Hua Ren quickly closed the door behind him, his chest tightening with a mix of shock and alarm. Turning, his gaze landed on Sheng Fei, lounging comfortably in a wooden chair as though he owned the place. His legs were propped up on the edge of the table, a porcelain cup of steaming tea balanced effortlessly in his hand.
Sheng Fei looked as though he’d stepped straight out of a royal portrait. The jet-black robes with white cuffs and collar enhanced his commanding presence, and his ebony hair, tied back with a white silk ribbon, framed his sharp features perfectly. He hadn’t bothered with a disguise this time, his golden eyes gleaming with unrestrained happiness. A small, teasing smile tugged at his thin lips as he met Hua Ren’s gaze.
“What are you doing here?” Hua Ren whisper-yelled, his tone sharp as he strode toward Sheng Fei. He thought last night was the end of everything. He thought he wouldn’t see Sheng Fei again for a long while. Why was he here now? Especially during an ongoing investigation.
Sheng Fei set down the teacup and swung his legs off the table, rising to his full height. He tilted his head slightly, his smile widening as he closed the distance between them. “I came to see you,” he said simply, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. He gently snaked his arms around Hua Ren’s lithe waist, drawing him close.
The teasing lilt in his voice made Hua Ren’s pulse spike and the arms around his waist made his body burn in a delicious way. He suddenly felt weak in the knees, especially because Sheng Fei’s scent was stronger since they were closer.
“What?” Sheng Fei continued, amusement dancing in his golden eyes as he rubbed Hua Ren’s waist gently, slowly. “Don’t I have the right to visit my little wife?”
Hua Ren scowled, his face heating. “Stop calling me that,” he hissed. "You have to leave. Now. You can’t be here. The Emperor has ordered an investigation and I’m to carry it out. I’m already in a dilemma. Please, do not add to it. Leave and lay low for a while. No rebellious activities either. At least until I say otherwise. You must not be caught."
Sheng Fei chuckled, a warm, rich sound that sent an unwelcome shiver down Hua Ren’s spine. “I already know about the investigation.” he stated, brushing a few strands of hair from Hua Ren’s face. "Do not worry about me or the others. We’re all safe. Besides, with the Emperor’s recent movements, I do not believe he wants to catch us. I think he wants to use this opportunity to trap others."
Hua Ren’s brows furrowed slightly. "Trap others? I do not understand."
Sheng Fei let out a dramatic sigh, running a hand through his hair as he fixed Hua Ren with an exasperated look. “You’re the first General of this kingdom, yet you’re so clueless sometimes,” he teased, shaking his head. Without giving Hua Ren a chance to retort, he slipped his hand into Hua Ren’s and started leading him toward the bedroom. “Come on, I’ll explain everything.”
Hua Ren immediately pulled his hand back, his brows furrowing in suspicion. “You can explain here,” he said. “Why do we have to go into my bedroom?”
Sheng Fei raised a brow, his golden eyes glinting with amusement. “Because I kept the medicine for your wound and the fresh bandages in there,” he replied matter-of-factly, taking Hua Ren’s hand again. “When I saw you weren’t home, I planned to leave them there, but then I realized you’d probably do a terrible job changing the bandages on your own. So, I decided to wait and do it for you. I’ll explain while I work.”
“There’s no need,” Hua Ren argued, clutching the collar of his robes protectively as they entered the room. “And I’ll have you know that I’m excellent at changing bandages. Besides, the wound doesn’t even hurt that much.”
Sheng Fei gave him a pointed look. “I also need to check for infection and see if the stitches are holding up.”
“They are,” Hua Ren said quickly. “I checked this morning.”
Sheng Fei chuckled, clearly not convinced. “Oh, you checked, did you? With what medical expertise? Your famous ‘General’s intuition’?” he teased as he gestured for Hua Ren to sit on the bed.
Hua Ren hesitated, crossing his arms defensively. “I don’t need you to fuss over me. Just tell me about the trap.”
Sheng Fei folded his arms, an eyebrow quirking in challenge. “I won’t until you let me change your bandages.”
The standoff stretched for a long moment, Hua Ren narrowing his eyes while Sheng Fei’s golden gaze held steady, the hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. Finally, Hua Ren let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping in reluctant defeat. He slowly lowered his hand from his collar, grumbling under his breath.
“Stubborn little wife,” Sheng Fei said, his voice tinged with affection as he moved closer, grabbing the first aid supplies from the side table.
“Stop calling me that!” Hua Ren shot back, scowling. Though he couldn’t stop the sudden erratic beating of his heart or the squirmish tingly feeling in his stomach as Sheng Fei knelt in front of him and began untying the sash of his robes.
Why? He wondered. Why was Sheng Fei’s presence affecting him this way? He fell in love with the Emperor first so why did the Emperor’s touch disgust him but Sheng Fei’s just made him want more?
Sheng Fei was deliberately slow, his touch gentle as he pushed the fabric of Hua Ren’s robes off his shoulders. The material slid down, revealing skin so pale it seemed almost translucent in the dim light. He let out a deep shuddering breath as Hua Ren’s scent, a light fragrance of peaches wafted into his nostrils. His mate smelled so good. He wondered, was Hua Ren even aware that he was releasing pheromones? Albeit very little.
His golden eyes moved to the bandaged shoulder, and the moment he saw the haphazardly wrapped layers, he let out a low chuckle.
“So, this is what you meant by being excellent at changing bandages?” Sheng Fei asked, his voice laced with amusement. “This looks like it was done by a five-year-old.”
Hua Ren’s gaze flicked to his shoulder, his cheeks instantly turning pink in embarrassment. He scowled, his lips pressing into a tight line. “I was in a hurry,” he snapped defensively. “The Emperor had summoned me.”