The more fun he had during the day, the worse Mingxi felt at night.
Due to the excessive cold, he developed a high fever that evening.
"Ling Cang, I'm so cold, so uncomfortable," he murmured, lying restlessly on the bed in the room.
The stray hairs on his forehead were damp with sweat, sticking to his skin. The thin underrobe was open wide at the collar, and his collarbones were flushed a faint pink from the fever. He looked at Ling Cang with tearful, blurred eyes.
Ling Cang's expression was unusually grave. He gently picked Mingxi up and held him in his arms. Mingxi immediately felt a wave of coolness and wrapped his arms around Ling Cang's waist, rubbing his cheek against Ling Cang's chest.
"Xi'er, bear with it. It'll be better soon," a magnetic voice soothed the restless person in his arms.
Power gathered in his palm, and a faint blue light instantly appeared. He moved it to cover Mingxi's back.
If any immortal from the celestial realm had been present, they would have been both shocked and amazed. The Divine Emperor was actually using the Ice Soul Orchid Technique for a mere mortal! This was a high-level celestial technique unique to the Divine Emperor. Immortals needed only a wisp of its energy to greatly increase their power, and mortals who received it could be freed from illness and extend their lives.
Back when a celestial general was corrupted by demonic energy after slaying demons, the Celestial Emperor pleaded with the Divine Emperor three times before Ling Cang agreed to use the Ice Soul Orchid. Now, the Divine Emperor was easily using this divine technique to treat a mortal's chill and fever.
If the immortals knew, though they wouldn't dare question the Divine Emperor—after all, he was the supreme sovereign of the Three Realms—their hearts would surely be filled with bewilderment and regret.
In their view, such a divine technique should be used on more critical and significant occasions. Using it for a mere mortal was truly using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
However, Divine Emperor Ling Cang paid no heed to these concerns. His gaze remained fixed on the chilled and weakened Mingxi, his eyes full of concern and distress. The ice-blue glow of magic flickered in his hand, his sole desire to restore Mingxi to health as quickly as possible.
Mingxi began to struggle. "Mmm, let me go. It hurts..."
The Ice Soul Orchid Technique was powerful. While it brought many benefits, its immense strength, when merging with the recipient's body, felt like ice blades piercing the bones. Meridians were assaulted by the cold, as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at the heart.
Mingxi felt as if all the blood in his body was freezing solid. Every inch of his skin endured extreme agony, as if he were trapped in an ice cellar yet unable to break free.
His eyes red, he pushed against Ling Cang with both hands. Ling Cang held him tightly around the waist with one arm, restraining him, and gently kissed his forehead.
"Be good. It won't hurt soon."
He increased the output of the Ice Soul Orchid with his right hand. Rather than letting him suffer repeatedly, it was better to do it thoroughly once and for all. From now on, Mingxi would be free from pain and illness.
"Ah~," Mingxi's underrobe was soaked through with cold sweat.
His hands gripped Ling Cang's solid back tightly. In his dazed state, he bit down on Ling Cang's Adam's apple.
Then, hazily opening his eyes, he saw blood on Ling Cang's throat and licked it.
Ling Cang tilted his head back, his Adam's apple moving. He looked down at Mingxi lying in his arms.
The blue light in his hand gradually faded, and the person in his arms slowly fell asleep. He reached out to feel Mingxi's forehead; it was cool, with only traces of sweat.
Ling Cang slowly got up and gently laid him on the bed. Looking at the now soundly asleep Mingxi, he recalled the moment he bit his Adam's apple. Unconsciously, he raised his hand and touched the bitten spot, a smirk curling his lips at the person.
"You little rascal."
The sleeping person seemed to sense someone scolding him. He hummed and grumbled, squirming a few times. The snow-white underrobe at his collar was rubbed askew, exposing a shoulder. The collar gaped open, revealing delicate collarbones gleaming with sweat, a strand of hair stuck to them.
Ling Cang's eyes darkened, his breathing unconsciously growing heavier. He slowly reached out to adjust Mingxi's clothes, but his fingers trembled slightly upon touching that smooth skin.
Mingxi seemed to sense this strangeness in his sleep. His brows furrowed slightly, and he mumbled something unintelligible. Ling Cang's hand paused mid-air. After a moment's hesitation, he gently brushed away the strand of hair and pulled the collar closed.
But his gaze remained fixed on Mingxi's face—the slightly trembling eyelashes, the small nose bridge, the rosy lips—each feature causing ripples in his heart.
He sighed softly, got up, and walked to the window. Gazing at the moonlight outside, his thoughts were in turmoil.
To think he, the Divine Emperor of the Three Realms, aloof from worldly affairs, pure-hearted and desireless, utterly uninterested in matters of love and passion, having lived for tens of thousands of years, now desired someone so intensely.
His seemingly casual touches, his dependent gaze, his occasional mischievousness and stubbornness—like fine threads, they were slowly weaving their way into his heart.
Making him want to pull the person into his arms and crush him every moment, madly desiring to possess him. He knew his originally tranquil heart was becoming restless.
He had fallen for him.
"Ling Cang~, Ling Cang~..." Mingxi's drowsy mumbling interrupted Ling Cang's thoughts.
He walked over and tucked Mingxi's exposed lower leg back under the quilt.
He took off his outer robe, lifted the quilt, and slipped into bed. The moment he lay down, the person on the inner side sought out the heat source and hugged him.
Ling Cang froze for a second, then gently turned on his side, placed his hand on Mingxi's waist, and hugged him back.
This child clearly eats quite a bit, so why is he still so thin? His waist is barely a handful.
His hand on Mingxi's waist gently stroked.
It seems another trip to the celestial realm is needed to fetch some immortal peaches and elixirs.
The person in his arms was sweaty from sleep, his complexion ruddy, his lips slightly pouted as if mumbling something. The more the Divine Emperor looked, the more he liked him. He kissed his sweaty forehead again.
"Sleep. You won't feel unwell tomorrow."
The next morning,
the eastern sky gradually lightened. A ray of morning light streamed through a crack in the window, falling on the bed curtains. Mingxi, nestled in Ling Cang's arms, slowly woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Ling Cang lying beside him. His brows, his thick eyelashes, his straight nose bridge... His tightly closed eyes made him seem less imposing than usual, adding a touch of gentleness.
He couldn't resist reaching out to gently trace the outline of Ling Cang's brows and eyes. The warm sensation at his fingertips made his heart pound. He was careful, afraid of waking Ling Cang.
Just then, Ling Cang's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes. Their eyes met. Mingxi instantly blushed and tried to withdraw his hand, but Ling Cang caught it.
"Little one, being restless so early in the morning," Ling Cang's voice was hoarse from sleep, yet incredibly captivating.
Mingxi's face turned even redder. He pulled the quilt over his head, thinking,
If I can't see him, it won't be awkward.
Ling Cang looked at his flustered appearance, a smile tugging at his lips. He pulled the entire bundle—Mingxi and the quilt—closer into his embrace.
"Be good~, sleep a little longer," Ling Cang said, closing his eyes again.
Mingxi, feeling Ling Cang's warm embrace, obediently stopped moving. He closed his eyes, a sweet smile on his lips, and drifted back to sleep.
When he woke again, the sky was bright. The room was warm and cozy. A neatly folded set of clothes lay beside him. The collar was lined with mink fur, white as snow, soft and smooth, each hair shimmering with a delicate luster.
The collar was embroidered with a circle of fine silver thread, outlining an exquisite pattern. The cuffs were edged with light blue silk, complementing the white mink fur perfectly.
A white jade belt was inlaid with several round pearls, emitting a warm glow.
The entire outfit was well-tailored with fine stitches, clearly the work of a skilled artisan and undoubtedly valuable.
Mingxi reached out and carefully felt the clothes. The stitching and accessories were even more exquisite than those on his clothes in the capital.
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