just come out, and the final item is the Ghost Seal."

The moment the words "Ghost Seal" were uttered, the laughter in the living room vanished instantly. Zhang Qiling walked over and traced a line on the screen with his fingertip—the Ghost Seal in the photo was a lustrous, dark blue-black, engraved with the Zhang family's crest, perfectly matching the Yin Seal he always carried. His eyes suddenly turned cold, his fingertips clenched until they turned white, and even his breathing slowed slightly.

Black Bear leaned closer, put his arm around his shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Didn't you always carry that one with you? How come you have another one?"

“A pair,” Zhang Qiling’s voice deepened, “The Yin Seal guards the gate, the Yang Seal guides the way. What Jude Kao wants is the key to open the bronze gate.”

Fatty Wang leaned over to look at the photo, clicking his tongue: "That old fox started causing trouble as soon as he left the Queen Mother of the West's Palace. He clearly knew that Little Brother would come!"

Wu Xie frowned and tapped the table: "I checked the auction records. The anonymous seller delivered the goods half a month ago, which coincides with Jude Kao's evacuation. This is a trap."

Xie Yuchen nodded: "The New Moon Hotel is now managed by Yin Nanfeng, and Zhang Rishan is in charge inside. I have a reserved private room here, and I've already spoken to Yin Nanfeng's people, so I can use it directly tonight. But since Jude Kao dared to send the Ghost Seal in, he must have pulled some strings, so we have to be careful."

Zhang Qiling didn't speak, but turned and walked to the window. The alley outside was already bustling with activity, the sounds of bicycle bells and vendors' cries mingling together, which only made his lonely figure appear even more so. Hei Xiazi walked over and gently put his arm around Zhang Qiling's waist from behind, his movements light, as if afraid of breaking the taut tension in Zhang Qiling's body.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Hei Xiazi's voice was close to his ear, with a hint of cynical laughter. "I'm here, Xiao Hua is here, and Fatty and Wu Xie are here too. The private room can keep an eye on the auction stage. Even if Zhang Rishan doesn't interfere, he won't let the New Moon Hotel cause any trouble. It's a sure win."

Zhang Qiling turned her head to look at him, his sunglasses slipped down to the tip of his nose, revealing the seriousness in his eyes. After a few seconds of silence, she raised her hand and touched his temple: "The injury on your leg hasn't healed yet, the cut in the tomb, does it still hurt?"

"It hurts!" Black Bear pretended to be pitiful. "If you help me change my dressing, it might stop hurting."

Zhang Qiling didn't expose him, but simply nodded, a hint of softness in her eyes.

The group stopped chatting and began to plan. Fatty Wang patted his chest, saying he'd take care of the perimeter; he had acquaintances near the Crescent Hotel who could keep an eye on the entrance, and if Jude Kao's men dared to cause trouble, he'd be there to warn them immediately. Wu Xie suggested following Xie Yuchen into the private room, using the excuse of pouring tea to keep an eye on the downstairs and see if anyone was contacting Jude Kao. Xie Yuchen pulled up a floor plan of the private rooms on his phone: "The innermost room on the second floor has the best view, directly facing the auction stage. I've had the manager reserve it; just give your name when you arrive."

Fatty Wang leaned over to look at the floor plan and clicked his tongue, "Little Flower, you really have a grand style. This private room looks expensive, even more impressive than the hotel suite I stayed in last time."

As noon approached, Hei Xiazi, as expected, used his leg injury as an excuse to pull Zhang Qiling into the bedroom to change his dressing. The room was dark, relying on the soft, natural light from the window. Zhang Qiling sat on the edge of the bed, holding gauze and ointment in his hands, carefully unwrapping the old gauze first—the scar was from being scratched by gravel in the tomb a few days ago, and it hadn't healed yet, the edges still red.

"You just want to take advantage of me." Zhang Qiling paused her fingertip near the scar, her voice soft but with a hint of indulgence.

Hei Xiazi lay on the headboard, looking at his drooping eyelashes: "So, are you going to let me occupy this space or not?"

Zhang Qiling didn't speak, but gently applied some ointment, her movements so tender she was afraid of hurting him. Just as she was about to wrap it with new gauze, Hei Xiazi suddenly grabbed his hand: "Mute, give him a kiss, maybe it'll help him heal faster."

This was a bit of a joke, and Hei Xiazi didn't expect him to agree. To his surprise, Zhang Qiling was silent for a few seconds, then actually lowered his head and touched the scar. Hei Xiazi's eyes lit up, and he leaned over to rub the back of Zhang Qiling's hand: "Okay, mute, from now on, you'll have to treat my injuries like this."

Zhang Qiling ignored him, but secretly loosened the gauze a little when wrapping it, afraid of tightening the wound.

In the evening, the group went to the New Moon Hotel in separate groups. The entrance was brightly lit, with luxury cars parked one after another. The doormen were impeccably dressed, and servants stood on both sides scanning the passersby, exuding an air of aloofness. Xie Yuchen walked in front, gave his name, and the waiting head waiter immediately stepped forward and bowed: "Mr. Xie, the private room is ready, this way please."

Following the foreman up to the second floor, the corridor was covered with red velvet carpets. The door to the innermost private room was pushed open, revealing polished mahogany tables and chairs. The one-way glass directly opposite the door allowed a clear view of the auction stage downstairs, but those outside could not see inside.

"Tea and snacks are ready. Just ring the bell if you need anything." The supervisor said, then gently closed the door.

Fatty Wang plopped down on the sofa, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and exclaimed, "Good heavens, this tea tastes authentic! It's much more expensive than the Longjing tea I had last time!"

Wu Xie ignored him and leaned closer to the glass to look down: "Jude Kao is already here, in the middle of the front row, surrounded by four bodyguards."

After the auction began, antiques were brought up one by one, and the prices rose rapidly. Fatty Wang clicked his tongue in the back and muttered to Wu Xie, "These people are really rich. They can sell a broken jar for millions. It's not as fast as going tomb raiding with Fatty."

Wu Xie didn't reply, staring at Jude Kao downstairs—that man hadn't held up a sign from the start, his fingers tapping on his knees, his eyes glancing towards the door every now and then, revealing an unease. Hei Xiazi leaned against Zhang Qiling, his fingers secretly hooking around his palm, their body heat passing through their touching skin, making him feel very at ease.

Finally, two waiters carried up a glass display case, inside which the Yang Seal gleamed bluish-black under the light, its patterns clearly visible.

The moment Zhang Qiling saw it, his body froze, his fingertips trembled slightly, and his breathing slowed. Hei Xiazi quickly gripped his hand, feeling the sweat on his palm, and whispered in his ear, "Don't be impulsive, stick to the plan."

Zhang Qiling nodded, her fingers slowly loosening, but still holding his hand tightly.

The auctioneer's voice came through the speakers: "The starting price for the Ghost Seal is ten million, with each bid increasing by no less than one million!"

Someone downstairs immediately held up a sign: "Eleven million!"

"Twelve million!"

The price quickly soared to 30 million. Just as Jude Kao was about to raise his paddle, Zhang Qiling suddenly pressed the bidding button in the private room: "50 million."

The numbers appeared on the electronic screen, and the auction hall fell silent instantly. Everyone looked around to find the bidders.

Jude Kao's face darkened. He looked up and glanced at the private rooms on the second floor, then raised his sign again: "Fifty-five million."

"One hundred million." Zhang Qiling pressed the bidding button again, his voice coming through the microphone, flat and even, yet it sent the entire room into a frenzy.

Wu Xie frantically tugged at Hei Xiazi's sleeve: "Brother, are you crazy? Where would we get so much money?"

Hei Xiazi patted his hand: "Don't worry, Dumb Guy knows what's going on. Jude Kao just withdrew from the Queen Mother of the West's Palace and is short of funds. He won't last long."

Jude Kao stared at the second floor, gritted his teeth, and held up a sign: "One hundred and ten million."

"Two hundred million." Zhang Qiling pressed the button for the third time, his voice turning colder—he couldn't let Qiu Dekao get the Yang Seal.

This time, Jude Kao didn't raise his paddle again. His eyes were burning with anger as he stared at the private room, but he was helpless. The auctioneer called out "two hundred million" three times before bringing down the gavel: "Congratulations to the guest in the second-floor private room, you have won the Ghost Seal!"

During the handover, Xie Yuchen rang the bell to signal the foreman to complete the formalities. Soon after, the foreman returned carrying the Ghost Seal and handed it to Zhang Qiling. Zhang Qiling examined the seal; the patterns and jade quality matched—it was genuine. After confirming its authenticity, he looked up through the glass at Jude Kao downstairs.

The man, his face ashen, was staring at the second floor. He got up and headed towards the private room, but was stopped at the entrance of the corridor by the lackey—it was the rule at the Crescent Moon Hotel that guests without reservations were not allowed into the private room area. Jude Kao trembled with rage and roared at the private room from a distance, "Zhang Qiling! You think getting the Ghost Seal is the end of it? You can't handle this thing!"

Zhang Qiling ignored him and put the Ghost Seal into his pocket.

Just as they were about to leave, hurried footsteps sounded outside the private room, followed by all the lights in the auction hall going out. In the darkness, screams, the clatter of chairs colliding, and the crisp sound of bullets being chambered came from downstairs—an ambush!

Just as Hei Xiazi was about to get up to protect the person, Zhang Qiling pulled him behind him, his back pressed against Zhang Qiling's chest, and he could feel Zhang Qiling's hand gripping the Black Gold Ancient Sword with force.

"Watch out!" Zhang Qiling's voice was clear in the darkness, urgent yet steady. "It's Jude Kao's men!"

Hei Xiazi grasped his hand in return, feeling the sweat on his palm but also his strength: "It's alright, what are you afraid of with you here? Fatty and Xiao Hua are definitely ready too, let's have some fun with them."

In the darkness, Zhang Qiling didn't speak, but simply gripped his hand tighter—