Chapter 106 Applying the Medicine 2 It's not bad, it's sweet.
Applying this medicine was really difficult.
This was the first time Cui Ying had experienced something like this in her life, so it was impossible for her not to be nervous. When the cool ointment touched her sensitive and delicate wound, it made her tremble all over. She almost let out a moan, but she bit her lower lip tightly and swallowed back the sob that was about to come out.
"Could you be a little gentler?" Cui Ying scolded in a low voice, her voice almost breaking into tears.
Xiao Qiyu even had fine beads of sweat on his forehead. He swallowed and said, "That's already the lightest."
He frowned, not daring to apply any pressure: "Relax, you can't get it inside."
Cui Ying wailed inwardly: How can I relax like this!
If she knew how to relax, would she have ended up in such a terrible state last night?
Biting her lip tightly, Cui Ying could only bury her burning face in the pillow, gripping the blankets tightly, forcing herself to forget how she felt and focus her mind elsewhere.
But just like trying to hide something obvious, the more you try to divert attention, the more your feelings there are magnified.
Xiao Qiyu had practiced martial arts since childhood, and his fingertips were rough and calloused. Every time he gently applied the ointment and made circles, it brought an indescribable, tingling, and itchy sensation mixed with stinging.
Cui Ying trembled all over, completely at a loss.
"Can't you go any faster?" She was almost in tears.
Xiao Qiyu gritted his teeth inwardly.
Outside the window, the crabapple blossoms stand gracefully on their branches. After a night of spring rain, their layers of petals have been tinged with a vibrant rouge color, and each dew-laden petal trembles gently.
Xiao Qiyu was in extreme agony.
Every touch of his fingertips was breathtakingly soft, and every breath he could smell was her scent. He could even clearly feel her tension and trembling, which made it difficult for him to control the wild thoughts in his mind. He became more and more cautious in his movements. Compared to the indulgence of last night, tonight made him even more nervous.
The spring night was long, and a faint scent of medicine filled the dimly lit curtains.
Finally, the ointment was spread evenly.
Xiao Qiyu silently withdrew his hand, and Cui Ying immediately relaxed, like a fish that had been stranded for a long time finally returning to the water. He buried his face in the pillow and breathed heavily, his ears burning red.
The fingertips glistened with a moist light, and Xiao Qiyu gazed down at them, the soft, panting breaths of Cui Ying in his ears.
He calmly raised his hand and took the moist sensation into his mouth.
It's not bad, it's sweet.
Cui Ying was panting heavily and had no idea what Xiao Qiyu was up to at that moment, otherwise she would have let out a ghostly howl.
A night breeze blew in through the window, extinguishing the flickering candlelight and plunging the room into a hazy darkness.
Just as Cui Ying caught her breath, she felt a long arm wrap around her waist again, and before she could react, she was pulled into a hug without warning.
Xiao Qiyu gently rested his chin on her soft hair, his voice sounding deep and steady in the darkness, yet with a hint of burning heat after being forcibly cooled: "Alright, I won't bother you anymore tonight, sleep peacefully."
Cui Ying's back pressed against his firm chest, feeling the scorching heat. She instinctively tried to break free, but he held her even tighter.
Struggling in vain, and exhausted both physically and mentally, Cui Ying finally gave up resisting, and her tense body slowly relaxed in his arms.
"Xiao Qiyu, I hate you."
Half-asleep, Cui Ying mumbled these words before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
In the darkness, Xiao Qiyu carefully traced the shape of her features with his eyes, then suddenly lowered his head and planted a kiss on her lips.
"It's okay, I like you."
...
The next day.
Spring was in full bloom, flowers were in bloom, and swallows were returning. Cui Ying woke up to the sound of birdsong.
Xiao Qiyu went to practice his boxing before dawn, while Cui Ying had a large bed all to herself, where she could roll around however she wanted, enjoying her freedom.
She first tentatively stretched her body, waiting for the familiar stinging pain to come.
It must have been the medicine that worked, because Cui Ying not only didn't feel any pain, but felt very cool and comfortable.
So she tentatively stretched her legs again. Although there was still some pulling sensation, it was much, much better than she felt afterwards.
With her health improved, Cui Ying's mood also improved. The annoyance that had been lingering between her brows dissipated, and she regained her former cheerful and lively demeanor.
Seeing that she had recovered, Cui Jin was also happy. After finishing her washing and dressing, she ordered that the meal be served.
Breakfast was light and simple: a bowl of smooth bird's nest porridge, a few light side dishes, and two exquisitely presented but obviously bland dim sum.
Strangely enough, when Cui Ying was unwell, she could still swallow these bland soups, but now that she was feeling better, she found them hard to swallow no matter how she looked at them. She picked up her chopsticks and put them down again, suddenly missing the spicy and stimulating flavors of the streets.
"Could you make me something spicy and refreshing?" Cui Ying asked Cui Jin, her long eyelashes fluttering, her eyes sparkling, her face innocent and harmless.
Cui Jin earnestly advised, "Miss, your injury has not yet healed, so you need to eat light meals."
Cui Ying said with dissatisfaction, "I'm all better now, I don't feel any pain at all!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, her face turned red, the same color as a cooked shrimp, and her gaze drifted to the smooth and creamy bird's nest porridge in the soup bowl.
Cui Jin smiled and said, "Not feeling pain doesn't necessarily mean you're better. Listen to me, young lady, and bear with it for the first few days. I won't take care of you anymore."
Cui Ying gave a muffled "Oh," but her mind was already racing with her own calculations.
What's there to be embarrassed about?
She thought to herself: Since I can't get it at home, I'll go find it outside.
Without further ado, Cui Ying pretended to eat a few bites, then found an excuse not to be disturbed and sent everyone away. She quickly changed into a maid's outfit she kept at the bottom of her trunk, then skillfully went around to the back door, pretending to be a maid going out to buy things, and slipped out without the gatekeeper's notice.
Everything went smoothly.
The smooth sailing made Cui Ying feel somewhat abnormal.
But having finally managed to slip out of the high courtyard wall, she was overjoyed and didn't care about anything else. First, she found an inn to rest, changed into men's clothing, and then she ran into the crowd, her hair ribbon swinging happily behind her waist.
The spring sun shines brightly, warming you, and the aroma of food wafts through the air.
Cui Ying took a deep breath of this most ordinary, everyday atmosphere and truly felt alive again. She forgot all about the crabapple blossoms and the ointment.
With bright eyes, she followed the most enticing spicy aroma in the air and stepped into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
It wasn't lunchtime yet, so the restaurant wasn't very lively, with only a few tables occupied.
As soon as Cui Ying entered, the waiters eagerly surrounded her, asking her what she wanted to eat.
Smelling the rich aroma of chili peppers in the air, Cui Ying ordered several spicy and refreshing side dishes, and also sent a waiter to buy a pot of refreshing and cooling tangerine peel drink.
Before long, the drinks were bought and the dishes were served.
Cui Ying ate until her nose was sweating, her cheeks were flushed, and she felt incredibly refreshed. All the frustration and unhappiness of the past two days had vanished.
Even halfway through her meal, looking at the delicious food in her bowl, she couldn't help but think: It's rare to find such a good place, should I bring some back for Xiao Qiyu to try?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she abruptly stopped, then mentally spitting at herself, wondering if she'd been brainwashed by chili oil to think of that despicable guy during such a good time.
"Cui Ying, I regret that we slept together so late last night. I had a really good time last night, a really good time."
Yesterday's words were still vivid in her mind, and Cui Ying seemed to see again those narrow eyes that had devoured her completely and were now sullen and lazy.
How awful! How awful! How awful!
Cui Ying shook her head vigorously and stuffed another large piece of meat into her mouth. The rich spiciness between her lips and teeth overshadowed the intense shame and indignation in her heart.
"I've heard that things haven't been peaceful in the north lately. The newly enthroned Khan of the Eastern Turks is a ruthless character. If another war breaks out, it won't end easily; the situation will be quite serious."
Suddenly, the sound of conversation at the next table reached Cui Ying's ears.
There were only a few tables occupied in the restaurant, and they were so close together that it was hard for Cui Ying not to hear.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” another person chimed in, unconvinced. “With the Marquis of Dingyuan’s family guarding the northern desert, I don’t believe those barbarians can break in.”
The voice that had spoken earlier sighed: "The barbarians definitely won't be able to break in. My main concern is how long the national treasury can last once this war starts, and where will the military expenses come from? In the end, it will all fall on us ordinary people, and I'm afraid we'll have to increase taxes."
“You think more than the emperor himself. Anyway, that day is still far away. When it comes, there will be plenty of people who are more anxious than us.”
Cui Ying paused slightly in her grip on the chopsticks.
Not far.
She had heard her second uncle, who was the prefect of the border, calculate the military expenses. If a war were to break out, not to mention the loss of weapons, the daily salary for 100,000 soldiers would be 6,000 taels of silver, the grain would be 200,000 catties, and the fodder consumed by the warhorses would be several times that of the soldiers' rations. Horses were more expensive to eat than people.
The most terrifying thing is that the loss of grain and fodder must also be taken into account. If more than a thousand catties of grain are sent from the capital to the front line, after deducting the losses along the way, only thirty catties will be delivered in the end...
Such enormous losses, even if the national treasury were overflowing with gold and silver, would eventually be distributed among every ordinary citizen in due course.
Although Cui Ying had heard Xiao Qiyu say that war might break out, he always felt that it was far away from him.
And it was only when she heard such simple concerns from ordinary people in this humble, unassuming restaurant in the city that she truly realized that war was coming, and it was very close to her.
After all, the Xiao family, which others considered very distant, was Cui Ying's husband's family.
If war breaks out, no one will understand the hardships better than her.
Cui Ying couldn't eat anymore.
The tempting chili oil now looks a bit greasy, and the spicy aroma has become pungent.
Cui Ying put down his chopsticks, paid the bill with loose silver, and got up to leave.
The streets are bustling and lively, with pedestrians displaying a variety of expressions, showcasing the myriad aspects of human life.
Cui Ying walked down the street, her expression normal, but a heavy weight seemed to be pressing on her heart, and her steps were unusually heavy.
Not wanting to return to the Marquis's residence so soon, she wandered aimlessly through the crowd, casually buying a bag of wine-roasted snails. Dejectedly, she took a step, slurped a bite, and continued walking and slurping.
Just as he was getting into the swing of things, a commotion suddenly broke out right in front of him.
There was a girl, about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in patched coarse cloth clothes, clutching a bamboo chicken coop tightly in her hands. Inside, two hens were clucking in fright.
Across from her, a burly man with a menacing face was snatching the chicken coop from her hand, spitting and cursing.
"You little brat, you blocked your grandpa's way and even dirtied my pants with chicken droppings. You're being lenient by giving me this whole cage of chickens as compensation!"
The little girl's sallow face turned deathly pale with fright, tears welling up in her eyes: "You're talking nonsense! The chickens are in a cage, how could their droppings get on your pants? These two chickens are for my brother to exchange for money to buy books, I can't give them to you!"
A few passersby stopped to watch, but most of them looked on with sympathy, and no one dared to step forward and invite trouble.
Cui Ying hated bullying the weak the most. Seeing this, the pent-up frustration in his heart found an outlet. He immediately stepped forward, shielded the little girl behind him, and knocked down the burly man with a sweeping leg kick.
Although she was dressed as a man, she had a clear voice, a beautiful appearance, and was skilled in martial arts. One glance was enough to tell that she was no ordinary person. The burly man was unconvinced, but dared not cause trouble. He covered his buttocks and ran away cursing.
The little girl, still in shock, clutched the chicken coop and was about to kneel down and kowtow to Cui Ying.
Cui Ying quickly helped the man up, took out money to buy a chicken, and, too lazy to carry it himself, gave the chicken to a thin old woman on the street.
Then, after glancing at the girl, he felt that if he left her alone, the man might come back again. So, he decided to help her to the end and asked her where she lived, then took her home.
By the time Cui Ying emerged from the crowded courtyard, the sun was already setting.
She looked up at the sky and felt it was time to return to the Marquis's residence. She wanted to buy some snacks and treats to share with the maids. They hadn't been able to find her all afternoon, and she guessed that the girls had probably been frightened again.
But when he finished buying the items and was about to pay, Cui Ying subconsciously reached for his waist, only to find nothing there.
—The purse is gone.
Cui Ying's heart skipped a beat as she began to recall where she had lost the item.
She recalled that just now in that courtyard, she seemed to have been bumped by a child running towards her.
Cui Ying was stunned for a moment, and finally could only sigh helplessly.
Losing the money wasn't a big deal, but the purse was embroidered by Cuijin, who had stayed up for several nights to finish it. Suddenly losing it left her feeling quite bad.
Cui Ying stood there for a moment to calm herself down. She didn't dwell on it too much, and then walked towards the Marquis's residence as usual.
As it grew darker, there were fewer people on the street, and the vendors' calls to sell their wares became less frequent.
As dusk settled and night fell, Cui Ying's leisurely pace suddenly halted, and her ears perked up alertly.
For some reason, a subtle feeling welled up in my heart.
Her intuition told her that someone was following her.
Unsure, Cui Ying subconsciously quickened her pace.
The footsteps behind him quickened.
She slowed her pace, and the footsteps behind her slowed down as well.
Cui Ying was convinced.
Under the very nose of the Emperor, it's one thing to have your purse stolen, but to be robbed on the road is another. Do they really think she's a pushover?
An unnamed anger arose, burning ever brighter, and he felt increasingly frustrated.
Catching sight of a secluded dead end ahead, Cui Ying's eyes darted around, and an idea formed in her mind.
She pretended not to notice anything, calmly turning into the alley. When she reached the middle of the alley, she suddenly stopped, turned abruptly, and swiftly seized the target with a grappling move—
The force hit him hard, and the man's tall figure was pressed against the wall, his back slamming against it and causing him to stumble.
Cui Ying almost burst out laughing, thinking to himself, "With skills like this, you dare to come out and rob people on the road? I'll send you to jail today!"
She raised her eyes triumphantly.
As dusk fades and the moon begins to appear, light and shadow intertwine in the alley, and the spring breeze carries the fragrance of growing plants and flowers.
At first glance, I met a pair of familiar, narrow phoenix eyes that were dark and deep.
Xiao Qiyu's pulse pounded fiercely beneath her fingertips, his body heat seeping into her skin. His eyes were lowered, staring intently at her.
Cui Ying froze instantly, the smile on her lips faded, and she had already exerted all her strength in her hands. In the blink of an eye, she could see the bright red pinch marks on Xiao Qiyu's Adam's apple.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively tried to let go.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. Xiao Qiyu leaned closer, placing his hand on the back of hers, pressing down on her bobbing Adam's apple, his deep gaze fixed on her eyes:
"With such weak strength, are you trying to flirt with me?"
He commanded in a cold tone, "Keep pushing."
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Author's Note: I'm rewarding myself again, bro.
Battery level is back to 60%, I'll pay the remaining 1600 tomorrow.
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