Applying Medicine

The cramped rental apartment was hot and humid. After the air conditioner was turned on, the temperature plummeted, but the heat in his body climbed inch by inch instead, along with an indescribable sense of humiliation.

Yu Zechuan lay on the sofa with the hem of his hoodie pulled up and clenched between his teeth. A section of his lean, muscular waist was exposed to the air, so white it was almost dazzling. It made the inch-long wound there look especially savage and red.

For no reason, Yu Zechuan felt as uncomfortable as if someone had stripped him naked. He frowned, turning his head away. "Hurry up."

His voice was hoarse and muffled, as though he were in a rush to get some mission over with.

Lu Yan crouched beside the sofa, cotton swabs and medicine in hand. After a moment's thought, he said, "Shouldn't a wound like this be treated at a hospital?"

Yu Zechuan couldn't stand how fussy he was being. His tone turned impatient. "If you don't dare, I'll do it myself."

As he spoke, he reached for the cotton swab in Lu Yan's hand, only for the other man to dodge nimbly out of the way. "You're sure you don't need a hospital?"

Under Lu Yan's concealedly worried gaze, Yu Zechuan's fingers paused. At last, he gave an emotionless hum. "...No."

Five years in prison had taught Yu Zechuan that a wound like this didn't require a hospital. His body could heal it on its own.

He lay back down on the sofa and bit the hem of his shirt between his teeth again. He was clenching his jaw so hard that the veins at his temples stood out. The pain in his abdomen made Yu Zechuan hallucinate for an instant, as if he had returned to that familiar prison, getting hurt every day and tossing sleeplessly in pain every night.

In the dim light, Yu Zechuan half closed his eyes. Scenes from the past flickered through his mind like a carousel of slides, yet his heart remained utterly still, a stagnant pool incapable of stirring even the slightest ripple.

There wasn't much in the first-aid kit. They could only treat it simply and wrap it in gauze. Fortunately, Yu Zechuan had blocked Xue Jin's knife in time, so the stab wasn't deep. It shouldn't be a problem to hold out until he could go to the hospital tomorrow.

When Lu Yan bent over, he touched Yu Zechuan's damp hoodie. It clung wetly and uncomfortably to his skin. "Take it off. Isn't it uncomfortable wearing that?"

Yu Zechuan's eyes flew open at once, his gaze unfriendly. For a moment, his expression made Lu Yan think he'd propositioned some decent, virtuous man. "..."

Lu Yan glanced to the side. "There are clean clothes in the wardrobe. You can change. We're both men. What, are you afraid I'll take advantage of you?"

Yu Zechuan couldn't exactly admit that he was afraid. He sat up from the sofa, stripped off the black hoodie in a few swift motions, and tossed it aside. Underneath, he wore only a white undershirt, soaked through by the rain and clinging to his body, faintly revealing the flesh beneath.

What a great body.

Lu Yan couldn't help whistling inwardly. He found a clean, light-colored hoodie in the wardrobe and handed it to Yu Zechuan. The soft, fine fabric felt wonderfully comfortable. "Put this on. It might be a little big."

Yu Zechuan took it, glanced at it, then turned and went into the bathroom to change without a word. The door shut behind him with a muffled bang.

Lu Yan called lazily after him, "Don't worry. I won't peek."

It was impossible to tell whether his voice had carried through the door.

The bathroom was cold and damp, scented with things like body wash and shampoo. The enclosed space offered a certain sense of safety.

Yu Zechuan walked to the mirror and raised a hand to pull off his shirt. Unexpectedly, he caught sight of his own icy face. His movements halted. He lifted a hand to touch the scar on his right cheek; the uneven texture made him want to rub it flat with all his strength.

And that was exactly what Yu Zechuan did.

He scrubbed at the scar hard, his fingertips carrying a trace of hatred. Not only did it refuse to smooth out, he rubbed his already pale skin raw and red, as if someone had slapped him across the face.

Yu Zechuan suddenly realized how stupid he was being, and stopped with an ugly expression. Bracing both hands on the edge of the sink, he let out a quiet breath. Wasn't he here to kill Lu Yan, that vixen? Why had he let him go again and again?

Or was it because Lu Yan's sins were not as grave as Jiang Boyun's, so he had instinctively placed Lu Yan's death after Jiang Boyun's?

Either way, both men had to die.

Coldness overflowed Yu Zechuan's eyes. He splashed his face with cold water, changed his clothes, and walked out of the bathroom, only to see Lu Yan sitting alone on the sofa and clumsily tending to the wound on his palm. His steps stopped.

Lu Yan certainly wasn't ruthless, and he was afraid of pain. Holding a cotton swab dipped in medicine, he hesitated for a long time without daring to apply it to the wound, the word conflict practically written all over his face.

Yu Zechuan stood behind him for a while before coldly cursing him an idiot in his heart. "Are you tickling the wound?"

When Lu Yan saw Yu Zechuan come out, he blanked for a moment. Then he simply spread his palm and held it out to him, completely matter-of-fact. "Then why don't you apply it for me?"

He really couldn't bring himself to be that ruthless to himself.

Yu Zechuan's eyelid twitched. "Why should I?"

Lu Yan's eyes narrowed when he smiled, making him look like a fox. "I treated your wound. Shouldn't you return the favor and help me out?"

Yu Zechuan was someone who kept favors and grudges distinct. Even if he helped Lu Yan apply medicine today, it wouldn't affect his killing him later. Once he thought of it that way, it became much easier to accept. Frowning, he took the medicine and cotton swab.

Lu Yan sat on the sofa, obediently holding out his hand. His eyelashes were absurdly long; every time he looked up, Yu Zechuan felt as though butterfly wings were brushing past him.

"Be gentle," Lu Yan said. "Don't deliberately get back at me."

Yu Zechuan sneered. So he was already scared? Wouldn't he be even more frightened when death was staring him in the face? Yet as he applied the medicine with the cotton swab, he still unconsciously eased his touch.

They were sitting too close. Lu Yan could even hear Yu Zechuan's shallow breathing. He studied him intently, then suddenly said, "You're the first person to ever put medicine on me."

Perhaps Lu Yan sounded too pitiful. Yu Zechuan finally glanced at him. "Really?"

Lu Yan smiled even more brightly, so hard his hand trembled. "Of course not."

He had spent more time in hospitals than at home. Who knew how many doctors and nurses had treated his wounds?

Yu Zechuan thought he was nothing but a liar. He pressed the cotton swab down a little harder, and Lu Yan's expression changed at once. He hurriedly begged for mercy. "Ow, ow, ow. It hurts. Be gentle, gentle."

After applying medicine to Lu Yan's palm, Yu Zechuan wrapped it in a layer of gauze as well. It looked far better than Lu Yan's own bandaging. He was about to put away the medicine bottle when Lu Yan tipped back his head and indicated the bruised corner of his mouth. "What about my face?"

Yu Zechuan asked mockingly, "You care about your face?"

If he cared about his face, why become Jiang Boyun's kept lover?

Lu Yan looked a little wronged. "Of course I do. I'm this handsome. Why wouldn't I?"

Yu Zechuan: "..."

Maybe it was because that face was too beautiful, but Yu Zechuan felt a strange pang of regret. He bent slightly, viciously dipped the cotton swab in the medicine twice, then pinched Lu Yan's chin with a furrowed brow and treated the corner of his mouth.

Feeling Yu Zechuan's warm breath, Lu Yan blinked despite himself. His gaze fell on the right side of Yu Zechuan's face, and as if he had just noticed something, he asked, "Why is your face red?"

It wasn't the kind of red that came from embarrassment. It looked like the result of someone rubbing at it desperately, and faint fingerprints that hadn't yet faded were still visible.

Yu Zechuan's movements stopped at those words. His eyes were bottomless, and his voice was dangerous. "Has no one ever told you that curiosity killed the cat?"

Lu Yan seemed not to hear him. "Did you rub it red yourself?"

That question tore through the last thin layer of pretense. It was no different from courting death.

Yu Zechuan's expression darkened further. Just as he snapped the cotton swab in two with a crack, on the verge of exploding, Lu Yan suddenly lifted his head. His warm lips inadvertently brushed Yu Zechuan's chin. Both of them froze for a moment.

"Rumble!"

Another muffled peal of thunder sounded outside, just like the heart that suddenly exploded inside his chest.

Yu Zechuan's hand shook. He nearly panicked as he tried to step back and avoid him, but Lu Yan seized his wrist and tugged hard. Yu Zechuan lost his balance and stumbled down onto Lu Yan's lap.

In that moment, their eyes met and even their breathing went still. They could hear each other's hearts pounding violently.

"Lu Yan."

Yu Zechuan stared at him as he spoke in a low voice, danger radiating from every inch of him. "You're courting death."

He enunciated every word, each one nearly ground out between clenched teeth.

Lu Yan didn't sense a threat of death just then, because Yu Zechuan carried no killing intent. What he felt instead was more like anger born of embarrassment. Slowly, he smiled and asked, "It was only a kiss. Is that worth getting so angry over?"

It wasn't as though they hadn't kissed before.

Half-truths and half-lies were the most corrosive. "I didn't do it on purpose. I wouldn't even care to kiss anyone else."

The instant Yu Zechuan lost focus at those words, Lu Yan's lips were already against his ear. A faint tickle ran all the way down his spine. False sweet nothings required no thought at all.

"You hurt your face. It pains me to see it..."

This was the closest they had ever been to each other. Unfortunately, it was far from beautiful: one concealed murderous intent, the other spoke nothing but lies.

Lu Yan suddenly found someone like Yu Zechuan so entertaining to tease. Even with death's blade hanging over his head, he couldn't suppress that restless itch in his heart. He caught the hand at his throat and tugged it away with ease, then brushed his fingertips over the uneven scar on Yu Zechuan's right cheek and asked in a low voice, "Did you get this in prison?"

At the sound of those two words, Yu Zechuan couldn't stop himself from closing his eyes. Painful memories surged up, and his voice was hoarse beyond recognition. "Let go!"

With a smile that wasn't quite a smile, Lu Yan sighed. "Mr. Yu, you really are hard as stone. And after all I've come to like you so much."

Yu Zechuan retorted coldly, "But I don't like you!"

Lu Yan carelessly stroked the scar on Yu Zechuan's cheek. That spot was especially sensitive and vulnerable; Yu Zechuan visibly shuddered. "So?"

Lu Yan had provoked him until his eyes reddened. The ferocity in Yu Zechuan deepened, as though he were warning Lu Yan, or reminding himself. "Lu Yan, sooner or later, I'll tear you to pieces!"

Lu Yan lowered his eyes. "Then Jiang Boyun has to suffer a little worse than I do. You have to tear him into ten million pieces."

Otherwise,

Lu Yan looked into Yu Zechuan's reddened eyes. His lips moved, and the low trailing note of his voice gradually vanished into the air without a trace.

"It wouldn't be fair to me..."