Chapter 95
The absurd yet clear realization, like vines, coiled around Su Zhelan's heart, making it hard for her to breathe.
He shook his head irritably, trying to clear his mind of these chaotic thoughts.
However, the distinct soreness deep within his body, and the "masterpiece" left by that bastard last night, stubbornly reminded him of everything that had happened the night before.
Fragments flashed uncontrollably through Su Zhelan's mind—in the darkness, the hot and heavy body covering him, like an insatiable beast, left its mark on every inch of his skin with an almost gnawing force.
Collarbone, shoulder hollows, chest... and even lower down...
"Ugh..." A short, embarrassed moan escaped Su Zhelan's throat, and the heat that had just subsided on her cheeks suddenly flared up again.
No! I have to take a look!
He endured the soreness and discomfort in his lower back and stood up very slowly from the soft couch, each step pulling at his hidden pain. He moved to the bronze mirror and, with trembling fingers, untied the belt of his nightgown.
The delicate fabric slipped off her shoulders.
The clear reflection appeared instantly in the bronze mirror.
Starting from the collarbone and moving downwards, the fair and smooth skin was covered with what looked like a string of ripe berries—deep red and purplish-red kiss marks and teeth marks, densely packed and shocking!
It meandered downwards, covering her flat, firm abdomen, and even... disappeared below the edge of her waistband.
It's easy to imagine that the inner thighs are also a major affected area.
Su Zhelan's face drained of all color in an instant, then suddenly flushed bright red! The alternation of red and white was quite a spectacle.
"Sheng Xuan...is he...born in the Year of the Dog?!" He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words, his voice trembling with anger.
Shame, anger, and a hint of resentment surged and churned in his chest like magma. He was so angry that his whole body trembled slightly, his fingers gripping the edge of his clothes tightly until his knuckles turned white.
He turned around abruptly, suppressing his discomfort, and quickly walked to the medicine box in the corner.
He slammed the medicine box lid open with a forceful, venting gesture.
His eyes quickly scanned the bottles and jars, and he precisely picked out two items—one was an ointment for promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, reducing swelling and relieving pain, and the other was a medicinal powder for treating external injuries and promoting wound healing.
He took the two small bottles, moved them back to the bronze mirror, and took a deep breath.
Unbuttoning his clothes exposed more unsightly marks to the air.
The icy air caused tiny bumps to appear on the skin, and the deep red marks looked even more ambiguous and menacing under the blurry light of the bronze mirror.
Su Zhelan bit her lower lip, scooped out a large dollop of ointment with a refreshing medicinal scent, and pressed it onto the deepest mark below her collarbone, which had obvious teeth marks!
"Hiss..." The cold ointment and intense friction created a double stimulation, causing him to gasp again, tears welling up in his eyes. It hurt! But the pain was even worse than the frustration in his heart!
He struggled to apply the medicine to himself in front of the mirror.
As he smeared the marks on his body, he continued to mentally berate Sheng Xuan's despicable actions. But as his fingers, coated with ointment, moved downwards, grazing the sensitive area of his chest, the deep red marks seemed to warm beneath his fingertips…
When her fingertips unconsciously traced a particularly deep red mark from being sucked, her movements suddenly stopped.
In my mind, some more specific fragments of images that I had been deliberately suppressing suddenly surged up uncontrollably—in the darkness, that hot and heavy body pressed down on me with an irresistible force.
A hot, moist tongue, with an almost possessive, gnawing desire, rubbed heavily across the skin, leaving a burning mark and a slight shiver... A low, satisfied sigh seemed to linger in my ear...
With a "boom," Su Zhelan felt all the blood rush to her head! A wave of intense shame, more overwhelming than the simple anger she had felt before, swept over her like a tsunami, instantly drowning out all the curses.
His cheeks, ears, and even neck were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and even the touch of his fingertips on his skin felt unusually sensitive and... embarrassing.
He dared not look at his own expression in the mirror anymore, and just lowered his head abruptly, haphazardly and faster smearing the marks on his chest and sides.
His fingers trembled slightly uncontrollably, and his breathing became somewhat rapid.
As he dipped his fingers in the medicated oil and finally applied it to the more densely packed marks on his inner thigh, the sight reflected in the mirror made his fingers tremble violently, almost causing him to drop the bottle! That area of skin was already sensitive, and now it was even more red and swollen, covered with clear teeth marks and dark bruises left by sucking...
Su Zhelan's cheeks instantly turned bright red, as if they could bleed! He closed his eyes, haphazardly applied the product almost by feel, then quickly pulled up his pants and fastened his belt, as if looking at it again would be a form of torture.
After finishing, Su Zhelan lay weakly on the table, her forehead pressed against the cold surface, her chest heaving violently.
I'm exhausted, completely exhausted. My back aches, my arms are numb, but my mind is even more tired.
He stared at the three half-empty medicine bottles on the table, thinking angrily: What's the point of wiping! Can you even wipe it off?! That bastard Sheng Xuan! Next time… next time he dares to do this again… he…
The harsh words "next time" lingered in his mind, but he could never bring himself to actually do them.
The body in the mirror, so thoroughly marked, and the phrase hanging over his head like a curse, "Come again tonight," were like heavy chains, binding him tightly and absurdly into that vortex called Shengxuan.
He buried his face in his arms in frustration, letting out a muffled groan of resignation and shame.
She buried her face in her arms for a while, until she felt the heat on her cheeks subside a little, before letting out a long, resigned breath.
No matter how annoyed he was, it was no use; his back still ached, and he felt unwell all over. Resigned, he propped himself up on the table, the movement causing another wave of soreness and numbness in his lower back.
He walked to the table and poured himself a cup of warm tea. The slightly astringent aroma of the tea soothed the restlessness in his heart and the dryness in his throat.
Holding the teacup, he slowly moved back to the soft couch by the window, carefully sinking himself into the soft cushions.
However, this usually comfortable soft couch felt strangely uncomfortable in my lower back; there was a persistent, dull ache that wouldn't go away.
He frowned, adjusted his posture several times, and finally could only turn slightly to the side and bend one leg to barely find a position that would not pull on the painful area.
His gaze fell on the several medical books and manuscripts scattered on the small table next to him, which were the materials he usually consulted.
When feeling upset or unwell, immersing oneself in these familiar words may temporarily help one forget those troubling emotions.
Su Zhelan reached out, her fingertips pausing briefly on an open scroll of "Acupuncture Explanation" about meridian obstruction, before finally pulling out a thinner notebook about herbal processing.
Compared to the meridian acupuncture techniques that require deep thought, perhaps these simple words describing the properties of medicinal materials and the processing methods are more likely to calm his chaotic thoughts at this moment.
He turned the pages, his fingertips tracing the familiar ink marks. His gaze fell on the line, "Ze Xie, sweet and cold in nature, promotes urination and eliminates dampness..." He tried to concentrate.
However, his mind was like a pond ruffled by the wind; the words on the pages were blurred and swaying, unable to settle. The soreness in his body and those lingering, shameful memories, like tiny gnats, constantly disturbed his rare moments of solitude.
Time slipped away quietly amidst the aroma of herbs and the gentle murmur of spring water. Sunlight shifted from the east side of the window to the west, casting long shadows inside.
Thump, thump, thump.
A few slow, gentle knocks sounded on the door, carried with the usual warmth and restraint.
Su Zhelan looked up from the book, somewhat surprised. Who would come at this time…?
Before he could respond, the door was gently pushed open from the outside—as if the knock was merely an announcement rather than a request.
At the doorway, Xiao Qiyun stood tall and elegant, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, his demeanor still refined and impeccable. His face wore his usual gentle smile, his gaze softly fixed on Su Zhelan on the soft couch by the window.
"So you were in the room." Xiao Qiyun's voice was clear and pleasant, containing just the right amount of concern, and a hint of "I've finally found you."
I came here before the morning dew had dried, but you weren't here. I thought you had gone to help out in the herb garden early in the morning.
As he spoke, he walked in with remarkable ease, gently closing the door behind him. Without lingering at the door for pleasantries, he headed straight for the soft couch.
Su Zhelan subconsciously tried to sit up straighter, but the soreness in his lower back made him hesitate, and he could only maintain a somewhat lazy side-leaning posture.
As Xiao Qiyun approached step by step, the subtle scrutiny in the depths of his gentle eyes sent a shiver of wariness through Xiao Qiyun's heart.
The morning dew hasn't dried yet? So early? Su Zhelan's heart sank slightly.
Xiao Qiyun walked to the soft couch, his gaze sweeping over Su Zhelan's slightly disheveled clothes from sitting curled up for a long time and the herbal medicine notebook spread out on her lap, before finally settling back on Su Zhelan's face.
He didn't sit down immediately, but leaned forward slightly, as if carefully examining him. The smile on his lips deepened, but its depth was unreadable.
"Your face seems... a little tired?" Xiao Qiyun's tone carried a hint of probing, his gaze lightly brushing over Su Zhelan's eyebrows and eyes like a feather, finally landing precisely on the slightly open collar of Su Zhelan's clothes—there, below her collarbone, the edge of a deep red tooth mark covered with ointment was faintly visible!
Su Zhelan's heart skipped a beat! He almost immediately raised his hand, subconsciously trying to tighten his collar, but his movements were somewhat clumsy due to his panic and the soreness in his waist.
Xiao Qiyun's gaze lingered on that mark for only a fleeting moment, as quickly as an illusion. But deep within his eyes, the gentle smile seemed to freeze for a second before returning to normal, even carrying a hint of understanding and tenderness.
He seemed oblivious to Su Zhelan's barely concealed panic, and naturally sat down beside her on the edge of the soft couch. The distance between them instantly closed, and Xiao Qiyun's scent, carrying a faint aroma of ink and elegant incense, wafted over them.
"Later, when I went to the herb garden to look for you, I heard Mr. Su Yan mention that you were not feeling well..." Xiao Qiyun's voice became lower and slower, his gaze focused on Su Zhelan, filled with undisguised concern, and even a hint of just the right amount of grievance as if he had been neglected.
"But last night...didn't you sleep well? Or..." The last few words were spoken very softly, as if he were talking to himself, or as if he was trying to coax Su Zhelan into saying something.
As he spoke, he reached out his hand with utmost naturalness, his fingertips seemingly brushing away a stray strand of hair damp with sweat from Su Zhelan's forehead with the gentlest of gestures.
Su Zhelan's body tensed instantly! Xiao Qiyun's approach, his precise gaze on the marks, and his gentle, almost intimate actions made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.
The words "last night" stung his sensitive nerves like needles. He jerked his head away, dodging the outstretched hand.
"No...it's nothing!" Su Zhelan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible panic. He lowered his eyelashes, not daring to look into Xiao Qiyun's eyes, which seemed to see through everything.
"I just... accidentally got tired," he mumbled, his fingers unconsciously gripping the pages of the book on his lap, the paper making a soft creaking sound.
Xiao Qiyun's hand remained suspended in mid-air, showing no embarrassment at being dodged.
He withdrew his hand, but the smile on his lips faded slightly. The "concern" in his eyes deepened, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible sadness, as if he had been rejected.
"Is that so..." Xiao Qiyun responded softly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible disappointment and understanding.
He didn't press for details about being "tired," but his gaze once again swept over Su Zhelan's neck and collar, seemingly confirming something silently, or perhaps brewing a deeper emotion.
He lowered his eyelids slightly, concealing the undercurrents that were surging within him.
When he looked up again, a thin layer of moisture welled up in his warm eyes, and his voice became even lower and softer, with a barely perceptible tremor, as if he were trying his best to suppress some great grievance:
"...When I came this morning, the courtyard was quiet and deserted." He paused, his gaze passing over Su Zhelan, seemingly looking at the empty morning sky outside the window, his eyes filled with pure confusion and loss.
“Looking at that desolate house, with dew still clinging to the steps… I felt an emptiness and sadness in my heart.” His gaze refocused on Su Zhelan’s face, filled with a heartbreaking dependence and a cautious probing.
"I was thinking that perhaps... you're tired of me? Or... you're held back by someone more important, which is why... you're avoiding me?"
He spoke the words "more important person" with extreme softness, like a sigh, precisely piercing the chaotic area deep within Su Zhelan's heart, where she felt complex emotions towards Sheng Xuan.
Su Zhelan's heart clenched, and an indescribable sense of guilt instantly gripped him.
Xiao Qiyun seemed to be simply immersed in expressing his grievances. As he spoke, he very naturally, as if subconsciously seeking warmth, gently placed his hand on the back of Su Zhelan's hand, which was resting on the pages of the book.
Su Zhelan's hands were icy cold, with a slight sheen of sweat. Instinctively, she tried to pull her hand away, but Xiao Qiyun's seemingly gentle yet undeniably firm fingers pressed it down.
Xiao Qiyun's gaze fell on Su Zhelan's knuckles, which were slightly white from gripping the book tightly. His brows furrowed slightly, filled with deep, unyielding pity: "Why are your hands so cold?" His voice was so gentle it could melt water.
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Qiyun's slender fingers glided slowly along the sensitive skin on the inside of Su Zhelan's wrist in an extremely "natural" manner, the movement as gentle as a feather brushing against her skin, carrying a strange sense of comfort.
However, this touch sent a chill down Su Zhelan's spine, as if she were being licked by a cold snake's tongue.
The soothing caress did not stop. Xiao Qiyun's fingers, with extreme "concern," followed the lines of her forearm and seemingly unintentionally moved slowly towards Su Zhelan's waist—the place that had been ravaged last night and was now the most aching!
“Here…” Xiao Qiyun’s voice carried a hypnotic gentleness and inquiry. His fingertips, through the thin fabric, pressed with extreme precision and probing force onto the most sensitive soft flesh on Su Zhelan’s lower back! The location was exactly the core that had been repeatedly kneaded last night, almost leaving bruises!
"Ugh—!" Su Zhelan was caught completely off guard! A sharp, tearing pain suddenly exploded within her!
He shuddered violently in pain, unable to control himself to let out a short, suppressed cry of pain. His body sprawled backward like a scalded shrimp, and his face instantly drained of all color! The herbal medicine notebook on his leg slipped to the ground with a "thud."
The moment Su Zhelan cried out in pain and shrank back, Xiao Qiyun's eyes suddenly narrowed! A barely perceptible crack appeared in that gentle, watery mask, and a sharp excitement and a glint of light, as if locking onto the prey's weakness, flashed across his face!
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