Chapter 88: Extra 3 – Side CP (Part 1)
Lu Wenhan sent troops to besiege the new capital of Da Mo. Suifeng was ordered to disguise himself as his second-in-command, get Lu Wenhan drunk, and then burn him to death.
Suifeng had originally intended to take advantage of the growing fire to disrupt the army’s morale and order a retreat, playing a trick of catching the turtle in a jar with Sheng Qianheng.
He had originally thought that everything was flawless, but he had never expected that Lu Wenhan’s younger brother, who had been castrated for the crime of violating his sister-in-law, had actually escaped the palace.
He had been lurking in secret, wanting to eliminate Lu Wenhan and seize power for himself!
Unexpectedly, he had spied on Suifeng, who was disguised as the second-in-command. He thought that since Lu Wenhan was already dead, as long as he got rid of this second-in-command, he could command the entire army as Lu Wenhan’s biological younger brother.
He took advantage of the moment when Suifeng was unprepared and stabbed him with a knife.
By the time Suifeng noticed the strange footsteps behind him, a sharp pain from his lower back and back made him lose all ability to move.
He immediately turned his sword around and stabbed the person behind him…
The two of them both knelt on the ground. This stab was really too deep. Suifeng only felt his body gradually lose its temperature. He looked back at the new capital of Da Mo and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. He had originally thought that after this battle, he would be able to retire peacefully.
It was he who was dreaming. In the end, few hidden guards could live to the day of retirement.
Chu Rui, who had come to provide aid, saw Suifeng fall to the ground from a distance. He galloped forward on his horse, and the moment he dismounted, he stumbled unconsciously.
He knelt before Suifeng, his outstretched hands trembling. He asked, “Suifeng…?”
Suifeng slowly looked up. His vision was already gradually blurring, and he could no longer see who it was. “Who?”
Chu Rui supported Suifeng’s shoulder, his voice slightly choked. “Gu is Chu Rui. Gu will take you back to be treated.”
Suifeng closed his eyes and barely managed to utter a few words. “Please trouble the King to tell His Majesty that this subject has not failed my mission…”
With that, Suifeng’s eyes closed, and he fainted. Chu Rui’s heart skipped a beat, as if his heartbeat had stopped for a moment. He hurriedly reached out to check for Suifeng’s breath and only felt a little relieved after sensing that there was still a trace of breath left.
Chu Rui immediately picked up Suifeng and rushed back to the royal palace to seek medical treatment.
He summoned all the physicians and stood by the bed, his eyes fixed on them as they treated him. However, Suifeng’s face grew paler and paler…………
He didn’t know why his heart was pounding so hard. He reprimanded the physicians, “If you can’t cure him, you’ll all be buried with him!”
The physicians were all drenched in sweat. Usually, they treated the nobles in the palace, who were all suffering from minor ailments.
But the person before them had almost no intact part of his body. It was really difficult to start.
In the end, Suifeng was lucky to have survived. Chu Rui immediately dismissed everyone in the room.
He sat by the bed and, while no one was around, caressed Suifeng’s cheek. He said to himself, “Gu knows you are not her, but Gu can’t stop myself from remembering Nianci through your face…”
Chu Rui had been in a state of turmoil these past few days. Ever since he had seen Suifeng’s figure that day, it had been lingering in his mind and he couldn’t get rid of it.
He knew that such thoughts were a violation of the vows he had made with Nianci.
Chu Rui secretly blamed himself. Such an act was really overstepping the line. He immediately stood up, his hands behind his back, and closed his eyes lightly, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts.
He looked at Suifeng’s pale face and ordered a maid to go and brew some qi and blood-replenishing food.
He wanted to get up and leave several times but ultimately couldn’t move his feet. Exhausted, he leaned against the chaise lounge and took a short nap.
Suifeng didn’t know how long he had been unconscious. By the time he woke up, he didn’t even know what year or month it was.
He looked around the room and saw that there were no lights. He stood up, wanting to light a lamp.
He propped himself up, but the pain from the wound on his back made him suck in a sharp breath.
Chu Rui had always been a light sleeper. He immediately looked up and vaguely saw Suifeng seem to sit up. He immediately stepped forward and looked at Suifeng without a word.
Suifeng didn’t notice at first that there was another person in the room. He only felt that his alertness was much lower. When he saw that it was Chu Rui, he said, “King? Why am I here?”
Chu Rui’s eyes stung. Fortunately, it was late at night, and no one noticed his loss of composure. After clearing his throat, he said, “Gu saw that you were seriously injured and brought you back for treatment.”
“Thank you for the King’s kindness. This subject needs to go back to Da Mo to report…” Suifeng nodded. He looked down and saw that he was only wearing an inner robe. He asked, “May I borrow a set of clothes from the King?”
Chu Rui unconsciously raised an eyebrow. He took a flint and lit the candle by the bed. But the moment he looked back, he saw that Suifeng’s wound seemed to have split open and was bleeding.
Seeing that Suifeng was about to stand up, he immediately pressed him down and said, “You just rest and recuperate for Gu. Don’t move around! Why don’t you cherish your own body so much?”
Suifeng was puzzled. He was a lowly hidden guard who could die at any time while on a mission. Did he still need to cherish his body? If every hidden guard cherished their body, they would have long been reprimanded by the leader of the hidden guard camp and subjected to caning for failing to complete their mission.
The wound was a little painful, but since he could wake up, it meant that it was a superficial wound and he didn’t need to worry too much. But returning to Da Mo to report was a matter of utmost importance. The poison in his body would relapse in a few days. He needed to go back to the hidden guard camp to get the medicine.
He gently peeled away the hand that Chu Rui was supporting on his shoulder and said, “It is this subject’s honor that the King is concerned about me. But this subject has a mission and has to go back to Da Mo. I hope the King will give me a set of clothes to cover my body.”
Chu Rui didn’t understand. The mission Sheng Qianheng had given him was already completed, and he was even seriously injured. Even the coldest emperor should be considerate of his subordinates…
The hand that had been pushed away was still suspended in mid-air. He said coldly, “What if Gu doesn’t give you any clothes?”
Suifeng tied his inner robe tighter and stood up, kneeling and bowing to Chu Rui. “In that case, this subject will no longer disturb the King. This subject will take my leave.”
Chu Rui nearly shattered his back teeth. He held Suifeng’s wrist tightly and pulled him in front of him.
There was only a faint candlelight in the room, and they could barely see each other’s faces.
Suifeng had never understood these interpersonal interactions. He couldn’t see clearly the reason for Chu Rui’s anger at this moment.
He was extremely close to Chu Rui. He didn’t like to be so intimate with people.
Seeing that Suifeng still had the strength to deal with him, Chu Rui unconsciously released his xìnxiāng to pressure him.
But he had never known that most hidden guards were Zhongyong and were not affected by xìnxiāng at all.
Now, he was holding Suifeng. For the first time, he saw that Suifeng was actually half a head taller than him. His Adam’s apple bobbed unconsciously. “Gu has already communicated with Sheng Qianheng. You don’t have to go back. Just rest and recuperate!”
Suifeng dodged Chu Rui’s gaze. He only felt that his injury this time was really not light. He was panting heavily after only moving for a moment.
He couldn’t win against Chu Rui, so he had no choice but to give up.
“In that case, this subject will rest for a few days.”
Only then was Chu Rui willing to let go. He took the hemostatic ointment from the desk, stood before Suifeng again, and said, “You sit down. Gu will apply the medicine for you.”
How could Suifeng dare? He took several steps back. “No, this subject can do it myself. I won’t trouble the King.”
But Chu Rui had a look of not giving up until he got what he wanted. How could Suifeng win against the King…
In the end, he had no choice but to take off his inner robe and slowly undo the gauze.
Seeing the bloody wound, Chu Rui couldn’t help but frown. He had originally used a spatula to scoop out the ointment and apply it to his wound.
But the spatula should be rough. He saw a lot of fine beads of sweat break out on Suifeng’s back. He finally threw away the spatula and personally spread the ointment with the pad of his thumb.
The moment Suifeng felt the pad of Chu Rui’s thumb, his back unconsciously stiffened, and even his breathing stagnated. The moment he spoke, he couldn’t help but stammer, “King… you… this is you? This subject… this subject, the King shouldn’t be like this.”
Chu Rui let out a soft laugh. It was rare to see him like this, and he couldn’t help but tease, “Why? Has no outsider ever touched you?”
Suifeng shook his head. In the past, when he was injured, he would just sprinkle the ointment on his wound. It all depended on his body to heal itself. How could it be as meticulous as now?
“King, that’s enough…”
Only then did Chu Rui take a new gauze and carefully wrap it for him.
But this wrapping of the gauze had to be done with both hands around Suifeng’s body. After wrapping it, he carefully tied a knot to fix it.
When he looked up and met Suifeng’s gaze, both of them were dazed for a moment.
Chu Rui did not dodge his gaze. He carefully looked at Suifeng’s pale face, which seemed to be tinged with a layer of lotus-pink, and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you having a fever? Why is your face so red?”
Suifeng shook his head.
Neither of them spoke again, lost in the other’s reflection in their eyes.
Chu Rui looked at Suifeng’s appearance, and his eyes gradually stung, just like Nianci’s shy look. And Nianci was about the same age as Suifeng…
Could it be that heaven had sent Nianci back to his side?
Seeing Chu Rui suddenly burst into tears, Suifeng was unconsciously flustered.
He wanted to raise his hand, and after much hesitation, he wiped away Chu Rui’s tears with the pad of his thumb. “King, don’t cry. I’m fine…”
Perhaps because of his teary eyes, he actually saw that Suifeng was exactly the same as Nianci, and even his words were exactly the same as in the past.
He unconsciously raised a hand to caress the back of Suifeng’s neck and, with a slight force, brought him to him.
Originally, there seemed to be a galaxy between the two of them, but now there was only a hair’s breadth.
Suifeng lowered his head, not daring to look at Chu Rui, and didn’t know what he was trying to do.
Chu Rui’s xìnxiāng, the scent of bauhinia, had already filled the hall, tightly wrapping Suifeng in it, wanting to leave a trace on his body.
The dim candlelight had long since made the already dazed Chu Rui unable to distinguish who the person before him was.
He lifted his head slightly and pressed against Suifeng’s lips…
Suifeng only felt Chu Rui’s breath invade, leaving him nowhere to hide. He wanted to dodge backward but was held by the back of his neck by Chu Rui and couldn’t break free.
Helpless, he could only raise a hand and chop at the back of Chu Rui’s neck. In a moment, Chu Rui lost consciousness.
After helping Chu Rui lie down, Suifeng stood blankly by the bed, at a loss.
He carefully recalled the kiss just now, raised a hand to cover his lips, and thought, could it be that the King of Qianlin was in love with a small hidden guard like him?
He immediately shook his head and denied it. Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible.
