Xie Bufeng’s skin now bore the marks of the Suzhou sun, turning into a light honey color.
His long jet-black, slightly curly hair danced in the wind along with the cold breeze.
Although he still had the skeleton of a young man, One could already see the thin but explosive muscles of the future hidden under the black clothes.
Even when he was kneeling on the ground with his shoulders pressed down and imprisoned, his back remained straight.
As the wind ceased and the magnolia blossoms fell to the ground, Xie Bufeng slowly shifted his icy-cold blade-like gaze away, carelessly stroking something in his arms.
It was a lamb he had found in Suzhou.
Throughout the journey of raging winds and snowstorms, if not for holding onto it, Xie Bufeng might have frozen to death in the carriage long ago.
The tender and docile lamb did nothing to soften Xie Bufeng’s demeanor; instead, it accentuated his predatory nature, like a wolf cub carrying its prey in its mouth.
With a reminder of a burning sensation in his lungs, Wen Qingci finally remembered to breathe.
He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that Xie Bufeng’s right hand looked a little weird.
“Why is there a lamb in the inner courtyard of the palace?” Xian Gonggong’s harsh tone pulled Wen Qingci back from his thoughts.
Immediately, the commander of the Imperial Guards knelt down to explain.
Just moments ago, they had attempted to snatch the lamb away from Xie Bufeng’s arms, only to be injured by the youth instead.
Seeing the arrival of the Xian Gonggong, they hurriedly restrained Xie Bufeng with combined effort.
…He has indeed been a ruthless character since he was a boy.
Hearing this, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but shudder.
In the eyes of Xian Gonggong, Xie Bufeng was merely a tool for testing medicine.
He was dissatisfied but too lazy to care anymore. After listening to the imperial guard’s explanation, he turned around and asked the imperial physician to give him medicine.
Wen Qingci tightened his grip on the jade bottle and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, bent down, half-kneeling in front of Xie Bufeng.
Their gazes met in mid-air.
It’s a disaster that cannot be avoided…
Taking a deep breath, Wen Qingci uttered the words he had rehearsed countless times in his mind: “This is a detoxifying medicine. If Your Highness cooperates, he can receive an antidote every month.”
Clad in moonlight white, he smiled lightly at Xie Bufeng, deliberately slowing down his speech to conceal his nervousness.
The cool breeze lifted the magnolia petals, rustling the bird-shaped wind chimes hanging from the eaves, accompanied by a faint sound brushing past his temples.
Wen Qingci’s eyebrows were gentle, and his eyes were born with a hint of compassion.
…But beneath this face lay the heart of a demon.
Recalling the threats he heard in the carriage, murderous intent flashed through Xie Bufeng’s mind once again.
He is being threatened.
“It’s getting late,” Xian Gonggong signaled to a young beside him, “If His Highness doesn’t speak up soon, we might have to ‘help’ Wen Xiansheng ourselves.”
There was no more time to waste.
Wen Qingci gritted his teeth and suddenly used his other hand to press a acupuncture point under Xie Bufeng’s jaw.
Taking advantage of the young man’s lips opening due to conditioned reflex, Wen Qingci immediately raised his finger, flicked his wrist, and stuffed the medicine into Xie Bufeng’s mouth——
Xie Bufeng only felt a cold and soft sensation brush past his lips, followed by the pill melting in his mouth, releasing a sweet fragrance.
Wen Qingci’s heart skipped a beat, nearly leaping out of his chest. But before he could exhale in relief, Xie Bufeng, who had been restrained by two men, suddenly tightened his grip, seizing Wen Qingci’s wrist.
Wen Qingci: !!!
Xie Bufeng’s fingers were slender and powerful, his bones as hard as iron.
Caught off guard, Wen Qingci was pulled forward by this force, and he fell heavily to the ground, kneeling between Xie Bufeng’s legs.
The distance between them was mere inches.
Xie Bufeng’s action was unusually ruthless, showing no mercy as if he intended to crush Wen Qingci’s wrist bones directly!
He was totally trying to cripple his hand!
The bone-chilling pain rushed from his wrist to Wen Qingci’s brain in an instant. He struggled with all his strength but could not free his wrist.
“Quick!” Xie Bufeng’s sudden movement startled Xian Gonggong. “What are you waiting for? Go and pull His Highness away!”
Not only did Wen Qingci’s medical skills excel in medication, but his acupuncture technique was unmatched in the world.
If his hand is crippled today, how could he treat the Emperor’s illness in the future?!
The Imperial Guards and eunuchs rushed forward, attempting to pry open Xie Bufeng’s fingers from Wen Qingci’s wrist. The scene descended into chaos.
Xie Bufeng wore a bone ring; its unpolished surface sliced through Wen Qingci’s skin, leaving behind crimson bloodstains along his slender wrist, entwining their hands together.
The intense pain felt like waves crashing against Wen Qingci’s nerves, making his breath quicken.
He felt as if he could hear the faint sound of his bones fracturing.
Stay calm, he urged himself.
In a daze, Wen Qingci saw the lamb in Xie Bufeng’s arms struggling in the chaos, screaming desperately.
With great difficulty, the youth gently stroked the lamb’s back with his fingers, his right arm still limp and motionless.
There was definitely something wrong with his arm!
Suddenly, Wen Qingci remembered the novel, where it was said that Xie Bufeng’s left-handed swordsmanship was unparalleled, claiming countless lives.
When he first read that, Wen Qingci thought Xie Bufeng was left-handed.
Now he realized… Xie Bufeng’s right hand was probably crippled by someone.
One is a prince who is called a “Demon” and is not taken seriously, and the other is the life-saving straw of the current emperor.
No need to think too much about which one is more important.
Following Xian Gonggongh’s exaggerated shouting, a forbidden soldier raised his hand with a blade and slashed at Xie Bufeng’s neck.
Then, after a muffled bang, they managed to pry open Xie Bufeng’s fingers.
Xie Bufeng fell heavily to the ground.
Even at this point, there was no trace of embarrassment on him, nor any sign of submission.
As he looked at the Imperial Guards, his gaze was filled with provocation and disdain.
He was like a lone wolf in the wilderness, his veins pulsating with the desire for battle. He would rather fight to the death than surrender.
The imperial guards were also frightened by Xie Bufeng’s gaze. In the panic, someone finally couldn’t help but stretch out their hand and pull Xie Bufeng’s right arm that was hanging helplessly by his side.
… He knew this was Xie Bufeng’s weak spot.
No!
If something happened to Xie Bufeng, this account will definitely be recorded on his head.
In a state of excessive nervousness, Wen Qingci’s stomach twisted in pain.
“Stop—”
The pain on his wrist had not disappeared, and before he had time to think about it, Wen Qingci suddenly rushed in front of the imperial Guard and put his hand on Xie Bufeng’s shoulder.
His action caused his cloak to slide backward, the pale neck hidden beneath the collar was exposed to the young man’s eyes.
Xie Bufeng instinctively raised his hand, attempting to grasp the other’s throat. However, the weakness in his right arm finally made him realize that something might be wrong with his arm.
…What is Wen Qingci doing?
Seeing this scene, everyone around stopped in their tracks. The courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau fell into a profound silence.
After a moment, Wen Qingci raised his gaze as if he had discovered something interesting, looking into Xie Bufeng’s eyes and said, “Your Highness, your arm is injured.”
“To correct bone injuries, I must check your pulse first,” Wen Qingci didn’t rush to examine the injury, but instead gently placed his fingers on Xie Bufeng’s pulse.
Xie Bufeng’s injury drew Wen Qingci’s complete attention. It was as if he hadn’t noticed the glaring bruises and bloodstains on his own wrist. After confirming that the pulse was normal, he carefully followed the youth’s humerus and pressed towards the shoulder blade.
As his actions continued, a strange bitterness came over Xie Bufeng.
Glancing at the cinnabar mark on Wen Qingci’s forehead, his amber eyes suddenly narrowed like a snake’s.
Wen Qingci’s movements were gentle.
Xie Bufeng’s brain automatically filtered out the pain…so all he felt was a strange tingling sensation spreading along his shoulder from the youth’s slightly cold fingertips.
The slender fingers moved skillfully between the joints and tendons.
Years of exposure to the medical world and modern anatomy knowledge allowed Wen Qingci to have an in-depth understanding of the structure of bones and muscles.
His movements were incredibly gentle. Before anyone could react, Wen Qingci suddenly pressed Xie Bufeng’s shoulder blade with one hand and gently grasped the youth’s right hand with the other.
In a state of intense concentration, Wen Qingci forgot about his nervousness, his impending fate of being dismembered, and the identity of the person before him.
In his eyes, Xie Bufeng was just a patient.
Wen Qingci didn’t know how his actions felt to Xie Bufeng…so much so that the youth hesitated for a moment, forgetting to pull his hand away.
While gently shaking Xie Bufeng’s arm and carefully searching for the injury, Wen Qingci finally held his breath and pushed forward gently.
With a slight sound, the bones returned to their sockets.
“There’s no major issue, it was just a dislocation,” Wen Qingci said, gradually releasing the youth’s hand.
Xie Bufeng clenched his fist instinctively and raised his arm. Unlike before, his right hand could move freely as usual.
…Wen Qingci had actually healed him.
Under the cover of his cloak’s wide sleeves, Wen Qingci’s fingers trembled belatedly.
He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief…it was fortunate that he found it early.
Xie Bufeng’s lack of sensation to pain meant that it would be difficult for him to realize he was injured, and none of the people around him cared about his well-being.
If this continued, there was a high risk of localized bone necrosis or even displaced bones compressing blood vessels and nerves. By then, even holding a sword would be difficult, let alone using it.
In the original story, he probably ended up like this…
“How did Your Highness injure your hand?” Xie Bufeng is a prince after all. After confirming that Wen Qingci could still practice medicine normally, Xian Gonggong’s anger subsided. He glared at the imperial guards and said sternly, “You guys were watching, but none of you noticed that His Highness’ right arm was dislocated!”
The people in the front yard of the Imperial Medical Bureau instantly fell to their knees, but Xie Bufeng still didn’t spare a glance at the group of people.
He instinctively reached out, hugging the lamb tightly with one hand and pressing his shoulder with the other.
Xie Bufeng couldn’t feel the pain, but the feeling of Wen Qingci’s fingers brushing against his shoulder seemed to have left an impression.
It was gentle, warm, and somewhat fragile…
In a daze, he remembered the feeling of the lamb lying gently on his shoulder on the carriage back to Yongdu.
Yess! Love it! Can’t wait to see how this novel progresses! Want to see Qingci in the lamb’s place!
The first show of gentleness in his otherwise cruel world. It’s a good thing our protagonist was studying medicine in his last life