Chapter 15
Sheng Xuan pushed the wheelchair forward quickly and opened the creaking wooden door. A smell of old wood mixed with a faint musty odor wafted out. Behind the counter, an elderly shopkeeper with gray hair, who had been dozing, was startled awake and looked somewhat bewildered at the three disheveled customers who had barged in late at night.
"Shopkeeper, are there any rooms available? We need two." Sheng Xuan's voice was urgent as his gaze quickly swept over the small, simple hall.
The old shopkeeper rubbed his sleepy eyes, slowly shook his head, and said in a drowsy voice, "Sir, don't you know what day it is today? It's a temple fair! Everywhere in and around the city, wherever people can stay, is already packed! My shop... well, we only have one room left at the very back, and it's a small one." He pointed to the end of a narrow, dimly lit corridor behind him.
Sheng Xuan's heart sank. A room? Or a small room? This was so different from what he had expected. He subconsciously glanced at Su Zhelan in the wheelchair and Xiao Qiyun, whose face looked unwell.
Su Zhelan seemed to stiffen slightly when she heard "one room." Xiao Qiyun, on the other hand, showed no expression, only a slight frown, clearly also finding it less than ideal.
But for now, he had no other choice. Su Zhelan needed quiet rest, Xiao Qiyun's wounds needed treatment, and he himself needed to calm down and think of a solution. This remote and quiet place was at least safe for the time being.
"Okay, this is it! We'll take it!" Sheng Xuan made a decisive decision, took out his purse, paid the room fee, and said in a tone that left no room for argument. Having a place to stay is better than sleeping on the streets, especially under these circumstances.
After receiving the money, the old shopkeeper slowly pulled out a brass key and pointed to the corridor: "The one at the very back, the door is a bit stiff, push it a little harder."
Sheng Xuan took the keys, pushed Su Zhelan's wheelchair, and Xiao Qiyun followed silently behind.
The three walked down the narrow, dimly lit, damp corridor to the closed door at the end. The key turned with a stiff, clunking sound as it went into the lock.
The door was pushed open, and a thicker, stagnant, stuffy smell rushed out.
The room was indeed very small, barely enough for a narrow bed, an old table, and two chairs; even a wheelchair would feel cramped inside. The only source of light was an oil lamp on the table, its glow dim and flickering.
Sheng Xuan quickly glanced at the simple environment, his brows furrowed, but he couldn't care less about that at the moment.
He immediately pushed the wheelchair to the bedside, bent down and carefully picked up Su Zhelan, who was curled up in the wheelchair and still trembling slightly.
Su Zhelan's body was cold and stiff, and she let out a suppressed groan when she touched the bed.
Sheng Xuan felt a prickling sensation in her heart, and her movements became even gentler. She quickly pulled over the thin blanket on the bed, which looked relatively clean but was damp, and wrapped Su Zhelan up tightly.
"Ze Lan, bear with it, we'll think of something right away." Sheng Xuan's voice was low, carrying a reassuring tone that he himself didn't even realize. He turned to look at Xiao Qiyun.
Xiao Qiyun leaned against the wall by the door, his face even paler than before, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. The anesthetic was continuing to spread; although the wound on his left arm wasn't deep, the area affected by the anesthetic was experiencing a strange sensation of numbness and tingling.
With his uninjured right hand, he slowly but deftly tore open the sleeve near the wound on his left arm, revealing the slightly blackened cut made by a numbed dagger. He carried emergency hemostatic powder and clean strips of cloth with him, and was gritting his teeth, preparing to treat it himself.
“Shengxuan,” Xiao Qiyun’s voice was noticeably tired and hoarse, but his thoughts were exceptionally clear, “My injury… the anesthetic is a bit troublesome, it requires a special antidote. Su Zhelan’s condition… is worse, he needs medicine to suppress the Gu poison, as well as calming medicine.” He looked up, his gaze sharp as he looked at Shengxuan, “You’re fast, you must go back to the manor immediately and get the medicine.”
Sheng Xuan immediately nodded: "Okay! I'll go right away!" He did not hesitate at all, as Su Zhelan's pain and Xiao Qiyun's injuries were urgent.
Xiao Qiyun quickly added, speaking rapidly: "When we get back, if anyone asks, just say the three of us had a great time and wandered off. Su Zhelan was also tired, so we found a clean hotel near the temple fair to stay in and planned to explore for a couple more days. There are lots of interesting things at the temple fair, so it's perfectly reasonable to stay a few more days. Remember, only mention that you rested at the hotel, don't mention the injury or the attack! Just say that Zhelan was just a little tired."
"Understood!" Sheng Xuan immediately understood Xiao Qiyun's meaning. Although the excuse was simple, it was indeed common during temple fairs and should be able to temporarily get by, avoiding excessive attention and questioning from Mr. Su Yan or others. "I'll be right back!"
He turned to leave, but his gaze swept over Su Zhelan, who was wrapped in a thin blanket on the bed, her face pale and her breathing rapid, then fell on Xiao Qiyun, who was leaning against the wall, struggling to treat his wounds. He paused, his eyes filled with worry and unease. "Xiao Qiyun, you..."
Xiao Qiyun interrupted him, her tone firm and unwavering: "I'm fine, it's just anesthesia, I won't die. I can take care of my wound myself. You should leave now!"
As he spoke, he applied the hemostatic powder to the wound, his movements stiffened by the anesthetic but still precise. "Keep an eye on Ze Lan, don't let him... suffer too much." He glanced at the figure curled up on the bed, his voice lowering.
Sheng Xuan nodded heavily, swallowing back the words "Wait for me to come back." He knew that every second was precious. He took one last deep look at Su Zhelan, who was in pain on the bed, and Xiao Qiyun, who was trying to hold on, then turned around abruptly and rushed out of the small, oppressive room like a gust of wind. His footsteps quickly disappeared at the end of the dimly lit corridor.
In the room, only the dim yellow light of the oil lamp flickered, illuminating Xiao Qiyun's pale yet resolute profile, and the frail figure on the bed, trembling slightly under the thin blanket, enduring inhuman pain.
The air was filled with a musty, damp smell, mixed with a faint stench of blood and the scent of the hemostatic powder that Xiao Qiyun had just applied, as well as the faint, unsettling lingering scent of the medicinal ingredients on Su Zhelan's body.
Sheng Xuan practically ran back to the general's mansion. It was already late at night, and the gates were tightly shut. He didn't bother to knock, but instead climbed over the wall and entered. The sound of the wind he made when he landed alerted the guards on night duty.
"Who?!" Several cold glints instantly pointed at him.
"It's me! Sheng Xuan!" Sheng Xuan gasped for breath, wiping the sweat from his face. Without bothering to explain, he rushed straight towards Mr. Su Yan's study, where he handled official business. The guards recognized him and, though surprised, sheathed their weapons.
The study was brightly lit. Sheng Xuan suddenly pushed open the door, bringing in a cool night breeze.
"You bastard! Who told you to..." Su Yan, who was frowning as he studied medical texts behind his desk, was startled and looked up to reprimand him, but stopped when he saw Sheng Xuan's appearance. Sheng Xuan was covered in sweat, his clothes were disheveled, and his face still showed lingering anxiety and a hint of barely perceptible fatigue. More importantly—he was all alone!
Mr. Su Yan stood up abruptly, his face instantly turning ashen, his voice rising sharply with thunderous fury: "Why are you alone?! Where's Zhelan?! Where are the others?!" He strode around the desk, his tall figure looming over Sheng Xuan with an overwhelming sense of oppression, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if trying to pierce through Sheng Xuan. "Speak! What happened?!"
Sheng Xuan's heart pounded in his chest. Mr. Su Yan's almost murderous gaze sent chills down his spine, but he kept Xiao Qiyun's instructions firmly in mind. He forced himself to steady his breathing, trying to make his voice sound natural, even carrying a hint of annoyance and exhaustion from "going too far."
"Replying to Mr. Su, it's alright! We... the three of us were having too much fun. The temple fair was so big that we wandered off without realizing it. Su Zhelan... he's a bit tired and not feeling well, and Xiao Qiyun is with him too. I saw that it was getting late and Zhelan wasn't feeling well, so... I thought we shouldn't go on like this. We found a clean hotel near the temple fair to stay in for the time being, and planned to explore for another two days. Anyway, there are plenty of interesting things to see at the temple fair."
He spoke quickly, trying to imitate the way a young person feels guilty yet tries to remain calm after being playful, emphasizing the words "clean hotel," "Su Zhelan is just tired," and "let's wander around for two more days."
"Tired?" Su Yan's voice was as cold as ice, clearly disbelieving. "Don't you know his physical condition?! You still dared to stay out overnight?! And even went out for two days?! Sheng Xuan, you've got some nerve?!" He slammed his hand on the rosewood table next to him, making a loud "bang" that made the pen holder on the table jump.
Just then, the side door of the study was pushed open, and Mr. Gu Linzhao walked in carrying a teacup, clearly disturbed by the commotion. He glanced at the tense scene, then at Sheng Xuan's "innocent" and "anxious" face, and immediately put on his usual gentle smile, stepping forward to smooth things over.
"Oh, Ayan, calm down, calm down! Kids are just kids, it's normal for them to have a blast after a rare outing." He turned to Shengxuan, his tone soothing, "Shengxuan, is Zhelan really just tired? Nothing else, right?"
Sheng Xuan nodded quickly, continuing along with Mr. Gu Linzhao's words, "Really! Mr. Gu! It's just that there are too many people and it's too noisy. Su Zhelan is a little dizzy and wants to rest. Xiao Qiyun said the hotel is quite clean and the environment is quiet, so Su Zhelan should get a good night's sleep and be fine. We were thinking... that since the temple fair is a rare event, we'll stay a couple more days before coming back." He added at the right time, "Oh, right, Xiao Qiyun asked me to come back and get some medicine, the calming pills Su Zhelan usually takes, and... and Xiao Qiyun said he's been a little feverish these past few days, with a sore throat, so he needs some medicine to clear the heat."
Gu Linzhao immediately nodded and smiled at Su Yan, "See, I told you, it's alright! The kids are quite thoughtful. They knew Zhelan wasn't feeling well and needed medicine, and they even sent Shengxuan back to let her know she was safe. Young people like to play, let them be. It's good for them to relax a bit."
"You don't know anything!" Mr. Su Yan suddenly turned around and launched into a tirade against Mr. Gu Linzhao, spitting almost onto his face. "You brainless idiot! You believe everything he says?! Is Zhelan in her current condition capable of spending the night outside?! And even going out for two days?! Can you take responsibility if something happens?! I think you're just too lenient with them!"
Mr. Gu Linzhao shrank back after being scolded, his smile faltering, but he still tried to explain in a low voice, "Well... Sheng Xuan is back now, and it doesn't seem like anything serious..."
"Get out of the way! You're in my way!" Mr. Su Yan waved his hand irritably, as if shooing away a fly. His chest heaved violently, clearly very angry, but Sheng Xuan's explanation and Gu Linzhao's "evidence" seemed to leave him with no obvious flaws. His gloomy gaze was fixed on Sheng Xuan again, filled with scrutiny and extreme distrust.
Sheng Xuan's heart was in her throat, her palms were sweating profusely, but she could only force a calm expression, even feigning a sense of grievance and urgency: "Mr. Su, Zhe Lan is really just tired! The medicine... the medicine needs to be sent over quickly, otherwise he won't be able to sleep well tonight..."
Mr. Su Yan stared intently at Sheng Xuan for a few seconds, his gaze seeming to want to peel his skin off and dismember him.
Finally, he let out a heavy "humph," as if forcibly suppressing his anger, turned around and walked to a locked medicine cabinet, roughly opened it, quickly grabbed a few medicine bottles and packets, and threw them on the table without even looking at them.
"Take it! Go now!" He had his back to Sheng Xuan, his voice filled with suppressed rage and extreme impatience. "Soothing pills! Heat-clearing medicine! And wound medicine and bandages! Get them all! If Su Zhelan loses a single hair, I'll skin you alive! Don't get in my way!"
Those items were exactly what Sheng Xuan needed most! Sheng Xuan was overjoyed, but dared not show it on his face. He immediately stepped forward, grabbed the medicine packet and bottle on the table, and held them tightly in his hand, as if he had grasped a lifeline.
"Yes, Su Yan! I'll go back right away!" Sheng Xuan didn't dare to linger for a moment, afraid that Mr. Su Yan would change his mind. He quickly bowed and rushed out.
"Stop!" Mr. Su Yan's icy voice rang out again.
Shengxuan's footsteps suddenly stopped at the door, and her heart sank to the bottom.
Mr. Su Yan's voice came from behind, carrying a chilling aura, "Keep a close eye on them! If anything goes wrong, I'll make you both know what it means to wish you were dead!"
"Yes!" Sheng Xuan didn't dare turn around, answered, and rushed out of the study almost as if fleeing, leaving Su Yan's suffocating anger and Gu Linzhao's helpless gaze behind. The night wind rushed in, carrying a hint of coolness, but it couldn't dispel the heaviness and lingering fear in his heart.
He gripped the medicine packet tightly and sprinted again toward the deserted inn on the outskirts of the city. Time was running out!
He rushed back to the remote hotel as fast as he could, not even bothering to disturb the old innkeeper who was dozing behind the counter. He dashed up to the second floor like a gust of wind and slammed open the stiffly hinged door.
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