Flower Stealing Master

“Ah?” Ren Yingying was startled by Song Qingshu’s sudden remark. His words made her genuinely worried. When she considered the possibility that the cold poison might affect her ability to bear children, she shuddered. After all, in this world, a woman who couldn’t give birth would be considered guilty of violating one of the “Seven Outrageous Acts.”

“Alright then, I’ll trouble you, senior.” Ren Yingying’s eyelashes quivered slightly, revealing the turmoil in her heart.

Song Qingshu smiled faintly and stopped speaking, focusing on expelling the cold poison from her body. In truth, he hadn’t been entirely honest with her. While the dantian and chest were indeed the most dangerous areas to treat for cold poison, there was no need to use such an intimate method to heal her.

Of course, this position was the most convenient and efficient for expelling the poison. Given that Ren Yingying had been scheming to annul their engagement, Song Qingshu saw no reason to go out of his way to use a more complicated healing method. After all, he had always adhered to a life philosophy: “If you don’t take advantage of an opportunity, you’re a fool.” Naturally, he wasn’t about to play the role of a noble gentleman unnecessarily.

Despite the softness of the beauty in his arms and the faint fragrance emanating from her, Song Qingshu, seasoned by many experiences, quickly entered a state of unwavering focus as he channeled his Qi to heal her.

However, Ren Yingying found herself in a difficult situation. She had never been this close to a man before. The proximity of his breath already had her heart in disarray, and the two streams of inner Qi entering her abdomen and chest felt like writhing serpents coursing through her body. Perhaps it was her imagination, but each time his Qi passed through a pressure point, a faint tingling sensation would ripple through her entire body.

Ren Yingying bit her lip, trying desperately not to make any embarrassing sounds. However, her breathing inevitably became heavier, and the suppressed gasps faintly echoed through the room.

Song Qingshu was surprised by her reaction, not expecting her body to be so sensitive. He immediately slowed the flow of his Qi and said calmly, “Calm your mind. We’re at a critical stage.” Though he didn’t mind taking advantage of her, there was a limit to everything. He prided himself on being charming, but he refused to stoop to being crude.

“Okay,” Ren Yingying replied, her face flushed red. She had also heard her own gasping but chose to pretend it wasn’t loud enough for him to notice. However, his words shattered that illusion.

As Song Qingshu’s Yang Qi continued to flow into her body, Ren Yingying’s temperature rose higher and higher. Eventually, a fine layer of sweat formed on her skin, soaking her thin clothing, which clung tightly to her body.

“Senior, I… I don’t want to continue the treatment,” Ren Yingying said in a trembling voice, her head lowered.

“Why?” Song Qingshu was taken aback.

“I…” Ren Yingying hesitated, twisting the ribbon on her dress with her hands. After a long pause, she failed to articulate her thoughts.

Looking down, Song Qingshu understood immediately. Ren Yingying’s thin dress had become translucent with sweat, revealing her fair skin underneath. Their close proximity made it feel as if there were no barriers between them.

Song Qingshu felt a wave of awkwardness. This situation was far from his intention. If his identity were exposed someday, Ren Yingying would undoubtedly think he had done this on purpose to embarrass her. It would only make things worse.

“We’re almost done. Please bear with it a little longer; we can’t let all our efforts go to waste,” Song Qingshu said seriously. He then tore a piece of black cloth and blindfolded himself.

Seeing his action, Ren Yingying felt a twinge of gratitude. ‘Senior truly is a gentleman, but in this situation… sigh…’

Noticing no further objections from her, Song Qingshu took a deep breath and sped up the flow of Qi. The room fell into silence.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Ren Yingying suddenly coughed up a mouthful of dark blood. She looked closely and saw small ice crystals mixed in the blood, still emitting faint cold air.

“The cold poison in your body has been completely purged,” Song Qingshu said, withdrawing his hands.

Ren Yingying responded with a soft “hmm.” She wanted to thank him, but the thought of how much advantage he had taken of her made it impossible to get the words out. In the end, her conflicting emotions turned into one sentence: “I’ll return to my room now.”

Before leaving, she realized her current state wasn’t suitable for others to see. Stamping her foot in frustration, she turned back to glare at Song Qingshu. However, seeing the black cloth still covering his eyes made her feel slightly better. She grabbed a nearby robe, draped it over herself, and left quickly.

Hearing her footsteps fade into the distance, Song Qingshu removed the blindfold and smiled bitterly. ‘Sigh, even if I jumped into the Yellow River, I wouldn’t be able to wash this off.’

Looking out at the moonlight streaming through the window, Song Qingshu was surprised to realize how much time had passed.

As he was lost in thought, a soft, melodious voice came from the doorway. “Big brother?” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Song Qingshu looked up and saw a charming young girl standing at the door. Who else could it be but Wu Yunzhu?

“Why aren’t you asleep at this hour?” Song Qingshu asked with a smile.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Wu Yunzhu forced a smile, looking troubled.

“Did someone bully you?” Song Qingshu asked, puzzled.

Wu Yunzhu bit her lip but didn’t answer. Instead, she carefully checked the hallway before stepping inside and closing the door.

“Uh…” Song Qingshu couldn’t help but find her sneaky behavior amusing. “What’s the matter?”

“Um…” Wu Yunzhu fidgeted for a long time, testing Song Qingshu’s patience before finally asking, “Big brother, is it true that you and Miss Ren have secretly pledged yourselves to each other?”

“You came all this way just to ask that?” Song Qingshu chuckled.

Seeing him dismiss the matter, Wu Yunzhu grew anxious. “Big brother, you’re a close friend of the Golden Serpent King. How could you steal your friend’s fiancée? Isn’t there a saying, ‘A friend’s wife is off-limits’?”

Song Qingshu suddenly remembered that the young girl before him was one of his most devoted admirers. She must have rushed over to defend her idol’s honor. Feeling playful, he teased her, “You must have misremembered. Isn’t the saying, ‘A friend’s wife—don’t stand on ceremony’?”

Wu Yunzhu’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. “Big brother, how could you…”

Seeing her tearful expression, Song Qingshu quickly explained, “Alright, alright, I was joking. The situation is more complicated than you think, but I promised Miss Ren to keep it a secret.”

“Really?” Wu Yunzhu’s face lit up, but before she could press further, there was a sudden knock at the door.

“Could it be my father looking for me?” Wu Yunzhu panicked, her expression turning pale. “Big brother, please don’t tell him I came here in the middle of the night!”

Without waiting for his reply, she frantically searched for a place to hide. However, the room offered no suitable hiding spots. Hearing the knocking grow more urgent, Wu Yunzhu stamped her foot and leapt onto the bed, pulling down the curtains to conceal herself. 

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