But Sheng Fei acted as though he hadn’t heard a word, leaning closer to inspect the mess with mock seriousness. “You know what? I take it back. Even a five-year-old would’ve done a better job.”
Hua Ren’s blush deepened, and his glare turned sharper. He huffed, making a move to pull his robe back up over his shoulders. “If you’re not going to do it properly, then get out,” he snapped.
“Okay, okay, don’t be mad,” Sheng Fei said quickly, raising his hands in mock surrender. How could he let go of an opportunity to touch his mate? “I’ll stop teasing you. Come on, let me fix this.”
Hua Ren eyed him warily, still holding the fabric of his robe as though debating whether to trust him. He was quite thin-skinned and he hardly ever got teased so he wasn’t used to it.
Sheng Fei smiled, his voice dropping to a gentler tone. “Okay, I promise to behave. I just want to take care you.”
The sincerity in his words made Hua Ren falter, and with a reluctant sigh, he let the robe fall away again. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him. Normally, he would never agree to such a thing but, why was it that with Sheng Fei, he couldn’t resist? Was it because they were mates? Was this what having a mate felt like?
“You know,” Sheng Fei said with a small smile as he carefully unraveled the poorly wrapped bandages, “for someone who fights like a demon on the battlefield, you’re strangely squeamish about letting someone help you.”
Hua Ren huffed, his cheeks dusted with the faintest shade of pink. “I’m not squeamish. I just don’t like being touched.”
“Oh, really?” Sheng Fei’s golden eyes gleamed as they locked onto Hua Ren’s. They narrowed slightly as a pang of jealousy flared within him at the thought of others seeing Hua Ren this way. His voice turned teasing, but there was a subtle edge beneath it. “So, is this how you react when those old physicians tend to your wounds after battle? Do you blush all pink when their hands touch your skin?”
His fingers glided over the curve of Hua Ren’s neck, the light, deliberate touch sending a ripple of colour across the General’s translucent skin. “Just like now."
“W-What are you saying?” Hua Ren snapped, jerking his head to the side. "Stop talking nonsense."
Sheng Fei didn’t wish to stop his actions though. His hand followed, a small smile playing on his lips as his hand snaked upward, his thumb brushing gently against Hua Ren’s soft, pale lower lip. The touch was featherlight and it made Hua Ren’s breath hitch. A shiver ran through him, and before he realized it, he leaned closer, as if drawn to the warmth of Sheng Fei’s calloused fingertips.
In that moment, Sheng Fei’s piercing golden eyes found Hua Ren’s and the entire world seemed to fall away. The soothing gurgle of the fountain outside, the cheerful songs of the birds, even the whisper of the wind, all faded into nothingness.
His gaze lingered, drinking in every detail of his mate. The pale, flawless skin, the striking snow white hair, and those light gray eyes that seemed to hold secrets untold. He was inexplicably drawn to Hua Ren and there was nothing more he wanted than to be closer to him.
Hua Ren’s chest rose and fell unevenly, his heart pounding erratically against his ribcage. He didn’t understand this feeling, the way his skin seemed to buzz where Sheng Fei’s thumb lingered, or the way his very being seemed to tilt toward the man before him. He wondered how this could be. Was he starting to develop feelings for Sheng Fei or was it just the bond working? He was so confused. How could he jump from liking the Emperor to liking Sheng Fei?
Sheng Fei’s golden eyes softened, his pupils dropping to the lips his thumb continued to caress. He tilted his head slightly, his thoughts swirling.
To kiss or not to kiss?
He hesitated, not out of uncertainty in his desire, but out of care for Hua Ren. The last thing he wanted was to upset him, to overstep boundaries Hua Ren wasn’t ready to cross. He knew that the one in Hua Ren’s heart was the Emperor and it pained him to even think about it but he also knew that feelings needed time to develop and become strong. Some weeks ago, Hua Ren was ready to take his head. Now, Hua Ren was allowing him to touch him. It was progress and he didn’t want to ruin it.
Suddenly, his thoughts were abruptly shattered by a sharp nip on his thumb. He hissed softly, jerking his hand back from Hua Ren’s face.
Hua Ren licked his lower lip, glaring at Sheng Fei. “Were you trying to rub my lip off or what?”
Sheng Fei blinked, caught off guard for only a second before a slow smile curved his lips. “Actually, I was thinking about kissing you.”
Hua Ren’s heart skipped a beat, the words hitting him like a bolt of lightning. His face turned bright red, and he immediately scooted back on the bed, his expression flustered. “W-What are you saying? I told you to stop talking nonsense!”
Sheng Fei chuckled, thoroughly amused by the reaction. Hua Ren was always so easy to tease, and Sheng Fei couldn’t help but enjoy it. “Relax,” he said, his tone light with laughter. “I won’t kiss you. Not now anyway.”
Still wary, Hua Ren scooted even farther back on the bed, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Sheng Fei sighed, shaking his head as though dealing with a stubborn child. “Do you want to hear about the Emperor’s trap or not?”
Hua Ren pouted but begrudgingly moved back to his original position. “Start talking,” he muttered. "One wrong move and I’ll kick you out my window."
Sheng Fei chuckled softly. He was almost tempted to see what Hua Ren would actually do but he thought against it for he had already wasted time. His playful demeanor shifted into seriousness. “Like I said earlier, the Emperor doesn’t actually intend to catch us. What he wants is to eliminate the families trying to control him.”
“You mean the Pei and Lu families,” Hua Ren said. He was already aware of that problem. Rumors have been spreading about it for months.
“Precisely.” Sheng Fei nodded, peeling off the last of the messy bandages from Hua Ren’s shoulder. His eyes inspected the wound with care. “Hmmm, no signs of infection. It’s clean. It should heal nicely.”
Hua Ren gave him a smug look. “See? Told you.”
Sheng Fei rolled his eyes. “Anyway,” he continued as he reached for the medicine, “the Emperor has already planted evidence implicating both families. Since you’re leading the investigation, you’re going to find that evidence and declare the Pei and Lu families rebels. Once that’s done, the Emperor will publicly execute both families, wiping them out completely. It solves his problem and sends a clear warning to the other families with similar ambitions.”