Chapter 31
THE ONLY THING that Jiang Suizhou noticed was how Huo Wujiu’s leg felt like a block of ice beneath his hand. He was fully oblivious to any reaction he might have elicited.
Tentatively, he rubbed the leg a few times, then firmly kneaded it a little more. The muscles under his palm were taut, and it took considerable effort to massage them. However, as he continued, Huo Wujiu’s leg did seem to warm up a bit.
“Is this any better?” he asked, looking up at Huo Wujiu with bright eyes.
Huo Wujiu didn’t reply. He simply continued to sit there, silent and unmoving. His expressionless face was like a mask.
All right, so…does it feel better or not?
Jiang Suizhou was out of ideas, so he gave the leg a few more kneads for good measure.
Abruptly, Huo Wujiu seized his wrist and yanked it out from beneath the blanket.
Jiang Suizhou looked up, startled, to find Huo Wujiu staring at him. His dark eyes were cold and searching.
“What are you doing?” Huo Wujiu demanded with a frown.
Jiang Suizhou quickly withdrew his hand in alarm.
He’d only tried massaging his leg a few times because he thought it might help. Why was Huo Wujiu so angry?
Realization dawned on Jiang Suizhou in an instant.
Of course… Huo Wujiu probably didn’t like having people touch his legs. He was likely a bit sensitive about them, being so recently disabled.
Somewhat flustered, Jiang Suizhou silently kicked himself for crossing such a line without even thinking. Meanwhile, Huo Wujiu struggled to prop himself up on the bed. He kept his body turned slightly away.
Just then, the group of maids Meng Qianshan had led to fetch hot water bottles returned to the bedside. They tucked the warm, fluffy masses into his blanket before retreating.
Jiang Suizhou rose.
“…I’m sorry,” he said after a pause. “I shouldn’t have touched your leg just now.”
On the daybed, Huo Wujiu opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. After a moment, he lowered his eyes.
“It’s fine,” he said softly. “Go to sleep.”
Hearing this, Jiang Suizhou breathed a sigh of relief.
Huo Wujiu’s tone was still quite stern. But he’d assured Jiang Suizhou that it was fine, so he probably wasn’t going to hold it against him…right?
He didn’t care if others were upset with him, but this man was different. After all, when this man was angered, lives would be at stake.
At the thought, Jiang Suizhou gave his acknowledgment. He was about to return to his own bed when he paused and doubled back once more.
“This daybed is a bit too close to the window. Why don’t you sleep on the bed?”
Huo Wujiu simply closed his eyes and didn’t respond.
This meant he didn’t want to move.
Although Jiang Suizhou was still worried, he couldn’t force him to move to the bed. At least the blankets on him were nice and thick. That should keep him warm enough, so Jiang Suizhou didn’t insist.
He returned to his bed, took off the jacket, and lay back down under the covers.
“If the pain comes back, just call for me,” he reminded Huo Wujiu quietly.
Huo Wujiu didn’t respond.
Already used to having one-sided conversations with this block of wood, Jiang Suizhou simply closed his eyes again.
Huo Wujiu remained motionless on the daybed until Jiang Suizhou’s breathing became steady enough to indicate that he was asleep. Only then did Huo Wujiu lift the blanket covering his legs and pull out the pile of hot water bottles.
They were large and heavy, like little stoves. Were they trying to cook his legs through?
It was definitely that idiot Meng Qianshan’s doing.
Huo Wujiu didn’t want to admit it, but not even a hundred hot water bottles packed under the thickest quilts could compare to the warmth of the hand that had clumsily massaged his leg earlier.
But that touch had elicited complicated sensations as well—sensations that left him feeling so disconcerted that he desperately needed to escape.
So disconcerted, in fact, that he’d startled the Prince of Jing quite badly.
Huo Wujiu’s expression was dark as he began tossing out the hot water bottles from under his blanket.
Until he touched something soft and fluffy.
It was the water bottle Jiang Suizhou had tucked in earlier.
His hand paused, sparing the little white rabbit. Then he pulled the blanket back over himself, allowing the small thing to nestle by his leg, gently radiating warmth into his body.
But it still felt like something was missing.
After a moment, Huo Wujiu tentatively reached under the blanket, placed his hand on his own leg, and rubbed it a few times.
…Completely useless.