Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 13

Xiao Bao was dumbfounded. Back when he used to hang out with that group of boozy friends, they played around with women in all sorts of ways. He'd even dabbled with aphrodisiacs before, knowing full well how dangerous they could be when they took effect. "It's impossible!! There must be an antidote!! Get it out..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was met with a curtain of blood. With a swift swing of Huai Ens Longsword, two heads rolled to the ground. Dark red blood sprayed over both of them, soaking their bodies and faces. The two heads stared wide-eyed, unblinking, as they rolled to Xiao Bao's feet, frightening him into screaming and sitting down, repeatedly backing away.

Huai En glared at him. "The needles, pull them out."

Xiao Bao forced himself to steady his mind, quickly assisting him. His fingers trembled as he pulled out the silver needles from his back, feeling the tremors of the person in his arms with each extraction. His own heart clenched in discomfort with each tug.

"Zheng... Miss Zheng... Are you alright?" The person in his arms was frail, their body still shaking uncontrollably. Both covered in blood, it was hard to tell whose was whose.

"It's hard to tell whose is whose."

"Help... Help me to the riverside..."

Xiao Bao hurriedly lifted the person, carefully inching towards the riverbank, his movements cautious, afraid of aggravating any wounds.

The distance to the river, less than a mile, felt unusually long as they walked.

Xiao Bao gradually realized something was wrong.

Over the short distance, the person's face, initially pale from blood loss, began to flush abnormally red, and their breathing became rapid.

Xiao Bao's heart sank as he realized the effects of the drug were kicking in.

When it came to such matters, Xiao Bao was far more experienced than Huai En. Huai En only knew how uncomfortable it felt, clutching at his collar, unable to understand how to relieve the internal heat.

Even though Huai En clearly heard that it was an aphrodisiac and knew what aphrodisiacs were, experiencing the sensation firsthand felt completely unfamiliar.

Xiao Bao placed Huai En by the riverside, but before he could react, he saw Huai En suddenly plunge into the river, submerging his entire head.

It was early summer, and although the weather was cool, in the deep mountains early in the morning, it still felt damp and chilly. Xiao Bao hurriedly followed, pulling him out of the water. "Miss Zheng, you've lost too much blood. If you catch a cold now, it could be fatal."

Huai'en, soaked through, was lifted up by him, his face a mess of embarrassment, but still, in Xiao Bao's eyes, he remained pitiable, heart-wrenching, his thick makeup washed away by sweat, blood, and water, revealing a childish face.

Xiao Bao was somewhat surprised; the beauty's natural look was drastically different from before, not only younger by several years but also exuding a stubborn aura between her brows, even more enchanting than before.

"Let go of me... Get lost..." Huai'en waved his hand, sat on a rock, and with a swift motion, tore off the two pieces of torn cloth from his arms, taking out a small white porcelain bottle, scooping out a transparent ointment and applying it to the wounds on his arms.

"Miss Zheng, let me help you." Xiao Bao looked at those slender arms, swallowed hard.

"Miss Zheng, let me help you," Xiao Bao said, eyeing those slender, pale arms, swallowing hard.