Chapter 27
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His hand was still in Xue Fangli’s grasp, and upon hearing this, Xue Fangli suddenly tightened his grip.
Jiang Juan took a deep breath and said slowly, “Your Highness, didn’t we agree? You can pinch, but just be gentle.”
Although he was in pain from being pinched, he didn’t really get angry. He just quietly reminded Xue Fangli, “You’re using too much force again.”
Was it really too much force?
Perhaps he was just too sensitive and afraid of pain.
Xue Fangli didn’t say anything, just stared at Jiang Juan. After a while, he spoke in a gentle tone, “Sorry, I forgot.”
Jiang Juann made a sound of acknowledgment. He had plenty of patience and didn’t want to argue with His Highness. He added, “Your Highness, I also stood up for you.”
Before, he was just lying low like a salted fish, while His Highness supported him. Today, he also helped His Highness by reprimanding the troublesome troublemaker. Jiang Juan looked at Xue Fangli with sparkling eyes.
Xue Fangli was momentarily stunned, then his crimson lips curved up, and he chuckled softly, “Thank you.”
Pausing for a moment, Xue Fangli continued slowly, “Next time, don’t take matters into your own hands. You’re already afraid of pain, and the residence’s guards aren’t just decorations.”
Jiang Qingliang: “…”
He found it hard to describe his feelings now.
His Highness is really good?
Yeah right.
But…
It seems like he’s quite concerned about Jiang Juan, this Royal Consort.
Jiang Qingliang suddenly thought, if he were to be trusted wholeheartedly by such a charming beauty, no matter how others criticize him, he wouldn’t believe it. And then he… damn it, he’s also afraid of him getting hurt.
No, this is such a dangerous thought.
Jiang Qingliang shook his head vigorously. In a daze, he had been staring at Jiang Juan for quite some time. When he snapped out of it, he found himself meeting Xue Fangli’s eyes, with a smile that was neither genuine nor fake. Jiang Qingliang immediately jolted.
He didn’t dare to say whether His Highness was good or not, but he knew if he kept staring, His Highness would definitely tear him apart.
With a splash, Jiang Qingliang submerged himself into the water, sadly searching for the non-existent bracelet.
Jiang Juan asked Xue Fangli, “Your Highness, why did you come?”
“To find you,” Xue Fangli smirked, “I didn’t want to wake you up earlier, intending to let you wake up on your own before sending Steward Gao over. But as soon as I left, you came out.”
Jiang Juan: “…”
His intention being seen through, Jiang Juan blinked earnestly and explained, “The ceremony hasn’t ended yet, but I just wanted to come and take a look.”
“In that case, let’s go inside and take a look.”
With those words, Xue Fangli walked into the hall, leaving Jiang Juan momentarily stunned. “Your Highness, didn’t you say you didn’t want to come?”
Xue Fangli replied in a flat tone, “I didn’t want to, but you’ve mentioned it so many times. It doesn’t hurt to come now.”
Jiang Juan uttered an “oh” and followed beside him, entering the ceremony hall together.
Inside the hall, many monks were seated on the floor, quietly chanting scriptures. Jiang Juan listened for a while but couldn’t understand much. Since he had come, he decided to take a few sticks of incense and offer them in prayer.
He could only guess at what had happened to Beauty Yu, but regardless, she was unlucky. Holding the incense, Jiang Juan closed his eyes.
Xue Fangli neither stopped Jiang Juan nor joined him in offering incense, he just watched from a distance.
Jiang Juan bowed his head, a slight furrow appearing on his brow. His face seemed to be shrouded in the smoke, but the sympathy and compassion in his expression remained undiminished. He focused devoutly on praying for Beauty Yu.
As Xue Fangli watched, his expression turned cold.
How could he forget? This was his little Bodhisattva, but not his alone.
His compassion extended beyond just him. Whenever there was suffering, anything could evoke his sympathy, anything could make him relent.
Wolves, even peacocks, and even people he had never met, were all the same.
Xue Fangli admired his soft-heartedness, yet also excelled at manipulating him with it. At this moment, he couldn’t help but feel disgusted by Jiang Juan’s soft-heartedness.
Because this kind of soft-heartedness and dedication was not unique to him, he couldn’t possess it exclusively.
He had known for a long time that the young man possessed a pure heart and a compassionate nature.
Xue Fangli lightly closed his eyes, suppressing any displeasure and dissatisfaction, smiling as he gazed at Jiang Juan.
Perhaps that woman wasn’t entirely wrong.
To keep someone, you had to make them fear, make them rely solely on themselves to live, like a silkworm pupa.
But what he wanted to keep was a little Bodhisattva. The little Bodhisattva didn’t know his true nature, fearless and unafraid. He might be afraid of pain and sensitive, but he would never be a silkworm pupa. His heart was filled with too many things.
Far too many.
He liked too many things, he cherished too many things.
The fierceness in his soul was raging, and Xue Fangli could barely contain it.
“Your Highness, I’m done.”
After finishing offering incense, Jiang Juan returned to Xue Fangli’s side. He asked, “Are we going back now?”
Xue Fangli looked at him, who was so close, and suddenly asked, “About… my mother consort, you’re not going to ask anything?”
Jiang Juan hesitated, “I want to ask, but…”
He had many things he wanted to ask, but he was afraid that asking would upset His Highness. So, he decided to hold back for now and ask when he had figured out what to say.
Last time he mentioned the memorial day directly, and His Highness didn’t show up for several days afterward. Jiang Juan felt he needed to be more cautious.
Xue Fangli glanced at him and calmly asked, “What did Jiang Qingliang say to you?”
As he spoke, he chuckled first, his expression turning cold, “He kept going on about how I killed her and wanted to burn her body.”
Jiang Juan was startled, nodding slightly. Then he hurriedly added, “But I know it couldn’t be you, Your Highness.”
“And what if it was me?”
Xue Fangli lifted his gaze, his voice low and chilling as he said, “Do you know how much I hate her?”
“I would devour her flesh and drink her blood if I could.”
In Jiang Juan’s eyes, Your Highness was mostly gentle. Even on rare occasions when he was in a bad mood, he would only be a bit indifferent. But this moment of ferocity was the first time Jiang Juan had witnessed it.
He was taken aback, unsure of what to say, and stared blankly at Xue Fangli.
Yet his gaze remained clear, as if he and his entire soul were purified to the utmost, without a speck of dust.
As Xue Fangli locked eyes with Jiang Juan, his hostility seemed almost tangible. Suddenly, he felt utterly weary of this charade of playing the good person.
He should make him fear him.
He should mold him into a canary.
No matter how much he harbored inside, if he clipped his wings and confined him in a beautiful cage, he could only watch him alone and pity him alone.
“Your Highness…”
“Let’s go.”
Xue Fangli lowered his gaze, suddenly not wanting to hear anything more from him, and even less wanting to look at him—whatever expression Jiang Juan might have, it wouldn’t be what he wanted.
Xue Fangli indifferently lifted his foot. Jiang Juan instinctively grabbed his sleeve. “Your Highness, wait.”
Xue Fangli didn’t turn to look at him, but his steps paused. Jiang Juan returned to the brazier, lowering his head and reaching out his hand.
Soon, Jiang Juan came back. “Your Highness, let’s go.”
His tone was no different from usual, but for some reason, Xue Fangli still glanced sideways at him.
Jiang Juan was pursing his lips, his eyelashes drooping slightly, a small cluster dampened, as if with dew.
Xue Fangli looked at him for a long time, finally lowering his eyelids and asking, “Did I scare you just now?”
“Ah?” Jiang Juan shook his head. “No, I just…”
He trailed off, unable to continue. After waiting for a moment, Xue Fangli felt his impatience returning. Without much expression, he said, “Then let’s go.”
They returned to their quarters one after the other.
The abbot had already been summoned, and Steward Gao was busy serving tea for them. Seeing the two return, Steward Gaohurriedly greeted, “Your Highness, Your Royal Consort.”
Xue Fangli remained silent, but Jiang Juan responded with a subdued tone. Steward Gao glanced at him and smiled, saying, “Your Royal Consort, this is the abbot of the Miaoling Temple.”
Jiang Juan looked over, and the abbot set down the tea, smiling. “May I examine Your Royal Consort’s pulse?”
Jiang Juan made a sound of agreement and offered him his hand. The abbot placed his hand on Jiang Juan’s wrist, and after a moment, he spoke softly, “From the pulse, it appears that Your Royal Consort’s vitality is weak. There may be congenital deficiencies, so proper care is necessary. Don’t neglect it.”
His words echoed those of the imperial physician, but it seemed the abbot also sensed that Jiang Juan wasn’t feeling quite well. He added, “In addition to taking care of your health, Your Royal Consort, it’s important to keep your spirits up.”
After a pause, the abbot continued, “Your Highness mentioned frequent chest pains and even fainting today. Let me clear your meridians for you.”
Jiang Juan: “…”
He felt like he didn’t need his meridians cleared.
Jiang Juan hesitated, glancing at Xue Fangli, who was sitting silently with his eyes lowered. Seeing no response from him, Jiang Juan reluctantly went along with it.
“The Zhiyang acupoint has the effect of calming the mind and regulating the qi in the chest. Today, I will administer acupuncture at this point for you, Your Royal Consort.”
The Zhiyang acupoint was on the upper back, so his clothes had to be removed down to the shoulder blades. Jiang Juan slowly unbuttoned his garment and then slowly pulled it down.
Just as Jiang Juan’s fair and rounded shoulders were exposed, a strong hand suddenly pressed down, preventing him from pulling his garment further. Xue Fangli calmly stated, “Gao De, leave us.”
Steward Gao, who had been keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact, breathed a sigh of relief at the command. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“Get onto the bed.”
Xue Fangli’s tone remained cold as he spoke again. Jiang Juan glanced at him nervously and complied, positioning himself on the bed as instructed. Xue Fangli then helped him remove his clothes.
His bare back, as fair as snow, was pristine and luminous. Dark strands of hair scattered across it, accentuating its smoothness.
Xue Fangli paused in his movements.
“Your Highness, are you sure it won’t hurt?”
Jiang Juan was too afraid. His hands rested on the pillow as he looked up at Xue Fangli. Due to his movements, his hair fell from his back, revealing his beautiful and slender neck.
Xue Fangli didn’t speak, just stared at Jiang Juan.
“…… Your Highness?”
Xue Fangli remained silent, increasing Jiang Juan’s fear. Unable to bear it, he called out to him. After what seemed like an eternity, Xue Fangli finally said, “Hmm, it doesn’t hurt.”
Jiang Juan believed him.
But the next moment, as the abbot began acupuncture, the pain in his back made Jiang Juan gasp lightly. His fingers involuntarily clenched the pillow.
The more he clenched, the more his eyelashes trembled, and tears formed in his eyes.
“…It hurts so much.”
Jiang Juan’s left hand curled up unnaturally. He had endured the pain all along, but now he couldn’t bear it anymore. Tears streamed down his face, one after another.
No matter how afraid of pain he was, acupuncture shouldn’t be this agonizing. Xue Fangli lowered his head to look at him, and suddenly, he seemed to notice something. He grabbed Jiang Juan’s left wrist.
On that hand, several blisters had formed at the fingertips, and some had been accidentally popped.
“What happened?”
“Just now… when you said you hated Beauty Yu, I removed all the incense I had offered to her.”
Jiang Juan gritted his teeth in pain, his eyelashes trembling violently. Tears kept falling as he spoke intermittently, “But I accidentally burned myself…”
“You hate her, so I won’t offer incense to her anymore.”
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