Chapter 82
The unique humid air and herbal fragrance of the hot spring villa already lingered in the air.
Sheng Xuan stopped in front of the courtyard gate, subconsciously lowered his head, and sniffed his cuffs hard—thankfully, the toxic mixed fragrance seemed to be covered by the new clothes, and he couldn't smell anything unusual.
Arriving at the entrance of the hot spring villa, Sheng Xuan's heart pounded like a drum. He listened intently; it was eerily quiet inside. He gently knocked twice on the door, the sound crisp and clear, but after a few moments, there was no response.
"Ze Lan?" Sheng Xuan called out tentatively in a low voice, but the courtyard remained quiet.
Anxiety gripped him instantly—could it be that he was...tired last night? Or...?
Without thinking twice, Sheng Xuan carefully pushed the courtyard gate. The gate wasn't latched and opened silently a crack. He hesitated for a moment, then slipped inside.
The courtyard was quiet, save for the gurgling of the hot spring water and the rustling of the breeze through the flowers and trees. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns, and the air was filled with the familiar, crisp scent of herbs. Sheng Xuan tiptoed toward the main house where Su Zhelan lived.
He stopped in front of the closed door, raised his hand and knocked again, lowering his voice even further: "Ze Lan? Are you there?"
There was still no sound from inside. Sheng Xuan's heart tightened; the faint hope he had felt moments before was now replaced by worry. He gently pushed open the door.
Sunlight streamed through the paper windows, casting a warm glow inside. The light was soft and hazy, creating a tranquil and comforting atmosphere.
He saw Su Zhelan.
Su Zhelan was lying on her side on the low couch by the window, seemingly disturbed by his knocking and pushing of the door, and was struggling to sit up.
He had clearly just been awakened from a deep sleep; his eyes were still sleepy, his eyelashes fluttering slightly like butterfly wings as he tried to open them. His usual aloofness had been largely washed away by sleepiness and confusion.
His long, black hair was scattered messily on the pillow, which made his skin look even more like cold jade.
Most importantly—his thin inner shirt slipped slightly off his left shoulder as he raised his hand to support himself.
The sunlight slanted down onto that bare shoulder and neck.
Below the beautifully sculpted collarbone, near the rounded shoulder, several deep red and purplish teeth marks caught Shengxuan's eye! Like a few fallen plum blossoms after a ravages of snow, clear, ambiguous, and carrying an unmistakable sense of possession—these were the marks left by Shengxuan herself last night when she lost control and used her canine teeth to gnaw and nibble at him!
Sheng Xuan felt a sudden "boom" in his mind! A fire instantly burned from the soles of his feet to the top of his head! The masterpiece he left behind last night was right there on that fair skin, completely exposed under the light!
The chaotic yet intoxicating scenes from last night, the suppressed sobs, the slippery touch... all washed away his carefully constructed composure like a tidal wave!
Su Zhelan didn't seem to be fully awake yet; her movements to support her body were sluggish and lazy.
His half-undone inner shirt hung loosely on his other arm, revealing more of his smooth skin and the supple waistline outlined by the silk belt. That dazed, disheveled appearance, coupled with the clear teeth marks on his shoulder, was a hundred times more lethal than any invitation from someone fully awake!
Sheng Xuan froze on the spot, his feet rooted to the ground. His gaze was fixed on that skin, his breathing became heavy and hot, and his chest heaved violently.
The excuse of "changing the medicine" that I was carrying suddenly seemed incredibly pale and ridiculous, like a soap bubble bursting in the sunlight.
“…Sheng Xuan?” Su Zhelan seemed to finally see the figure at the door. Her voice, thick with nasal tone and slightly hoarse, sounded soft and confused, as if she hadn’t woken up yet.
He subconsciously tried to pull up his slipping collar, the movement pulling at the bitten skin, probably causing some hidden discomfort. He frowned slightly and let out a barely audible groan.
Sheng Xuan snapped back to reality, but his gaze remained fixed on Su Zhelan's bare shoulder, as if drawn by a powerful magnet—those deep purple teeth marks, like branding marks, were so clear and glaring in the morning light, silently accusing him of his recklessness the previous night. His Adam's apple bobbed laboriously, as if he were swallowing a burning coal.
"I...uh...that..." Sheng Xuan's tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and his eyes darted back and forth between Su Zhelan's sleepy face and the glaring "evidence" in a panic, completely unable to look Su Zhelan in the eye.
He felt his cheeks burning, and his heart was pounding in his throat. His mind went blank; he could forget all excuses except for the mark on that patch of white skin.
Following Sheng Xuan's burning gaze, Su Zhelan looked down at her left shoulder.
In the morning light, the teeth marks on the skin of his shoulder were clear, fresh, and ambiguous. The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Su Zhelan's fair cheeks instantly turned as if they had been scorched by fire, a blush quickly spreading from her neck to her ears, and finally spreading to her entire face, even the corners of her eyes were tinged with a crimson!
Last night's fragmented memories surged back, and the belated shame and embarrassment of being caught red-handed overwhelmed him as the other person stared so intently at the hidden marks on his body.
Su Zhelan suddenly reached out, her movements filled with unprecedented panic and a hint of annoyance, and quickly pulled the collar of her dress that had slipped off her shoulder back up, fastening it tightly to the top button!
The forceful pulling motion seemed to have reached the bitten spot again, causing him to hiss almost inaudibly and furrow his delicate brows.
"Sit over there!" Su Zhelan's tone rose slightly, his forced composure masking a barely contained anger and embarrassment. He pointed to the low stool beside the bed, "Put away those... thoughts! Check your injuries first!"
Sheng Xuan felt as if he had been granted a pardon, but was also extremely guilty. He immediately moved obediently to the low stool and sat down, awkwardly using his right hand to roll up the sleeve of his left arm, not daring to look in Su Zhelan's direction again.
Su Zhelan took a deep breath, suppressing the heat on his face and the turmoil in his heart, and got up to get his medicine box. He knelt on the bed next to the low stool, opened the medicine box, and took out clean gauze, strong liquor, and ointment.
He carefully unwrapped the blood-stained old gauze from Sheng Xuan's arm, revealing the wound underneath. The stitches were clearly visible, the edges were red and swollen, and fresh blood was seeping out.
Su Zhelan became focused and used a cotton cloth soaked in strong liquor to gently wipe the skin around the wound.
His fingertips were slightly cool and carried the fragrance of herbs; each touch made Sheng Xuan gasp for breath.
That focused profile so close to her, those lowered eyelashes, those slightly pursed lips, and the faint warmth she could feel beneath his tightly wrapped clothes... all made Sheng Xuan's heart pound like a drum. The pain in her wounds seemed to lessen, replaced by a deeper, more anxious longing.
Just as Su Zhelan was pinching the edge of the new gauze, preparing to re-bandage—
"Knock, knock knock."
A slow, deliberate knocking sounded, carrying a familiar and undeniable rhythm.
Sheng Xuan and Su Zhelan froze simultaneously, as if they had been frozen in place.
Before they could respond, the heavy wooden door creaked open a crack. Bright morning light streamed in, outlining a tall, slender figure in the doorway.
Xiao Qiyun stood at the intersection of light and shadow, dressed in an elegant bamboo-green casual robe that accentuated his gentle and refined demeanor. He carried a delicate double-layered vermilion lacquered food box in one hand, his face bearing his usual gentle smile, his voice clear and melodious.
"Ze Lan? I noticed you hadn't had breakfast, so I brought you some lotus seed soup and pine nut and lily bulb buns that you like..."
As he spoke, he naturally stepped across the threshold.
However, before he could even settle into his first step, his gaze swept across the room like that of a hawk.
The first thing he saw was Sheng Xuan, sitting on a low stool with his back to the door, shirtless. Next to him was Su Zhelan, kneeling beside Sheng Xuan, holding gauze in her hand, her face still flushed.
As Su Zhelan turned to look at the door, the left side of his clothes seemed to have loosened slightly due to his previous movements, but he subconsciously and tightly gathered it with his hand, leaving only a slightly hastily tightened collar line.
The gentle smile on Xiao Qiyun's face froze instantly, as if a layer of ice had been poured over it. The air in the entire room seemed to have been completely sucked out at that moment!
His hand holding the food box sank almost imperceptibly, and he stood still, not taking another step forward.
Sunlight streamed in from behind him, casting most of his face into shadow. Only his long, deep eyes shone brightly in the backlight, like two clusters of icy blue flames suddenly igniting at the bottom of a deep pool.
His gaze was sharp as a knife, sweeping back and forth across Sheng Xuan's bare upper body, Su Zhelan's slightly flushed profile, and the less than one foot between them, finally settling on Su Zhelan's fingers that were unconsciously gripping her clothes.
Time seemed to freeze for a few breaths.
Xiao Qiyun's Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly. The frozen, icy expression on his face seemed to be forcibly suppressed by a powerful force, and a slight curve was squeezed out again.
The smile remained gentle and refined, with the corners of the mouth even curving upwards, but the depths of the eyes held an unyielding icy chill.
He finally spoke the second half of his sentence, his voice even gentler, calmer, and more flawless than before, like the clear sound of the finest porcelain being struck:
"—It seems I've arrived...at a rather untimely time?"
Beneath that gentle tone lurked a suffocating undercurrent.
Xiao Qiyun's words, "Not quite the right time?" with a subtle undertone, were like a feather gently falling into the stagnant air of the hot spring villa, yet they were enough to make Su Zhelan's heart skip a beat.
After a brief silence, Su Zhelan spoke almost instinctively, her voice trying to remain steady, yet still trembling slightly: "No..."
He glanced quickly at the glaring blood-red gauze on Sheng Xuan's arm, then looked away as if burned, his voice becoming slightly clearer, "Sheng Xuan's wound... is bleeding, come to me to change the dressing."
He paused, his gaze finally settling on a spot on the ground. "Thank you, Your Highness, for thinking of me and bringing me breakfast."
As Su Zhelan spoke, he lowered his head again to treat Sheng Xuan's wound, his fingertips twisting the edge of the new gauze. His movements seemed more composed than before, but his tense shoulders and overly focused profile revealed his inner tension.
The moment Su Zhelan spoke, Sheng Xuan instinctively straightened his back even more. He was already feeling smug because of Su Zhelan's "protection," and now his wicked desire to show off was rising uncontrollably.
“Yes!” Sheng Xuan immediately chimed in, his voice becoming louder, with a touch of “See, Su Zhelan cares about me so much” in his affection, and he smiled brightly at the door.
"Thank you so much, Zhelan! This injury is really troublesome!" He deliberately shook his bandaged left arm, then turned slightly to look at Su Zhelan kneeling down, speaking in a familiar tone that was almost coquettish, deliberately keeping his voice within earshot of those at the door: "I have to come again tonight, Zhelan, you have to take another look at me, otherwise I won't feel at ease and won't be able to sleep!"
Sheng Xuan's words were like fine needles coated with honey, piercing Xiao Qiyun with precision.
Xiao Qiyun's fingers, which were holding the food box, twitched slightly. His gentle and refined smile froze like a piece of exquisite porcelain, still perfect, yet suddenly devoid of any vitality.
Deep within his eyes, in that usually gentle crack, a chilling glint flashed almost instantly, so fast it was almost an illusion. The smile remained on his lips, but looking at it for too long inexplicably sent a shiver down one's spine.
Su Zhelan's ears burned from Sheng Xuan's direct and "legitimate" "appointment," and she subconsciously wanted to tell him to shut up, but she held back.
He glared at Sheng Xuan quickly, his eyes carrying a clear warning and embarrassment. But on his cool and handsome face, the blush deepened uncontrollably, like the most vibrant crabapple blossoms on a spring branch.
Xiao Qiyun took in every detail of Su Zhelan's reaction—the glare, glistening with tears, held little real anger, but rather seemed more like reproach.
Her flushed cheeks, in the hazy morning light, were stunningly beautiful… and they pierced his heart with a sharp pain. He tried his best to keep his breathing steady and stepped in again. His steps were still calm and elegant, as if he were strolling leisurely in a garden.
"I see," Xiao Qiyun's voice remained gentle, like snow melting in early spring, without the slightest ripple. "The wound is the priority. Changing the dressing will suffice."
He walked straight to a low table in the corner of the room, naturally keeping a suitable distance from the low couch. He gently placed the exquisite vermilion lacquered food box in his hand down, the bottom of the box making an extremely slight collision sound on the smooth tabletop, a sound that signified absolute control.
"Breakfast is still warm." Xiao Qiyun said as he opened the food box with graceful, flowing movements. Inside the first layer, a delicate white porcelain bowl held perfectly cooked lotus seed soup, its sweet and warm aroma wafting out.
His gaze naturally fell on Su Zhelan, and he urged her gently, but with an unquestionable concern befitting a superior, "Zhelan, come and eat something first. Changing the dressing takes a lot of effort, don't go on an empty stomach."
He personally picked up the white porcelain bowl, along with the delicate silver-handled spoon, and gently pushed it onto the low table in front of Su Zhelan's spot, silently marking a boundary.
Su Zhelan felt as if he were enveloped by an invisible, gentle net. Xiao Qiyun's gentle words and considerate actions subtly "invited" him out of the unsettling atmosphere, giving him a reason to obey—the all-powerful protective umbrella of "taking good care of his health." He couldn't refuse, nor dared he refuse.
He quickly tied the bandage into a perfect knot, almost immediately stood up, and responded softly, "Okay... I'm coming."
Her steps were somewhat hurried, but she tried her best to maintain a composed demeanor as she walked to the low table and knelt down properly in the spot indicated by Xiao Qiyun.
He lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on the steaming lotus seed soup in front of him, concealing all the turmoil in his heart.
Seeing how "obedient" Su Zhelan was, being led away by the Crown Prince with just a few words, and then looking at Xiao Qiyun's domineering attitude as if Su Zhelan were his possession, Sheng Xuan felt a surge of jealousy, as if she had been ignored and rejected!
He pushed himself up on his knees and roughly put on his outer garment, covering his bare upper body.
"It's all changed! Thanks, Zhelan!" Sheng Xuan's voice was deliberately loud, but his eyes swept over the low table with a hint of resentment and provocation. Especially when he saw Xiao Qiyun calmly preparing to pick up the pastries from the second layer of the food box, as if nothing had happened, his anger intensified.
"Your Highness, please enjoy your breakfast!" He gestured with his chin toward Xiao Qiyun, then turned and stared intently at Su Zhelan's slightly flustered profile.
"I'll come back tonight to change the dressing! Zhelan, don't forget!"
He deliberately dragged out the syllables of "changing medicine," as if it were some secret signal known only to the two of them. His eyes made no attempt to hide the fervent declaration, as if afraid that Xiao Qiyun would not understand his "justifiable reason." After speaking, he stopped looking at them and strode out with a "victorious" air, slamming the door shut behind him.
As the door opened slightly, Xiao Qiyun's fingers, which had just picked up a small, delicate pine nut and lily bun, paused almost imperceptibly in mid-air.
His handsome face still maintained a gentle smile, but deep in his eyes, it seemed as if a stormy sea had flashed by forcibly suppressed.
Gently place the pastry back into the delicate little dish in the food box, the movement so light that it makes no sound, not even disturbing the decorations on the edge of the porcelain dish.
The room fell into an even deeper silence than before.
The hot spring water was still gurgling in the courtyard, making the indoor atmosphere even more stuffy.
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