Chapter 341 Helping
What a hypocritical display of "concern"!
Huo Lin sneered, his voice chilling to the bone, echoing in the empty bedchamber and sending shivers down Wang Degui's spine as he knelt on the ground.
"Go and tell the Empress Dowager that she is getting old and that instead of worrying about my health, she should worry about herself."
"Your servant obeys the decree." Wang Degui quickly replied and withdrew to deliver the message.
Silence returned to the hall, with only Huo Lin's heavy breathing remaining.
He leaned back against the cold tub. The cold water calmed him down a bit, but the heat in his body didn't lessen at all; instead, it intensified. Every second felt like walking on a knife's edge, an unbearable ordeal.
Sweat mixed with cold water streamed down his face, soaking his temples. He closed his eyes, his brows furrowed, and gritted his teeth to endure.
[Damn aphrodisiacs! The fact that this stuff is circulating in the market is outrageous; it deserves to be torn to pieces!]
I will settle this score!
Just as Huo Lin's consciousness was experiencing extreme contrasts, almost to the point of blurring.
Suddenly, a slight commotion came from outside the hall. The door was pushed open, and Jiang Huan appeared in the doorway.
She had clearly heard something; her face was filled with worry, and her gaze quickly swept across the hall before finally settling on the bathtub behind the screen.
"Huo Lin?" she called tentatively, already walking quickly toward the screen.
"Don't come any closer!" Huo Lin instinctively called out to stop him, his voice hoarse.
The evil fire that had been forcibly suppressed within him showed signs of reigniting the moment he heard Jiang Huan's voice.
Why is she here? I can't let her see me like this.
[Does that disgusting scent still linger on me? Won't it bother her?]
The water is so cold, the air is so chilly, we mustn't disturb her and the baby.
Moreover, I fear I might lose control of myself...
Huo Lin shrank back into the water and said restrainedly, "Listen to me, you go out first."
Hearing his thoughts, Jiang Huan did not back down. Instead, she went around the screen and saw the situation in the bathtub.
Huo Lin's face was still flushed, his hair was wet and stuck to his forehead, and his lips were a little pale.
He was completely submerged in cold water, his body trembling, his eyes filled with suppressed pain.
Looking at the clothes lying on the ground next to her, which smelled sweet and strange, and recalling the few words the palace servant had vaguely mentioned earlier, Jiang Huan instantly understood most of it.
She was both annoyed and heartbroken.
That old hag, the Empress Dowager, always uses the same trick, and each time she's even more despicable than the last!
She rushed to the bathtub and looked at Huo Lin's forced composure, feeling both angry and anxious.
"Are you stupid? Why are you soaking in cold water? Get out of here!" she said, reaching out to pull him up.
"Don't touch me." Huo Lin avoided her hand, splashing water as he moved.
He turned his head away, not daring to look at her, his voice suppressed to the extreme, carrying an almost pleading tone.
"Go...please, go quickly...I...I can't now..."
[I mustn't touch her; she's pregnant. I'll hurt her...]
[Cold water...cold water works, I can endure it...]
Hearing his chaotic and painful inner struggles, and seeing how he was clearly in so much pain yet still desperately trying to restrain himself, afraid of hurting her, Jiang Huan felt a sharp pang of sadness in her heart.
Cold water is helpful, but if you keep soaking like this, the medicine won't wear off before you turn into an ice pop.
If you catch a cold, it will affect you for life!
She took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions. Instead of leaving, she bent down, cupped Huo Lin's face in her hands, and kissed him.
The kiss was gentle yet firm, soothing, and tried to dispel all his unease.
The flames that had been suppressed within Huo Lin for so long seemed to have found an outlet and were instantly ignited.
Almost instinctively, he took the initiative, deepening the kiss, lifting his arms from the water to wrap them around her neck, his grip so tight it felt like he was melting her into his very bones.
The icy pool water soaked Jiang Huan's clothes, but she didn't care.
No...no...this can't be done...
Even on the verge of losing control and being swept away by passion, Huo Lin's remaining rationality was still frantically alarming him.
He suddenly opened his eyes and tried to push her away.
Jiang Huan held his arm tightly, preventing him from escaping.
She was slightly out of breath, pressing her forehead against his: "Don't be afraid, trust me, there's a way..."
Her cheeks were flushed, but her eyes shone with an astonishing light, carrying a reckless courage and a soothing power. Her forearm dipped into the icy water, slowly sinking downwards...
Huo Lin was shocked, his pupils dilated, and he looked at her in disbelief.
"This...this is not possible..."
"Shut up!" Jiang Huan blushed and glared at him reproachfully.
"I'll help you..."
For Huo Lin, the time that followed was both extreme torment and an indescribable salvation.
He restrained himself, letting Jiang Huan take the lead, his senses torn between ice and fire.
He kept his eyes tightly shut, afraid to look at her, lest he lose control and hurt her. All his attention was focused on their intertwined fingers and the overwhelming waves.
Jiang Huan's face was flushed, and her heart was pounding like a drum.
She could feel his body tense and trembling; sweat soaked her temples, and her arms began to ache, but she didn't stop.
After what seemed like an eternity, Huo Lin suddenly tensed up, letting out a low growl that was almost a sob. He collapsed, as if all his strength had been drained, leaving only rapid breathing.
The effects of the medicine gradually faded, leaving only endless fatigue and a kind of exhausted calm.
Jiang Huan was also exhausted. Her arms were sore and her whole body was soaked with sweat and splashed cold water. She leaned against the edge of the bathtub, breathing slightly.
The bloodshot and manic look in Huo Lin's eyes had faded. He looked at Jiang Huan's soaked clothes and felt a sharp pain in his heart.
"I'm sorry..." His voice was terribly hoarse, filled with deep apology and heartache, "I've made you go through all this trouble."
Jiang Huan shook her head, wanting to say something, but found that she had no strength left.
Huo Lin stood up from the cold bathwater, not caring that he was soaked to the bone. He first carefully wrapped Jiang Huan in a clean cloth, then picked her up and carried her away from there, step by step, towards the warm bedroom.
After cleaning her up, Huo Lin gently placed Jiang Huan on the bed covered with a soft brocade quilt and sat down beside her.
"Sleep..." he whispered in her ear, his voice filled with endless tenderness.
Surrounded by warmth, Jiang Huan's tense nerves finally relaxed, and a deep sense of exhaustion washed over her as she closed her eyes.
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