From time to time, she would nuzzle against her neck or take a playful bite at her ear, scaring Xi Fuhong so much that she almost dropped her several times.
“Divine Doctor, I’m not tasty,” Xi Fuhong said helplessly after dodging Xue Baihua’s nibbles.
Hearing this, Xue Baihua raised an eyebrow, “I’ve already tasted your blood… a few bites won’t matter…”
“But I don’t like it,” Xi Fuhong frowned, unwilling to compromise.
Xue Baihua narrowed her eyes and suddenly bit down hard on Xi Fuhong’s ear, causing her to cry out in pain.
She didn’t dare drop Xue Baihua, even as she felt a faint taste of blood and realized her ear had been bitten through.
“Divine… Doctor?” Xi Fuhong looked at the unpredictable Xue Baihua with some fear.
Xue Baihua licked Xi Fuhong’s injured ear gently, “I just want to bite…”
Xi Fuhong was speechless.
What could she do? If she wanted to bite, let her bite…
An hour later, Xi Fuhong was finally free.
She stood by the pool, looking at the scenery around her.
It was the most magical valley she had ever seen, surrounded by towering straight cedar trees, with a large pool by the cliff, steam rising from the water, and a strange smell in the air that wasn’t unpleasant but not fragrant either.
At this time, Xue Baihua and the Cao Sisters were talking by the pool, while Xi Fuhong stood there rubbing her swollen ear until Cao Er glared at her, bringing her back to her senses.
As she approached the pool, the heat immediately enveloped her, and although she wasn’t affected by the cold poison, the August heat made her sweat.
“Take off your outer clothes and get in the pool!” Cao Er ordered Xi Fuhong.
Without asking why, she obediently took off her outer clothes and soaked in the spring water.
The warm water felt a bit slippery, and out of curiosity, Xi Fuhong scooped some water to taste, only to find it incredibly bitter, making her regret it.
As the water rippled, Xi Fuhong turned around and suddenly went blank.
Under the cool moonlight, Xue Baihua’s delicate skin was flushed from the steam, wearing a thin silk garment that clung to her body almost transparently in the water.
Her wet hair floated on the pool’s surface, exuding an enchanting allure.
Xue Baihua approached and hooked her arm around Xi Fuhong’s shoulder, a medicinal fragrance immediately wafting over.
“Sit down…” Xue Baihua instructed Xi Fuhong to sit on a stone in the pool, then sat on Xi Fuhong’s lap, leaning back against her chest, straightening her body, exhaling, and closing her eyes without moving.
Xi Fuhong didn’t understand what Xue Baihua was doing.
Just as she was about to call out to her, Cao Er stopped her, “Master is circulating her energy to suppress the poison.
Using the hot spring water, circulating her energy can alleviate the pain of the poison, so don’t move recklessly.
If you disturb Master’s energy flow and cause a clash of blood and energy, I won’t let you off easily!”
“Then why do I have to soak in the water too?” She didn’t need to dispel cold, nor could she circulate energy, and the water was really hot…
Cao Er knocked her on the head, “You’re a cushion.”
Poor Xi Fuhong became a human cushion for Divine Doctor Xue, steamed by the hot water until she was drowsy.
The Cao Sisters had already fallen asleep against the tree trunks, and the surroundings were silent except for the occasional rustling of leaves.
Watching the ripples on the water’s surface, Xi Fuhong yawned and unknowingly fell asleep too.
Only Xue Baihua remained awake, circulating her energy to resist the poison.
After completing a small cycle, the sky was already lightening.
She exhaled the last bit of cold air from her dantian, feeling much better, at least not as stiff and cold as a few days ago.
Turning back, she saw Xi Fuhong’s cheeks were flushed, likely from being in the pool for too long.
Xue Baihua chuckled inwardly, thinking this person was overly honest.
Even when carrying her up the mountain and being bitten, she wouldn’t drop her, and when forced to stay in the water, she obediently didn’t move.
She wrapped her arms around Xi Fuhong and lifted them both out of the water.
Laying the soaking wet Xi Fuhong down, Xue Baihua propped herself up on her chest, gazing down at the child beneath her.
Though plain-looking, she had unexpected resilience.
How long could she hold Divine Doctor Xue’s attention?
“…Mmm…” Xi Fuhong murmured softly, and Xue Baihua curiously leaned in to listen.
She heard a few murmurs, “…Luo Qingcheng…”
Raising an eyebrow, Xue Baihua lowered her head and bit the innocent earlobe.
Author’s note: It’s still very lively, dear~ Biting ears and such, Zhuozhuo is swooning xddd
☆, Chapter 24: Tonghui’s Haunting
Shaking her head, feeling dizzy and uncomfortable… her earlobe still stung a bit.
Xi Fuhong woke up to find herself lying in Divine Doctor Xue’s luxurious carriage.
The decorative hydrangeas on the ceiling swayed, indicating the carriage was moving.
Beside her, her left arm was numb from being used as a pillow by the sleeping Xue Baihua.
She moved slightly, waking the light-sleeping beauty.
Xue Baihua’s eyelashes fluttered, and she looked at Xi Fuhong with a lazy, enchanting smile, but Xi Fuhong was immune.
She tried to pull her arm back, but Xue Baihua pressed her hand against her chest, flipping over to pin her down.
“…Who is Luo Qingcheng?” she asked, her breath fragrant, close to Xi Fuhong’s cheek.
Hearing the name Luo Qingcheng, Xi Fuhong instantly froze.
She never expected to hear that name from Xue Baihua’s mouth.
She hurriedly pushed her away and sat up, panicking to escape the carriage, but Xue Baihua pulled her back.
As she tried to sit up, a pair of long, slender white legs wrapped around her.
Divine Doctor Xue straddled her abdomen, forcefully pinning her arms above her head.
“…Afraid?” Xue Baihua asked, pressing her forehead against hers.
Xi Fuhong didn’t understand what “afraid” referred to, but whether it was Luo Qingcheng or the current situation, she was scared.
“…Don’t be afraid, with me here… I won’t let her harm Ah Fu.”
Recalling hearing Luo Qingcheng’s name from Xi Fuhong’s mouth last night, her heart inexplicably ached.
No matter the reason, she hated that Xi Fuhong still thought of someone else.
Ah Fu was her medicine person, existing entirely because of her, living and dying for her, and only allowed to think of her.
It was that simple.
Xue Baihua was just that proud and willful.
Looking at the face that had regained its composure, Xue Baihua released her grip but didn’t intend to get off Xi Fuhong.
Her no longer cold fingertips traced Xi Fuhong’s forehead, then her nose, lips, and finally the red mark she once found unsightly but now found somewhat cute.
“…Want to get rid of it? I can help you…” she said, her touch feeling like ordinary skin.
Xi Fuhong touched the red mark a few times and shook her head, “It’s okay, I was born with it, and it reminds me of my mother, even though I’ve never met her.”
“…Keeping an ugly mark for nostalgia?” Xue Baihua met Xi Fuhong’s gaze, “…Can I leave you a mark to remember me by? Should I cut a mark on your chest? Or carve my name on your thigh?… Or… cut off your ear?”
Xue Baihua meant no harm, but the more Xi Fuhong listened, the more terrified she became.
She shook her head desperately, fearing Divine Doctor Xue might actually harm her.
Seeing her flustered expression, Divine Doctor Xue laughed brightly.
“Divine Doctor, spare me, I… I don’t want to die yet…” Xi Fuhong said with a worried expression.
“…I won’t let you die…” At least not now.
Xi Fuhong breathed a sigh of relief, and outside the gauze curtain, Cao Er’s voice could be heard, saying that Tonghui City was about to…
