Chapter 72 Sharing a Bed
An eerie silence fell over the room.
After a long pause, Qin Xiao spoke again: "Come here."
Chu Jiubian: "...You're ordering me around?"
Qin Xiao chuckled softly, seemingly aggravating the injury in his chest. He raised his hand and gently pressed it before continuing, "How could I dare?"
It's weird and sarcastic.
Chu Jiubian ignored him and remained lying there motionless.
However, he soon heard a rustling sound from the bed. Turning his head, he saw Qin Xiao slowly trying to sit up.
Chu Jiubian suddenly sat up, putting on his shoes as he said, "What are you doing? Don't move around."
Qin Xiao stopped moving and lay back down.
“I sleep on the couch,” he said.
Chu Jiubian paused, unable to see Qin Xiao's face in the darkness, but could still feel the other person staring at him.
He got off the couch somewhat awkwardly and said, "I'll go back to Yaotai Residence and ask Qin Chaoyang to bring in a longer couch to keep you company."
He hadn't thought of that just now. Qin Xiao was out of danger now, so it wouldn't be a problem to have someone else stay with him and take care of him.
Qin Xiao remained silent.
Chu Jiubian took the cloak and walked out, but before he had taken two steps, a man's deep voice came from behind him again: "My wound hurts a little."
Chu Jiubian paused and turned around.
Qin Xiao continued, "I think I strained myself while washing up earlier."
The system also issued a notification at this moment: [Host, the patient's chest wound is indeed bleeding somewhat.]
Chu Jiubian immediately frowned, and as he walked over, he casually tossed his cloak onto the couch and took out a flashlight from the system's inventory to illuminate the area.
The powerful flashlight instantly illuminated the entire bedroom. The person on the bed was caught off guard by the sudden light and instinctively closed their eyes.
Chu Jiubian noticed that the stubble on the man's face was indeed gone, and his face looked clean and refreshed.
As for the bloodstains or medicinal smell on his body, he had already cleaned them off when he was in the Divine Realm.
His breathing, which had been fluctuating between light and heavy, returned to normal. So at this moment, apart from his still somewhat pale face, Qin Xiao looked no different from an ordinary person.
Chu Jiubian's gaze shifted to his chest and he noticed that Qin Xiao had changed into a clean undergarment, black brocade, with the collar slightly disheveled.
Beneath the smooth fabric, the man's undulating muscles were outlined with graceful lines, concealing a vibrant sense of power.
Qin Xiao opened his eyes as his eyes adjusted to the light, glanced at his chest following Chu Jiubian's gaze, and then looked up at him.
Chu Jiubian only glanced at him a couple more times. Before he could ask Qin Xiao to take off his clothes, the other party had already slowly untied the belt, completely revealing his upper body.
A pair of full pectoral muscles and a well-distributed, beautifully defined six-pack abs came into view, and Chu Jiubian's eyelashes trembled slightly.
A bandage was wrapped around her chest, and some bloodstains had seeped through, but not much.
"System, has the wound reopened?" Chu Jiubian asked in his mind.
No, only slight bleeding is normal.
Chu Jiubian felt relieved and looked up into Qin Xiao's deep eyes.
"The wound hasn't healed yet, so don't move around too much these next few days," he said.
Qin Xiao responded.
Chu Jiubian glanced at his open collar and said, "Put your clothes on."
"Can I move?" Qin Xiao asked.
Chu Jiubian: "...Okay."
Qin Xiao slowly fastened his clothes again, but they were loose and looked even stranger than when they were not fastened at all.
Chu Jiubian withdrew his gaze and went to fetch the quilt from the bed to cover Qin Xiao.
"As long as you don't move around, you'll be fine. I'll come see you again tomorrow." Chu Jiubian said and prepared to leave again.
"What if I need to get up at night? Can I move by myself? What about drinking water? Can I drink by myself?" Qin Xiao asked four questions in a row, his tone lazy and smiling. "If you don't watch over me personally, I don't know when I can move and when I can't."
Chu Jiubian stared at him intently, then suddenly chuckled softly, "You don't want me to leave, do you?"
"Yes," Qin Xiao said. "I feel at ease when you're here."
Chu Jiubian didn't speak, but only observed his expression, trying to figure something out.
But soon after, he looked away again, as if afraid of actually seeing something.
He turned off the flashlight and put it into his spatial storage.
The room was plunged back into darkness, and it took them a while to adjust before they could vaguely make out some outlines again.
Qin Xiao's gaze followed the young man's figure, and he saw him take a few steps outside and then stop.
Then, she turned around and went back to the bedside.
Chu Jiubian sat down on the edge of the bed, took off his boots, and turned to get into bed.
The bed is about 1.5 meters wide, enough for two people to sleep on, and although there is only one pillow, it is long enough for two people to sleep on.
However, Qin Xiao was sleeping on the outside and it was inconvenient for him to move, so Chu Jiubian knelt down and stepped over the man's body. Just in case, he also placed his hands on either side of Qin Xiao. His long hair slid down from his shoulders, brushing against Qin Xiao's Adam's apple and lips, bringing a tingling itch.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Jiubian had already lain down on the inside of the bed.
He didn't take off his outer shirt, lying straight on his back, staring at the bed frame above his head.
At this moment, they were truly "sharing the same bed".
Chu Jiubian had never been so close to anyone before, and his whole body tensed up unconsciously, his mind blank.
Qin Xiao lay still for a while before turning his head to look at the person beside him.
He seemed to notice Chu Jiubian's stiffness and reached out to give him the blanket.
Chu Jiubian finally reacted and said, "Don't move."
"Cover yourself with a blanket," Qin Xiao said.
Chu Jiubian was stunned for a moment before reaching out to touch the blanket, but by sheer coincidence, he bumped into Qin Xiao's hand.
The man's hands regained their warmth, a stark contrast to his icy hands.
He curled his fingertips slightly, quickly moved aside, grabbed a corner of the blanket, and covered himself with it.
Qin Xiao then looked away and, like him, looked up at the ceiling.
The room wasn't cold to begin with, and now that I'm under the covers, it's even warmer.
Before long, Chu Jiubian felt his legs and feet warm up, but his hands remained cold.
The room was quiet, except for the howling wind outside, which made the branches of the trees in the yard sway and rustle.
The two lay quietly together, only a few fists apart. Neither of them felt sleepy, but neither of them spoke.
The room belonged to Qin Xiao, as did the bed, blankets, and pillows. He himself was lying beside her. Chu Jiubian felt as if he were enveloped by Qin Xiao's faint aura, and his body was also imbued with his scent.
Chu Jiubian listened to Qin Xiao's shallow breathing, which was even, but he knew that the other party was not asleep either.
"Aren't you sleepy?" he asked, his voice soft.
"I'm not sleepy. How about you?"
"I'm not sleepy either," Chu Jiubian asked. "Did you eat anything just now?"
"No," Qin Xiao said. "I don't know if it's edible."
Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him, and even in the darkness, he could still see the man's superior nose and brow bone: "When you got up, didn't you ever think that you couldn't just move around randomly?"
Qin Xiao smiled and turned to look at him: "I was very careful."
Chu Jiubian: "..."
They looked at each other, and then fell silent.
Because they were so close, Chu Jiubian could almost feel Qin Xiao's breath on his lips.
Suddenly, he noticed Qin Xiao moving slightly closer to him.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned his face away, looking back at the bed frame.
"If you don't want to sleep, let's talk about Cheng Shuo," Chu Jiubian said stiffly, bringing up the topic.
Qin Xiao stopped looking at him and stared at the ceiling, saying, "We've been interrogating him for a long time, but we haven't gotten anything out of him."
"Was torture used?"
"Severe punishment."
"Do you have a grudge against him?" Chu Jiubian asked, then immediately denied it, saying, "No, his family background is clean, and you and the Qin family have done him a great service. He has no reason to harm you."
Previously, when Qin Xiao was about to take Cheng Shuo on a campaign, Chu Jiubian asked Qin Chaoyang to re-investigate the other party's family background and recent experiences.
People change, and the worst thing is that this person had contact with others without Qin Xiao's knowledge.
However, after Qin Chaoyang investigated, Cheng Shuo was indeed found to be without any suspicious points.
“It’s also impossible that his wife and children at home are being controlled or threatened,” Qin Xiao said. “I have people taking care of his family affairs, so there’s no way anything could have happened.”
"So, he betrayed you for no reason?" Chu Jiubian asked, frowning.
Qin Xiao hummed in agreement.
After a few breaths, he suddenly asked, "What is your relationship with the King of Southern Xinjiang?"
Outsiders were unaware of the drought in the southern border region, but Qin Xiao knew that the grain was all the work of Chu Jiubian.
Therefore, the other party is connected with the King of Southern Xinjiang.
Hearing him suddenly mention the Southern Frontier, Chu Jiubian had a flash of inspiration and turned to look at him: "Is Cheng Shuo under a spell?"
The Great Ning Dynasty is an era that blends the worldview of martial arts, featuring internal energy, martial arts skills, and many strange and unusual families and traditions in the martial arts world.
The Gu worms of Southern Xinjiang are known throughout the world; there are indeed Gu masters who can use them to kill people and even control them.
The strongest Gu Master in the Southern Frontier is actually the Holy Maiden of each generation.
The current Holy Maiden, Si Tu Anli, is the Princess Consort of Southern Xinjiang and the mother of the Situ siblings.
To be able to control a strong man like Cheng Shuo and make him go against his own will to assassinate Qin Xiao is not something an ordinary Gu Master can do; it must be the work of one of the best.
Therefore, the Southern Xinjiang saintess Si Tu Anli is also highly suspected.
Qin Xiao said, "Hu Fang has seen people controlled by Gu poison before. Their thoughts are altered, and they will do things against their own will according to the Gu master's wishes."
Cheng Shuo's appearance now is completely different from that day before the assassination attempt.
Qin Xiao recalled carefully that Cheng Shuo was normal before the assassination, as unrestrained as ever, without any abnormalities.
But Cheng Shuo changed after the assassination attempt.
He became gloomy, and his eyes showed no emotion when he looked at people.
Even an iron man would show some pain under severe torture, but Cheng Shuo, covered in wounds, didn't even flinch, as if he couldn't feel any pain.
Chu Jiubian listened, feeling that it was somewhat like hypnosis.
Are Gu worms really that powerful?
“I cannot be sure whether this matter is related to the Princess of Southern Xinjiang,” Chu Jiu argued.
He was certain of the Situ siblings' character and abilities, but he wasn't sure about their parents' temperament.
However, judging from the previous drought, these two people should not be bad people. Moreover, they were able to raise two such good children, so their character should not be too bad either.
But what if?
What if a bad bamboo shoot turns out to be a good one?
Chu Jiubian dared not speak too definitively.
Qin Xiao said, "It's also possible that someone deliberately framed us. We'll find another opportunity to investigate when the King of Southern Xinjiang arrives in the capital tomorrow."
"Is the King of Southern Xinjiang going to the capital tomorrow?" Chu Jiubian had been in the Divine Realm for the past two days and hadn't met with Qin Chaoyang and the others since he came out today, so he naturally didn't know about these things.
However, Qin Xiao had already spoken with Qin Chaoyang and met with the young emperor, so he told the child not to worry.
When Chu Jiubian asked, Qin Xiao replied, "Tonight, the King of Huguang and the King of Dongjiang will meet outside the city. The other four vassal kings will stay at the official post station outside the capital tonight, and they should be able to enter the capital by tomorrow evening."
Chu Jiubian laughed upon hearing this: "Are the King of Huguang and the King of Dongjiang trying to give us a hard time?"
"Perhaps," Qin Xiao smiled.
The two didn't say much, but they understood each other implicitly.
In this situation, it's hard to say who will give whom a hard time.
Just as they were talking about this, two groups of people arrived at the tightly closed city gate.
The leader of the troops escorting the Prince of Huguang rode a tall horse and shouted to the city guards stationed on the city wall: "His Highness the Prince of Huguang and His Highness the Prince of Dongjiang have arrived! Open the city gates immediately and welcome them into the city!"
A clear voice came from the people on the city wall, saying, "The city gates have already been closed for some time. We hope Your Highnesses will understand!"
As he spoke, a handsome man appeared on the city wall, dressed in soft armor with a sword at his waist, looking down at the crowd outside the city.
Prince Baili Yue of Huguang stepped down from the carriage. Dressed in magnificent robes, his brows and eyes were cold and stern, and his demeanor was even more majestic. Just by standing there, he could make people feel an inexplicable pressure.
Many soldiers on the city wall lowered their eyes, not daring to look at the other side.
This is the aura of the strongest feudal lord.
The Prince of Huguang looked up at the young general on the city wall, narrowed his eyes, and asked, "Who are you?"
The voice wasn't loud, but the people on the city wall clearly had excellent hearing. Upon hearing this, they smiled, bowed, and said, "Your humble servants, An Ping and An Wuji, commanders of the Imperial Guards, greet Your Highnesses."
Most of the city defense troops and imperial guards in the capital were former members of the Qin family. Although An Wuji was nominally the commander-in-chief of the imperial guards, the city defense troops were also under his jurisdiction.
Therefore, there was absolutely no problem with him appearing on the city wall.
"So you are General An, I have long admired your name." A smiling voice rang out, and a man dressed in a dark green brocade robe stepped down from another carriage.
An Wuji looked over.
The man stood beside Baili Yue, shorter and thinner than him, but his bearing was in no way inferior to that of Baili Yue, the head of the vassal kings.
Moreover, the other party had a smiling face, but there was no smile in his eyes. He was cold and gloomy, which made people feel cold back when they met him.
This is Prince Dongjiang, Bailihe, whose maternal family was wealthy and powerful in Jiangnan. He was also the second prince who was most favored during the reign of Emperor Chengzong.
He was once the most promising prince to ascend the throne, but unfortunately he lost to Emperor Yingzong. However, because his maternal family was powerful, they managed to protect him and send him to his fiefdom to start over.
It can be said that among these seven vassal kings, the two in front of us are the most ambitious and assertive.
"This humble general is no match for Your Highness's words of admiration," said An Wuji.
Throughout the Da Ning dynasty, there were only two "rulers": the emperor and the crown prince. Therefore, even if a powerful vassal king was in front of them, officials did not need to address him as a subject; they could simply say "this humble official."
"General An, you are too kind. You are a favorite of His Majesty and Prince Ning," Bailihe said. "We brothers are late today. We hope that General An will be lenient and let us into the city, so that we will not have to spend the night outside the city."
"That's the rule, Your Highnesses, please understand." An Wuji remained unmoved.
Baili Yue smiled and said, "Very well, what a fine rule. Why don't you go and inform His Majesty? If His Majesty also thinks we should camp outside the city, then we will have no complaints."
“It’s getting late, His Majesty has already retired for the night,” An Wuji said. “I was just following the proper procedures in this matter, so there’s no need to inform His Majesty further.”
"General An, aren't we offending too many people by doing this?" The soldier beside him asked nervously in a low voice.
"It's alright," An Wuji replied softly. "I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong."
Baili Yue and Baili He wanted to shift the blame for not being able to enter the city onto the emperor, but An Wuji wouldn't give them the chance.
He will take full responsibility upon himself.
This way, when the young emperor punishes him lightly later, it will be considered an explanation to the two vassal kings.
These two people made a point of arriving after the city gates closed, so their plans were all for naught.
Not only could they not use their privileges to enter the city, but they also couldn't blame the emperor for their sleeping outside the city, since the emperor didn't even know they had arrived. All of this was simply the result of General An Wuji's conscientious performance of his duties.
They wanted to intimidate the emperor, but now they've found themselves in a difficult position, caught between a rock and a hard place.
Baili Yue narrowed his eyes slightly.
Wasn't it said that Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian wouldn't show up? How could a little kid like Baili Hong possibly think of these things?
So, was this countermeasure An Wuji came up with himself, or was it from that eunuch Hong Fu?
Thinking about it this way, Baili Hong really does have a lot of talented people around him.
It's a bit of a pity about Bailiyue.
How could so many talented people end up in the emperor's possession?
However, if possible, he would try to make contact with these people during this trip to Beijing.
It would be wonderful if he could make good use of so many talented people.
Bailihe stared at the young general on the city wall for a long time, his smile unchanged, but the coldness in his eyes deepened, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, spying on its surroundings.
Inside the bedroom in the west courtyard of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Chu Jiubian listened with great interest as Qin Xiao recounted the stories of several vassal kings.
Perhaps to help him understand better, Qin Xiao even went so far as to "sculpt" these people as animals, which was very avant-garde.
Baili Yue is a black bear who thinks he's smart, but actually his fists are even better; Baili He is a sinister viper who wants to scheme against everyone; and Baili Yan is a smiling tiger who doesn't care about anything that doesn't concern him.
Baili Zheng is a rigid and inflexible man, like an ox that only cares about its own little plot of land. Baili Hao is a free spirit, like a steed that yearns for the vast world. Baili Yu, on the other hand, is a cunning and treacherous eagle, who makes up for his lack of strength with his cunning.
"As for Baili Ming..."
Chu Jiu argued, "I think he looks a lot like a rabbit."
She is gentle and harmless, and often seems easily startled.
Qin Xiao said, "I'm not familiar with him."
In fact, he was not very familiar with the other vassal kings, but he had gleaned some insights from their actions.
"And what about me?" Chu Jiu asked him, "What kind of animal do you think I am?"
Qin Xiao glanced at him sideways and chuckled softly.
"What are you laughing at?"
Instead of answering, Qin Xiao asked, "What do you think I am, young master?"
“I asked you first,” Chu Jiu argued.
Qin Xiao: "You tell me first, and I'll tell you."
Chu Jiubian: "...Fine, don't say it then."
Silence fell over the room again.
Chu Jiubian was still not sleepy, so he spoke again: "The reason you were injured this time is actually related to the Lu family."
The Lu family's ancestral home was originally in Wuwei, Gansu, and it had a natural connection with Baili Yu, the Prince of Dingbei, whose fiefdom was in Shaanxi and Gansu.
This time, it was also the brother-in-law of Lu Youwei, the Minister of War, who, along with Pang Ruizhi, the commander of the Northwest Army, cooperated with the Prince of Dingbei to cede Gansu to the Sai Kingdom's army, thus forcing Qin Xiao to go on the expedition.
“Hmm,” Qin Xiao said, “I’ve collected some evidence, but now is not the time to use it.”
Chu Jiubian turned over to face him.
Qin Xiao was taken aback, but for some reason didn't turn his head to look at the person next to him.
“The Lu family also has connections with the Tatars,” Chu Jiubian said.
In the darkness, Qin Xiao's jaw tightened instantly.
Chu Jiubian saw this and unconsciously lowered his voice, saying, "We will find the evidence."
Qin Jingzhao and his wife died at the hands of the Tatars, but everyone knew there was more to the story. There must have been a traitor who leaked or lied about military intelligence, which led to their ambush and death far from home.
Now, both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian know that this matter is definitely related to the Lu family.
But they simply had no evidence.
Moreover, given the magnitude of the matter, they believed that not only the Lu family but also other forces were involved. Were they the other three powerful families, or one or more of the seven vassal kings?
Both are possible.
"If we can't find any clues from the outside, perhaps we can break through from the inside," Chu Jiubian suggested.
Qin Xiao remained silent.
Chu Jiubian continued, "Regarding the matter of the datura, we killed Wang Wenyao, the son of the Wang family patriarch, and Lu Xingwen, a boy from the Lu family."
“Lu Xingwen’s parents were not from the main family, but from a collateral branch, and they only had one son, Lu Xingwen.”
Qin Xiao finally turned his head to look at him.
The young man lay on his side facing him, curled up, and even in the night, one could vaguely see the light in the other's pupils.
"Some people have heard that Lu Xingwen's parents once said that they traded their son's life for two of the Lu family's shops. Their tone was a bit off, so they must have some resentment towards the Lu family." This is what Chu Jiubian heard when he was working at the Ministry of Works, overhearing some minor officials gossiping.
“This might be a breakthrough,” he said.
Lu Xingwen was killed by Qin Xiao, but it is also true that the Lu family did not come to his aid. The couple who lost their only son could not possibly understand the so-called "big picture".
Therefore, the couple now hates Qin Xiao and the Lu family the most.
If they have the opportunity to make these two sides "fight each other," why wouldn't they do it?
Chu Jiubian's intention was to use this psychology of theirs to guide them to expose the Lu family's collusion with foreign enemies to harm the loyal Qin family.
Harming loyal officials and colluding with foreign enemies to plot rebellion—these two crimes combined will leave the Lu family severely injured, even if they don't die.
Qin Xiao remained silent for a long time before softly asking, "Are you investigating this to deal with the Lu family, or to...?"
He stopped halfway through his sentence.
Chu Jiubian didn't reply, but instead said in an even softer voice, "I'm sleepy, go to sleep."
They will continue to stay in the Hall of Mental Cultivation for the next two days to avoid having to go out and deal with those vassal kings.
Finally, by the 27th, there will only be three days left until the Lunar New Year.
These princes were supposed to fast and practice rituals at the temple before returning to the capital to attend the palace banquet on the 30th of the month.
However, these vassal kings will definitely come to meet Baili Hong tomorrow to pay their respects.
This was also the rule for princes entering the capital.
Baili Hong cried again after seeing Qin Xiao today, and it took a lot of coaxing to calm him down.
Qin Xiao told him to feign illness, so that when the princes came to pay their respects, they wouldn't be able to stay long, and thus wouldn't have a chance to set a trap for Baili Hong.
So tonight, Zhang Yuanpan is already on guard in the main hall of Yangxin Hall, and it is estimated that he will be on guard until the 27th.
Ever since obtaining Chu Jiubian's medical book, Judge Zhang has been biased towards their side.
Now that the head of the Imperial Medical Academy is bedridden at home and has submitted his resignation, Zhang, the chief physician, is the most likely candidate to take over. He naturally knows who his true master is, so he did not hide the fact that Baili Hong was feigning illness from him.
He was a shrewd and calculating man, and naturally even more tactful. He simply took Baili Hong's pulse, and everything was understood without him saying a word.
That being said, Chu Jiubian and the others actually had nothing to do for the next two days.
He lay on his side facing Qin Xiao, his hands folded over his chest, his whole body curled up.
He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep again.
If you don't sleep at night, you'll be sleepy during the day.
At night, under the cover of darkness, he could share a bed with Qin Xiao, but not during the day.
Chu Jiubian lay there for a long time.
Although his eyes were closed, he could feel Qin Xiao's gaze on him.
For some reason, he felt his body was more tense and he couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
It wasn't until Qin Xiao moved, presumably withdrawing his gaze, that Chu Jiubian felt his body relax slightly.
I don't know how much time passed before sleepiness gradually crept in.
Qin Xiao waited until the person beside him began to breathe steadily and evenly before turning his head to look at them again.
He still couldn't make out the person's face, but he just wanted to see.
After a long while, when his neck was stiff, he finally turned his head and closed his eyes.
However, before he could even feel sleepiness, he felt a weight on his shoulder.
He froze, too afraid to move.
But the young man's breathing was closer to his ear, clearly because the other person had rested his head on his shoulder.
Qin Xiao didn't sleep all night.
Chu Jiubian also "woke up" for a while during the night, but not in his physical body; rather, his soul awakened and entered the divine realm.
There was nothing else to it but that his devoted followers stayed up all night calling upon him.
Chu Jiubian was initially somewhat helpless, but after learning that it was Qin Chuan who had called him, he had no objections.
It seems the other party received news of Qin Xiao's serious injuries and came to ask for his help.
As expected, Qin Chuan gave him a big bow as soon as they met before saying in a deep voice, "High Priest, may I now claim the reward I received earlier?"
"You want me to save people?" Chu Jiu asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yes," Qin Chuan said. "I would like to ask you to save Prince Ning, Qin Xiao, in the palace."
Chu Jiubian initially wanted to agree readily, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.
The one who saved Qin Xiao was "Grand Tutor Chu," so he couldn't claim credit for it. Moreover, this incident might make Qin Chuan even more grateful and respectful to "Grand Tutor Chu," which is a good thing.
Therefore, he said, "He is fine now."
Qin Chuan was taken aback, then his face lit up with undisguised surprise: "Really? Was it Chu... was it the Divine Lord who saved him?"
At the High Priest's place, there is only the Holy Star God, not Grand Tutor Chu.
Upon hearing the high priest's affirmative answer, Qin Chuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, a weight that had been on his mind ever since he received the news.
Since taking on the task of protecting Lu Yao and helping him learn how to interact with people, he hasn't paid much attention to intelligence from various places, leaving it all to his subordinates.
Because his subordinates were unaware of his relationship with Qin Xiao, they did not report the news of Qin Xiao's possible serious injury immediately, even though they knew it was an important matter.
Instead, they continued the investigation to ensure that the matter was absolutely certain before daring to report it, fearing that a false report would displease the alliance leader.
That's why Qin Chuan only approached the High Priest now.
Although Qin Xiao has recovered, Qin Chuan is still worried, so he asked the High Priest for leave and decided to stop protecting Lu Yao for now, as he wanted to go to the capital in person.
And since it's almost Chinese New Year, he might be able to spend the holiday with his brother.
Because the results of the third exam have not yet been released, Lu Yao's reputation has not yet been fully established, and not many people have noticed him.
With the secret guards sent by Qin Xiao, plus Qin Chuan leaving two more people behind, Lu Yao was safe.
So Chu Jiubian granted Qin Chuan's request and allowed him to go to the capital to see Qin Xiao.
After that, Chu Jiubian left the Divine Realm and inevitably awoke.
He opened his eyes. It was still dark outside, and it looked like it had snowed. The howling wind made it even colder, but Chu Jiubian felt his cheeks burning hot, as if his whole body was on fire.
It wasn't because the room was hot, but because he realized that he had almost completely pressed himself against Qin Xiao without even realizing it!
He held the man's arm with one hand and placed the other hand on the man's chest.
The hand thoughtfully avoided the wounded half, only touching the half of the pectoral muscle closest to it.
The man's warm body soothed his hands, but it startled him so much that he instantly shook off his sleepiness.
He closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.
Then she slowly withdrew her hand, turned around, curled up with her back to the bed, and buried her face in the blanket.
Behind him, a man curled his lips into a smile in the darkness.
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