Shang Shujue finally regained some strength. He suddenly grabbed Song Yanqing's wrist, his eyelids slightly open, his vision blurred, but his head precisely rested on Song Yanqing's shoulder. He was extremely weak, but his breathing was clear enough.
"... It hurts so much... Song, Song Yanqing... kiss, kiss me..."
A buzzing sound suddenly filled Song Yanqing's head. It took him a long time to realize what Shang Shujue meant. He was in a lot of pain and needed to kiss him to relieve the pain. This was the meaning of his existence in this world and his presence by his side.
"Ugh... it hurts..."
Before Shang Shujue could get a response from Song Yanqing, he felt intense pain. He frowned, released Song Yanqing's hand, and instinctively tried to curl up to resist the pain in his body.
" A-Jue!"
Song Yanqing quickly pulled Shang Shujue back into his arms, afraid that he would scratch himself because of the pain. After hugging him, he held his neck.
He felt the injury on the back of his head had healed completely, and then moved his hand up half an inch, gently and carefully enveloping the back of his head and neck, before kissing him.
Shang Shujue was still on the verge of madness. He felt nothing from the sudden kiss; his teeth were even clenched in response. Only when the pain subsided did his jaw loosen slightly, allowing Song Yanqing to forcefully penetrate him...
A deep and passionate kiss is twice as effective at relieving pain as a light kiss, but once the pain subsides, the heat and unbearable sensation become clear.
Shang Shujue, unable to bear it any longer, backed away, trying to catch his breath. Song Yanqing relentlessly kissed him until he was lying on the sofa, his hands on his waist and the back of his neck, leaving him no escape...
"Ugh... that's enough..."
Shang Shujue turned her head away, weakly pushing against Song Yanqing's shoulder, letting him kiss her earlobe and neck, causing a slight spasm and tingling sensation. At this moment, she couldn't tell whether it was pain or the pleasure of the dopamine release process.
Is it much better?
Song Yanqing was dazed for a moment before realizing that Shang Shujue had regained some consciousness and could speak, though his voice was hoarse, like an old, broken gong, rough and unbearable. But he didn't care; he just tenderly picked him up again.
"Hmm, the pain came in waves, but it's subsided now... It might come back again soon... I have to hold on for another day..."
"Yes, I heard what your system said, so I came. You scared me to death! You messaged me earlier, I could have come sooner, I'm so sorry..."
Shang Shujue didn't have the strength to push Song Yanqing away, nor did he intend to. After answering his question, his sluggish mind finally began to process what he had learned and remembered that Song Yanqing was injured.
"What are you apologizing for? It's none of your business, it's my own choice... By the way, weren't you injured? Where are you injured?"
As Shang Shujue spoke, he groped haphazardly on his back, touching something sticky. He paused, looked up, and saw his hand was covered in blood.
His pupils dilated instantly, and even his eyelids trembled. "You're bleeding! Has your wound reopened?!"
"It's alright. I drank some of the medicine when I gave it to you earlier, and the bleeding has stopped. Your back is healing, and this blood is just from what came out earlier. It'll be fine after washing it off in a bit."
Song Yanqing grasped Shang Shujue's hand and wiped the blood from his palm onto his shirt. He figured he could just throw the shirt away; it wasn't a big deal.
"Okay, I'm glad you're alright..."
Shang Shujue awkwardly withdrew her hand, sat up straight, and wanted to take a shower while her body wasn't in so much pain.
"I need to take a shower; I feel sticky and uncomfortable all over..."
"I'll be with you... no, I mean, I'm afraid you'll start feeling pain again and won't be able to bear it. If I'm by your side, you'll feel better..."
Song Yanqing reflexively said that he wanted to follow Shang Shujue into the bathroom, but as soon as he finished speaking, he felt that this was strange, so he unconsciously explained that he was afraid that Shang Shujue would misunderstand.
"Although I hate to admit it, you're really loyal. I won't hold it against you for saying my pineapple bun was poisonous. From now on, we'll go from enemies to friends. I can handle it; a quick rinse will do."
"..."
Shang Shujue's words proved how ridiculous Song Yanqing's explanation was—having rushed to him despite his injuries...
They had already become close, and all they got in return was a word of "righteousness" and "turning enemies into friends." Even their enemies were forgiven after seeing what happened to him.
" Shang Shujue, what is our relationship?" Song Yanqing stared at Shang Shujue, then suddenly sneered, his back teeth practically grinding to powder. "Who wants to be friends with you?"
"No? You're pulling your dad's leg..."
Before Shang Shujue could recover from Song Yanqing's sudden outburst, he was grabbed by the arm and pulled back into his arms. He frowned, ready to curse, but was kissed halfway through his sentence.
Shang Shujue's pupils dilated instantly, and his body trembled as he was pushed down again. Song Yanqing's forceful and domineering kiss left him completely stunned.
Before he could resist, a sharp pain suddenly struck his body. Ignoring his shock at Song Yanqing's actions, he instinctively wrapped his arms around Song Yanqing's neck in response.
He couldn't ignore it, or he'd be in excruciating pain. He didn't have time to think about what Song Yanqing meant; saving his own life was the most important thing...
Song Yanqing felt Shang Shujue's body trembling, knowing he was experiencing excruciating pain and hadn't taken his forceful kiss to heart. A bitter, aching feeling welled up inside him. "A-Jue, you still don't understand..."
Perhaps because of Song Yanqing's past existence, the Karmic Punishment was no longer intermittent but continuous, leaving Shang Shujue with absolutely no chance to think.
The strength he had finally mustered had completely vanished, leaving him powerless to be kneaded and manipulated by Song Yanqing. In his dazed state, he felt a sharp pain in his lips.
But these pains were nothing compared to the excruciating pain of the punishment. He simply didn't have the energy to pay attention to them. If it weren't for the unbearable pain, he would have been cursing under his breath long ago.
The two endured the day in agony and torment. Yu Yang came several times as a representative, but each time he hesitated to go in, as the sounds coming from inside were far too suggestive...
"It's over. This is the nutrient solution. Drink it and get some sleep. I'll stay with you."
Song Yanqing fed Shang Shujue a bottle of the Nuomi solution Nuomi had given him, tucked him into the blanket, and only after seeing that he was asleep did he turn around and go into the bathroom to clean up his own mess...
This day was truly...
Song Yanqing glanced at the ground beneath him with a dark look in his eyes, then turned on the shower and tilted his head back to let the warm water pour over his head.
As the steam rose, the crimson blood on his body seeped out, staining the floor and flowing into the underground pipes, disappearing without a trace... just like his heart, which was being healed while simultaneously being torn apart and bleeding...