Chapter 30: That was the taste of Jiang Fengmian’s lips, the delectable Huo Zong…

Chapter 30: That was the taste of Jiang Fengmian's lips, the delectable Huo Zong...

Jiang Fengmian was in a terrible state, his fists still bleeding, and when someone approached, he would emit a sound akin to a beast's roar from his throat. His eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze remained fixed on the back of the neck of the person in the same car.

The balloon originally tied to his wrist was supposed to be untied, but as soon as the police approached, Jiang Fengmian couldn't stop trembling, shedding tears unconsciously. The police had no choice but to let the balloon float outside the police car.

Huo Zong's eyes were fixed on Jiang Fengmian's fists, where blood was dripping steadily. He wanted to find something to bandage it but couldn't, so he could only hold Jiang Fengmian loosely.

One hand held the balloon's string for him, fearing that if it encountered a large vehicle, the balloon might get caught and injure his arm.

Jiang Fengmian's state was very much like a post-traumatic stress reaction, as if he was so scared that he could only retreat into a thick shell, where any slight movement would hurt his sensitive and fragile nerves.

Huo Zong couldn't figure out why. Jiang Fengmian was so different from usual. He never knew Jiang Fengmian could hit someone so hard, as if he had learned some combat skills, all with clever force. But why he suddenly went crazy and attacked with deadly intent, Huo Zong truly couldn't understand.

The red-haired guy in the same car was so scared he almost wet himself, constantly trying to hide near the police. There was a faint strangulation mark on his neck. If Jiang Fengmian had used a bit more force, he might have been dead.

"You, behave."

The red-haired guy was on the verge of tears. It wasn't that he wasn't behaving, but Jiang Fengmian's gaze was too terrifying. His back was soaked with cold sweat, and the sinister gaze followed him like a shadow, forcing him to burrow into the police officer's arms.

"Officer, we really are innocent, you've misunderstood."

There was no misunderstanding, but this kind of scene was a first.

Seven or eight thugs were beaten to a pulp by two people, two of them seemingly with broken bones. If they had arrived any later, more would have been fractured.

"I recognize you guys. You've been scamming and cheating in that area, detained so many times and still not giving up. What were you trying to do this time, rob someone?"

"Just, just short on money, who knew we'd be so unlucky."

"Officer, we really didn't mean any harm, you know that. We were just trying to scare them, but they were the ones who attacked us. Look at how they beat us up, they should be arrested too."

The thugs in this area were already organized, with some specializing in scams, others shortchanging small vendors, and even those who cornered people for money. Each time it was only for a couple of hundred bucks, so they couldn't be detained for long.

After becoming regulars at the station, they became even more brazen, giving the police a headache.

As soon as the red-haired guy finished speaking, Huo Zong played the recording from that time, filled with vulgar language, especially from the guy in the cropped pants, who implied that if Huo Zong didn't give them money, they would beat him until he did.

"Officer, this is self-defense. If it were an ordinary person, afraid of retaliation from these people, wouldn't they choose to endure in silence?"

"Don't worry, we will definitely handle this fairly."

The car soon arrived at the police station. When getting out of the car, Jiang Fengmian's legs were slightly weak, and he fell directly into Huo Zong's arms.

"Jiang Fengmian, are you okay?"

The person in his arms didn't respond, only tightly clutching Huo Zong's sleeve. The slightly healed wound on the back of his hand instantly reopened, and bright red blood dripped onto his pure white shirt.

Jiang Fengmian bit his lip, the stinging pain bringing him back to a slight clarity.

He looked up at Huo Zong and said pitifully, "Brother, it hurts, my whole body hurts."

Huo Zong's arm around Jiang Fengmian's shoulder tightened suddenly. He gently wiped the hot tears from the corner of Jiang Fengmian's eye and softly rubbed his head.

"Don't cry, we'll go home after finishing the statement."

Huo Zong fumbled through his pockets, searching for a long time before finding a nearly melted candy.

"Jiang Fengmian, here, have a candy, sweeten up a bit, don't be afraid, I'm here."

"Brother, you can feed me."

Jiang Fengmian's voice was very low, close to Huo Zong's ear, in a tone that only the two of them could hear.

Huo Zong's heart seemed to be gently scratched by the cat's paw that Jiang Fengmian extended, and his whole heart softened. He gently hummed in agreement, carefully unwrapping the candy and feeding it to Jiang Fengmian.

"Is it sweet?"

Jiang Fengmian bit into the slightly sticky candy and nodded vigorously, "Yes, sweet."

Upon entering the police station, Huo Zong tentatively touched the rope tied around Jiang Fengmian's wrist. Seeing that Jiang Fengmian didn't react, he carefully untied it and secured it to a nearby chair.

There was a small mark of a rope around Jiang Fengmian's wrist under his shirt. Huo Zong gently rubbed it and whispered, "Just answer whatever the police officer asks, don't be afraid."

With just this simple contact, the police couldn't tell that Jiang Fengmian wasn't quite normal, a bit dazed and foolish. Seeing Huo Zong so nervous only confirmed their suspicions.

"Hello, don't be afraid. Are you injured? Do you need a simple bandage?"

"Thank you, officer, no need."

The police officers exchanged glances; it wasn't as bad as they had thought.

"Can you write?"

Jiang Fengmian: "Yes, I can."

"That's good. We just want to understand the situation briefly. According to the person who reported the case, he noticed someone following him, walked all the way to a dead end, and those people were armed. He then fought back with a wooden stick. Is that correct?"

"Mm-hmm, they hit my head, my stomach, it hurts."

There were still traces of blood on Jiang Fengmian's shirt. He gestured, his eyes full of fear.

"Red Hair said you were the one who hit him. After our colleagues examined the wounds, they found that you hit with great skill. Have you learned martial arts?"

Jiang Fengmian shook his head, tears welling up again, and said fearfully, "At home, they hit me, so I learned, afraid of being hit."

"Captain, we've retrieved some information about Jiang Fengmian."

It was a report, filled with records of the scars on Jiang Fengmian's body. Upon reviewing the case file, they discovered that he was the one who had previously reported being abused at home.

"Alright, we understand the situation now. Don't be afraid. Those people are suspected of robbery and intentional assault. You were just defending yourselves; it's nothing serious."

The captain, fearing Jiang Fengmian might not understand, kindly explained, "It means nothing will happen to you; the bad guys have been caught."

"Okay, okay, thank you, officer."

Jiang Fengmian was truly frightened. Even sitting in the police station, he couldn't stop trembling, his face pale, and his eyes bloodshot, looking very unwell.

After completing the statement and signing it, the captain specifically called Huo Zong aside.

"Has the other victim seen a psychologist? The situation is quite bad; it seems more than just an intellectual issue. Especially today, as you saw, based on Red Hair's statement, we suspect the victim has had psychological issues for a long time."

"We've retrieved his case file. You were the one who reported the previous abuse case. May I ask, is he your boyfriend?"

With such an intimate relationship, what else could it be if not a boyfriend? Jiang Fengmian was afraid of everyone but completely dependent on Huo Zong; there was no other possibility.

Boyfriend. Huo Zong savored the term but finally shook his head.

"Sorry, it's best to take him for a check-up."

"Alright, thank you, officers. Sorry for the trouble."

Huo Zong took down the balloon, wrapped the string twice around his palm, and with warm fingers, gently rubbed Jiang Fengmian's nape, saying softly, "Jiang Fengmian, it's okay now. Let's go home."

"Okay."

Jiang Fengmian leaned against the car window, staring at the balloon fluttering in the rearview mirror. After a few seconds, his gaze slowly shifted to the reflection in the window, where Huo Zong was intently looking at him, his eyes filled with indescribable tenderness.

He raised his hand to trace on the window, as if caressing Huo Zong's cheek, and his low spirits eased slightly.

The sky was so high, and he was so far from the stars.

***

The meal Aunt Wang had prepared had already gone cold.

Huo Zong reheated the dishes first, then took out the first aid kit and began treating Jiang Fengmian's wounds.

"Jiang Fengmian, it might hurt a little. Bear with it."

"Mm."

The red-haired guy had chains hanging on his clothes, and Jiang Fengmian hadn't noticed when he punched him, causing his knuckles to bleed.

Huo Zong frowned slightly. The back of his index finger was somewhat mangled. He gently realigned the displaced skin, and the hand he was holding suddenly tightened, probably from the pain.

"Does it hurt?"

"Huff— huff—"

"Be good, bear with it a little longer."

Huo Zong sped up, tearing apart the adhered skin and carefully cleaning the bloodstains nearby. Then he applied the medicine and wrapped it with clean gauze.

"Jiang Fengmian, are there any other injuries?"

Jiang Fengmian pointed to his chest, then down, stopping at his buttocks.

He sniffled, pitifully saying, "He hit me with his elbows and knees."

Huo Zong paused with the ointment in hand. The chest was manageable, but there... what should he do?

"Jiang Fengmian, unbutton your shirt first. Let me see the situation."

A bruise abruptly appeared below the smooth shoulder, extending to the chest. Judging by its size, it was from a hard elbow strike.

"Take some blood-activating and stasis-dispelling medicine later. I'll spray some medicine on it first. If it still hurts badly, we'll call Dr. Li over, okay?"

"Mm."

"Brother, rub it a little. It'll make me feel better."

Jiang Fengmian leaned his neck over, as if in a sacrificial posture.

Huo Zong's Adam's apple bobbed. Shaking the medicine in his hand, under Jiang Fengmian's urging gaze, he gently massaged the wound.

"Is this okay?"

"It's okay."

Jiang Fengmian blinked, tears almost falling from the pain.

He was truly annoyed by his pain-sensitive nerves, which felt like thousands of needles pricking him, causing a bone-chilling pain.

"Alright, the spray should help a lot. If you feel uncomfortable, just say so, and I'll call Dr. Li over."

"Mhm, brother, my butt hurts too."

As soon as the medicine on his chest dried, Jiang Fengmian quickly lay down, looking at Huo Zong with eager eyes.

Huo Zong's gaze reluctantly moved away from Jiang Fengmian's lower back. For some reason, his mouth felt extremely dry, and he urgently wanted to drink some water to moisten his throat.

"The food in the pot should be warm by now. I'll go check."

Before heading to the kitchen, Huo Zong stuffed the medicine into Jiang Fengmian's palm. He hurriedly stood up, his knee hitting the coffee table with a loud clatter. Without stopping, Huo Zong got up and left, holding his knee.

When Jiang Fengmian looked up, he only saw Huo Zong's reddened ear tips hidden under his hair, glaringly obvious under the dim light.

Hmph, if you leave this time, there won't be a next chance, Huo Zong. Don't regret it!

Jiang Fengmian struggled to take off his suit pants and fumbled to spray the medicine on himself.

He bit his lip, his mind still haunted by the ghostly skull and the shadow of Huo Zong's possible death. He couldn't calm down no matter what.

Time passed minute by minute. In the kitchen, Huo Zong calculated the time, hoping to come out in a good mood. He casually glanced at the sofa.

Jiang Fengmian's fair skin flashed by.

It was as white as porcelain.

Huo Zong's eyes darkened, and his hand holding the plate tightened. Ignoring the heat, he quickly averted his gaze, estimating that Jiang Fengmian had dressed before he spoke.

"Jiang Fengmian, come eat."

The tips of Huo Zong's fingers were bright red. If he held the plate any longer, it would likely blister.

"There are your favorite prawns, king crab, and braised fish."

"Brother, I'm coming."

Jiang Fengmian's injured hand happened to be his right one, now fully wrapped in bandages, making it impossible to hold chopsticks. He stared at Huo Zong with round eyes, the hint obvious.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Huo Zong resignedly moved his chair next to Jiang Fengmian.

He picked out the almost invisible fish bones, scooped up a piece of fish with rice, and fed it to Jiang Fengmian.

"Is it good?"

"Brother fed it to me, so it tastes better than usual."

He fed Jiang Fengmian until he was half full, then quickly ate a few bites himself before picking up tools to peel two full bowls of lobster and crab meat for Jiang Fengmian.

With crab roe mixed with rice, Jiang Fengmian ate heartily. He picked up the bowl with his left hand and took a sip of fish soup, then asked with concern, "Brother, you made shrimp and crab in the pot. Will you be allergic?"

"No, Aunt Wang knows. The utensils for seafood are kept separate."

It was only because Jiang Fengmian loved seafood that these items appeared at home. When Huo Zong was alone, they were never around.

After finally finishing the meal, Jiang Fengmian lingered at the bathroom door.

He had changed out of his dirty clothes, but taking a shower with one hand seemed difficult.

"Brother, come here for a moment."

Jiang Fengmian, dressed in thin pajamas, waved his tightly wrapped hand at Huo Zong.

"What should I do, brother? Will it get wet?"

Huo Zong imagined the situation and realized that taking a bath would indeed be more troublesome than he had thought. He frowned. Jiang Fengmian only had one hand available, and if he slipped, it would be a disaster, especially since he was already injured.

"Let me wrap it in plastic wrap for you."

Jiang Fengmian: "..."

Silence. He really shouldn't have expected Huo Zong to have even the slightest bit of romantic thoughts.

"Brother, the floor is slippery."

"It's fine, use the bathtub."

"I won't be able to get up after I finish. I have no strength, and my whole body hurts."

"You can do it. Use your willpower."

Jiang Fengmien slapped the shirt in his hand onto Huo Zong's face. To hell with willpower.

"Jiang Fengmian."

Huo Zong quickly caught up. He paused for a long time before saying in a low voice, "How about you take a bath tomorrow morning? The wound will be better by then."

Jiang Fengmian: Completely resigned.jpg

"How about just wiping yourself down tonight?"

"Fine."

Jiang Fengmian indeed didn't dare to be stubborn. If he really fell in the bathroom, he would be the one suffering.

Huo Zong busied himself, dragging out a foot-soaking basin that hadn't been used in ages, disinfecting it, and cleaning it thoroughly. After testing the water temperature, he watched Jiang Fengmian enter the bathroom and stood by the door, keeping an ear out for any sounds from inside.

The faint sound of water could be heard. Huo Zong stood at the door with his arms crossed, and when the wound on his shoulder was pulled, he only slightly frowned.

After a long while, the bathroom door opened.

Huo Zong looked Jiang Fengmian up and down, confirming that everything was fine before he felt relieved.

"Huo Zong, don't go."

"Can you..."

Jiang Fengmian didn't finish his sentence, but his gaze quietly fell on the large bed in the bedroom.

Their eyes met, and Huo Zong remembered what the police officer had said about Jiang Fengmian having a serious heart condition. His heart softened, and he nodded.

This time was completely different from the last. Jiang Fengmian was awake, and so was he.

"Brother, why aren't you taking off your clothes? Don't you want to sleep with me? Are you planning to sneak away in the middle of the night?"

"No, I'll do it right away."

Huo Zong turned his back to Jiang Fengmian and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. Before he could change into his pajamas, he felt a warm hand on his back.

"Jiang Fengmian." The tone was slightly panicked.

"Huo Zong, you're injured too, why didn't you say anything?"

Huo Zong pulled Jiang Fengmian over, gently rubbing his reddened eyes, and comforted him, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt, don't cry."

There were still fine wounds on his lips, and Jiang Fengmian instinctively bit his lip again, the taste of blood immediately spreading in his mouth.

"You need to spray some medicine, Huo Zong, let me do it."

Jiang Fengmian ran off quickly, and with a "Huh?" from Huo Zong, Jiang Fengmian had already disappeared from the bedroom.

He came back with the medicine, pulled Huo Zong to sit on the edge of the bed, knelt beside him, and carefully sprayed the medicine on him.

"Stupid Huo Zong."

"It's stupid Jiang Fengmian, it's nothing serious."

Jiang Fengmian's eyes were sore, he knew Huo Zong was afraid of worrying him. If he hadn't seen it, would Huo Zong have just brushed it off? He would be frantic over the slightest wound on Huo Zong, but when it came to himself, he didn't care at all.

He lifted his eyes, not daring to imagine what would have happened if the iron rod had been an inch off, would it have split Huo Zong's head open.

His throat tightened, and he coughed lightly, changing the subject, "Where are the dolls and balloons we caught today?"

"I asked Aunt Wang to clean up the second bedroom, they're all in there. The dolls need to be disinfected, in case there are any mites or bacteria, it's dangerous for you to be in contact with them for a long time. After they're washed, you can take whichever one you like."

"Okay."

After the medicine dried, Huo Zong quickly changed into his pajamas.

He held Jiang Fengmian's shoulders, sitting cross-legged and facing him.

Jiang Fengmian felt inexplicably nervous, and the next moment, Huo Zong's curled finger gently brushed his nose, with a hint of affection.

His heart started pounding, Jiang Fengmian's fingers clutching the sheets, afraid that Huo Zong was about to scold him.

Jiang Fengmian mumbled, "Huo Zong, I'm not stupid."

"Mm, you're a cute little fool."

"Jiang Fengmian, if something like this happens again, you have to run, as far as you can, don't get hurt again."

"I won't run, I'll stay with you. I can protect myself, you saw that."

Huo Zong had seen it, but he also saw Jiang Fengmian's stress reaction, his nerves still tense, not relaxed.

"It's very dangerous."

"I'll stay with you, I'm not afraid."

Tiny beads of blood appeared, and after watching for a while, Huo Zong couldn't help but press his thumb against Jiang Fengmian's lips.

Warm and moist, it was Jiang Fengmian's tongue.

Jiang Fengmian took advantage of the situation, sucking on his fingertip, biting it like a mischievous kitten, rolling over to show his belly and acting spoiled.

Huo Zong's gaze sharpened, and he had to use a bit of force to pull it out.

He hid his fingertip in the palm of his hand behind his back, as if it still carried the warmth from Jiang Fengmian's mouth.

"Jiang Fengmian, don't bite your lip, it's bleeding."

"Mm."

Jiang Fengmian's fingertip brushed over his lip, seemingly leaving a trace of bright red. He tilted his head and quickly pressed his fingertip against Huo Zong's lips.

The next moment, Huo Zong tasted a hint of metallic sweetness, the flavor of Jiang Fengmian's lips.

"You..."

Huo Zong was at a loss for words, unsure how to describe it.

Dislike? Not at all.

Like? Maybe a little.

Huo Zong thought to himself that he might be a pervert, or perhaps there was some other mental illness he hadn't discovered yet. Otherwise, why would he have such thoughts?

He wanted to taste Jiang Fengmian's lips, to see if they were as sweet as that trace of bright red blood.

"Hmph, bad Huo Zong, this is your punishment."

"Oh."

Huo Zong's expression remained calm, but Jiang Fengmian gave him a suspicious look. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he even thought he saw a hint of secret pleasure in Huo Zong's eyes.

Hiss, he must have been mistaken.

Sigh, if only Huo Zong were the type to slap him and then lean in for a kiss.

Just thinking about it made Jiang Fengmian like him even more.

Hehehe, tonight he would dream about this scenario, the delicious Huo Zong.

"Jiang Fengmian, it's late, let's rest."

"Okay."

The blanket on Huo Zong was rolled up and thrown aside by Jiang Fengmian. He shook out his own blanket and wrapped both of them in it.

Jiang Fengmian lay on his side, gradually moving into Huo Zong's arms, his ear pressed against Huo Zong's chest. He then murmured, "Brother, turn off the light."

"Okay."

Breath brushed against his ear, leaving Huo Zong completely unsettled.

He ran through the list of famous heart doctors in the capital and realized that Dr. Li was the most skilled. If even such a capable doctor couldn't detect any other illness in him, then he must truly be a pervert.

Tsk, the second night sleeping with Jiang Fengmian, and he's diagnosed as a pervert.

Huo Zong closed his eyes, unsure what to say.

Time passed slowly, and Jiang Fengmian in his arms seemed to be sleeping restlessly. He mumbled something incoherent, and Huo Zong tried to make it out but couldn't.

The next moment, Jiang Fengmian suddenly sat up. He was still in a daze, his eyes not even open, more like sleepwalking. His fingers slid to Huo Zong's heart, and he leaned down to listen carefully. Satisfied that there was a heartbeat, he nodded slightly and relaxed a little.

Huo Zong didn't make a sound, just felt Jiang Fengmian's movements, from his chest to his neck. Jiang Fengmian's cheek pressed against his, seemingly feeling the warmth before moving to the next spot.

Jiang Fengmian gave him a full-body check in his sleep, finally settling down to sleep soundly on his shoulder. The unconscious actions made Huo Zong's heart ache even more.

What exactly happened that made Jiang Fengmian feel so insecure, repeatedly just to confirm that he is still alive and safe.

Jiang Fengmian curled up, pressing against his heart, the most insecure posture, at home, in his arms, what exactly is Jiang Fengmian afraid of.

Huo Zong reached for his phone under the pillow and sent a message to Chen Chen.

[Huo Zong: Investigate a detailed profile of Jiang Fengmian.]

"Huo Zong."

Jiang Fengmian murmured his name.

Huo Zong blinked, and just two minutes ago, he withdrew the message.

Jiang Fengmian relies on him wholeheartedly, no matter how many doubts he has, he shouldn't doubt him.

[Chen Chen: Huo Zong, I didn't see the message, do you have anything?]

[Huo Zong: Not for now.]

[Chen Chen: Okay.]

Chen Chen actually saw it, he has Jiang Fengmian's profile on his side, just not complete, he can supplement some content, if Huo Zong wants it, he can give it to him.

[Huo Zong: It's late, don't stay up working, we can talk about anything tomorrow.]

[Chen Chen: Thank you for your concern, Huo Zong, I'll rest soon, let me know if there's anything, Huo Zong, were you injured today?]

Chen Chen, who was staying up late playing games, felt a bit guilty, only Huo Zong would think he was staying up late working.

He can stay up late, but not for work.

[Huo Zong: It's okay, nothing major, I'll go in late tomorrow, keep an eye on Huo Qilin.]

[Chen Chen: Okay, got it.]

Huo Zong turned off his phone, completely unable to sleep.

His arm was numb, and he didn't dare to move, afraid of disturbing Jiang Fengmian's fragile and sensitive nerves.

Huo Zong's fingertips touched his lips and rubbed them hard, feeling restless, his ears unusually hot, even his breathing quickened.

Jiang Fengmian, Jiang Fengmian, what exactly should I do with you.