Hua Chengyun’s wound wasn’t deep, but simple bandaging was not ideal for the injury. Zong Yuan gently placed him near the campfire and asked Ming Xin and the others who looked bewildered, “Where’s the golden wound medicine?”
Ming Xin and the others, still recovering from the sight of Zong Yuan carrying someone from the back of the cart, quickly became alert and fetched the golden wound medicine from the carriage.
Ming Xin scratched his head, walked to Hua Chengyun, and said, “This layman, let me apply the medicine for you.”
Zong Yuan, sitting next to Hua Chengyun, smoothly took the medicine bottle from Ming Xin and asked, “Give me a water flask.”
Ming Xin went to fetch the water flask while Zong Yuan found a concave stone in the woods, washed it, and had Ming Xin pour water into it, placing it on the rack above the fire.
Hua Chengyun exposed half of his head from his clothes, glanced around, and silently lowered his eyelashes, appearing somewhat uneasy.
Ming Jue uttered, “Amitabha,” and called several people to step back a few steps.
Only then did Hua Chengyun completely reveal his face from his clothes. There was still some dust on his face, but it couldn’t conceal his handsome and beautiful appearance. He looked at Zong Yuan arranging strips of cloth under the firelight, and his heart skipped a beat.
Zong Yuan said, “I’ll apply some medicine for you. It won’t hurt. Don’t be afraid.”
His voice was gentle and incredibly enchanting. Hua Chengyun pursed his lips, and his beautifully curved lips were pale. The firelight flickered on his face, and his long eyelashes cast shadows, making him look more pitiable.
He obediently nodded, “Okay.”
If the current emperor were to see him like this, he might be scared into three days of nightmares.
Zong Yuan restrained his expression, removed the clothes covering Hua Chengyun, and found that the inner garment was loose, but the white cloth wrapped around his thigh, just put on by Zong Yuan, was not easy to pull down from the top of the leg.
Zong Yuan frowned and instinctively looked at Hua Chengyun.
Hua Chengyun happened to steal a glance at him. The next second, their eyes met, and in the next moment, his cheeks blushed, and he awkwardly turned his head away.
Zong Yuan’s lips involuntarily curled up, and he asked, “May I tear the clothing at the wound?”
Hua Chengyun’s voice was like a mosquito, “Please go ahead…”
With permission granted, Zong Yuan didn’t hold back. He located the seam that had been cut, gripped it tightly with both hands, and with a tearing sound, Hua Chengyun’s well-made inner garment was torn wide open. Zong Yuan, with his considerable strength, didn’t control it well, and with this force, Hua Chengyun’s entire delicate and fair thigh was exposed.
“Ah!” Hua Chengyun let out a low exclamation. He was at a loss, unsure where to look. His face turned red, extending to the tips of his ears.
Originally intended for medical treatment, his exclamation inadvertently added an ambiguous atmosphere to the scene.
Zong Yuan reached towards the campfire, placing his hands there until they were scalding hot, and then he placed them on Hua Chengyun’s smooth as jade leg. He removed the bandage he had just applied, and his fingers seemed to effortlessly touch the skin outside of Hua Chengyun’s wound.
The bleeding had already stopped, and dried blood stained the surroundings. Zong Yuan placed the bandage in the boiling water on the stone by the fire, picking it up with the tip of his sword after a moment.
Hesitating and unable to resist curiosity, Hua Chengyun asked, “What are you doing?”
Zong Yuan replied, “Disinfecting.”
He wiped away the bloodstains on Hua Chengyun’s wound with the white bandage. Hua Chengyun made a low hissing sound, his hands clenched tightly, and his lips formed a crescent moon as he bit down on them. Fortunately, the pain subsided in a few seconds.
Zong Yuan cleaned the bloodstains and sighed, “You’re so afraid of pain, yet you’ve ended up like this.”
Hua Chengyun weakly curved his lips.
If one didn’t consider the scene where he cut himself without blinking earlier, his current appearance was indeed quite pitiable. After wiping the wound, Zong Yuan saw that the cut had the skin turned outwards. He removed the cap of the golden wound medicine, saying, “Bear with it!”
Zong Yuan said to endure, so Hua Chengyun endured without making a sound. It wasn’t until Zong Yuan finished dressing the wound and put on his clothes that he noticed Hua Chengyun had bitten his lip, leaving a shallow wound.
Zong Yuan’s hand reached up to his lips. “You can loosen your bite now. It’s alright.”
Hua Chengyun released his teeth, and Zong Yuan’s rough fingers explored the wound on his lips. Hua Chengyun opened his mouth, intending to say something, but Zong Yuan’s fingers accidentally slipped into Hua Chengyun’s mouth, touching his soft tongue.
Hua Chengyun didn’t anticipate this turn of events. Subconsciously, he licked the finger in his mouth. It wasn’t until the next moment that he realized what had happened.
His face turned crimson!
He nervously pushed Zong Yuan’s finger out of his mouth. Zong Yuan smoothly retracted his finger, but on his index finger was a silver thread that seemed unbreakable. This silver thread connected Zong Yuan and Hua Chengyun, heightening the already heated atmosphere by the campfire.
Zong Yuan’s eyes deepened, a smile playing on his lips. “Young sir, your saliva.”
Hua Chengyun stammered, his eyes avoiding Zong Yuan’s gaze in embarrassment. “I-I’m sorry.”
He suddenly lowered his head, grabbing Zong Yuan’s hand and using it to wipe his clothes clean.
They remained silent facing each other, but Ming Jue and the others felt something was off. In the dimming light, they couldn’t see what Zong Yuan and Hua Chengyun were doing. Suppressing the uneasy feeling, they loudly asked, “Senior Brother, is it almost done?”
Zong Yuan sat upright and replied, “It’s fine now. Brothers, come over!”
The monks breathed a sigh of relief. Ming Xin hurriedly ran over, returning the wild rabbit to Zong Yuan. “Master, do you still want to eat this time?”
“You’ve all eaten, but there’s still someone who hasn’t,” Zong Yuan swung the rabbit and asked Hua Chengyun, “Have you had your meal, young sir?”
“No,” Hua Chengyun said, “Also, you… just call me Chenghua.”
“Hua’er,” Zong Yuan solemnly changed his address and smiled, “Will you eat rabbit?”
Hua Chengyun’s gaze reluctantly shifted from Zong Yuan to the rabbit. After observing for a while, he said, “Such a cute rabbit. Do we really have to eat it?”
Ming Jue and the others applauded, saying, “Great!”
“…,” Zong Yuan and 0046.
Zong Yuan expressed his complicated feelings, “I remember Grad also said this.”
“Yes,” 0046 added with a hint of complexity, “And the fact is, Grad is a beautiful man-eating flower.”
Vampires praising the cuteness of rabbits, thinking about it now still gives one goosebumps.
Zong Yuan remained silent for a while. There was a faint darkness in Hua Chengyun’s eyes, wondering if he had said something wrong. He nervously asked, “Benefactor, did I say something wrong?”
“I am named Zong Yuan,” Zong Yuan said, “No, you didn’t say anything wrong. How about I release this rabbit back into the woods? What do you think?”
Hua Chengyun was about to nod when he furrowed his brow, “Benefactor, haven’t you eaten?”
Zong Yuan touched his nose, “I still have some dry rations.”
Hua Chengyun completely didn’t expect the matter of the monk eating meat to bother him. He was irritated by his previous words. He had always been indifferent and ruthless, caring little for the lives of these animals. He didn’t know Zong Yuan hadn’t eaten yet; he just wanted Zong Yuan to look at him differently. Now it seemed utterly foolish!
A fleeting darkness crossed his features, and he continued, “If you haven’t eaten, go ahead and eat…”
He seemed somewhat conflicted, anxiously watching Zong Yuan, as if he didn’t know what he was saying, “Though wild rabbits are good, releasing them is as dangerous as using them for sustenance. Moreover, an early death is an early rebirth… Buddhism also has this principle, right?”
Ming Jue and the others: “…”
For a moment, they didn’t know which statement to refute!
Zong Yuan had a peculiar expression, “Do you want to keep it by your side?”
Just like Grad did back then.
Hua Chengyun sighed, “No… I’m more worried about you being hungry.”
0046 breathed a sigh of relief, “Good, unlike Grad, this must be a true little angel!”
Zong Yuan remained silent.
After a moment, he stood up and let go. The rabbit, as it landed on the ground, quickly sprinted into the woods. Zong Yuan didn’t watch the fleeing rabbit but turned to Hua Chengyun, saying, “However, I don’t want you to feel conflicted and upset.”
He brought his bag over, and took out flatbreads and a bag of cured meat, “Although we don’t have rabbit meat, these cured meats should be enough for us to have a satisfying meal!”
Ming Jue exclaimed in horror, “Wait! Zong Yuan, where did you get the cured meat?!”
“Oh,” Zong Yuan said casually, “It’s made in the kitchen of Dabao Monastery. It tastes excellent. Senior Brother Ming Jue, would you like to taste it?”
“How can Dabao Monastery have meat?!”
Ming Jue’s heart trembled with fear. Could it be that the disciples of Dabao Monastery had fallen to such a point?!
It was heartbreaking! How could it be like this?
Zong Yuan could tell what he was thinking without even looking at him, “They don’t eat meat. The master chef in the kitchen was a renowned cook before he became a monk. He never showcased his skills by making vegetarian dishes. When I went hunting on the mountain, the master chef generously handled the meat for me. The meat and dishes he made were truly exquisite.”
Ming Jue felt slightly reassured, and Zong Yuan casually added, “The brewed wine is also rarely delicious.”
!!!
Hua Chengyun listened quietly, secretly making up his mind to learn to cook well. At the very least, he must gather chefs from all over the world. He was contemplating when a fragrant piece of meat touched his lips. Zong Yuan had placed it there. Hua Chengyun’s face blushed slightly as he ate the piece of meat from Zong Yuan’s hand.
Zong Yuan’s fingertips lingered, his gaze profound, “How is it?”
A heated sensation, as if being stared at, spread across Hua Chengyun’s lips. He licked his lips, the moist surface shining in the firelight, “Very delicious.”
Boldly, he picked up another piece of meat from the bag on the ground, placing it in front of Zong Yuan. His eyes held anticipation and shyness, “Enren, you eat.”
Zong Yuan ate the meat and repeated his name, “I’m Zong Yuan.”
Hua Chengyun understood his meaning. He cautiously called out, “Zong Enren.”
Zong Yuan frowned.
So Hua Chengyun changed his address, “Big Brother Zong.”
He always felt that calling him Zong Yuan was too unfamiliar, yet addressing him as Big Brother Zong seemed a bit distant.
When Zong Yuan, crouched down and picked up the dropped meat, he suddenly spoke in Hua Chengyun’s ear, “Hua’er, you can also call me A’Yuan.”
Hua Chengyun’s hand trembled, and the meat he had picked up fell to the ground again.
Author’s Note:
This world won’t be too long, hahaha, a group of silly sweethearts! Of course, I mean both of them!
The sweetness between the characters in this world is a bit overwhelming. [Hate that iron can’t become steel] Show some restraint!
