Jun You Ji Fou

Chapter 69

Chu Mingyun woke up just past noon. The sunlight outside was bright and clear, but inside the tent, heavy curtains kept it out, leaving the space dimly lit with only a small lamp glowing.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he heard the soft sound of someone getting up beside him. Then, he was gently helped to sit up, catching a whiff of the soothing scent of incense on the person beside him. A porcelain cup was offered to him, but Chu Mingyun didn't reach for it. Instead, he drank the water from Su Shiyu's hand and then looked up at him.

Su Shiyu set the cup down, poured a bowl of dark medicine from the warm pot on the table, tested the temperature, and then approached him again.

Chu Mingyun hesitated for a moment. He was accustomed to injuries, and by now, the wounds on his body had been tended to. Upon waking, his spirits had mostly recovered, except for some lingering pain in his meridians. Feeling relatively fine, he didn't feel like swallowing the strongly bitter medicine in front of him. However, stealing a glance at Su Shiyu, Chu Mingyun suppressed his reluctance and obediently drank it while holding onto his hand.

Seeing Su Shiyu about to get up again, Chu Mingyun quickly grabbed his hand. "Shiyu," his voice still a bit hoarse, "stay with me for a moment."

Su Shiyu paused, looking at him. "What's wrong?"

Chu Mingyun held his hand with both of his. "Are you still angry with me?"

Su Shiyu let out a sigh, remaining silent. Chu Mingyun then pressed his hand against his cheek and stared at him intently. "You can't stay mad at me. You can't ignore me."

Su Shiyu couldn't help but chuckle. "Why?"

"Because..." Chu Mingyun's lips twitched slightly, as if he was about to say something. Su Shiyu leaned in to listen, and suddenly, Chu Mingyun kissed him on the lips. Despite his pale complexion, his eyes and smile were full of affection. "Is that enough for you?"

Su Shiyu was momentarily stunned, emotions swirling in his chest, difficult to articulate, evident in his gaze. He lowered his eyes, trying to compose himself, then, with a sigh, he gave up his irritation and said helplessly, "I wasn't really angry."

Chu Mingyun pondered for a moment, glanced at the bowl of medicine, and then asked, "Shiyu, am I being good?"

Su Shiyu's gaze swept over the scattered wounds on his body before meeting his eyes again, reluctantly nodding.

Chu Mingyun's smile deepened. "Then, shouldn't you reward me for being good?"

Finally, Su Shiyu spoke in a warm tone, "Do you know what 'taking advantage' means?"

Chu Mingyun shamelessly grinned. Su Shiyu sighed and then got back to the main topic, "Han Zhongwen should be making some moves soon. This morning, I sent Su Bai to find the refugees we encountered earlier. They should know the truth about Shouchun. We need to investigate quickly to make informed decisions."

Chu Mingyun casually grunted and reached to pull back the blanket to get up, but Su Shiyu stopped him with a firm hand. "Your injuries are too severe. Rest properly these few days and don't move around recklessly."

"Ah, I know my body well. It won't take a few days. I'm not that delicate," Chu Mingyun replied. "Can't I just sit here without moving?"

Su Shiyu spoke gently, "Be obedient."

"But if you don't come up here to keep me company, I'll be bored lying here all alone," Chu Mingyun looked at him.

Su Shiyu sighed. "Can't you speak properly without being lewd?"

In the deep mountains outside Shouchun City, there was a long narrow cave. As autumn set in and the vegetation withered, the cave seemed even colder. A group of people, dressed in thin and tattered clothes, huddled together, seeking what little warmth they could from each other.