Chapter 75: Small Porcelain Bottle

Mu Chao finished seeing off the guests and had just walked to the corridor when he saw Luo Xu tilt his head and unexpectedly coldly say, "Stand still."

Mu Chao, with a helmet tucked under his arm, was bewildered. He looked around and, seeing no other imperial guards, pointed to himself and asked suspiciously, "Imperial Lord, am I supposed to stand here, ah?"

Luo Xu didn't waste words and closed the hall curtain. Mu Chao had no response, didn't dare to lift his foot, and stood there blankly. Prime Minister Hua walked through the snow to the corridor, glanced at him, and then walked away.

There was no charcoal burning in the hall; fire spells were carved on the pillars. Once the curtain fell, it became a warm and cosy room. Ming Zhuo stopped after unbuttoning one button, the prongs of his ring pressing against his skin, bringing only a slight chill.

"There are fire spells inside the clothes. If they touch the wound, they have a healing effect." Luo Xu's figure blocked the light as he raised his hand and offered a handkerchief, "You're sweating."

"Why button the collar so tightly if there's a fire spell?" Ming Zhuo didn't take the handkerchief, "Aren't you hot?"

"It snows here all year round. Without fire spells, no one can stand it." Luo Xu's outstretched hand didn't retract, his gaze sharp, "Didn't you take a good look when you put it on this morning?"

Ming Zhuo frowned, sweating, "Who looks at clothes when putting them on..."

Luo Xu's handkerchief fell, covering Ming Zhuo's forehead. Ming Zhuo raised his other hand to brush it away, but Luo Xu didn't let him. Ming Zhu resisted, "Take it away..."

"Don't you want to wipe it?" Luo Xu was not polite, even messing up Ming Zhuo's sideburns, "If the sweat drips down, you'll be the one feeling uncomfortable later."

He didn't bend much, placing one hand on the back of Ming Zhuo's head to keep him from moving. The Imperial Lord always spoke politely, but when he took action, he was utterly unreasonable. After wiping Ming Zhu's face, he lifted Ming Zhuo's chin with the handkerchief, and glanced briefly—no trace of fingerprints remained.

Ming Zhuo's face felt hot from the wiping, and he moved away slightly. "I can do it myself."

"Last night you wanted me to be a dog," Luo Xu's handkerchief paused but remained precise in its course, "Today you don't want me to serve you."

"Being a dog isn't the same as serving someone," Ming Zhuo took the handkerchief from Luo Xu's fingers and wiped the sweat from his neck, "As long as it can cry and obey commands, it's enough."

Luo Xu seemed to forget he still had a hand on the back of Ming Zhuo's head and asked, "Where else are you hurt?"

Each Heavenly Sea Royal Guard's clothing had fire spells sewn inside. These fire spells not only kept them warm and protected but also ensured they wouldn't die too quickly in dangerous situations. The fire spells only worked when touching a wound. Ming Zhuo being this hot indicated he had other injuries. If he was hurt, Luo Xu should have known last night.

"Do you want to know?" Ming Zhuo folded the handkerchief and handed it back, "I don't want to tell you."

"If you don't want to tell me, I'll have to guess. This clothing was mine before, and there are only three places with fire spells sewn inside: the chest, back, and cuffs. As I mentioned, the fire spells only work when touching a wound," Luo Xu said, "With your buttons undone like this, the wound must be on your chest."

"Why do you care so much?" Ming Zhuo said, "As long as the wound isn't fatal, it has nothing to do with you. Mind your own business—"

Luo Xu suddenly bent down and covered Ming Zhuo's head with his unused outer robe. Ming Zhuo was caught off guard, and in the next moment, he was lifted off the ground.

"Nothing to do with me?" Luo Xu tightened his grip on Ming Zhuo through the robe, "When it hurts, you use a dog leash on me, but when it doesn't, it has nothing to do with me. Am I your disposable puppet or someone you can just discard?"

Ming Zhuo grabbed the robe, trying to pull it down. However, Luo Xu didn't let go and continued holding him like that. Ming Zhuo, muffled inside the robe, said, "You're a scoundrel!"

Luo Xu responded, "I am Luo Xu."

Ming Zhuo retorted, "You're a scoundrel!"

Luo Xu's arms dipped as if he were about to throw Ming Zhuo. Ming Zhuo clutched his collar, unable to tell where he was touching due to the robe.

"When you removed my armour, you called me Luo Xu. When we rolled in bed, you called me a dog trainer," Luo Xu let Ming Zhuo grab him wildly, "and now, when it doesn't matter, you call me a scoundrel. Do you know what a scoundrel is? A scoundrel would take you back, tie you up in the bed chamber, strangle you, bite you, and toss you around.”

His tone was so offensive it seemed he had truly considered it. Ming Zhuo angrily shouted, "Let go!"

The hall curtain swayed as Luo Xu stepped out. Mu Chao, who was glaring at Prime Minister Hua in the corridor, suddenly saw the Imperial Lord carrying someone out and was stunned. "Imperial Lord..."

Luo Xu ignored everyone, left the reception hall, and went straight back to the bed chamber. The hanging curtains in the room blocked most of the light. He placed Ming Zhuo on the bed and pulled off the outer robe covering him. "Do you want me to be a scoundrel?"

Ming Zhuo grabbed a pillow, but Luo Xu blocked it. He moved closer and asked again, "Do you want me to be a scoundrel?"

This face was too seductive as if it didn't matter if it got hit. His expression was exactly like the day he took Ming Zhuo, as if Ming Zhuo only needed to say "én," and he would strangle, bite, and toss him around.

Ming Zhuo said, "I want you to—"

Luo Xu interrupted, "You said it."

Ming Zhuo was stunned, suspecting he had fallen into a trap. "What did I say? I don't want it!"

Luo Xu suddenly grabbed his waist, pulling Ming Zhuo close in an instant. Ming Zhuo leaned back slightly, almost thinking Luo Xu was going to kiss him, but Luo Xu's tone shifted, "Is your wound on your chest because of the Blood Shackle Curse?"

Ming Zhuo said, "Mind your own business!"

Luo Xu said, "Unbutton."

Ming Zhuo coldly lifted his chin, "In your dreams—"

He was too predictable. As soon as he spoke, Luo Xu knew how he would react. So, when that chin moved in front of his eyes, Luo Xu grabbed it.

Unlike last time when he grabbed his jawbone roughly, this time Luo Xu was gentle. He used his thumb to lift Ming Zhuo's face. With his other hand, he swiftly unbuttoned Ming Zhuo's second button.

The collar immediately loosened, revealing the collarbone, and the previously smooth skin was now covered with dark red spell marks.

Luo Xu's gaze hardened slightly, and his fingers paused. "My finger chain has a blessing. It should be able to undo anything."

Ming Zhuo didn't hide anything. "There's no such thing as a treasure that can 'undo anything.' Even the Sun God, who granted you the blessing, couldn't break free from the Blood Shackle Curse. How could a finger chain? It would be the most powerful spell under heaven."

The curse marks from the Blood Shackle Curse were like brands. Not only did they cause excruciating pain during activation, but they also caused constant discomfort when touched. Hence, Ming Zhuo always wore loose clothing. Since being locked by Luo Xu's finger chain, the pain had ceased, but he became easily overheated.

This morning, he changed into clothes with fire spells sewn inside, which pressed against his chest, causing the wounds from the Blood Shackle Curse to continuously heal. Naturally, Ming Zhuo felt itchy. He hadn't noticed it while out in the snow, but once he entered the reception hall and drank some hot tea, he began to sweat all over.

Luo Xu asked, "Have the wounds always been exposed like this?"

"Yes," Ming Zhuo tugged at his collar. "It's not like I'll die from it."

His earlobes were still very red, the flush extending down to his neck. While speaking, he raised his hand again, pressing the ring against his neck, savouring the bit of coolness. His eyes, half-closed like honey-coloured amber, revealed a comfortable expression.

That was Luo Xu's ring, which he had worn and touched, but Ming Zhuo was utterly unconcerned. He was clueless about romantic implications. Luo Xu suddenly grabbed his hand, pulling it away, forbidding him from pressing it any longer.

"Change your clothes," the Imperial Lord said, "I'll lend you a new set."

Though he called them new, they were actually Luo Xu's old clothes from his youth. When Ming Zhuo changed, Luo Xu didn't watch. He rummaged through a wooden box, searching for a small porcelain bottle.

Ming Zhuo asked as he undressed, "You kept all your old clothes?"

"I Kept them," with no outsiders present, Luo Xu dropped his formal demeanour and spoke casually, "My father wore them and passed them to me, and then I left them for Luo You."

Ming Zhuo paused, holding the clothes.

Luo Xu, seemingly with eyes in the back of his head, lazily said, "That was a lie."

Ming Zhuo threw the old clothes at him and put on the new ones. The new robe was a black, loose garment, somewhat similar to Ming Zhuo's own clothes. It seemed to be something Luo Xu wore in his teenage years.

Luo Xu caught the old clothes and turned around. "Rub the medicine in."

"I'm not rubbing anything" Ming Zhuo sat on the bed, tying the belt messily, indifferent to his wound. "Rub it today, it will worsen tomorrow, why waste the effort?"

Luo Xu grabbed his ankle and pulled him closer. Ming Zhuo leaned back slightly, his collar loosening, revealing the dark red Blood Shackle Curse. Strangely, this time he didn't resist.

While he was applying the medicine, Ming Zhuo kept staring at Luo Xu as if he were some strange person. Luo Xu wasn't exactly a virtuous gentleman; he was just—

Just hard to define.

He guessed Ming Zhuo refused the medicine because he had never applied it before.

"That day, you saw the Mang," Ming Zhuo suddenly said. "Why didn't you ask me about it?"

Luo Xu asked, "Ask you about what?"

Ming Zhuo replied, "Those questions."

The medicine was cool, and Luo Xu looked up at him while applying it. They stared at each other for a moment before Luo Xu asked just one thing: "Does it hurt?"

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