Chapter 252: A married couple’s show of affection
Han Yunxi’s entire being emanated a serious aura of authority, enough to awe everyone present. The white-robed man slowly unclenched his fists and let go of the best chance to attack Long Feiye, choosing to sit quietly on the side and wait. As he watched Han Yunxi work, his gaze unconsciously softened again. He had always been fascinated by this woman when she was detoxifying poisons, unable to extricate himself from the sight.
Gu Qishao watched without moving as well, his expression a bit wooden. He didn’t take the chance to sneak away, his thoughts seemingly distracted. King cobra poison was nothing to Han Yunxi, but Long Feiye had been poisoned by so many of them that his life was still at risk unless she treated him in time. She used the fastest speed possible to expel the poison from Long Feiye’s leg, then quickly applied medicine. With her head bowed and eyes lowered, the rapid, professional movement of her fingers were direct and efficient. Her entire being had sank into a state of urgency as if nothing else mattered in the world, not even the sky falling down.
She didn’t sense her own anxiety, nor the fact that Long Feiye was staring at her the entire time with a thread of joy in his deep, dark eyes. He was very, very close to her, his forehead almost touching the top of her head. Such a scene looked incomparably soft and sweet in this dim, damp, and cold cave.
Although her movements were quick, the entire process of expelling poison, cleaning the wound, and applying medicine to each injury was done carefully and thoroughly down to the finest details. The layer of bandage was neither too thick nor too thin, but done just right and in a way that wouldn’t impede Long Feiye’s walking. It didn’t look half-bad, either. After all ten wounds were treated, Han Yunxi exhaled and looked up. “It’s safe now.”
But the movement caused her head to crash into Long Feiye’s chin. Long Feiye immediately raised his head and looked away, while Han Yunxi unconsciously scooted back.
So painful. Why was this guy’s chin bones so heard? The hit finally knocked her out of her agitation. She looked towards the side to avoid Long Feiye, her expression extremely serious and enduring. It was nothing like the serious, strong, and frightening woman who was present before. This was the first time she’d seen him since that forced kiss at the teahouse. She really had no idea how she should face him. Or rather, it was more accurate to say that she didn’t know what to do with this man. As a woman, she’d always found it easy to take something or let it go. She had superb self-control as well. But whenever he was involved, everything seemed to change. She couldn’t even control herself.
The silence around them was heavy, but the silence between them even more so. Han Yunxi stared at one side while fervently wishing she knew what Long Feiye was doing right this moment, and what kind of expression he was wearing. She really hated silences like these! And the conflicted feelings she was experiencing.
“Sit still, you still have poison inside you that I need to treat!” She ended up speaking first, her tone cold and even a little fierce. It was as if she was talking to a disobedient patient. When Long Feiye had flown out of the poison-lined entrance, he’d gotten poisoned by various toxins hidden at the exit. If not for Tang Li’s warning just then, she wouldn’t have even noticed his plight. Han Yunxi started up her detox system scanners to probe him while she kept her head down. But Long Feiye suddenly reached out a hand to gently rub her forehead.
Not expecting this, Han Yunxi looked up, only to see Long Feiye looking at her with a quiet expression. Even his ever chilly, emotionless pupils had turned still. His light movements focused on kneading away the pain from her forehead, but he didn’t say a word. He had big hands that were coarse and rough with calluses from years of holding a sword. Her skin was fine, smooth, and sensitive, her forehead ice cold compared to his warm fingers. When the contrast of rough and soft, hot and cold met together in massage, it left her inexpressibly comfortable. At that moment, Han Yunxi forgot about all of the conflicts and hurt from before to subconsciously sink into his eyes, which were as deep as the sea.
Long Feiye, so you have a quiet and peaceful side too. In this lifetime, is it possible…is it possible to wish for one thing, for you to have tender feelings like water1?
Just then, she had awed people with her detoxification skills, but this warm and quiet scene right now…was simply a show of affection from a married couple!
“Cough, cough!” Gu Qishao suddenly started coughing loudly. “Cough, cough, cough…” He was coughing so loudly that it was almost hard for him to breathe.
Han Yunxi recovered her senses then and turned aside her forehead. Long Feiye’s fingers touched air, causing him to withdraw his hand immediately. He didn’t look at Gu Qishao, but cast a glance at Tang Li on the side instead. Tang Li was about to make a move when Han Yunxi actually narrowed her eyes at Gu Qishao and said unhappily, “Where’s the antidote?”
Gu Qishao feigned ignorance, his face all innocence as he kept coughing lightly a few times.
“The antidote for the three poisons of Five-Hued Lotus Seedpod, Luo Wine Parting Grass, and Beauty with a Troubled Heart!” Han Yunxi demanded sternly.
The detox system had already figured out all the poisons. Long Feiye had only been afflicted with three on his way out thanks to to his superior speed, but all three were ancient poisons. The detox system didn’t even have records of their antidotes, much less ready-made ones on hand. Actually, it’d be hard to find such antidotes even in the modern day. Gu Qishao’s coughing ceased abruptly as he grinned at Han Yunxi, but he didn’t say a thing. Instead, he actually turned to leave.
“Hold it!” Han Yunxi and Tang Li cried out at the same time before Tang Li gave chase.
Gu Qishao ignored Han Yunxi to chuckle at Tang Li, his voice bewitching and devilishly cold. “Young Clan Head Tang, you’re incapable of crafting something like the Pear Blossom Rain Needles. Don’t waste too many of them.”
Tang Li had no idea about the truth, but assumed that Gu Qishao had dodged his four needles from before. He mused that he’d underestimated this fellow. If he used the Pear Blossom Rain Needles again, it really would be a waste, so he didn’t launch them.
“This young clan head can take care of you just fine without them!”
“This young gentleman is so scared!” Gu Qishao’s lips rose up mockingly as he assumed a battle stance. Without the threat of the Pear Blossom Rain Needles, he was very willing to play around with the Tang Clan’s young head.
But before Tang Li could even move, Han Yunxi said angrily, “Surnamed Gu, don’t think I can’t tell you’re playing for time. Give me the antidotes right now! These poisons can’t afford to wait!”
Of the three poisons in Long Feiye’s body, the Luo Wine Parting Grass reacted very quickly. If it wasn’t treated in time, the remnants of the poison would seep into the brain even if Han Yunxi expelled it all out. Even if Han Yunxi treated the poison then, it’d still leave aftereffects. Those who didn’t understand the poison would never be able to tell that Gu Qishao was trying to buy time, but Han Yunxi saw through him.
Tang Li grew agitated at these words. “You despicable villain!”
But Long Feiye, the victim, didn’t take it to heart at all. His entire focus was on Han Yunxi. This woman was most beautiful when she was serious, especially right at this moment. Tianning’s Duke of Qin had never been protected by anyone else in his life. It wasn’t that no one would protect him, but that he had never been used to it, or needed it in the first place. But there was a woman protecting him right now.
A bitter, pained expression flashed through Gu Qishao’s eyes before it quickly disappeared. He kept ignoring the indignant Han Yunxi to beckon at Tang Li with his finger, signaling him to get closer.
“Hand over the antidote and your life!” Tang Li took out a short-sword and stabbed forward, while Gu Qishao merely dodged without attacking back at all. That’s right, he was still stalling for time!
Finally, Han Yunxi lost her temper. She stood up and cried, “Gu Qishao, if you don’t take out the antidote right now, then everything between us will be over!”
Gu Qishao came to an abrupt stop at this words at the same time Tang Li rushed forward with his weapon. He couldn’t stop fast enough and stabbed directly into his shoulder.
At that second, Han Yunxi gave a start, her heart skipping a beat.
At that second, Tang Li grew astonished, never expecting Gu Qishao to stop moving.
At that second, Mu Linger broke into tears and wailed, “Qi gege!”
At that second, Gu Qishao was stunned as well. Damn it, it was obviously his shoulder that was injured, but why did his heart hurt so much?
Tang Li recovered soon enough, but didn’t hold any guilty conscience. Thanks to Gu Qishao’s schemes against him and Long Feiye, even 100 stabs wouldn’t be enough to appease his anger. He pulled out the short-sword without the slightest hesitation. This was no ordinary shortsword, but one of the Tang Clan’s assassination weapons. Once the blade entered a human body, it would shoot out numerous hooks to sink into the flesh. A vicious tug like this caused fresh blood to spurt out of Gu Qishao’s shoulder. Heaven knows how painful it was!
“Hand over the antidote!” Tang Li urged furiously.
Gu Qishao had always feared pain, but he ignored his aching shoulder to ignore Tang Li and finally look at Han Yunxi. He gazed at her for a long time and even smiled, the expression as seductively beautiful as always. His question seemed almost joking as he asked, “Poison lass, how could you be so biased? Last time when he wanted to kill me, why didn’t you threaten to divorce him?”
Although it sounded like a joke, his eyes were stubborn like a child who wanted a definite answer to his question. Han Yunxi looked at the wound on Gu Qishao’s shoulder, then at the blood and flesh stained sword in Tang Li’s hands. Even her breathing quickened as she felt pain for Gu Qishao’s sake. But no matter how she felt for him, she had to be hardhearted. She needed that antidote because Long Feiye couldn’t afford to wait.
“I saved you last time, didn’t I?” Han Yunxi asked back.
“Poison lass, you saving me and you divorcing him are two separate things entirely,” Gu Qishao was still smiling, a pure, simple-minded grin.
“You!” Han Yunxi felt unwell all over from her anger. She didn’t know how to reply. Gu Qishao didn’t have any plans of leaving either, but stood waiting, refusing to budge.
“Just what will make you willing to hand over the antidote?” Han Yunxi was worried. There was quite a bit of poison inside Long Feiye’s body.
Gu Qishao steeled his heart against the antidote and even had the mood to tease her. “Wait for me to think it over a few days, and then I’ll tell you.”
At this, Long Feiye finally shifted his gaze from Han Yunxi to Gu Qishao, ice-cold killing-intent apparent in his eyes. Even though he was currently poisoned, he had more than enough strength right now to destroy Gu Qishao here before the poison flared up! Yet, before he could make a move…
1. tender feelings like water (柔情似水) – rouqing sishui, an idiom describing deep attachment or passionate devotion.