Chapter 70

Outside Shuyu Courtyard, Sheng Xuan ran wildly, his mind a jumble of thoughts, filled with Su Zhelan's words, "It's my fault for dragging you down," the brief but unforgettable kiss, and Xiao Qiyun's "reminder" that made him flee in panic.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt—how could Mr. Su have returned so quickly? Every time Alliance Leader Gu sought him out to discuss the prescription, it always took up most of the day.

He abruptly stopped, standing at the fork in the road leading to the pharmacy, his eyes darting around. No! He had to go and check! If Mr. Su hadn't returned, then Xiao Qiyun had clearly been playing a trick on him! Deliberately trying to get rid of him!

This thought ignited a fire in Sheng Xuan's heart! He immediately changed direction and strode quickly toward the pharmacy. He deliberately lightened his steps, like a nimble cheetah, silently approaching the pharmacy window.

The window was ajar, and clear conversation could be heard coming from inside.

Sheng Xuan held his breath and cautiously peered through the crack in the window.

Inside the pharmacy, Su Yan sat with his back to the window at a table piled high with medicinal herbs, holding a yellowed ancient book in his hand, talking animatedly to Gu Linzhao beside him:

"...The key to processing this 'bone-purifying herb' is the heat! Ancient books say 'slowly roast it over a gentle fire to extract its essence,' but I see those quack doctors roasting it over high heat! They've roasted away all the medicinal properties! No wonder it's ineffective!"

As he spoke, he waved his arms excitedly, clearly engrossed in the pharmacological debate and showing no intention of leaving.

Gu Linzhao sat opposite him, his expression calm, holding a book in his hand. He nodded from time to time and occasionally chimed in with a word or two. Clearly, the two were having a deep discussion and it was unlikely that it would end anytime soon!

"Xiao Qiyun! He was lying to me after all! All that talk about hearing Mr. Su Yan's voice! All that about coming this way! It was all a lie! It was just to get rid of him!"

Sheng Xuan no longer concealed his presence and turned to stride rapidly toward Shuyu Courtyard! His steps were heavy and hurried, carrying an uncontrollable rage, like a volcano about to erupt!

"Xiao Qiyun—!"

A shout filled with shock and obvious displeasure suddenly came from the doorway!

Su Zhelan and Xiao Qiyun froze at the same time!

Su Zhelan suddenly looked up at the doorway, his pupils contracting sharply! Xiao Qiyun's grip on his wrist also faltered slightly, his gaze instantly turning to the doorway!

Sheng Xuan stood at the door, his chest rising and falling slightly, clearly having come quickly.

His face no longer held its usual radiant spirit; instead, it displayed an incredulous astonishment and... a kind of anger tinged with youthful grievance after being deceived.

His eyes widened, his gaze fixed on Xiao Qiyun's hand that was still gripping the buttons of Su Zhelan's inner shirt, then swept over Su Zhelan's wrist being held down by Xiao Qiyun, her outer robe already unbuttoned, revealing the collar of her inner shirt.

A sense of suffocation, as if I had just known, and a bittersweet feeling of having something I cherish touched instantly welled up in my heart!

“You…” Sheng Xuan’s voice was slightly breathless, but more so it was filled with disbelief and a sense of being tricked, “You lied to me.”

He walked into the room, his gaze sweeping between Xiao Qiyun and Su Zhelan before finally settling on Xiao Qiyun's face, his eyes filled with accusation, "Mr. Su... is still in the pharmacy! Discussing a prescription with Gu Linzhao! They're having a great time discussing it!"

He paused, then raised his voice slightly, carrying the bluntness and dissatisfaction characteristic of a young man, "You deliberately said you heard his voice... just to get rid of me?!"

His gaze returned to Xiao Qiyun's hand, which was still resting on Su Zhelan's inner shirt. His brows furrowed, and his displeasure and a sense of being offended deepened in his eyes: "What... are you doing now?!"

He pointed at Xiao Qiyun's hand, his voice carrying a clear questioning tone and a hint of barely perceptible bitterness, "Ze Lan has just recovered! She's still weak! How...how could you...?!"

He spoke the last few words quickly and urgently, his cheeks even slightly flushed with excitement and some indescribable emotion, his eyes filled with worry for Su Zhelan's situation and incomprehension of Xiao Qiyun's actions.

Although the question wasn't as roaring as before, it still made Su Zhelan feel extremely embarrassed!

He was already blushing and his heart was pounding because his outer robe had been undone. Now, with Xiao Qiyun's fingertips pinching the collar of his inner robe, and Sheng Xuan seeing this and questioning him, a huge sense of shame instantly overwhelmed him!

His face flushed crimson instantly, and he instinctively tried to pull his hand away from Xiao Qiyun's to close his clothes, his voice filled with panic: "Sheng Xuan...no...don't misunderstand...I..."

Xiao Qiyun felt the sudden increase in the force of Su Zhelan's struggle on her wrist, and he also saw the almost bleeding blush on Su Zhelan's face and her immense embarrassment.

A faint flicker of emotion crossed the depths of his eyes, before he regained his profound calm.

Xiao Qiyun slowly released his fingers from Su Zhelan's inner shirt, his movements deliberate and methodical, as if he were simply doing something perfectly ordinary. At the same time, he also released his hand from Su Zhelan's wrist.

He slowly raised his head to meet Sheng Xuan's eyes, which were filled with dissatisfaction and questioning. The usual gentle smile on his face had not completely disappeared, but had faded slightly, carrying a calm and composed air.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Qiyun's voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in the room, carrying a sense of matter-of-fact composure.

He turned slightly to the side, allowing Sheng Xuan to see Su Zhelan's chest more clearly—although there was an inner shirt between them, the top two buttons of the shirt had been undone, and the edge of the white medicated cloth covering it could be vaguely seen.

“Prepare to change Zhelan’s dressing.” His tone was calm, as if he were explaining something very ordinary. “His chest wound requires daily dressing changes. Unbuttoning his outer robe and inner shirt is to make the procedure easier.”

His gaze fell on Sheng Xuan's face, his eyes carrying a hint of understanding, as if he could see through the young general's awkward little thoughts. "What...do you think I want to do?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Su Zhelan's face, which was practically steaming with embarrassment, before returning to Sheng Xuan. A faint, yet slightly mischievous, smile curved his lips.

"Or... do you think my movements aren't skilled enough? Or..." His tone rose slightly, carrying a hint of barely perceptible teasing, "...does the Second Young Master want to try it himself and see if he can do it better than me?"

This rhetorical question, tinged with obvious mockery, was like a needle pricking Sheng Xuan's awkward pride!

Looking at Xiao Qiyun's calm and composed demeanor, as if he had everything under control, and then glancing at Su Zhelan's embarrassed and embarrassed appearance, as if she wanted to hide herself, Sheng Xuan felt a surge of resentment and youthful bravado, thinking, "Why do you get all the benefits?"

His ears were slightly burning, but he stiffened his neck, raised his chin slightly, and spoke with a defiant stubbornness, his voice rising slightly in an attempt to mask his lack of confidence:

"I...I'll do it!" he blurted out almost without thinking, his eyes filled with a stubborn "who's afraid of who" attitude. "It's just changing the dressing! What's so difficult about it! I...I'll definitely do it more carefully than you!"

Before he finished speaking, Sheng Xuan strode towards the bedside, as if he wanted to prove himself with his actions immediately.

However, Xiao Qiyun reacted even faster! The moment Sheng Xuan finished speaking, the mischievous smile on Xiao Qiyun's lips seemed to deepen slightly, and a faint, triumphant glint flashed in his eyes.

Instead of getting up to make way, he leaned forward slightly and, under Sheng Xuan's astonished gaze, actually sat down on the edge of the soft couch!

Before Su Zhelan and Sheng Xuan could react, Xiao Qiyun moved with lightning speed! He stretched out his long arm and naturally wrapped it around Su Zhelan's shoulder and back, pulling her halfway into his arms from the side with an irresistible gesture!

Su Zhelan felt a cool, warm sensation instantly envelop him! His back pressed against a firm, warm chest, and he could even feel Xiao Qiyun's steady heartbeat through the thin fabric!

This sudden, extremely intimate embrace left Su Zhelan's mind blank for a moment! His body stiffened abruptly, and the blush that had just faded from his cheeks suddenly burned again, even more intensely than before! He subconsciously tried to break free, but Xiao Qiyun's arm, seemingly casually draped over his side, carried a gentle yet irresistible force of confinement.

"You..." Su Zhelan's voice was filled with panic and embarrassment. She was about to speak when Xiao Qiyun's next action completely silenced her!

Xiao Qiyun raised his other hand as well, the movement fluid and natural. He didn't touch the medicine box, but instead precisely and gently grasped Su Zhelan's two wrists, which she was clasped haphazardly at her sides in her panic!

Su Zhelan's wrists were slender, while Xiao Qiyun's palms were warm and strong. His calloused fingertips gently encircled his wrist bones, fixing his hands firmly on his knees with a force that was neither easy to break free nor painful.

"Don't move." Xiao Qiyun's voice rang close to Su Zhelan's ear, deep and gentle, with a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness and... an undeniable forcefulness, "Since Sheng Xuan wants to 'give it a try'..."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Sheng Xuan, who was frozen on the edge of the bed, dumbfounded. A meaningful smile appeared on his lips. "...That's perfect. Su Zhelan's wrist needs to be immobilized to prevent him from moving around nervously and aggravating the injury to his heart."

Xiao Qiyun's gaze returned to Su Zhelan, who was held in his arms and whose hands were firmly held on his knees. His eyes were focused and gentle, as if he were admiring a rare treasure.

Xiao Qiyun's voice carried a hint of laziness, almost a command, yet remained gentle. "The medicine box is on the table, with new bandages and ointments inside. Be... gentle." He paused, then added, his tone carrying a subtle teasing, "After all, Zhelan is... a little nervous right now."

Su Zhelan was completely dumbfounded!

He was half-encircled in Xiao Qiyun's arms in an extremely intimate manner, his back pressed against Xiao Qiyun's warm chest, and his wrists were firmly fixed to his knees by Xiao Qiyun's large hands, unable to move!

Xiao Qiyun's aura completely enveloped him, his deep voice right next to his ear, the warm breath brushing against his earlobe, bringing waves of indescribable tingling and... even deeper shame! His cheeks burned, his body stiff as a piece of wood, and he could only let Xiao Qiyun do as he pleased.

He couldn't even muster the thought of struggling; his mind was blank, filled only with immense, dizzying embarrassment and a feeling of utter powerlessness... of being completely controlled.

Shengxuan, who was standing by the tatami mat, was completely dumbfounded!

He watched the scene unfold before him—Xiao Qiyun held Su Zhelan in his arms with an absolute possessive posture, firmly controlling her wrists, while Su Zhelan, powerless to resist, lay there like a doll, her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with panic, completely enveloped by Xiao Qiyun's presence and movements…

This wasn't just letting him "try" changing the medicine! This was clearly... clearly treating him as a subordinate! And Xiao Qiyun himself brazenly occupied the most intimate position! Declaring an unquestionable sovereignty!

"Hmph!" Sheng Xuan snorted heavily, as if he had made up his mind.

He stopped looking at Xiao Qiyun's infuriating expression, turned around and strode to the table, his movements carrying a hint of venting. He opened the medicine box with a "bang," rummaged through it, and took out the ointment in the blue porcelain bottle, as well as the clean gauze and medicated cloth prepared next to it.

He took the ointment and gauze, turned around, and strode back to the bedside. This time, his gaze no longer fell on Xiao Qiyun, but directly on Su Zhelan, his eyes carrying an undeniable firmness and... a hint of barely perceptible tension.

“Ze Lan,” Sheng Xuan’s voice was a little tense, but he tried his best to keep it steady, “Don’t be afraid, I…I’ll change your dressing.”

As he spoke, he took a deep breath, as if to encourage himself, and then... he reached out his hand!

Shengxuan's movements carried the eagerness of a young man and a touch of clumsy determination.

His fingertips trembled slightly, and when his calloused fingertips touched Su Zhelan's inner shirt, Su Zhelan's body stiffened abruptly! Her burning cheeks flushed even more instantly, her long eyelashes trembled violently, and she instinctively tried to shrink back, but Xiao Qiyun held her firmly from behind, preventing her from moving.

Xiao Qiyun maintained his embrace of Su Zhelan, his chin gently resting on the top of her head. He calmly watched Sheng Xuan's actions, his ambiguous smile deepening as if he were watching an interesting performance.

He tightened his grip on Su Zhelan's wrist slightly, silently conveying a sense of reassurance... or rather, a deeper sense of control.

Finally, the inner garment was completely unbuttoned, revealing a white medicated bandage covering her chest. At the edge of the bandage, one could vaguely see pale pink new skin and the gruesome scar.

Sheng Xuan's gaze fell there, and his pupils suddenly contracted! The anger and frustration he felt just now were instantly replaced by a huge pang of heartache and an indescribable sense of mission.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady his trembling fingers, and carefully reached out to pinch a corner of the old bandage.

Sheng Xuan's movements were extremely gentle, as if afraid of hurting Su Zhelan. Her fingertips, calloused, gently lifted the edge of the bandage, revealing the pale pink scar underneath, which, though closed, still stood out starkly.

His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and a deep pain and self-reproach flashed across his eyes. He picked up a clean cotton cloth soaked in medicine and, with clumsy but unusually gentle movements, wiped the skin around the wound little by little.

Occasionally, his fingertips would accidentally touch Su Zhelan's warm skin. Each touch caused Su Zhelan's body to tremble almost imperceptibly, and Sheng Xuan's heart to skip a beat. The trembling of his fingertips became more obvious.

Su Zhelan kept his eyes tightly closed. He felt Sheng Xuan's nervous and cautious touch, the slight stinging sensation from the cold medicine, and Xiao Qiyun's firm and warm chest and steady heartbeat behind him.

Two completely different sensations and scents intertwined, enveloping him and bringing an unprecedented, suffocating embarrassment and an indescribable flutter. His cheeks burned, and his neck flushed a deep red. His body was as stiff as a stone, leaving him completely at the mercy of the two.

Xiao Qiyun remained quietly holding Su Zhelan, his chin gently brushing against the top of her soft hair, his gaze fixed on Sheng Xuan's clumsy yet incredibly earnest movements. The mischievous smile deep in his eyes faded, replaced by a profound calm and a barely perceptible... scrutiny.

When Sheng Xuan finally cleaned the area around the wound and picked up the ointment from the blue porcelain bottle, he paused again.

Sheng Xuan glanced at the thick ointment, then at the conspicuous wound on Su Zhelan's chest, his eyes filled with hesitation and nervousness. He carefully dipped his fingertip into the ointment, the icy touch making his fingertip tremble again.

He held his breath, his movements as slow as a slow-motion video, his fingertips coated with ointment, applying it very gently, bit by bit, to Su Zhelan's scars.

His movements were as light as a feather, with an almost reverent carelessness, as if he were afraid that using even the slightest bit of force would hurt Su Zhelan.

With each touch of her fingertips, Su Zhelan's body would tremble slightly uncontrollably, and she would hold her breath for a moment. That subtle reaction made Sheng Xuan's heart clench.

Xiao Qiyun felt Su Zhelan's body tremble slightly in his arms, and his arms tightened silently, as if providing silent support.

His gaze remained fixed on Sheng Xuan's movements. When he saw that Sheng Xuan had applied the ointment unevenly due to nervousness, he frowned almost imperceptibly, but ultimately remained silent, simply watching quietly.