Chapter 7
The room was filled with the aroma of herbs. Su Yan used silver tweezers to hold a cotton ball soaked in muscle-regenerating ointment and gently pressed it onto the last scab-covered knife wound on Su Zhelan's shoulder. The deep wound, which had exposed bone, had grown tender new flesh, leaving only a shallow indentation that shone with a healthy pale pink hue in the candlelight.
"The shoulder wound has begun to heal, but the new flesh is very tender. You cannot lift heavy objects for three months, and even the slightest pulling will cause pain." He threw the tweezers into the copper dish, making a crisp sound. "After applying medicine for three more days, the stitches can be removed."
Su Zhelan turned to her side, her nightgown slipping off her shoulder, and she could feel the cool touch of the ointment.
Gu Linzhao was squatting by the couch arranging mulberry wood chips, his black outfit cuffs stained with dried mugwort scraps: "The right leg can't be neglected either."
He pressed his fingertips against the back of Su Zhelan's curled right knee, where the muscles were stiff from long-term deformity. "First, we'll use herbal fumigation. You'll have to bear the pain."
"I understand." Su Zhelan gripped the brocade quilt beneath her tightly.
The room was so quiet that the only sound was the bubbling of the medicine, until Sheng Xuan kicked open the door and rushed in, the wind from his silver armor and cloak scattering the fragrance of the medicine.
"I've got some liniment!" He shook the earthenware jar in his hand, and the liquid inside the porcelain bottle shimmered with an amber light.
"My brother said this wine is infused with Panax notoginseng and tiger bone, and it's the most effective for massaging legs!" His voice was louder than usual, as if he were declaring his dominance, afraid that Su Zhelan wouldn't see his presence.
Su Yan poured cold water on the situation without even looking up: "Tiger bone is hot in nature, and it will definitely cause Zhelan to get a sore throat if she uses it."
He wrapped the steamed medicine in cotton cloth. "Go get the mugwort from the windowsill. Don't get in the way here." Sheng Xuan was about to retort, but when he saw Su Zhelan's brows furrowed in pain, he obediently placed the earthenware jar on the table.
Su Yan looked up from behind his desk, the jade wheel in his hand gleaming warmly in the candlelight: "First, use the tendon-stretching grass for fumigation, then use the jade wheel to invigorate blood circulation, and then apply medicine and massage. Don't rush it."
The aroma of medicine, wine, and the deliberately suppressed breathing of the young man mingled in the room. Su Zhelan could feel the pressure of Gu Linzhao's palm on her knee and hear Sheng Xuan rustling as he pulled mugwort by the window.
Su Zhelan deliberately made a very soft gasp, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sheng Xuan pause in his movements—sure enough, this trick always worked on him.
The new flesh on his shoulder no longer stung, only the tingling and numbness in his right leg reminded him that his injury had not yet healed. The busy figures in the room gave the pain a touch of warmth that was hard to detect.
Beside the bluestone path of Shuyu Courtyard, Gu Linzhao was using a piece of mulberry wood to immobilize Su Zhelan's right leg. The boy sat down leaning against a pillar, his deformed bones turning a pale red after being fumigated with herbs. Every flexion and extension of his legs pulled at his muscles, causing him to sweat from the pain.
"Bear with it," Gu Linzhao said, pressing his palm against the back of Su Zhelan's knee. "You can only break bones after soaking them in this medicine." As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly tightened his grip, and Su Zhelan groaned as he clenched his fists around the carved pillars, his knuckles turning white.
“If it hurts, just yell it out,” Sheng Xuan stared at Su Zhelan’s pale lower lip, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “No one’s laughing at you.” His tone was rough and harsh, but his gaze was like nails fixed on Su Zhelan’s sweaty forehead, wishing he could suffer in his place.
Su Yan ignored him, squatted down, placed the jade wheel against Su Zhelan's side, and slowly rolled it clockwise. The cool jade soothed the burning muscles, and the pain indeed lessened somewhat. Su Zhelan could feel the warmth of Su Yan's fingertips passing through the jade wheel.
"That's enough for today." Su Yan looked up from beside the medicine stove, grinding the "Xu Duan" with a pestle in his hand. "I'll add another half incense stick's time tomorrow."
"I'll stay and keep him company!" Sheng Xuan immediately jumped up, her silver armor brushing against the medicine cabinet and making the copper bells ring softly. "You all go and rest first, I'll massage his legs..." Afraid that Xiao Qiyun would beat her to it, she even came up with such a clumsy excuse as "massaging his legs."
"Come on, you." Su Yan rolled his eyes at him and wrapped the warm medicated cloth around Su Zhelan's knees. "Don't turn around and misalign her legs again."
Su Yan put the jade wheel into the brocade box and gently tapped Su Zhelan's knee with his fingertips: "Lie down and rest. I've asked the kitchen to make some beef bone soup." Then the two of them went out.
"This monkey mechanism is stuck again!" Sheng Xuan squatted by the couch, poking the wooden monkey's lower back with his finger, the bamboo climbing pole making a "creaking" sound.
Su Zhelan leaned against the brocade pillow, listening to him clumsily fiddling with the little gadgets, and couldn't help but smile. This simple-mindedness was more relaxing than Xiao Qiyun's scheming—occasionally, she didn't have to be so tired.
“Shall I read to you?” Sheng Xuan suddenly remembered something, grabbed the “In Search of the Supernatural” from the table, “Xiao Qiyun said there are monster stories in this book…” He turned the pages, his voice stumbling, “‘Beyond the South Sea there are mermaids, who live in the water like fish, and when they weep, pearls come out of their eyes…’” When he read the word “mermaids,” his tongue almost tied itself, which made Su Zhelan chuckle.
"What are you laughing at!" Sheng Xuan's ears turned red, and she shoved the book into Su Zhelan's arms. "If you can do it, then you read it!"
Despite his tough talk, he subtly adjusted his posture to make Su Zhelan more comfortable.
Su Zhelan fumbled through the pages, his fingertips touching the rough bamboo paper. He recalled Xiao Qiyun's clear, melodious voice when he read aloud, each word like jade soaked in water, while Sheng Xuan's voice carried the roughness unique to young people, like an unpolished piece of jade, yet it possessed a unique vividness.
With a creak, the door was pushed open. Xiao Qiyun walked in carrying a food box, the hem of his casual clothes tinged with twilight, and the aroma of beef bone soup wafting from the food box.
"Oh, so the second young master has become a storyteller?" He raised an eyebrow at Sheng Xuan, placing the food box on the table. "I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't bring your dinner." He wanted to get rid of Sheng Xuan with just one sentence, his calculations were quite shrewd.
Sheng Xuan immediately jumped up: "Who wants to eat your food! I..." Before she could finish speaking, she saw Xiao Qiyun take out a milky white beef bone soup from the food box, with golden oil floating on the surface of the soup, and a plate of Poria cocos cake on the side.
“Mr. Su specifically instructed that it should be drunk warm.” Xiao Qiyun stirred the soup with a silver spoon. In the rising steam, he looked at Su Zhelan. “You’ve worked hard on your rehabilitation today. Drink some more to nourish yourself.” Every word he uttered was filled with “concern,” yet every word carried a sense of control.
Su Zhelan touched the tip of her nose; she could smell the angelica root aroma mixed in with the soup. Sheng Xuan moved closer to the table, watching Xiao Qiyun deftly set out the bowls and chopsticks.
Without looking up, Xiao Qiyun scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it, and held it to Su Zhelan's lips. "Drink some soup first, and have some Poria cocos cake to tide you over." As the porcelain spoon touched the corner of Su Zhelan's lips, his fingertips unconsciously brushed against that soft skin, gently wiping away the spilled soup.
Su Zhelan could feel the thin calluses on his fingertips, carrying the cool warmth of years of holding a pen.
Sheng Xuan watched Xiao Qiyun's gentle movements, then looked at the chipped wooden monkey in his hand, and suddenly felt a little bored. He kicked the stool leg and muttered, "Then I'll go first... I'll bring you a sugar painting tomorrow!"
He said he was leaving, but his feet seemed rooted to the ground, waiting for Su Zhelan to persuade him to stay.
"Take care." Xiao Qiyun didn't even look up, wiping the soup stains from Su Zhelan's lips with his fingertips. "Be careful of the steps on the way."
His tone was indifferent, as if he were seeing someone off, not even bothering to give them a second glance.
These words struck Sheng Xuan like a needle. He stopped abruptly as he stepped out the door, turned around and saw Xiao Qiyun gently scraping the rim of a bowl with a silver spoon. Xiao Qiyun's completely indifferent expression made Sheng Xuan suddenly furious.
"I'm not leaving!" Sheng Xuan said, sticking her neck out and swaying back, plopping down on the bamboo stool beside the couch, the wooden stool creaking under her weight.
"I'm going to stay and see for myself." Why does Xiao Qiyun always act like "Su Zhelan can't live without him"? He's determined to fight for it.
Xiao Qiyun finally raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Sheng Xuan's sullen face, a faint smile curving his lips: "Oh? Second Young Master doesn't mind that I've dirtied your courtyard?" He deliberately exposed his past to see him get angry.
"Who's complaining!" Sheng Xuan snatched the poria cocos cake from the table, breaking it into crumbs that scattered all over the table. "I just want to see how good you are at feeding people!"
He deliberately emphasized the words "feeding," but his gaze secretly drifted towards Su Zhelan—the boy was sipping soup with his head down, his ears flushed slightly. That blush warmed his heart.
Caught between the two, Su Zhelan suddenly felt the soup in her bowl was so hot that she could hardly swallow it.
He could feel Sheng Xuan's sullen gaze on the back of his head, and he could also sense that Xiao Qiyun paused as he handed over the porcelain spoon, his fingertips tapping lightly on the rim of the bowl.
"Be careful, it's hot." The laughter hidden in that warning almost made Su Zhelan choke.
He could feel Sheng Xuan's sullen gaze stabbing at the back of his neck like a small knife, and he could hear Xiao Qiyun's fingertips tapping the rim of the bowl—the mischievousness hidden in that rhythm almost made him choke on the soup in his throat.
"Finished eating?" Xiao Qiyun took the empty bowl, and as his fingertip brushed against Su Zhelan's lips, he deliberately flicked behind his ear.
This was a provocative remark, and Su Zhelan shrank back abruptly, her ears turning bright red, just as Sheng Xuan slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
"That's just right!" Sheng Xuan swept the broken pieces of poria cocos cake onto the floor. "I'll stay and play chess with him!"
“His eyesight isn’t good enough to see the chessboard.” Xiao Qiyun put the bowls and plates into the food box, his tone indifferent. “How about I read to him? If the Second Young Master is interested, he can listen too.” These words seemed like an invitation, but in reality, they were an order to leave, which made Sheng Xuan clench his fists in anger.
Sheng Xuan was rendered speechless by the blockade.
"I'm not leaving!" Sheng Xuan plopped down on the edge of the couch, his silver armor rubbing against the brocade quilt with a crisp sound. "I think you just want to take advantage of my absence to do some more..." He suddenly stopped, remembering the kiss mark on Su Zhelan's neck that night, and his ears also burned.
He remembered it was a secret when he was about to speak, but he couldn't help but hint that he knew Xiao Qiyun's filthy thoughts.
Xiao Qiyun paused, his gaze sweeping over Sheng Xuan's reddened earlobes, and his smile deepened: "Second Young Master is overthinking it."
He handed the food box to the servant outside the door, but deliberately stood next to Su Zhelan as he turned around. "However, it is indeed late today. If the Second Young Master does not mind, you may leave together."
While seemingly backing down, the phrase "let's go together" actually serves to highlight Shengxuan's "unreasonable behavior."
"Who wants to go with you!" Sheng Xuan retorted, but saw Su Zhelan rubbing her temples, looking utterly exhausted.
The boy's eyes, glistening with tears behind the pterygium, clearly showed that the two were having a headache from arguing.
"Your Highness, Second Young Master...you should both...go back first." Su Zhelan finally spoke, her voice carrying a barely perceptible plea, "I want to rest."
Showing weakness at the right time can not only end this farce, but also make both of them feel that they are the ones giving in to him.
Sheng Xuan and Xiao Qiyun were both stunned. Looking at Su Zhelan's pale face and her forced weariness, they exchanged a glance and saw a hint of embarrassment in each other's eyes.
"Then you should rest well." Xiao Qiyun was the first to concede. "I'll have the kitchen make lotus seed soup tomorrow." After saying that, he turned around, the hem of his casual clothes sweeping across the blue bricks, creating a barely perceptible breeze.
"I'll bring the sugar painting tomorrow!" Sheng Xuan followed closely behind, his silver armor cloak making a crisp sound against the doorframe. He walked to the door and then suddenly turned around, seeing Su Zhelan looking at him, the light behind her left eye's pterygium resembling shattered moonlight.
That one glance made him feel that the argument just now was all worth it.
As soon as they finished speaking, the two of them stepped out of the threshold one after the other.
The moment the bamboo curtain fell, Su Zhelan heard Sheng Xuan mutter outside, "If you're going to leave, then leave. Who cares if you're with me?" Xiao Qiyun's response was as light as willow catkins scattered by the wind.
Only the light from the lanterns under the eaves cast their long shadows, which swayed on the bluestone slabs before disappearing around the corner.
The room finally fell silent. Su Zhelan breathed a sigh of relief, resting his neck against the cool brocade pillow. He touched his burning ears, a calculating smile flashing in his eyes.
The branches outside the window rustled in the night wind, and occasionally a ripe fruit fell to the ground with a soft thud.
Outside the moon gate, the shadows of the trees swayed like dark waves in the moonlight.
Sheng Xuan kicked at the pebbles on the road and suddenly chuckled, "Hey, were you trying to do something to him again?"
Xiao Qiyun straightened his wrinkled sleeves and said calmly, "Second Young Master certainly has a rich imagination." The more he was hit where it hurt, the more nonchalant he had to appear.
"Stop pretending!" Sheng Xuan suddenly stopped, his silver armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "That red mark on the back of his neck last time, that was your doing, wasn't it?"
Xiao Qiyun paused slightly, and as he turned his head, the moonlight fell precisely on the corner of his slightly curved lips: "If the Second Young Master is interested, he might as well give it a try." He was deliberately provoking Sheng Xuan to see if he dared to break off all pretense of civility.
These words were deliberately provocative, which angered Sheng Xuan so much that he drew his sword, but Xiao Qiyun held his wrist down.
“It’s late,” Xiao Qiyun released his grip, his fingertips tracing the patterns on the hilt of the knife. “Don’t disturb Zhelan’s rest.” Using Su Zhelan as an excuse made him seem sensible and also prevented Sheng Xuan from having an outburst.
Sheng Xuan watched his retreating figure as he turned and left, his casual clothes fluttering in the night wind.
He clicked his tongue, sheathed the knife, but as he passed the kitchen, he secretly stole a piece of maltose that he planned to use for making sugar paintings the next day.
He harbored a strong determination—one day, he would make Su Zhelan only have eyes for him.
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