Chapter 413 Willingly Accept It

Chapter 413: Sweet Even in Bitterness

The air seemed to shift slightly as Cheng Ge unclenched his teeth.

The warm, bloody taste still lingered between his lips and teeth, yet the ridiculously handsome face right in front of him was already inches away.

Those phoenix-shaped eyes sparkled with mischief, his breath nearly audible, carrying a clean, cool scent.

Cheng Ge felt his ears heat up for no reason, as if scorched by that gaze. He jerked his head to the side, avoiding the suffocatingly close gaze, leaving only the nape of his neck and his flaming red ears in the other man's line of sight.

"Why are you here?" His voice was hoarse and dry, his tone hard.

Yun Xunyu didn't answer right away. Instead, he calmly pulled back the bitten finger.

On his slender, jade-white fingers, a clear ring of teeth marks oozed bright red beads of blood, standing out sharply in the carriage's dim light.

He glanced at it, as if it were nothing, then turned to grab the wet cloth and clean water set out on the small side table, carefully washing the finger, then drying it with a soft cloth.

Then he poured a cup of warm water, came back to the couch, and naturally reached out to steady Cheng Ge's shoulder, gently propping him up so his back rested against Yun Xunyu's arm. With his other hand, he pressed the cup's rim to Cheng Ge's cracked lips.

Cheng Ge had been out cold for a while and was, in fact, parched. He took small sips of the warm water from Yun Xunyu's hand.

The warm liquid slid down his raw throat, bringing a brief moment of relief.

Just as he was focused on drinking, Yun Xunyu's voice, laced with amusement, floated into his ear like a feather:

"But wasn't it my dear who wrote, every word dripping with blood, begging me to travel a thousand miles to come be your savior?"

He paused, his tone taking on a perfectly feigned note of grievance. "Could it be that I've been cast aside like a worn-out fan, used up and thrown away? Truly, your heart is as hard as stone."

"Cough...!" Cheng Ge choked, nearly coughing up his water. Writing that letter for help... yeah, that was on him.

Back then, the situation was dire. Great Zhou was under attack from all sides. After much deliberation, he could only resort to a desperate gamble and sent that man a letter.

He just hadn't expected that although this guy was usually a flirt, when it really mattered, he actually showed up.

But that letter was written a bit... ahem, heartfelt, plus some exaggeration forced by the situation.

Now being called out on it to his face, and in that tone, Cheng Ge couldn't help flushing with embarrassment. A hint of guilt wriggled out like a little worm.

His gaze darted away, and he instinctively raised a hand to scratch his cheek, mumbling, "Well... I wasn't..."

Before he could finish, his uninjured hand was gently but firmly grasped.

Cheng Ge froze and looked down.

Yun Xunyu had already set down the cup and now held a small white jade medicine box.

He dipped his fingertip into a bit of translucent ointment and began applying it meticulously to the back of Cheng Ge's hand.

There was a distinct patch of burn marks there, with small blisters forming at the edges, standing out harshly against the surrounding healthy skin.

Yun Xunyu applied it very gently. His fingertip, coated with ointment, traced slow circles, spreading from the back of the hand to the knuckles, not missing a single spot.

His expression was focused, as if the earlier teasing had never happened. His long lashes lowered, casting a small shadow beneath his eyes.

Cheng Ge watched his lowered profile, watched him carefully applying the medicine, and the words that had been on the tip of his tongue suddenly got stuck in his throat.

After applying the ointment, Yun Xunyu didn't immediately let go of Cheng Ge's hand.

He held the hand, as if admiring some rare treasure.

The cool, glossy ointment shimmered in the candlelight, covering the red burn marks.

Just as Cheng Ge thought he would finally let go, Yun Xunyu suddenly lowered his head, and his warm, soft lips brushed against the fingertip he had just applied medicine to—so lightly it was almost imperceptible.

Like a dragonfly touching the water's surface—a touch, then gone in an instant.

Cheng Ge's entire body stiffened, as if a jolt of electricity had shot up his spine. His hand instinctively tried to pull back, but Yun Xunyu held it firmly in his palm—casual-looking, yet secure.

Yun Xunyu raised his eyes. Those phoenix eyes still held a hint of a smile, but now they were deeper than before, like ink spreading in water, suffused with some indescribable emotion.

He looked into Cheng Ge's eyes, his voice lowered to an extremely soft, slow tone, like a lover's whisper, yet each word struck Cheng Ge's heart with perfect clarity:

"But it doesn't matter. As long as I can be with you..."

He paused, his fingertip tracing an extremely slow caress over the back of Cheng Ge's hand, feeling the coolness of the ointment and the warm pulse beneath the skin.

"Even if you cast me aside like a worn-out shoe, I would still take it gladly..."

His gaze locked onto Cheng Ge, not allowing him to look away. The smile at the corner of his lips remained.

Yet the smile in his eyes gradually deepened, sinking into a profound, unwavering focus and certainty.

The carriage fell silent for a moment. Only the rumbling of wheels over stone slabs and the faint clamor of the distant marketplace made his words stand out even more.

Cheng Ge stared at Yun Xunyu's face so close to his own, at those eyes that seemed capable of absorbing all light, his breath falling on the other's face.

After Yun Xunyu's words "take it gladly," the air sank into a subtle, thick silence.

Only the sound of wheels and distant street noise made the carriage feel even more silent.

Cheng Ge could even hear his own erratic heartbeat, along with Yun Xunyu's gentle breathing.

Those bottomless phoenix eyes were so close, so intent that he almost felt himself drowning in them. Even his breath seemed mixed with that crisp yet alluring scent of the other man.

"Eep—!" He couldn't suppress a shudder, letting out a short gasp from his throat.

He cursed inwardly: These gays are a different breed! (Even though he himself was gay now too.) They all talk in such flowery, theatrical lines—"take it gladly," "cast aside like a worn-out shoe"...

If I were a few years younger and less experienced, I might actually fall for this sly fox's nonsense!

Yun Xunyu's hand came up empty. His fingers paused in midair for half a second, then withdrew as if nothing had happened.

His expression remained that same charming, smiling, "playful" look, as if that deeply affectionate confession just now had been nothing more than a casual joke.

He calmly closed the lid of the white jade medicine box, set it back on the side table, and then casually got up to sit down beside Cheng Ge.

Cheng Ge was too exhausted to bother making a fuss. He just instinctively scooted over toward the inner side of the carriage, making a little room for the other man, though he didn't bother telling him to leave.

Yun Xunyu seemed not to notice his small gesture. He reached for the incense box nearby, took out a bit of incense, and added it to the burner.

A wisp of faint calming incense began to curl through the carriage, diluting the scent of medicine and the faint trace of blood.

He casually took a pastry from the snack box on the side table and offered it to Cheng Ge.

"Have a little something to tide you over first, my dear. Once we reach the city, I'll take you somewhere you'll like."

His tone was so natural, as if they'd been married for years.

This made Cheng Ge feel another inexplicable tightness in his chest and... a sense of being at a loss.

He glanced at the pastry offered to his lips, then looked at Yun Xunyu's matter-of-fact "attentive" demeanor. His stomach also let out a faint grumble of protest right on cue.

Cheng Ge: "..."

In the end, with a touch of reluctance, he lowered his head slightly and, eating from Yun Xunyu's hand, took a small bite.

The soft, sweet texture melted on his tongue, indeed easing the emptiness in his stomach.

The amusement in Yun Xunyu's eyes grew. He waited patiently for Cheng Ge to finish that bite, then thoughtfully offered the pastry forward again.