Chapter 76
A satisfied smile played on Xiao Qiyun's lips as he looked at Su Zhelan's ears, which were practically bleeding with embarrassment, and their clasped hands. He gently stroked the back of her cool hand with his fingertips before slowly letting go.
“Alright,” Xiao Qiyun’s voice returned to its usual gentle and composed tone, with a hint of barely perceptible pleasure.
“Since the agreement has been made, let’s finish painting this plum tree now.” He picked up the sheep hair brush that had rolled on the ground earlier and was accidentally stepped on by Su Zhelan, its tip slightly tangled. He looked at it, casually put it aside, and picked up a clean, fine brush instead.
The blush on Su Zhelan's face had not completely faded, and her heartbeat was still a little erratic, but when she heard Xiao Qiyun say to continue painting, the huge sense of embarrassment in her heart finally found an outlet.
He quickly lowered his head to hide his still burning cheeks, softly hummed in agreement, and turned his attention back to the unfinished ink plum blossom painting.
Xiao Qiyun moistened the new brush with water and dipped it again in the warm pink hue. This time, he didn't ask Su Zhelan what she wanted to draw, but instead directly took her right hand that was holding the brush.
"Come,"
Xiao Qiyun's voice carried a guiding gentleness as he naturally pressed his body against Su Zhelan's back, forming a semi-embracing posture. His chin was almost touching the top of Su Zhelan's head, and his warm breath brushed against Su Zhelan's earlobe.
"We were just talking about the vitality of flower buds. Look here..."
He held Su Zhelan's hand and gently placed a plump, warm pink dot at the end of the plum branch.
"Put your pen lightly, concealing the tip within, like this..." Xiao Qiyun's voice was deep and clear, sounding close to Su Zhelan's ear, carrying a kind of patient and affectionate instruction.
He guided Su Zhelan's wrist, painting several flower buds of different sizes and shapes on the branches, some shyly waiting to bloom, and some just beginning to reveal their pistils.
Su Zhelan felt the warm touch on her back and the steady guidance on her wrist. Although her heart was still beating a little fast, her attention was gradually drawn to the trajectory of the pen tip.
He learned from Xiao Qiyun's strength and rhythm, carefully controlling the brushstrokes, and under Xiao Qiyun's guidance, added a touch of life to the ink plum blossom.
Time slipped away quietly as the pen moved across the paper. The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, turning from a bright golden yellow to a warm orange-red, filtering through the window lattice and falling on the low table and the two people, lengthening their shadows.
On the low table, the ink plum tree had already taken shape. The vigorous branches displayed a powerful strength under Su Zhelan's brush, and the branches were adorned with several pink buds, some still in bud and some just beginning to open. Against the backdrop of ink, they appeared particularly lively and full of vitality.
Just as Su Zhelan was about to add the stamen to the last little flower bud—
"Squeak—"
The door of Shuyu Courtyard was suddenly pushed open with such force that it stirred up a gust of wind!
A figure rushed in, carrying a heavy food box in his right hand!
"Ze Lan! Look what delicious food I brought you! It's fresh out of the kitchen..." Sheng Xuan's voice was filled with the youthful vigor and the excitement of showing off a treasure. However, when he saw the scene in front of the low table, his voice stopped abruptly!
His smile froze instantly, and he abruptly stopped at the door!
His eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the scene before the low table—
Su Zhelan stood with her back to the door, her head slightly lowered, intently looking at the drawing paper.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qiyun, the esteemed Crown Prince, was sitting close to Su Zhelan's back, one hand naturally encircling her body and grasping her right hand holding the pen! The two were almost touching, their posture intimately intimate!
Xiao Qiyun's chin seemed to be resting on the top of Su Zhelan's head as he whispered something in Su Zhelan's ear!
To Sheng Xuan, this posture was unmistakably possessive and intimate! It was even more irritating than when he had seen Xiao Qiyun carrying Su Zhelan while she changed her dressing!
An unnamed fire suddenly shot up to the top of his head! The frustration of being kicked out by Su Yan in the morning, the instinctive wariness and jealousy towards Xiao Qiyun, and the overly intimate scene in front of him at this moment.
Sheng Xuan's face instantly darkened, all his previous excitement vanished, leaving only gloom and anger.
He subconsciously wanted to point at Xiao Qiyun with his left hand, but the stinging pain from his left arm that he had been forcibly ignoring made him freeze! So he immediately switched to his right hand. The movement was too big, which aggravated the wound on his left arm. He frowned almost imperceptibly in pain, but he immediately suppressed it.
He pursed his lips, all the joy on his face vanishing, replaced by an expression that mixed displeasure and "I knew it" in his eyes. He walked a few steps to the low table, slammed the food box onto the small table next to it with a "thud," his action carrying a hint of venting his anger.
He crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and glanced sideways at Xiao Qiyun's hand, which was still holding Su Zhelan's wrist, with a slightly provocative and clearly displeased look. His voice rose a little, with a hint of questioning:
"Hey! Xiao Qiyun! What are you up to now? Why are you holding Zhelan's hand?" The sourness in his tone could be smelled from a distance.
Su Zhelan was startled by the sudden commotion and instinctively tried to pull her wrist back from Xiao Qiyun's palm, but Xiao Qiyun only gently squeezed it to reassure her and did not let go immediately.
Xiao Qiyun slowly raised his head and looked at Sheng Xuan at the door with a "I'm very unhappy" expression. The gentle and calm smile on his face did not diminish at all, and even carried a hint of mischievousness.
He slowly and deliberately released his grip on Su Zhelan's wrist, his movements elegant and natural, as if he had just been conducting a perfectly normal lesson.
"You've arrived?" Xiao Qiyun's voice was clear and gentle, with his usual warmth. "We're painting. Zhelan's brushwork is still immature, so I'm teaching him how to paint flower buds, and I need to guide him step by step."
As he spoke, he pointed to the few delicate pink flower buds on the drawing paper, his tone frank.
Sheng Xuan followed Xiao Qiyun's finger and saw that the ink plum blossom on the paper was indeed well-painted, with strong branches and shyly budding flowers. But this explanation could not completely dispel the little knot in his heart.
He looked at the painting suspiciously, then at Su Zhelan's slightly flushed cheeks, and then at Xiao Qiyun's "gentlemanly" appearance. The sour feeling in his heart intensified.
He snorted, tightening his grip on his arm, but accidentally aggravated the injury on his left arm, causing him to wince in pain. His tone was still a little awkward: "If you're going to draw, then draw... why are you standing so close? Zhelan isn't a child anymore, does she need to be taught step by step?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Su Zhelan, his eyes conveying a sense of "you be the judge."
Su Zhelan felt a little embarrassed under Sheng Xuan's gaze, and quickly put down her brush, explaining, "Sheng Xuan... it's because I can't draw well, Your Highness is teaching me..."
The voice wasn't loud, carrying a hint of helplessness at being interrupted and a subtle, almost imperceptible, protectiveness.
Seeing Su Zhelan's eagerness to explain for Xiao Qiyun, Sheng Xuan felt even worse.
He pursed his lips, wanting to say something more, but ultimately swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He scratched his head in frustration and pointed irritably at the food box he had brought.
"Alright, alright! Hurry up! Eat it while it's hot! I... I went to the kitchen specifically to supervise them as they prepared it!"
After saying that, he stopped looking at the two of them, crossed his arms, walked angrily to the window, turned his back to the low table, and sulked while staring at the rising steam outside.
Su Zhelan looked at Sheng Xuan's obviously sullen back and then at the newly painted plum blossom on the table. She felt a little helpless and amused.
He knew that Shengxuan cared about him, but his way of expressing it was... rather direct.
He put down his pen and stood up. Xiao Qiyun also calmly stood up, a gentle smile on his face, as if Sheng Xuan's questioning just now was just a minor incident.
Su Zhelan walked to the small table and looked at the heavy food box that Sheng Xuan had brought. The lid was tightly closed, but wisps of enticing food aromas still wafted out.
“Shengxuan…” Su Zhelan’s voice carried a hint of reassurance as he reached out to lift the lid of the food box. “Thank you for bringing food.”
The lid was a bit tight, and Su Zhelan couldn't open it with one hand, so Xiao Qiyun subconsciously reached out his left hand to help.
Just as both hands forcefully lifted the lid of the food container—
"hiss……"
A very faint, yet clearly audible, gasp came from the window!
Su Zhelan paused, looking in the direction of the sound.
Sheng Xuan was still facing away from them, but his arms crossed stiffened slightly.
He seemed to want to turn around to see if Su Zhelan had opened the food box, but the movement aggravated the injury on his left arm, and the sharp pain that was forcibly suppressed made him unable to help but make a sound.
Su Zhelan's gaze instantly fell on Sheng Xuan's left arm, which he was crossing.
Sheng Xuan seemed to realize that she had made a sound, so she immediately straightened her back and pretended to be nonchalant as she continued to look out the window. However, the slightly tense shoulder lines and the deliberate stillness made her look even more deliberate.
A hint of doubt flashed through Su Zhelan's mind. Sheng Xuan usually moved with great boldness and rarely acted so "cautiously".
The food box lid was opened, revealing several delicate snacks and a bowl of warm soup, with an enticing aroma.
Su Zhelan picked up a clean bowl and spoon that had been prepared beside him, preparing to ladle a bowl of soup for Sheng Xuan. He carried the bowl to the window and stopped beside Sheng Xuan.
“Shengxuan,” Su Zhelan said gently, “have some soup to warm yourself up.” He handed the bowl to Shengxuan.
Upon hearing Su Zhelan's voice, Sheng Xuan's slight unease instantly dissipated.
He immediately turned around, forcing a smile, and reached for the bowl: "Hehe, Zhelan is still the best! Let me tell you, I've been watching over this soup..."
He habitually tried to take the bowl with both hands to show his respect and happiness—his left hand supporting the bottom of the bowl and his right hand holding the rim.
However, just as his left hand was about to touch the bottom of the bowl, a sharp pain from his injured left arm, aggravated by the movement, made him freeze abruptly! The smile on his face twisted for a moment!
Almost reflexively and extremely quickly, he withdrew his half-extended left hand! He then grabbed the rim of the bowl with his right hand in a somewhat flustered manner!
The movement was so fast it created a gust of wind!
"Careful!" Su Zhelan was startled by Sheng Xuan's sudden action and instinctively gripped the bowl tightly to prevent the soup from spilling.
The bowl was caught, but Sheng Xuan only held onto the rim with one hand, her movements appearing somewhat clumsy and strained. A little soup spilled from the bowl due to the earlier shaking, landing on the back of Sheng Xuan's hand.
"Ouch! It's hot!" Sheng Xuan cried out softly as the hot soup burned him, his hand trembling so much that he almost dropped the bowl again!
He quickly gripped the bowl tightly with his right hand. The burning pain from the scalded area on the back of his hand, combined with the stinging pain from the wound on his left arm, made his face turn pale instantly, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Su Zhelan's heart sank!
He clearly saw how abrupt and flustered Sheng Xuan's action of withdrawing his left hand was! He saw the fleeting expression of pain on Sheng Xuan's face! He saw the clumsiness of him barely holding the bowl with only one hand! He also saw the instant paleness on his face and the cold sweat on his forehead after being scalded by the hot soup!
This is definitely not how Sung Hwon usually is!
Su Zhelan's gaze sharpened instantly. He stopped looking at the bowl of soup and stared intently at Sheng Xuan's left arm, which he had instinctively protected to his side and dared not move!
"What happened to your hand?" Su Zhelan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension and worry as she stepped forward, her gaze fixed intently on Sheng Xuan's left arm.
Sheng Xuan's heart skipped a beat! Oh no! He'd been found out! He forced a calm expression, managing a smile that looked more like a grimace, and tried to hide his hands behind his back.
"No...it's nothing! I just accidentally burned myself on the bowl! It's alright! The soup is really delicious!" he said, trying to bring the bowl to his mouth with his right hand to cover it up.
But Su Zhelan's eyes were incredibly sharp! He had already become suspicious, and Sheng Xuan's attempt to cover up his suspicions and his flustered eyes only confirmed his guess!
Without further hesitation, Su Zhelan suddenly reached out, not to take the bowl, but to grab Sheng Xuan's left wrist, which he was trying to hide behind his back!
"Ah!" Caught off guard, Sheng Xuan's wrist was grabbed by Su Zhelan. He instinctively tried to break free, but the movement aggravated his injury, causing another sharp pain that made him cry out in pain! His face instantly turned even paler!
That cry of pain completely exposed them!
Su Zhelan gave Sheng Xuan no chance to hide it. With swift and irresistible force, she rolled up the sleeve of Sheng Xuan's left arm!
The dark sleeves were lifted up, revealing a thick, white gauze wrapped around the left forearm!
The gauze was neatly wrapped, but near the wrist, due to Sheng Xuan's struggle and Su Zhelan's movements, the edges were slightly loose, and a faint trace of pale yellow ointment and... the edge of a deep red wound could be vaguely seen underneath!
Although the wound was covered with gauze, the raised outline and the dark traces of ointment seeping from the edges clearly showed that it was a wound!
Su Zhelan's pupils suddenly contracted as she looked at the thick gauze and the vaguely visible outline of the wound!
He abruptly raised his head, looking at Sheng Xuan's face, which was pale and flustered from pain and being caught red-handed. His voice trembled with disbelief and a barely perceptible sob:
"What...what happened?! When were you injured?!"
"No...it's nothing serious!" Sheng Xuan forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, his eyes darting away from Su Zhelan, enduring the pain.
"It was...it was during training at the drill ground this afternoon...I accidentally...got grazed by the scabbard of someone next to me! It was just a superficial wound! It looked scary, but it was nothing! Really! Mr. Su even bandaged it up for me!"
He spoke rapidly, trying to increase credibility by using the name "Su Yan," but his voice was shaky due to guilt and pain.
"Training on the drill ground? Scratched by the scabbard?" Su Zhelan's voice was clearly questioning. He stared intently into Sheng Xuan's eyes, but subconsciously loosened his grip, afraid of hurting him again. "When did this happen? How come I didn't know?"
"It was...it was this afternoon! When you took your medicine!" Sheng Xuan quickly followed up on Su Zhelan's story, his eyes still darting around. "I...I was just afraid you'd worry! It's just a minor injury, it'll be fine in a couple of days! Really!"
As he spoke, he tried to pull down the sleeve that Su Zhelan had rolled up with his right hand, wanting to cover the glaring gauze. "Look, it's all bandaged up, it's fine now..."
Just as Su Zhelan frowned, preparing to press for more information, a gentle yet undeniably present voice rang out from the side.
Xiao Qiyun had already walked up to the two of them without them noticing. His face still held that calm and gentle smile, his gaze sweeping calmly over the thick gauze on Sheng Xuan's left arm before landing on Su Zhelan's face, which was filled with worry and doubt.
“Since Shengxuan has said so,” Xiao Qiyun’s voice was clear and gentle, “it must have been an accidental bump on the training ground. Mr. Su’s medical skills are superb, and since it has been properly bandaged, it should be fine.”
He paused, his gaze softening as he looked at Su Zhelan, carrying a subtle hint of guidance and... a deeper consideration:
“Shengxuan is a martial artist, so bumps and bruises are inevitable. Zhelan, please don’t make things difficult for the ‘injured’.” He emphasized the word “injured” with a hint of teasing, trying to ease the atmosphere.
“Look at him, he’s sweating from the pain. If we keep asking him questions, he might not even be able to hold this bowl of soup properly.”
As Xiao Qiyun spoke, he naturally reached out and gently but firmly placed his hand on the back of Su Zhelan's hand, which was gripping Sheng Xuan's wrist, indicating to Su Zhelan to let go.
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