The panic of not being able to grasp the future made her breathless, and her tears flowed faster and faster until Cheng Muyun lowered his head and cupped her face.
When his warm lips covered hers, they were salty with tears. His tongue gently wiped away the tears from her cheeks, and his hot breath, mixed with the scent of medicine, wafted over her burning skin.
"Zhuohua, it's okay, I'm fine. Don't cry, you won't be pretty when you cry."
Xu Zhuohua held Cheng Muyun's hand, the thin calluses rubbing against her delicate hand.
"Did you marry me because I'm pretty?" Xu Zhuohua asked.
Cheng Muyun chuckled, "Then you married me, wasn't it because I'm pleasing to the eye?"
Xu Zhuohua chuckled and nuzzled Cheng Muyun's nose with the tip of her own. "Yeah, otherwise how could I have fallen for you at first sight?"
Cheng Muyun asked, "You fell in love at first sight? Back at Huian Temple?"
Xu Zhuohua shook her head, "It needs to be even earlier."
Cheng Muyun hugged Xu Zhuohua, "I also fell in love with you at first sight."
"Yes, our fate is ordained by heaven."
The candle wick crackled and sparked, and Xu Zhuohua's fingertips trembled slightly as she slowly unwrapped the gauze wrapped around Cheng Muyun's body.
The bandage, soaked with blood and scabs, clung to the tender new flesh; every inch that was peeled away felt like reopening an unhealed wound.
The gruesome wound was exposed to the air, the pinkish new flesh not yet fully scabbed over, which made her eyes well up with tears again.
Dr. Liu's medicine needs to be used in conjunction with aloe vera.
Although Nanhu does not produce aloe vera, the eastbound and southbound routes have a huge throughput and a wide variety of species.
Finding aloe vera was just a bit of work.
The celadon bowl clattered softly on the table. Holding a silver spoon, she carefully peeled off the emerald green aloe vera skin. The crystal-clear gel, coated with juice, slid into her palm, its texture as slippery as a sliding loach.
The blade made a soft 'rustling' sound as it sliced through the aloe vera flesh, and the transparent, gelatinous pulp quickly broke into small pieces.
Mix in the medicinal powder and stir constantly. The originally light green gel gradually turns dark brown and eventually solidifies into a trembling, jelly-like viscous liquid.
“Although it looks a bit like a slug…” Xu Zhuohua held the medicine bowl up to Cheng Muyun, her ear tips blushing with embarrassment, “but Doctor Liu said the medicine is very effective.”
Cheng Muyun leaned closer, the bitter scent of medicine wafting over him, accompanied by his warm breath. He met her slightly apprehensive gaze with a calm expression: "Yes, let's apply the medicine."
The brown ointment on the edge of the wooden spoon was still swaying gently. Xu Zhuohua held her breath and applied it to the hideous wound.
The moment the ointment touched his skin, Cheng Muyun's taut back tensed abruptly, and a gasp escaped his throat, accompanied by an uncontrollable tremor: "Hiss—it's so cold."
"Aloe vera gel is very cooling, just bear with it." Xu Zhuohua's voice trembled as she slowly applied the gel along the edge of the wound with a wooden spoon, watching it seep into the folds of the newly grown tender flesh.
With every movement, one could feel the tension in Cheng Muyun's body. The bitter medicinal scent mixed with coolness permeated the warm yellow candlelight until the last layer of gauze tightly wrapped the wound.
A cold hand suddenly gripped her wrist, the chill spreading rapidly along her skin. "Your hands are so cold." Xu Zhuohua instinctively tried to pull away, but the man held on even tighter.
Cheng Muyun's eyelashes drooped, casting dappled shadows, and his deep eyes were filled with a warm smile: "I want you to warm me up."
Her childlike coquettishness even gave her hoarse voice a sweet, sticky quality.
She sighed helplessly, then grasped the cold hand in return, gently enveloping it in her palm.
Cheng Muyun looked at Xu Zhuohua's face; under the warm yellow light, she was so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.
"My birthday is in three days."
Xu Zhuohua was stunned. "Huh? I didn't know. I'm sorry, I didn't prepare a gift."
A smile appeared on Cheng Muyun's lips. "Shall we take a picture?"
Xu Zhuohua was pleasantly surprised, "Okay."
Three days later, the morning light pierced through the thin mist of Shinkai City, and the photo studio was filled with the intermingling of people.
Xu Zhuohua wore a lotus-colored brocade cheongsam, with buttons like pearls adorning her neck, and a white magnolia hairpin at her temples swaying gently with her breath.
Cheng Muyun's crisp military uniform accentuated his upright posture, and the silver stars on his epaulets gleamed coldly in the morning light.
The two sat facing each other across a carved square table, where white chrysanthemums inserted diagonally in a celadon vase swayed gently.
The photographer's clicking as he adjusted the tripod stopped abruptly, followed by a 'click' as the flash exploded like fireworks, sending up a fine mist of magnesium powder.
Xu Zhuohua subconsciously closed her eyes, but the stinging sensation still made her eyes sting, and a burning, sour feeling instantly spread to her eyelids.
She let out a muffled groan, raised her hand and covered her eyes tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly.
"What's wrong?" Cheng Muyun's voice suddenly tightened, and the hem of his military uniform brushed against the chair, making a soft rustling sound.
He stood up almost instantly, his military boots slamming heavily on the wooden floor. His warm palm covered hers, gently parting her fingertips with an undeniable force. "Don't rub it, let me see."
"It's nothing, just a quick flash. Are you done filming?"
The photographer asked, "We're done shooting. Would you like to take one more close-up?"
Xu Zhuohua's eyes were very sore, and Cheng Muyun blew on them a few times to help. "No need, we can film it next time."
The photographer said, "Okay, I'll get the photos developed for you as quickly as possible."
Cheng Muyun and Xu Zhuohua returned to the Cheng Mansion.
Since it was Cheng Muyun's birthday, Cheng Yuguang didn't hold it against Cheng Muyun for escaping from prison.
With Mrs. Cheng included, the four of them sat around the table together.
Madam Cheng made a bowl of longevity noodles for Cheng Muyun, looking at him with a smile in her eyes.
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