The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 36

Her heart leaped violently, and she froze for a second before reacting.

 

The curtains are drawn tight. She doesn’t have rabies, so why is she afraid of the light?

 

Even in human form, Jian Li remained a Spiritual Beast, her vision undiminished in the darkness.

 

Yan Qingshuang lay curled up on the bed. Jian Li set down the bowl and walked to the curtains, reaching to pull them open. Yan Qingshuang’s voice stopped her. “Don’t.”

 

Now she wants to talk? Jian Li knelt beside the bed. “Feeling any better?”

 

“Mm-hmm,” Yan Qingshuang mumbled.

 

It didn’t sound like it. Jian Li knew that feverish people often became delirious, muttering incomprehensible nonsense accompanied by labored breathing.

 

Yan Qingshuang wasn’t rambling, but her throat must be burning. Her breathing was heavy and strained.

 

Jian Li patted Yan Qingshuang sympathetically. “Sit up and take your medicine. If this fever keeps raging, it might fry your brain.”

 

“I won’t take it,” Yan Qingshuang insisted.

 

Jian Li chuckled, leaned closer, and whispered in her ear, “Do you think you’re a Little Leopard? You have to take your medicine. If not, it’s a shot in the butt.”

 

Yan Qingshuang’s breathing quickened, her chest heaving. She bit the back of her hand and snapped, “Get away from me!”

 

This feels strangely familiar, Jian Li thought, letting out an “oh” as she remembered. The first time Yan Qingshuang had been bedridden, she had said the exact same thing.

 

Out of concern for her illness, Jian Li gently urged, “You’re not dirty.”

 

She had tried to pull back the covers from Yan Qingshuang before, but Yan Qingshuang had gripped the blanket so tightly that Jian Li couldn’t budge it, no matter how hard she tugged.

 

Perplexed, Jian Li said, “Yan Qingshuang, be good. Get up and take your medicine.”

 

“Don’t touch me!” Yan Qingshuang snapped.

 

Jian Li froze, stung by the second harsh rebuke. Confused about what she had done wrong, her eyes began to sting.

 

Stubborn as ever, she decided that if Yan Qingshuang refused to let her look, she would look anyway.

 

Finding it difficult to exert force from the floor, Jian Li climbed onto the bed, straddling Yan Qingshuang like a rider on horseback.

 

Looking down, she saw only the back of Yan Qingshuang’s head.

 

Pressing down on her, Jian Li scolded, “You won’t even look at me now? You were so eager to peek at me earlier. What’s wrong now? Hiding like a turtle? Yan Qingshuang!”

 

She grabbed the corners of the blanket and tugged with all her might, shouting, “Yan Qingshuang! Why are you fighting me over this? You have a fever and you’re wrapped up so tightly!”

 

“Are you trying to burn yourself to death… eh?”

 

Jian Li stared at the pulled-up blanket, momentarily stunned. She lowered her gaze to Yan Qingshuang, and what she saw made her legs go weak with terror.

 

Yan Qingshuang’s pupils, including the whites of her eyes, were entirely black. Jian Li had seen these same ink-black eyes the last time Yan Qingshuang fell ill.

 

Jian Li’s lips parted slightly, her earlier bravado vanishing like smoke. She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing, and averted her gaze.

 

When she spoke again, her voice was meek: “Um, Yan Qingshuang, I… I brought your medicine. You should take it…”

 

Before she could finish, Jian Li frantically tried to get off the bed. But straddling Yan Qingshuang as she was, she had to lift her leg to stand. Instead, she awkwardly shuffled backward, using her upper body to push against the bed frame.

 

Before she could make her first move, Yan Qingshuang’s grip tightened on her wrist, the scalding heat searing through her skin. Jian Li felt like crying but no tears would come, her eyes fixed on the water-stained desk.

 

“Sister, please let me go,” Jian Li pleaded. “I just want to give you your medicine.”

 

With a casual tug, Yan Qingshuang pulled Jian Li down onto her. She lifted Jian Li’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet.

 

Yan Qingshuang stared at Jian Li without expression, her black eyes like those of a predator savoring its trembling prey, unwavering and intense.

 

Jian Li’s legs were frozen, but even her eyeballs seemed paralyzed, trapped in Yan Qingshuang’s gaze. Yet her mind raced. “Sister, Your Highness, I was wrong,” she whimpered. “I shouldn’t have called you a coward.”

 

“What did you call me?” Yan Qingshuang demanded.

 

“Yan Qingshuang, Sister, I’m definitely not a coward,” Jian Li said. “Didn’t you want me to stay away from you? I’ll just slip away quietly.”

 

Yan Qingshuang pressed her hand against Jian Li’s chest, her right fingertip tracing a slow, deliberate line down Jian Li’s forehead. Jian Li trembled, even though Yan Qingshuang’s eyes were now entirely black, she could sense a deeper, more dangerous meaning behind them.

 

“Yan…” Jian Li began.

 

Yan Qingshuang placed a slender index finger against Jian Li’s lips, shaking her head slowly. “Shh… don’t call me that.”

 

“Then… what should I call you?” Jian Li asked, dazed. “Coward… is that okay?”

 

Yan Qingshuang’s lips curved into a cryptic smile. “Xiao Li, are you really that afraid of me?”

 

Jian Li shrank back. “Y-yes… your eyes… they’re so oppressive.”

 

“And you’re gripping me too tightly. It hurts.”

 

Yan Qingshuang lowered her gaze, looking away. “I’m sorry… I can’t control it…”

 

At least she still has some reason left, Jian Li thought, her body relaxing slightly. With Yan Qingshuang’s eyes averted, she no longer felt that suffocating pressure.

 

“I’ll go get your medicine now,” Jian Li ventured tentatively.

 

Long hair obscured most of Yan Qingshuang’s face, leaving only her flushed earlobes visible. Her breathing was ragged. “I’m having an episode…”

 

Jian Li raised her voice in disbelief. “But it’s supposed to be once a month! Why is it happening suddenly today? What’s going on?”

 

“Xiao Li’s Pill,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

 

Jian Li gasped, her brow furrowing. “But my medicine is supposed to be good for your body! How could it have triggered your episode early?”

 

Seeing Yan Qingshuang’s silent acknowledgment, Jian Li felt a pang of guilt. Forgetting Yan Qingshuang’s terrifying eyes in her current state, she leaned closer to her neck and asked, “I’m so sorry. You must be in so much pain.”

 

Yan Qingshuang’s pale skin flushed slightly as Jian Li’s warm, fragrant breath brushed her neck. “It’s bearable,” she replied faintly.

 

“Bearable? What’s bearable about it?” Jian Li took Yan Qingshuang’s hand, feeling the prominent veins on the back of her hand through the touch of her fingertips. She stroked it gently. “You’re so stubborn, especially your mouth.”

 

Yan Qingshuang tried to pull her hand away, but Jian Li’s fingers tightened around hers.

 

“Oh, you didn’t deny it,” Jian Li said. “So you admit it hurts terribly.”

 

“Mm, it hurts,” Yan Qingshuang conceded.

 

Jian Li pressed even closer, noticing Yan Qingshuang’s breathing was strained. She felt even more guilty—it was her medicine that had caused this.

 

“Little Shuang, what can I do to make you feel better?”

 

The thought of the 300 Spirit Stones she’d wasted stung Jian Li deeply, her heart aching.

 

Yan Qingshuang let out a soft moan. Jian Li pushed her gently, puzzled. “What should I do?”

 

Remembering how Yan Qingshuang had torn her clothes to shreds during her last episode, Jian Li reached out to help her keep her robes secure. But this simple gesture only made Yan Qingshuang’s voice sound even more strained.

 

As if suppressing something, Jian Li felt a pang of sympathy and comforted her, “If you want to cry out, just do it. Sometimes, letting out the pain is the only way to ease it.”

 

Yan Qingshuang bit her lip and whispered, “Xiao Li, can you help me?”

 

Jian Li puffed out her chest, her voice rising with enthusiasm. “Of course! Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do everything I can.”

 

But Yan Qingshuang’s next words caused Jian Li’s brain to freeze.

 

“Help me massage it,” Yan Qingshuang said.

 

Jian Li quietly scratched her head, unsure where exactly she was supposed to massage. After a moment of confusion, she heard Yan Qingshuang’s strange, low panting and asked hesitantly, “Massage where?”

 

“Anywhere is fine,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

 

Realizing what Yan Qingshuang meant, Jian Li placed her hands on either side of her and whispered, “Tell me a specific area. I can’t just massage you from head to toe.”

 

Yan Qingshuang paused, then said awkwardly, “Then start with my face.”

 

Since the eyes were right above the face, Jian Li said hesitantly, “That’s… not impossible, but could you cover your eyes first?”

 

“Mm-hmm,” Yan Qingshuang agreed.

 

A ribbon was easy to find; Yan Qingshuang wore one every day. She retrieved a soft, thin one, closed her eyes, and handed it to Yan Qingshuang. “Tie it yourself.”

 

After a few delicate movements, Jian Li asked from behind her, “All done?”

 

“Mm-hmm,” Yan Qingshuang replied. “Sorry for scaring you.”

 

Jian Li waved it off. “Why are you always apologizing? It’s become your catchphrase. If I hear it one more time, my ears will grow calluses. No more, okay?”

 

Yan Qingshuang bit her lip. “Mm.”

 

Jian Li turned around and realized that as long as Yan Qingshuang covered her eyes, there was nothing to fear. The silky ribbon brushed against Yan Qingshuang’s snow-white, jade-like skin.

 

She couldn’t resist touching Yan Qingshuang’s face, sighing, “You’re so beautiful.”

 

Yan Qingshuang clenched her fists, forcing herself to endure. “Mm, you’re beautiful too, Xiao Li.”

 

Jian Li returned to the bed, adopting the same bed-don position. “I haven’t even looked in the mirror yet. And with the lights off, the room’s so dark. Anyone would think we’re up to no good.”

 

Yan Qingshuang suppressed the urge to move closer. “Xiao Li, can you call me…?”

 

Jian Li hummed in acknowledgment. Yan Qingshuang still cares about how I address her, she thought. Clever as I am, I can see right through her little schemes.

 

“You want me to call you Little Shuang?”

 

Yan Qingshuang remained silent, but Jian Li understood perfectly. She gently massaged Yan Qingshuang’s face. “Alright, Little Shuang. Rub-a-dub-dub, make the pain go away.”

 

She knew such childish words wouldn’t actually ease the pain, but Yan Qingshuang had asked her to do this, so she complied.

 

It was clear to the naked eye that Yan Qingshuang’s condition wasn’t improving; in fact, it seemed to be worsening. Yan Qingshuang’s fingers were clenched tightly around Jian Li’s clothes.

 

Jian Li leaned close to Yan Qingshuang’s lips, their faces separated by less than a finger’s width. She asked patiently, “Does your face feel any better?”

 

“Enough,” Yan Qingshuang replied. “Can you move down a bit?”

 

Jian Li’s fingertips slid down to Yan Qingshuang’s pale, flushed neck. It was still very hot, but Master Jian was dutiful, gently massaging her neck. “Is this pressure okay?”

 

“Mm-hmm,” Yan Qingshuang murmured.

 

As Jian Li continued massaging, using what she thought was a comfortable pressure, she noticed the blanket covering Yan Qingshuang’s legs shifting. She assumed Yan Qingshuang was uncomfortable.

 

“Should I keep massaging your neck?”

 

“No need,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

 

“Oh,” Jian Li said.

 

Hearing Yan Qingshuang’s voice still sounded weak and listless, Jian Li refused to give up. Yan Qingshuang loved being nuzzled as a spirit beast, so becoming human shouldn’t make much difference.

 

Her own hair was soft too, though not as fluffy as fur. Still, the difference couldn’t be that great, right?

 

Carefully, Jian Li leaned down, pressing her head against Yan Qingshuang’s neck, with only the blanket separating them.

 

She nuzzled Yan Qingshuang’s neck, immediately feeling the other woman stiffen. Jian Li felt a pang of disappointment.

 

Guilt and disappointment washed over her. “Little Shuang, are you uncomfortable? Should I change back into my Little Spiritual Beast form? But… I don’t know how.”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “No, it’s fine.”

 

Jian Li: “Don’t try to comfort me. The Little Leopard is clearly softer. When I transform into a human, my bones get so much bigger. Lying like this, I feel like I’m crushing you.”

 

Yan Qingshuang raised her hand, hovering near Jian Li’s head several times before finally letting it fall back to her side.

 

Her lips were bitten raw, though Jian Li didn’t seem to notice. Yan Qingshuang murmured, “You’re not heavy.”

 

Jian Li mumbled into her neck, “Oh. Don’t lie to me. Where else should I massage?”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “A bit lower.”

 

Jian Li: “Lower? Where?”

 

“…A bit below my neck.”

 

“Isn’t that just bones? The collarbones? That must hurt!”

 

Yan Qingshuang pressed her lips together. After a moment, she said, “A bit… lower.”

 

Jian Li mentally sketched the human anatomy. Uh, below the collarbones is…

 

Realizing the area Yan Qingshuang was indicating, Jian Li’s face flushed crimson, a fire igniting in her lower abdomen.

 

Her eyes widened. “We’re… friends, family. This feels… inappropriate.”

 

Yan Qingshuang: “Can’t friends and family give massages?”

 

Jian Li swallowed hard, trying to calm her racing heart. Yan Qingshuang’s warmth seemed to have infected her. “It feels… wrong. Messy.”

 

Yan Qingshuang turned her head. “It hurts,” she said.

 

Their eyes met. When Yan Qingshuang said “it hurts,” her voice trailed off softly, like a delicate silk thread tugging at Jian Li’s heartstrings.

 

Though the ribbon obscured Yan Qingshuang’s eyes, Jian Li could sense her struggling to endure the pain. Ah, even the most hardened heart couldn’t refuse her.

 

Jian Li’s hand slipped beneath the covers, gradually moving upward. The softness beneath her fingertips sent shivers down her spine.

 

“Does it hurt here?” she asked uncertainly.

 

Even with her eyes covered, Yan Qingshuang kept them tightly shut. “Mmm… You can… move it a little…”

 

“Oh, okay…”

 

Following Yan Qingshuang’s instructions, Jian Li diligently massaged the area. But as she continued, she noticed Yan Qingshuang’s body twisting and shifting, as if trying to adjust her position.

 

Sweat glistened on Yan Qingshuang’s forehead, and stray strands of hair clung to her damp skin. Concerned about her discomfort, Jian Li used her free hand to brush the damp strands aside.

 

The air around Jian Li was thick with Yan Qingshuang’s intoxicating scent, the fragrance almost overwhelming her senses.

 

Her movements continued. “Is this pressure… making it worse?”

 

“Mmm…” Yan Qingshuang struggled to form a coherent sentence. “No… you can press harder.”

 

Wouldn’t that hurt more? Jian Li’s face and neck flushed crimson, yet her heart felt strangely full, unexpectedly satisfied.

 

Jian Li desperately wanted water; her mouth felt drier than ever before. She licked her lips.

 

She asked me to press harder, with more force. I need to try harder to ease her pain.

 

Yan Qingshuang had no experience, no sense of restraint, and no technique. At first, Jian Li worried that her recklessness might provoke another elbow strike, like last time, sending her crashing to the ground.

 

But perhaps because she had transformed into her human form, becoming more agile, Yan Qingshuang didn’t push her away. Instead, she encouraged her.

 

Jian Li knew that Yan Qingshuang’s pain ran deep, beyond what a simple massage could alleviate. But if this could offer her psychological comfort, then she should redouble her efforts.

 

Their breaths mingled, filling the room with an intimate warmth that banished its usual chill. The relentless motion had long since blurred the boundaries of time.

 

Jian Li’s mind swam in a daze, repeating primal movements. Through the silken ribbon, she glimpsed the crimson tips of Yan Qingshuang’s eyes, staining a small section of the fabric.

 

Words like “family” and “friends” had long since vanished from her thoughts. Seeing the beauty’s tears, Jian Li couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Does it still hurt a lot?”

 

Yan Qingshuang was too overwhelmed to answer, only letting out whimpers like a wounded animal.

 

The sound stirred an indescribable ache in Jian Li’s lower abdomen, yet she felt helpless to ease the torment.

 

She fell silent. Yan Qingshuang was suffering terribly, so she would keep quiet and focus on her task.