Relaxing Muscles

Volume 12, Chapter 736: Relaxing Muscles

Her fingertips applied just the right amount of pressure, but as she pressed, her fingers quietly slid down to his collarbone and gently pinched it.

Su Rui: "... Maria, isn't your massage technique a bit off?"

Maria blinked innocently. "This is a special technique for relaxing muscles!"

Nightingale coughed softly and reached out to pull Su Rui's collar up closer. "Be careful not to catch a cold."

Shining grabbed Maria's wrist and pulled her away from behind Su Rui: "Sit still."

Maria pouted, but eventually obediently sat down to the side, though she secretly stretched her foot out and gently rubbed it against Su Rui's calf.

The charcoal fire gradually died down, and the light inside the wooden house dimmed.

Su Rui seemed completely oblivious to the subtle atmosphere between the three of them, instead becoming even more relaxed due to the sound of rain and the warmth. He closed his eyes slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, exuding a languid charm.

Nightingale gently set down her teacup, her fingertips lightly brushing against the back of Su Rui's hand. "Sleepy?"

Su Rui shook her head, but her eyes remained closed. "No, I just feel very comfortable."

Shining's gaze fell on his slightly open collar, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly. She suddenly stood up, walked to Su Rui, and leaned close. "There's charcoal ash."

Her fingertips lightly brushed against his collarbone, a very gentle movement that made Su Rui tremble slightly.

Maria immediately jumped up. "I want to check too!"

She rushed to Su Rui, cupped his face in her hands, and looked closely. "Hmm... it is a bit dirty!"

Her breath was almost touching, and her blue eyes held a sly smile.

Nightingale sighed softly and reached out to pull Maria away, "Miss Nearl, stop fooling around."

Shining grabbed Su Rui's wrist and pulled him up from the chair. "It's time to go back."

Su Rui then opened her eyes and looked at the rain outside. "The rain hasn't stopped yet."

The rain pattered softly, and the charcoal fire inside the wooden house gradually died down, but the warmth remained.

Su Rui leaned back in the wooden chair, her eyelids slightly heavy. The Nightingale's voice drifted from afar, soft as a wisp of smoke. "It's time to go back."

He shook his head slightly, a lazy smile playing on his lips, "Let's stay a little longer... It's very comfortable here."

Shining stood by the window, her grey-purple eyes sweeping across the rain outside before settling back on Su Rui. His black hair was slightly disheveled, his collar open, and his collarbone cast a faint shadow in the firelight. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the hilt of her sword, but her voice was a few decibels lower than usual. "The rain has lessened, but the roads will be slippery."

Maria, who was kneeling on the carpet at Su Rui's feet, immediately looked up upon hearing this. "Then don't leave! It's so nice here!" She reached out and tugged at Su Rui's sleeve, "Right?"

Su Rui half-closed her eyes and softly hummed in agreement.

Nightingale's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then she suddenly reached out and touched his forehead. "You're a little hot."

"I'm just sleepy..." Su Rui's voice grew softer and softer, her head tilted slightly to one side, and she actually fell asleep in the chair.

The cabin fell silent for a moment.

Maria's eyes lit up, and just as she was about to get up, Nightingale gently supported Su Rui's shoulder, letting him lean against her. Her movements were extremely natural, as if it were the only way to do so.

Shining walked in silently, took a thin blanket from his bag, and covered Su Rui's legs.

"..." Maria puffed out her cheeks and reached for the other corner of the blanket. "I'll cover him up!"

Nightingale glanced up at her, her golden eyes gleaming faintly in the shadows. "Miss Nearl, please be quiet."

Shining grabbed Maria's wrist immediately. "Don't wake him."

Maria's eyes widened, and she lowered her voice. "You're all so cunning! I was the one who found him asleep first!"

Nightingale gently brushed the stray hairs from Su Rui's forehead, her fingertips lingering on his temples for a moment to confirm he was truly asleep, before whispering, "He needs rest."

The charcoal fire crackled occasionally, casting fine shadows on Su Rui's cheeks from his eyelashes. His breathing was even, his lips slightly parted, and he appeared completely unguarded.

Maria rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with bright blue eyes. "He looks so cute when he's asleep..."

She reached out to touch his face, Shining shot her a glare, so she poked his shoulder instead. "Hey, Su Rui, wake up--"

The Nightingale gently slapped her hand away. "Stop fooling around."

Shining was already kneeling on one knee on Su Rui's other side, her fingers resting on his pulse at the side of his neck. After confirming there was nothing wrong, she whispered, "Let him sleep."

Maria pouted, then suddenly her eyes lit up. "Then I want to sleep next to him!"

Before the two could react, she had already squeezed next to Su Rui, curling up against him like a satisfied cat.

Nightingale:"..."

Shining's fingers gripped the hilt of his sword.

Ultimately, the three reached a delicate balance.

Nightingale let Su Rui lean on her shoulder, gently combing his black hair with her fingers; Shining sat on his other side, her arm loosely around his waist to prevent Maria from getting any closer; while Maria lay on the carpet beside Su Rui's legs, occasionally playing with the hem of his clothes with her fingers.

"He doesn't usually fall asleep this easily," Nightingale suddenly whispered.

Shining nodded. "Relax."

Maria gave a smug snort, "Of course, it's because I'm so happy!"

Nightingale and Shining glanced at her simultaneously, but didn't reply.

The rain outside grew heavier, but the temperature inside the cabin remained warm thanks to the three people's body heat. In her sleep, Su Rui unconsciously nuzzled against Nightingale's neck, her lips brushing against her collarbone.

The Nightingale's breath hitched slightly.

Shining narrowed his eyes.

Maria sat bolt upright. "He kissed you?!"

Nightingale gently pressed the back of Su Rui's head to make him more comfortable, a slight smile playing on her lips, "He's just asleep."

As night deepened, only a few scattered red lights remained on the charcoal fire.

Maria had fallen asleep on Su Rui's lap, her golden hair spread out. Nightingale gently pulled Su Rui closer to her, letting him lean completely against her.

Shining silently got up, checked the doors and windows, and added some more firewood.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" the Nightingale asked softly.

Shining shook his head, his grey-purple eyes gleaming faintly in the shadows. "Night Watch."

She walked back to Su Rui's side, knelt on one knee, and gently traced his sleeping eyebrows and eyes with her fingertips, her movements as light as touching a fragile dream.

The Nightingale watched her movements and suddenly said, "You care about him a lot."

Shining's fingers paused. "... It's my duty."

The Nightingale chuckled softly and said nothing more.

As dawn broke, Su Rui stirred slightly, her eyelashes trembling.

He found himself lying on a makeshift bed in the cabin, covered with three blankets—one embroidered with the gold thread pattern that the Nightingale was known for, one carrying the cool scent unique to the Shining, and the other... covered with cartoon horse head patterns.

Maria was curled up at his feet, fast asleep; Nightingale leaned against the headboard, resting with her eyes closed; and Shining sat by the door with his sword in his arms, looking up at him immediately at the sound of movement.

"Good morning," Su Rui said in a hoarse voice.

The Nightingale opened its eyes and smiled, "Did you sleep well?"

Shining got up, poured him a glass of water, and handed it to him.

Maria, still half asleep, got up and pounced on him. "Su Rui! You're stepping on my hair—"

Su Rui caught her in a flurry, spilling half the water.

Volume 12, Chapter 737: The Rabbit Caught by the Hunter

The Nightingale's voice came from beside her, soft and gentle like that of early morning. "Awake?" She was kneeling in front of the makeshift stove, stirring the porridge in the pot with a small silver spoon in her hand, her long golden hair falling over her shoulders, its outline softened by the morning light.

Shining leaned against the doorframe, peeling an apple in her hand, her grey-purple eyes sweeping over. "The rain has stopped."

Su Rui propped himself up on his arms, while Maria clung to him like a koala. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked out the window—the forest was shrouded in mist after the rain, and sunlight pierced through the moisture, making the entire meadow sparkle.

"I really don't want to leave..." he muttered to himself.

Su Rui pulled things out of her storage space: a jar of honey, several packets of vacuum-sealed bacon, and a bag of flour. Maria's eyes lit up. "Can you make muffins?"

"I know a little." As soon as Su Rui finished speaking, Nightingale naturally took the flour sack. "I'll knead the dough."

Shining cut the peeled apple into small pieces and pushed them in front of Su Rui: "Have something to eat first."

Maria puffed out her cheeks. "I want to be fed too!" She forked a piece of apple and stuffed it into Su Rui's mouth, but she was too hasty and the fork poked his gum.

"Hiss--"

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" Maria hurriedly cupped his face in her hands, "Let me check if he's bleeding—"

Nightingale gently pulled her hand away. "Miss Nearl, please be careful."

Shining handed him a glass of warm water. "Rinse your mouth."

With water in her mouth, Su Rui mumbled, "You're making me feel like a wounded person who can't take care of themselves..."

Breakfast was a mess. Maria insisted on trying to flip the pancakes, resulting in half of them sticking to the bottom of the pan; Nightingale's porridge was perfect, but Shining insisted that Su Rui drink her herbal tea first; in the end Su Rui, Suri secretly poured too much honey on the pancakes, making her fingers stick together.

"It's time to go back," Nightingale said, clearing away the dishes.

Shining had already stood up, his longsword hanging at his waist, making a slight metallic clanging sound, "They should have sent people from the castle to look for us by now."

Maria, who was licking honey off her fingers, pouted when she heard this and said, "What's the rush?"

Su Rui slowly wiped her hands, her eyes fixed on the sunlight streaming through the window. "Actually..."

Three pairs of eyes turned to him at the same time.

"Actually, I think it's pretty good here," he scratched his cheek, "How about... we stay another day?"

Nightingale gently placed her napkin down. "The bed here isn't comfortable enough; it's bad for your spine."

Shining added, "There are also no proper bathroom facilities."

Maria immediately raised her hand. "I can have the bathtub moved over!"

"Miss Nearl," Nightingale smiled, "Why don't we just go back to the castle?"

Maria choked, then grabbed Su Rui's arm and shook it. "But Su Rui likes it here! Look how happy he is!"

Indeed, Su Rui was much more relaxed at this moment than he had been at the castle. He leaned against the window, sunlight falling on the slightly upturned corners of his mouth, bathing his entire being in a warm glow.

Shining looked at him, her fingers gripping the sword slightly loosening. "... half a day."

Nightingale sighed softly, took a thin blanket from her storage space, and spread it on the recliner. "At least let's change to a more comfortable position."

A strange compromise was eventually reached--

Maria sent over tea and a simple bathtub; Nightingale set up a soundproof barrier around the cabin; and Shining conjured a tea set from nowhere and began heating the water with Originium Arts.

Su Rui lay in the sunniest spot, watching them bustling around, and couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You're making me look like some capricious nobleman."

Maria was directing the servants to scatter flower petals into the bathtub. "So it is you! My personal master!"

Nightingale gracefully poured the tea. "Please, sir."

Shining silently handed over slippers. "..."

Su Rui took the teacup, and in the rising steam, his eyes narrowed slightly. "My first order is—" he deliberately drew out the word, "Everyone come and sunbathe."

Maria cheered and rushed over, Nightingale sat down beside him with a light laugh, and even Shining put down his longsword and leaned against the armrest of the recliner.

The warm sunlight enveloped the four of them, and the cabin was filled with the sweet aroma of black tea and honey. The castle's spires were faintly visible through the shadows of the trees in the distance, but at this moment, none of them wanted to mention going back.

As the sun climbed higher to midday, the temperature inside the cabin rose accordingly. Su Rui lazily sprawled on the recliner, his eyes half-closed, like a cat basking in the sun. Maria lay on his lap, nearly asleep, her golden hair cascading over his knees, rising and falling gently with her breath. Nightingale sat by the window, holding a book of poetry, occasionally glancing out the window. Shining stood by the door, his red eyes frequently sweeping over Su Rui, seemingly calculating the time.

"... It's time to go." She finally spoke, her voice low and firm.

Su Rui pretended not to hear, turned over, and buried her face in the blanket.

Nightingale closed her book and sighed softly, "Su Rui, if we drag this out any longer, the castle will get worried."

Maria groggily raised her head. "Um... let's stay a little longer..."

Shining walked straight over and yanked the blanket off Su Rui: "Get up."

Su Rui curled up into a ball and pleaded, "No, I'm sleepy."

Shining raised an eyebrow, and without saying a word, reached out and grabbed him by the back of his collar, lifting him up like a cat.