Chapter 1263: Rules for Raising a Loyal Dog Shou 27

Yajiu got onto the carriage, instinctively wanting to bow and kneel, but Jin Chen's gaze stopped him.

He pressed his lips, actually appearing somewhat at a loss.

"Master."

Jin Chen leaned sideways on a soft pillow embroidered with gold-thread silk, his nasal tone lazy as he replied, "Come here."

Yajiu grew even more bewildered by that tone, instinctively wanting to draw closer, yet he dared not act rashly.

He simply squatted beside the bed, obediently lifting his eyes to gaze at Jin Chen.

"Did you throw away the clothes I gave you?"

Yajiu shook his head. "No."

"Then why are you dressed so ugly?"

Jin Chen gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Are you perhaps trying to make the Heir Apparent lose interest in you so you can leave?"

"No…"

Yajiu was utterly flustered, instinctively grabbing the corner of Jin Chen's robe, his eyes brimming with tears.

"I don't want to leave Master, those clothes are just… I didn't dare to wear them."

"You dare to deceive your superiors, yet you don't dare to put on a piece of clothing."

Jin Chen pinched his cheek again, "Crying again, you're practically made of water."

Yajiu lingered over the warmth where his cheek touched, still lifting his eyes to Jin Chen, rubbing his cheek against him, softly pleading.

"Please, don't drive away Little Nine."

"You're always good at acting cute; where were you earlier?"

Jin Chen set aside his pretentious posture, bent down to pull the person into his arms, then, with disdain, tugged at the collar.

"These clothes are truly ugly, take them off."

Yajiu naturally obeyed, not daring the slightest resistance, he took off the guard's outer robe, leaving only the grayish-white inner garment, which made him look inexplicably well-behaved.

He obediently curled up in Jin Chen's embrace, forehead resting on the shoulder, wanting to cry again.

Yet Jin Chen still wanted to show off with his words, "Do you know you were wrong?"

Yajiu nodded, "I shouldn't have kept it from Master; I should have told you the truth sooner."

"And what else?"

Yajiu blinked blankly, "And… making Master angry."

"No," Jin Chen scooped the little guard from his arms, ruffled his head, "Guess again."

Yajiu obediently submitted to Jin Chen's actions, his tear-filled gaze constantly fixed on his face, voice low, "I don't know."

"Blockhead." Jin Chen poked his nose tip, tone helpless, "If I don't seek you out, do you plan never to see me again?"

Yajiu had certainly thought of it, but he was too afraid—afraid that seeking Master would bring not forgiveness, but expulsion or even abandonment.

Thinking thus, tears streamed uncontrollably from the youth's eyes, he softly sobbed as he hid himself in Jin Chen's embrace.

This bout of crying even dispelled Jin Chen's desire to continue questioning and blaming.

He gently pinched the nape of the person in his arms, his voice softening, "All right, don't cry anymore."

Before Jin Chen finished speaking, he suddenly felt the scar on Yajiu's wrist, picked it up, and examined it closely.

"How did you get another scar?"

Yajiu's eyes reddened; hearing that, he also lowered his gaze to look, softly saying, "It's fine, Master, it's already healed."

"No, this scar is recent…" Jin Chen's voice trailed off, and he instinctively glanced at the brazier beside the bed.

He furrowed his brows tightly, "That day I smashed the teacup, were you splashed by hot water and shards?"

Yajiu now dared not hide anything from Jin Chen; after a moment's hesitation, he slowly nodded.

He shrank his wrist back, hid it inside his sleeve, and raised an obedient smile.

"It doesn't hurt anymore; I've applied medicine."

But his voice trembled; perhaps more than the minor pain, it was his heart that felt anguished.

Jin Chen's heart tightened; suddenly he couldn't utter a word.

How could it not hurt? Jin Chen stroked the scabbed scar; the spot scalded by hot tea must have blistered, and Yajiu's casual pricking and treatment left this mark.

He simply held the wronged little guard in his arms, his throat feeling as if blocked.

But this silence now seemed somewhat out of place.

Yajiu felt sour inside, tears falling harder, he softly sobbed as he clung to Jin Chen's embrace, "Don't ignore me… it's Little Nine's own carelessness, not your fault, Master, please say something."

The tears soaked Jin Chen's neck, burning fiercely, as if they could scorch straight into his heart.

Jin Chen's reaction also exceeded Yajiu's expectations.

He carefully supported the wrist, placing a very light kiss on the already scabbed scar.

His voice hoarse and thick, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

He held Yajiu tight, then cupped his face and kissed the corner of his eyes, feeling that the boy in his arms was obedient to a fault.

"Don't deceive me again; from now on, be all right, okay?"

Yajiu closed his eyes to accept the kiss; his sorrow and grief were soothed, leaving only a sense of startled favor and a belly full of grievance.

He nodded, then gently rubbed against Jin Chen's neck, his voice hoarse to an extreme.

"I won't deceive you, Little Nine will never deceive you again."

If this happens again, he would feel miserable enough to die.

Yajiu, leaning on his soft tail, acted coquettishly, arms hooked around Jin Chen's neck, lifting his wet eyes.

"Please kiss me again."

The pitiful little guard pleading thus, Jin Chen's heart felt sore; how could he not comply?

He bent over, embraced his waist and pressed Yajiu onto the bed, kissing from the corner of the eye to the lip.

Tears continuously overflowing were kissed away; Yajiu embraced Jin Chen's shoulders and back, wholeheartedly leaning into his embrace, only then did the Tears gradually stop.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +10, total 73!】

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -10, total 60!】

Although the scar has already scabbed, one still needs to apply medicine, otherwise it will be hard to fade later.

Jin Chen found a bottle of medicinal powder from the large heap of herbs given by his birth mother, and holding the person, applied it carefully.

After the medicinal powder was applied to the wound, it became moist, as if it could transmit coolness into the heart; Yajiu remained obedient and still, yet secretly thought in his heart.

After receiving the master's favor, he became increasingly fragile.

In the past, such scars were not worth a glance; anyway, given enough time they would heal on their own, only entailing some suffering.

But that night, looking at his wrist covered with fine, crystal-clear blisters, pricking them one by one with a needle, he still shed a few tears.

Yajiu wrinkled his nose, turned his head and hid in Jin Chen's embrace.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

Jin Chen again lightened his motion; when the fingertip coated with ointment touched the scar, the force was so light it could be ignored.

"Not painful."

Yajiu lifted his head, smiling at Jin Chen with eyes curved, "I'm happy in my heart."

"Silly."

Jin Chen reached out and lightly scratched his nose, chuckling, "Stuffed gourd little nine."

He says nothing, just likes to keep things bottled up inside.

After all this fuss, Yajiu, curled up in Jin Chen's embrace, began to feel drowsy.