Chapter 17
Under the dim light of an oil lamp, Xiao Qiyun sat sideways beside Su Zhelan's bed.
The thin blanket covering Su Zhelan was lifted slightly. In order to apply medicine to Su Zhelan's right leg, Xiao Qiyun carefully rolled up the trouser leg of Su Zhelan's right leg to the thigh, revealing the boy's pale and slender calf and thigh. Xiao Qiyun was gently applying the ointment to the wound on Su Zhelan's leg with his fingers.
Clearly, during the time Sheng Xuan was away, the antidote had restored much of Xiao Qiyun's mobility. He probably felt that Su Zhelan's injuries also needed to be treated promptly, so he took matters into his own hands.
After treating Su Zhelan's right leg, Xiao Qiyun's gaze shifted to the back of her neck. The gauze covering the wound needed to be changed.
He took a deep breath, carefully turned Su Zhelan over, untied the ribbons of her clothes at the back of her neck, and pulled her collar back to reveal the entire back of her neck and a small patch of skin on her shoulders and back.
The thin shoulder blades were clearly visible beneath the skin, making them appear even more fragile. Xiao Qiyun gently lifted the gauze covering the wound on the back of Su Zhelan's neck, exposing the gruesome wound to the air, its edges still stained with undried blood and medicinal powder. He applied the ointment again and moved his fingers even more carefully toward the wound on the back of Su Zhelan's neck.
Just then, Sheng Xuan walked in carrying a bucket of water and happened to see Xiao Qiyun bending down, his fingers about to touch the wound on the back of Su Zhelan's neck.
"Hiss... um..." Su Zhelan seemed to be awakened by the irritation of the ointment and the pain from the pressure, or perhaps he had never truly been asleep. He unconsciously furrowed his brow, his body twitched slightly, and he let out a muffled, painful groan, "...Your Highness... be gentle... it hurts..."
Xiao Qiyun froze immediately, his fingers hovering in mid-air. Looking at Su Zhelan's pained expression, he pursed his lips, his eyes filled with complex emotions, seemingly at a loss, yet also carrying a hint of barely perceptible heartache.
He had just treated Su Zhelan's right leg first, following the same order in which Su Yan had applied medicine to Su Zhelan. The procedure went relatively smoothly, but the wound on the back of her neck, which was close to a vital spot, was obviously more sensitive and painful.
Just then, Sheng Xuan walked in carrying a bucket of water and happened to witness this scene.
Sheng Xuan's gaze swept over Su Zhelan's bare upper body, the wound on the back of her neck, Xiao Qiyun's frozen fingers, and Su Zhelan's pained expression, and he instantly understood what had happened. He put down the bucket with a dull thud, breaking the tense atmosphere in the room.
"Oh," Sheng Xuan's voice was a little tired and hoarse, but more so teasing. He deliberately dragged out the tone, his gaze falling on Xiao Qiyun's left arm, which was still bandaged. "Your Highness, this is... your hand is injured. You didn't apply the medicine properly and hurt our Zhelan?"
He stepped forward, his tone relaxed but clearly mocking, "Let me do it. I'm good at serving people."
Xiao Qiyun abruptly looked up at Sheng Xuan, his eyes instantly sharpening, filled with embarrassment at having his thoughts exposed and a hint of warning. He had indeed had a fleeting thought: rather than letting this carefree Sheng Xuan undress and apply medicine to Su Zhelan, seeing her so vulnerable, he'd rather do it himself. Now that Sheng Xuan had pointed it out, it inexplicably irritated him.
"You're no better than me, yet you criticize me." Xiao Qiyun's voice was cold and hard, carrying a sense of keeping people at arm's length, but he stopped what he was doing, as if he was worried that he might not be able to control his strength and hurt Su Zhelan again.
Sheng Xuan ignored him and went straight to the bedside. She took the box of ointment from Xiao Qiyun's hand and then picked up a clean cloth from the side, soaked it in the hot water bucket that Sheng Xuan had just brought back, and wrung it out.
The warm, humid air diffused a hint of warmth into the cold room.
"Alright, the wounded should sit down and rest." Sheng Xuan's tone left no room for argument. He skillfully used a warm, damp cloth to gently wipe away the blood and sweat around Su Zhelan's neck wound, his movements much gentler than Xiao Qiyun's earlier.
“This is nothing, I can handle it. It will save you from making the poor little thing cry again.” As he spoke, he carefully avoided the wound and reapplied the medicine to Su Zhelan, his movements swift and meticulous.
However, beneath this outward composure, Shengxuan's heart was far from calm.
When his fingertips touched Su Zhelan's delicate yet cool skin on the back of his neck through the warm, damp cloth, an indescribable electric current instantly surged through his spine, causing his fingers holding the cloth to curl up almost imperceptibly.
He forced himself to focus on the wound, but the slippery touch and the boy's fragile aura seeped into his senses.
Su Zhelan seemed to feel a gentler touch and warm moisture. Her tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and her muffled moans subsided, though her body remained weakly curled up.
"I...I have to wipe it clean, otherwise the medicine won't be effective..." Sheng Xuan found a plausible reason for himself in his mind, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
He took a deep breath and began to carefully wipe the skin around Su Zhelan's neck and the sweat and dust on her thin shoulders and back with a warm, damp cloth.
The cloth slid across the sunken shoulder blades and brushed against the slightly protruding spine. Each movement felt like plucking the strings of Shengxuan's heart, bringing waves of secret excitement and indescribable shyness.
He felt his ears burning, but thankfully the dim light and the soot on his face helped to conceal it.
Watching Sheng Xuan's focused and practiced movements, and then noticing that Su Zhelan seemed to be in less pain, Xiao Qiyun's tense body slowly relaxed. He silently sat back in his chair, his gaze still fixed on Sheng Xuan's actions and Su Zhelan's reactions, a complex mix of emotions surging deep within his eyes.
"My back is almost done... I need to wipe the sweat off my front too, right? Otherwise it'll be sticky and uncomfortable to sleep in..." Sheng Xuan's thoughts were like a wild horse, his gaze involuntarily drifting to Su Zhelan's chest, which was pressed beneath him. As soon as this thought arose, his heart felt as if it had been squeezed hard, beating fast and erratically.
"Ahem," Sheng Xuan cleared his throat, trying to dispel the inappropriate heat, his voice trying to remain steady, "He's sweated a lot, he needs to wipe it off, otherwise he'll easily catch a cold." These words seemed to be spoken to Xiao Qiyun, but even more so to himself.
He put down the ointment, wrung out the warm, damp cloth again, and then—made a gesture that made Xiao Qiyun's brows furrow instantly.
Sheng Xuan carefully, with an almost reverent caution, gently supported Su Zhelan's shoulder with one hand, while the other hand went under Su Zhelan's armpit, trying to turn him over from his prone position.
This action inevitably brought his palm into direct, large-area contact with Su Zhelan's bare, cool upper body skin. The smooth, firm touch was like the finest silk, yet it also carried the lean, bony physique unique to a young man, instantly igniting a flame in Sheng Xuan's fingertips that burned all the way to the depths of his heart.
He felt his breath catch for a moment, and the muscles in his arms stiffened slightly from the tension.
"Ugh..." Su Zhelan unconsciously let out a low moan as she was turned over. Her body went limp and rolled to the side with Sheng Xuan's force, revealing her equally pale chest and abdomen, which were covered with fine cold sweat.
That slender waist, seemingly about to break at any moment, the slightly heaving chest, and the two pale pink nipples on her chest... were exposed unguarded under the dim light, and also caught Sheng Xuan's eye.
Boom! Sheng Xuan felt something explode in his brain, blood rushed to his head, and his cheeks burned intensely.
He almost immediately and frantically looked away, not daring to look for another second, while inwardly cursing himself: What am I thinking! This is saving lives! This is cleaning! This is the heart of a healer! ... But the violent heartbeat and the lingering, slippery sensation on his fingertips clearly revealed the turmoil in his heart.
He forced himself to remain calm and quickly covered Su Zhelan's chest with a warm, damp cloth. His movements were still gentle, but there was a slight, almost imperceptible tremor in them.
He wiped quickly, wanting only to end this sweet yet torturous torture as soon as possible. The cloth swept across his flat stomach, outlining the boy's immature waistline. Each touch made Sheng Xuan's fingertips tingle, and the secret excitement and immense shame in his heart intertwined and surged, almost overwhelming him.
As Xiao Qiyun looked at Sheng Xuan's slightly hurried movements and her slightly flushed profile, as well as Su Zhelan's exposed upper body after being turned over, his gaze became even more profound and complex, and his thin lips pressed into a cold, hard line.
Finally, Sheng Xuan finished the "difficult" cleaning and almost fled as he pulled the thin blanket back up to cover Su Zhelan's body, as if the inner storm he had just experienced had never happened. Only he knew that the skin under his fingertips still seemed to retain that heart-palpitating temperature and touch.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qiyun noticed Sheng Xuan's subtle stiffness, reddened ears, and somewhat hasty attempt to cover herself during the "washing" process, which added an indescribable irritation and... vigilance to his already displeased state.
There was resentment at having his "right to care" taken away, worry about Su Zhelan's condition, and also a hint of... relief that even he himself was unwilling to admit, seeing Su Zhelan being well cared for.
He leaned back in his chair, his injured left arm throbbing, a reminder of the danger he had faced that night and his current helplessness.
Su Zhelan's wounds were all re-treated and bandaged, and the sweat and blood on her face and body were carefully wiped away with a warm, damp cloth. Although her face was still pale, her breathing was much more steady and long, as if she had truly fallen into a deep sleep. Xiao Qiyun's bandages on his left arm were also rearranged, and the bleeding had stopped.
Sheng Xuan quickly used the remaining hot water to wipe his face and hands, washing away the soot and fatigue.
The air in the room seemed a bit fresher, but an unavoidable reality immediately confronted the two of them—this small guest room only had one bed that could barely fit two people.
Sheng Xuan and Xiao Qiyun's gazes fell on the bed almost simultaneously, then quickly shifted away, finally colliding silently in mid-air.
The air suddenly became somewhat still.
“Ahem,” Sheng Xuan broke the silence first, his eyes darting around, but his tone carried a matter-of-fact firmness, “Ze Lan is like this now, he can’t be left alone. I’ll sleep next to him and watch over him, so that if he feels unwell at night or the Gu poison flares up again, I can take care of him immediately.”
As he spoke, he made a move to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Wait." Xiao Qiyun's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable chill. He stood up, his left arm still in a sling, but his upright posture still exuded an imposing aura, blocking Sheng Xuan from the bed.
"You?" He glanced at Sheng Xuan from head to toe, his eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny and a hint of contempt. "You're covered in soot and sweat, and you're so clumsy. What if you roll over in bed at night and accidentally crush him? You'll disturb his rest."
Sheng Xuan was taken aback, feeling a little embarrassed. He retorted with a stiff neck, "I was rough? Who made him groan in pain just now? Besides, am I dirty? I just wiped myself down! I'm better than some wounded soldier, right? You can't even lift your arm properly. How could you handle Su Zhelan needing water or turning over at night?" He deliberately emphasized the word "wounded soldier".
Xiao Qiyun's eyes deepened. He slightly raised his chin, his superior air of nobility and unyielding authority naturally emanating from him: "Precisely because I am wounded,"
He paused deliberately, his sharp gaze fixed on Sheng Xuan. "I need this bed more than anything to rest and recover my strength. Although the injury to my left arm isn't fatal, the blood loss and the effects of the anesthesia are still there. If I don't get enough rest, what will you do if something unexpected happens tomorrow?"
"You..." Sheng Xuan was speechless for a moment. Xiao Qiyun brought up the high-sounding and irrefutable reason of "protecting Su Zhelan," which made him feel uncomfortable. Of course, he knew that Xiao Qiyun's injury required rest, but the thought of Xiao Qiyun and Su Zhelan sharing a bed... made him feel inexplicably choked up, as if he had a wad of wet cotton stuffed inside.
Xiao Qiyun didn't give Sheng Xuan a chance to refute again. His tone softened, but it carried a stronger persuasiveness, and even a hint of imperceptible fatigue: "Besides, you've been running around all night and your physical strength has been greatly depleted. You need to rest and recuperate. Lay some blankets on the ground so you can sleep more soundly. I'll keep an eye on Su Zhelan. I'll know my limits and won't crush him. I'll also be able to keep track of his condition in time."
As he spoke, he subtly shifted to the side, taking up the most advantageous position on the edge of the bed, a posture that clearly declared his dominance.
Looking at Xiao Qiyun's "putting the big picture first" and "being reasonable" demeanor, then at the sleeping, unsuspecting Su Zhelan on the bed, and then at Xiao Qiyun's left arm in a sling that clearly needed rest, Sheng Xuan felt a lump in his throat, unable to spit it out. He knew that if he continued to argue, he would only appear unreasonable and disregard the bigger picture.
"...Fine! You're something else!" Sheng Xuan finally squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, filled with deep resentment and frustration, and glared fiercely at Xiao Qiyun. "Your Highness the Crown Prince is precious, the wounded are the most important! You go to sleep!"
Almost in a fit of pique, she turned around, walked to the corner, roughly tore off the spare thin blanket from the bed, spread it haphazardly on the floor, and then plopped down on it, her back to the bed, radiating an aura of "I'm very unhappy."
Watching Sheng Xuan's sullen back, Xiao Qiyun's lips curled into a barely perceptible, fleeting smile, as if he had won a silent battle. Ignoring Sheng Xuan, he gently lifted a corner of the thin blanket and carefully lay down on Su Zhelan's outer side.
He deliberately left a small gap in the middle, but his body still inevitably got close to the sleeping boy.
The faint scent of medicine emanating from Su Zhelan, along with his own clean and refreshing aura, wafted into Xiao Qiyun's nostrils, causing his heart to skip a beat.
He turned to his side, using his uninjured right arm to loosely encircle Su Zhelan's waist, forming a protective posture. His gaze fell on Su Zhelan's peaceful sleeping face, his eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions, including the relief of having succeeded, as well as deeper emotions that even he himself had not yet explored.
Under the dim light, the two lay side by side on the bed, while Shengxuan, wrapped in a thin blanket, stood on the floor with her back to them, like a dejected lone wolf whose territory had been taken away. Only the soft, heavy breathing of the three remained in the room, along with the lingering, subtle, and tense atmosphere.
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