The Villain's Delicate Beauty Won't Run Away - Chapter 3

“Elder Brother, drink your medicine while it’s hot. I obtained this prescription from Divine Physician Jiang. It should help your illness.”

Xie Lixue lifted the bowl. Her loose sleeve slipped down, revealing a wrist wrapped in bloodstained gauze. As though afraid we’d notice, she hastily set the bowl down and pushed it toward Xie Jinxiu instead.

He frowned almost imperceptibly but didn’t ask about the injury.

“Please drink it before it cools,” she said, biting her lip and clasping her wounded wrist.

Comments appeared.

【Could the heroine make it any more obvious? Does she think the villain’s an idiot?】

【He must have noticed. He’s not taking the bait.】

【What’s that pretty idiot of a supporting character doing?】

【The heroine’s scheming, and she’s off playing with the chess pieces like a little kid.】

I pouted to myself. I wasn’t an idiot.

A chess piece slipped from my fingers, bounced across the board, and landed in the medicine bowl.

The comments went quiet. Both people at the table turned to look at me. One seemed to be suppressing a smile; the other’s eyes blazed with fury.

I instinctively moved closer to Xie Jinxiu, took his hand, and said plaintively, “Husband, I didn’t mean to.”

He stroked my cheek. “It’s all right. It’s only a bowl of medicine. We can make more.”

Xie Lixue was beside herself. “Elder Brother, this medicine is different!”

She opened and closed her mouth, clutching her arm, evidently about to tell him she’d cut flesh from it to make the medicine. Before she could speak, Xie Jinxiu’s attendant entered carrying another bowl.

“Young Master, this was prepared from Divine Physician Jiang’s prescription. They say it’ll help your illness.”

Xie Lixue went pale. “You know Divine Physician Jiang too, Elder Brother?”

Xie Jinxiu pushed the steaming bowl toward me and looked at her. “The physician who was treating me happened to be his disciple. When I failed to improve, he asked his master to come. It’s the same prescription, but thank you for all your trouble, Third Sister.”

I blew on the medicine. Once he’d finished speaking, I lifted the bowl and brought a spoonful to his lips.

“It’s not too hot now, Husband.”

Xie Lixue glared at me, swept her sleeves aside, and left.

Xie Jinxiu watched me as he drank the medicine one spoonful at a time.

A comment flew past. 【The villain hates bitter things more than anything, but he’ll drink it spoon by spoon just to have her feed him.】

【He’s hopelessly in love.】

So Xie Jinxiu was afraid of bitter medicine. I’d seen him drink bowl after bowl without a flicker of expression. Had that all been an act?

After the final spoonful, I asked, “Was it bitter?”

His gaze moved from my eyes to my lips. “Do you want to know?”

I nodded without thinking. The next moment, he tipped up my chin and kissed me. A sharp, bitter medicinal taste spread over my tongue.

I shoved him away in disgust, my face all scrunched up. He laughed, delighted with the success of his little prank.

I turned my back on him and took a piece of preserved fruit from my pouch. As I ate it, his head settled on my shoulder.

“Susu, your husband tastes the bitterness too.”

I glanced at him, picked out another piece, and offered it to him. The instant he opened his mouth, I snatched it back, popped it into my own, and ran.

A long arm swept around me, and I landed in his lap. When he leaned in to kiss me again, I braced my hands against his chest, struggling and pleading.

“Husband, I was wrong. You can have them. All of them.” I frantically pulled off the pouch and stuffed it into his arms.

As I squirmed, I felt something pressing against me beneath where I sat. I was about to reach down and push it away when Xie Jinxiu abruptly released me, his expression strained.

“Husband?” He looked uncomfortable. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Go out for now. I’d like some quiet.”

I left in silence, thinking how changeable he was. One moment he wanted to kiss me; the next he was sending me away with a cold face.

Then the comments appeared, and I finally understood his strange behavior. Heat flooded my cheeks.

【I’m dying. The villain got himself all worked up.】

【Then he should lay her down and do something about it. He drugged her at night and kissed her naked; why pretend to be innocent now?】

【They could do it on the table. The chess pieces are right there, hehe.】

【This isn’t an unmoderated wasteland, people. Keep your pants on.】