Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Liu Yunshu's tense back suddenly relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and a barely perceptible smile flashed across her eyes.

She nodded slightly, her voice barely audible: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After saying that, she tried to struggle to get out of bed.

The moment her fingertips touched the cold edge of the bed, Xiao Luochen reached out and pressed them down.

His palm was warm, covering her slightly cool hand. The pressure was light, yet it carried an undeniable insistence.

"Your body hasn't recovered yet, you need to rest," he said in a low voice, revealing little emotion.

"The Imperial Physician has prepared a medicinal meal. There's no need to rush back. Stay in the palace for a few days to rest until your pulse stabilizes before you leave."

Seeing that she seemed to want to say something more, he added, "If you go back like this, my brother will think I haven't taken good care of you."

"Besides, the Martial Alliance is currently fighting the Demonic Sect. With your internal energy so depleted, you can't even defeat an ordinary martial artist. What if we encounter members of the Demonic Sect on the road? Wouldn't that make my brother worry for nothing?"

Liu Yunshu fell silent.

She knew he was telling the truth—although the effects of the medicine had worn off last night, her internal energy was almost completely depleted, and she was indeed extremely weak at the moment.

"Then... thank you, Your Majesty." She lowered her eyelashes and responded softly.

Xiao Luochen then withdrew his hand, stepped past her, and got off the bed.

He rose very quietly, his bright yellow undergarment slipping off his shoulders to reveal his well-defined back.

The red marks left by her fingertips last night still lingered on it, tinged with a faint pink in the morning light.

Liu Yunshu instinctively opened her face, her ears burning uncontrollably. She quickly raised her hand to pull the quilt tighter around herself, wrapping herself up completely.

Xiao Luochen glanced at her sideways and saw her huddled under the covers like an ostrich. A faint smile flickered in his eyes.

He reached out and pulled the silver bell, the delicate sound breaking the silence in the hall.

The palace maids quietly entered to help him wash and dress. After he changed his clothes, he stood by the window, gazing at the morning dew dripping from the eaves.

Unconsciously, her fingertips rubbed the still-healing teeth mark on her wrist.

That was the mark she left in despair last night, still faintly red, like cinnabar etched into her bones.

"Your Majesty, Miss Liu's medicinal meal is ready."

A palace maid quietly stepped forward and placed the gilded tray on the table.

A milky-white medicinal soup was served in a white porcelain bowl, with a few snow-white lotus petals floating on top.

Xiao Luochen nodded slightly, and as he turned around, he saw Liu Yunshu struggling to sit up.

The quilt slipped off her shoulders, revealing her slender neck, and the faint red kiss marks left from last night were faintly visible at the edge of her collar.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he quickly stepped forward and supported her waist.

The warmth emanating from her palm through the thin blanket made Liu Yunshu stiffen, and she instinctively moved to the side.

"Don't move," he said in a deep voice, with an undeniable gentleness. "I'll help you up."

His fingertips applied just the right amount of pressure, stabilizing her weak body without overstepping his bounds.

Liu Yunshu lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him, and let him help her lean against the headboard.

"Drink it while it's hot." Xiao Luochen brought the medicinal meal to her lips.

The moment the silver spoon touched her lips, Liu Yunshu abruptly turned her head and took the porcelain bowl: "Your Majesty, I can do it myself."

Her fingertips trembled slightly as she scooped up a spoonful of medicine, but due to her weak wrist, she almost spilled it onto her clothes.

Xiao Luochen reached out and held the rim of the bowl, his fingertips inadvertently touching her fingertips, the icy touch making his heart tighten.

"Slower."

He spoke softly, his gaze falling on her trembling eyelashes, which fluttered like butterfly wings, carrying fine droplets of moisture.

The medicinal food had a slightly sweet taste, mixed with the coolness of snow lotus and the warmth of the herbs. It slid down the throat, and the warmth gradually spread to every part of the body.

Liu Yunshu took sips of her drink, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught him staring intently at her.

The emotions in her eyes were complex and hard to discern; there was pity, forbearance, and a hint of profoundness that she couldn't decipher.

She hurriedly looked away, handed the empty bowl back to the palace maid, and said in a voice barely audible, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"The imperial physician said that your internal energy has been severely depleted and you need to be treated with acupuncture every day to help you overcome this crisis, and your internal energy will be used to nourish your meridians."

Xiao Luochen withdrew his gaze, his tone as calm as if he were talking about something ordinary, "This afternoon, I will come to heal your injuries myself."

Liu Yunshu's fingers tightened around the brocade quilt, and she looked up in astonishment: "His Majesty has come in person? This... is inappropriate."

She and he had already been intimate, and now they were alone together in a room.

He was also asked to transfer his internal energy through his palm, which would inevitably lead to physical contact again... How would he handle that situation?

Xiao Luochen, however, seemed oblivious to her embarrassment, his fingertips still tracing the teeth marks on his wrist, his tone calm yet resolute:

"Your meridians are damaged in a special way, and even a slight mistake can leave lasting health problems."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over her reddened earlobes. "Besides, this concerns my brother's instructions, and I must personally confirm that you are safe and sound."

Mentioning Xiao Hanxing, Liu Yunshu felt a bittersweet feeling.

She lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "Since that's the case... then so be it, Your Majesty."

Xiao Luochen nodded, said nothing more, and turned around, his clothes brushing the ground, stirring up a gentle breeze.

The moment the palace doors closed, Liu Yunshu's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and as she lowered her eyes, a triumphant smile flashed in her eyes.

The afternoon sun shone through the carved window frames, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Liu Yunshu sat on a soft couch, dressed in a plain white undergarment, her long hair loosely tied up, revealing her slender back.

Footsteps approached from afar, and when Xiao Luochen pushed open the door, he was holding an ebony needle box in his hand.

Today he changed into a moon-white brocade robe, shedding the bright yellow of an emperor, which made him less imposing and more refined and gentle.

But his deep eyes remained composed, making it impossible to read his emotions.

"Ready?" He walked to the tatami mat and placed the needle box on the table.

Liu Yunshu nodded, her back ramrod straight, but her fingertips curled up nervously.

Xiao Luochen opened the needle box, took out seven golden needles, and as he made a hand seal, the golden needles instantly emitted specks of cold light.

He gestured for Liu Yunshu to relax and placed his palm on her back.

The warm internal energy flowed in first, slowly surging in and tentatively meandering through her damaged meridians like a stream.

Liu Yunshu froze, the familiar warm touch instantly reminding her of the entanglement last night, and her ears burned uncontrollably.

She bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to calm down, but the more she tried, the more...

"Concentrate."

Xiao Luochen's voice rang in my ears, with a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness.

He could clearly feel the disordered breathing within her body, and the burning heat under his palms indicated that she was clearly agitated.

Liu Yunshu took a deep breath, forced herself to close her eyes, and cleared her mind of distractions.

Seeing that she was gradually calming down, Xiao Luochen moved his fingertips slightly, and seven golden needles pierced into the acupoints on her back like shooting stars, the needle ends trembling slightly.

Liu Yunshu's tense body gradually relaxed, and a look of weariness appeared between her brows.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she suddenly felt a warmth in her back.

A more potent internal force surged in, carrying his unique ambergris scent, causing her to instinctively move closer to his palm.

This unconscious act of dependence caused Xiao Luochen to suddenly stop.

He looked down at the wisps of hair on the top of her head, the faint fragrance of her hair lingering around his nose.

The skin beneath his palm was smooth and warm, causing his Adam's apple to bob involuntarily.

The image of her whimpering and turning in his arms last night flooded his mind again, almost disrupting his previously steady inner strength.

"Your Majesty?" Liu Yunshu noticed his pause and asked softly with a hint of doubt.

Xiao Luochen quickly regained his composure, composed himself, and his voice returned to its usual calm: "It's nothing."

He increased the internal force in his palm, and the trembling of the golden needles became more regular. "Persist for a little longer, and the meridians will be initially stabilized."

Liu Yunshu said no more, but silently endured the nourishment of his inner strength.

The hall was quiet, with only the faint buzzing of the golden needles and the intertwined breathing of the two people.

As the sunlight gradually slanted westward, it fell upon them, casting a soft halo around them, creating an illusion of tranquility and peace.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xiao Luochen slowly withdrew his inner force and pulled out the golden needle.

When Liu Yunshu turned around, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were much clearer than before.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." She rose and bowed, her movements still somewhat unsteady, but much more steadier than before.

Xiao Luochen looked at her flushed cheeks, a faint smile flashing in his eyes, gone in an instant.

"I will come again to heal your wounds at this time tomorrow."

He put away the needle box, turned to leave, but paused. "If you feel unwell, you can ask the palace servants to summon you at any time."

Liu Yunshu nodded: "This humble woman understands."

The palace doors closed again. Liu Yunshu watched his departing figure, and faintly felt the warmth of his palm still lingering on her back.

Meanwhile, outside the palace, Xiao Luochen stood alone under the corridor, gazing at the sunset on the horizon, his fingertips once again rubbing the teeth marks on his wrist.

He knew that this kind of healing would only make their relationship more complicated, but he couldn't control himself.

He would be willing to stay by her side as long as it was just to heal her wounds, even if she always had her brother in her heart.

The wind under the eaves was cool, but it couldn't dispel the deep look in his eyes.

Between him and her lay the bond of brotherhood, but that night of passion had already changed everything.

He didn't know where this ill-fated relationship would lead, he only knew that at this moment, he wanted to protect her and hold onto this fleeting tenderness.