Chapter 108

The words had barely left his mouth when a soft knock came from outside the courtyard gate. Xiao Qiyun stood in the moonlight, carrying a food box, his robes damp with the night dew.

"Su Yan asked me..."

"Come in, come in!" Sheng Xuan flung open the door and slammed the food box on the table. "I knew you were taking so long! Zhe Lan was starving—"

Su Zhelan glared at him, but saw that Xiao Qiyun had already opened the food box: four small dishes were neatly arranged, and in the middle was a white porcelain bowl, which released a rich aroma of medicine mixed with the smell of meat when it was opened. "Eat first, and drink the medicinal food last."

Xiao Qiyun handed him the bowl and chopsticks, her gaze sweeping over his loosely clad clothes. "You changed your clothes?"

"Mmm." Su Zhelan took the bowl, her fingertips touching the warmth of the porcelain. "You feel better after a bath."

The three sat around the table. Sheng Xuan ate noisily, occasionally putting food into Su Zhelan's bowl. Xiao Qiyun ate quietly, but would subtly push the plate half an inch towards him just as Su Zhelan was about to finish a dish. Su Zhelan had little strength and ate rice in small bites, but the two of them fed her until her bowl was always piled high with food.

After the meal, Xiao Qiyun opened the white porcelain bowl. The soup was still steaming, and its color was clear. "I added poria cocos and fox nuts to calm the nerves." He scooped a spoonful of soup and held it to Su Zhelan's lips. "Drink slowly, it's not hot."

Su Zhelan opened her mouth to catch it; the aroma of medicine mixed with the scent of meat slid down her throat, warming her stomach. Sheng Xuan leaned over to look: "What good stuff is this? Can I have some too?" Xiao Qiyun tapped the back of her hand with a soup spoon: "Yours is in the kitchen, go get it yourself."

After Su Zhelan finished his small bowl of soup, Xiao Qiyun was about to tell him to go and rest when Gu Linzhao's loud voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate: "Little apprentice! Are you asleep?"

Sheng Xuan slipped on her shoes to open the door and saw Gu Linzhao holding a small jade bottle in his hand, swaying as he walked in: "I just finished tidying up the medicine cabinet with your master and remembered something good."

He walked straight up to Su Zhelan and shoved the small bottle into his hand. "Here, this."

Su Zhelan held the cool bottle and looked up at him. Gu Linzhao smiled mysteriously: "Don't tell your master, this is my secret stash of liniment, stronger than the one in the pharmacy—rub your back and waist before bed tonight, and I guarantee you'll feel great tomorrow!"

Sheng Xuan raised an eyebrow, said nothing, but reached out and touched the bottle: "It is indeed a good product. Mr. Gu Linzhao is willing to take it out?"

"Of course!" Gu Linzhao patted his chest. "My apprentice has worked hard all day, how could she begrudge such a small thing?" As he spoke, he ruffled Su Zhelan's hair.

"Go and rest now. If you're still in pain tomorrow, I'll teach that brat Sheng Xuan a lesson—it's definitely because he didn't go easy on you!"

Sheng Xuan protested from the side, "He was clearly just putting on a brave face..."

Su Zhelan clutched the small bottle, watching Gu Linzhao being pestered by Sheng Xuan, then glanced at Xiao Qiyun—he was tidying up the food box with his head down, the moonlight falling on his profile, and there seemed to be a faint smile on his lips.

"Thank you," Su Zhelan said softly, carefully tucking the small bottle into her sleeve pocket.

"No need to thank me!" Gu Linzhao waved his hand and walked out. "Go to sleep!"

When the door closed, only the occasional soft popping of the charcoal brazier could be heard from the outside room.

As soon as Gu Linzhao's footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor, Su Zhelan moved closer to the bed, water droplets from her hair dripping onto the brocade quilt, leaving tiny damp marks.

Just as he was about to lift the covers, he caught a glimpse of Sheng Xuan still lingering at the table, while Xiao Qiyun stood by the screen; neither of them seemed inclined to leave.

"You guys..." Su Zhelan's voice still carried a hint of languor from just having eaten, as she shrank further into the bed, "Aren't you going back to rest?"

Sheng Xuan immediately sprang up from the table, rushed to the bedside, propped herself up on the edge of the bed, and said with bright eyes, "What's the rush! Your back still hurts, doesn't it? Mr. Gu said that the liniment only works with massage, let me help you!"

As he spoke, he reached for the small bottle in Su Zhelan's sleeve pocket, "I'm really good at this, I used to rub my brother's wounds..."

"No need." Su Zhelan stepped aside, clutching her sleeve tightly, her ear tips starting to burn again. "I can do it myself, don't bother you."

"How is it troublesome?" Sheng Xuan refused to give up and reached out to grab his wrist, but was firmly held down by a hand—it was Xiao Qiyun.

Xiao Qiyun had somehow moved to the other side of the bed, his fingertips still carrying the scent of medicine he'd picked up while tidying the food box. He didn't look at Sheng Xuan, only at Su Zhelan, a faint smile playing on his lips, but his tone was very serious:

"He's right, the liniment needs to be rubbed in to be effective. You can't reach your back yourself, let me do it."

Su Zhelan was stunned. Just as she was about to retort, she saw Xiao Qiyun pull out the small jade bottle from his sleeve, pour out some amber-colored ointment into his palm, and slowly rub his hands together to warm them up.

The warm fragrance instantly spread, mingling with the moisture in the room, creating an indescribable sense of comfort.

“Look, even Xiao Qiyun said so!” Sheng Xuan immediately chimed in, not forgetting to tease Xiao Qiyun, “But your technique is definitely not as good as mine, so how about… I take the lead in massaging and you assist?”

Xiao Qiyun ignored him, only looking up at Su Zhelan, the warmth of his palm transmitted through the air: "Try it? Just massage your back, don't touch anywhere else."

His gaze was deep, yet gentle and unyielding. “Otherwise, you’ll be frozen in place tomorrow, and Mr. Su Yan will start nagging again.”

Su Zhelan watched as the two men flanked the bed, one scratching his head in frustration, the other calm yet determined. After hesitating for a long time, the spot on her back that had hit the wooden post throbbed with pain again. In the end, she let go, moved closer to the bed, and whispered, "...Then, then be gentle."

"Hey! Okay!" Sheng Xuan cheered immediately, but was about to step forward when Xiao Qiyun fixed him in place with a look.

Xiao Qiyun sat down on the edge of the bed first, the ointment in his palm already warm from rubbing: "Lie down."

Su Zhelan slowly turned over, burying his face in the pillow. He could feel the quilt being gently lifted and his clothes being pushed up to his waist. When his back touched the cool air, he subconsciously shrank back.

The next second, a warm palm, smelling of liniment, covered my shoulder blade—not too light, not too heavy, pressing down perfectly on the sore shoulder blade.

"Ugh..." Su Zhelan groaned softly. It wasn't from pain, but from the warmth mixed with the fragrance of medicine that seeped into her bones through her skin, instantly relaxing most of her tense muscles.

Xiao Qiyun's technique was very steady. His fingertips had thin calluses as he slowly massaged along both sides of the spine. He would increase the pressure when he encountered stiff nodules, but he always slowed down when Su Zhelan was about to wince in pain, and then switched to gentle circular motions.

Sheng Xuan watched with envy and couldn't resist coming closer: "Me too, me too, I'll massage your back..."

Just as Su Zhelan was about to look up and refuse, she felt a warm hand pressing on her lower back—it was Sheng Xuan. His strength was greater than Xiao Qiyun's, but surprisingly not reckless. His thumb circled around her lower back, pressing precisely on the tendons she had stretched while practicing her boxing.

"How was it? Comfortable, right?" Sheng Xuan's voice carried a hint of smug satisfaction as his breath brushed against Su Zhelan's nape. "I told you my technique was good..."

Su Zhelan buried her face even deeper, her ears burning hot enough to fry an egg, but she didn't refuse again.

Only the gentle massage sounds of the two people and the occasional whistling of the wind outside the window remained in the room.

Xiao Qiyun's palm was still roaming over his back, while Sheng Xuan's fingers circled around his waist. The scent of the liniment grew stronger and stronger, mingling with the scents of the two of them, creating a strangely reassuring atmosphere.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Qiyun stopped and gently pinched the back of Su Zhelan's neck with his fingertips: "That's about enough, the ointment has been rubbed in."

Sheng Xuan withdrew his hand and whispered in Su Zhelan's ear, "Was it comfortable? Do you want to do it again?"

Just as the soreness in her back had eased a little, Su Zhelan was about to turn over and rest when a warm hand suddenly grabbed her ankle.

"Ouch!" He recoiled as if burned, almost jumping off the bed. When he turned around, he met Sheng Xuan's eyes—this guy had somehow squatted at the foot of the bed, holding that bottle of liniment in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Su Zhelan's voice was tense, and the place where her ankle was being gripped felt hot, causing her calf to tense up as well.

Sheng Xuan was startled, but didn't loosen her grip. Instead, she held his ankle even more carefully, her fingertips brushing against his burning skin. She explained somewhat flusteredly, "You...you've been practicing all day, your legs must be stiff! You can touch them, they're rock hard—"

He gently pressed Su Zhelan's calf with his other hand and found a tight muscle. "If you don't massage it, it will be sore tomorrow!"

Su Zhelan looked down and saw that her calves were indeed stiff as rocks from standing and punching for a long time, and they were still slightly sore when Sheng Xuan pressed them.

He felt awkward having his ankle held, so he struggled and said, "I can do it myself..."

"Can you reach it?" Sheng Xuan raised an eyebrow, her tone self-righteous, but she tightened her grip and moved his leg closer to the edge of the bed.

"Lie still and don't move. I'll rub it for you. I guarantee it will be more effective than if you do it yourself." He said, pouring some liniment into his palm, rubbing it to warm it up, and then pressing it onto Su Zhelan's calves.

His pressure was lighter than when he massaged her waist. His thumb pushed upwards along the muscle lines of her calf, stopping and circling when he encountered stiff spots. The warmth of his palm mixed with the scent of medicine actually helped to gradually relax the tense muscles.

Just as Su Zhelan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she saw Sheng Xuan's hand move towards his knee—the spot where he had repeatedly bent his knee and bumped it during boxing practice, and it was still slightly bruised.

"Don't touch..." Su Zhelan instinctively tried to dodge, but Sheng Xuan firmly pressed down on her knee.

"It must hurt here too." Sheng Xuan's voice softened a little, her fingertips gently circling the edge of the bruise. "I'll be gentle, I won't hurt you."

When the two finally stopped, Su Zhelan was incredibly relieved. Sheng Xuan put the oil bottle on the table and clapped his hands: "How was that? Feeling good?"

Xiao Qiyun took a clean handkerchief and first wiped the remaining ointment off Su Zhelan's legs, then wiped his own hands, his movements slow and leisurely: "Go to sleep, it won't be sore when you wake up tomorrow."

Su Zhelan's cheeks were still buried in the pillow, listening to their conversation, the heat in his ears hadn't subsided. He slowly turned over, his hair brushing against the pillowcase, causing a slight tickle, his voice so soft it was as if he was afraid of disturbing something: "...Thank you."

Sheng Xuan was wiping his hands when he heard this. He waved his hand dismissively and laughed, "What are you thanking me for? Why are you being so polite with us?" He moved closer to the bed, his eyes sparkling with unspoken expectation.

Xiao Qiyun didn't speak, but leaned down and gently brushed the stray hairs on Su Zhelan's forehead with his fingertips. Moonlight streamed in through the window, falling into his eyes and reflecting gentle dark lines.

Before Su Zhelan could react, his lips had already gently landed on the corner of her mouth—very lightly, carrying the faint fragrance of liniment and his own refreshing scent.

"You're welcome." Xiao Qiyun straightened up, a faint smile on his lips, and gently tapped Su Zhelan's burning forehead with his fingertip. "Consider this a thank you gift. Get some rest."

After saying that, he turned and walked out. His black robe swept across the charcoal brazier beside the bed, raising a spark. His back turned decisively without the slightest hesitation.

Su Zhelan froze on the spot, her hand instinctively reaching for the corner of her mouth where she had been kissed. The temperature there felt like it was burning, and even her breathing became erratic.

"Hey! Why did he get a thank-you gift but I didn't?" Sheng Xuan's voice suddenly boomed, breaking the silence in the room. He rushed to the bedside, bracing himself on the edge of the bed with his hands, his eyes wide open. "I massaged your back and legs too! I massaged them for even longer than he did!"

Su Zhelan was jolted back to his senses by his shout. Looking at Sheng Xuan's sullen face, and recalling Xiao Qiyun's kiss that felt so light it was like a hallucination, his cheeks burned even hotter. He shrank further under the covers and whispered, "Then... then what do you want?"

"I want a thank-you gift too!" Sheng Xuan said matter-of-factly, but then quietly moved closer to him, "Like what happened just now..."

Su Zhelan's heart pounded in her chest, her fingers gripping the brocade quilt so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

He looked into Sheng Xuan's eyes, which were filled with "I want it too," and then glanced at the open door. As if afraid of being seen by someone, he quickly raised his face and gently touched Sheng Xuan's cheek, his touch carrying the dampness of Sheng Xuan's hair, before pulling away.

Sheng Xuan froze instantly, as if she had been frozen in place. Her hands were still on the edge of the bed, her eyes were wide open, and she even forgot to breathe.

Su Zhelan felt even more embarrassed by his reaction and nudged his arm, saying, "Alright? Go back to sleep."

"...Oh." Sheng Xuan finally snapped out of his daze, touched his cheek where he had been kissed, and grinned foolishly as he backed away. "Then, then you should get some rest! I'll come find you tomorrow!"

As he retreated to the doorway, he glanced back and saw Su Zhelan wrapped in a blanket, only her bright eyes showing, before running away with a silly grin. Her footsteps echoed far down the corridor before gradually fading away.

The room finally became completely quiet.

Su Zhelan lay back on the pillow, her hands still pressed against her forehead and burning cheeks.

Moonlight streamed into the bed through the window, and as he gazed at the top of the canopy, a slight smile crept onto his lips.