After a day of traveling, Feng Qingyi's family finally arrived back in Jiang City at 10 PM.
The cake she had ordered a few days ago was ready. Feng Qingyi made a phone call, and someone delivered it to their door.
"Why are you buying a cake when it's not even your birthday?" Feng Qingci asked.
Carrying the cake, Feng Qingyi replied, "Who says you can't buy cake unless it's your birthday? I suddenly had a craving, so I bought one."
"You talk about dieting, yet you're eating such high-calorie food late at night. No wonder you'll end up as fat as a pig!" Feng Qingci muttered under his breath.
Feng Qingyi had already entered her room and didn't hear his comment, otherwise, an argument would have surely ensued.
She glanced at the time on her phone, wondering if the royal banquet had ended by now.
Feng Qingyi placed the cake on the table and sent a message to Qin Yuchuan.
When she didn't receive a reply, she assumed the banquet might still be ongoing and decided to wait a bit longer.
However, this wait stretched until 11 PM, with no sign of him.
Could he have forgotten? Or had something happened to him?
Feeling uneasy, Feng Qingyi sent a few more messages, but still got no response.
She paced back and forth in her room, growing increasingly agitated as the clock struck 11:30 PM.
Suddenly, Qin Yuchuan appeared in her room.
Feng Qingyi walked towards him, "Why are you so late? I've been waiting for ages, you—"
Qin Yuchuan didn't answer, instead silencing her with a kiss.
The sudden, passionate kiss caught her off guard like a storm. He cupped the back of her neck with one hand, almost greedily savoring her sweetness.
Feng Qingyi struggled in vain, helpless against his advances.
Tears in the corners of her eyes betrayed her helplessness and fear.
Qin Yuchuan gently wiped away her tears as his rationality slowly returned, and he gradually released her.
"Qingyi... I'm sorry."
Only then did Feng Qingyi notice something was amiss; the strong scent of blood permeated the air around him.
"Are you hurt?"
Qin Yuchuan sat on Feng Qingyi's bed without a word.
Feng Qingyi hurried to his side, "Where are you injured?"
"Qingyi, I want to take a bath."
"A bath? But in your condition..."
"It's nothing serious."
If he didn't cool down soon, he feared he might lose control of himself.
Although worried, Feng Qingyi saw his insistence and led him to the bathroom.
"This lever turns on the water, left is hot, right is cold. Adjust the temperature yourself. Here's a clean bathrobe and slippers. I'll wait outside."
Feng Qingyi hurriedly left the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.
This was the first time she had seen him in such a state. His kiss had been domineering and forceful, even carrying a hint of violence, as if he wanted to devour her whole.
It was nothing like his usual self. Feng Qingyi suddenly recalled what she had sensed earlier – could he have been drugged?
And then there was that strong smell of blood.
So he had been drugged and injured!
Her anger quickly transformed into concern.
Feng Qingyi tiptoed to the living room to find the family first-aid kit, brought it back to the room, and locked the door.
Qin Yuchuan spent a long time in the bathroom. When he emerged, he wore the bathrobe Feng Qingyi had given him loosely.
His jet-black hair was still dripping, but his complexion seemed a bit better.
"Are you alright?" Feng Qingyi asked softly.
Qin Yuchuan walked up to her and gently touched her slightly swollen lips.
"I'm sorry about earlier. Did I frighten you?"
"Are you... feeling better now?" She wondered if the drug's effects had worn off.
"I'm fine now."
"That's good. I smelled blood on you earlier. Where are you hurt?"
Qin Yuchuan shook his head, "It's nothing, don't worry."
Feng Qingyi didn't believe him. She could still smell the blood.
Taking advantage of his guard being down, she pulled aside a corner of his bathrobe, revealing several deep wounds on his left arm that were still bleeding.
The white bathrobe was stained with blood, a shocking sight.
"You call this nothing?! Do you only consider it serious when you're on your last breath?"
Feng Qingyi hadn't imagined his wounds were so severe. He had even taken a bath and calmly told her it was nothing.
Feng Qingyi didn't know what came over her, but she felt extremely upset and spoke in a harsh tone.
"Qingyi, are you angry?"
"Why would I be angry? It's not like I'm the one in pain."
Despite her cold words, Feng Qingyi pushed Qin Yuchuan to sit on the bed and took out the first-aid kit to treat his wounds.
"Qingyi, it hurts!"
Feng Qingyi continued disinfecting his wounds, her movements gentler now. "I thought you weren't afraid of pain!"
Qin Yuchuan watched the girl beside him as she lowered her head to tend to his wounds, her long hair swaying slightly with her movements.
A faint fragrance wafted through the air. He felt the emotions he had just suppressed beginning to stir again.
After Feng Qingyi finished applying medicine and bandaging his wounds, she looked up and met his gaze.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Qin Yuchuan pulled her to sit beside him. "Qingyi, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting so long tonight."
Feng Qingyi picked up her phone nearby. The time had long passed midnight; she had indeed waited a long time.
"I prepared a birthday cake for you, but it's past midnight now."
Seeing her disappointed tone, Qin Yuchuan said, "Qingyi, the fact that you think of me makes me happy enough. The cake and gifts are just icing on the cake."
"But the cake is still there." Feng Qingyi pointed to the table.
Qin Yuchuan stood up. "Since you prepared it, I'll definitely finish it."
Feng Qingyi smiled, "You don't need to eat it all. Let's each have a slice."
They cut two slices of cake and sat facing each other, slowly savoring it.
"Qin Yuchuan, I think I forgot to wish you a happy birthday."
Compared to her birthdays every year, his seemed rather pitiful – being drugged and injured. It was truly unfortunate.
She had even forgotten the gift she prepared for him back in the Capital City.
"It's not too late now."
"Happy birthday! This is your gift!"
Feng Qingyi handed him a small box from the table.
Qin Yuchuan accepted the box and opened it. Inside was a small wooden carved lion and an envelope containing a letter.
As Qin Yuchuan was about to open the envelope, Feng Qingyi stopped him. "Read it when you get home. You're not allowed to open it now!"
"Alright, didn't you say you forgot my gift in the Capital City?"
"If I forgot, I can always prepare another one! I don't want you to have no gift on your birthday."
In this world, she was probably the only one who cared so much about his birthday.
Qin Yuchuan walked over and embraced her. "Qingyi, now that you've given me a gift, I'm yours from now on. You're not allowed to leave me behind."
He couldn't quite pinpoint when it had started, but he particularly enjoyed physical contact with her.
