Chapter 3 Meeting Again After Crossing a Thousand Mountains (Part 3) "The medicine is on the shelf over there..."
She suddenly stepped forward, snatched the cloth he had handed her, which was still hanging in mid-air, and threw it back into the bucket, splashing up a spray of warm water, some of which even landed on Chu Huaili's chin and chest.
“If the general has any doubts, he may interrogate and deal with me according to military law! I, Ye Yixiang, act with integrity and have nothing to hide! But such unwarranted humiliation,” her voice trembled slightly, yet her tone was firm, “is unnecessary!”
After saying that, she resolutely turned around and prepared to leave this suffocating place.
However, her wrist suddenly tightened! A scorching force came, clamping her down like an iron clamp!
Chu Huaili had already stood up most of the way out of the tub, water droplets dripping down his taut waist and abdomen. His palms were burning hot, the temperature almost searing into her skin, a stark contrast to his cold exterior.
"Ye Yixiang." He called her by her full name for the first time, his voice low and husky, carrying a dangerous undertone, his breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe. "You left and returned. What is it about this place that you care about so much? Or rather, what is it that you are hiding in your heart that is worth such a risk?"
Ye Yixiang's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart pounded wildly. He had indeed become suspicious!
The force of his scorching palm made her wrist ache, as if it would shatter at any moment. The intense heat wafted towards her, mingling with the sharp scent of herbs on his body, a faint smell of blood, and a uniquely masculine aura, trapping her firmly in this small space.
He looked down at her, tears streaming down his muscular physique, the candlelight casting ambiguous shadows on his contours. At such close range, his sharp eyes seemed like those of a predator eyeing its prey, undisguised scrutiny and pressure, as if trying to peel away all her pretenses and see the deepest, most hidden thoughts within her heart.
Ye Yixiang could even feel the heat from his chest and his strong heartbeat. Fear and an indescribable sense of shame made her scalp tingle, almost suffocating her. Her mind raced; she had to find a plausible reason that could immediately dispel his doubts!
Her gaze swept over his broad shoulders.
A not-too-deep but faintly blackened wound, oozing blood, caught her eye. Yes! The battlefield is dangerous; he wasn't entirely unscathed!
Almost instinctively, she suppressed the gasp that nearly escaped her lips, forcing herself to meet his piercing gaze. Her panicked eyes instantly transformed into the focused and solemn expression characteristic of a healer, and her tone suddenly became serious and earnest: "General, you have misunderstood!"
Her voice was slightly hurried, but crystal clear, “I returned not because I had any other intentions, but because I noticed something unusual about the wound on your shoulder as you moved. The blood had turned dark, and I feared that the enemy arrow had been poisoned! As a doctor, I was truly worried, so I rushed back to remind you to treat the wound as soon as possible!”
She spoke quickly, with an unquestionable professional judgment, trying to deflect his sharp questioning with this sudden change in topic.
Chu Huaili was clearly taken aback by her sudden mention of this. The grip on her wrist tightened slightly, and a fleeting look of surprise flashed across his sharp eyes. He knew, of course, that he had sustained a minor injury, but with so many battles raging, he never paid attention to small wounds or pains, much less whether he had been poisoned.
Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration and hesitation, Ye Yixiang forcefully pulled back her already reddened wrist, quickly took a step back, and swiftly turned around, her back to him, her voice still calm: "General, the injury on your shoulder is no small matter. If the poison travels with your blood and qi, it may damage your very foundation. I urge you to treat it immediately!"
Silence fell behind her, broken only by the soft ripples of the water. Ye Yixiang had her back to him, but her heart was pounding like a drum. She could feel his scrutinizing gaze still imprinted on her back, almost piercing through her clothes.
A moment later, a splashing sound rang out, as if someone had stepped out of the bathtub. This was followed by the sound of a towel being used to dry a body, and the rustling of clothes.
Ye Yixiang's nerves were taut, and she dared not turn around, but her ears turned red uncontrollably. The air was filled with the steam from the bathtub, the fragrance of herbs, and the aggressive, bloody scent emanating from him.
Finally, that clear, emotionless voice broke the suffocating silence:
"The medicine is on that shelf over there. Come here and bandage me."
Ye Yixiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief; she had made the right bet! He had temporarily accepted this reason. She turned around as instructed, lowered her head, and dared not look around. She quickly walked to the weapon rack on one side of the tent, where there was indeed a brown medicine box commonly found in the military.
She tiptoed and, with some effort, took down the rather heavy medicine box, held it in her arms, and then turned to walk towards the bed in the inner tent.
However, when she saw the scene on the bed, she couldn't help but gasp, so shocked that she almost dropped the medicine box in her hand!
Chu Huaili did not, as she had expected, at least put on an outer robe. He simply sat casually on the edge of the couch, wearing only a thin linen scarf loosely wrapped around his waist, barely covering his vital parts.
His tanned skin glowed with a healthy, radiant light in the flickering candlelight. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with smooth, powerful muscle lines that were not bulging or knotted, but rather contained a steady strength in every inch.
However, this otherwise perfect body was covered with a mix of old and new scars, especially a pale pink old scar near his heart, which stood out starkly. One of his long legs was casually bent, with his foot resting on the edge of the couch, while the other was stretched out carelessly, resting on a low stool beside him.
The scene was full of raw and wild impact, completely different from Lu Qingyuan's gentle and reserved temperament.
Ye Yixiang blushed and her heart pounded. Although she was married, her husband Lu Qingyuan was always gentle and polite when they were together. He even wore his undergarments during sex because he felt that the scars on his body were ugly. He had never been so... so frank that he made her feel ashamed.
"What are you still standing there for?" Chu Huaili's voice came, seemingly a little impatient, breaking her daze.
Ye Yixiang snapped back to reality, hurriedly lowered her head, and dared not look again. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Winter... it's cold in winter. General, you should wear more clothes to avoid catching a cold." Her fair cheeks were already flushed, and even her small earlobes were tinged with a bright color. Under the lamplight, she exuded a breathtakingly alluring charm.
"It's alright." Chu Huaili's gaze swept over her flushed earlobes, his tone indifferent. "I am naturally warm-blooded and not afraid of the cold."
He looked at her, her head practically bowing to the ground, and a faint, almost imperceptible, amusement flickered deep in his eyes. Where had this woman gone, with her sharp tongue and sharp wit that had been so confrontational just moments before?
Ye Yixiang had no choice but to bite the bullet and go over. She opened the medicine box, took out a clean white cloth, wound medicine and water, knelt on the footstool in front of the bed, and focused on cleaning the wound on his shoulder.
The tent fell silent for a moment, broken only by the occasional rustling of fabric and the sound of water. The two were very close. Her cool fingertips would occasionally and inevitably brush against his burning skin, sending a slight shiver through him. The faint scent of osmanthus emanating from her lingered around his nose, mingling with the cool aura surrounding him, creating an eerie ambiguity.
Ye Yixiang held her breath, trying to ignore the firm, elastic touch under her fingertips and the very present male body, focusing all her attention on the wound. She carefully probed the wound with a silver needle, confirming that the toxicity was mild, just a common paralyzing poison, before feeling slightly relieved, and carefully cleaned, applied medicine, and bandaged it.
She always felt a strange sense of familiarity about this person, like a distant past... and she felt so close to that feeling.
No way! It's clearly Lu Qingyuan, and he's Qingyuan's cousin, so naturally they'd look similar. I'm probably just missing Qingyuan too much, which is why I'm having this illusion.
A low cough interrupted her thoughts.
"They're on your legs too." Chu Huaili's voice came from above, devoid of emotion, as if he were simply stating a fact.
Ye Yixiang froze. Legs…legs?
She instinctively wanted to refuse; this was far too inappropriate!
However, when she subconsciously looked up and met Chu Huaili's unfathomable, cold eyes, there was no trace of intimacy, only pure indifference and an unquestionable air of superiority. She immediately regretted her absurd overthinking just now—in his eyes, she might not even be considered a woman, but merely a suspicious, temporarily useful prisoner and doctor.
She pursed her lips, then knelt down as instructed, focusing her attention on the wound on the outside of his thigh. It appeared to be a cut made by a blade; the wound wasn't deep, but it was quite long. She cleaned and applied medicine carefully, just as meticulously.
However, things became a little awkward as she picked up the gauze and needed to wrap it around his muscular thigh to bandage it. She had to get closer, her arms almost encircling his leg, and her breath inevitably brushed against the skin on the side of his leg.
Perhaps it was her hair brushing against his skin, perhaps it was the unintentional touch of her cool, soft fingertips, perhaps it was the faint, warm fragrance emanating from her body... the air seemed to gradually become thick and hot.
Ye Yixiang kept her head down, focused on her work, trying to ignore the increasingly hot and tense male body. She could feel the temperature of the skin beneath her hands rising, and even feel the muscles tighten slightly.
Suddenly, at the edge of her vision, the thin linen scarf loosely wrapped around his waist and abdomen slowly... rose to an undeniable height with an undeniable speed and amplitude!
Ye Yixiang froze instantly, her face turning a deep, almost blood-red, crimson! Of course, she understood what that meant! Even if she and Lu Qingyuan were very restrained and respectful in their marital life, she wasn't entirely ignorant!
A note from the author:
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A humble author is asking for my collection online.
As always, everyone who comments on the first three chapters will receive a red envelope! [Laughing]
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