Ji Qingxuan slowly opened her eyes while in a coma.
A faint aroma of food wafted towards her, slightly sweet. A gurgling sound, like something simmering, came from beside her. She tried to move her limbs, but her body felt soft and without strength. However, the moment she lowered her head slightly, her pupils contracted, and her cold, clear eyes showed a rare hint of panic.
Her current outfit was completely different from the moon-white palace dress she wore before. She was now wearing a black sling dress. Due to its slightly short length, the hem of the skirt was about half a foot above her knees.
It was clear that the owner of this dress was much more slender than she was. Now she felt the fabric across her chest was slightly tight, and the skirt that wrapped her buttocks was also a bit snug.
If she hadn’t felt that her body was otherwise fine and experienced no discomfort, she would have cried out in alarm.
She immediately let out a very soft sound. Instantly, two pairs of eyes turned towards her. Jiang Huai’s gaze was gentle, while Mu Yao’s was wary. She muttered softly, “Why did she wake up now?”
“Then we can just eat together.”
“She doesn’t need to eat.”
“She’s weak right now, eating something nourishing will be good for her.”
“No, no, why are you playing the good cop?” Mu Yao pouted slightly. “Didn’t we agree that you’d play the bad cop and I’d play the good cop?”
“…” Jiang Huai was speechless.
Ji Qingxuan had been in a coma for an entire night. After Jiang Huai specially refined a pill for her, he took out ingredients from his Storage Ring and was stewing a pot of sweet and soft Braised pork with pickled greens. He and Mu Yao were about to eat when Ji Qingxuan woke up at that exact moment.
Upon noticing the panic in Ji Qingxuan’s eyes and the way her fingers clutched the hem of her skirt, Jiang Huai quickly explained, “Your clothes were too stained with blood, and it wasn’t suitable for applying medicine to your acupoints. So, I asked Mu Yao to bathe you and change your clothes. I waited outside the cave the whole time. You can ask her if you don’t believe me.”
Mu Yao immediately replied, “Don’t worry. When I was changing her clothes, I kicked him out. He tried to peek several times, but he couldn’t succeed under my strict guard.”
Jiang Huai’s face darkened.
“The latter part is her fabrication,” Jiang Huai sighed helplessly. However, he seemed to have no good way to prove his innocence, so he could only look at Ji Qingxuan innocently. Ji Qingxuan was also looking at him. After a few seconds, she replied softly, “The life-saving grace is already a tremendous favor. When a doctor treats a patient, physical contact is unavoidable. I understand.”
“But I really didn’t peek… Forget it.” Jiang Huai had a strange feeling that the more he explained, the worse it would sound. But since she didn’t mind, there was no need for further explanation. He spoke softly, explaining the current situation to Ji Qingxuan, “Your injuries are more serious than we both expected. The important thing is not the wound from the Snow Spirit Wolf King, but the damage to your acupoints at that time. However, you also triggered the Spiritual Qi from your Dragon Heart. And your body is ultimately not as resilient as a dragon’s, unable to easily withstand the baptism of the Dragon Heart, which is why you are so severely injured.”
“Mmm, I feel it,” Ji Qingxuan said softly.
“But fortunately, my medical skills are still pretty good.” Jiang Huai’s tone suddenly shifted after a moment. “I’ve found a way to heal your injuries.”
He pointed to the porcelain bottle placed beside Ji Qingxuan’s bed. “Inside are three Dragon Blood Treasure Pills. I once obtained some medicinal materials related to the dragon clan, which are just what’s needed to relieve the current urgent situation. Take one of these pills every day, and your acupoints will be fully healed in three days, leaving no hidden ailments.”
When it came to these three pills, Mu Yao’s expression was a little strange, but she still pouted and said nothing more. Ji Qingxuan looked at the porcelain bottle and nodded gently. “This kindness… After leaving the Secret Realm, I will take you to the treasury of the Imperial City in the Central Province. You can choose whatever you want as repayment.”
“You’re too kind. We’ll talk about it then.” Jiang Huai wasn’t so noble as to expect no reward at all. These three Dragon Blood Treasure Pills were all refined using his own vital blood. He possessed the Silver Dragon bloodline, so his vital blood carried the supreme authority of the dragon clan. It was easy to heal her body, but it consumed a lot of his essence.
“Most medicinal materials using dragon blood as a guide have a hot nature and may cause some physical or mental abnormalities. It’s not that I’ve put any strange poison in them. To avoid misunderstandings, I’ll explain this to the Grand Princess first.”
Ji Qingxuan nodded gently. She understood some pharmacology and had heard that besides being excellent body-tempering medicinal materials, dragon blood was also an ultimate aphrodisiac. Looking at Jiang Huai’s gentle eyes, she replied softly, “There’s no need to call me Grand Princess. You can call me by my name, Ji Qingxuan.”
“Okay.” Jiang Huai nodded gently.
Mu Yao looked at the Braised pork with pickled greens in the pot and finally couldn’t help but interrupt Jiang Huai, gently tugging his sleeve. “Didn’t you say it would be ready in half an hour? The broth is almost dried up. When can we eat?”
“Right now.” Jiang Huai turned off the heat, opened the copper stove used for steaming rice, and picked up a porcelain bowl. Mu Yao had been staring longingly at the meat in the pot for a long time. She had been drooling from the aroma of the stewed meat and could finally eat it. She quickly grabbed her chopsticks and tasted a piece. After an instant, a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.
The cave was filled with the aroma of meat. For some reason, even though she had been abstaining from food for a long time, perhaps due to the previous depletion of Spiritual Qi, she felt a little hungry now. However, since neither Jiang Huai nor Mu Yao had mentioned it, she didn’t bring it up herself, simply lying quietly on the quilt, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
“Alright, alright. She has no Spiritual Qi and is probably hungry too. Go and feed her,” Jiang Huai poked Mu Yao’s cheek. Mu Yao looked at him with longing. “I haven’t eaten enough.”
“I’ll share my portion with you,” Jiang Huai chuckled at her helplessly. He usually ate a lot and wasn’t that greedy. Seeing Mu Yao so full and especially enjoying it, his sense of satisfaction outweighed his desire to eat. But when he said this, Mu Yao shook her head again. “It’s fine, you eat yours.”
She just wanted the portion Jiang Huai had originally saved for Ji Qingxuan.
A woman’s strange intuition told her that as long as Jiang Huai was nice to Ji Qingxuan, or if she wasn’t present, she had a feeling that if Jiang Huai and Ji Qingxuan spent a few days together, this Princess of the Central Province might fall for him. Jiang Huai had such a strange charm.
Mu Yao was still a young girl at heart, and her mind was now filled with a “whatever happens, happens” mentality. What she couldn’t have, other women wouldn’t get either!
“Your Highness, have some food.” Mu Yao picked up a bowl and spoon, mashed a tender piece of Braised pork with pickled greens with the spoon, mixed it with the crystal clear steamed rice, and brought it to Ji Qingxuan. She held the spoon, and Ji Qingxuan hesitated for a moment, looking a little shy.
She had lived so long, and she couldn’t remember the last time someone fed her. But now, she didn’t put on any airs. She slightly parted her lips and said softly, “Thank you for your trouble.”
“You’re welcome.” Mu Yao’s answer was calm. However, Jiang Huai looked at Ji Qingxuan, who was still lying on the bed, and then at Mu Yao, who had already scooped up some rice and was awkwardly trying to force the spoon into Ji Qingxuan’s mouth. He sighed helplessly and walked over. “Let me do it.”
Mu Yao turned back and looked at Jiang Huai warily. “Trying to show off again? No, no!”
“You don’t look like you know how to feed someone…” Jiang Huai looked at her helplessly. He leaned close to the quilt, lowered his body, and gently helped Ji Qingxuan sit up. He draped a thick, cold-weather coat behind her, then gently shifted her position so she leaned against the slightly cold stone wall of the cave. He then took the bowl from Mu Yao, scooped up a small spoonful, and held it to Ji Qingxuan’s lips.
A look of gratitude appeared in Ji Qingxuan’s eyes.
Mu Yao’s previous actions were as if she wanted to shove the spoon down her throat, but she couldn’t say anything. Lying flat, she could only swallow awkwardly. Now that it was Jiang Huai, it was indeed much better. She ate obediently, bit by bit, while Jiang Huai fed her slowly. Mu Yao, whose spoon had been snatched away, huffed and retreated to a quilt on the other side of the cave, hugging her knees and looking at Jiang Huai’s profile with resentful eyes, sulking.
Jiang Huai stood tall and upright. Despite Mu Yao’s slander, he could truthfully and righteously tell himself that he harbored no evil thoughts towards the Grand Princess before him. If he did… he had a hundred ways to make the Grand Princess obediently comply, even if her cultivation of half a step into the Eighth Realm was fully recovered, she would only be able to compromise obediently in front of him.
Because he carried the Dragon Emperor Bloodline, the authority of the Dragon Emperor Bloodline… was to rule over the dragon clan.
When he was young, his sister Jiang Ning was often sickly and bedridden, so Jiang Huai had some experience in taking care of patients. Most patients were psychologically fragile due to their pain, and they needed to be coaxed a little. The worse their mood, the less conducive it was to recovery. Moreover, her injuries were actually very serious. If she hadn’t been lucky enough to meet him, someone with the dragon clan bloodline, the two fractured acupoints on her shoulder might never have healed, and she would have had little chance of reaching the Eighth Realm in her life.
Ji Qingxuan quietly gazed at the man before her. Now, being fed by him spoonful by spoonful, she could only look at him. Their eyes met. Ji Qingxuan’s eyes were very clear and cold, but not impolite. Perhaps because she was at his mercy, there was a slight hint of meekness.
In her eyes, Jiang Huai’s eyes were exceptionally peaceful and calm. She had seen many eyes before, mostly filled with admiration and infatuation, or small hidden desires in their hearts. But she could be certain that Jiang Huai’s eyes were truly pure and clear like the sky.
Behind the calmness, there was a disdain for her beauty.
This aligned with all the information she had gathered about Jiang Huai previously.
The Saint Son of the Tian Xuan Sect, a direct disciple of Chu Xianning, kind and benevolent, hating evil as if it were his enemy, handsome, skilled in sword techniques, a gentleman.
Thinking of this, Ji Qingxuan’s unease slightly melted away. Jiang Huai finished feeding her and put away the bowls and chopsticks, saying softly, “Before you fell unconscious, I already gave you one Dragon Blood Treasure Pill. Start taking the remaining three from tomorrow morning.”
Ji Qingxuan nodded gently. Great kindness did not require thanks; she would repay him well in the future. Jiang Huai then took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the oil stains from the corner of her mouth. Then he returned to the quilt beside Mu Yao and sat down. He looked at her, who was hugging her knees, her eyes aggrieved, and turned her face away and snorted indignantly as soon as Jiang Huai approached. Jiang Huai reached out and gently poked her face.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Hmm? Why?”
“I’m jealous!” Mu Yao’s voice was aggrieved, but Jiang Huai showed no guilt. “Then do you still want to drink yesterday’s fruit tea?”
“Yes!”
“Aren’t you jealous?”
“What does being jealous have to do with me wanting to drink something?” Mu Yao tilted her small face up, her previous aggrieved expression gone, looking at his eyes slyly. “Kiss me and I’ll forgive you.”
Jiang Huai reached out and flicked her forehead.
Little Mu Yao was asking for trouble again.
