Chapter 38
The door to the lounge was suddenly pushed open, and the lights from the corridor switched in.
Shi Mingyue stood at the door, her hair wet with seawater, her breath carrying the salty scent of the rushing sea breeze.
The first thing she saw when she entered was Yun Zhan, shirtless, with snow-white bandages wrapped around his shoulders, his skin glowing coldly white under the overhead light.
Pei Yanxi knelt beside the sofa, her arms wrapped around Yun Zhan's waist, her fingertips almost touching the unbandaged area.
A strand of long hair fell from behind Pei Yanxi's ear, jet black and slightly curled, falling between Yun Zhan's collarbone and the bandage, like a deliberately drawn dividing line.
The air froze instantly.
Shi Mingyue's pupils suddenly contracted, and her knuckles made a very soft "click" on the doorknob.
Her gaze swept past Pei Yanxi, and finally she quickly walked up to Yun Zhan: "There's no heating here, what if you get cold?"
The voice was slightly reproachful, but mostly anxious.
The next second, Shi Mingyue raised her hand and "whoosh" off her uniform jacket, which landed precisely on Yun Zhan's shoulder, covering that patch of skin along with Pei Yanxi's hair.
“I brought a specialist doctor with me, shall we go and take a look? I’m very worried about you.”
Shi Mingyue knelt before Yun Zhan, her eyes red-rimmed. When she saw the blood seeping from Yun Zhan's arm, a slight tremor flashed in her eyes.
"Besides your arm, are there any other injuries?"
Shi Mingyue's voice was not loud. She opened Yun Zhan's chest and looked him over carefully.
"I'm fine, it's just that my arm is injured, you don't need to look at it so closely." Yun Zhan hurriedly pulled his shirt over his shoulders, his ears turning slightly red.
She suddenly remembered the last time at Mingyue Manor, when Shi Mingyue had seen her completely naked.
"That's good. I was just worried about you, afraid you'd get hurt."
She bent down, her fingers gripping the edge of his coat, and pulled it tighter around Yun Zhan.
Her fingertips brushed against Yun Zhan's collarbone intentionally or unintentionally; this touch seemed to brand warmth and possessiveness onto him.
Shi Mingyue's little actions were seen as blatant provocation by Pei Yanxi.
"Shi Mingyue, she's not wearing any clothes, so don't touch her like that." Pei Yanxi felt sullen and couldn't bear to see Yun Zhan being touched.
“I should be the one saying that, Miss Pei. You just let Yun Zhan be naked and didn’t turn on the heat for her,” Shi Mingyue retorted.
Pei Yanxi's hand froze in mid-air, her knuckles trembling slightly as she pulled it back.
She looked up and met Shi Mingyue's gaze:
A turbulent undercurrent was surging in one side's eyes.
The other side is an extreme calm.
The air was thick with tension, but it was quickly suppressed by Pei Yanxi's soft "I'm sorry."
With the coat fully covering him, only the lingering warmth of Shi Mingyue's fingertips remained on Yun Zhan's shoulders.
Pei Yanxi lowered her eyes, her long hair falling back onto her shoulders, revealing her originally aloof and cold profile.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll have the Pei family compensate you when I get back." Pei Yanxi stared at Shi Mingyue's hand. Thankfully, she didn't touch Yun Zhan again.
"No need, it's good that you're alive and well." Shi Mingyue didn't say anything more, took Yun Zhan's hand, and was about to lead her away.
"Shi Mingyue, where are you taking her?" Pei Yanxi panicked and grabbed Yun Zhan's sleeve.
“There is a doctor on my ship. Take her for treatment. Miss Pei, you should get some rest tonight.”
Shi Mingyue clenched her fists; she was actually being very restrained.
Every time Yun Zhan gets injured, it's somehow related to Pei Yanxi. Last time, when he was imprisoned in the forbidden room, he was soaked to the bone and frozen solid...
Last time I arrived in time, so I let it go... I didn't get angry with Pei Yanxi.
This time... there were six gunshot wounds on my arm, I don't know if the bone was damaged... it's so cold at sea, and there's no heating.
If Pei Yanxi can't take good care of Yun Zhan, she will naturally take good care of him.
Pei Yanxi knew she was in the wrong and lowered her head in guilt. She had indeed failed to take good care of Yun Zhan, but when it came to matters of the heart, how could she let people off so easily?
She looked up at Yun Zhan, almost pleadingly, "Yun Zhan, are you... going with her?"
Yun Zhan trembled slightly; it was the first time she had ever seen Pei Yanxi look at her like that.
Senior...
Now you look like an injured puppy...
On one side is Shi Mingyue, who risked her life to save her, and on the other side is Pei Yanxi, who is watching her like a little puppy.
Yun Zhan: What should I do... I can't even keep things balanced.
21: (Eating electronic sunflower seeds) I'm watching your performance.
Before Yun Zhan could speak, Shi Mingyue spoke first: "Miss Pei, you are also injured. I will have my doctor come over. You should get proper treatment here, otherwise your wound will become infected."
Tonight, she must take Yun Zhan away.
How could she not understand what Pei Yanxi was thinking, the cunning Pei Yanxi?
Yun Zhan belongs to her, and to Shi Mingyue.
"Senior, we can meet again tomorrow. It looks like your thigh is injured too..."
Yun Zhan turned his gaze to Pei Yanxi's legs, where a patch of scarlet blood covered her fair skin. If left untreated, it would definitely become infected.
"Yun Zhan, you... remember to consider what I just said."
Pei Yanxi sighed. This time, it was highly likely that she wouldn't be able to keep Yun Zhan.
"Ahem, I know, I'll think about it carefully."
Yun Zhan's body trembled, clearly showing some panic.
Shi Mingyue frowned slightly, clearly sensing that something was amiss.
What should we consider?
What did they agree on?
Shi Mingyue suddenly felt uneasy.
...
The lights in the cabin were adjusted to the softest warm white, like a gentle moonlight.
After the doctor finished the last stitch, he silently left the room. The wooden door closed gently, leaving only the soft sound of raindrops tapping on the window.
Shi Mingyue stood at the foot of the bed, the smell of iodine still lingering on her fingertips. She lowered her head and put the tweezers back on the tray. The metal and the porcelain dish made a crisp sound, as if her heartbeat had been jolted out.
Yun Zhan leaned against the headboard, his bandages were snow-white, his collar was slightly open, and the coolness of the alcohol from the hasty bandaging still lingered on his collarbone.
Shi Mingyue raised her eyes, her gaze lingering on that patch of skin for a moment before she restrained herself and looked away.
Shi Mingyue coughed lightly, her voice extremely low: "Yun Zhan."
The last note trembled slightly in the quiet cabin.
"Um?"
Yun Zhan looked up, and the lamplight reflected a warm glow in her pupils.
Shi Mingyue tapped her knuckles twice lightly by the bedside, as if she were giving herself a rhythm.
"What...how do you feel about Pei Yanxi?"
As soon as she spoke, Shi Mingyue chuckled to herself and added, "I was just checking on the injured person's mental state and the doctor's procedures."
The voice was so soft it sounded like an explanation, yet it couldn't hide the tension in the final syllable.
Yun Zhan lowered his eyelashes, and after a moment spoke: "Senior Pei is a very outstanding person. Speaking of which, Senior Pei just told me that she likes me."
The air suddenly tightened.
Shi Mingyue suddenly gripped the edge of the bed with her fingertips, her fingers turning white, and her breath caught in her throat.
She leaned forward instinctively, her voice almost breaking out of her throat: "Then you—"
The last word was stuck between his teeth, as if he was afraid to hear the answer.
"I did not agree."
Yun Zhan raised his eyes, his gaze calm and open.
Shi Mingyue finally exhaled slowly, but her chest was still heaving violently.
She turned her face away, her long hair covering her slightly reddened ear tips, and said in a low, breathy voice, "That's good."
These three short words were like gently putting a knife that had been hanging over one's heart back into its sheath.
She turned to pour water, her back ramrod straight, the sound of hot water pouring into the cup masking her heartbeat.
When the rim of the cup was brought to Yun Zhan's lips, Shi Mingyue's fingertips trembled slightly, but she stubbornly did not pull it back.
Under the lamplight, her shadow fell on Yun Zhan's hand, like a leaf that refused to drift away.
Her relationship with Yun Zhan was both restrained and unrestrained.
Shi Mingyue stood by the bed, her fingers twisting the hem of her coat. She looked up and asked in a very low voice, "May I hug you?"
Yun Zhan was taken aback.
Pei Yanxi's sudden confession was still echoing in her ears, and she subconsciously protected her shoulders, as if guarding against the next surprise attack.
“You can hug me,” Yun Zhan said, his voice tight, “but you have to let me know in advance.”
Shi Mingyue lowered her eyelashes, concealing the pangs of heartache that had been pierced by the pain.
When she looked up again, Shi Mingyue's lips curved into a very slight arc, like the unmelting tenderness in a snowy night.
"Then I'll ask for a hug now."
Shi Mingyue squatted down, level with Yun Zhan who was sitting on the bed. Her soft body gently approached Yun Zhan. Her body smelled very sweet, especially her hair... A cool scent of rose and cedar roses first floated in the air, like flower branches just cut on a winter night, slowly evaporating with her body heat.
"May I hug you?" Shi Mingyue's voice was as soft as the wind, her tone gentle and melodious.
Yun Zhan paused for half a second, then slowly loosened his grip.
She nodded, a small nod, but enough for Shi Mingyue to hear the pounding of her own heart.
The next second, Shi Mingyue bent down, her movements extremely light, as if afraid of disturbing something fragile.
She first reached out and put her arm around Yun Zhan's shoulder, her palm touching the still cool bandage.
She tightened her embrace, drawing Yun Zhan into her arms like a belated moonlight.
Yun Zhan's forehead rested against her collarbone, and he could hear her heartbeat, steady yet rapid, like waves crashing against the side of a ship.
Their chests were pressed together, and Shi Mingyue's figure was so stunning that Yun Zhan's face flushed red. She felt as if their breaths were overlapping.
She could even feel Shi Mingyue's heartbeat, steady and rhythmic, striking her ribs, as if branding the beat into her bones.
Her face instantly turned bright red, her blood surging in her ears, as if she would lose control if she got even a millimeter closer.
So soft...
They're both girls, so why is Shi Mingyue's body so flexible?
And it smells so good, even better than when I slept with Wen Sixue last time.
With a soft, fragrant body in his arms, Yun Zhan's body stiffened with tension.
"Shi Mingyue, we're too close... Won't that be uncomfortable?"
Every inch of her body was pressed against Shi Mingyue, and she wasn't uncomfortable at all; on the contrary, Yun Zhan felt extremely comfortable.
"No, I'm fine. It's quite comfortable holding you."
The bright moon did not hide at all.
She lowered her head slightly, rested her chin on Yun Zhan's crown of hair, buried her nose in his hair which still carried a hint of sea salt, and took a deep breath.
The movements were so slow, as if the person was confirming some long-treasured flavor, their longing bordering on greed.
She tightened her arms by half an inch, as if she wanted to meld Yun Zhan into her very bones, making every inch of his softness fit her perfectly.
The sound of rain was far away outside the window; inside the cabin, only two heartbeats remained, one fast and one slow, but gradually they began to beat in unison.
Shi Mingyue silently curved her lips into a smile, as if she had finally drawn the wandering moon into her arms. She did not speak again, but simply rested her chin gently on the top of Yun Zhan's head.
His breath brushed against her earlobe, carrying a slight, restrained tremor.
The sound of rain outside the cabin gradually faded into the distance.
The filament glowed dimly, casting two overlapping shadows, like two leaves finally closing together.
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