Chapter 74
Su Yan walked in carrying a small medicine pot, with wisps of steam rising from its opening.
His face remained tense, his brows furrowed as usual. As soon as he entered the room, his gaze swept towards the spot where Sheng Xuan had been sitting.
Sheng Xuan was seen leaning back in his usual hardwood armchair, his head resting awkwardly on the back of the chair, fast asleep.
His clothes clung to his body, wrinkled and stained with undried mud and faint bloodstains. The white gauze on his left arm stood out starkly in the dim light.
In his sleep, the youthful face lost the sharpness and bravado of the day, revealing a rare childlike innocence and weariness, though his tightly pursed lips still hinted at a touch of stubbornness.
Seeing Sheng Xuan sleeping soundly, having "usurped" the place, Su Yan felt a surge of anger.
That brat injured his own disciple, forcing him to take out his treasured Jade Skin Cream, and now he dares to sleep brazenly on his turf?!
With a dark expression, he carried the medicine pot and walked a few steps to the chair. Without saying a word, he raised his foot and kicked the chair leg lightly!
Clang!
The chair legs screeched against the ground, and the entire chair, along with Sheng Xuan who was fast asleep on it, shook violently!
"Huh?!"
Sheng Xuan was suddenly awakened from her sleep! Her body lost its balance due to the shaking of the chair, and she almost slipped off!
He instinctively grabbed the armrest of the chair with his uninjured right hand to steady himself, his heart pounding wildly, and his sleepiness vanished instantly!
He looked up in alarm, his eyes still sleepy, his face showing the bewilderment of just waking up and the displeasure of being disturbed.
When he saw who was standing in front of him, his displeasure instantly turned into huge panic and guilt!
Su Yan stood in front of him, holding a steaming pot of medicine, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, staring down at him with disdain and dissatisfaction that almost overflowed from his eyes.
"Have you slept enough?!" Su Yan's voice was cold and hard, like shards of ice. "If you've slept enough, then get out of here! Don't linger here!"
As he spoke, he impatiently nudged the doorway with the elbow of the hand holding the medicine pot, a small gesture but full of shooing: "Go back to your own bed and sleep! The smell of medicine here is so strong, aren't you afraid it will suffocate you!"
Every word was like a small knife, precisely piercing Sheng Xuan's meager confidence that had just risen after delivering the medicine.
Sheng Xuan was so embarrassed by the scolding that she was wide awake, feeling utterly humiliated and realizing that she had been rejected after all.
He scrambled to his feet from the chair, his movements clumsy with panic, which aggravated the wound on his left arm, causing him to wince in pain, but he forced himself to remain silent.
"Yes...yes! Mr. Su, I...I'll leave right away!" Sheng Xuan's voice was dry, filled with obvious panic and obsequiousness. He lowered his head, not daring to look Su Yan in the eye, and sheepishly walked past Su Yan, hurrying towards the door.
His steps were unsteady, and his back view conveyed a sense of fleeing in panic.
Su Yan stood there, watching Sheng Xuan's hurried disappearance through the door, and let out a heavy "humph," as if he wanted to expel all the pent-up frustration from his chest.
He then carefully placed the medicine pot in the safest spot on the table. Inside was a freshly brewed decoction for Su Zhelan, containing Seven-Star Bone-Continuing Orchid, and it was still piping hot.
He looked down at the steam rising from the jar and cursed, "Hmph! They're all a bunch of damn troublemakers!"
Gu Linzhao remained quietly on a low stool in the corner of the pharmacy, slowly sorting through the medicinal herbs. He witnessed Sheng Xuan's disheveled departure and also saw Su Yan's sullen back as he stared at the medicine jars.
Only then did he put down the herbs in his hand and calmly stand up.
He didn't go directly to Su Yan, but instead walked to the table and casually picked up the medicine jar next to it.
"The medicinal aroma is deeper now. With the addition of the Bone-Continuing Orchid, this 'guide' is now alive." Gu Linzhao's voice broke the silence, no longer the usual calm and steady tone, but with a low and gentle tone unique to couples, as if he were stating an ordinary family matter.
He wiped the medicine jar clean, put the cloth away, and then turned around to face Su Yan's stiff back.
Silence spread between the two, with only the faint sound of the medicine boiling.
After a moment, Gu Linzhao spoke slowly, his voice still low and gentle, but carrying a hint of barely perceptible heartache and a deeper understanding:
"Still angry?" He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Su Yan's taut, hard jawline. "Angry at Sheng Xuan's recklessness? Or... angry at yourself?"
Su Yan's body jolted violently! As if his most secret feelings had been exposed, he abruptly turned his head, his eyes burning with anger that almost burst forth, a mixture of shame and sharp defensiveness from being seen through by a loved one: "I'm angry with him?! Why would I be angry with him?! It's his business if he wants to court death! I..."
"Su Yan." Gu Linzhao interrupted his impending outburst of anger, his voice soft yet carrying a strange, soothing power.
He reached out, not to touch Su Yan's shoulder, but gently placed his hand on the back of Su Yan's tightly clenched fist, his knuckles white. The palm was warm and dry, with thin calluses from years of wielding a sword, yet it felt incredibly familiar and reliable.
This simple gesture, imbued with the intimacy and silent support found only between partners, instantly caused Su Yan's tense body to stiffen slightly. His impending outburst of anger deflated like a punctured balloon.
He instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but Gu Linzhao held it even tighter.
"I'm angry at myself!" Su Yan's voice suddenly dropped, carrying a deep weariness and powerlessness. He finally stopped roaring at the air and turned his suppressed emotions toward his lover beside him.
"I watched him... watched him come back looking like that... watched him holding that bloodstained blade of grass... I... I felt a lump in my throat! I was annoyed! And... I felt terrible!"
“I know.” Gu Linzhao’s voice was low and gentle, with a comforting power. “I know how deep that hurdle in your heart is, how painful it is. Zhelan is a child you snatched back from the jaws of death. Those days… you were there for him through it all. Every drop of blood he shed felt like a knife to your heart.”
Gu Linzhao's hand, with its steady warmth, conveyed silent support: "You took your anger out on Sheng Xuan because you were afraid. Afraid that Su Zhelan would be hurt again, afraid that all that suffering would have been in vain. This... is only human nature. If it were me, I might not have done any better than you."
He leaned forward slightly, bringing his breath closer to Su Yan, and lowered his voice, making it softer and slower, with an almost whispered intimacy and an undeniable seriousness: "But Ayan, precisely because we know how deep this hurdle is, we must see even more clearly who we are crossing it for?"
Gu Linzhao's gaze was fixed on Su Yan's eyes, which were filled with pain and struggle: "Looking at the way Sheng Xuan held the herbs today, looking at his eyes..."
Gu Linzhao's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of emotion, "That feeling, is it real or fake? Can't you really... sense it? By pushing him away, you not only hurt Sheng Xuan, but also Su Zhelan. You hurt the one thing Zhelan might possess... something that neither you nor I can completely replace, something that belongs to his age..."
He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through Su Yan's back, seeing the struggle within him: "Sheng Xuan, that kid, is reckless, is crazy, acts without thinking. But his feelings for Su Zhelan... are real. Real enough to disregard himself, real enough... so foolish it's heartbreaking. You and I have both seen too much of the coldness and warmth of the world, how rare is this? Can't you... feel it?"
Su Yan turned around abruptly, his face still showing lingering anger, his eyes filled with struggle and frustration, and his lips moved as if he was about to retort.
But looking into Gu Linzhao's calm yet all-seeing eyes, and then glancing at the blue herb on the table glowing faintly in the morning light, the image of Sheng Xuan standing at the door holding the herb, his disheveled yet stubborn face, flashed through his mind... All the surging anger and sharp words stuck in his throat.
The anger on his face was gradually replaced by a deep weariness and bewilderment. As if all his strength had been drained away, he slumped back a small step and leaned against the edge of the table. His eyes flickered uncertainly, finally avoiding Gu Linzhao's gaze, and he mumbled something low and indistinct, his voice hoarse and dry: "...medicine...must be drunk warm...cold...it'll hurt my stomach..."
He said this out of the blue, as if talking to himself, or perhaps trying to change the subject.
He didn't mention Sheng Xuan again, nor did he curse anyone. He simply turned around silently, picked up the small heater next to him, and moved slowly and clumsily, but placed the medicine pot on it with exceptional care.
With his head down, he focused intently on poking at the embers, keeping the flames warm but not scorching, as if the silent storm that had just passed had never happened.
Gu Linzhao watched Su Yan's silent back, and then looked at the subtle, less tense curve of his fingertips as he focused on warming the medicine. He didn't say anything more, but silently walked to the table, picked up the herbs he had just sorted, and continued to quietly organize them.
In the pharmacy, only the warm crackling of the charcoal fire and the soft bubbling of the medicine as it was reheated remained.
“…Alright.” Su Yan’s voice was dry, breaking the silence, but his tone was much calmer than before, more like an announcement, “The medicine is warm now, it needs to be sent over while it’s still hot.”
Upon hearing this, Gu Linzhao stopped what he was doing, nodded, and without saying anything more, naturally picked up the medicine bowl and spoon that had been prepared beside him and followed behind Su Yan.
The two of them, one in front of the other, carrying the jar of medicine containing the new medicinal ingredient and their complicated emotions, walked through the cool morning courtyard and headed towards Shuyu Courtyard.
The gate to Shuyu Courtyard was ajar, and it was quiet inside.
Su Yan frowned habitually and was about to push the door open when he saw an unusual scene through the crack, which made him stop in his tracks.
Instead of resting on the couch as usual, Su Zhelan sat at a low table by the window. He wore a plain, wide robe, which made his face look somewhat pale, but he seemed to be in good spirits.
A sheet of clean white Xuan paper was laid out in front of him, and he held a slender calligraphy brush in his hand.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qiyun, the ever-composed and dignified Crown Prince, was sitting beside Su Zhelan, leaning slightly close.
He casually rested one hand on the edge of the low table, while the other hand gently supported Su Zhelan's wrist as he held the pen, seemingly guiding him in his writing.
The afternoon sun streamed through the window lattice, softly enveloping the two of them. Su Zhelan lowered her head, her eyes focused intently on the paper beneath her pen.
Xiao Qiyun's gaze fell on Su Zhelan's profile, his expression gentle and focused, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. A tranquil and tacit atmosphere flowed between the two, as if shutting out all the noise of the outside world.
They were painting a plum blossom that had just been broken off and was still covered in dew. The ink spread across the rice paper. Su Zhelan's brushstrokes were a little rough, but under Xiao Qiyun's patient guidance, the lines of the branches gradually became more vigorous, and the plum blossoms were painted in a well-arranged manner.
Su Yan stood outside the door, looking at the tranquil scene inside, especially at the rare, focused and peaceful expression on Su Zhelan's face. There was no shadow of illness, no heavy silence of the past, only pure tranquility as she immersed herself in her writing... His fingers, which were holding the handle of the medicine pot, tightened almost imperceptibly.
The instinctive displeasure and wariness towards Xiao Qiyun that Gu Linzhao had just soothed in her heart resurfaced—this guy is so close to Su Zhelan again! And he's even holding her hand!
But then, Gu Linzhao's words, "What Su Zhelan needs is someone who makes him feel that being alive is truly wonderful," echoed clearly in his ears. Looking at Su Zhelan's expression at that moment... that focus and tranquility were something he had never seen before.
Su Yan's brows were still furrowed as usual, but the usual scrutiny and criticism in his eyes seemed to have been diluted by the scene before him. In its place was an extremely complex emotion—there was worry, there was displeasure with Xiao Qiyun, but more than that, there was a sense of relief that Su Zhelan was finally able to calm down and do something she liked.
Gu Linzhao, who was behind him, also saw the scene inside the room, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips. He gently nudged Su Yan's tense arm with his elbow and said in a low voice, "It seems that Su Zhelan is in good spirits today."
The touch jolted Su Yan back to his senses. As if to cover up his earlier lapse in composure, or to forcefully suppress the complex emotions surging within him, he let out a heavy "humph" through his nose. The sound was neither loud nor soft, but it was enough to break the tranquility of the courtyard.
Without further hesitation, he roughly pushed open the courtyard gate, carrying the medicine pot, and strode in, his footsteps making a thud on the stone slabs.
"Su Zhelan! Take your medicine!" Su Yan's voice was still hard, with his usual commanding tone, but if you listened carefully, it seemed to have less of his previous irritability and more of an unquestionable insistence.
The two people inside the house were alerted.
Su Zhelan looked up and saw that it was her master and Gu Linzhao who came in. She smiled slightly and put down her calligraphy brush: "Master, Mr. Gu."
His gaze fell on the medicine jar in Su Yan's hand, and he nodded obediently, "Okay, I understand."
Xiao Qiyun also slowly straightened up, withdrawing his hand from Su Zhelan's wrist with a natural and elegant movement.
He looked at Su Yan and Gu Linzhao, nodded slightly in greeting, and his face still held that gentle and composed smile: "Mr. Su, Alliance Leader Gu." His gaze swept over the medicine jar, and he said gently, "Thank you both for your trouble."
Su Yan ignored Xiao Qiyun's polite words and walked straight to the low table. His gaze swept over the half-finished ink plum blossom painting on the table as if by accident, and then quickly looked away, as if the painting was not worthy of his attention at all.
He deftly placed the medicine jar on the corner of the low table with a "thud," then took the medicine bowl from Gu Linzhao's hand and personally poured the dark brown medicine into the bowl. The aroma of the medicine instantly filled the air amidst the fragrance of ink.
"Hurry up, while it's hot!" Su Yan handed the medicine bowl to Su Zhelan, his tone leaving no room for discussion. But when his gaze met Su Zhelan's pale face, a very faint hint of softening seemed to flash across his eyes, a hint that even he himself didn't notice.
Instead of staring at Su Zhelan with a stern face as usual, he waved his hand impatiently towards Xiao Qiyun and the painting, adding curtly, "Drink your medicine first, then go paint your picture!"
Su Zhelan took the medicine bowl, feeling the warmth of the bowl's surface. Seeing that his master's expression, though stern, had softened considerably, he felt a warmth in his heart. He sipped the bitter medicine slowly.
Gu Linzhao stood to the side, taking in Su Yan's subtle changes. He looked at Su Yan, who was clearly softening but still trying to maintain a fierce demeanor, and then at Su Zhelan quietly drinking her medicine and Xiao Qiyun waiting gently by her side. His smile deepened.
He walked to the table, his gaze falling on the unfinished ink plum blossom painting. He examined it carefully, then sincerely praised it, saying, "The branches are very strong, and the plum blossoms are painted beautifully. Our Zhelan is very talented." These words were both an encouragement to Su Zhelan and a clever way to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere brought by Su Yan.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiyun looked at Su Zhelan gently and said, "Zhelan learns very quickly."
Su Zhelan felt a little embarrassed by the praise, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head to continue drinking her medicine.
Listening to Gu Linzhao and Xiao Qiyun's conversation, and noticing the shy blush on Su Zhelan's face, Su Yan said nothing more. He simply stood to the side with his arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the rising steam from the hot spring outside the window, seemingly intently "supervising" Su Zhelan as she drank her medicine. But his tightly pursed lips no longer seemed so taut.
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