Chapter 41: Hold me for a while, and the pain will go away

Su Yao sat up abruptly from the bed, her eyes wide with panic and a flustered expression on her face.

"What? Where is he?"

"Just now, Changting brought the physician into the master's room."

Without a second thought, Su Yao hurriedly put on her clothes, threw a robe over her shoulders, and rushed toward the neighboring room, not even taking the time to properly put on her shoes.

Her hair fluttered wildly in the wind, and her stumbling footsteps almost caused her to fall.

As soon as she stepped into the room, Su Yao's gaze was instantly drawn to the blood-stained bandages resting on the table.

Those crimson bloodstains struck her heart like a heavy blow.

Her fingers trembled involuntarily, and her heart began to hammer violently.

"Lu Huaijin, where are you hurt?" she cried out anxiously, her voice laced with tears.

The moment she entered, Changting understood the situation implicitly and tactfully led everyone else out of the room, pulling the door shut behind them.

Lu Huaijin lay in bed, his complexion as pale as paper, entirely devoid of color.

Seeing Su Yao's anxious expression, the brows that had been tightly furrowed from pain relaxed slightly, and a trace of warmth unexpectedly welled up in his heart.

His voice was somewhat hoarse as he asked, "Why did you come over?"

"I heard you were injured, how could I not come? Let me see, where are you hurt?"

Su Yao spoke as she hurried to the bedside.

Lu Huaijin coughed a few times, as if exhausting all his strength, and his face grew even paler.

Seeing this, Su Yao was frantic with worry and reached out to untie his outer robe to check the condition of his wounds.

The moment her fingers brushed against his lapel, her hand was caught in a firm grip.

"Don't look. They're just superficial wounds. The physician has already applied medicine, and if you undo it now, I'll only have to endure being rebandaged."

Su Yao knew very well that Lu Huaijin was a resilient man who never feared pain.

Yet seeing his pale complexion and weak breath, she knew deep down that his injuries could not possibly be minor.

"Where are you hurt?" she asked again, her voice choking with sobs.

"There are some on my chest, and on my shoulder as well," Lu Huaijin replied calmly, as though the injuries belonged to someone else, though his voice grew increasingly rasped.

"Who did this? Could it be those scholars?"

Lu Huaijin gently pulled her into his embrace.

"Those scholars lack the strength to truss a chicken; they are fine with a brush, but useless with a blade. However, assassins had mixed in among them, striking a fatal blow when my guard was down."

"Who was so bold as to assassinate you?" Su Yao's voice trembled, and her body quivered slightly in Lu Huaijin's arms.

"No one other than political rivals in the imperial court."

Su Yao knew nothing of the power struggles in the court. In her eyes, the entire imperial court bowed to Lu Huaijin's will, yet someone had actually dared to make a move against him.

A name suddenly flashed through her mind.

Xiao Yu.

She quickly shook her head, deciding she must be muddle-headed to let her imagination run wild.

Matters of the imperial court were entirely beyond the comprehension of a woman confined to the inner courtyards.

Another fit of violent coughing wracked his body.

Su Yao could clearly feel his chest heaving violently.

For reasons unknown, her own heart felt as though it were being pierced by thousands of needles, and a wave of sorrow surged through her.

"Does it hurt?" Su Yao asked softly.

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

"How could it not hurt? You must have lost so much blood." Su Yao's eyes reddened, and tears welled up within them.

Suddenly, Su Yao snapped to her senses as if doused by a basin of cold water.

She realized how reckless she had been; running all the way here in such a disorderly and unprincipled manner was thoroughly improper.

She hurriedly struggled to sit up, wishing to break free from Lu Huaijin's embrace.

When Lu Huaijin's hand reached out toward her, Su Yao instinctively shrank back.

It was the innate evasion of prey fleeing a predator.

Rooted deep in her soul, yet completely natural.

"What are you dodging for?"

Su Yao murmured, "I thought my lord was going to strike me."

Lu Huaijin froze, his hand suspended mid-air, coming to an abrupt halt.

A long sigh escaped him.

"How could I ever strike you?"

"My lord would never strike me..." Su Yao repeated the words.

"Come here."

Her arm was caught in his grasp, and though she instinctively wanted to pull away, she dared not exert any force.

"I am injured. Are you certain you want to stay so far away?" Lu Huaijin's voice grew even fainter.

Su Yao looked at his hand—the very hand that had once filled her with terror now stirred a sense of pity within her.

She bit her lip and, mustering her courage, took a step forward.

Lu Huaijin seized the opportunity to pull her tightly into his arms.

The embrace was somewhat tight, making Su Yao feel as though she could barely breathe.

Then she heard him murmur, "Don't move around. I'm in so much pain. Just let me hold you for a moment, and once I hold you for a little while, it won't hurt anymore."

Su Yao stopped moving, allowing him to hold her.

Her heart was a chaotic mix of emotions.

A man of such lofty power, whom she both feared and resented, was now injured yet acting like a helpless child, needing her to soothe him.

She had no inkling of how joyful Lu Huaijin's heart was at that exact moment.

When Su Yao slowly drifted back to consciousness, her head felt heavy and foggy, leaving her momentarily disoriented.

As her awareness gradually returned, she was startled to realize she was sleeping in Lu Huaijin's room.

Everything around her carried Lu Huaijin's scent—that familiar cedarwood mixed with a faint trace of medicine.

She woke up fully in an instant.

Raising her gaze, she saw Lu Huaijin lying right beside her, his arm draped across her waist.

His eyes were closed tight, and his usually stern features looked remarkably soft in sleep, causing Su Yao to experience a fleeting moment of trance.

It was as if the man before her was not the Chief Councilor who controlled her life and death, filling her with fear and resentment.

Sensing her movement, Lu Huaijin lazily muttered a few words from the back of his throat: "Sleep a while longer."

Su Yao stiffened entirely, not daring to draw a full breath.

She was afraid of disturbing his rest, yet equally worried about brushing against his wounds.

After all, his pale complexion and painful coughs from yesterday were still fresh in her mind, leaving a lingering terror in her chest.

"My lord, the hour is getting late."

"Mm, it does no harm to rest for a day."

Lu Huaijin opened his eyes slightly, his gaze holding an unusual hint of fatigue, before slowly closing them again.

This hardly seemed like his usual self.

Su Yao thought that perhaps his injuries were severe enough to force him into taking a rest.

When Lu Huaijin woke up again, the room was completely empty, and Su Yao was nowhere to be seen.

He summoned the servants to inquire and learned that Su Yao had gone to the West Courtyard to find Zhao Zhifu.

In an instant, his expression darkened.

His eyes were filled with simmering anger.

He had deliberately taken a day off, pushing aside all official business solely to spend time by her side, yet she had calmly left him all alone here while she ran off to play with Zhao Zhifu.

Suppressing the rising fury in his heart, Lu Huaijin got up and headed toward Su Yao's room.

He sat within the quiet room, waiting silently for her return.

Chuntao watched him anxiously from the side and ventured to say, "My lord, this servant will go and invite the young lady back."

"You are not allowed to go."

Lu Huaijin wanted to see just when Su Yao would remember that he was still severely injured, and when she would recall that someone was waiting for her in this room.

Sitting around in boredom, Lu Huaijin's gaze inadvertently swept toward the corner of the desk, where a flash of blue caught his eye.

"What is this?"

Chuntao trembled in fright and, following his line of sight, realized it was the embroidered sachet.

I-it's a sachet, my lord."

Lu Huaijin raised an eyebrow slightly. "A sachet? Bring it here for me to see."

Not daring to delay, Chuntao hurried forward and retrieved the sachet, presenting it to him with both hands.

Taking the sachet, Lu Huaijin examined it closely and saw a few stalks of emerald bamboo embroidered upon it with lifelike detail.

His fingers gently stroked the bamboo on the sachet, and an unexpected sweetness welled up in his heart.

Acting on a sudden impulse, Lu Huaijin hung the sachet from his belt.

He coughed lightly.

"My lord, this servant really should go call the young lady back."

This time, Lu Huaijin did not refuse.

...

"Young lady, the master is waiting for you in your room right now!"

Su Yao's heart skipped a beat.

Wasn't he injured and supposed to be resting quietly?

Why was he looking for her at a time like this?

Could it be that he was craving those intimate matters between the bedchambers again?