Chapter 46 The Empress Dowager’s Imperial Son – A Little Chubby Chapter

For a moment, Qiu Shuzhi felt as if she saw a fluffy little dog, left by its owner at someone else’s house, pitifully waiting by the window every day for its owner to take it home.

“Has Sir Qiu not eaten yet?” The long, slender fingers like cold jade, twisting the waistband.

Knowing that the night-duty Imperial Guards usually waited until leaving the palace the next day to have breakfast on their own, he deliberately said: “Why don’t we have a meal together at Fengyang Pavilion… is that alright?”

Qiu Shuzhi remained silent for a moment.

Yue Guanyi thought he would be rejected again, feeling disappointed but already used to it. A gloomy haze covered his eyes. Although it was always the same result, he was still full of hope every time, daydreaming that one day Qiu Shuzhi would agree to his small plea.

“If Sir Qiu is unwilling… then forget it.” He said softly, his voice more delicate than down feathers.

Although he was thick-skinned and obsessively wanted to be close to her, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

“Alright,” Qiu Shuzhi suddenly replied.

Yue Guanyi was stunned for a moment, his fingertips trembling as if in panic. His low voice instantly became lively, with excitement, shyness, and elation all mixed into one sentence: “Quickly, have the kitchen bring the meal! Hurry!”

Chang’an hurriedly responded with delight, busy going to the kitchen to arrange preparations. As he left, the smile on his face couldn’t be hidden.

As soon as Chang’an left, the hall suddenly became empty.

Yue Guanyi’s hand twisting his waistband tightened, his gaze falling on Qiu Shuzhi’s hand. Her palm was still bandaged with the cloth torn from his own body yesterday. The exposed fingers were pure white and flawless, making even the East Sea white silk lose its luster.

He hadn’t slept all night, and the absurd images of jealousy clouding his mind surged up. The tip of his tongue across her palm, the sweetness mixed with the taste of rust violently impacting his consciousness, burning like a branding iron, making his whole body hot, his heartbeat suddenly accelerating to near stopping.

He knelt humbly at her feet like a young male courtesan soliciting favor in a brothel. No, he was not even as good as a lowly male courtesan. He was just a dog wagging its tail and begging for pity, wishing he could kneel down and lick her toes. Even if she drove him away and whipped him, he would only wag his tail to please her, begging for a bit of mercy.

“Does Sir Qiu’s hand still hurt?” he asked with concern.

Qiu Shuzhi touched her palm: “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. The wound doesn’t hurt and it’s not a bother.”

Yue Guanyi lowered his eyes, seemingly hesitant. No matter what, he always went along with her wishes, not daring to defy her, but this time he still instructed the palace attendant beside him: “Go fetch the medicine box.”

Qiu Shuzhi guessed what he was about to do and quickly said: “It’s just a small wound, no need for such trouble.”

But Yue Guanyi didn’t think so.

Last night, in a hurry, he could only hastily tear off a piece of cloth from himself to bandage it, but the wound hadn’t been treated with medicine. The wound from the lake stone was both blunt and deep, and after soaking in rainwater for so long, it would definitely leave a scar if not treated.

The palace attendant quickly returned with the medicine box. Yue Guanyi sat beside Qiu Shuzhi, cradling her hand, his gentle and careful movements as if her hand was some priceless treasure.

“Sir Qiu was injured because of me. Even if it’s what you call a small wound, it’s enough to make me feel guilty to death. Sir, let me atone for my sin.” His heart pounding like a drum, he carefully untied the knot on her palm.

The gauze was unwrapped layer by layer, each layer revealing more red: light red, pale red, pink red, deep red, until the shocking blood red.

“Hiss—” Qiu Shuzhi drew in a sharp breath.

The last layer of cloth was already stuck in the bloody flesh. Blood had soaked through, and after being drenched in rainwater, the swollen, bloody mess enveloped the gauze deeply embedded, blooming into a decadent flower. Only then did she realize how deep the wound had been cut.

Yue Guanyi’s hand noticeably trembled, the gauze in his hand so heavy it seemed he could barely hold it. When she felt pain, he shuddered as if from cold, a chill sweeping from his feet throughout his body. His fingertips touching her hand were frighteningly cold.

“I’m sorry.” The light in his eyes instantly withered, his voice like his throat had been burned by a red-hot branding iron. His pale lips trembled for a long time before he uttered three words.

“It’s alright,” Qiu Shuzhi said gently. “Your Highness, please continue.”

Yue Guanyi’s eyelashes trembled slightly, his gray eyes devoid of any color. His fingertips gripped the edge of the last layer of cloth, hesitating to remove it.

The blurry flesh filled his eyes, he trembled so much he could barely hold the cloth. The pain almost tore his heart apart. How could he be so useless, only caring about being jealous and envious, yet not carefully examining her wound, letting her suffer for a whole night. The threads of the gauze had already deeply embedded into the flesh; pulling it would tear the skin and flesh off.

Yue Guanyi had seen scenes more cruel than this countless times in Zhao Prison, hearing the prisoners’ heart-rending screams without being moved, but here with Qiu Shuzhi, he completely crumbled.

Seeing that Yue Guanyi still couldn’t bring himself to do it, Qiu Shuzhi simply took the initiative to tear off the last layer of gauze herself. The softened and rotted wound was like a piece of putrid flesh being forcibly torn off, revealing stark white bone.

“…I’m sorry.” At this moment, he could no longer hold back, his voice trembling, suppressed, embedded with guilt, almost wailing. If not for the palace attendants present, he would have knelt down.

“It’s alright,” Qiu Shuzhi raised her hand, gently stroking his thin, trembling back. “Your Highness, this is not your fault.”

“I…” He was so devastated he could barely speak.

Qiu Shuzhi continued to gently stroke his thin, shivering back. Never had anyone been so panicked and remorseful over a small injury of hers, as if they had committed an unforgivable sin. The desolation in his eyes made her mistakenly think he might commit suicide to atone for his crime the next second.

She sighed inwardly; he was too cautious, too humble.

After a long while, Yue Guanyi took a deep breath, his voice trembling: “Let me apply medicine and re-bandage it for you.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled and nodded.

A cotton ball dipped in wound medicine was applied dot by dot on the wound. Afraid that any movement might hurt Qiu Shuzhi, Yue Guanyi held his breath in concentration, his hand movements so light they were almost imperceptible.