Chapter 29: Applying Medicine

This action instantly made Sang Ying’s face flush with heat. She hurriedly tried to close her legs, but the young man’s hand held her ankle firmly, leaving her completely unable to move.

Sang Ying felt both embarrassed and annoyed. “Xie Lingyu! I’m really fine, you don’t need to look.”

The young man’s hand was large, easily encircling her ankle bone with a loose grip.

Her skin was pale and delicate, appearing slender and fragile in his palm, like jade made of water that would shatter with the slightest pressure.

Xie Lingyu moved as gently as possible, removing her shoe while rolling up her skirt hem. He spoke softly, “Junior Sister can’t even walk properly, yet you’re still putting on a brave face?”

As the fabric slid away, her calf was exposed to the cool air. His warm, slender fingers rested on her knee, gently parting her legs. Sang Ying stiffened completely, overwhelmed with embarrassment, and began to struggle. “Xie Lingyu…”

She tried to break free from his grip, and in her panic, her foot accidentally pressed against his shoulder. The young man paused, clearly taken aback.

Thinking she had succeeded, Sang Ying pushed against his shoulder with her foot, her toes curling shyly as her ears turned bright red. “Xie Lingyu, don’t look! How can I let someone see an injury there? Do I still have any dignity left?”

“…”

The young man before her remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking, his voice inexplicably hoarser than before. “So Junior Sister finally admits she’s injured?”

Sang Ying let out a muffled grunt.

“Since you’re injured, then it’s time to apply medicine.”

Xie Lingyu conjured a golden lotus in his palm, its center filled with a creamy, jade-white ointment. Just as Sang Ying reached out to take it, he moved his hand away.

Sang Ying was taken aback. “…Xie Lingyu?”

Xie Lingyu scooped a bit of ointment with his fingertip, his tone indifferent. “Junior Sister has already exhausted her credibility with me.”

He was referring to how she had promised to apply the medicine herself yesterday but had only done so half-heartedly.

…So he was going to apply it for her?

The mere thought of that scene made Sang Ying’s face burn with embarrassment. She immediately objected, stammering, “How can that be! How can I let you… let you do that!”

“Why not?”

Xie Lingyu slowly warmed the ointment with his fingertip, raising his dark, intense eyes. “Has Junior Sister forgotten yesterday?”

He tightened his grip on the ankle resting on his shoulder, his thumb pressing against the bone as he spoke in a low, unhurried voice. “Not only did I touch it, but Junior Sister also tasted it… and gave her review—it was very comfortable.”

Sang Ying felt a rush of heat surge through her, flushing her face all the way down to her neck. His words instantly brought back memories of yesterday—the confusion, the entanglement…

Her amber eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she instinctively pulled her leg back, her toes landing right against the young man’s chest.

He suddenly let out a muffled groan, then tightened his grip on her ankle. “Junior Sister, don’t move around.”

Sang Ying, not understanding what was happening, thought she had hurt him. “Oh,” she replied, and stopped moving.

She thought to herself, perhaps he had a point. Even before they had defined their relationship yesterday, they had already touched and been even more intimate. Now that they had a proper connection, wouldn’t it be unreasonable to refuse his touch?

Sang Ying didn’t fully understand these matters. Her feelings had always been vague and unclear, and no one had ever taught her what it meant to like someone or what she should do.

As for how a married couple should interact, she was completely clueless. She had only learned about Dual Cultivation recently, and Cave Master Cai Xia’s meaning was clear—Dual Cultivation between husband and wife was a perfectly normal thing.

Since Dual Cultivation is normal, then helping one’s Dao Companion apply medicine should also be a perfectly normal thing… right?

Thinking this with reddened ears, Sang Ying looked at the young man before her as he melted the ointment in his palm. She finally stopped struggling and resisting, agreeing with a soft “Alright,” allowing him to part her knees.

However, just as he was about to lift his gaze toward her, Sang Ying’s heart fluttered in panic, and she instinctively reached out to cover his eyes.

The young man was clearly taken aback, pausing for a moment. “Junior Sister?”

Sang Ying stammered, “…Don’t look.”

Though she didn’t fully understand such matters, Sang Ying knew herself well enough—if he were to look, she would be so embarrassed she’d want to crawl into a hole in the ground.

Xie Lingyu couldn’t help but chuckle. Allowing touch but forbidding sight—only she could come up with something like this.

He agreed with a soft “Alright,” letting her cover his eyes. “But if I can’t see, how am I supposed to find the wound and help you apply the medicine?”

Sang Ying held her hand tightly over his eyes, feeling his long eyelashes brush lightly against her palm, a ticklish sensation.

Realizing the problem, she was momentarily stunned, but within a second, she came up with a solution. “That’s simple. I’ll just help you, won’t I?”

With one hand covering his eyes, she used her other hand to grasp his medicine-coated fingers, pulling them aside to move the fabric covering the wound.

The reddened wound slowly revealed itself, looking pitiful with a hint of blood. It was slightly swollen from not having been properly treated with medicine.

Sang Ying guided his hand toward the wound, but just as his fingertip was about to make contact, she suddenly realized something was off and froze mid-air.

Wait—what was she doing?

Actively guiding his hand to touch herself?

Sang Ying trembled, her face instantly turning as red as a boiled shrimp.

The young man, however, remained oblivious, his expression calm and his voice steady. “What’s wrong, Junior Sister?”

Sang Ying bit her lip, her heart pounding, unsure of what to say. She kept her grip on his fingers, unmoving.

“Let me handle it, Junior Sister.”

After waiting a moment without a response, the young man before her reached up to pull her hand away from his eyes. Panicking, Sang Ying blurted out, “No!”

Clutching his hand in hers, Sang Ying trembled nervously, her long eyelashes fluttering and her amber eyes wavering.

The young man didn’t rush her, allowing her to slowly, like a turtle, guide his hand closer to the tender wound.

The moment his warm fingertip made contact, Sang Ying shuddered, her entire body stiffening.

His hands were usually cool to the touch, but perhaps to avoid startling her, he had warmed his fingers with Spiritual Power. When they touched the wound, there was no discomfort.

But Sang Ying was still unbearably embarrassed, unable to bring herself to look. She turned her head away, gazing at the distant hot spring.

It’s just applying medicine, she thought. Once it’s done, it’ll be over quickly.

But the young man seemed to be working against her, moving slowly.

His fingertip gently touched the area, exploring the surroundings, and lightly pressed the slightly swollen wound. “Does it hurt here? I remember accidentally using a bit too much force yesterday when I squeezed, and it turned red here.”

Sang Ying’s face flushed crimson. “Just apply the medicine! No talking allowed!”

The young man chuckled softly. “No looking and no asking—Junior Sister really knows how to make things difficult.”

Because she was covering his eyes, the two were very close. His breath brushed against the side of her neck as he spoke, tickling her.

Sang Ying trembled, annoyed, and bumped her forehead lightly against his.

“You have the nerve to say that! Isn’t this all your doing?”

Once started, it was hard to stop. Sang Ying muttered, “And then there was the time during your Tide Heat Period when you nearly went into Qi Deviation. I helped you, but you repaid kindness with ingratitude and bit me. I haven’t even settled that score with you yet.”

In a place neither of them could see, slender fingers moved gently, carefully parting the swollen wound to reveal the most severe area—a patch of deep red with faint traces of blood.

The girl’s body was frail, her skin delicate and tender, prone to leaving red marks with even the slightest pinch, let alone elsewhere.

Yesterday, angered by her words, he had failed to restrain his ferocity, his movements rough and reckless. Even though he stopped in time, the wound had still torn slightly.

Xie Lingyu pursed his lips slightly, pushing aside those thoughts as he carefully dipped his fingers in ointment and applied it slowly, meticulously using warm Spiritual Power to dissolve it and aid absorption and healing.

The previously painful and numb wound felt cool and soothing once the ointment was applied, bringing much relief. Sang Ying gradually relaxed, her head unconsciously resting on his shoulder, one hand clutching his clothes.

For some reason, as he gently applied the ointment, that strange feeling from yesterday resurfaced—light and airy. Sang Ying felt a wave of laziness wash over her body, her eyes narrowing slightly.

When the outer part of the wound was fully treated, the young man’s fingertip parted it slightly, dipping into the ointment and probing deeper into the wound. Sang Ying trembled violently, unable to suppress a soft whimper.

Xie Lingyu paused, stopping his movements. “Does it hurt?”

Sang Ying was taken aback by her own reaction, her ears flushing bright red. It wasn’t exactly pain. Rather, it was that strange feeling—an indescribable comfort that even made her wish he would treat her as he had yesterday.

But she would never admit that. She mumbled vaguely, “A little, I suppose.”

Hearing this, Xie Lingyu, who was already gentle, softened his touch even further, carefully applying the ointment inside the wound with utmost caution.

The lighter his movements became, the more uncomfortable Sang Ying felt, as if being tickled—the gentler the touch, the more distinct the sensation.

His fingers were warm, but the ointment was slick and cool, its pale white texture exuding a faint lotus fragrance that lingered between them.

As the ointment was slowly applied, Sang Ying wasn’t sure if it was the effect of the medicine or the warmth of the hot springs around them, but she began to feel increasingly warm herself.

Her eyes grew misty with a hazy moisture as she leaned against Xie Lingyu in a daze, her fingers tightening around his clothes with each of his movements.

“Mmm…” She vaguely felt a desire for his fingers to press harder.

But Xie Lingyu, noticing her reaction, assumed he was hurting her while applying the medicine and grew even more gentle.

He lowered his lashes. She had already been dissatisfied with him before, and now, after their first Dual Cultivation, leaving her with such a painful impression would surely make his image in her eyes even worse.

If she were to grow tired of him and seek out another male cultivator…

At the mere thought of this possibility, a surge of intense ferocity rose in Xie Lingyu’s dark eyes. For a moment, he lost control, and his long finger accidentally pressed deeper into the wound.

The girl in his arms trembled suddenly, letting out a soft “whimper” as she leaned against him, shaking slightly.

Xie Lingyu quickly snapped back to reality. “Did I hurt the wound?” Her body was so delicate he feared even the slightest force might harm her.

The girl trembled, her damp lashes fluttering as she slowly regained her senses. After a moment, she replied, “…No.”

Her voice was hoarse, with a nasal quality, muffled as if she had been crying.

Xie Lingyu felt even more guilty. He withdrew his fingers and took out a handkerchief to wipe them. “This medicine is a natural spiritual remedy born from the golden lotus. The body will absorb it naturally, and the wound will heal in a moment.”

The girl’s voice sounded slow and sluggish, “Healed…?”

Xie Lingyu hummed softly in response. “The hot spring you wanted to soak in is right next to us. Do you want to soak for a while… Ouch.”

The girl leaning on his shoulder suddenly opened her mouth and bit his neck, as if dissatisfied or aggrieved, her voice still muffled with a nasal tone. “…Bad.”

Xie Lingyu chuckled, thinking she was blaming him for the injury. “Is it a bit late for you to scold me now, Junior Sister?”

The girl’s fingers clutched the fabric over his chest, tightening anxiously and helplessly. She sounded on the verge of tears. “Xie Lingyu… I don’t feel well…”

Hearing her say she didn’t feel well, Xie Lingyu grew serious. He pulled down her hand, which had long since lost the strength to cover his eyes, gently pushed her away a little, and looked into her misty eyes.

His voice softened slightly. “Where do you feel unwell, Junior Sister? Is your chest hurting?”

The girl was clearly not fully conscious. She blinked slowly, her confused gaze settling on his face as if she were thinking for a few seconds.

Then she raised her hand, grabbed his fingers, and just like before, guided his hand to the wound where the medicine had just been applied.

“Here…”

Xie Lingyu was taken aback.

The golden lotus ointment should have been fully absorbed, leaving the wound dry, but his fingertips touched something damp—Lotus Dew.

Warm, slowly soaking into his fingertips.

The fragrance of the golden lotus grew stronger in the air, almost cloyingly sweet.

“Xie Lingyu, Xie Lingyu…”

The girl called his name softly and confusedly, at a loss. Her nose was damp, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red.

She just looked at him like that, her slender fingers pressing his hand against the wound, her voice soft and nasal. Like a little fox that hadn’t been satisfied—innocent and unaware, hungry and begging him for something good to eat.

“…More.”