Chapter 30: Let's apply the medicine and see if you still don't reveal your true colors.
Just as Tie Shou was about to speak, she heard her burst into tears and say, "If you want to give me money, you should think about whether I can keep it! Besides, I have been weak and sickly since I was a child, and I know that I am a person with very little fortune. I was born like this... In this world, rather than be tormented by others, I would rather end it myself."
As Tie Shou looked at her delicately furrowed brows, the sorrow and desolation in her words poured down on him like a torrential downpour.
It's unimaginable how such a frail woman could endure so many injustices and mistreatments from fate.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his palms ached and his heart felt cracked, trying to suppress the urge to stroke her thin back.
He was, after all, a man, and naturally felt a strong urge to protect such a pitiful and stunningly beautiful girl.
And for her, Tie Shou felt an inescapable sense of duty.
This drive does not stem from the familiar righteous indignation and magnanimity, but from a man's deep pity for a woman.
His throat became dry, but he still said firmly, "Don't worry, young lady, I will do everything I can to find you a place to settle down and make a living."
So she raised her tearful eyes, which were filled with the sorrow of autumn, and said with a touch of tenderness, "Brother Tie...you've been so good to me."
That one glance, those one words, made Iron Hand's body go weak.
She suddenly leaned her head gently against his strong arm, revealing a small section of her delicate, fair neck, with wisps of subtle fragrance rising up, tempting one to pluck it.
Iron Hand's entire body was stiff, and the places where she had rested her head were completely numb.
Just as his heart was pounding, he heard her say softly, "After my parents and brothers passed away, you are the only person who has ever been kind to me."
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and soaked his clothes.
Iron Hand's bright eyes instantly filled with tenderness and reluctance.
He was used to the saying that women are made of water, but he only now realized the power of that water.
Even the fiercest and most ruthless man in the world, upon seeing her pitiful tear, would likely become the most sentimental flower lover in Luoyang.
He steadied his breathing, suppressing the thoughts swirling in his mind, and said with all his might, "It is the duty of a constable to serve the people. Your injury shouldn't be left untreated for long. Shall I... apply the medicine for you?"
Iron Hand swore that he had absolutely no lewd intentions when he said those words.
Because the girl's sword wounds were mostly concentrated on her back and arms, and she was so weak, she was unable to apply the medicine herself.
When he said this, he had already considered himself a pharmacist, not just a constable.
But the girl's cheeks were flushed with rouge, and her eyes held a hint of intoxication as she gently bit her lip, hesitant to speak.
Seeing her like this, Tie Shou felt as if he had drunk a jar of aged liquor. Suddenly, a drunken feeling rose in his heart, and he slurred and explained incoherently, "I... I have no ulterior motives. I will try my best not to look and I will never be frivolous."
Xuexin sighed inwardly. This big oaf, doesn't he even know how to say polite things? He says he'll try not to look, but can't he say "I will never look"?
When applying medicine, it's impossible to ignore it completely; otherwise, wouldn't the medicine just be scattered everywhere?
Iron Hand could not possibly utter such a high-sounding lie; he needed to be even more cautious when dealing with such a delicate young lady.
Iron Hand was both worried and nervous at this moment, fearing that she would be too bound by custom and harm her health.
The girl was so pale and weak, her wounds exposed, and the temple was filled with countless specks of dust. Only half of the temple roof remained, and damp air and muddy rainwater seeped in. She shivered in the cold wind, looking utterly pitiful.
How could she possibly endure this cold, damp, rainy night like this?
Fortunately, after waiting for a long time, the girl finally lowered her head as if she couldn't bear the cold wind and rain, and said with a soft and shy look in her eyes, "I...I believe in Brother Tie."
Iron Hand's heart was filled with ripples of emotion. He gripped the medicine bottle tightly, suddenly unable to look at her any longer, and simply said, "I'll move that table over here."
Xue Xin paused, glancing at his retreating figure with a slight upward tilt of his head. This was a solid stone table weighing over a thousand pounds; how was he going to move it?
Her slightly sarcastic gaze quickly faded.
This strong and handsome young man lifted the stone table weighing over a thousand pounds as easily as picking up a pen or plucking a flower!
As Iron Hand turned around slightly, he met the gaze of the frail girl, which was filled with admiration and amazement.
In the past, because of his nickname as one of the Four Great Detectives, wherever he went to investigate cases, people would always look at him like that when he revealed his identity.
He was used to being composed, but now, faced with his owner's tearful eyes, he felt shy and embarrassed.
He gently placed the stone table in front of her, pausing for a moment as if he were having some difficulty with it.
The reason he moved the stone table—
One reason was that it was raining heavily at the time, and the temple roof had a large hole. They were staying under the other half of the eaves, and although they weren't soaked to the bone, the rainwater mixed with dirt was gradually soaking their shoes and socks.
Secondly, he was tall and robust, while the girl was slender and petite. He could easily cover her completely, even if there were two of them.
He couldn't very well hunch over the girl's back; with the height of this stone table, he could teach her to be as natural as possible, even if it was just a little bit.
Seeing that the stone table was also covered with a thick layer of dust, Tie Shou took off his khaki outer robe and spread it on the table.
Tie Youxia was indeed an extremely considerate and upright gentleman, but Xuexin deliberately wanted to prevent him from being a gentleman!
Tie Shou straightened the table, and as soon as he raised his head to look at Xue Xin, he lowered his head as if he had been burned.
Fortunately, at that moment, he thought of something worth doing, and immediately began to frantically tear strips of cloth from his undergarments.
His hands were almost out of his control, because once she turned her back, her tattered dress, torn by the sword light, could barely cover anything!
And he panicked like this.
Her fair and delicate body lingered in his mind, and Iron Hand felt an urge to punch himself right then and there, because besides feeling pity, he couldn't help but wonder why this girl wasn't wearing a heart-shaped garment...
His body was so tense it resembled a rock about to crumble, and his ears were burning.
How could he think of such a thing?
Just as he was mired in self-reproach, he heard that delicate voice softly plead, "Brother Tie, could you turn your back first, and then turn around with your eyes closed when I call you?"
Iron Hand was filled with guilt and remorse, so he was naturally unwilling. He wished he could turn around and never turn back.
His mind was in unprecedented chaos, and he couldn't help but despise himself, word by word.
Suddenly, he heard that weak voice calling him again, "Brother Tie, turn around."
Iron Hand, wearing his undergarments, quickly closed his eyes and turned around.
However, after taking only two steps forward, before he could even ask a question, a slender, fragrant body clung tightly to his chest, and a pair of cool, boneless hands quietly placed on his abdomen.
In an instant, the muscles in his waist and abdomen trembled slightly, his heart stopped abruptly, he didn't understand what she meant but was afraid of desecrating her again, and he dared not open his eyes.
"Brother Tie, how can you apply medicine to me if you don't open your eyes to look at me?" This slightly mournful voice sounded like a demon to Tie Shou's ears.
Perhaps it was his own wicked thoughts; perhaps the stone table was too cold for her to lie on; perhaps she was too weak to find any support; perhaps…
Iron Hand tried his best to open his eyes calmly and peacefully, but when he looked down and saw the girl in his arms, he felt like he was on fire, his face and neck turning red, as if someone had set a raging fire on him.
Because this beautiful girl was lying on his chest, her upper body completely naked, with only a white robe sandwiched between their pressed skin as a barrier, the shimmering spring light was like a vivid ink painting, appearing and disappearing.
Iron Hand's head exploded with a deafening roar, as if struck by a raging bolt of lightning.
Although the wounds on her back were not deep, there were quite a few cuts, and her clothes were torn to shreds by the sword energy. It was reasonable for her to take off her clothes and apply medicine, but this posture... was too intimate, really... inappropriate.
Even though his heart was pounding irrationally at that moment, he was still afraid that she would do something he would regret.
However, he heard her say softly, "Brother Tie is an official; he's just undressing and applying medicine. If I say I believe you, then I will believe you completely. Are you afraid... that you might be presumptuous with me?"
Iron Hand clenched his iron fists, and could only tell himself, blushing, that all he needed to do was watch his eyes and his mind.
Her calm demeanor must stem from a pure and untroubled mind, while his thoughts had already strayed to the other side, making him utterly ashamed to face her trust.
His hands, which could lift ten thousand pounds of copper and iron as if they were solid as a rock, trembled as he picked up a medicine bottle.
In the desolate wilderness, one can only use one's fingers to carefully apply the ointment.
As Tie Shou bent down, the soft white cloth on his chest made a soft rustling sound.
What's worse, because she wasn't wearing a bra, the muscles on his chest were separated from her softness by only two thin layers of summer clothing, and he could almost clearly feel every undulation of her body.
Her cool yet fragrant breath landed on his neck.
His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily at the aroma, and he couldn't help but swallow. His long arms wrapped around her body, and his trembling, burning fingers carefully approached the bloodstain on her shoulder blade.
This posture is no different from embracing her and holding her tightly in one's arms.
The white cream had barely been applied to her wound when she cried out in pain, her voice trembling with sobs, "Brother Tie, you've hurt me so much."
Upon hearing her cry of pain, Tie Shou felt a pang of sympathy and guilt, and said, "It's my fault for not paying attention."
He wished these wounds were on his own body!
Perhaps because of the pain, she suddenly couldn't bear it and hugged his strong waist tightly, looking both delicate and pitiful, and breathed and trembled in his ear, saying, "Brother Tie, you should be gentle with me."
The cool, transparent air blew into my heart through my ear canal, but instead of extinguishing the fire, it spread the heat in my chest to my limbs and bones.
Iron Hand's skin was a healthy bronze, just like him, full of life like a tree or the earth. However, even though his skin wasn't fair, his flushed face was impossible to hide.
Because of this flirtatious remark, Xuexin, whose body was already burning hot, secretly raised the corners of her mouth and buried her face in the crook of his neck.
Tie Youxia, let's see if you still won't reveal your true colors?
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