Chapter 58
The "Cold Water Courtyard" of the General's Mansion is truly deserving of its name. The courtyard is secluded, backed by a shady artificial hill, and rarely sees sunlight throughout the year.
The bluestone ground was damp and chilly, and dark green moss climbed the corners of the walls. There was only one small stone house in the courtyard, with narrow windows fitted with sturdy wooden bars. The door was a heavy hardwood door covered with iron sheets, and two expressionless, heavily armored guards stood guard outside, like two cold stone statues.
Su Zhelan was almost unconscious when she was thrown into the stone house.
The stone house was cold and damp, containing only a hard bed and a dilapidated wooden table. He was roughly placed on the cold bed, and the pain in his heart made him curl up into a ball, his consciousness floating between excruciating pain and cold.
The days at Hanshuiyuan were like being slowly sliced by an ice-cold knife.
Each time he had his blood drawn, the pain and cold combined to wear down his remaining strength.
Sheng Chi appeared precisely every day, with a clear purpose—to collect blood. He never stepped into the cell, but only cast a scrutinizing gaze the moment the cold iron door opened. That gaze was devoid of any extra warmth, as if he were examining a special and dangerous object. After the servant completed the cold procedure of collecting blood, he waved his hand, and the iron door closed heavily, leaving behind a deeper darkness and a bone-chilling cold.
He seemed to have only come to check the quality of the medicinal ingredient. Su Zhelan's fear and despair, in the daily routine, had long since turned into a deep-seated ailment in her heart, even worse than the Gu poison.
After an unknown amount of time, a gentle breeze carrying a familiar, cool fragrance brushed past her nose, and Su Zhelan finally managed to open her eyes from her drowsiness.
Outside the iron gate, separated by the cold fence, stood that pale figure.
Xiao Qiyun stood there quietly, holding a delicate food box and a medicine box in his hands.
Behind him followed a meek and obedient servant, carrying a thick brocade quilt.
Although the two guards remained standing upright, they did not stop Xiao Qiyun's arrival—Sheng Chi's order was "not to approach," but Xiao Qiyun's identity, and the fact that the items in his hands were clearly prepared by Su Yan, made the guards choose to remain silent.
Xiao Qiyun's gaze pierced through the cold iron bars and landed on Su Zhelan, who was curled up on the hard bed, wrapped in a thin old blanket.
The boy's face was even paler than when he left the military camp, his lips were cracked and purple, and he was curled up into a small ball, like a withered leaf about to fall after being ravaged by the cold wind. His eyes, which were once clear but later always carried a sense of wariness or vulnerability, were now empty and numb, as if all the light had been sucked out.
Xiao Qiyun felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly, the pain making it hard for him to breathe. He gestured for the servants to place the brocade quilt and food box at the door, then stepped forward and approached the iron bars.
"Ze Lan." Xiao Qiyun's voice was very soft, with a hint of hoarseness that was barely perceptible, trying to penetrate that cold fence.
Su Zhelan's eyes slowly moved, her gaze focusing on Xiao Qiyun's face. There was no surprise, no joy, not even resentment, only a stagnant silence.
He tugged at the corners of his chapped lips, letting out a very soft, self-deprecating laugh, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping:
"Heh... Your Highness... what brings you here?" He turned his head slightly, avoiding Xiao Qiyun's gaze, his eyes falling on his bandaged wrist, where the stinging pain from the blood draw still lingered. "Have you come to see me, this... monster afflicted with countless Gu poisons? Or have you come to see... the quality of the General's Mansion's newly acquired 'medicinal catalyst'? Whether... it can still be used to extract more blood?"
Every word was like a needle chilled to ice, piercing Xiao Qiyun's heart, and also piercing his own heart, which was already riddled with holes.
He used the harshest language to belittle himself to the dust, as if this would sever all possible concern and cut off the ridiculous, unwarranted hope in his heart.
Xiao Qiyun's brows furrowed deeply, his eyes churning with intense pain and a hint of anger after being stung.
He suddenly reached out and grabbed Su Zhelan's cold wrist! The force was so great that Su Zhelan let out a muffled groan in pain.
"Look at me!" Xiao Qiyun's voice suddenly rose, carrying an uncontrollable, almost out-of-control severity, no longer his usual gentle and aloof tone.
Startled by his sudden action and stern tone, Su Zhelan froze, forced to look up and meet Xiao Qiyun's eyes, which burned with complex flames—anger, heartache, undeniable dominance, and a kind of... a desperate persistence that Su Zhelan had never seen before.
Xiao Qiyun tightened his grip, almost digging his fingertips into the flesh of Su Zhelan's wrist, but his voice was extremely low, carrying a power that pierced the soul, "Su Zhelan, listen to me clearly! I don't care who you are! I don't care if you are human or a Gu! I don't care how many scars you have or what kind of blood you bleed!"
He took a deep breath, and each word struck Su Zhelan's heart like a vow: "I don't care anymore! I don't care who you were in the past! I don't care what burdens you carry! I only care about you! I care about your half-dead state now! I care about how you've ruined yourself like this!"
He abruptly released Su Zhelan's wrist, his fingertips instead caressing her cold cheek. Through the gap in the iron bars, his movements carried an irresistible tenderness and a deep sorrow: "You better live well! Cherish your body! Don't do this anymore... don't gouge out your heart and draw blood like this anymore! Don't treat yourself like an object that can be discarded at will!"
His fingertips had thin calluses and a slightly cool touch, yet strangely carried a scorching heat that made Su Zhelan's empty and numb heart tremble violently.
The thick ice shell seemed to have been cracked open by these sudden, unreasonable words and touches.
Su Zhelan stared blankly at Xiao Qiyun, at those eyes so close to hers, brimming with complex emotions. The surging sorrow and persistence within them were like molten lava, almost melting his cold body.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but his throat felt blocked by something, and he couldn't make a sound. Only his eyes welled up uncontrollably with a sour, hot sensation, and his vision blurred instantly.
“I…” Xiao Qiyun looked at the sudden tears welling up in Su Zhelan’s eyes, his heart softened, and his tone softened, becoming low and hoarse with an almost pleading tone, “I only hope… and please, for… for yourself, live well. Don’t…”
Before he could finish speaking, the faint clanging of armor from the guards outside the door came through, carrying a sense of urgency.
Xiao Qiyun took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and withdrew his hand. He looked at Su Zhelan one last time, his eyes containing so much—an unquestionable command, deep worry, turbulent emotions that almost burned him, and an almost tragic determination to protect her.
"The medicine and food were sent by Mr. Su Yan. He also prepared the blankets." Xiao Qiyun's voice returned to its usual calm, but carried a hint of barely perceptible fatigue. "Take good care of yourself. Your life... is very important."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the gauze on Su Zhelan's wrist and her chest. His voice was even lower, yet carried a strange weight: "At least... it's very important to me."
Just as he turned to leave—
“Xiao Qiyun…” A very faint voice, as if squeezed out from a crack in the ice, called out to him with a broken tremor.
Xiao Qiyun abruptly stopped and turned around! The moonlight reflected his suddenly contracted pupils and taut jawline as he stared intently at those eyes that were no longer completely lifeless.
Su Zhelan struggled to raise one hand, a pale and cold hand covered in bloodstains. She raised it slowly and tremblingly, her fingertips facing Xiao Qiyun's hand as he had just withdrawn, as if trying to catch the last trace of warmth that was about to dissipate.
The stone house fell into a deathly silence, with only Xiao Qiyun's violent heartbeat and heavy breathing echoing in the air.
“…Ah…” A scalding tear finally broke free of the icy shell and slid down from Su Zhelan’s parched eye, landing on the back of his cold hand and shattering into a tiny splash. He gazed at the face outside the iron bars, slightly distorted by intense emotions.
Driven by an unprecedented, almost instinctive desire, her body leaned forward slightly, closing the distance between herself and the cold iron bars. Her voice was as soft as a sigh: "Your Highness...you're truly...mad..."
This extremely subtle approach was like a spark thrown into dry tinder! The storm raging in Xiao Qiyun's eyes suddenly froze into the deepest longing! All his concerns and the shackles of his status were utterly crushed at this moment!
"Yes, I've gone mad!" Xiao Qiyun's voice was hoarse, as if it had been burned by strong liquor. He took a step forward, his tall figure casting a huge shadow in the cold prison cell, but it did not bring any direct oppression.
He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly. Instead of forcefully gripping Su Zhelan's nape, he gently and carefully stroked her pale, cold cheek. The icy temperature seeped through his fingertips, piercing his heart with pain.
"Don't be afraid..." he whispered, his fingertips gently wiping away the hot tear that hadn't yet fallen from Su Zhelan's eyelashes, as tenderly as a feather brushing against the thin ice of early spring.
Su Zhelan was stunned by this sudden and unexpected touch! The storm she had anticipated did not come. The warmth of the fingertips and the tender wiping carried a strange, heart-palpitating gentle power that struck straight into Su Zhelan's frozen and numb heart!
The slight tremor in her body wasn't from fear, but from being shaken to her soul by this sudden, unguarded tenderness! Su Zhelan subconsciously took a breath, a slight sob escaping her dry throat.
A sob escaped her lips, and her body involuntarily and very weakly leaned forward an inch, like a dying person's last craving for the warm sun.
"Ze Lan..." The sigh-like call was drowned out by the overlapping breaths. Xiao Qiyun no longer hesitated and gently lowered his head.
He didn't roughly pry open Su Zhelan's tightly closed teeth, nor did he give her a suffocating deep kiss. His lips, carrying a hint of the chill of the night, first gently and tentatively soothed Su Zhelan's chapped, pale, and trembling lips.
That cautiousness and slight trembling pierced through Su Zelan's numb and desperate shell.
It was just a fleeting, light touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water, yet it was like a spark that ignited a prairie fire!
The next second, feeling the faint tremor on his lips and the subtle change in his breath, Xiao Qiyun could no longer restrain himself! He deepened the kiss, yet still maintained control over the force.
The kiss was long and suffocating, until Su Zhelan couldn't help but cough rapidly due to intense emotional turmoil and lack of oxygen.
Xiao Qiyun seemed to be awakened by the cough and reluctantly ended the kiss.
He quickly raised his head, breathing heavily, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. His eyes, filled with suppressed emotions, were as deep as the sea after a storm, but the strong desire to conquer was gone, replaced by immense satisfaction from something lost and regained, and a heartache that went to the bone.
He didn't move an inch, his forehead still pressed tightly against Su Zhelan's sweaty forehead, his hot breath spraying onto Su Zhelan's equally rapid, heaving cheeks.
With his deeply affectionate eyes, he stubbornly fixed his gaze on Su Zhelan's still bewildered and tear-streaked eyes. His voice was hoarse, unlike his own, carrying the lingering echo of a passionate kiss and an undeniable deep affection:
"Ze Lan..." he called out to him forcefully, as if trying to etch him into his soul, "Listen to me... Give me some time, I'll find a way to get you out of this hellhole."
“…Okay…” A very soft, almost breathless response finally escaped from his swollen, bloodied lips, tinged with pain and hoarseness.
Heavy footsteps, accompanied by the cold scraping of armor, rang out clearly outside the door!
A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Qiyun's eyes! Without the slightest hesitation, he released Su Zhelan's cheek, giving her cold fingers a final squeeze as a response.
"Open the door," he commanded coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion. As the iron door creaked open a crack, he gave one last glance at Su Zhelan, who was huddled against the wall, dazed, her lips swollen and bloodied. That glance was as deep as a well.
Without lingering, he strode out of the cage filled with the scent of blood, lust, despair, and faint vows, meeting the guards' scrutinizing gaze.
Su Zhelan remained curled up on the cold bed, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the cheek that Xiao Qiyun had touched earlier, where a faint warmth still lingered.
He gazed at the thick brocade quilt and food and medicine box by the door, then looked down at his wrists covered with Gu marks. In his empty, numb eyes, a faint glimmer of light finally struggled and flickered.
The night at Hanshui Courtyard was bitterly cold. Dampness condensed into white frost, covering the cold stone steps and iron railings.
Su Zhelan curled up on the hard bed, wrapped in a thick quilt, the chill still biting like a venomous snake. The wounds in her chest and wrists throbbed, and her consciousness teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.
Suddenly! Two muffled thuds sounded outside the courtyard, and a heavy object fell to the ground! The iron lock clicked softly, and Su Zhelan opened her eyes abruptly!
"who?!"
The heavy iron gate was kicked open with a loud bang! The night wind rushed in, carrying away the musty smell.
At the entrance, two figures stood against the moonlight, their imposing presence overwhelming!
The one leading the way was none other than Gu Linzhao! Under the moonlight, his eyebrows were like knives, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. A flash of cold light appeared between his fingers, and two silver needles as thin as cow hair disappeared into his sleeve—the guards outside the door had been taken down in an instant.
Immediately following behind, Su Yan stepped in! His figure was as upright as a pine tree, and at this moment, there was no trace of the gentleness of a doctor on his face, only a raging and anxious look that seemed to be brewing a storm!
He gripped the medicine pouch tightly in his hand, his gaze sweeping across Su Zhelan's pale face and blood-soaked gauze with lightning speed, and the veins on his forehead bulged instantly!
"Ze Lan! That damn General's Mansion! That damn Sheng Chi!" He rushed to the bedside in a few steps, his movements as fast as the wind. He yanked off the blanket and saw the wounds on Su Ze Lan's wrist and chest. His eyes were filled with rage that almost burst out.
"Look at you! Look at what they take you for?! A blood-draining animal?! A prisoner?! Do they really think I'm made of clay?!"
He cursed fiercely, but his movements were precise and swift. With a flick of his wrist, two pills the size of longan fruits, exuding a fragrant aroma, were stuffed into Su Zhelan's mouth: "Suck them! Strengthen your foundation! If you keep this up, even a god couldn't save your body!"
Su Zhelan was stunned by this sudden turn of events. With a warm pill in her mouth, she looked at her master's furious face and Gu Linzhao's calm yet thunderous gaze. Her throat tightened and her eyes instantly burned.
"Master...you..."
"Shut up! Save your energy!" Su Yan roared, interrupting him as his fingers flew across the wound on his wrist. When he touched the bandage on his chest, his knuckles turned white from the force. "These bastards! They have no sense of restraint!"
Gu Linzhao stood by the door, his figure as still as a deep pool and as imposing as a mountain, vigilantly sensing the movements outside the courtyard. Upon hearing this, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
He looked at Su Zhelan, his voice steady and powerful, carrying an undeniable determination: "This place is dangerous; we shouldn't stay any longer. Su Zhelan, can you hold on?"
"Go! Get out of this hellhole!" Su Yan immediately stepped forward, gripping Su Zhelan's cold shoulders tightly with both hands, his tone resolute and unwavering.
"This damn General's Mansion, I've had enough! Bloodletting, to hell with it! Come on, I'll take you home. The world is vast, and no one will ever lay a finger on you again!" Su Yan's eyes were a little red, but his gaze burned with soaring anger and protectiveness.
Su Zhelan felt a slight pain from Su Yan's grip, and her shoulders flinched slightly.
He looked up and gazed into his master's eyes, which were burning red with anger and heartache, filled with a strong desire to protect and an unwavering commitment to safeguard him.
A surge of warmth instantly washed away the cold despair that had accumulated over the past few days. His throat tightened, his eyes welled up with tears, and he almost blurted out the word "good".
However, at this very moment—
The Gu poison on the back of Su Zhelan's neck seemed like the whisper of a venomous snake, sneaking into the depths of his mind without warning, causing a chill—a resonance and warning from his blood and bone marrow.
The feeling came so suddenly and vividly! Su Zhelan's body stiffened abruptly! Her hand, nestled in Gu Linzhao's arm, convulsed uncontrollably, and a sharp, almost suffocating pain suddenly burst forth from the spot on her chest where blood had been drawn.
He even uncontrollably saw Sheng Xuan's face, ravaged by the Gu poison, convulsing in pain while unconscious! The lifeline on the verge of breaking was as clear as if carved by a knife and axe, the pain piercing to the bone!
"Ugh..." Su Zhelan groaned, his face draining of color in the moonlight, turning from pale to a deathly ashen! He instinctively raised his hand to cover his chest, his fingertips digging into his clothes, his nails almost piercing his flesh!
"Ze Lan?! What's wrong?! Is it the wound...?" Su Yan was so frightened by Su Ze Lan's sudden and violent reaction that his anger instantly turned into fear. He immediately let go of Su Ze Lan's shoulder and hurriedly tried to check his injury.
Gu Linzhao tensed up instantly, tightening his grip on Su Zhelan's arm and scanning the dimly lit cell with his sharp, wary gaze: "Someone activated the Gu poison?!"
"No...no..." Su Zhelan gasped for breath, cold sweat instantly soaking through his thin inner shirt. He shook his head with difficulty, forcibly suppressing the excruciating pain that was almost tearing his soul apart and the hallucination of Sheng Xuan's impending death.
He raised his eyes, those eyes that had just regained some light because of the hope of returning home, were now filled with an almost desperate grayness and a deep-seated weariness and...decisiveness.
He bit his lower lip hard until he tasted the metallic, metallic flavor of blood, before he could barely find a voice, dry and hoarse like grit: "Master...I..."
He closed his eyes in anguish, and when he opened them again, his gaze was filled with utter despair and an almost deathly calm. "I...can't leave..."
"What?!" The worry on Su Yan's face froze instantly, and was replaced by an even more violent rage the next second!
He thought he'd misheard. He stepped forward, almost face-to-face, staring intently at Su Zhelan's pale face. His voice suddenly rose, trembling violently with rage: "What did you say?! We can't leave?! Su Zhelan! Explain yourself! What do you mean we can't leave?! Staying in this godforsaken place for even a second longer is like waiting to die! What do you want?!"
Su Zhelan's ears were ringing from Su Yan's roar. He could feel the overwhelming anger emanating from his master, like a volcano about to erupt.
He lowered his eyelashes in anguish, not daring to look his master in the eye. His voice was low and hoarse, yet incredibly clear. Every word was like a heavy hammer striking the cold ground, and also striking the hearts of Su Yan and Gu Linzhao:
“If I leave… Shengxuan… is doomed…”
Boom!
These words were like a thunderclap in the dead of night!
"Sheng Xuan—?! Even at a time like this, you're still thinking about him?!" Su Yan's long-suppressed resentment and days of worry and anxiety were like a powder keg that had been ignited, instantly shattering his remaining rationality!
His face, contorted with rage, looked especially terrifying in the dim light. His bloodshot eyes seemed to spit fire as he stared intently at Su Zhelan. His voice was a guttural roar, forced out through clenched teeth, each word carrying overwhelming fury and a betrayed, heartbreaking pain.
"What kind of bewitching potion did he give you?! Huh?! Zelan! Tell me! What made you risk your life?! What made you willingly stay in this den of wolves and tigers, to be a living blood vessel?!"
He trembled with excitement, his spittle almost splattering onto Su Zhelan's face. Every question he uttered was like a poisoned whip, lashing fiercely at Su Zhelan's heart.
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