Chapter 282 - Your heart’s not pumping anymore
Fortunately, they wore thick clothes due to winter, so Shui Junzhuo only suffered some superficial wounds on her face. He was applying the concentrated version of the Beautifying Cream. Thus, it recovered pretty swiftly and had already formed scabs on the wounds. At most, it would only take half a day for her to recover completely. The Beautifying Cream used a unique composition of herbs to activate the cells and trigger restoration. But every medicinal product had side-effects. Thus, the skincare version of it was less concentrated. Otherwise, using it for an extended period would be harmful to the body.
"What ointment is this? It's so magical!" Shui Junzhuo could feel a cold sensation on her face and her skin tightening up.
"This is the concentrated version of the Beautifying Cream. It's one of the skincare products produced by the Three Flavour Hall. If you like it, I can gift you a set when I'm back in Hanzhou City." Su Tao did not give Shui Junzhuo the concentrated version because it's not a skincare product. Strictly speaking, it's considered a medicine. Thus, carelessly using it would be harmful.
While Shui Junzhuo sat on a boulder, she hugged her knees. "You know, I feel like I'm dreaming when I'm together with you. It feels unreal, it's completely different from my world in the past."
Su Tao didn't want the atmosphere to be too tense, so he joked, "That's because we're on different levels. You're the princess of the Shui Family, and I'm just a poor bloke. Living in different lives, our views will also be different."
Glancing at Su Tao, Shui Junzhuo felt that he was hinting at something, so she asked, "You feel that we should maintain our distance?" It was out of her character for someone with a mild temperament like her to speak in such a serious tone.
Turning around, Su Tao sighed, "Yeah, you will constantly be in danger if you're with me. I'm a person that can't stay idle. Take today, for example. I caused you to be injured."
Looking at Su Tao with a complicated expression, Shui Junzhuo replied, "Even if I'm injured, I feel that it's meaningful that life can be so exciting."
Her words only made Su Tao feel that she read too many philosophy books. Thus, he helplessly sighed, "Can I consider your words to be a confession?"
After a brief pondering, Shui Junzhuo nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm happy when I'm together with you. It's so much so that I even have an urge to resign from my job and take up a simple post in your pharmacy."
Her confession had left Su Tao shocked. He felt that he was only a hairline away from losing control and get captured by her.
Shaking his head, Su Tao smiled. "You don't understand me well enough. I actually have a demon hidden in my heart, and I'm not as kind and gentle as you see me now. I'm someone that will brandish my fangs and claws, and I would only hurt those around me. You should distance yourself from me."
With an innocent smile plastered on her face, Shui Junzhuo shook her head. "I don't believe you."
Raising his brows, Su Tao asked, "What do you want me to do to make you believe me, then?"
"Let me hug you!" Shui Junzhuo replied with a bewitching smile as she continued, "Let me feel the warmth of your heart to see if you're hot-blooded or cold-blooded."
"…" Su Tao was instantly left speechless. If he didn't know Shui Junzhuo's character better, he would have suspected that she was trying to seduce him.
A woman was already so initiative, so how could he cower?
Gritting his teeth, Su Tao finally spread his arms open. In that instant, when he spread his arms, his heart raced. He looked forward to having Shui Junzhuo in his embrace.
But it was a pity because Shui Junzhuo had closed her eyes and gently leaned on Su Tao's shoulders. Her hand was spread as she maintained a certain distance with him. How was this a hug? She was just borrowing his arm.
"How is this hugging?" Su Tao gently coughed.
Shui Junzhuo's hand was on Su Tao's chest. She did not reply to his question, but commented, "Your heart is beating fast!"
"Really? You must be having a misperception." Su Tao tried to conceal his awkwardness. However, the beating of his heart couldn't lie. He actually felt embarrassed and was at a complete loss. It was the first time he has had this feeling. What's wrong with him? Even if he was facing a gorgeous naked woman, he also wouldn't feel so embarrassed.
After ransacking his mind, he explained, "A fast beating heart doesn't mean I'm hot-blooded."
"Really?" After a brief pondering, Shui Junzhuo placed another hand on top of her first and moved closer. Su Tao felt that as long as he lowered his head, his lips would touch her forehead.
He felt his heart racing and an urge to feel Shui Junzhuo's heartbeat. But it was a pity that men and women weren't fair. When Shui Junzhuo touched his chest, it was sensing his warmth. If he touched her chest, it would be molesting. Then again, if they're a couple, it would be called intimate instead.
Actually, Su Tao did not need to feel her heartbeat. From her expression, he could tell that her heart was racing just like his own.
The brief snuggle made Su Tao feel warm and peaceful.
"Why isn't your heart beating anymore?" Shui Junzhuo was actually feeling Su Tao's heartbeat for real.
Her words startled Su Tao and he immediately let go of her and felt his own pulse. It was beating normally.
Just when he was about to speak, he saw Shui Junzhuo stick her tongue out. "Don't be too anxious. Your heartbeat was just slowing down."
"I'm not anxious. If my heart's not beating anymore, wouldn't you be afraid of facing a corpse in the wilderness?" Su Tao felt that he had just embarrassed himself. How could a well-known physician like him get into a panic like he did a moment ago? Naturally, it was also possible that he was just playing along with Shui Junzhuo, so the atmosphere wouldn't be so awkward.
A man and woman together in the wilderness having their hearts racing. Who knew what would happen?
However, Shui Junzhuo nodded her head before shaking it with a complicated expression.
"What do you mean?" Su Tao smiled from her reaction.
"I'm not afraid of being in the wilderness or with a corpse. I'm just afraid of not having you in this world." Shui Junzhuo's gaze flickered as she continued, "If you're not in this world, many patients might lose their hope."
"The first half of your words were more touching." Su Tao sighed. He had to say that Shui Junzhuo might have read a little too many romance novels. Every single one of her words seemed to be able to warm his heart.
Despite being an expert at flirting with girls, he was caught unexpected by Shui Junzhuo.
"What should we do now? Are we going to continue walking, look for the other two, or are we going down the mountain?" Shui Junzhuo leaped down from the boulder and energetically asked.
Raising his head to the sky and see that it was still early, he smiled. "I'll respect your wishes. You make the decision."
"Let's continue walking. I feel that you might be able to find your answer soon." There was an unswerving side to Shui Junzhuo's character.
Sunlight seeped through the gaps of branches and trees to warm up the ground. Although the wind was a little cold, it blew apart the clouds in the sky, which brightened up the mood as well.
Since Su Tao had a more precise target now, their pace was much faster. Half an hour later, they suddenly came to a stop with mist shrouding in the distance along with sounds of water splashing.
"Where is this place?" Shui Junzhuo asked with curiosity.
"It should be a hot spring!" Su Tao gently smiled as he continued, "Second Uncle once mentioned that there were many natural hot springs in the past. But many of them have dried up, and the villagers also have no idea if they still exist."
Hearing about hot spring, Shui Junzhuo suddenly became excited while Su Tao brandished his sickle to open a path.
When they were seven to eight meters away, there was a peculiar scent that seemed like a mix of numerous fragrances. Surprisingly, there wasn't just one hot spring, but four of them. Furthermore, they could tell that these weren't natural, since there were traces of artificial works. The ancestors of the Miao Village must have used this in the past.
Walking towards the hot spring, Su Tao lowered himself and tested the temperature. It was at the perfect temperature of around 40°C. This could be considered another surprise on their trip to the mountain.
Suddenly, splashes resounded beside him. Su Tao turned his head to look and saw Shui Junzhuo putting her feet into the hot spring and was creating splashes.
He swiftly scooped out some water and gave it a taste. He only felt relieved after seeing that there wasn't any issue with the water, since not every hot spring was suitable for the human body.
Seeing Su Tao staring at her, Shui Junzhuo blushed as she wore her shoes and smiled. "Sorry."
Waving his hand, Su Tao reminded with a smile, "Don't go jumping in whenever you see a hot spring. There are all kinds of minerals mixed in the hot spring. While some are beneficial to the human body, some can be harmful."
Playfully sticking her tongue out, Shui Junzhuo replied, "Are you not a divine physician? You can save me even if something happens to me."
Letting out a weak sigh, Su Tao pointed in a direction. "Let's continue."
His words made Shui Junzhuo look at the hot spring with unwillingness. The current situation wasn't convenient. Otherwise, she would've jumped into the hot spring.
But just when the two of them were about to leave, there were rustling sounds that came from a corner and they saw a few rabbits jumping over and dive into the spring. Furrowing his brows, Su Tao placed his finger on his lips before sneaking over. After a few minutes of hiding, he suddenly made a move and grabbed ahold of a rabbit.
Inserting a silver needle into the rabbit, the rabbit no longer struggled. He then used his finger to feel the rotten parts of the rabbit's feet and inwardly sighed. He finally knew why Miao Village was suffering from parasites. The host to those parasites were these rabbits, and they used the rabbits as a medium to pass on. This rabbit was coming to the hot spring to wash its wounds.
Hot springs could kill germs and parasites, so it could temporarily ease the rabbit's suffering.
After a brief pondering, he decided not to tell Shui Junzhuo about it even if he knew that there wasn't an issue with the hot spring. If he told her, she would have probably regretted her earlier actions to play in the hot spring.