Chapter 27: A Favor

Chapter 27: A Helping Hand

Chen Shuoan snapped: "Have you lost your damn mind?!"

He grabbed Yuan Rang's hand, seeing the pale, slender fingers covered in blood, the skin on his palm torn open.

Yuan Rang seemed to feel no pain, pulling his hand free and drawing the man back into his arms.

Chen Shuoan didn't want to deal with him at all right then, ignoring the ache to lift his leg and kick the man hard in the thigh.

Yuan Rang yielded to his force and got off the bed, his earlier emotions now carefully concealed. He looked utterly pitiful, his voice weak: "Shuo'an..."

Chen Shuoan saw through the bastard's pitiful act at a glance.

Without a word, he ignored him completely and headed straight for the door.

Yuan Rang panicked but didn't dare grab him, afraid of aggravating the wound and making Chen Shuoan uncomfortable.

He followed closely behind Chen Shuoan, his expression gloomy, unable to speak his mind.

Jili spotted the two from afar, walking one behind the other, and found it quite novel.

Young Master Chen really could keep His Highness the Sixth Prince, that devil incarnate, in check.

Yuan Rang followed Chen Shuoan into the room, watching him rummage through boxes and drawers looking for something.

His eyes were dark and brooding.

Even though he knew Chen Shuoan could never leave him, the sight of the man hurriedly packing as if to leave was truly grating on him.

Yuan Rang stood at the door with his arms crossed, his body blatantly blocking the exit.

"Get over here. Do I have to come get you myself?"

Yuan Rang froze, a hint of a smile flickering in his eyes. He straightened up and hurried over to Chen Shuoan's side.

Chen Shuoan grabbed his hand grumpily, gently wiping the wound with gauze while scolding nonstop: "You say you can't stand it when I'm hurt—do you think I can stand it when you're hurt? Now look, the two of us can't even manage one good pair of hands..."

Yuan Rang let him scold, only staring dazedly at Chen Shuoan's chattering mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

He's worried about me.

Yuan Rang thought feverishly.

I love it. I love it so much.

I want to kiss him. No, I want to do things to him way more intense than kissing.

Yuan Rang lowered his eyelashes, running his tongue over his canine teeth, a sickly smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

I'm going to eat him alive.

After applying medicine to that terrible wound, Chen Shuoan couldn't help wondering if the way the elders raised him was flawed, making him so careless with his own body.

He brushed off the hand resting on his thigh, looked at the wound on his own hand, and suddenly let out a sigh.

Yuan Rang snapped out of it and asked softly: "What's wrong?"

Chen Shuoan ignored him, calling out to the servant waiting by the door: "Zheguang, come with me to the bath."

He wanted to bathe. He wanted to wash away the filth he'd been tainted with.

Yuan Rang's mood darkened, his lips pressed tight. He cast a light, dismissive glance at Zheguang, his displeasure almost tangible.

Zheguang was scared out of his wits, falling to his knees with a "thud," wishing he could just faint.

Chen Shuoan: "...No need for such a big show. I'm heading over first—hurry up and come."

With that, he strode out the door, without giving Yuan Rang another glance.

The Sixth Prince knew full well that Chen Shuoan truly didn't want to deal with him right now, jealousy souring in his chest.

He took a long step, and as he passed the still-kneeling Zheguang, he let out a light chuckle: "An eyesore."

————

The bathroom door creaked open. Chen Shuoan was struggling with his clothes and, hearing the sound, called out loudly: "Zheguang? Come give me a hand."

Yuan Rang slowly emerged from behind the screen, holding the change of clothes Chen Shuoan needed, and said with an easy smile: "Shuo'an, why didn't you call for me?"

Chen Shuoan ignored the bastard completely, simply starting to strip right in front of him.

The summer clothes were light and thin. Through the fabric nearly transparent from the steam in the room, Yuan Rang caught glimpses of his slender waist, now visible, now hidden.

Yuan Rang held his breath, his footsteps growing softer.

He averted his eyes as if to hide, his mind clearly elsewhere: "Let me help you."

Chen Shuoan was already irritated by the wound on his hand. Though he didn't want to deal with him, there was no better option at the moment, so he gave a sulky grunt of consent.

Yuan Rang was completely disarmed by him, the unease caused by Chen Shuoan's coldness vanishing entirely.

He gently placed the clothes on the wooden rack, as if reluctant to disturb the wispy steam in the room, or perhaps the person before him.

Chen Shuoan felt Yuan Rang step behind him, his breathing lingering by his ear, sending a tingle down his spine.

He raised a hand to rub his itchy ear with the back of it, waiting like a king for someone to attend to him.

Suddenly, a pair of large hands grabbed his waist and pulled him backward.

Chen Shuoan's back pressed tightly against Yuan Rang's firm chest. Feeling the heat at his waist, he asked in confusion: "It's sweltering hot out, so why are your hands so cold?"

Yuan Rang's mind was practically turning to mush by now—he couldn't care less why his hands were cold.

He felt the slender waist beneath his palms, trembling as he tugged at the sash at the side and slowly drew it open, as if afraid that too much force would break the person in his arms. He whispered softly: "Perhaps due to poor blood circulation."

Chen Shuoan was always in a bad mood when this came up. The more he thought about it, the more serious it seemed, and he started chattering away: "You have the nerve to say that! If you ever do this again, I don't care what the Empress Dowager taught you—I'll beat you up first and talk later."

Yuan Rang was usually obedient to him in everything, but on this matter, he wouldn't budge an inch.

He gave Chen Shuoan's waist a firm squeeze, making him go limp in his arms, and replied, totally off-topic: "I'll guard you well from now on."

?

Chen Shuoan was utterly baffled, thinking one of them had to be the crazy one.

He was tickled beyond endurance by Yuan Rang's squeezing and finally couldn't take it anymore, turning around to have a proper talk with him.

The moment he turned, a tingling sensation brushed against his cheek.

It was soft, cool, and slightly damp.

Yuan Rang pressed his lips tightly together, then extended his tongue to lick them, the fire in his eyes spreading like wildfire through his entire body.

He stared intently into Chen Shuoan's eyes, as if he could swallow him whole at any moment.

Chen Shuoan stood frozen, still having no idea what was going on, and started hopping around frantically in Yuan Rang's arms: "There's a bug, Yuan Rang! A bug is crawling on my face!"

Yuan Rang suppressed the wicked thoughts rising within him and closed his eyes, afraid that his fussing might aggravate the injury. He tightened his arms around him, his voice hoarse: "Behave yourself, the bug's gone now."

Chen Shuoan, face pressed against his, heard him repeat once more: "Behave yourself."

?

He was so confused—was Yuan Rang crazy?

By the time he recovered from the scare of the bug crawling on his face, Yuan Rang had already stripped him out of his clothes. He averted his gaze slightly and said softly, "Done."

The bathhouse was thick with steam, and Yuan Rang's face, hidden within it, carried an unexpected tenderness.

Chen Shuoan found it fascinating. The Sixth Prince's features were already sharp and handsome in a striking way, but this lent them a unique charm.

He stepped down the jade steps slowly into the water, hearing Yuan Rang's voice behind him again: "Raise your hands, don't get them wet."