Ye Luan felt a dizzying sensation from the wind blowing around her. She strained to open her eyelids, only to realize he had brought her out of the palace.
“Where… are we going?”
She had expected him to take her to some random palace, but instead, he had led her out of the imperial grounds.
“Jingyu.”
Ye Luan couldn’t be bothered to wonder what this place was. She tilted her head, leaning against his chest with her eyes closed.
All she wanted now was a good, cold bath.
Xiao Chizhan lowered his gaze, seeing her face flushed unnaturally red and her lips almost bitten through. The hand holding her waist continuously channeled internal energy into her, suppressing the poison in her body.
Jingyu was within the inner city, and they arrived quickly.
Li Qiongyu, munching on a cucumber, came out and rubbed his eyes in shock upon seeing him carrying Ye Luan back.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
Didn’t the two of them fall out? Why was Ye Luan willingly being carried back by him?
And what was going on with Xiao Chizhan? His chest was covered in bloodstains. Had they fought again?
Ye Luan heard Li Qiongyu’s voice and immediately opened her eyes, asking with difficulty, “Do you have an antidote for the ‘He’?”
Oh ho, poisoned, were we?
“Of course–” Before he could finish, a chilling glare was shot his way. Li Qiongyu immediately changed his tune, “Where would something like that have an antidote?”
Ye Luan wasn’t paying attention to their exchange of glares at all. Her entire body felt suffocated, with every inch of her skin aching.
When he channeled internal energy to suppress the poison, she felt slightly better, but the moment he stopped, the toxins would spread.
She couldn’t help but rub against him in his embrace.
“Xiao Chizhan, take me to the bathroom. I want a cold bath.”
She clutched his collar, her words weak and intermittent, her eyes misted over, looking utterly pitiful.
Xiao Chizhan ignored her, his gaze holding a pathological intensity.
Did she intend to die if she soaked her wounds in cold water all night?
Li Qiongyu heard her mumbling and let out a laugh, “Tsk, the young lady would rather soak in cold water all night than be with you–”
Xiao Chizhan cursed him to get lost, then strode towards his own pavilion, paying no heed to the shouting person behind him.
“Hmph, insidious!”
Li Qiongyu crunched down on his cucumber and turned to leave.
“Go to the washroom, I want a cold bath–”
Her posture was incredibly graceful, as if she had no bones, twisting and turning in his arms.
Xiao Chizhan couldn’t stand it. He slapped her hard, saying, “Behave yourself.”
The slap caused Ye Luan’s head to explode. Beyond her surprise, her cheeks burned with an unnatural heat.
She gritted her teeth, “Are you asking for it?”
“Not feeling any better?”
Xiao Chizhan kicked open the door and carried her towards the bed.
Ye Luan watched him loom over her, sweat beading on her forehead, and cursed, “Beast.”
“Where am I being a beast? For taking off your dirty clothes and serving you, I’m a beast?”
As he spoke, he stripped off her damp and soiled robes, used a towel to wipe away the bloodstains on her body, and cleaned her wounds.
Ye Luan writhed uncomfortably, but he held her waist tightly, rendering her immobile. Only her long legs flailed and kicked on the bed.
“Xiao–Chizhan, I–I’m really dying. I want to take a cold bath.”
“Soak all night, and you’ll freeze to death, and the poison won’t be cured.”
He wiped her body inch by inch with the towel. His touch on her skin, his cool fingertips, made her let out a helpless sigh.
Her eyes were tinged with red, and she half-opened them to grasp his robes.
“Then take me to the ice room. I.”
Her mind was filled with thoughts of kissing him. She couldn’t continue like this; she was losing control.
Xiao Chizhan lightly wrapped her wound with gauze and said, “There is no ice room here.”
“–”
Ye Luan’s mind slowly began to cloud over. She half-propped her eyelids open, staring intently at his lips.
She really wanted to kiss him.
No!
She moved her gaze away with difficulty, curling herself into a ball.
Xiao Chizhan tossed the towel into the basin, then took off his clothes and got into bed, lying beside her. He said nothing and made no move.
Ye Luan felt his presence and, dazed, burrowed into his embrace.
“Me?”
He lowered his gaze and gently brushed aside the strands of hair by her temples. His devilishly handsome face seemed to be tempting her, alluring and provocative.
Ye Luan felt a bit thirsty and unconsciously swallowed.
Her reason told her not to get close, not to get close, but she couldn’t control her actions. She actively grabbed his collar, pulled herself up, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I want the antidote.”
Her voice was soft and weak, and her beautiful face, usually so indifferent, was now imbued with a captivating allure that ignited desire.
Xiao Chizhan lowered his head, lifting her chin, and whispered with a gentle seduction.
“The medicine here is poisonous; it can only temporarily suppress it.” He paused, then lightly bit her lips, “My best medicine is me.”
Ye Luan’s eyes were moist. After his light bite, she felt as though her head would explode. She instinctively reached out and hugged his head.
His clothes felt so cool, making the restless energy within her subside considerably.
But she lacked the strength, her body unable to support itself. She slowly slid down, and Xiao Chizhan’s hand gripped her waist, pulling her firmly into his embrace.
“You’re offering yourself up. Don’t deny it after you’re done?”
Xiao Chizhan propped himself up slightly, pinched her nose, and whispered seductively in her ear.
This wasn’t him forcing her, after all.
Ye Luan squinted, hooking her arms around his neck. Her dark hair scattered over his chest muscles, soft and loose, tantalizing and itchy.
“No, won’t deny–”
“Little fox, you have no choice but to acknowledge it.”
Xiao Chizhan’s eyes darkened. He lifted her waist and sat her on his lap.
Ye Luan couldn’t help but tremble in her shoulders. Her mind was blank; she didn’t hear what he was saying. She only felt that his hands on her waist were both ticklish and numbing, and a familiar feeling rose from her spine.
She looked at his lips moving as he spoke and found it bothersome. She reached out to cover them.
Xiao Chizhan took the opportunity to lightly lick her palm. A faint smile flickered in his seductive eyes. He leaned back lazily against the bed, watching her, like a siren luring men to ruin.
Ye Luan was stirred by his actions, swallowed, and lightly touched the mole by his eye.
“Do you like it?”
“Mmm~”
Xiao Chizhan chuckled, looking at her傻乎乎 (silly/foolish) appearance. He stretched out his long fingers and pinched her face; it was so soft.
Since his return this time, he hadn’t had a good look at her in a long time.
“Luan Luan, I missed you.”
He hugged her waist, pressing her into his arms, and gently kissed and bit the shape of her lips again and again.
Ye Luan was dizzy from his kisses, trembling and numb.
His muscles were hard, his lines clearly defined.
“Xiao Chizhan.”
She called his name indistinctly, her eyes hazy and seductive.
“Can you settle your romantic entanglements? I was implicated by you. If it weren’t for your love affairs, I wouldn’t have been injured and then poisoned.”
Xiao Chizhan’s eyes darkened. He stroked her hair and gave a soft hum.
‘You’re so wicked, how could anyone be so blind to like you?’ As she spoke, she pinched his face again, pulling it gently. “If they knew your true nature, they certainly wouldn’t like you and would want to stay far away.”
“Do you like me then?”
Ye Luan, in her confused state, hugged him. “You hit me, so no.”