Binding the Dragon for the Empress Chapter 12

I Only Know that You are the Best Person for Me

---

The white silk was wrapped around Xuan Long's neck layer after layer, and it was not long before it was soaked with blood. Yan Yuan had to remove it and re-wrap it with a new one two or three times in a row before the bleeding finally stopped, and a beautiful knot was tied at the back of his neck.

Yan Yuan did not want to look at Xuan Long's face, as the guilt that had faded would come back to haunt him with just one glance. He dabbed the handkerchief in warm water and took Xuan Long's hand that was draped over the quilt. With downcast eyes, he wiped the blood that remained on the man's fingers, "How is the wound on your chest? Let me see."

Xuan Long began to drift off to sleep again and braced himself by saying, "It's almost healed."

"Let me see." Yan Yuan refused to listen to him, casually tossing the handkerchief back into the silver basin to the side and staring up at the man's pale face.

His turquoise pupils looked clear and demonic under the dancing candlelight, the erect pupils twitching slightly as if they were trying to conceal something, but Yan Yuan didn't give him the chance, "You know I'll be worried, let me see."

That day, Yan Yuan had taken the dragon scales and left. He didn't know how he was hurt, but he didn't think it would be good to think about it.

After a moment of silent stalemate, Xuan Long lowered his head and untied the belt of his robe to reveal his injured body. When he was clothed, he looked tall and sturdy, but in reality, the body beneath his clothes was not strong, only thinly covered with a nice layer of muscle. His chest was wrapped in a layer of coarse black cloth that had been obtained from an unknown source, making the true extent of his injuries invisible.

"I'll do it." Yan Yuan sat closer to him, taking his time to understand the crude knot. The coarse black cloth was removed layer by layer, and when the last layer was removed, Xuan Long's body suddenly shuddered and he let out a low grunt.

It turned out that the cloth wrapped around the wound had grown together with the wound.

Yan Yuan raised his eyes to look at the man's pale face, and his throat went dry, "Bear with it."

If it was not taken off in time, it would be more difficult to deal with later.

Xuan Long responded, his body shaking with his movements, his breathing getting heavier, cold sweat sliding from the corner of his forehead across his angular jawline and dripping onto the back of Yan Yuan's hand.

"You lied to me, you said it didn't hurt." Yan Yuan complained.

Xuan Long's chest rose and fell with difficulty, and his low voice was slightly muffled, "… only a little."

The black cloth that had been stuck to the wound was finally removed, and the already uneven wound from the plucked scales now looked even more ragged, with the previously pink flesh turning a deep red.

The wound had also doubled in size from the original size of a grown man's fist.

Yan Yuan silently applied the medicine for Xuan Long, then carefully rewrapped the wound with fine white silk, as if this would equalise what he owed the other man.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Xuan Long thought he was angry and called out to him, somewhat helplessly and awkwardly, “A'Yuan."

His mother used to look like this when she was angry, simply minding her own business and ignoring him, treating him like he was nothing. That feeling was a million times worse than the physical pain.

If he had pestered his mother, he probably would have gotten a bloody whipping in return. Over time, he stopped doing the things that always hurt him, and developed this dull and reticent nature, not accustomed to expressing his emotions outwardly.

Because no one cared, no one would be a bit soft on him just because he hurt.

Yan Yuan is the one who would go soft on him.

Just when Xuan Long was hesitant and didn't know what to say, Yan Yuan suddenly raised his head, leaned over and embraced him, softly saying. “A'Po, I'm sorry… I didn't want this either.”

"I didn't want to do this."

Xuan Long froze, and in response to what he was saying, he raised his hand to cover Yan Yuan's broad back and whispered, "Don't be sad. I'm fine."

"I know, as long as I'm happy, you'll be happy, right?" Yan Yuan's chin rested on his shoulder, his eyes hot, "But I'm still sad. For some reason, from the day I met you, it's as if I had an inexplicable mourning inside me, as if I had known you in a previous life…"

"Perhaps it was a match made in heaven."

When Xuan Long said such words in such a serious tone, Yan Yuan snorted out a laugh and couldn't help but say, "How come you've learned to talk romantically too?"

"……" Xuan Long was speechless. There was no need to look to know that this dragon's ears must be red.

Yan Yuan's mind was wrapped up in other things, and he didn't have the heart to tease him any further. He released Xuan Long and looked at his handsome face, “A'Po, what if one day you find out that I have wronged you?… Can you forgive me?"

"What do you mean by wronging me?" Xuan Long looked at him.

"I mean if, just in case.” Yan Yuan didn't know exactly what he was insisting for, but he just wanted the other man's assurance. "If that day comes, will you be able to forgive me?"

Xuan Long was silent for a long time before he lowered his eyes, "I only know that you are the best person in the world for me."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: January 20, 2022