Qiao Ying's throat was so dry that it even hurt to speak. Qin Hanyue fed her another cup of water before she finally felt a little better.
Qiao Ying's senses were abnormally keen. Every discomfort throughout her body was conveyed to her brain with exceptional clarity.
She could feel something unusual happening in parts of her body.
She asked him, "Did you give me a bath?"
Qin Hanyue: "Yeah."
Qiao Ying's elegant eyebrows furrowed slightly, her expression ambiguous.
Qin Hanyue: "What's wrong?"
She looked a little off, and didn't speak for a while. After some time, she finally asked, "Are you sure you washed me thoroughly?"
It was a very casual question from her, but Qin Hanyue detected an unprecedented awkwardness in her tone.
Seeing her somewhat stiff expression, he successfully grasped her meaning. Qin Hanyue's expression also became unnatural.
His eyes darted around as he said, "I washed you thoroughly. That was...the medicine I applied on you." Qin Hanyue stole a glance at her.
Qiao Ying turned her face calmly and silently towards the balcony, the ear exposed to Qin Hanyue's view turning red. An unprecedented awkwardness arose between them. Qin Hanyue unconsciously twisted his fingers.
The atmosphere turned silent for a while, and they both somehow felt a little embarrassed.
Holding a cup of water, he lightly coughed and said, "Do you want more water? Or some food? You should eat something first to get some energy back. What do you want to eat? There's porridge, stew, and..."
Qiao Ying: "Pass me my needles."
Qin Hanyue immediately responded, "Alright."
Following her instructions, Qin Hanyue lifted the blanket off her and passed her a needle. She couldn't grasp it, even lifting her hand was difficult. Her whole body ached so much that it brought forth a plethora of profanity in Qiao Ying's mind, but alas, she lacked the strength to curse out loud.
At this moment, if Diamond J came to kill her, she could only lie there with a washed neck waiting to die, Qiao Ying thought.
For an assassin to completely incapacitate herself for personal feelings and place herself in danger was a big taboo.
Qin Hanyue asked, "Do you want to get up?" preparing to help her up.
"Or how else can I help?"
Qiao Ying ignored him and just lay in bed. She lifted her skirt to reveal her lower abdomen and started needling herself. Qin Hanyue looked at where she was needling and recalled something, guessing what she was doing.
Contraception.
Qin Hanyue vaguely remembered they had talked about related matters after he had regained some senses. What had Qiao Ying said then?
Qin Hanyue tried to recall what she had said, but when his thoughts went back, they were filled with indecent passionate scenes.
He stole a glance at Qiao Ying's waist, which he had grabbed and left large bruises on. Qin Hanyue's adam's apple bobbed silently.
Before he could recall it, Qiao Ying suddenly said coldly, "Wasn't it so comfortable to not have to take any precautions or even wear a condom?"
Qin Hanyue looked at her: "......"
The question was somewhat embarrassing. Qin Hanyue didn't dare make a sound.
He remembered Qiao Ying had said she could contracept with a few needles without any harm to her body.
Having a medically skilled girlfriend meant he didn't need to take any precautions and she didn't need to take hormonal contraceptives that damaged health. This was indeed...
Facing Qiao Ying's deep resentment, Qin Hanyue didn't dare express the secret delight in his heart, and just remained silent to avoid angering her.
When feeding her porridge, Qin Hanyue explained clearly to her why he had gone to the hotel to meet Kala and got drugged.
Qiao Ying lay in bed for another whole day and night before she could move around on the third day.
Dragging her feet and struggling to even walk, Qiao Ying regretted making herself his antidote.
Although the physique of this body was far inferior to her own, and Qin Hanyue had been drugged and was not in a normal state, plus he had been abstinent for so many years...anyway, she had been mentally prepared.
But she never expected to be done to the point of fainting and getting a fever.
She had started regretting halfway through the night. She should have needled him more first to dispel most of the drug's effects before proceeding, Qiao Ying thought then.
If she could have gotten her hands on needles then, she would have definitely needled him twice.
The two days lying in bed,
Qiao Ying regretted not knocking him out right from the start.
Qin Hanyue found a high-necked sweater for Qiao Ying and picked out a full outfit, then carried it over to her.
Sitting on the bed, Qiao Ying's gaze slowly moved up from the high-necked sweater in his arms to Qin Hanyue's neck.
He was dressed in full suit and tie, with his shirt buttoned right to the top, revealing just half his neck above his collar. The marks were hard to fade, and Qiao Ying remembered clearly the process through which each of her bite marks on his neck was made. Her memories were very clear.
Her actions also attracted Qin Hanyue's gaze to her neck, though his look was not as blatant as hers.
But he was quickly glared back by Qiao Ying.
After changing, Qiao Ying went downstairs.
Qin Yan was in the lobby playing ball with the fourth master when he saw Qiao Ying dressed modestly and walking from the elevator direction.
Qin Yan reacted without thinking - he pretended not to see her and immediately ducked away.
Qiao Ying was speechless. She had slept with Qin Hanyue, passed out with fever and gotten a doctor, lain in bed for two to three days before getting up, and Lin Cheng and the rest all knew about it already. She didn't feel shy or awkward to see anyone, so what was Qin Yan feeling awkward about?
Qin Yan didn't mean to avoid her either. He just didn't know how to greet her properly. The commotion had been too loud, even a doctor had been called.
Such matters were fine for Lin Cheng and the rest who weren't too familiar to know about, just not someone as familiar as him, it would be too awkward.
Also, Miss Qiao was younger than them, so this kind of thing...it was still better not to be the first to see her right after it happened.
Shortly after, Qin Yan was called back by a phone call from Qin Hanyue to drive the car over.
Qin Yan smiled awkwardly, trying his best to act natural, but the first words out of his mouth made him want to slap himself a few times: "Miss Qiao, long time no see."
What a great conversation starter.
Qin Yan wanted to smash his head dead on the spot.
A nasal grunt came from Qiao Ying's chest cavity.
Qin Yan's calf twitched as he almost knelt down to Qiao Ying on the spot.
Qin Hanyue wanted to drive the car over and run Qin Yan over to death.
Qiao Ying was already in a terrible mood, and this Qin Yan just had to mention the elephant in the room and say "long time no see".
What else couldn't he have said?
Qiao Ying said, "It has been quite a while since we met."
Qin Yan felt her words were not spoken through gritted teeth, but through his bones. Damn scary.
Qiao Ying's cool gaze swept over Qin Hanyue before she strode out.
Qin Hanyue who had suffered her cold stare wanted to slap Qin Yan to death with one palm.
Early in the morning, Lin Cheng had been summoned by the king to the palace.
The palace was now filled with royal family members, all belonging to the king's faction. These people were in no hurry to return home, determined not to relent until they forced Lin Cheng into some action.
Facing greater pressure than ever before, Lin Cheng sat calmly in stark contrast to the ministers opposite him who spoke agitatedly with flushed faces.
The choices laid out before Lin Cheng were:
One, hand over Qiao Ying to be dealt with by Karina as she pleased.
Two, marry Karina, inherit the throne, and protect Qiao Ying.
These were the options they gave.
Lin Cheng chose neither.
A prince slightly older in age and great prestige stood up, "Duke Lin, if you cannot give poor Princess Karina and the entire royal family an explanation today, I'm afraid your dukedom will be difficult to keep."
They were actually threatening Lin Cheng with his dukedom.
