The summer in Yongdu is unbearably hot; even the air is scalding hot.
Not long after the beginning of summer, Wen Qingci's coughing became more frequent.
As a result, the whole person became much thinner.
His body was too weak to withstand the scorching heat.
Wen Qingci had long been accustomed to this and didn't care much about it.
On the contrary, Xie Bufeng was more anxious than him.
The affairs of the court had already been on track. Seeing that the temperature was gradually rising, Xie Bufeng simply handed the matter over to Xie Guanzhi, who was already the crown prince, and went to Songxiu Mansion with Wen Qingci.
As an emperor, he did not bring any attendants with him.
Only Song Junran and the other two returned to Songxiu Mansion by boat in a very low-key manner.
The Godly Doctor Valley is like spring all year round and has always been a good place to escape the summer heat.
In addition, the valley has a complete range of medicines and numerous medical books, making it more suitable for recuperation and research on "Tian Ci"'s detoxification methods.
Generally speaking, you can reach the valley within one day after entering the mountain.
But this time, Song Junran took Wen Qingci and Xie Bufeng and walked in the mountains and forests for a whole day and a half.
After making sure that Xie Bufeng could not remember the way he came, he went around in the correct direction and returned to the valley.
However, Xie Bufeng did not tell Song Junran that he, who had led troops through the sand dunes, had accidentally memorized the way into the valley even though he did not remember it deliberately...
The sound of tinkling mountain springs, accompanied by the silvery moonlight, passed through the bamboo forest and reached my ears.
As you go further into the valley, the temperature drops a little.
After passing through the bamboo forest, you will see the fence and bamboo house.
The summer heat has dissipated without a trace.
Walking out of the yard, Wen Qingci couldn't help but slow down his pace and looked up at the tall mulberry tree.
"What's wrong, Qingci?"
Wen Qingci smiled, shook his head and said, "It's been more than a year... I just didn't expect that it would take so long to come back after I left the valley last time."
It seemed like it was just yesterday when Song Junran jumped down from the tree and said he wanted to go to Yongting Prefecture with me.
It was late at night and the surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of the mountain spring could be heard.
Wen Qingci couldn't help but lower his voice.
Thinking about it now, what happened in the past year was indeed somewhat unexpected.
It's a bit chilly in the valley at night.
The wind from the mountain stream was chilly and ruffled Wen Qingci's long hair.
Xie Bufeng slowly reached out and tucked his hair behind his ears.
Finally, he gently embraced Wen Qingci in his arms, closed his eyes, kissed the top of the head of the person in his arms and said, "This year seems like a dream to me."
Even though I'm already with Wen Qingci, even though I've told Yishan and the world.
Xie Bufeng would often wake up from his dreams, looking for Wen Qingci, to make sure that the past year was not just a dream.
Wen Qingci couldn't help but raise his hand and gently pat Xie Bufeng's arm.
"—Ahem!" Song Junran, who was walking in front, cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "It's getting late. Let's talk tomorrow if we have anything to say."
After he finished speaking, he gritted his teeth and added: "Your Majesty, please be aware of your identity."
Xie Bufeng sticks to Wen Qingci all day long, which is really annoying to Song Junran.
Wen Qingci's earlobes turned slightly red because of his senior brother's words.
He cleared his throat and whispered to Xie Bufeng, "Let's go, it's getting late, let's rest first."
"Okay." Xie Bufeng kissed Wen Qingci's earlobe before letting him go.
Judging from the phase of the moon, it is already past midnight.
With the help of moonlight, Xie Bufeng finally set his sights on the small courtyard where Wen Qingci had lived.
Its size is about the same as the small courtyard of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
There is only a bamboo house and a huge mulberry tree in the courtyard.
Xie Bufeng followed Wen Qingci obediently and walked into the room.
After walking in the mountains for a day, Wen Qingci's voice was a little hoarse due to fatigue, and it slipped past Xie Bufeng's ears like a piece of gauze: "This mountain spring didn't originally flow through my courtyard. My master specially sent people to change the route so that it would go around the back of my courtyard."
Xie Bufeng followed Wen Qingci and looked towards the back of the house.
Behind the small bamboo house, there is a stream as thin as a silver thread.
He had never seen such a clear stream. He could even see every piece of gravel at the bottom of the stream.
Behind the mountain spring, there is a bamboo forest.
Xie Bufeng vaguely saw something glowing in the bamboo forest.
"Qingci, what's that?" he asked.
"Oh, this one," Wen Qingci stopped and looked at the bamboo forest and said, "There are many hot springs in the valley, and that is one of them."
When he said this, his tone couldn't help but be filled with nostalgia.
The houses in the valley are concentrated in flat areas. Although there are many mountain springs around, this is the only one close to the houses.
Influenced by that childhood incident, Wen Qingci had very strict requirements for water when he first entered the valley.
He didn't trust the water drawn from the dark wellhead, he only trusted the mountain spring.
The old valley master specially vacated this place for Wen Qingci and let him live here.
After a moment of silence, he said softly, "… This was specially chosen for me by Master."
"Let's go see him in a few days."
"Okay." Wen Qingci nodded with a smile, and finally stepped forward and gently pushed open the door.
A hint of bamboo fragrance wafted out of the room.
"It's different from Yongdu. It's spring all year round in the valley, so there's no need to worry about keeping warm. Most of the rooms here have walls made of bamboo branches."
Wen Qingci used the moonlight to introduce to Xie Bufeng the place where he had lived for more than ten years.
"Smell it, there is a scent of bamboo in the room." The familiar smell made Wen Qingci feel particularly at ease, and his tone became particularly relaxed.
As they were talking, the two of them had already walked into the house.
Before he could bend down to light the oil lamp in the room, Xie Bufeng, who was following Wen Qingci, suddenly took a step forward restlessly and hugged him tightly from behind.
Then he buried his face in Wen Qingci's shoulder, sniffed deeply, and said in a hoarse voice: "It smells really good."
Wen Qingci: “…”
What he was talking about was not the bamboo fragrance in the room, but the bitter fragrance on Wen Qingci's body.
"Your Majesty, get up." Wen Qingci somewhat awkwardly tried to pull away Xie Bufeng who was clinging to him.
But Xie Bufeng did not let go: "Don't call me 'Your Majesty', it's too unfamiliar."
"Then how should we ..."
Before Wen Qing could finish his words, Xie Bufeng hugged him and threw him onto the bamboo couch.
"You may or may not meet your husband, it's your choice." He whispered in Wen Qingci's ear.
Knowing that Wen Qingci and Song Junran were going to bring people back, the people in the valley came here early to clean up the dust and opened the windows for ventilation.
Until this time, the windows of the room were still open.
The moonlight in the valley shone through the window into Xie Bufeng's eyes.
The amber eyes appear exceptionally pale.
The next moment, Wen Qingci suddenly lowered his eyes and smiled gently.
After a pause, he carefully called out in Xie Bufeng's ear the name that the other party thought Wen Qingci would never call him.
Xie Bufeng’s eyes darkened in an instant.
Most of the furniture in the bamboo house is also made of bamboo.
Wen Qingci originally just wanted to tease Xie Bufeng, but he didn't expect that he would accidentally get into trouble.
He has always been a light sleeper and sleeps very quietly.
It was not until that night that Wen Qingci realized belatedly that the bamboo couch could actually make noises so easily.
Wen Qingci's hands tightly grasped the fabric on Xie Bufeng's shoulders and he almost bit his lips.
Considering his health, Xie Bufeng didn't dare to do anything.
But in the end, Wen Qingci still slept until noon the next day.
He didn't even notice that Xie Bufeng was carrying him to the hot spring behind the courtyard.
When he woke up, there was half a watermelon on the table in addition to the food.
—Xie Bufeng sank it into the creek behind him early this morning.
This is the time when it is sweet, crisp and refreshing.
As the icy-sweet juice spread in his mouth, Wen Qingci couldn't help but think: Xie Bufeng seemed to have integrated into the life in the valley faster than he had imagined.
—
Perhaps it was because he could hear the evil thoughts in people's hearts since he was young, as long as he was willing, Xie Bufeng, who understood human nature very well, could get along well with most people.
Xie Bufeng hates hypocrisy the most.
But after returning to the valley with Wen Qingci, he became different.
Xie Bufeng, who was unruly and disdainful of trying to please anyone when he was young, had the idea of building good relationships with others for the first time and put this idea into practice.
At first, everyone was a little afraid of him and only dared to look at him from a distance or greet him cautiously.
But after a few days, Xie Bufeng gradually integrated into the valley.
According to Song Junran, he is blatantly trying to win people's hearts.
Xie Bufeng ordered his men to deliver Yongdu's specialties to Songxiu Prefecture.
Please trouble the medicine servants to bring those things back to the valley.
As an emperor, the things Xie Bufeng sent were naturally rare.
In addition to the silks and brocades donated from all over the country.
There are also some fruits and vegetables from the north and the western regions.
In just a few days, the children in the Divine Doctor Valley had forgotten the nervousness and fear they felt when they first saw him.
There were even a few younger and braver ones who dared to ask Xie Bufeng to go with them to collect herbs in the surrounding area.
"Your Majesty, please go with them." Seeing those people standing outside the door and constantly looking around, Wen Qingci, who was sitting at the desk, slowly put down the pen in his hand and took out a map from the side. "I happen to have a medicine here, and I need someone to find it. Didn't Your Majesty say a few days ago that you were interested in collecting herbs?"
He flipped open the atlas and showed the picture inside: "This medicine is called Frost God Ganoderma, and it is one of the ingredients of 'Heavenly Sorrow'."
Xie Bufeng frowned slowly and took the atlas.
These pictures were all drawn by Wen Qingci himself, and he was extremely careful when flipping through them.
Xie Bufeng had no interest in collecting herbs itself, he just wanted to find various excuses to stick to Wen Qingci.
But when he heard that Frost God Ganoderma was related to Tianbei, Xie Bufeng flipped through the map and finally nodded in agreement.
But when he was about to leave, he suddenly turned back and corrected me: "Qingci, don't call me Your Majesty."
"... Ahem," Wen Qingci cleared his throat somewhat unnaturally, then said softly, "Okay, we won't meet again."
Like a feather, it fell into the stream.
Wen Qingci doesn't like the name "Bufeng".
After all, the idiom "born at the wrong time" doesn't have any good meaning.
But Xie Bufeng himself didn't care.
When Xie Bufeng heard Wen Qingci calling his name, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Come on, take me to find the Frost God Ganoderma." He turned and said to the little medicine servant beside him.
"good!"
"Tell me," Song Junran stood up straight and walked towards Wen Qingci, "What do you want to do by sending Xie Bufeng away?"
Wen Qingci knew he couldn't hide it from his senior brother.
He sighed and said, "I want to treat my left hand."
Before going to Lianhe, the little snake had been coiled around Wen Qingci's arm, biting him from time to time.
It's not a pleasant feeling, but it's definitely the only way I can find to heal my left hand.
During the last operation, it was completed successfully thanks to Song Junran's help.
As a doctor, Wen Qingci naturally cannot give up his left hand.
When Wen Qingci left the Valley of Divine Doctors, he did not take the little snake with him.
As a result, his treatment has been at a standstill for more than a year.
Thinking of this, Wen Qingci couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
"Tsk tsk, I understand." Song Junran exposed Wen Qingci's little thoughts. He looked into his junior brother's eyes and said, "When Xie Bufeng was here, you were afraid that he would worry, so you had to send him away."
Although I don't want to admit it, it is true.
Wen Qingci looked away somewhat unnaturally: "Where did you put the snake, brother? I'll go find it myself."
"No need." As he spoke, Song Junran suddenly walked around the desk and stood opposite Wen Qingci.
He sighed softly and suddenly said, "Qingci, Senior Brother is very happy."
Song Junran's voice echoed in the small bamboo house.
Wen Qingci couldn't help but look up at him.
happy.
What does your words mean, brother
The mountain spring flows down from a high place, hitting the rocks, making a tinkling sound.
Song Junran sniffed, looked out the window, and whispered, "If Dad were still alive, he would be happy to know that you finally have someone to care about."
My former junior fellow apprentice was like a beautiful kite without a string.
He flew higher and higher, diving into the dark clouds and the storm, not knowing what "danger" was.
And now, this worry and concern has finally turned into a fuse.
Gently pulled Wen Qingci back from the storm.
Song Junran's voice was rarely so calm and serious.
After he finished speaking, Valley Master Song, who was dressed in green, suddenly laughed.
He patted his junior fellow apprentice on the shoulder like he did in childhood, and said with a half-smile: "From this point of view, it's not bad for you and Xie Bufeng to be together."
"Come on, I'll take you to find the snake."
In addition to picking the medicines in the wild, some of the medicines in the Divine Doctor Valley are grown by themselves.
Wen Qingci never expected that his senior brother would put the snake in the forest where he grew herbs.
Song Junran took the medicine box into the woods and lit the incense inside.
In just a few minutes, the fragrance was blown away by the wind and seeped into the mountains and forests.
Then, the little white snake smelled the fragrance and swam out of the forest.
"Bring it up." Song Junran put out the incense and said to Wen Qingci.
"good."
Wen Qingci paused, slowly rolled up his sleeves, and let his hands drop.
The little white snake seemed to recognize Wen Qingci. After swimming near the incense, it first spit out its tongue and paused for a few seconds, and then very naturally wrapped around Wen Qingci's fingers.
Then, he bit his wrist hard.
"ah… "
After all, it had been more than a year since he was bitten by this little snake. Although he had prepared himself mentally, Wen Qingci still couldn't help but gasp when the two fangs pierced his flesh.
His fingers also began to tremble slightly.
He gritted his teeth and sat on a stone bench nearby.
"This snake has grown a lot in the past year or so," Song Junran said after walking over and taking a look, his brows furrowed. "Its teeth are much sharper than before."
"It should be." Wen Qingci lowered his eyes and glanced at his arm. "It doesn't bleed so easily in the past."
His fingers were still trembling.
The pain of a snake bite lasts for a very long time.
It was like torture.
Dark red blood oozed from the wound.
Like a long red thread, it tightly wrapped around Wen Qingci's arms.
At first glance, it's really scary.
Even Song Junran, who had proposed this treatment method in the first place, could not help but frown: "… Why don't we forget about it today? I'll find you a smaller snake after some time. The teeth of this snake are too sharp."
"No need to go through so much trouble." Wen Qingci later also read the medical books left by the old valley master.
He knew that the snake itself was not rare at all; it was just a small, non-venomous snake caught randomly in the countryside.
But by feeding it like this, the medicinal materials lost are priceless.
After saying this, Wen Qingci gently raised his right hand and touched the little snake's head.
Thinking of the one-hour limit he had set earlier, Song Junran couldn't help but add: "From now on, the daily treatment time should be controlled within half an hour."
After saying that, he took out an hourglass from under the stone table and placed it on the table.
Hearing his words, Wen Qingci hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.
Xie Bufeng was in the valley and had been sticking to me the whole time. If the treatment took too long, he would definitely find out.
The little white snake was brought back to the valley by Song Junran early on.
"Treatment" has become its instinct.
Not long after, the little snake opened its mouth and crawled up Wen Qingci's arm, biting the most tender piece of flesh on the inside of his arm.
Wen Qingci's face turned extremely pale in an instant, and beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Bright red blood flowed down the fingertips, dripping onto the ground, and soon formed a small puddle.
Wen Qingci, who was sitting on the stone bench, closed his eyes tightly at some point.
The wind in the valley was quite strong today, and all Wen Qingci could hear was a rustling sound.
The hourglass falls little by little.
Song Junran, who was sitting next to him, kept his palms clenched.
During treatment, time seemed to pass extra slowly.
The little snake on my arm loosened its mouth and continued to swim upwards.
Two deep scars were left on Wen Qingci's hands.
The moment the pain came, Wen Qingci bit his lips tightly.
He subconsciously opened his eyes and looked at the wound on his arm.
Then he hesitated and said: "Senior Brother, how should I treat the wound on my arm so that I can -" hide it from Xie Bufeng
"How can you hide it from me?"
The familiar voice passed through the bamboo forest and the wind and reached Wen Qingci's ears.
Wen Qingci, who was sitting on a stone bench, subconsciously rolled up his sleeves to cover the scar on his wrist and the white snake.
But before he could raise his right hand, Xie Bufeng, who was holding the Frost God Ganoderma, had already walked slowly to his side. His black, slightly curly long hair was simply tied into a ponytail.
He rolled up his sleeves slightly, revealing his honey-colored skin.
Xie Bufeng stopped smiling and spoke in an unusually cold tone, looking extremely dangerous.
"no."
Wen Qingci was about to struggle to explain again.
Song Junran, who was sitting opposite him, spoke first: "Of course it's not. Isn't that what you wanted to ask me just now?"
Why is senior brother standing on the same side as Xie Bufeng and sabotaging himself
Xie Bufeng's gaze was fixed on Wen Qingci's hand.
Song Junran explained at the right time: "This is to treat his left hand."
Xie Bufeng saw that Wen Qingci had no time to hide his arm because he appeared too suddenly.
A small silver snake was wrapped around his wrist, and Wen Qingci's skin was as pale as the snake.
Only the cinnabar mole on the forehead and the last bit of blood color remained.
Wen Qingci's fingers were even trembling slightly due to the pain.
“It hurts.”
After being silent for an unknown amount of time, Xie Bufeng finally carefully picked up Wen Qingci's hand.
The white snake still refused to let go.
Wen Qingci's left arm was covered in blood.
The several blood holes were particularly eye-catching.
Xie Bufeng, who came from a military family, thought he had no special feelings about being injured and bleeding.
The shapes of these scars were too standard, and he had already guessed about 70% of them.
But at this moment, his heart began to hurt along with Wen Qingci's arm.
This is how Wen Qingci got the scar on his arm.
It was bitten out by this little snake.
“… Not bad.” Wen Qingci said softly, feeling somewhat guilty.
Xie Bufeng didn't say anything, he just knelt on one knee in front of Wen Qingci and gently held his arm.
The last grain of sand fell.
"The time has come." Song Junran immediately stood up, took the little white snake off Wen Qingci's wrist, and put it back into the forest.
Xie Bufeng slowly stood up, took out cotton from an open medicine box on the side, carefully wiped the blood off Wen Qingci's arm, sprinkled medicine on it, and bandaged it with a bandage.
He was extremely careful in his movements, and Wen Qingci's wound didn't even hurt.
When he was in the north, Xie Bufeng treated his injuries by himself.
He did not tell Wen Qingci that whenever he was injured, he would think of the time when he was asked to read medical books at the Imperial Medical Bureau.
And, remember the bitter scent on his body.
"Alright," Xie Bufeng carefully put down the sleeves for the person next to him. He raised his eyes and said to Wen Qingci, "Don't hide it from me anymore. From now on... let me accompany you, okay?"
He kept his head down, so Wen Qingci couldn't see Xie Bufeng's expression. He could only hear a slight nasal tone in his voice.
After he finished speaking, Xie Bufeng gently kissed Wen Qingci's pale fingertips with great piety.
Then he carefully kissed Wen Qingci's wound through the gauze.
Wen Qingci's fingers trembled slightly: "Okay."
After he finished speaking, he finally stretched out his right hand as if waking up from a dream, wanting to help Xie Bufeng up.
But at this moment, Xie Bufeng buried his face in Wen Qingci's palm and rubbed it gently.
Only the two of them knew.
At this moment, Xie Bufeng secretly hid a tear in Wen Qingci's palm.
(End of this chapter)