Chapter 33: How About I Offer Myself in Return?

“I got in someone’s way, so they want me dead,” Jun Nanye said calmly. Feeling the pressure of the bandage around his torso, he added, “You wouldn’t leave me here to die, would you?”

His eyes were still closed, his voice low and composed, but his words carried a quiet weight. In this moment, he appeared completely unthreatening—just a stunningly handsome man wounded and resting. His beauty was the kind that made gods jealous, the kind that rendered Cheng Yuan momentarily dazed, her gaze lingering on every detail of his face.

She nodded instinctively, only to realize he couldn’t see her. Clearing her throat, she said, “The wound’s deep. It missed any vital organs, but a bandage alone isn’t going to cut it. You need to go to a hospital.”

She patted her chest as if to anchor herself. Blue-eyed heartbreaker. Stay calm. Deep breaths.

“I can’t go out right now,” Jun Nanye replied, tilting his head slightly toward her. “Hundred Spirits Bird, we’re in this together, whether you like it or not.”

“Says who?” Cheng Yuan snapped automatically.

“Don’t you want to learn more about the jade pendant’s secrets? If I die, you’ll never uncover them.” His voice was deep, magnetic—each word dripping with an almost enchanting gravity.

Cheng Yuan: “……”

How am I supposed to resist that? I really do want to know what’s behind all this.

“Hundred Spirits Bird?” she echoed. “Is that some nickname you made up for me?”

Jun Nanye shifted slightly, making himself more comfortable. “Since you won’t tell me your name, I had to give you one.”

“So… you’re complimenting my voice?” Cheng Yuan asked, a smile tugging at her lips. Being praised by someone this devastatingly good-looking is… oddly satisfying.

“Exactly.” His tone was solemn, sincere. Then he asked, “May I ask your real name, Hundred Spirits Bird?”

Her heart gave a sudden jolt. “Cheng,” she blurted out. “My surname is Cheng. First name Yuan.”

She instantly clapped a hand over her mouth, mentally berating herself. Why did I say that?! Stupid, stupid! Think before you speak!

“Which Cheng?” Jun Nanye pressed gently.

Her eyes darted nervously. “Chen. You know, the one with ‘ear’ and ‘east.’”

It was a common enough surname that even if he remembered it, he wouldn’t be able to track her down.

Jun Nanye’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Is that the Cheng with ‘grain’ and ‘present,’ or the Cheng meaning ‘success’?”

He couldn’t see her face, but her hesitation was telling.

Cheng Yuan: “…” Must he be this clever?

“Chen. ‘Ear’ and ‘east,’” she repeated, lowering her head to avoid his non-existent gaze and stubbornly sticking to the lie.

Suddenly, he leaned in.

Despite the metallic scent of blood clinging to him, there was still a clean, crisp scent that lingered in the air. His face—perfect and unreasonably close—made her heart stutter and her mind short-circuit. Her pulse raced like it was throwing a rave in her chest.

“Chen, bring the medicine to me in ten minutes.”

His voice still echoed in her ears long after he’d gone silent. That clean scent seemed to follow her, lingering stubbornly in the room. Staring into the pitch-black space, she sat up abruptly and muttered, “Tao An, Tao An, aren’t you worried I might not even have medicine at home? Or that I can’t get any?”

“If I hadn’t gone in… would you still be alive?”

“You trust me this much… without even knowing what I look like?”

Sitting on the edge of her bed, a strange warmth bloomed quietly inside her. She got up and rummaged through her drawers. After her own injury, the hospital had given her iodine and bandages—she found them, shoved them into her pocket, and wondered if she could bring them into the dark room.

“Brother Nan…” Tao An leaned weakly against a large tree, tears streaming down his face. The thought of Jun Nanye getting hurt to protect him—and now being missing—gnawed at him.

“Did those two leave?”

A familiar voice drifted down from above. Tao An looked up in disbelief—and there was Jun Nanye, sitting high in a tree, moonlight casting shadows across his sculpted features.

“Brother Nan?! Where did you even come from?” Tao An’s voice trembled with relief. He scanned the area, then nimbly climbed the tree and slipped into the abandoned courtyard with Jun Nanye.

Lowering his voice, Tao An stared at him in awe. “Brother Nan… you’re not… you don’t know magic, do you?”

He’d just watched two men search this place thoroughly. They’d even looked in the trees. He himself had scoured the area, and yet—Brother Nan had appeared out of nowhere.

“What if I said I did?” Jun Nanye gave him a meaningful glance.

“Don’t joke, Brother Nan.” Tao An shook his head, still stunned. “Our backup will be here in ten minutes tops. Just wait here, and I’ll bring them to you.”

“No need. Just pick me up tomorrow morning—right here,” Jun Nanye replied firmly.

“What? That’s impossible, Brother Nan. You’re wounded—you need medical attention.”

“No one is to enter this courtyard before tomorrow morning,” Jun Nanye said, voice brooking no argument, gaze unwavering.

Outside, the sounds of men doubled back in their direction. Tao An hurried away to lead them astray.

Jun Nanye stepped deeper into the pitch-black, derelict courtyard. Despite its long abandonment, he walked in without hesitation. A familiar drowsiness swept over him, as if summoned by her voice echoing faintly in his ears.

“Thank goodness you didn’t get hurt again,” Cheng Yuan said softly, relieved to find no new wounds. She quickly set to work cleaning the injury, her hands efficient and careful. “This might sting a little—try to bear it.”

Earlier, when she had bandaged him in a rush, she’d noticed just how deep the wound was.

“Go ahead,” Jun Nanye replied. Though he couldn’t see her, he could feel her delicate touch—attentive and gentle.

He didn’t flinch or blink through the entire procedure. He sat still, silent, enduring everything without complaint.

He’s got serious pain tolerance, I’ll give him that, Cheng Yuan thought to herself. Once she finished wrapping the bandage, she stood up and said lightly, “There. All done. Shouldn’t you thank me for saving your life?”

“And how would Miss Cheng like me to repay her?” Jun Nanye asked, his voice smooth and serious as he turned toward her.

Miss Cheng. It was the first time she’d heard him call her that, and with his voice—so melodic and low—the address felt oddly… intimate.

Cheng Yuan stared at that impossibly beautiful face and suddenly remembered the corny lines she’d seen floating around the internet. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out:

“How about… you repay me with your body?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to slap herself. Why—why did I say that?! I sound like a complete simp!

Jun Nanye raised an eyebrow, his voice instantly turning cold. “I have no intention of marrying,” he said icily. And certainly not to a woman I’ve never even seen.