Chapter 97

Su Zhelan let Xiao Qiyun help him lie down, and Xiao Qiyun slowly took off his clothes. The cool air touched his skin, making him involuntarily shiver.

Xiao Qiyun's palms were warm, and his fingertips gently stroked the marks left from last night—bruises, finger marks, and bite marks—which looked particularly glaring on the skin.

“Yesterday…” Xiao Qiyun’s voice was low, carrying a hint of coldness that was barely perceptible, yet it was deliberately softened, as if afraid of startling him, “Did he hurt you?”

Xiao Qiyun's lips almost touched Su Zhelan's earlobe, his warm breath carrying a low, husky voice that burrowed into his ear like a snake's tongue: "If it were me..."

His fingertips still lingered on the bruises on Su Zhelan's waist, the pressure as gentle as a soothing touch, yet carrying an undeniable presence.

"...I definitely won't let you feel any pain."

Su Zhelan's ear tips twitched suddenly, and then her entire face "boomed" and burned, a layer of hot crimson spreading from her earlobes to her neck, which also turned a faint pink.

He bit his lower lip hard, so ashamed he almost wanted to curl up, but Xiao Qiyun's hand was firmly pressed on his waist, leaving him no room to escape.

Seeing Su Zhelan's extremely ashamed appearance, Xiao Qiyun's smile deepened. He deliberately pressed lightly on Su Zhelan's flushed waist with his fingertip, feeling the body beneath his hand tremble violently, before slowly asking, "Where is the medicine Mr. Su Yan gave me...?"

Su Zhelan's face was almost buried in the pillow, her breath hot, and the tips of her ears were so red they seemed to bleed. She gripped the sheets tightly, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a weak breath from her throat, her finger trembling as she pointed towards the bedside table.

Xiao Qiyun glanced in the direction he pointed, then looked down at Su Zhelan's ostrich-like curled-up back, and finally couldn't help but chuckle.

"Heh..." The laughter was low and pleasant, carrying an undisguised teasing and a hint of indulgence.

Hearing his laughter, Su Zhelan was so ashamed and angry that she almost suffocated herself in her pillow, but Xiao Qiyun had already gotten up and walked slowly to the bedside table, taking out the ointment from the drawer.

The cap of the ointment made a slight "click" sound when it was unscrewed. Xiao Qiyun touched a little of the cool ointment with his fingertips and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"Don't dodge." His palm pressed against Su Zhelan's lower back, gently pushing her back into place. "It's just applying medicine, it's not like I'm going to eat you."

Su Zhelan's body remained tense, but when Xiao Qiyun's fingertips, coated with ointment, touched the bruises, the icy touch made him involuntarily flinch.

Xiao Qiyun's movements were very gentle. His fingertips slowly circled along the edge of the bruise, applying just the right amount of pressure—enough to spread the ointment without causing him pain.

His technique was skillful, as if he had done it countless times before. He even lingered a little longer on some particularly severe marks, and the warmth of his fingertips gradually melted the ointment, allowing it to seep into the skin.

Su Zhelan's breathing gradually calmed down, and his tense muscles relaxed little by little under Xiao Qiyun's massage. The coolness of the ointment relieved the pain, while Xiao Qiyun's palms were warm. The two completely different sensations intertwined, giving him the illusion of being carefully cared for.

"Does it hurt?" Xiao Qiyun suddenly asked, his voice lower than usual.

Su Zhelan shook her head, still refusing to lift her face from the pillow.

Xiao Qiyun's fingertips paused for a moment, then slowly slid up his spine, finally stopping at a bite mark on his shoulder.

What about here?

Su Zhelan's body stiffened slightly, and after a long while, she gave a very soft "hmm".

Xiao Qiyun's eyes darkened, and he gently stroked the bite mark with his fingertips, his movements even gentler than before, as if offering some kind of silent comfort.

Xiao Qiyun's fingertips, moistened with the cool ointment, slowly slid down the curve of Su Zhelan's back. The ointment gradually melted at her body temperature, turning into a thin, transparent sheen that covered the bruises.

He moved slowly, rubbing the medicine into the muscles with his fingertips in circles, increasing the pressure slightly at each bruise until the stiff muscles felt slightly hot under his palm before he moved away.

Just as Su Zhelan was beginning to relax, Xiao Qiyun suddenly lowered his head and kissed the spot on her lower back where the medicine had just been applied.

Su Zhelan shuddered violently, as if she had been burned. She frantically reached out to grab the hem of her clothes, trying to pull them up to cover her exposed skin.

His movements were so hurried that his fingertips even trembled slightly, and his voice carried a hint of panic: "No, no... I can't..."

Xiao Qiyun paused, looked up at Su Zhelan's flustered appearance, paused for a second, then seemed to understand something and chuckled softly.

"In your eyes..." His voice was filled with undisguised pleasure as he gently brushed aside Su Zhelan's hand, which she was trying to conceal, "Am I such a bad person?"

Su Zhelan's face flushed even redder instantly, as if his thoughts had been exposed, and he was so ashamed that he wanted to disappear into the ground. He dared not look Xiao Qiyun in the eye, and could only bite his lower lip tightly, as if that could cover up his misunderstanding.

Xiao Qiyun's smile deepened as he reached out and gently ruffled Su Zhelan's hair, his gesture almost doting.

"Don't worry." His fingertips gently brushed against Su Zhelan's burning earlobe, his voice low and gentle, "I just came to see you today and helped you apply the medicine... I won't do anything else."

Su Zhelan's body remained tense, but Xiao Qiyun's palms were warm, and he soothingly slid from the back of Su Zhelan's neck to his shoulder, kneading him with just the right amount of force, as if to help him relax.

“However…” Xiao Qiyun suddenly leaned down, his lips almost touching Su Zhelan’s earlobe, his voice carrying a hint of wicked teasing, “Are you so nervous because you’re expecting something?”

Su Zhelan's ears burned instantly, she was so ashamed and angry that they almost exploded. She grabbed the blanket and wrapped herself up in it, refusing to show her face at all.

Seeing his reaction, Xiao Qiyun finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, and reached out to gently pat his back through the blanket.

"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore." His voice still carried a lingering smile. "Go to sleep, I'll stay here with you."

Su Zhelan huddled under the covers, his heart still pounding wildly, but the warmth from Xiao Qiyun's palm through the covers inexplicably made his tense nerves relax little by little.

—This person…is really too cunning.

Under Xiao Qiyun's soothing words, Su Zhelan's breathing gradually became long and even. He seemed to still have a trace of unease, but ultimately could not overcome his exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.

Xiao Qiyun sat on the edge of the bed, quietly watching Su Zhelan's sleeping face for a while, gently brushing away the stray hairs on his forehead with his fingertips, his movements so gentle they were almost tender.

After confirming that Su Zhelan was fast asleep, he slowly got up, walked to the table, and picked up the journal that Su Zhelan had just been reading.

The handwriting on the notebook is neat and tidy, recording some trivial daily life and scattered research notes.

Xiao Qiyun's fingertips gently traced the pages, and the corners of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly—Su Zhelan's handwriting, like the man himself, carried a restrained stubbornness and delicacy.

The only sounds in the room were the rustling of papers turning and Su Zhelan's even breathing. Xiao Qiyun's gaze occasionally shifted from the notes to Su Zhelan's sleeping face, his eyes filled with an inscrutable emotion.

—Until footsteps were heard at the courtyard gate.

The footsteps were light, yet carried an undeniable presence, each step seemingly deliberately timed to a certain rhythm, tinged with arrogance and aggression.

Xiao Qiyun's fingers paused, and his eyes suddenly turned cold. He closed the note, placed it back on the table with extremely gentle movements, then stood up and walked towards the door.

Sheng Xuan had just raised his hand, ready to knock on the door, when the door was pulled open from the inside first.

Their eyes met. The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and even their breathing became sharp.

Xiao Qiyun's gaze, like poisoned ice, slowly moved from Sheng Xuan's clenched fist to his tense jawline, finally settling on the depths of his fiery eyes burning with rage.

Without pleasantries or pretense, Xiao Qiyun's voice was steady and direct, clearly piercing the night: "You've gone too far."

Sheng Xuan's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, as if he hadn't expected the other party to be so direct.

Xiao Qiyun continued without pausing, his deliberately lowered voice carrying an even greater sense of oppression in the quiet night: "You went too far, you hurt him."

This last sentence was like a spark that ignited a fuse.

Sheng Xuan's eyebrows shot up sharply! A flash of surprise, a hint of displeasure at being judged, and a trace of... subtle smugness appeared in his eyes?

He understood. Xiao Qiyun not only knew, but he also saw it.

He saw the marks on Su Zelan's body that he had personally left, marks that represented possession and brutality.

Sheng Xuan's lips slowly curved upwards, the curve carrying his usual sharpness and undisguised pride of "having the upper hand." Not only did he not avoid it, but he also met Xiao Qiyun's probing gaze, slightly raising his chin, his voice deep and husky with magnetism.

"Heh..." A short, ambiguous chuckle rolled out from his throat, it was hard to tell whether it was mockery or smugness.

“Your Highness,” he deliberately made his gaze interesting, and his body language conveyed a sense of relief that “I have won.”

"What? You're already so busy with official duties that you have to worry about everything, even something as trivial as a couple's private life requires your 'intervention'?"

He emphasized the phrases "in someone else's bed" and "mutual consent" with extreme force, revealing a naked possessiveness.

Xiao Qiyun's chest heaved almost imperceptibly, not rapidly, but as if a surge of anger was welling up inside him.

"Incomprehensible." Xiao Qiyun's rebuke, carrying a chilling aftertaste, fell into the silent night.

Just as this brief stalemate was about to begin—

"Hmm...who?" A faint, sleepy question brushed against the taut string like a feather.

Su Zhelan woke up.

The voice was muffled, as if through a mist, carrying a sense of bewilderment and unease from being startled.

He shifted slightly in the darkness, pulling on some uncomfortable muscles, and let out a barely audible gasp.

The voice, though soft, was like a magical pause button, instantly freezing the undercurrents between the two people at the door.

Xiao Qiyun, whose back was to the room, stiffened almost imperceptibly. When he turned slightly to face the room, his face had already regained its usual gentle expression, which carried a reassuring power.

He subtly moved a step to the side, cleverly blocking most of the view from the doorway with his body, attempting to isolate Sheng Xuan's figure.

"Did I disturb you?" Xiao Qiyun's voice was extremely soft and gentle, completely different from his previous coldness, and filled with genuine apology. "It's nothing, it's just..." He paused, unable to find a more suitable excuse than "wind".

The word "wind" was about to be uttered when it was abruptly cut off by a familiar voice, one that carried an undeniable air of intimacy—

"Ze Lan, I've come to see you! I brought you dinner." Sheng Xuan's voice came as she nimbly and forcefully squeezed into the room from beside Xiao Qi Yun.

He waved the elegant insulated food container in his hand, his face beaming with an undisguised smile, even a hint of smug satisfaction at having successfully passed the challenge. "Hungry? This is a soup specially prepared by the kitchen to nourish your body."

"Uh... Shengxuan..." Su Zhelan's tone was filled with barely suppressed embarrassment.

His cheeks and neck flushed bright red almost instantly, as if blood could drip from them. He didn't even dare to look up at the people at the door, especially Xiao Qiyun—who had even... helped him treat the swelling and redness in those embarrassing places!

This realization filled Su Zhelan with shame and indignation. He wished he could disappear into the ground, and the intense urge to escape even overwhelmed the sharp pain in his lower back.

Without hesitation, Xiao Qiyun turned around and stepped to the bedside. He moved swiftly yet with unusual gentleness, bending down to avoid Su Zhelan's sensitive areas of the waist and abdomen, and carefully placed his hands behind his neck and under his shoulder blades to steady his body.

"Don't be afraid! Don't move!" Xiao Qiyun's voice was low and urgent, carrying an undeniable reassuring power, almost commanding Su Zhelan to stop any actions that might harm her again.

"I told you to lie down properly!" His gaze swept nervously over Su Zhelan's pale face, her furrowed brows, and the redness that spread to her ears. "Did you pull it again? Or does it hurt somewhere else?" His voice was soft, but it clearly overshadowed Sheng Xuan's presence.

Sheng Xuan, however, did not miss Su Zhelan's flushed cheeks and neck. This reaction darkened his eyes, and then a knowing smile, even tinged with a hint of intimacy, appeared on his lips.

He quickly moved to the bedside, positioning himself to be on either side of Xiao Qiyun, almost sandwiching Su Zhelan in the middle. He deliberately placed the food box closer to Su Zhelan, his voice intentionally low and gentle, yet filled with an intimacy that only Su Zhelan could hear:

"It was my fault last night, I made you so tired... Are you hungry?" Sheng Xuan's voice was filled with lazy satisfaction and undisguised ambiguity as he placed his hand directly on the back of Su Zhelan's hand.

"Eat something to calm down, hmm?" The suggestive tone in those words was like water being poured into a scalding oil pan, instantly igniting Su Zhelan's shame.

Xiao Qiyun's gaze lingered for a moment on Su Zhelan's stiff shoulders due to extreme embarrassment, then he said, "Zhelan, the food is here. Why don't you get up and eat something?"

“…Hmm.” Su Zhelan squeezed out a very soft syllable from her nose, almost inaudible.

“Exactly, exactly.” Sheng Xuan deliberately rubbed Su Zhelan’s hand with his fingers, then let go. “Eat a little.” After saying that, he turned around and began to deftly open the food box.

"Slow down, don't strain your waist." Xiao Qiyun reminded Su Zhelan in a low voice, carefully and steadily exerting force to help Su Zhelan sit up little by little.

A fluffy pillow was promptly tucked behind his back, providing support.

Su Zhelan sat back, feeling listless due to the deep soreness in his body and the huge emotional fluctuations he had just experienced.

Xiao Qiyun turned around and picked up the bowl of warm soup that Sheng Xuan had just placed on the bedside table.

The rim of the bowl was brought to Su Zhelan's lips, and a delicate fragrance wafted out.