Chapter 48. With Tao Bang.
The feeling of weightlessness as you fall to the bottom of a cliff is like your body hitting the ground while your soul is still floating in the air.
Qin Song curled her fingers slightly, thankfully, her body could still obey her commands.
"Thank goodness I'm not dead."
It was pitch black all around. Qin Song tried to sit up, but the person beneath her suddenly groaned in pain, grabbed her waist, and pressed her back against his chest.
"Don't move," Tao Qingyang said weakly. "Wait for me to control the fire."
Well, Qin Song collapsed onto the other person, exhausted.
Her left shoulder was throbbing with pain and numbness. She wanted to get up, but only because she was afraid of hurting the person beneath her even more. After all, his right arm had been pierced by an arrow, and he had jumped off the cliff and then shielded her above him as they landed.
Tao Qingyang reached into his waistband and pulled out a tinderbox. After blowing it on, he could finally see his surroundings clearly.
They were in a pine forest, and a fragment of Tao Qingyang's wide sleeve was still hanging on a pine branch beside them.
Thanks to that branch, they were saved.
"Heaven hasn't forsaken me." Qin Song endured the pain, glanced around, and then looked up to see Tao Qing holding up the firelight, her tender peach blossom eyes quietly staring at her.
He looked down at Qin Song as if he had never seen her before, gazing at her for a long time before softly reassuring her, "Don't worry, you won't die."
Qin Song didn't like him looking at her like that; his gaze was so captivating.
"Look over here." Qin Song pointed to the candlelight in his hand, directing the light to the two men's injuries.
The arrow was still lodged in Tao Qingyang's left arm. She had just tried to get up, and it must have been from the arrow that she touched it, which caused her to cry out in pain.
Qin Song clutched his shoulder, and the two of them sat up, embracing each other.
“This dense forest is vast, and there’s an underground river ahead. We’ll stay here tonight and can only leave after dawn.” After saying this, Tao Qingyang found another piece of firewood, lit it, and placed it aside before tending to the two men’s injuries.
Aside from minor abrasions, the most serious injury to both of them was the arrow wound.
An arrow wounded two people, their clothes soaked with blood, and the wounds were still oozing blood.
"Let me take a look." Tao Qing looked up and saw Qin Song's wound.
Qin Song raised his hand and pulled open his shirt, revealing his cold and numb left shoulder.
The snow-white shoulders and neck, stained with half-dried blood, were revealed. The person in front of her quietly shifted their gaze, took a deep breath, and then turned back to focus intently on her left shoulder.
He raised his right hand, bringing two fingers together to check her injury. "Can you use your hand?"
Qin Song shook her head. Her entire left hand felt like it was in a clamp. Even the slightest movement of her fingers pulled painfully on her shoulder wound. She could only curl her fingers to prove that her tendons and bones were not injured.
"The wound isn't deep; it's probably just a muscle injury. Moving your arm will pull on the wound."
As he spoke, Tao Qingyang took off his outer robe with one hand, untied the belt of his inner garment, tore off a clean piece of the hem, and then took out a white porcelain bottle from his waist. He pushed off the stopper with his thumb and poured out some medicine powder onto the scrap of cloth on his knee.
"Bear with it." He looked at Qin Song seriously.
Qin Song nodded, turned his head to the left, and avoided looking at his shoulder.
Tao Qingyang picked up the cloth with medicine on it and applied it to the wound next to Qin Song's collarbone.
"Hiss, ah—" The numbness in her wound was suddenly awakened by pain, and she was in so much pain that tears almost came out.
Seeing this, Tao Qing leaned forward slightly and placed his right shoulder against her. Qin Song did not hesitate and leaned directly on his shoulder.
She was never one to feel pain, but even the slightest sting from the medicine powder on her skin made her nerves tremble with pain, and she couldn't help but bite his shoulder.
Tao Qingyang's gentle touch on her shoulder froze.
He looked down at his legs; this was the third time, and they were completely out of control.
He swallowed hard, deliberately ignoring it, and gently comforted the person in front of him: "Just bear with it a little longer. This is a medicine used in the military to treat external injuries. It stops bleeding, heals ulcers, and prevents tetanus."
Qin Song couldn't hear what he was saying, but felt unbearable pain. Afraid of biting him too hard, she would bite him again after a while.
Unable to resist, Tao Qingyang looked down at himself again, his attack becoming even more aggressive.
...
"Alright." Tao Qingyang didn't actually want her to give in, but he didn't want her to suffer, so when the time was almost up, he let go of her.
Qin Song finally recovered.
She straightened up, and Tao Qingyang suddenly realized that her hand had just touched the smooth collarbone of the person in front of her, and was now lifting the other person's clothes to help him put them on.
An unprecedented experience flashed through his mind. He dared not think too much about it, quickly gathered her clothes, and looked away.
Qin Song's arteries were not damaged; most of the blood on her body came from Tao Qingyang. Even after the medicine was applied, her arm was still numb, but not unbearably so.
On the other hand, Tao Qingyang gritted his teeth and pulled out the thin arrow that had pierced through his arm muscle. The pain made his veins bulge and his forehead drip with sweat.
"How are you?" Qin Song asked him anxiously, clutching his shoulder.
But he didn't make a sound, covering his left arm with his right hand, hanging his head and gritting his teeth, enduring the pain without speaking.
The gaze fell again.
It hasn't completely disappeared, but it won't become stronger.
Tao Qingyang finally realized the difference; he only showed signs of improvement when Qin Song caused her a mild or moderate pain.
Without Qin Song's involvement, the pain would just be pain.
He felt both frightened and excited by this realization.
"Sister A-Song, help me." He finally raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, perhaps from the pain, but upon closer inspection, they also seemed to be mixed with a twisted desire.
Qin Song didn't have time to examine his reaction closely; he only noticed that blood was starting to seep from his shoulder again.
"How do I do it?"
He held a piece of his undergarment, which he had torn in half, in his mouth and used his teeth to tear off a strip of cloth: "Tie this above the wound on my left arm, tighten it, and stop the bleeding."
Fortunately, the thin arrow only pierced his arm muscles and did not damage his tendons or arteries, but he could no longer use his left hand.
"Judging from the situation, we should help each other out before we leave here." Tao Qingyang handed her the strip of cloth.
Qin Song looked at the bloody mess and couldn't bear to look at it; he even felt a little like crying.
With trembling left hand, she tried to slip the strip of cloth under his armpit, but she kept touching the spot where his wound was.
"Uh... ha..."
The man who had been gritting his teeth as he pulled out the arrow groaned every time she accidentally touched him, his heavy breathing in pain becoming even more pronounced. This frightened Qin Song so much that she was flustered and dared not move at all.
She couldn't use her right hand, so the strip of cloth went through, but she couldn't tie it by herself; two people had to work together, one with each of their hands.
Qin Song was already flustered, and his left hand was not very dexterous, so the two accidentally touched each other's fingers.
She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but sometimes it seemed like he was deliberately slowing down his movements, making it difficult to tie the knot.
anxious.
The coordination was so poor that Qin Song simply pushed his hand away, leaned in, and used her teeth to help him tie it up.
Her hand, still touched by Qin Song's fingertips, remained frozen in mid-air. Her head movements occasionally brushed against his earlobe, her hair brushed against his cheek, and the fragrance of osmanthus filled his body.
The fourth time.
Besides the pain, the close contact also made it impossible for him to suppress the strange feeling.
"Give me the medicine."
Before he could react, Qin Song had already applied a tourniquet for him.
Tao Qingyang snapped out of his daze and took out the white porcelain bottle from his waist. Qin Song took it nimbly, tore open his sleeve, and used his own sleeve to apply the medicine.
"You should bear with it too." She mimicked his actions and covered his wound.
The moment the powdered medicine touched him, Qin Song clearly felt the person in front of him tremble slightly.
She quickly loosened her grip a little and turned to look at him: "Does it hurt? Ugh—"
A passionate kiss suddenly pressed against her, giving Qin Song no chance to react. He silenced her lips, possessed her breath, and forcefully teased her lips and tongue.
Qin Song's hand, which was pressing on his wound, froze. Just as she was about to respond, she realized the ambiguous nature of their actions.
She was forcibly kissed.
The moment this thought crossed Qin Song's mind, her first reaction was to push him away.
But she couldn't push him away.
He continued, the sounds of water splashing and panting growing increasingly intimate.
To prevent him from dying of pain, Qin Song avoided his blood-soaked arm and pinched the still-healing knife wound on his abdomen.
The man paused for a moment, then suddenly let out a heavy breath, and you could even feel his body trembling again.
Perhaps because she was injured and lacked strength, this blow felt less like a punishment and more like a reward.
He tightened his grip on the back of her neck, pressing her firmly into his arms, and showered her with kisses, trying to overwhelm her.
His lips and tongue pressed together, their breaths mingled, his kiss was forceful and urgent, and Qin Song was completely unable to resist.
But she really didn't have much strength; biting or scratching him felt like she was seducing him.
He held her tighter, steadying her so she wouldn't aggravate the wound on her shoulder.
Qin Song's body felt weak. Her body not only did not reject his intimacy, but even became more excited. If her mind were not clear, she would have become more and more entangled with him.
Is this the skill of a seasoned womanizer? She can actually develop a physical attraction to men who frequent brothels; she's really going to have no bottom line anymore.
Qin Song couldn't help but feel a little flustered.
He finally let go of her when she was almost out of breath.
"Slap." As soon as they created some distance, Qin Song nervously slapped him across the face. "Bastard!"
Qin Song used considerable force, and Tao Qing's face was slapped to one side, only the cunning man became even more arrogant.
The man didn't turn around immediately; he kept his face hidden in the shadows, waiting for the surging tide of emotion to subside before slowly turning around.
The handprint on his fair right cheek seemed out of place with his handsome features. His eyes held a stronger aggression than ever before, which made Qin Song slightly apprehensive.
But he only touched his cheek with the tip of his tongue and did not make any further moves.
He chuckled inexplicably, raised his hand to wipe the water stains from the corner of Qin Song's mouth, and simply lay back on the ground, saying, "We've already kissed, this slap was worth it."
That's insane!
Qin Song also lost his strength and collapsed to his knees on the ground.
Neither of them spoke for a moment. After the pain from the wound and the intense kiss subsided, Qin Song fully realized how terrible their environment was.
The cold winter night, the dark forest, the deserted wilderness... every aspect made Qin Song shiver.
"Get up." Qin Song raised his foot and gave him a light kick. "Start a fire."
Tao Qingyang had already suppressed that impulse.
He didn't reply immediately. He took a long breath before slowly sitting up, regaining his calm and relaxed demeanor.
It was as if that beast from before was just a minor incident of accidentally escaping its cage.
He stood up, supporting himself on his left arm, picked up a torch, and gathered firewood nearby.
Tao Qingyang moved swiftly, and before long, a bonfire was lit not far in front of Qin Song.
The firelight illuminated a wider area, dispelling the tense atmosphere between the two and restoring them to a peaceful state.
For a long time, the two sat side by side by the fire, lost in thought, staring at the occasional crackling sparks.
Qin Song had no idea what he was thinking, but she was thinking a lot.
Why did he suddenly kiss her? He had so many opportunities to kiss her, why just now? What made him so assertive and assertive?
She had never seen him curve like that before.
A faint fire flickered in the boundless forest, unable to penetrate the darkness, only making the distant woods seem even more desolate and profound. Qin Song didn't even dare to look back. The warmth of the fire warmed her chest, but her left shoulder and back, soaked with blood, felt chilly. Perhaps due to blood loss, she felt a little dizzy.
Qin Song felt increasingly uneasy as she sat there. She glanced sideways at Tao Qingyang, who was staring blankly at the flames, and Tao Qingyang turned to look at her at that moment.
Their eyes met, and neither could guess what the other was thinking.
Tao Qing raised her lips and moved as if about to speak, but Qin Song got up and moved over without saying a word.
Ignoring his surprise, she leaned into his lap.
"Well…"
Whether it was touching his wound or some other reaction, he suddenly groaned before regaining his composure: "You... know what I've been thinking about you."
"I don't want to die. Do what you want."
Qin Song had never spent a night outdoors in the cold; even with a fire lit, he was still shivering from the cold.
My hands and feet can be warmed by the heat, but my back is so cold that I get goosebumps.
Moreover, she has been afraid of the dark since she was a child. When she sat there alone, she always felt that countless things with gaping, bloody mouths were approaching her from behind.
The double whammy of cold and fear meant she couldn't hold out until dawn.
The intoxicating fragrance of osmanthus wafted over again, and Tao Qingyang's thoughts were in turmoil once more. However, he had already acted impulsively once and did not want to upset her again. He leaned back slightly, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, creating some distance between himself and her.
"Sister Ah Song, I am a man."
She knew, she saw, that he was very manly.
But Qin Song no longer cared, and sat comfortably in his lap: "General Tao, if you were a woman, and you could survive by being intimate with a man, would you choose to preserve your chastity and freeze to death, or would you choose to live by clinging to a man?"
Tao Qingyang then realized that she was afraid of the cold. He subconsciously straightened up and moved closer to her. After a long while, he asked, "Is it possible that you actually like this man?"
"Do personal preferences matter in the face of life and death? To give an extreme example, in a harsh environment, if I could survive by being defiled by someone I don't like, I would choose to be defiled without hesitation. Life is the most important thing."
Qin Song felt weak and simply leaned against Tao Qingyang.
Tao Qing stiffened, her breathing becoming increasingly hot, and dared not move further.
The words "people I don't like" stirred his thoughts, but the word "defile" made him fall silent, unable to respond.
The faint fragrance of osmanthus continued to linger, making it increasingly impossible for Tao Qingyang to ignore its presence.
"Let me tidy up."
A slightly hoarse male voice came from above, and Qin Song, who was not asleep, quietly opened his eyes.
Under normal circumstances, his sitting posture is quite comfortable, but when he sits unnaturally, it feels cramped.
Qin Song could sense it, but she pretended not to know.
Now that he had spoken, she could no longer ignore it, so she bowed forward in compliance.
The person behind him remained silent, quietly adjusting the upward-pointing knob.
"Get up a little more."
Qin Song was taken aback. Why did he want her to get up?
But as she herself said, it didn't matter anymore; the most important thing was to get through the night.
She supported herself on his legs as she squatted down.
The sound of her clothes rustling came from behind her, and after a moment, a hot, large hand pulled her back around the waist.
There were two more layers of smooth fabric beneath her, which he had laid out for her.
It turns out it was to pad her clothes.
Qin Song relaxed and leaned back against him again. The feeling of being completely covered from behind finally gave her a sense of security in the darkness.
Although the area behind her was uneven, she thoughtfully remained still.
The only thing that was really bothersome was his occasional act of straightening up to throw firewood into the fire, but the two of them tacitly pretended nothing was wrong.
The night was so long. The two leaned against each other in silence for a long time. The forest was still pitch black, and the place where they leaned against each other seemed even more arrogant and domineering.
After a long silence, the person behind him spoke with difficulty, "Mind if I... take care of it this time?"
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