scars
Back in the room on the second floor, Jiang Yi took advantage of He Lin's inattention and squeezed in.
"you……"
Jiang Yi turned around and raised the things she was carrying so he could see them clearly. "Don't misunderstand, I'm here to change your dressing. After all, it's a life-saving favor."
He Lin sat down and was about to haphazardly tear off the gauze bandage from his right palm when Jiang Yi grabbed his wrist, frowning and scolding, "What are you doing?"
"Remove the gauze."
Jiang Yi was speechless for a moment, then said, "Young Master He, do you think I'm just a decoration in front of you? Why didn't you call me if your hands were inconvenient to dismantle this?"
He Lin said nonchalantly, "It's not that serious."
Jiang Yi sat down next to him, moved the lamp on the table closer, and carefully removed the white gauze wrapped around it, one circle at a time. She then leaned closer to examine his injuries more closely.
The scar wasn't particularly large or small; it ran diagonally across the entire palm of his right hand, the wound grotesquely protruding outwards, with glimpses of bloody flesh visible—quite a gruesome sight.
This shows how powerful the arrow that shot her was. If it had hit her forehead, her head would probably have been blown apart.
Jiang Yi first poured some medicinal wine onto a clean cotton cloth to disinfect it. During the process of wiping He Lin, she could even feel the unevenness on her palm. She was very careful.
"Are you in pain? If so, remember to tell me."
As she said this, Jiang Yi didn't dare to look He Lin in the eye, unable to imagine just how deep and painful the wound was.
He Lin gave a soft "hmm," then looked down at Jiang Yi, as if she were the one in pain. Her delicate eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and she blew on them with each wipe...
"I should have stopped you from drinking too much tonight, otherwise it would be troublesome if you got an infection."
"I didn't drink that much, I should be fine."
Jiang Yi poured the medicine powder onto him and then carefully wrapped it with gauze.
"You should probably see a doctor. Your wound is too deep, and it's on your right hand. If it damages a nerve and doesn't heal properly, it will be difficult for you to paint in the future. Your hand might start to shake."
"nerve?"
"Uh... it's about veins and meridians."
He Lin lowered his eyes, his eyelashes trembling, and said, "It's alright, I know what I'm doing."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi tightened her grip while bandaging the hand, tying a small bow on the back of her hand, and said angrily, "Why are you so stubborn?!"
He Lin pursed his lips, neither confirming nor denying it.
"..."
The next morning, Jiang Yi woke up and first poured herself a cup of tea. When she opened the window to get some fresh air, she noticed that it was snowing lightly outside. She couldn't help but reach out and catch a snowflake, which quickly melted in her palm. Whether it was from the cold or the wind, she shivered and quickly closed the window.
After getting dressed, I went downstairs and ordered breakfast. I asked around and found out that He Lin hadn't come downstairs. I figured he must have overslept because of a hangover. So I told the waiter to have the kitchen make me a hangover soup and then brought it upstairs.
Jiang Yi knocked on the door first: "He Lin, are you awake? I'm coming in."
There was no movement inside, so she pushed the door open and put the tray on the table. She tiptoed to the screen and peeked inside. He Lin was lying on the bed without responding, his hands folded in front of him, his sleeping posture neat and proper.
That's really rare; it's uncommon to see someone sleeping in late.
Back when they were at the General's Mansion, He Lin always woke up earlier than her. Every time Jiang Yi got up, he would be all washed up and dressed.
Jiang Yi quietly went out and sat in the house to eat by herself. The breakfast was very simple: a bowl of red bean and lotus seed porridge, two side dishes, and a bowl of hangover soup prepared for He Lin. Unfortunately, he was still asleep, and it would probably be cold by the time he woke up.
The red-hot coals in the stove were burning brightly, crackling and popping loudly.
Jiang Yi finished her meal and waited for a while, but He Lin still showed no signs of waking up, and she couldn't even hear him turn over.
She felt strange and warmed her hands before calling He Lin. Although she didn't know what time it was, sleeping for so long was so unlike him.
"He Lin, He Lin?"
Jiang Yi called his name twice through the screen, but it remained completely silent until she went in. Only then did she notice that He Lin's lips were an unnaturally pale color, and the person on the bed seemed very cold, trembling almost imperceptibly.
When I touched his head, it was so cold it was freezing! It looked like he'd just been pulled out of an ice hole.
Jiang Yi bent down and nudged him: "He Lin, wake up! What's wrong with you?"
"cold……"
cold?
The voice was barely audible, but Jiang Yi still managed to catch the word from his lips. She looked up and glanced around. Beside the bed was a tall, solid wood carved cabinet. She quickly stood up and opened it. Inside was a thick quilt, which must have been washed and dried by the shopkeeper not long ago. There was also a faint scent of osmanthus. She took it out and covered He Lin with it, tucking the corners of the quilt in.
"How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"
He Lin squinted at her and nodded slightly. Even so, Jiang Yi could still feel the slight trembling of the person on the bed through the two layers of blankets.
I just checked his forehead; it was very cold and icy, not like he had a fever.
"You have a cold... no, you, you caught a chill? It snowed last night."
Jiang Yi squatted by the bed and turned to look at the window. It was closed tightly, so the wind and snow outside could not blow in. However, He Lin had always been weak and had been taking medicine for many years. There were still toxins in his body. Jiang Yi was not sure what was wrong with him.
"I'll go find a doctor to take a look at you. Wait for me, I'll be back in a bit."
After saying that, she got up and left, but He Lin grabbed her wrist precisely.
"No need to trouble yourself. I know my own body well. This is a flare-up of cold poison."
Jiang Yi's eyes widened suddenly, and she exclaimed in shock, "Cold Poison?"
"Um."
Jiang Yi squatted down again and asked, "Then what should we do? You..."
He Lin closed his eyes and then opened them again. His lips were deathly pale, with a faint purple tinge. He touched his lips together slightly and said, "I can't leave today."
Jiang Yi put his hand back under the covers and comforted him, "It's okay, I'm not in a hurry. It's fine to stay here for a few days. Anyway, once I leave the capital, no one will know which direction I'm going, and they won't be able to catch me anytime soon."
He Lin looked at her with complicated emotions, his eyes flickering slightly. Where had this person's usual intelligence gone? She hadn't even realized it after so long. It was truly a mystery what to say.
"...Wang the镖头 and his men should be on their way today. I'll go to the inn next door and tell him we're not going with their镖队. But He Lin, do you really not need to call a doctor? Maybe they can cure you."
"No need, we'll just get through today."
Jiang Yi was speechless and almost rolled her eyes: "You're just refusing to see the truth!"
As she spoke, she walked outside the screen, found two pieces of cotton cloth, placed them on either side of the stove, bent down, and carried the stove inside in one go. "Besides, cold poisoning isn't a terminal illness, right? With proper treatment, it can be cured. It's just that you're a little afraid of the cold in this weather, right? I'll move the stove to your bedside; it should be warmer that way."
He Lin witnessed her actions firsthand, as she laboriously pulled and lifted the heavy stove, gradually moving it to the side of the bed.
After doing all that, she straightened up and let out a long breath of warm air: "You lie down for a while, I'll go downstairs and have them make something to eat, it'll be ready soon, just wait for me..."
Hearing the door close, He Lin slowly closed his eyes.
The cold poison is an incurable disease; it's untreatable and will kill them. When Old Ghost fed them the Gu worms, he never intended for them to live...
Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, if he can't survive the onset of the poison, everything will be over the moment he closes his eyes. The Gu worms in his heart will break through his skin and crawl out, followed by his whole body festering and his death becoming a gruesome and unbearable sight. But this is not the most unbearable time. The real hellish torture will come at night...
That damned old man, even in death he can't let people have a peaceful life...
The wind and snow outside were getting stronger, and you could even hear the howling of the north wind inside the house.
He Lin had no appetite and couldn't go a whole day without drinking any water. Jiang Yi forced him to drink half a bowl of hot soup, but He Lin's condition worsened. He was covered in cold sweat, his hands were frighteningly cold, and his face was completely bloodless.
"He Lin, are you... are you alright?" Jiang Yi sat on the edge of the bed, a little flustered. "Are you still cold?"
She brought all the bedding from her own room to cover He Lin, and there was a stove burning brightly nearby. Jiang Yi was already sweating just sitting there, partly from the heat and partly from the fright.
"Do you still have the dagger I gave you last time? Give it to me."
"What do you need this for in my room?"
"Give it to me."
Jiang Yi gave him a deep look: "I'll go get it."
He Lin struggled to get out of bed, layer upon layer, like a human pyramid. He was only wearing a snow-white undergarment, his long, jet-black hair was loose, and his eyes were as black and bright as obsidian, which made him look even weaker and gave him a kind of sickly beauty.
When Jiang Yi returned with the dagger, she was stunned by this scene. He Lin, like a sickly beauty, leaned weakly against the bedside, staring blankly at the stove not far away, making people feel sorry for her.
This is just too unfair! God really gave this man such good looks; he looks so handsome even when he's sick! No wonder she picked him at first sight.
He Lin stared at the person behind the screen, lost in thought, for a while before finally speaking: "What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh, okay."
"Pah, what are you thinking!" Jiang Yi realized and wanted to slap herself, quickly changing the subject: "Why are you up?"
"It's alright, give me the dagger."
When He Lin drew the dagger from its sheath, it gleamed brightly. Without even testing it, one knew that its blade must be incredibly sharp. He placed the dagger on the edge of the stove to heat it for a while, and then paused when he moved his hands down, as if he had some concerns.
"Do you want to wait outside?"
Jiang Yi blinked, not understanding what he meant for a moment: "Why should I go out to wait?"
He Lin pursed his lips, his eyes growing even darker: "Whatever you say."
Immediately afterwards, he turned his back to Jiang Yi, untied his waist belt, and took off his entire undergarment, revealing his broad and firm back.
Upon seeing this, Jiang Yi's eyes widened suddenly.
There wasn't a single good spot on it; it was covered with flesh-colored, diagonal scars that looked like they had been there for a long time, left by someone whipping it severely...
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