Chapter 116: The Thrill of a Moment's Peep

“Don’t worry. Although I coughed up blood, it’s just old stagnated blood. Spitting it out is actually beneficial for both body and mind,” Qin Xuan said quickly with a smile when he saw Su Muqing’s anxiety.

“Really?” Su Muqing looked somewhat doubtful.

“Yes, you can rest assured. But I need to rest for a while now. Why don’t you go find your brother? With Li Shihao just dead, things are probably quite chaotic over there.”

“No, I want to take care of you,” Su Muqing shook her head firmly.

“Suit yourself,” Qin Xuan said without arguing. He needed to stabilize his injuries first.

The poisonous wood toxin from Meichuan was easy to deal with. Hidden in several secret compartments of the Taiqing sword scabbard were various antidotes. Qin Xuan took one of each and then closed his eyes, sitting on the bed.

If these antidotes didn’t work, he would have no choice but to go back to find his master...

As for the depletion of his internal energy, that was easier to handle—resting for a while would naturally bring recovery.

The only troublesome issue was the aftereffects caused by the burning of his meridians.

The dantian and meridians formed the foundation of a swordsman’s cultivation. Internal energy was stored in the dantian and circulated through the meridians. In just a short time, Qin Xuan had burned several meridians from within, causing significant damage. This would not only restrain his fighting ability in the near term but could also impact his cultivation in the future.

The only solution was to quickly undergo recuperation and regulate his breath, nourishing the meridians with internal energy to promote recovery. The sooner he recovered, the less lasting the damage would be.

Su Muqing quietly watched Qin Xuan sitting on the bed, a tender light involuntarily appearing in her eyes. She suddenly snapped back to reality, startled at her own feelings.

“Su Muqing, Su Muqing, don’t let your mind run wild—he’s just your student,” she chided herself.

At that moment, Qin Xuan furrowed his brow and spat up another mouthful of fresh blood.

Su Muqing hurriedly raised her hand and gently wiped it with the warm towel she had prepared. Her movements were delicate and her gaze full of concern and care—feelings she had never before experienced in her life.

She stayed by Qin Xuan’s side all day without eating or drinking.

During that time, she made two phone calls to Su Mu Bai and learned that everything regarding Li Shihao’s affairs was proceeding smoothly. To make it easier to move against Su Muqing, the surveillance cameras throughout the entire Royal Supreme Mansion had been disabled, a move that was truly self-defeating on Li Shihao’s part.

Moreover, Zhao Long had finally captured Chen Hui, the small-time gang leader from two years ago, back from Huisheng Province. Upon hearing of Li Shihao’s death, Chen Hui immediately confessed everything in hopes of leniency. Even the Li family’s allies no longer dared to press the matter.

Hiring assassins to harm a woman was a grave crime.

With Li Shihao’s death, the power structure in Jinling began to shift. Zhao Long’s long-prepared plan was finally set into motion.

...

By evening, Qin Xuan finally opened his eyes.

“How are you, Qin Xuan?” Su Muqing quickly leaned in.

“It’s a serious problem,” Qin Xuan sighed.

“Ah!” Su Muqing was startled.

“Although my body is mostly fine, I cannot recklessly use internal energy for some time. If you encounter danger again, I might not be able to save you. Is that a big problem?” Qin Xuan smiled wryly.

“You scared me!” Su Muqing didn’t expect him to joke at such a moment and gave him a playful glare, full of charm.

Qin Xuan felt a bit mischievous and couldn’t help but glance a few times at her chest. Then he quickly came back to his senses and looked outside at the fading daylight. “It’s getting late; I should head back. What about you?”

“I’ll see you off,” Su Muqing said with concern.

“No need, I’m really fine, don’t worry, Teacher Su,” Qin Xuan declined.

“Don’t lie to me. Do you think I’m stupid?” Su Muqing gave him another glare. “You coughed up dozens of taels of blood this whole afternoon. If you hadn’t told me not to... I would have already taken you to the hospital.”

“Uh, dozens of taels? That’s a bit exaggerated,” Qin Xuan looked a little embarrassed.

“Isn’t it? Teacher insists on sending you back today; otherwise, she wouldn’t be at ease,” Su Muqing said as she came to support him.

“Don’t come closer,” Qin Xuan called out quickly. Seeing Su Muqing’s alluring figure, he feared he might lose control.

“What are you afraid of? Are you worried I’ll eat you up?” Su Muqing pretended to be angry, grabbing his arm and helping him out of the room. Though her gestures seemed rough, they were actually gentle.

Qin Xuan was forced to relent, tears welling in his eyes.

At this moment, Jinling was turbulent, but none of it concerned Qin Xuan. Li Shihao was dead; the Li family’s affairs could be left to the Zhao and Su families to manage.

As they left the small inn, the middle-aged woman surfing the internet at the door cast them a disdainful glance.

“Actually...” Su Muqing began but stopped.

“Actually, what?” Qin Xuan asked, curious.

“Nothing,” Su Muqing blushed and shook her head.

She wondered anxiously whether she had done anything embarrassing while under the influence of the drugs—like clinging to Qin Xuan, demanding this or that, or rolling around on the bed in some reckless manner.

She wanted to ask but felt too ashamed and never brought it up.

“I wonder if he saw anything he shouldn’t have...” Su Muqing’s heart raced with nervous shame.

As dusk fell, the thunderstorm cleared to an overcast sky. Qin Xuan hailed a taxi by the roadside, and they both sat in the back seat.

“Huan Mountain Villa District 3,” Qin Xuan told the driver.

“No problem,” the young driver replied, starting the car. Perhaps because of Su Muqing’s overwhelming charm, the driver kept stealing glances at her through the rearview mirror.

“Bro, keep your eyes on the road. Don’t crash into a telephone pole. Peeping might feel good at the moment, but an accident would ruin your life,” Qin Xuan joked.

“Peeping your sister...” The young man blushed.

Su Muqing covered her mouth and smiled, her charm dazzling and intoxicating like a queen of temptation, leaving the young man momentarily dazed. The car veered sharply toward the roadside.

Swish!

In a critical moment, the driver snapped out of it and slammed on the brakes, clutch, and steering wheel simultaneously, barely managing to swerve past a tree. A fraction of a second more and the taxi would have crashed into it.

Su Muqing was terrified but grateful that Qin Xuan held her hand tightly, preventing her from screaming out. She felt safe with him there; even if the car had hit the tree, she believed she would have been unharmed.

The driver no longer dared to sneak any more glances. He finally understood the true meaning behind “peeping feels good for a moment.”

Feeling Qin Xuan’s hand holding hers, Su Muqing did not pull away but blushed slightly, her mind filled with wild thoughts: What did it mean that he held her hand so firmly? Did he have feelings for her? Or was it...

No, absolutely not.

Su Muqing’s heart was resolute.