The old doctor took his consultation fee and tottered away. Ren Miao glanced at Yan Xiaohan, who was frowning on the bed, and sighed tiredly. Sitting at the table, he took out a small bottle of liquid from his inner pocket and carefully applied it in front of the mirror. After a while, he slowly peeled off a human ‘skin’ mask.
The copper mirror reflected the cold and handsome face of a young general.
He placed the mask in front of the mirror, walked to the bedside, and lightly brushed his hand over the acupoints on Yan Xiaohan’s chest. The previously unconscious man coughed twice and gradually awakened.
Fu Shen lifted his clothing, revealing a pair of black boots extending to the middle of his thighs. These boots were produced by the North Yan Military Equipment Bureau, with special mechanism buckles at the boot opening, knee, and ankle. When worn, the legs would not feel tired, and the mechanical system could replace walking below the knee.
These were specially developed for him by the Equipment Bureau after his injury. Even if his knees and below were completely numb, these boots would allow normal walking. Receiving the boots sent by Yu Qiaoting’s messenger at the mountain villa, he thought of killing time and, on a whim, disguised himself and pursued to Jingzhou.
He should thank the skilled craftsmen of the North Yan Cavalry and his sudden inspiration. Fortunately, he had pursued them; otherwise, after completing this imperial mission, his family would have been in shambles.
Fu Shen happened to be carrying several paper packages upstairs, and they came face to face at the staircase. He wasn’t wearing a mask, and his sharp, handsome face suddenly crashed into Yan Xiaohan’s pupils.
“Awake?” He lifted his eyelids, shifted the medicine package to his left hand, and asked as naturally as possible, “Why did you run out without shoes?”
Yan Xiaohan’s eyes quickly turned red, and he pounced forward to hug him tightly.
“Ouch, gentle…” Fu Shen patted his slightly trembling back with his free hand, “You’re going to break my waist.”
“It’s really you…” Yan Xiaohan murmured, “I thought… I’m such an idiot…”
So many obvious clues were right in front of him, yet he was like a blind man, unable to see.
If not for last night when Fu Shen was forced to reveal his identity in a dangerous situation, how long would it have taken him to recognize the person sleeping beside him every day?
Fu Shen couldn’t help but laugh: “Not very smart.”
He stroked Yan Xiaohan’s back and once he calmed down a bit, he held his cold hand and led him back to the room, pressing him onto the bed: “The floor is cold, stop going crazy. Sit down. I’ll go downstairs to decoct medicine and ask the waiter to bring hot water.”
Seeing Yan Xiaohan in a daze, Fu Shen was worried and leaned in to kiss his cheek, instructing: “I’ll be right back.”
Physical contact worked better than words. A spark of life finally returned to Yan Xiaohan’s dead-gray eyes. His ear roots turned slightly red, and he touched Fu Shen’s cheek with the back of his hand: “Okay, go.”
Yan Xiaohan had no energy to argue with him. Fu Shen’s words were not without reason, but now he couldn’t hear anything. It felt like a watermelon was pressing on his neck, and even thinking had become an extremely difficult and painful task. He naturally knew that silence would only make the atmosphere between them worse, but the overwhelming exhaustion and fatigue, along with the inexpressible depression filling his chest, meant he had no strength left to try to salvage anything.
Fu Shen frowned and stood up.
Just as Yan Xiaohan thought he would slam the door and leave, those black boots stopped at the bedside: “Forget it… if you don’t want to go back, then don’t. I can’t fix you anyway.”
His heartstrings seemed to be plucked unintentionally. Yan Xiaohan slowly raised his eyes, surprise like a distant tide – though not yet reaching the shore, its faint tremor could already be felt.
Fu Shen playfully pinched his ear tip, affection evident: “If you’re not going back to Beijing, you’ll obediently follow me. No running around. Take your medicine when you should, get treatment when you need to. Do you agree?”
Yan Xiaohan subconsciously nodded. Fu Shen then leaned down and kissed his forehead: “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. Be good. I’ll take care of everything.”
He had a strange, reassuring calmness, possibly an aura developed from years of leading troops. Yan Xiaohan felt that even if the world were collapsing, with Fu Shen around, he could carve out a peaceful space for himself.
Fu Shen had possessiveness that burst forth completely only at times like these. His only thought was that this person must stay right under his nose, whether in Beijing or Jingzhou.
At this moment, a knock came from outside: “Sir, the hot water is here!”
Along with the hot water came a table of food.
After bathing, Yan Xiaohan walked out with a towel twisting his half-dry hair, seeing a bowl of deep tea-colored hot soup on the table. Smelling the medicinal aroma, he couldn’t help but ask curiously: “What is this?”
Fu Shen ladled him a bowl, straightforwardly saying: “A tonic I specially ordered. Isn’t your waist sore?”
Hearing the word “tonic”, Yan Xiaohan’s ears immediately flushed a suspicious red. Wearing only a light garment, his chest and neck skin were exposed, making the blush particularly obvious. Fu Shen was almost dazzled, stealing glances while finding his somewhat embarrassed appearance pitiful and adorable.
Fu Shen: “Just what?” Old Doctor: “Just that you’ll need to work a bit harder.” Fu Shen: “How so?”
“From what this old man has observed, after taking the medicine last night, this young gentleman was extremely agitated and unable to control himself,” the old doctor said. “The efficacy of Qiu Ye Bai lies precisely in this: first, it makes one feel spiritually invigorated, as if descending into an immortal realm, and secondly, it causes one’s blood and qi to surge, stirring up desire. So I thought that since you two are partners, when he experiences a drug craving, you might try this method to slightly alleviate it.”
Fu Shen was speechless: “…Will it work?”
“The effect of Qiu Ye Bai is essentially to create a sense of satisfaction and pleasure,” he explained to Fu Shen.
The first is the pleasure of food, where satiety is achieved when hunger is satisfied; the second is the pleasure of the bedchamber, where mutual affection and intimate union bring joy; the third is the effect of medicine, which, when taken, makes one’s spirit completely intoxicated, bringing ultimate pleasure.”
“The pleasure brought by Qiu Ye Bai far surpasses food or intimacy, but it may partially compensate. For instance, if someone is fond of sweets and wants to quit sugar, immediately cutting it off would be unbearable. One needs to gradually reduce intake, and only over time can one become like an ordinary person.”
“I understand,” Fu Shen nodded. “When he experiences a drug craving, giving him a taste of sweetness will make it less difficult, right?”
“Exactly,” the old doctor stroked his beard. “But there’s one thing you must remember: never let him take Qiu Ye Bai again when he’s suffering. Being soft-hearted is a grave mistake.”
This time, Fu Shen didn’t respond immediately but turned to look at Yan Xiaohan.
Yan Xiaohan gave him a reassuring smile. “What are you looking at? Afraid you can’t be ruthless?”
“Yes,” Fu Shen held his hand and stood up, sighing, “Is this treating you, or treating me?”
The two of them left the medical clinic, each carrying a package of tonics to strengthen yang and nourish the kidneys.
Yan Xiaohan left a message at the local money house for the Prince, informing him of a clue about White Dew Powder in Xi Shan Village, instructing them to go to Jingzhou first while he would stay a few more days to verify.
