Chapter 114

The lights in Shuyu Courtyard were brighter than those in the Medicine Courtyard, casting dappled patterns of color on the open scrolls. Su Zhelan was using a paperweight to hold down the thickest stack of scrolls, her fingertips tracing the pages. Before her brow could even relax, she heard a series of heavy footsteps outside the courtyard gate, like a colt rushing towards her.

"Ze Lan! Ze Lan!" Sheng Xuan's voice boomed in first, carried by the wind of the training ground, "I'm here—"

Before the words were even finished, a figure had already lifted the curtain and rushed in, with bits of grass still stuck to his cloak, clearly having run directly from the training ground.

He immediately noticed the towering pile of files on the table, his eyes lit up, and he strode over, leaning down on the edge of the table, almost knocking over the oil lamp beside Su Zhelan: "What are you tidying up? So many papers..."

Su Zhelan reached out and moved the oil lamp aside, her fingertips pausing on the dossier. She didn't answer directly, but only glanced at him and asked, "Why are you here so late?"

"I just came back from the training ground." Sheng Xuan didn't notice his avoidance and leaned over the edge of the table to look down, chattering away.

"Let me tell you, I saw Mr. Gu Linzhao today while practicing archery at the training ground! He went to find Sheng Chi, carrying a huge, heavy bag, wrapped up tightly, and just carried it away. What do you think it is? Is it some newly arrived weapon blueprints? Or..."

He became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, gesturing in the air, creating a gust of wind that swept across the files, making the pages rustle.

Su Zhelan's temples throbbed from his noise. She tightened her grip on the paperweight, trying to keep her tone calm: "What could it be? Gu Linzhao was invited by Sheng Chi. It's perfectly normal to talk to him or get things from him, isn't it?"

“But that bag is way too big…” Sheng Xuan was still hesitating, his eyes peeking through the gaps in the file, “It’s even bigger than the fodder bag I bought for Xue Dianmiao last time…”

"Stop guessing." Su Zhelan closed the top file, covering the maps marked with red dots. "It's none of our business to interfere in the gentlemen's affairs."

He looked up at Sheng Xuan, his tone clearly dismissive, "You came all this way so late just to talk about this? I was about to go to bed."

Sheng Xuan then belatedly realized that Su Zhelan seemed to not want to see the things on her desk. She scratched her head and took a half step back, a little embarrassed: "It's not that... I just wanted to come and see you after I finished practicing."

He glanced at the closed file, then quickly looked away. "You...you're done organizing? Going to sleep?"

The light fell on Su Zhelan's slightly tired face. He was indeed a bit tired. He had just returned and hadn't had a chance to rest yet. Now, being bothered by Sheng Xuan made him even more exhausted.

“Hmm,” he nodded, and began to tidy up the red ink pens scattered on the corner of the table. “We’ll deal with these tomorrow. You should go home early too, or you’ll catch a cold from the evening breeze.”

As Sheng Xuan watched him pack his things, she suddenly realized that she had indeed been too noisy. She murmured "Oh" but didn't move, her eyes fixed on Su Zhelan's reddened ears.

Before Sheng Xuan could even say "I'll come again tomorrow" as she moved her foot to the threshold, the gate was gently pushed open.

A figure stood at the doorway, holding a gilded porcelain bowl. Steam rose from the rim of the bowl, carrying the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms—it was warm porridge.

Xiao Qiyun's gaze first fell on the files on Su Zhelan's desk, then swept over Sheng Xuan's hand frozen in mid-air, and finally landed on Su Zhelan's face. His voice was clear and gentle, like it had been soaked in warm water: "I heard from the servants that you spent the whole day at the pharmacy today, and neither you nor Mr. Su Yan ate properly."

He stepped in and placed the porcelain bowl on an empty spot on the table. The bottom of the bowl was still warm: "It's been kept warm in the kitchen. Eat it while it's hot."

Su Zhelan was stunned for a moment, looking at the white porridge in the bowl. The rice grains were cooked until soft and the rice oil had a faint yellow hue.

It dawned on me then that when Su Yan left the pharmacy in the evening, he said there was "porridge warming in the kitchen." So... it was Xiao Qiyun who had it prepared.

"I..." Su Zhelan was about to say that she wasn't hungry when Sheng Xuan interrupted her.

Sheng Xuan suddenly looked up, a hint of resentment in her voice: "Why are you here too?" She then peered into the bowl, "This porridge looks quite thick, Zhelan, are you hungry?"

Xiao Qiyun ignored him, only handing the spoon to Su Zhelan, his fingertips brushing against the back of Su Zhelan's hand, carrying a bit of the steam from the porridge bowl: "It'll taste fishy if it gets cold."

Su Zhelan took the spoon, her fingertips touching the warm porcelain, and suddenly felt a tightness in her throat. She had been so busy organizing files from the pharmacy to the Shuyu Academy today that she had completely forgotten to eat.

He lowered his head and scooped up a spoonful of porridge. The aroma of rice mixed with a hint of rice oil slid down his throat, and the warm sensation spread down his esophagus, soothing his tense nerves and easing them.

Sheng Xuan moved closer to Su Zhelan, her chin almost resting on the table: "Zhelan, is it good? It smells pretty good to me..." As she spoke, she secretly glared at Xiao Qiyun, as if to say, "You're the one who knows how to fawn over others."

Xiao Qiyun seemed not to notice his gaze, and picked up the closed dossier from Su Zhelan's hands, tapping the cover lightly with his fingertips: "These are...?"

Su Zhelan paused in her scooping of porridge, then looked up and met Xiao Qiyun's gaze—his eyes were clear, as if he had already guessed it, but hadn't pointed it out.

He mumbled an "uh-huh," moved the bowl of porridge closer to himself, and used it to block the edge of the file: "My master asked me to organize this; he said I could learn something from it."

"Oh?" Xiao Qiyun raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on the file for a moment before he didn't press further. Instead, he turned to Sheng Xuan, his tone indifferent, "Weren't you leaving?"

Sheng Xuan was annoyed by the criticism, but didn't want to leave. He stubbornly said, "I...I'm watching Zhe Lan drink porridge! What if she gets burned?" As he spoke, he moved even closer, his eyes fixed on the spoon in Su Zhe Lan's hand.

Caught between the two, Su Zhelan felt the porridge in his hands suddenly become hot, with Xiao Qiyun's calm gaze on one side and Sheng Xuan's burning stare on the other. He quickened his pace, ladling the porridge faster, and mumbled, "I'm almost finished, you two..."

Su Zhelan put down the spoon, the porcelain bowl clinking softly against the table, the rice oil sloshing around at the bottom. He rubbed his throbbing temples, his voice betraying his weariness: "I've almost finished the porridge, I really need to rest."

He looked up at the two of them, his gaze lingering between Sheng Xuan's shoulder, which was too close to his, and Xiao Qiyun's fingers resting on the dossier. "You two should go back too, it's too late."

This was said so bluntly, it was practically an open invitation to leave.

Sheng Xuan slumped his shoulders but didn't move. Instead, he reached for the vermilion pen on the corner of the table, twirling his fingertips around the pen.

"What's the rush? Let me tidy up your pens. Look at the mess on this desk, it'll be a hassle to find them tomorrow." As he spoke, he actually started putting pens into the pen holder, his movements slow and deliberate, clearly intending to stall.

Su Zhelan watched him deliberately slow down his movements and sighed helplessly. His temperament was like that of a child who hadn't grown up; his tantrums were written all over his face.

Xiao Qiyun lightly ran his fingertips across the cover of the dossier, as if weighing its thickness, and suddenly said, "These dossiers are taking up too much space. Let me help you move them to the bookshelf in the inner room."

His tone was calm, as if it were just a casual suggestion, but his gaze fell on Su Zhelan's slightly pale face. "It's cool at night. You just finished drinking porridge, and it's easy to catch a cold if you get up."

These words sounded like they were full of concern, but how could Su Zhelan not understand—the inner room was his bedroom, and moving the files was just an excuse; he clearly wanted to go to the inner room.

“No need to trouble yourself.” Su Zhelan pressed down on Xiao Qiyun’s wrist, her fingertips touching his slightly cool skin. “I can move it myself tomorrow, it’s not heavy.”

As he withdrew his hand, his fingertips brushed against Xiao Qiyun's sleeve, causing a few wrinkles in the fabric. "Really, I'm tired and want to go to sleep early."

Sheng Xuan's eyes darted around, and he suddenly glanced at the door before moving back to Su Zhelan's side, lowering his voice slightly: "Then...then I'll wait outside on the porch? In case you get thirsty at night or want to add more light, just call out and I'll hear you."

He spoke earnestly, his eyes sparkling like a large dog waiting to be allowed to stay.

Just as Su Zhelan was about to refuse, she saw Xiao Qiyun pick up the top stack of files and walk briskly into the inner room: "The bookshelves in the inner room are high, you can't reach them." He didn't turn his head, and his voice floated out from behind the curtain, "I'll leave after I put them away, so as not to disturb your rest."

These words were so well-chosen that they left no room for refusal.

Su Zhelan looked at the curtain of the inner room that had been lifted, and then at Sheng Xuan beside her who had a look on his face that said, "Look, he's already gone in." She felt her temples throbbing even more violently.

The warm touch of last night seemed to wash over me again—Sheng Xuan's hand on my shoulder, Xiao Qiyun's breath on my shoulder, and the unconscious force of the two of them squeezing together. It was so warm that it made me feel lazy, but also so chaotic that it made me feel flustered.

He knew that these two people weren't really trying to help.

Seeing that he no longer objected, Sheng Xuan secretly grinned and quickly put the remaining pens into the pen holder. She then picked up the paperweight and placed it on the table. Her movements were much faster, but her eyes remained fixed on Su Zhelan's profile and never left her.

The soft sound of a bookshelf being pulled out came from the inner room, and Xiao Qiyun's voice followed: "The top shelf is empty, so these are perfect." He paused, then added, "Your bookshelf needs cleaning; it's covered in dust. Let me wipe it for you."

Su Zhelan closed her eyes, completely giving up on arguing.

The lights in Shuyu Courtyard were still on. Sheng Xuan was fiddling with the pen holder at her desk, while Xiao Qiyun was in the inner room, using the excuse of "wiping off dust" to delay coming out.

Su Zhelan leaned back in her chair, listening to the deliberately slowed movements of the two people, and suddenly felt that the night seemed exceptionally long—long enough for those thoughts hidden beneath "helping" and "caring" to quietly seep out and entangle her, making it impossible for her to escape.

As Su Zhelan turned and walked into the inner room, the candlelight cast a warm shadow beside the bed. The brocade quilt was neatly folded, and his outer robe, which he had just changed out of, lay at the foot of the bed, exuding a warm fragrance unique to Shuyu Courtyard.

He stood in front of the bed without turning around, but he could clearly hear footsteps behind him—Sheng Xuan's steps were hurried, and his footsteps made a "thump-thump" sound on the floor, almost touching his heels.

The three of them stood before the bed, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on each other's faces, and no one spoke.

The silence in the air was like a damp cotton wadding, heavy and making it hard to breathe.

Su Zhelan finally turned around, her gaze sweeping over the two faces. Sheng Xuan's eyes were surprisingly bright, his eyelashes fluttering in the candlelight like two small flames; Xiao Qiyun's gaze was deeper, but there was a hint of barely perceptible expectation hidden in his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously twisting his sleeve.

He suddenly laughed, a smile that was both helpless and knowing: "You two, do you both want to stay here overnight?"

Before the words were even finished, Sheng Xuan nodded vigorously, and before she could even reply, Xiao Qiyun had already nodded first, his voice clear and gentle: "It's windy at night, you're all alone..."

"Stop." Su Zhelan raised her hand to interrupt him, pressed her fingertips to her brow, and tilted her head toward the door, her tone as indifferent as if she were talking about the weather, "Since you want to stay so much, then stay. The bed is big enough, you two can rest here."

He paused, then added, "I'll squeeze in at my master's place for one night."

"ah?"

Sheng Xuan's eyes widened suddenly, like a sparrow struck by a pebble. She instinctively took half a step back, her heel hitting the bed leg with a soft thud. —Wasn't Su Zhelan and I supposed to sleep together? How did it become Xiao Qiyun and me?

He glanced quickly at Xiao Qiyun beside him, who was looking down at the ground, his profile appearing particularly cold and hard in the candlelight.

Sheng Xuan's brows furrowed instantly. His gaze swept over the spacious bed before settling back on Xiao Qiyun, his nose twitching almost imperceptibly. —Sleeping alone with this guy? He'd rather sleep in the stables.

He clenched his sleeves, his mouth moved, but the words he couldn't say were stuck in his throat, finally turning into a muffled breath, tinged with frustration that he had nowhere to vent.

Xiao Qiyun's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as his gaze fell on Su Zhelan's face, carrying a hint of unspoken inquiry: "The beds in the medicine ward are already narrow, and there are two of them, Su Yan and Gu Linzhao. Moreover, Mr. Su Yan is a light sleeper at night, so if you go there, you'll only disturb him."

His tone was gentle, yet every word struck at Su Zhelan's weak spot.

Sheng Xuan immediately chimed in, nodding vigorously: "That's right! Mr. Su Yan's bed is so small, you definitely won't sleep well there!"

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Xiao Qiyun. Their eyes met briefly in mid-air, both conveying a hint of "Why is it you?" disdain before quickly looking away.

Looking at their expressions, Su Zhelan felt a mix of helplessness and amusement. Without replying, he turned and walked towards the door, his fingertips already touching the curtain's tie. Since neither of them would back down, he'd leave; it was better than being stuck in the middle at night, unable to even turn over.

"Ze Lan!"

Just as he was about to lift the curtain with his wrist, he was suddenly grabbed tightly around the waist. Sheng Xuan's grip was strong, and he seemed anxious, afraid that Sheng Xuan would run away. His chest was pressed against Sheng Xuan's back, and through the thin fabric, he could feel the boy's burning body temperature and rapid heartbeat.

"Don't go." Sheng Xuan's muffled voice bumped against the back of his neck, with a hint of aggrieved nasal tone. "I won't fight him for it anymore, okay? You stay... let's sleep together, the three of us, just like last night, is that alright?"

Su Zhelan was almost suffocating from his tight grip. She raised her hand to pry his arm off, her fingertips touching Sheng Xuan's taut forearm muscles: "Let go, it hurts."

Xiao Qiyun walked over from behind, but didn't touch him. He just stood beside him, his gaze falling on Sheng Xuan's hands wrapped around his waist. His tone was a little cold: "Sheng Xuan, let go."

Su Zhelan was caught in the middle, with a curtain blocking her way in front, Sheng Xuan's bear hug behind her, and Xiao Qiyun's deep gaze beside her. Suddenly, she felt that the candlelight in Shuyu Courtyard was even brighter than before.

He sighed, raised his hand and patted Sheng Xuan's hand around his waist, his voice softening: "Let go first."

Sheng Xuan was stunned for a moment. Seeing that his tone had softened, she reluctantly loosened her grip, but still held onto his clothes, afraid that he would take another step towards the door.

Su Zhelan turned around and looked at the two people in front of her—Sheng Xuan's eyes still held a trace of panic, and Xiao Qiyun's fingertips were curled up in his sleeve, clearly indicating that he did not really intend to let him go.

The candlelight flickered between the three of them, its warmth seeming to melt the night away. Su Zhelan looked at them and suddenly realized that her earlier thought had indeed been somewhat naive. Escaping from these two? It probably wouldn't be that easy.

Su Zhelan turned around and pointed her finger at the edge of the bed. The folds of the brocade quilt were clearly visible in the candlelight: "It's such a small place. With three people crammed in, we'd fight over every turn at night."

His tone was slightly dismissive, as if he were talking about something utterly mundane.

Sheng Xuan's eyes darted around, then she suddenly grabbed Xiao Qiyun's arm with such force that she almost made him stumble: "Get out here!"

Before Xiao Qiyun could react, he half-dragged and half-pulled him out of the inner room, causing the curtain to sway with a "snap," blocking the candlelight inside.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Qiyun was pulled to the table in the outer room, his brows furrowing even more. When he shook off Sheng Xuan's hand, a soft sound was heard.

"Are you stupid?" Sheng Xuan's voice was barely audible, yet it carried a hint of urgent seriousness. "Instead of arguing here, let's each take a day! I'll sleep with Su Zhelan tonight, and you can sleep with her tomorrow. It's fair!"

Xiao Qiyun raised an eyebrow at him, her disdain almost overflowing, as if she were looking at an idiot: "Fair?"

He twirled the crease in his sleeve with his fingertips, his tone as cold as ice, "You think this is a way to share your food?" He could have found a way to keep Su Zhelan by himself, why should he take turns with this idiot?

"What else can we do?" Sheng Xuan stamped his foot anxiously, causing the candlelight in the outer room to flicker. "We can't really let Su Zhelan go to the pharmacy, can we? He'll be sleeping in the same room as Master, and we won't even be able to touch each other!"

As he spoke, he glanced towards the inner room, his ears twitching—he vaguely heard the sound of water coming from inside, as if Su Zhelan was washing up.

Xiao Qiyun's gaze also darkened.

The gentle patter of water, mixed with the soft rustling of a cloth, was Su Zhelan's bedtime routine. The sound acted as a reminder, silencing both of them.

If this drags on any longer, Su Zhelan might really have to go to sleep. At that point, forget about who gets to sleep here; it'll be hard to say whether she'll even be able to stay in the room at all.

Sheng Xuan and Xiao Qiyun both shut up at the same time, exchanged a glance, and saw a hint of compromise in each other's eyes.

Xiao Qiyun didn't look at Sheng Xuan again, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather, yet with an undeniable certainty: "Then I'll stay tonight."

Before he finished speaking, he had already turned around and lifted the curtain. The hem of his moon-white long robe swept across the threshold, and without the slightest hesitation, he walked straight into the inner room.

Sheng Xuan stood frozen in place, his mouth agape for a long time, as if he had been struck by a spell. The candlelight flickered on his face, reflecting the shock and belated frustration in his eyes—he was the one who made the suggestion! How could Xiao Qiyun have beaten him to it so quickly?

He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, and a surge of anger welled up inside him. But then he thought, he had just patted his chest and said "fairness," and if he rushed in to argue now, it would make him seem like he was breaking his promise.

"Damn it..." Sheng Xuan gritted his teeth and glared at the inner room. The curtain swayed gently in the wind, as if mocking his stupidity.

In the end, he could only turn around angrily and walk away with heavy steps.

"Just you wait!" He stopped abruptly at the courtyard gate, growling under his breath towards the inner room. His voice held a hint of defiance as he gestured to himself, "Tomorrow, no, the day after, I'll have the bed enlarged! Enlarged to that size! Then..."

He stopped mid-sentence, realizing it was pointless to argue with the air, and turned to rush into the night. The wind carried his muttered words back, as faint as a mosquito's hum: "...Whether you're here or not, I'm going to sleep with Zhelan..."

When Xiao Qiyun lifted the curtain and entered the inner room, the candlelight was shining on Su Zhelan's back.

He had just finished washing up, his hair still dripping wet, and the collar of his shirt was soaked down to the back of his neck. He was holding a cloth in his hand, his back to the bed, wiping the water droplets from his hair. His shoulders swayed gently with the movement, like an orchid that had been wet by the rain.

A faint scent of soapberry wafted in the air, mixed with moisture, warming the heart.

Xiao Qiyun didn't say anything, but walked straight over and stood behind Su Zhelan.

Amidst the soft rustling of fabric, he suddenly reached out and wrapped his arms around Su Zhelan's waist from both sides, his palms touching Su Zhelan's slightly cool collar, gently tightening his grip—not too tight, but with an unmistakable intimacy.

Su Zhelan paused, the cloth resting on his hair, his fingertips tightening slightly. He could feel Xiao Qiyun's chest against his back, his steady heartbeat transmitted through the fabric, warmer than the calm of the daytime.

"Sheng Xuan is gone?" Su Zhelan had just draped a cloth over the edge of the basin when the water vapor condensed into fine beads on his cheeks, making them look exceptionally clear.

"Mmm." Xiao Qiyun's voice fell on the nape of her neck, slightly hoarse from just entering the room. The warmth of his breath brushed against her skin, causing Su Zhelan's eyelashes to tremble slightly. "Let me help you."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and naturally picked up the cloth. His fingertips brushed against Su Zhelan's fingertips, carrying the dampness of the cloth, which instantly burned Su Zhelan's ear tips, making them turn red.

Xiao Qiyun moved very gently, the cloth weaving through her hair, avoiding any knots, applying just the right amount of pressure to absorb the moisture without hurting her scalp.

His breath fell on Su Zhelan's neck, mingling with the water droplets falling from her hair, creating small damp patches on her collar.

Su Zhelan lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the water stains on the ground, and remained silent. After the initial surprise faded, only a helpless indulgence remained—he should have known that once Xiao Qiyun decided to stay, he wouldn't wait patiently.

"The left side is still a little damp." Xiao Qiyun's fingertips ran through his hair, gently brushing aside the hair on the left side. When the cloth wiped his earlobe, it caused a slight itch.

Su Zhelan tilted her head to the right to make it easier for him to move, her voice muffled: "Hurry up, let your hair dry before you go to sleep."

"Mmm." Xiao Qiyun responded, but his hands didn't speed up. Instead, while drying her hair, his fingertips occasionally brushed against Su Zhelan's nape—the skin there was delicate and warm from the moisture, like a piece of fine warm jade.

The rustling sound of the towel rubbing together held unspoken words. Only after the water droplets on his hair were almost dry did Xiao Qiyun withdraw his hand and place the towel on the low table beside him.

Xiao Qiyun wrapped his arms around Su Zhelan's waist, pulling her towards the bed with an irresistible force. Su Zhelan's back pressed tightly against his chest, and she could clearly feel the body heat emanating from beneath his clothes, a few degrees higher than usual, carrying a pent-up heat.

“I can walk by myself.” Su Zhelan’s voice was as light as a feather, but the last syllable was cut off by Xiao Qiyun’s suddenly tightening arm. His hand slid down his waist to his lower abdomen, his palm pressed against his thin inner garment, the heat almost burning through the fabric.

"I know." Xiao Qiyun chuckled softly, his breath brushing against Su Zhelan's earlobe, making him shrink back. "But I want to take you away."

These words were as blunt as unshielded moonlight, causing Su Zhelan's ears to turn even redder. He didn't argue further, letting Xiao Qiyun half-support and half-carry him toward the bed.

Xiao Qiyun's lips brushed against his earlobe, his voice laced with laughter, "Why are you walking so fast?" His warm breath sent a shiver down Su Zhelan's spine. "The night is still long."

With the bed so close, Su Zhelan's fingertips unconsciously brought about an unexpected rescue; he knew all too well what was about to happen.