Chapter 135

Sheng Xuan indeed trained on the training ground for a whole day, his clothes soaked with sweat, until the sun set and his muscles and bones screamed with exhaustion, before he dragged his heavy steps back to his courtyard.

His mind was filled with Su Zhelan's disdainful remark that morning, "You're sweaty," which lingered in his head almost all day long, like a thorn pricking his proud yet somewhat awkward heart.

"Tsk!" Sheng Xuan scratched his sweaty hair in frustration and plunged into the bathroom.

He used almost twice as many bath soaps as usual, scrubbing himself thoroughly from head to toe several times, not even missing the crevices under his fingernails. Only when his skin was slightly red and smelled only the clean, refreshing scent of soapberry, with a hint of a specially applied, very faint pine balm, did he feel satisfied.

After changing into a brand-new nightgown that smelled of sunshine, Sheng Xuan looked at herself in the bronze mirror to make sure she smelled nice. Then she took a deep breath and, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, walked spiritedly toward Su Zhelan's Shuyu Courtyard.

Night had fallen, and the Shuyu Courtyard was quiet, with only the warm candlelight shining through the windows of the main house.

Sheng Xuan slowed his pace, like a leopard preparing to hunt, and silently approached the window. Through the half-open window, he saw Su Zhelan and Xiao Qiyun sitting on a low couch by the window, seemingly discussing something in hushed tones.

Su Zhelan stood sideways to the window, his expression focused, the candlelight casting soft shadows on his delicate profile. Xiao Qiyun, on the other hand, faced directly towards the window, his posture still composed, though his eyes were sharp.

Shengxuan held his breath, strained his ears, and tried to catch the words that drifted out intermittently.

"...Just as you guessed..." Xiao Qiyun's voice was deep and clear, tinged with a hint of solemnity, "...We've re-examined...the strongholds...and indeed...the clues point to..."

“So…we need…” Su Zhelan’s voice was soft, thoughtful, “…manpower…time…”

“…Yes, I will…” Xiao Qiyun seemed to respond, but his words were interrupted by Su Zhelan’s action of picking up her teacup.

Sheng Xuan listened, his curiosity piqued, yet utterly confused. "Just as you guessed"? "Reorganizing"? "The clues point to something"? What big scheme were they plotting? Why were they keeping it from him?!

Just then, Xiao Qiyun's gaze, like the most precise arrow, rose without warning, passing over Su Zhelan's shoulder, piercing straight through the crack in the window frame, and accurately locking onto Sheng Xuan, who was eavesdropping outside the window! His eyes were calm and still, yet they carried a chilling insight that seemed to see through everything.

Xiao Qiyun's lips curled into a faint, yet highly sarcastic smile. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone inside and outside the window to hear clearly:

"Young Master Shengxuan, you seem to be in high spirits, eavesdropping outside late at night? Are you afraid of disturbing Zhelan?"

Su Zhelan was startled by Xiao Qiyun's sudden words and turned her head sharply to look out the window in the direction of Xiao Qiyun's gaze.

He met Sheng Xuan's eyes, which were filled with a mixture of surprise and undisguised annoyance at being caught red-handed.

Su Zhelan's brows furrowed instantly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes: "Sheng Xuan? What are you doing outside? Eavesdropping on our conversation?" Her tone was clearly accusatory.

Caught red-handed by the two, Sheng Xuan's initial embarrassment at being caught eavesdropping was instantly ignited into anger by Xiao Qiyun's sarcastic tone and Su Zhelan's questioning. However, he took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed his anger.

Instead of backing down, he pushed open the half-closed door and strode in. The annoyance at being caught was instantly replaced by a complex expression that mixed grievance, frustration, and coquettishness.

With a clear goal in mind, he went straight to Su Zhelan, who was sitting on the couch, and without saying a word, he reached out and hugged Su Zhelan's waist from behind!

"Who was eavesdropping!" Sheng Xuan's voice rose, tinged with a hint of arrogance. He rested his chin heavily on Su Zhelan's shoulder, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his entire weight pressing down on her. "I came to find you! Who knew you two were whispering behind closed doors!"

As he spoke, he nuzzled Su Zhelan's neck with the tip of his nose, his voice suddenly dropping, filled with deep grievance and accusation, like a large dog neglected by its owner: "What are you hiding from me...? Do you think I'm stupid and can't help? Or... or are you discussing something I can't hear?"

Su Zhelan stiffened at his sudden bear hug and instinctively tried to push him away, but she paused slightly in surprise at the unusually refreshing and clean scent of soapberry mixed with a faint pine aroma.

Su Zhelan's tense body involuntarily relaxed for a moment, and she almost laughed out of anger.

He raised his hand, not to push her away, but to lightly pat Sheng Xuan's strong arm twice, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness and obvious teasing: "Alright, alright! Loosen your grip! You're strangling me! You..."

He paused, then unconsciously sniffed the air again, his tone becoming even more teasing, "...You've washed yourself quite clean today. What? You're holding a grudge because I said something?"

Upon hearing Su Zhelan's teasing, Sheng Xuan was not annoyed at all; instead, she was secretly delighted. She buried her face even deeper and mumbled a soft hum in the crook of Su Zhelan's neck: "Who holds a grudge! I was just... afraid of bothering you with the smell!"

He tightened his grip on her arm and, taking advantage of the situation, shook Su Zhelan. "Tell me! What were you whispering about just now? Don't try to hide it from me!"

Su Zhelan was dizzy from being shaken by him, and knew that if Sheng Xuan continued to pester him, the situation would only get worse. His mind raced and he immediately came up with a solution.

"Alright, alright! Stop shaking me!" Su Zhelan forcefully slapped Sheng Xuan's hand around her waist, her voice carrying a hint of deliberate impatience, but her eyes swept over Sheng Xuan's face. "Now is not the time to talk about that!"

He frowned slightly, raising his hands, which were coated with a bright green ointment and stood out conspicuously in the candlelight. "Look, I accidentally soaked my hands in the medicine at the pharmacy today. My master said it's best not to get them wet for the next couple of days..."

He paused deliberately, his gaze carrying a knowing look, and glanced at Sheng Xuan. "I want to wash up now... my hands aren't feeling well..."

Sheng Xuan followed Su Zhelan's gaze to his hands, which were coated with ointment and looked "very delicate," and his eyes instantly lit up! His previous questions and dissatisfaction were instantly thrown to the winds, replaced by excitement and a sense of pride that "it's finally my turn to shine!"

"Inconvenient?! Then come to me!" Sheng Xuan abruptly released his arms from Su Zhelan, stood up abruptly, patted his chest, and spoke in a loud voice, filled with undeniable confidence and smugness, "Leave it to me! I'll serve you! I guarantee I'll make sure you're comfortable! Just you wait!"

He acted as if he had received some incredible opportunity, not even glancing at Xiao Qiyun, and completely forgetting what secret he had just been asking. He turned around and excitedly ran towards the outer room, his footsteps so fast they created a gust of wind, clearly to prepare hot water and towels.

Watching Sheng Xuan's joyful, lottery-winning figure disappear through the door, Su Zhelan breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief. He rubbed his waist, which was a little numb from Sheng Xuan's grip, and was about to give Xiao Qiyun a helpless "it's all settled" smile when he met Xiao Qiyun's unfathomable eyes.

Xiao Qiyun remained seated, but his gentle, jade-like mask had shattered completely. His brows furrowed tightly, his eyes sharp as ice picks, piercing straight at Su Zhelan. His voice was terrifyingly low, carrying a chilling sense of being deliberately ignored and betrayed.

Why won't you let me help you?

Su Zhelan was taken aback by his sudden, intensely authoritative question, and the helpless smile on his face instantly froze. He hadn't expected Xiao Qiyun to question him so directly... especially in this tone.

“I…” Su Zhelan opened her mouth, but was speechless for a moment. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes flickered, showing a hint of embarrassment and guilt at being caught.

He subconsciously lowered his voice slightly, glancing in the direction Sheng Xuan had left, his tone carrying a hint of reassurance and explanation: "This wasn't... just to distract him... look at how persistent he was in asking so many questions..."

He tried to convey to Xiao Qiyun with his eyes that this was just a temporary measure.

"So you asked him for help?" Xiao Qiyun's voice grew colder, carrying a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm and... hurt? He slowly put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a slight clinking sound as it touched the table.

He stood up and walked closer to Su Zhelan. His tall figure brought an invisible pressure, and his gaze was fixed on Su Zhelan's eyes, leaving him no room to look away.

"He's reckless, and you're just going to appease him like this?" He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over Su Zhelan's hand covered in ointment. His voice suddenly deepened, carrying an undeniable authority and a hint of jealousy. "Or... do you think I can't serve you?"

"Of course not!" Su Zhelan's ears burned from his questioning, and she instinctively retorted. Looking at the complex and unreadable emotions swirling in Xiao Qiyun's eyes, her heart tightened inexplicably. With a mix of embarrassment and helplessness, she muttered softly, "How can you be jealous of something like this… My hands really can't get wet…"

He held out his hand, showing the ointment, "The master specifically instructed me to..."

Xiao Qiyun's gaze lingered on Su Zhelan's fingers for a moment; the bright green ointment was indeed glaring. His eyes darkened, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.

Ultimately, he forcefully suppressed that intense emotion, replacing it with a seemingly calm and gentle demeanor. He leaned slightly closer to Su Zhelan, his voice regaining its steady tone.

Just then, Shengxuan's excited voice came from outside: "The water's here! Zhelan! I set the temperature just right!"

With the sound of footsteps, Sheng Xuan strode in carrying a basin of steaming warm water and a clean cotton towel draped over his hand. His face was beaming with a bright smile that said, "Don't worry about me." He was completely oblivious to the subtle and tense atmosphere that had momentarily frozen between the two people in the inner room.

Sheng Xuan carried the basin of steaming water and placed it on the low table in front of Su Zhelan with a "thud" like presenting a treasure. The water rippled and almost spilled a few drops.

He deftly dipped the fine cotton towel into the warm water, rubbed it a few times with practiced ease, wrung it out until it was half-dry, and then eagerly approached Su Zhelan, his face beaming with undisguised anticipation and smugness: "Come on! Close your eyes!"

Su Zhelan looked at Sheng Xuan's "watch me" posture, then glanced at Xiao Qiyun's seemingly calm but turbulent face beside him, and a warning bell rang in his heart. But since things had come to this, he could only grit his teeth and resign himself to closing his eyes.

Sheng Xuan immediately took action. Holding a warm towel, with the same heroic spirit he would use to wipe the sweat off a comrade in the military camp, he slapped it all over Su Zhelan's face! The force and speed of the movement caught Su Zhelan off guard, causing her to sway and her nose to sting painfully.

"Ugh!" Su Zhelan groaned, instinctively trying to turn his head away. The rough fibers of the towel rubbed against his delicate cheek, bringing a harsh, almost abrasive feel that was very uncomfortable.

Sheng Xuan, oblivious to everything, held Su Zhelan's head steady with one hand while vigorously wiping Su Zhelan's face with a cloth in the other, as if he were scrubbing a suit of armor that needed heavy cleaning. The cloth brushed past her eyebrows, causing Su Zhelan to furrow her brows; it rubbed her nose so hard that Su Zhelan felt her nose was about to be flattened; it even scraped her soft lips with the edge of the cloth.

"Be gentle..." Su Zhelan finally couldn't help but squeeze out two words through gritted teeth, her voice slightly hoarse and dissatisfied after being ravaged, "You're going to rub my skin off..."

Sheng Xuan looked down and noticed that Su Zhelan's cheeks were flushed and even a little hot from his rubbing, especially the tip of her nose, which was bright red and looked pitiful.

"Ah? Oh! I'm sorry..." Sheng Xuan's voice lowered, stammering slightly. He glanced at Su Zhelan's tightly closed eyes and slightly furrowed brows with a flustered look, then quickly glanced at Xiao Qiyun's icy, almost tangible gaze beside him. His face burned with embarrassment.

This time, instead of using large, sweeping motions, he gently and slowly wiped Su Zhelan's forehead and brow bone with his fingertips through a cloth, the cloth still warm and damp.

When he wiped around his eyes, the cloth only covered them loosely. Through the cloth, he used his fingertips to gently and slowly trace the contours of his eyelids with almost imperceptible pressure.

Cheeks and the tip of the nose became the focus of attention. Sheng Xuan almost held her breath as she used the softest part of the cloth to gently press Su Zhelan's cheeks, which she had rubbed red, in very small circles, trying to relieve the discomfort with the warm, moist touch.

When he reached the tip of his nose, which was red and even slightly swollen, his movements became extremely gentle, with a clear, clumsy sense of compensation, and he stopped wiping.

The wiping of her chin and neck became unusually gentle. The cloth gently moved down along her jawline, and when wiping her slender neck, Shengxuan's movements were even more careful, avoiding her Adam's apple and only pausing slightly to wipe the sides of her neck and behind her ears, with a gentle touch as if brushing away dust.

He was on edge the entire time, as if he were polishing a priceless piece of jade, and he even breathed very softly.