Chapter 20
With Xiao Qiyun's departure, the heavy pressure in the room seemed to dissipate somewhat, but Su Zhelan's heart remained heavy, as if a huge rock was pressing down on it.
Sheng Xuan looked at Su Zhelan, a barely perceptible smug smile playing on his lips. This was exactly the effect he wanted—since morning, Su Zhelan's attention had been completely consumed by her guilt towards Xiao Qiyun, and now was the perfect opportunity for him to further turn the tide. He slowly poured himself a glass of water, but didn't drink it. Instead, he rubbed the glass with his fingers, making a soft sound that broke the silence. His voice was deliberately relaxed, even carrying a hint of "concern":
"Alright, everyone's gone, stop standing there like an idiot." Sheng Xuan turned to look at Su Zhelan, who was still looking down, and her tone changed, becoming "serious." "Oh, I almost forgot about the important matter. You haven't applied your medicine yet!"
Su Zhelan was pulled back to reality by Sheng Xuan's voice. She raised her head somewhat blankly, her eyes still filled with lingering guilt and confusion.
Sheng Xuan stood up, walked to Su Zhelan's side, and picked up an inconspicuous small porcelain bottle from the nearby cabinet. He shook the bottle, making a slight sloshing sound of the medicine, his face bearing an expression that said, "I'm doing this for your own good."
"You have to follow the doctor's orders to recover quickly, you know?" he said as he unscrewed the bottle cap, and a faint, slightly bitter medicinal smell wafted out.
He leaned closer to Su Zhelan, lowering his voice and hinting at a tacit understanding, "We... won't give ourselves away."
Su Zhelan's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He looked at the medicine bottle Sheng Xuan handed him, then subconsciously raised his hand, his fingertips lightly touching the Gu poison wound below his neck, hidden by his collar, which was throbbing and strangely itchy. The location was too far back, making it very difficult to apply the medicine himself, and... he needed to pull his clothes down below his shoulders to fully expose it.
The thought of having to remove his clothes and expose the back of his neck in front of Sheng Xuan instantly flushed Su Zhelan's cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and resistance. His voice softened further, tinged with obvious awkwardness:
“I…I can do it myself…I should…be able to get there…” He tried to reach for the medicine bottle, his eyes darting away, not daring to look at Sheng Xuan.
Sheng Xuan glanced at Su Zhelan's embarrassed yet feigned composure, a strange glint flashing in his eyes, so quick it was almost imperceptible. Instead of handing her the medicine bottle, he stepped forward, his face plastered with an even more "enthusiastic" and "considerate" smile:
"Oh, don't be so polite with me! Your injury is in such a tricky spot, how are you going to treat it yourself? If you don't apply it evenly and it delays your recovery, that would be a real problem!"
As he spoke, he reached out his hand very naturally, not to hand over the medicine bottle, but to directly support Su Zhelan's arm with an undeniable force, half-pushing and half-helping her towards the bedside.
"Come on, lie down, lie down, it'll be easier this way. I'll help you, I promise it'll be quick and easy!"
Su Zhelan was somewhat bewildered by Sheng Xuan's sudden "enthusiasm" and the strength in his hands, and his body was involuntarily being pulled along. He tried to struggle, but Sheng Xuan's hands were like iron clamps, and he kept muttering things like "Don't delay," "It's for your own good," and "It would be terrible if you were exposed," which completely suppressed his weak resistance.
The slight embarrassment Su Zhelan felt from exposing her body was quickly replaced by a deeper sense of helplessness and a resigned exhaustion, under the constant barrage of "reasoning" from Sheng Xuan, and by her worries about "delaying recovery" and "being exposed."
He was almost forced to sit on the edge of the bed by Sheng Xuan, then silently turned around, his back to Sheng Xuan. His fingers stiffly unbuttoned his shirt, slowly pulling it down below his shoulders, revealing his smooth back and slender neck.
He took a deep breath, leaned over and lay face down on the bed, burying his face in his arms, exposing only the back of his neck and the area above his shoulder blades to the air. He raised his hand and gently brushed the soft strands of hair that had fallen behind his neck to one side, revealing a slightly darker, sunken skin with eerie dark patterns—a wound caused by a type of Gu poison. The wound stood out starkly against his fair skin.
"..." Su Zhelan's muffled voice came from her arms, carrying a resigned weariness and a faint detachment, "...Thank you for your trouble."
However, Sheng Xuan did not make a move immediately.
As Su Zhelan silently removed her shirt, revealing her smooth back and vulnerable nape, and then obediently lay down, brushing aside her hair to expose her wounds, Sheng Xuan's gaze was fixed on that suddenly exposed skin, as if nailed to it.
His "enthusiastic" smile froze, a hint of undisguised amazement and a deeper, darker possessiveness flashed in his eyes, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
It wasn't until Su Zhelan's muffled "Thank you for your trouble" came that Sheng Xuan suddenly jolted awake, as if from some kind of dream. He quickly composed himself, putting on his "helpful" mask again, but a trace of lingering heat remained deep in his eyes.
"Cough... It's nothing, it's nothing, it's what I should do." Sheng Xuan cleared his throat, covering up his earlier lapse in composure, his voice slightly lower than before. He picked up the medicine bottle, poured the cool liquid onto his fingertips, and when his gaze fell on the Gu poison wound again, it was with a deliberate focus, as if his earlier lapse in concentration had never happened.
He bent down, his fingers, still wet with medicine, slowly and with an almost scrutinizing air, pressed against the vulnerable and hidden wound on the back of Su Zhelan's neck.
The cool touch, combined with the warmth of Sheng Xuan's fingertips and that seemingly indistinct yet aggressive gaze, instantly tensed Su Zhelan's body as he lay on the bed, every inch of his exposed skin trembling slightly. He closed his eyes tightly and buried his face even deeper into his arms.
The cool medicinal liquid, mixed with the warmth of Sheng Xuan's fingertips, slowly melted on the delicate Gu poison wound. Sheng Xuan's fingers, with a deliberate, slow force, circled and massaged Su Zhelan's nape, euphemistically calling it "allowing the medicine to penetrate."
His gaze was no longer scrutinizing and aggressive, but rather filled with an undisguised infatuation and intoxication, lingering on Su Zhelan's smooth back and that fragile nape of her neck, as if admiring a rare treasure.
Su Zhelan could clearly feel the burning gaze, which made him extremely uncomfortable, filled with strong feelings of repulsion and shame. He closed his eyes tightly, buried his face deeper into his arms, and just wanted it to end quickly.
"All done." Sheng Xuan's voice sounded behind him, carrying a satisfied sigh, as if he had finally gotten what he longed for. He straightened up and carefully screwed the cap off the medicine bottle.
Su Zhelan immediately tried to pull her clothes up to block the view.
"Don't rush." Sheng Xuan's voice was a little unnaturally cheerful as he stopped him. "I just applied the medicine. Let it air out for a while so it doesn't get on your clothes and reduce its effectiveness." The reason sounded reasonable, but Su Zhelan felt that Sheng Xuan's shifty gaze, which kept glancing at her back, was a little too eager.
He paused in pulling at his clothes, but ultimately didn't move, continuing to lie there, feeling a little helpless and slightly embarrassed.
He knew that Sheng Xuan had been a little upset lately because he had been getting close to Xiao Qiyun.
Sheng Xuan turned and walked to the table to pour water. With his back to Su Zhelan, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of smugness and barely perceptible tension showing on his face. He picked up the porcelain bottle containing the dark brown pill, poured out one, and then carried the water glass and the pill back, his steps lighter than usual.
“Come here, Zhelan,” Sheng Xuan said, trying to keep his voice gentle, but a careful listener could detect a hint of deliberate softness. He handed the water glass and pills to Su Zhelan.
"Eat this, it'll calm you down. You didn't sleep well last night, and today... cough, anyway, you're quite tired. Eat this and get a good night's sleep to rejuvenate." His gaze fell on Su Zhelan's profile, filled with genuine concern.
Su Zhelan looked at the familiar calming pill, and felt Sheng Xuan's overly focused, expectant gaze. He was indeed very tired, both physically and mentally exhausted, and... Sheng Xuan's clumsy attempts to make amends and his jealous expression had somewhat dissipated the annoyance he felt towards Sheng Xuan's previous tough attitude, leaving only helplessness. Oh well, let him be.
He straightened up slightly, still with his back to Sheng Xuan, and reached out to take the water glass and pills. This time he didn't deliberately avoid them; his fingertips briefly touched Sheng Xuan's slightly warm fingers.
Su Zhelan didn't pay attention and swallowed the pill and water. The familiar bitter taste spread in her mouth.
Sheng Xuan watched Su Zhelan drink the medicine, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards. He felt as if he had completed an important task and was one step closer to Su Zhelan. He took the empty cup and put it back on the table, then picked up the glass bottle containing the clear eye drops and a thin jade stick.
“And the eyes,” Sheng Xuan’s voice was much more natural as he moved closer to the bedside again. “These also need to be taken on time; we can’t be lazy.”
Su Zhelan resignedly turned his head to the side, turning his right eye toward Sheng Xuan, keeping it closed. His long eyelashes trembled slightly in anticipation of the coolness of the medicine.
Sheng Xuan dipped a jade stick into the medicine, his movements careful, even clumsy, yet earnest. He leaned down, staring intently at Su Zhelan's tightly closed eyelids, as if performing a precise operation.
He held his breath, carefully pried open her eyelids, and applied the cool medicine to Su Zhelan's eyelids. Perhaps because he was too nervous, or because he was too close, his hand holding the jade stick trembled almost imperceptibly, and the tip of the jade stick gently grazed the base of Su Zhelan's eyelashes.
"Ah!" Su Zhelan gasped softly involuntarily at the unexpected touch and slight tickle. Her eyelids twitched, and her right eye reflexively opened a crack. She looked at Sheng Xuan's face, which was so close to hers, with a confused yet accusatory expression.
When Sheng Xuan was startled by Su Zhelan's sudden opening of her eyes, he blushed instantly! He straightened up abruptly as if he had been scalded, hurriedly retracting the jade rod, his eyes darting around in a panic, and he stammered an explanation.
"I'm sorry! I... I didn't mean to! My hand... my hand slipped! I didn't hurt you, did I?" His earlier smugness and smugness vanished, replaced by embarrassment and worry, as if he had been caught red-handed. The tips of his ears turned bright red.
Seeing Sheng Xuan's flustered and flushed face, Su Zhelan's slight displeasure from the accidental touch vanished, replaced by amusement. He closed his eyes again, his voice tinged with weary helplessness and a barely audible laugh.
"...It's okay. You can continue, just be gentle."
Sheng Xuan felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly took a deep breath and tried to calm his wildly beating heart. This time he was even more careful, his movements were as gentle as could be, and he finally managed to apply the medicine without any further mishaps.
"Okay, okay!" Sheng Xuan's voice was still a little unsteady. He cleared his throat. "Now... you should get some rest." He looked at Su Zhelan's tired profile, and the concern in his tone was genuine. "Get some sleep and don't think too much."
The sedative took effect at just the right time, and a heavy drowsiness enveloped Su Zhelan. He mumbled an "Mmm," and his consciousness began to blur.
Sheng Xuan watched as Su Zhelan's breathing gradually became steady and he fell asleep. The blush on his face hadn't completely faded yet. Looking at Su Zhelan's peaceful sleeping face, his eyes softened and became focused, filled with a pure, youthful admiration. He gently pulled Su Zhelan's clothes back up to his shoulders, his movements tender, as if afraid of waking him.
After doing all this, Sheng Xuan stood by the bed for a while before tiptoeing to the table. He picked up the small porcelain bottle containing the tranquilizer, unconsciously rubbing and playing with it in his hands for a few moments, a slightly silly yet satisfied smile on his face, before putting it back in its place.
Only Su Zhelan's steady breathing and the occasional birdsong from outside the window remained in the room. Sheng Xuan didn't leave. He dragged over the sturdy stool from the table and sat down silently, without making a sound. He didn't look at Su Zhelan on the bed again, but turned slightly to the side, gazing absently out the window. He unconsciously drew circles on his knees with his fingertips until—
With a soft creak, the door was gently pushed open from the outside. Xiao Qiyun, dressed in a light bamboo-green cotton robe, walked in, looking refreshing and gentle.
The sight of this outfit caught Sheng Xuan's eye from the window, and it made his heart skip a beat.
Bamboo green? Sheng Xuan's gaze lingered on Xiao Qiyun's lapel for a moment, her mind quickly flashing to Su Zhelan's matching outer robe. Tsk, even copying Su Zhelan's clothing color? This guy… his little scheme is quite obvious!
Sheng Xuan couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly, that familiar, subtle bittersweet feeling bubbling up again. He pursed his lips, quickly shifting his gaze from Xiao Qiyun and fixing it firmly on Su Zhelan's sleeping face once more.
Xiao Qiyun's gaze immediately fell on Su Zhelan, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. Seeing that Su Zhelan was breathing steadily and sleeping soundly, he visibly breathed a sigh of relief, and a look of relief appeared on his face. He very carefully closed the door behind him, without making a sound.
Only then did he tiptoe to Sheng Xuan's side, lean slightly forward, and whisper in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I just went out and found a slightly nicer inn."
Sheng Xuan's ears twitched almost imperceptibly, but he still stubbornly stared at Su Zhelan, not giving Xiao Qiyun a proper look. He just hummed in response, as if he had heard her.
Xiao Qiyun didn't mind his cold reaction and continued to make arrangements: "Once Zhelan wakes up and feels better, we'll pack up, have lunch first, and then move over."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over his arm, still strapped to his wrist, then looking at the sleeping Su Zhelan on the bed. His tone was reassuring and reassuring: "After another good night's rest, my arm should be able to move again, and Su Zhelan should be almost fully recovered. That way, we can set off back to the manor first thing tomorrow morning." He lowered his voice even further at the last sentence, with an undeniable sense of security: "So that the one in the manor... won't worry."
Silence fell in the room again, broken only by Su Zhelan's even breathing.
Xiao Qiyun didn't seem to mind Sheng Xuan's awkwardness. He gently dragged over a stool and sat down quietly a little away from the bed and near the table, his posture calm and patient as he waited for Su Zhelan to wake up naturally.
In the afternoon sunlight, the two boys each had their own thoughts. One anxiously guarded the present moment, while the other calmly planned for tomorrow, together protecting the brief peace of the person on the bed.
Time flowed by in silence.
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