The room was so quiet that a pindrop could be heard.
There was a warm touch on Xu Feng's lips, like the sugar he had coveted for a long time when he was a child, and finally tasted it one day, it was so sweet that it penetrated to his heart.
But in just a short moment, he suddenly came back to his senses and realized what he was doing.
He... kissed Zhou Yan...
Xu Feng was taken aback by this thought, and hurriedly straightened up, but unexpectedly leaned back, and fell to the ground with a "thump".
The person on the bed seemed startled by the sound, and murmured dreamily: "Brother Feng..."
Xu Feng broke out in a cold sweat, lest Zhou Yan wake up and turn around. He held his breath and waited for a long time. Seeing that there was no movement on the bed, he felt relieved. But thinking of what he had just done, he dared not stay any longer. As soon as his stiff hands and feet regained consciousness, he stood up and ran out in the dark. Room.
In the dead of night, no one moved around in the mansion.
Xu Feng walked around the courtyard for a few times by himself, and his beating heart slowly calmed down, only a faint sweet smell remained on his lips.
What kind of evil did he fall into, how could he do such a thing? Is it because of the Gu worm, or is he treating Brother Zhou...
Xu Feng vaguely knew the answer in his heart, but he didn't dare to think deeply about it. After he calmed down, he remembered that Zhou Yan was still in a coma. If no one was watching at night, he might not even be able to drink a sip of water. He settled down, put away those thousands of thoughts, and turned back to Zhou Yan's room.
As soon as he entered, he lit a candle, and the candlelight flickered, illuminating Zhou Yan's face. Xu Feng used to get along with him day and night, and he didn't feel any difference. Now seeing him sleeping soundly, he felt hot in his heart and a little dry in his mouth. There was a pot of tea on the table, it was already cold, he raised his head and poured it down in one gulp, only then did he suppress his anger a little.
After drinking the water, he went outside to boil a pot of hot tea again, and because he was afraid that the water would cool down quickly in winter, he wrapped it in his clothes and hid it in his bosom. But this time he didn't stay by the bed anymore, he just sat by the table, glanced at Zhou Yan's face, and then turned away immediately.
Xu Feng's body hadn't healed in the first place, and at this moment everything was still, and he couldn't help but feel sleepy, his head nodded, and he fell asleep unknowingly.
He didn't sleep deeply, and he felt someone put a piece of clothing on him in a dim state, and he woke up with a start. Opening his eyes, he saw that the candles on the table were almost burnt out, and Zhou Yan was sitting beside him, looking at him by the faint candlelight for an unknown how long.
Xu Feng met his eyes, almost forgot how to speak, and said after a while: "Brother Zhou, you, are you awake?"
"Well," Zhou Yan said with a rare look of tiredness between his brows and eyes, "Why are you sleeping here?"
"I'm afraid Brother Zhou will wake up and ask for water."
Xu Feng remembered the pot of water hidden in his arms, took it out and touched it, it was still a little warm, so he poured a glass of water for Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan took the cup, but didn't drink the water, but asked, "Does your hand still hurt?"
"It's already ready."
Zhou Yan said: "That quack doctor... Well, that genius doctor is quite capable."
Xu Feng said: "Brother Zhou volunteered to suffer for me, how can there be any bad reason?"
There was a sense of blame in his tone.
Zhou Yan smiled slightly, and said: "My internal strength is stronger than yours, and this bit of Gu insect poison can be suppressed."
"But I heard from Dr. Xu that the toxicity of male Gu is more severe..."
Zhou Yan didn't drink the water in the glass until then, and when he handed the glass back, he held Xu Feng's hand together, and whispered to himself: "Compared with your injuries, this is nothing ?”
When Xu Feng's hand was held by him like this, it felt a little itchy, as if the Gu worm had become active again, but this time it didn't play tricks on his hand, instead it kept burrowing into his heart. Xu Feng tried to move his hands, but was held tightly by Zhou Yan. He couldn't break free, so he changed the subject and asked about his body.
Zhou Yan naturally only said that there is no problem.
Xu Feng talked to him for a while, but his eyes were always wandering elsewhere, and he didn't dare to look at his face.
Zhou Yan soon noticed, and his complexion changed slightly. He raised his hand to touch his face and asked, "But what's wrong with my face?"
"No."
"Then why are you talking with your head down?"
Xu Feng had no choice but to raise his head, look at his face, and said, "Brother Zhou's face is very good."
After taking one look, he couldn't help taking a second look. He took a closer look at Zhou Yan and said, "Well, Brother Zhou's face...is very pretty..."
Zhou Yan was taken aback.
Xu Feng knew that he had made a mistake, so he stood up abruptly. "Brother Zhou has slept all day and hasn't eaten anything. He must be hungry now. I'll go to the kitchen to make something to eat."
After speaking, he turned and walked out the door.
After being blown by the cold wind outside, Xu Feng felt that the heat on his face subsided, and he finally became sober. His hands and feet were very fast, and he cooked a pot of porridge in a short time, and brought it back to his room to share with Zhou Yan.
Before dawn after eating porridge, Zhou Yan lay back on the bed again, and asked Xu Feng to go back to his room to rest.
Xu Feng insisted on staying with him.
Zhou Yan thought for a while, then simply lifted the quilt and said, "Brother Feng, you should come up and sleep too."
"What?"
"Anyway, it's getting bright too soon, let's take a rest first."
Xu Feng resolutely refused, because he was afraid that Zhou Yan would pull him, so he held the edge of the table tightly with his hands.
Seeing him like this, Zhou Yan was very puzzled, but it was useless to persuade him a few times, so he let him go.
When he woke up the next day, Xu Feng lay on the table with a sore back, but Zhou Yan's spirit was much better. Doctor Xu came over early in the morning, taking Zhou Yan's blood for medicine as usual.
Zhou Yan took the dagger himself, and slashed heavily on his hand, immediately adding a bright red scar on his wrist.
Xu Feng's eyelids twitched. He knew the origin of this medicine, how could he still drink it? Only afraid of wasting Zhou Yan's hard work, he reluctantly swallowed it into his mouth.
After taking the medicine, Xu Feng asked Miracle Doctor Xu, "Is my elder brother's health important?"
"Young Master has profound internal strength, and there is no fear of his life."
"I've been drinking the medicine for two days, and my right hand doesn't feel any pain anymore, can I take out the Gu worms in my elder brother's body?"
"This..." Doctor Xu stammered, "This matter..."
"What? Is there any difficulty?"
Miracle doctor Xu seemed hesitant to speak.
Zhou Yan didn't make a sound, just coughed lightly.
Doctor Xu immediately changed his tone and said, "No, no, just take another medicine tomorrow."
Xu Feng was still a little suspicious, and as soon as Master Xu left, he asked Zhou Yan: "Is Brother Zhou hiding something from me?"
"How could it be?" Zhou Yan said with a calm expression, "It's just that the surname Xu wants to cheat some money."
Xu Feng thought of Miracle Doctor Xu's usual behavior, and it was indeed the case, so he didn't ask any more questions. The next day, he drank another bowl of fishy medicine, and Doctor Xu changed the prescription afterwards, and sure enough, Zhou Yan's blood was no longer used in the medicine.
It's just that after that night, Xu Feng got along with Zhou Yan again, but he was not as relaxed as before, and even avoided Zhou Yan intentionally or unintentionally.
In a blink of an eye, it is the tenth day of the first lunar month, and it is not a few days away from the Lantern Festival. Xu Feng had dinner with Zhou Yan in the morning, and in the afternoon he found an excuse and plunged into the study.
Most of Xu Feng's collections are medical classics and herbal books. Xu Feng is usually not interested in it, but at this time he picked one and read it carefully. When he was halfway through, he suddenly heard someone ask, "What are you looking at?"
Xu Feng was startled, and hastily closed the book in his hand. When he turned around, he was relieved to see that it was Doctor Xu.
"It turned out to be Doctor Xu."
Doctor Xu laughed and said, "Otherwise, who do you think it is?"
Xu Feng just smiled and didn't say what he was thinking about.
Doctor Xu asked, "Why are you the only one? Where's your elder brother? Didn't he come with you?"
Xu Feng bitterly said, "No matter how good a brother is, he can't be inseparable all day long, right?"
"That's right." Miracle doctor Xu nodded repeatedly, "I see that your big brother is just too concerned about you, so..."
He stopped in the middle of his speech and didn't say any more.
Xu Feng was thinking about his own thoughts, but he didn't pay attention. He flipped through the book in his hand, and said in a low voice: "Mr. Xu's medical skills are superb, and he is also well-informed. I wonder if he can cure that kind of disease?"
"What disease?"
"It's just..." Xu Feng hesitated for a long time, and finally said those words, "The addiction to broken sleeves."
"Cough cough cough..."
Hearing this, genius doctor Xu was choked by something, and coughed hard. But he is indeed a person who is used to the big wind and waves, he calmed down very quickly, his eyes slipped to Xu Feng, and he made a gesture of counting money.
Xu Feng had already figured out his temperament, and knew that he didn't care about money and didn't work hard, so he took the initiative to offer the few taels of silver he had saved so hard.
Master Xu didn't care about the amount, he could talk easily after receiving the money, and said after a moment of pondering: "The disease you mentioned can be cured, but it can't be cured."
"What does this mean?"
"Diseases in the muscles, skin, and stomach can all be cured, but if the disease is in the bone marrow, medicine will not work."
Xu Feng understood what he meant as soon as he heard it, and felt panic in his heart for a moment, and asked: "Then how do you know...how sick is a person?"
"How sick is this man?" Dr. Xu seemed to have seen through Xu Feng's mind, and said slowly, "Shouldn't he be the most aware?"
Xu Feng was shocked.
Doctor Xu continued: "If this person feels that he is not seriously ill, he can come to me for pulse diagnosis and prescription."
After speaking, he put the few taels of silver into his arms, hummed a little song and left. Only Xu Feng was left standing alone in the study, feeling his hands and feet were cold.
Is he sick in his body
Or... the disease is in the bone marrow
Xu Feng was still holding the book of medical techniques in his hand, but he couldn't read a single word. He stayed in the study for a while, and then went back to his room.
He walked halfway, and saw Zhou Yan standing at the door of his room from a distance, as if waiting for him to come back. The two met face to face, Xu Feng couldn't bow his head to dodge it anymore, so he went up to him and said, "Brother Zhou."
Zhou Yan responded and looked at him with folded arms.
Xu Feng felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and seeing some dust on his shoes, he asked, "Brother Zhou went out?"
Zhou Yan said: "Go out and do something."
As he spoke, he stuffed a package into his arms.
Xu Feng opened it and saw that it was a pack of pine nut candies. He took a candy and put it in his mouth. It tasted really sweet, too sweet, and even had a slight bitter taste.
Xu Feng frowned bitterly while eating the candy, and heard Zhou Yan ask him: "Where have you been all afternoon?"
"I'm free, I'm reading in the study."
"Brother Feng," Zhou Yan looked at him for a moment and asked, "Are you avoiding me?"
Xu Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "How could it be? Why did Brother Zhou say that?"
"There's none?"
"Of course, I..." Xu Feng looked at his right hand and found an excuse, "I've been thinking about it for the past few days. When my right hand is cured in the future, I will switch to my right hand to use the sword again. I don't know if I can practice it well. Big Brother Zhou taught me swordsmanship."
Zhou Yan's eyes were dark, he didn't know whether to believe it or not, he just said softly: "You must have practiced well."
The two talked a few more words, Xu Feng said he was tired and wanted to go back to his room to rest, but Zhou Yan called him back and said, "Brother Feng."
"What?"
"The Lantern Festival will be in a few days. I said I would accompany you to watch the lanterns."
Xu Feng paused, remembering that such a thing happened. He can dodge everything else, but he can't dodge this one, so he can only bite the bullet and say: "Well, when the time comes, I will go with Big Brother Zhou."
After speaking, he fled and entered the room.
He didn't even eat dinner, and went to bed early, but because he remembered what Dr. Xu said, he couldn't fall asleep after tossing and turning.
He remembered that when he was on the mountain, his brothers talked about marrying a daughter-in-law in the future, and he also fantasized about marrying a gentle and virtuous woman. Later... After entering the Palace of Bliss, he realized that men can also do things like husband and wife.
Although he escaped, after all, he stayed in that prostitution den for three years and was humiliated in that way, how could he be with a woman again? It just so happened that he met Zhou Yan at this time, Brother Zhou treated him like his own younger brother and protected him all the time, so he was unconsciously moved.
He was harmed by the devil in the Palace of Bliss and contracted such a strange disease. His life was already ruined, but he couldn't harm Big Brother Zhou any more.
Xu Feng made up his mind and went to Dr. Xu to prescribe medicine tomorrow.
He didn't feel pain in his right hand for a long time, but now he felt that his internal organs were all mixed together, which was more uncomfortable than when the Gu poison broke out. He covered his eyes with his arms, and called out in a subdued and low voice: "Brother Zhou..."
After yelling, he immediately woke up, opened his mouth and bit the back of his hand firmly, and did not make a sound.
Xu Feng barely slept that night, and went to Doctor Xu for a pulse check early the next morning. It's just that all the money he saved has been spent, so he can only pay on credit with Dr. Xu.
Doctor Xu didn't see the real money, so he was very perfunctory when he started to cure the disease. He casually felt Xu Feng's pulse, and prescribed a prescription for him, saying: "All the medicines I prescribed are medicines for calming the mind and calming the mind. , if your problem of broken sleeves breaks out, and you feel irritable, flushed, hot, and out of your mind, you can take this medicine, and it may relieve a little bit."
Xu Feng didn't expect that Miracle Doctor Xu was so powerful that he knew everything about his illness, so he quickly reached out and took the prescription. He took the medicine according to the prescription for a few days, but the effect has not yet been seen, and the Lantern Festival is coming.
Xu Feng had heard that Lin'an was prosperous, but he rushed to rescue Murong Fei as soon as he entered the city, and later he was treated by Dr. Xu, so he didn't take a good look around. I went out with Zhou Yan that night, and only then did I know what a sea of people is, and an empty alley is empty.
Lanterns are lit everywhere on the street, and the various lights are dazzling. There are also puppet performers and drum beaters mixed in, and the sound of laughter and laughter is everywhere.
Xu Feng felt that everything he saw was fresh. He first watched the play for a while, and then went to watch others guess lantern riddles. Among them was a glazed lantern, which was rumored to have a style from the palace, and it was extraordinarily dazzling, but the lantern riddle was also difficult, and no one could guess it right for a while.
Xu Feng was about to take a closer look, but was pushed away by the crowd. The street was crowded with people, everywhere they were crowded and rubbing shoulders, Zhou Yan and Xu Feng were so close that the back of his hand bumped into his hand several times.
Xu Feng's heart was beating like a drum, and he had experienced all the illnesses described by Dr. Xu, and he regretted not taking a set of medicine before going out.
At this time, a group of people rushed forward, wearing colorful costumes and walking on stilts, and dispersed the crowd at once. Xu Feng was knocked to the side, and thanks to his martial arts, he barely stabilized his figure, but when he looked back, Zhou Yan was nowhere to be seen.
"Brother Zhou!"
Xu Feng yelled, and that voice was immediately drowned in the noise.
The crowd gathered again and continued to push him forward. Xu Feng turned his head frequently, looking around for Zhou Yan's trace. His eyesight is also quite good, but at this moment he couldn't find Big Brother Zhou.
Lin'an City was brightly lit that night, and everyone's faces were filled with happiness. Xu Feng was in it, but he was sweating anxiously.
He seemed to be back when he was young, and he and his elder brother depended on each other for life. He thought that they would never be separated for the rest of their lives, but that day he listened to his elder brother and kept running forward. When he turned around, that person had disappeared.
Since then, there is a vast sea of people, and there is no time to meet each other again.
"Brother Zhou!"
Xu Feng shouted hoarsely, and when he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of the glazed lamp. The lamp is crystal clear, and it looks even more radiant when viewed close up.
Xu Feng was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at the lamp.
The man with the lamp came over step by step, handed the lamp to his eyes, and said, "Take it."
Xu Feng slowly raised his gaze, and saw that the man's eyes were shining brightly, reflecting the bright lights.
The surrounding voices disappeared in an instant, and it was as quiet as that night when he gently kissed Zhou Yan's lips. At this moment, Xu Feng suddenly understood that he was dying of illness, and there was no medicine in the world to save him.
Seeing that Xu Feng hadn't connected the glazed lamp, Zhou Yan asked, "What? You don't like this lamp?"
"I like it..." Xu Feng kept looking at Zhou Yan, and said, "I like it very much."
He reached out to take the lamp and asked, "Did Brother Zhou guess the lantern riddle?"
"No."
"Then this lamp..."
"It cost money to buy."
Xu Feng smiled, looked at the crowd coming and going, and said, "There are too many people, I'm afraid I'll get separated from Brother Zhou again."
Zhou Yan flipped his wrist, held his hand firmly, and said, "I won't lose it again this time."
Xu Feng let him hold it like this, and didn't break away from that hand again.
The two raised their lamps and walked forward with the crowd. The lanterns he saw along the way were exquisite and ingenious, but when Xu Feng saw all the scenery, he felt that none of them was as good as the one he had already held in his hand.
The lights will go from dusk to dawn. It was the first time for Xu Fengtou to see such a lively scene. Although he was a martial arts practitioner, he was still exhausted from being pushed around by the crowd.
Zhou Yan let go of his hand, bent down and said, "I'll carry you back."
"Brother Zhou..."
Zhou Yan didn't allow him to refuse, and said directly: "Come up."
Xu Feng knew something was wrong in his heart, but his body moved by itself, and he couldn't help but take a step forward, and slowly fell on his back.
It was not yet dawn, Zhou Yan was afraid that Xu Feng would be bumped, so he didn't walk too fast, but walked steadily forward in the faint morning light.
Xu Feng whispered in his ear: "Brother Zhou, I can actually walk by myself."
"I know." Zhou Yan looked back at him, there was still a little brilliance from last night in his eyes, and said gently, "I just want to carry you on my back for a while."
Xu Feng's chest was pressed against his broad back, as if it was about to burn. The sunlight pierced through the clouds and hit Zhou Yan's profile obliquely. Xu Feng traced that face with his eyes, but he didn't dare to get too close. He just lay on his shoulder, hoping that the road would be as long as possible. .
The glazed lamps were gradually extinguished, and when the sky was fully lit, the two finally returned to Xu's residence. Xu Feng didn't sleep all night and couldn't help yawning again and again. Zhou Yan had breakfast with him and urged him to go back to his room to rest.
Xu Feng entered his room, but couldn't sleep for a while, put the glazed lamp on the table, looked and looked at it happily, until his eyelids were so sore, he hung the lamp on the head of the bed, and looked at the glazed lampshade. pattern fell asleep.
After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, even if it is the end of the new year, everything will return to normal. Since Xu Feng understood what he wanted, he didn't try to avoid Zhou Yan anymore, and he didn't even take the medicine prescribed by Master Xu.
Miracle Doctor Xu originally hoped to make some money from him, but this time it was in vain. However, Xu Feng's right hand hadn't healed yet, and he was still taking prescriptions to regulate his body. At the end of the month, Dr. Xu changed a few other medicines for him, which tasted a little astringent.
Xu Feng felt it was strange, Doctor Xu just said it doesn't matter: "The Gu worm has been in your body for a month, and it should have some effect, so I changed to a mild side drug prescription, and it will be fine after a few more months. "
Xu Feng continued to take the medicine as usual.
He has never let go of his martial arts practice, and he keeps practicing every day. Zhou Yan has nothing to do, so he just gives advice. When he was living in seclusion in the town, Zhou Yan would occasionally fight with Xu Feng, but since he came to Xu Feng's residence, he hadn't seen him do it again.
Xu Fengxin thought it must be because his martial arts were not good enough and he was too far behind Brother Zhou, so he practiced harder and harder. This day he was practicing sword in the yard, Zhou Yan was watching from the gazebo next to him, when he finished his set of sword skills and turned to look for Brother Zhou, he saw that Zhou Yan had already fallen asleep leaning against the table.
Xu Feng put away his sword and walked over lightly. Seeing that Zhou Yan was fast asleep, and it was early spring, the breeze was blowing slowly, warming his body, so he didn't call him out.
Several plum blossoms in the yard had already bloomed, and there was a vague fragrance. Xu Feng sat for a while with his chin propped on one hand in the warm spring light. He looked around and saw that Zhou Yan's hand was on the table, so he quietly moved closer and covered his own hand.
With a slight bend of his fingers, he hooked Zhou Yan's hand.
With his hands clasped together, Xu Feng felt his fingertips go numb, but a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth unconsciously.
But after only a moment, he realized that something was wrong, quickly withdrew his hand, and lifted Zhou Yan's sleeve. There is a white cloth wrapped around Zhou Yan's wrist, which was wrapped when blood was taken for medicine. Could it be that the injury has not healed after a month
Xu Feng felt suspicious, so he simply untied the white cloth and took a closer look, only to see the scars on Zhou Yan's wrists, including several flesh turned out, which were extremely hideous, and they were fresh scars!
Xu Feng is also a person who has been injured. He knows that this injury was definitely not left a month ago. It was yesterday at the earliest, or even... this morning...
How did Brother Zhou get hurt
Xu Feng was so astonished that he bumped his arm back and knocked the teacup on the table to the ground.
Zhou Yan woke up suddenly from his sleep when he heard the sound. He was still not awake for a while, stared at Xu Feng for a while, then smiled slightly, and said: "What? Have you finished practicing the sword technique?"
As soon as he looked down and saw Xu Feng holding his hand, his expression changed immediately, and he covered the wound on his hand with his sleeve.
Xu Feng saw everything in his eyes and asked, "How did Brother Zhou get injured?"
Zhou Yan rubbed the center of his brows, and said: "A few days ago, I was not careful..."
"This injury was clearly cut with a knife, how could it be accidental? Why did Brother Zhou injure himself? Could it be..." Xu Feng remembered that the medicine he took recently had been changed, and his eyelids twitched heavily. The medicine... used Brother Zhou's blood?"
Zhou Yan didn't deny it, just said: "A little injury, it will be fine in a few days."
"Medicine... your blood..." Xu Feng thought about the matter before and after, and immediately understood, and asked, "Is the Gu worm still in your body?"
Zhou Yan avoided answering, which was a tacit consent.
No wonder Doctor Xu hesitated when he mentioned this matter, it turned out that he never took the Gu worm away!
Thinking of this, Xu Feng suddenly remembered something, raised his palm and patted Zhou Yan's shoulder.
Zhou Yan is so skilled in martial arts, he usually fights with Xu Feng, and he would not even touch the corner of his clothes, but now he did not avoid it, only heard a "pu" sound, and the palm hit him on the shoulder.
Xu Feng was stunned for a moment, as if a turbulent wave had been set off in his heart, he stared straight at Zhou Yan, and said word by word: "Brother Zhou has refused to fight with me recently, is it because you can't use your internal strength at all?"
Zhou Yan sighed, took the hand that Xu Feng hit on his shoulder, and said, "It's just temporarily suppressing the Gu worm with internal force."
"Why?"
"Although I used my blood as medicine last time to detoxify the insect poison in your body, but the poison will recur every other month. So I discussed with Dr. Xu and kept the male gu in my body until it is cured. If you hurt your hand, it won’t be too late to take it out.”
I see.
It turned out that this was what Dr. Xu and Zhou Yan kept from him.
In order to heal his injury, his elder brother Zhou would rather not even use martial arts. And on the day of the Lantern Festival, he walked such a long distance with such a body on his back...
Xu Feng felt tight in his chest, got up and said, "I'll go to Doctor Xu and ask him to take out the Gu worm immediately."
"Brother Feng, your hand..."
"It's dead."
"Brother Feng!"
Zhou Yan grabbed Xu Feng's hand and pulled him back forcefully. Xu Feng was not on guard, and ran into his arms.
Zhou Yan was afraid that he would go to Doctor Xu, so he simply hugged him and said: "If you give up halfway now, all the hardships before will be in vain? Besides, this Gu worm can't be taken out just by taking it. Now... my blood It's your antidote."
After Xu Feng heard this, he suddenly felt sweetness and bitterness in his heart. He took a deep breath and said, "Wrong."
"What?"
"Brother Zhou..."
He was so close to Zhou Yan, he just raised his head and kissed the corner of Zhou Yan's mouth. His lips trembled slightly, and even his voice trembled, he said, "Brother Zhou is my antidote."