Chapter 165: As Long as You Take the Medicine, I’ll Listen to You
Chapter 165: Chapter 165: As Long as You Take the Medicine, I’ll Listen to You
Cui Lingyao nodded. "You’ve been severely injured multiple times, and your body has grown so weak. Hurry and take this. It will help you recover quickly, without any lingering effects."
Xie Jinbai held the Jade Bottle, turning it over and over in his hands. He glanced up and, seeing her still standing by the bed, scooted over. "Get in bed first, then we’ll talk."
His robes were still open, and the blood-stained gauze was a jarring sight.
Cui Lingyao climbed onto the bed and began to straighten his robes. Seeing him still staring at the Jade Bottle, she couldn’t help but ask, "Go on, take it. Are you afraid I’m trying to poison you?"
"Of course not,"
Xie Jinbai grasped her wrist, brought it to his lips for a kiss, and smiled. "It’s just... I find the material of this bottle rather odd. It looks like Hetian jade, yet it’s colder to the touch. When I hold it, the chill lingers. This is no ordinary item."
"..."
Cui Lingyao stared, dumbfounded.
She hadn’t noticed those details herself.
’The system said the Hundred Diseases Pill was a product of the Medicine World.’
’Then this bottle must also be a product of that world.’
’What kind of brain does this man have? The moment he gets his hands on something, he examines the bottle first.’
’And he figured out something was unusual with just a couple of glances.’
She said nothing, looking a little tense.
Xie Jinbai glanced at her. His fingers, which had been toying with the Jade Bottle, stilled. "How many more of these pills are there?"
He didn’t ask where it came from.
He went straight to asking how many there were.
This question wasn’t difficult for Cui Lingyao to answer.
She pressed her lips together. "There were three in total. Minmin took one. Once you take this one, there will only be one left."
A precious elixir like this, one that could nearly bring someone back from the dead, was the equivalent of a second life.
She only had two left, yet she gave one to him without a moment’s hesitation.
A deep sense of satisfaction washed over Xie Jinbai.
’It doesn’t matter what secrets she’s hiding, or whether she approached me with some ulterior motive.’
’None of that matters anymore.’
He tightened his grip on the Jade Bottle, wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her into his embrace. Cupping her chin, he gave her a hard kiss. "I believe you."
’I believe that you truly love me.’
Cui Lingyao had no idea what had gotten into him. She raised a hand to her cheek, which he had just kissed so forcefully, and snapped, "Take your medicine!"
"I’m not going to," Xie Jinbai said, leaning in to kiss her again with a smile. "I’ll save this. We’ll use it when something truly life-threatening happens."
Cui Lingyao refused. "With your status and martial arts, unless you go looking for death yourself, what other life-threatening situation could you possibly run into?"
’For him, this current injury...’
’...is probably the weakest he’ll ever be in his entire life.’
’And the wound is near his heart. A piercing injury, twice.’
’It will most likely leave lasting damage.’
Cui Lingyao wasn’t willing to take that chance.
She frowned. "I’m telling you to take the medicine. Are you going to listen to me or not?"
Listen. To. Me.
In his entire life, no one had ever spoken to Xie Jinbai that way.
He almost laughed, but fearing he’d anger the woman in his arms, he suppressed it and explained patiently, "My father, the Emperor, has been gravely ill for years. Now that he knows the Hundred Diseases Pill exists, he certainly won’t let the matter drop. We have to be prepared to present one to the palace."
"That’s not an issue. Don’t we have two?"
Cui Lingyao said, "Even if you take one, there will still be one left for the Emperor."
"..." Xie Jinbai brought a hand to his forehead in exasperation.
’She really never thinks of herself.’
’Not even a little.’
But Xie Jinbai couldn’t be like that. His entire being was focused on planning and scheming for her sake.
He cupped her chin and pressed his forehead against hers, his voice grave. "Listen carefully. You only have one Hundred Diseases Pill left. Even if the Emperor asks, that is the answer."
Cui Lingyao understood what he meant.
’He wanted her to keep one for herself and give the other to the Emperor.’
’But she refused!’
Cui Lingyao insisted, "So you’re allowed to worry about me, but I’m not allowed to worry about you? If you don’t heal properly because of this and you die an untimely death, leaving me all alone in this world, who will be left to protect me?"
One of her sentences struck a chord, and Xie Jinbai’s expression faltered.
He recalled Doctor Liu had indeed said that his wounds—both of them—were close to his heart, and that he had repeatedly aggravated them.
Even a body made of iron would be left with chronic ailments.
’She said that if she were left all alone in this world, there would be no one to protect her.’
Xie Jinbai’s brow furrowed. The very thought of that scenario made his heart ache.
The room fell silent.
Seeing he remained unmoved, Cui Lingyao grew anxious and angry.
After a moment’s thought, she draped her arms around his neck, tilted her head back to kiss his jaw, and whispered, "Don’t you want to...? If you take the medicine, I’ll do whatever you say."
"..."
His gaze darkened as he looked down at her. "Really?"
"Mhm!" Cui Lingyao nodded emphatically.
’I’ve finally gone all out.’
At her words, Xie Jinbai let out a small laugh.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he uncorked the bottle, lifted it to his lips, and tilted his head back. The pill inside rolled into his mouth.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
He swallowed.
’Even taking medicine, he does it with such bold swagger.’
’Tossing back a pill like he was chugging water.’
’Cui Lingyao had never seen anything like it.’
She was about to say something when Xie Jinbai casually tossed the empty bottle aside. A large hand cupped the back of her neck, and her vision went dark.
His kiss descended.
The clean, medicinal scent of the elixir still lingered on his lips.
’He really did swallow the Hundred Diseases Pill.’
Cui Lingyao relaxed, joyfully wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back.
Her proactive response made it impossible for Xie Jinbai to restrain himself.
His body tensed violently.
’She knows I’m going crazy wanting her. How does she still dare to tease me like this?’
Faced with the difficult choice between taking her quickly and devouring her slowly, Xie Jinbai chose the latter.
He sucked hard on her lips, his large hand tightening around her waist. With a single, powerful movement of his arm...
Before Cui Lingyao could even recover from their kiss, she found herself sitting on his lap.
Her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes were misty and shimmering, the corners tinged with a delicate red.
Utterly alluring.
So alluring it made Xie Jinbai ache with desire.
He took her by the wrist, guided her hand to the collar of his robes, and coaxed, "First, take off my clothes."
His belt had already been undone, saving her the trouble.
A dark, predatory hunger churned in his eyes, so intense that Cui Lingyao didn’t dare meet his gaze.
She had only paused for a few breaths when Xie Jinbai sighed impatiently. "Didn’t you say you’d do whatever I say? Are you addicted to being a liar?"
"..."
Her fingers moved. In a few quick motions, she pulled open his robes. Her movements paused when she saw the gauze, which was seeping blood.
Xie Jinbai said, "Don’t worry about it. The Hundred Diseases Pill is quite potent; I can already feel the wound healing."
’The effects really are instantaneous.’
Cui Lingyao said nothing and continued to remove his robes.
Once his upper body was bare, she could clearly sense just how much weight he had lost.
Before, the muscles of his waist and abdomen had been thick and powerful, looking almost ferocious.
Now, while he still had his abs, he was much leaner.
He looked more like he did when they were younger, the first time she had ever seen his bare torso.
Cui Lingyao’s heart ached. She stroked his side. "You’re thinner."
Her hand glided over his waist and abdomen, and Xie Jinbai felt he was about to be driven insane.
He covered his eyes with his hand and said through gritted teeth, "If you like me bigger, I’ll put the weight back on for you. But for now... move your hand a little lower."