Chapter 29: Wiping the Body

Li Feifei helped Li Qingxuan lie back on the bed, took out a wet towel, and wanted to wipe Li Qingxuan's body.

Li Qingxuan hastily reached out to stop her, "I'll do it myself; I'm fine now."

"What should and shouldn't be seen—you've already seen it all yesterday, what's there to be shy about?" Li Feifei couldn't help but give him a white look, though her flushed cheeks gave her away.

The tips of Li Feifei's fingers pinched the edge of the wet towel, turning slightly white.

Candlelight swayed beneath her lowered lashes, casting a small patch of trembling shadow that quietly concealed the fleeting panic.

When she lifted her gaze again, the feigned composure still betrayed a hint of barely noticeable bashfulness, but she deliberately steadied her voice: "Yesterday I cleaned your wound……there was no time for anything else. Now it's just wiping sweat—you're all sticky, how can you sleep well?"

She no longer looked at Li Qingxuan's embarrassed face, her gaze falling on his chest covered by a thin blanket, as if the rough blanket were some object worthy of study.

The warm towel carried just the right amount of moisture, carefully avoiding his tightly bandaged wound and gently resting on his bare shoulders and neck.

The cool sensation made Li Qingxuan instinctively tense his muscles, then immediately soothed by the warm dampness. Her movements were extremely light, carrying an almost deliberate focus, from collarbone to arms, then to the uninjured parts of his arms, gently wiping away sweat and dust.

Each movement of the towel was accompanied by her clear and hurried breathing, especially distinct in the quiet room.

Li Qingxuan's initial resistance gradually crumbled under her persistence and carefulness, his body relaxing bit by bit as he leaned back into the pillow.

He closed his eyes, feeling the warm touch move across his skin, carrying away the sticky fatigue and leaving freshness.

His tense nerves also eased, and he could sense the awkwardness in her movements and her effort to stay steady; occasionally her fingertips brushed his skin unintentionally, and both would instinctively pause for a moment.

The air filled with the steaming heat from the wet towel, plus a faint, barely-there scent belonging to Li Feifei.

After wiping his upper body, Li Feifei pulled over a clean thin blanket to cover him, her movements quicker, as if she had completed a daunting task.

"All right, the rest you……" She didn't finish, her gaze sweeping over his legs draped outside the blanket, covered in fine scrapes, hesitated a moment, then soaked the towel in the basin, washed and wrung it out, handed it over, lowering her voice: "Legs……you wipe them yourself." She turned her back to the bed, began tidying the scattered bandages beside the basin, her shoulders showing a feigned busyness stiffness.

Li Qingxuan took the wet towel still warm from her palm, silently wiping the light sweat from his legs and ankles; compared to the earlier embarrassment, this silence now held a strange tranquility.

The candle flame danced on the wall, stretching the shadows of the two—one seated, one standing—and weaving them into the wooden wall.

When he finished wiping and placed the towel back on the basin's edge, Li Feifei also happened to finish tidying up.

She lifted the basin, didn't look at him, and softly said, "Hurry up and sleep, you need to rest."

Her voice carried heavy fatigue, her steps somewhat unsteady as she walked toward the door.

The door was gently pulled shut, blocking the faint light from the hallway outside.

The freshness of his body blended with the warmth of the quilt, like a soft cocoon wrapping him.

Li Qingxuan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the tightly closed door, finally settling on the shifting light and shadow on the ceiling.

Extreme fatigue surged like a tide, his eyelids grew so heavy they could no longer be held up.

His taut will gradually loosened, and he let himself sink into that deep darkness; in the final blurred instant of consciousness, he seemed still to feel the warm touch of the wet towel and the room's lingering tranquility, scented with plants.

His breathing gradually became slow and even, the room sank completely into silence, save for the eternal eerie whisper outside the window and the watcher's breath, weaving together in the night into a soundless poem.

Li Feifei tidied up her things, sat at the wooden table, and selected a few suitable people for Transaction.

After washing her body clean, she gently pushed open the bedroom door, pulled back a corner of the blanket, and held Li Qingxuan as she fell into a deep sleep.

Li Feifei's breathing quickly became slow and even, her warm breath lightly brushing Li Qingxuan's nape, bringing an indescribable sense of calm.

Her curled body pressed close to him, her arm unconsciously encircling his waist, as if even in sleep she instinctively sought safety.

Li Qingxuan's consciousness had long sunk into boundless darkness, but the lingering pain deep in his body seemed to be soothed by this warmth, as if wrapped in a warm, moist cocoon.

Outside the window, the Black Goat's long breaths intertwined with the night wind's low howl, forming a monotonous yet eternal rhythm that pierced the heavy darkness and lightly tapped the Dark Night.

In her sleep, Li Feifei's brows furrowed slightly, as if tugged by some vague thought, but soon relaxed, her cheeks sinking deep into Li Qingxuan's embrace.

In the dim room, Li Qingxuan's eyes twitched, slowly opening; his pupils instantly contracted as he saw Li Feifei tightly embracing him, he gasped, holding his breath, his whole body tensing instantly like a bowstring pulled to its limit, forcing back the startled cry that almost escaped his throat.

Li Qingxuan's chest heaved violently, his heart pounding like a drum, nearly bursting his throat.

Cold sweat slid silently down his spine, soaking the clothing behind him.

After calming his emotions, he felt the warm breath regularly brushing the skin of his neck, bringing a faint itch, the arm wrapped around his waist exerting a heavy reliance.

She slept extremely deeply, her cheek buried in his shoulder socket, a few stray strands of hair brushing his jaw, her whole body curled up like a young beast seeking shelter.

Li Qingxuan froze in place, daring not to move, each breath becoming cautious, fearing his chest's rise and fall would disturb this heavy slumber.

Through the thin fabric he could clearly feel her splendid figure.

This overly intimate Contact continually teased Li Qingxuan's nerves, the blanket bulging slightly in the middle, as if some secret throb were silently spreading.

He wanted to lightly stroke her back, his finger joints exerting slight force, but upon touching the warm arm of the person in his embrace he abruptly stopped, afraid to wake her.

Li Feifei unconsciously rubbed against him in his embrace, letting out an extremely soft, indistinct murmur; the arm around his waist tightened a bit more, as if trying to grasp something, that subtle dependent motion, like a feather, lightly plucked a taut string deep in his heart.

Li Qingxuan drew a deep breath; the faint fragrance on Li Feifei's body entered his lungs like a cool breeze.

He gradually relaxed his body, allowing her to sink deeply into his embrace, he closed his eyes, temporarily pressing down his surging emotions.

The body's recovery needs time, the fortress's repair needs resources, and the person before him who had exhausted himself caring for him needed an undisturbed sleep.

He maintained this tightly embraced posture, like a silent stone statue, in the dim light, quietly listening to the steady, deep breathing of the person in his arms.

(PS: Free of charge, send a little love-powered electricity, this way the author will have more motivation, please.)