"Wang Ye, are you alright?"
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head, gazing intently at this person as delicate as a lotus after rain. "You didn't catch a chill, did you..."
Chu Chu shook her head vigorously, climbed onto the bed and slipped under the covers. Her two warm little hands carefully kneaded his stiff, numb waist. As she massaged, her eyes reddened. "Wang Ye, I have a strong constitution and don't fear the cold... You don't need to be so good to me..."
How good had he been to her?
Xiao Jin Yu's smile held a trace of bitterness. She revolved around him day and night, exhausting herself to help with both official and personal matters, often falling asleep in her clothes too tired to even feel the cold. All he had done was cover her with a blanket...
"Chu Chu... if I said I'm used to pain and don't fear it... would you still care for me?"
"Of course I would!" Chu Chu's hands on his waist gentled their pressure, her eyes filled with heartache. "There's no one who doesn't fear pain..."
Xiao Jin Yu looked deeply at her. "And there's no one who doesn't fear the cold either..."
"Wang Ye..."
With effort, Xiao Jin Yu raised his hand and touched Chu Chu's tightly bitten lower lip, freeing that soft petal of a mouth. His cool fingers gently stroked it. "Could you... kiss me?"
Chu Chu leaned in and earnestly kissed his pale lips. She had intended to give just one kiss before continuing to massage him, but once their lips met, the kiss deepened, growing more cherished, more passionate...
After this belated celebration of their reunion, Chu Chu had to start massaging his nearly battered body all over again.
"Wang Ye, you should be gentler next time."
Xiao Jin Yu lay face down on the bed with darkened forehead and closed eyes. He had only wanted a kiss from her - who exactly should have been gentler here... He had no desire to dwell on this topic whatsoever. "Chu Chu... tell me about the Corpse Examination results."
"Oh..." Chu Chu continued massaging as she spoke. "That person wasn't wearing clothes. He died from hitting his head against the wall, struck with tremendous force, and passed immediately after impact."
"Mhmm..."
As Chu Chu kneaded his bony back, she furrowed her brows. "But... there's something strange about how this person died."
"Oh?"
"He died with his eyes wide open and mouth agape." As she spoke, Chu Chu leaned down to kiss Xiao Jin Yu's neck, eliciting a soft moan from him. "There's some redness here too, as if it had been pinched... but we'll need to wait for further examination to be certain."
Chu Chu continued kissing slowly along Xiao Jin Yu's spine. "Here... here... here... The places I'm kissing... all correspond to minor abrasions on the corpse, though they were probably just from rubbing against the wall while he was sitting in the corner."
When her final kiss landed on his sensitive lower back, Xiao Jin Yu felt a certain part of him growing hot again involuntarily.
"Chu Chu... just talk, no need to kiss..."
"It's fine! This way you can feel it more clearly!"
Clear - it couldn't be clearer...
Chu Chu moved a bit lower, planting several distinct kisses on those two thin, soft cheeks. Xiao Jin Yu immediately flushed from his forehead down to his neck. Heaven knows why she had to kiss there of all places!
Xiao Jin Yu's voice trembled with embarrassment. "Chu Chu..."
"The corpse has bruises here, probably from falling hard on the ground."
"...!"Chu Chu turned Xiao Jin Yu over, grabbed his arm, and earnestly kissed his wrists. "Here... this entire area is slightly red. It must have been from someone grabbing you."
Xiao Jin Yu braced himself and nodded. "Mm..."
Releasing his arm, Chu Chu kissed his chest, which had turned a delicate pink from his flushed face. "Here, here..." Just as Xiao Jin Yu was about to grab her, Chu Chu suddenly moved downward and kissed his abdomen. "And here, here... there are scratch marks too. Probably from when they tried to undress him and he resisted, getting scratched during the struggle."
From the moment her lips first touched his abdomen, her kisses became indistinct. The clearest sensation Xiao Jin Yu felt was his recently calmed body stirring back to life.
Thinking how Chu Chu was clearly discussing something grave, serious, and earnest while he was having such a reaction, Xiao Jin Yu felt so ashamed he wanted to flip over again. Unfortunately, Chu Chu had him pinned firmly... He squeezed his eyes shut, not daring to look at her.
He worried how she would laugh at him when she noticed his physical change - laughter he could bear, but what if she grew angry or disgusted...
After stewing in anxiety for what felt like ages, he heard Chu Chu sigh softly. "Wang Ye, let me take care of this... I'll be very gentle."
"..."
☆ Chapter 94: Crystal Sugar Pork Knuckle (Part 8)
After tidying up, Chu Chu rushed to the kitchen to prepare soup and medicine for Xiao Jin Yu. Since he had no appetite, he needed something mild yet nutritious. Spotting fresh crucian carp in the kitchen, she decided to make him crucian carp and tofu soup. Upon asking, she learned the tofu had been used up last night and would be delivered shortly.
After preparing the fish, Chu Chu waited by the kitchen door. Soon she saw a sweaty elderly man slowly pulling a cart carrying several large buckets toward them, followed by a petite old woman pushing from behind. Her steps were unsteady, making her wobble as she walked.
The cart stopped by the large well in front of the kitchen. The old woman leaned against the cart and handed the old man a towel. "Rest... rest a bit... this is already your second trip..."
The old man took the towel but used it to wipe the old woman's forehead instead. Supporting her shaky frame with one hand, he frowned reproachfully. "I told you not to come. You insisted on following. What help are you? What if you fall and get hurt?"
The old woman used her sleeve to wipe his sweat. "I worry when you work alone..."
The old man straightened his neck, looking at her deeply wrinkled face. "What's there to worry about? Are there any girls in the capital prettier than you?"
"You silly old man..."
Chu Chu covered her mouth to suppress giggles. She didn't know if Xiao Jin Yu considered her the prettiest girl in the capital, but in her eyes, her Wang Ye was the most beautiful person in the world.
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