Black Magic Rose Chapter 13
byChapter 13: Shared Hot Spring Bath
Shu Yijin’s investigation into the Wen Family’s internal secret forces was like weaving an invisible net in the dark, requiring immense patience and precise control. He was not eager for quick success; instead, like the most seasoned hunter, he laid out bait bit by bit, observing the prey’s reactions. Simultaneously, he never relaxed his main mission of breaking the Seal within Wen Jingheng’s body.
The planting of the Black Rose mark established a stable energy channel, but Shu Yijin knew that the loosening of the Seal brought about by regular physical contact was gradually approaching a bottleneck. To impact that solid barrier more effectively, a stronger “catalyst” was needed. He required a reason for a deeper, completely unhindered contact.
The opportunity soon arrived in a way he hadn’t anticipated.
After a routine consultation, Wen Jingheng’s primary medical team submitted a report to the Wen Family’s high-ranking members. The report cautiously mentioned that appropriate physical therapy, especially warm water immersion and hydro-massage, might help stimulate the nervous system and blood circulation of a comatose patient, potentially offering minor benefits for maintaining bodily functions. This suggestion, based on rigorous medical grounds, was interpreted differently by different people.
For those in the Wen Family who were constantly monitoring the effects of the Auspicious Marriage, this was undoubtedly a direction worth trying. For those with ulterior motives, it was an excellent opportunity for a test.
Thus, on a seemingly ordinary afternoon, the old butler brought news: the annex building on the west side of the manor had a private therapy pool fed by a natural hot spring, complete with equipment and a secluded environment. With the family’s approval, arrangements would be made twice a week, starting immediately, for the eldest young master to be taken there for hot spring therapy, assisted by specialized personnel.
When the news reached Shu Yijin, he was trimming Wen Jingheng’s nails. Hearing the words “hot spring therapy” and “specialized personnel assistance,” the fingers holding the nail clippers paused slightly, and a faint, almost imperceptible gleam flashed in his crimson eyes.
Truly… someone hands you a pillow when you want to sleep.
He immediately realized that this so-called “therapy” must have been pushed by that secret research faction. Hot spring water is rich in minerals, and its energy field differs from ordinary environments. Coupled with the large area of direct skin contact in the water, it was undoubtedly an excellent testing ground to observe what kind of reaction would occur between him, the “Special Existence,” and Wen Jingheng.
“I understand.” Shu Yijin looked up, displaying a timely mix of worry and a hint of anticipation on his face. “Hot springs… will they be good for Jingheng’s body? Do I need to… do anything?” He positioned himself as a concerned yet slightly clueless “wife” figure.
“Young Master Yijin only needs to accompany him; the specific procedures will be handled by professional therapists,” the old butler replied stiffly, but Shu Yijin did not miss the deeper meaning that flashed in his eyes. Company? It was probably “observation.”
The first hot spring therapy session was scheduled for two days later. The therapy area in the annex was extremely private. The corridor leading to the hot spring pool was silent, save for the footsteps of their group. Shu Yijin followed beside the mobile hospital bed, watching as Wen Jingheng was carefully transferred onto a specialized buoyancy support that allowed him to semi-recline in the water. The air was filled with the faint, unique scent of sulfur, mixed with steam, creating a hazy mist.
The therapists were two taciturn, efficient middle-aged individuals with sharp eyes. They did not look like ordinary medical staff, but rather like well-trained guards. They adjusted the water temperature and slowly lowered Wen Jingheng into the pool. The warm spring water covered his pale chest, leaving only his head and neck resting on the support. Ripples spread, gently washing over his body.
“Young Master Yijin, you may sit by the edge of the pool and talk to the eldest young master,” one of the therapists instructed calmly. The two then retreated to the resting area near the entrance, seemingly on standby, but maintaining a distance that was both non-interfering and conducive to observation.
Shu Yijin sat down on the soft cushion by the pool as instructed. The hot spring steam quickly coated his eyelashes with tiny droplets, blurring his vision slightly. He looked at Wen Jingheng’s serene sleeping face in the water. The heat brought a faint flush of color to his cheeks, giving him a fragile semblance of vitality.
The plan had begun.
He started by speaking in a low voice, as usual, mentioning trivial things, describing the weather outside the window, and complaining about the blandness of the Wen Family’s diet. At the same time, he quietly reached his hand into the water and gently grasped one of Wen Jingheng’s hands floating in the spring.
The moment their fingertips touched, a sense of Shared Sensation, stronger than ever before, surged through him! The warm spring water seemed to be an excellent energy conductor. The Seal’s vibrations transmitted wildly along the water flow. Shu Yijin could even “hear” the humming of the chains violently shaking within his body! Correspondingly, an even more vast and warm Holy Energy, as if finding a vent, surged back in the opposite direction.
Effective! The result far exceeded expectations!
Shu Yijin was ecstatic internally, but he dared not show the slightest expression on his face. Instead, he frowned slightly, displaying a look of discomfort, as if the water temperature was too hot. He couldn’t let the observers realize he had anticipated this and was enjoying it.
Maintaining the hand-holding posture, he continued his low murmurs. Covertly, he gathered more spiritual consciousness, guiding the powerful energy convection to strike the Seal’s nodes even more fiercely. He could feel that some of the most minute chains were already showing cracks invisible to the naked eye.
However, this was still not enough. Mere hand contact, with energy diffusing in the spring water, was highly efficient but not concentrated enough. He needed… a larger area of contact.
A bold idea arose in his mind.
He stopped whispering, remained silent for a moment, and then, as if having made a decision, turned his head and softly addressed the distant therapists: “I… I want to get into the water to accompany Jingheng, may I? This way… perhaps he can feel my presence more.” A timely blush rose on his cheeks, and his voice grew softer, perfectly portraying a young wife who desperately wanted to be closer to her husband but was intensely shy.
The two therapists exchanged a look, a flash of expected yet slightly scrutinizing light passing between them. One of them nodded: “You may, Young Master Yijin. There are handrails by the pool; please be careful.”
Shu Yijin thanked them softly, then stood up. With his back to the entrance, he slowly shed his outer robe, revealing the simple swimming trunks he had already put on underneath. He was tall and slender, with fair skin. In the steaming mist, he possessed a breathtaking, fragile beauty. He carefully stepped down the stairs into the pool, the warm spring water instantly enveloping him.
He walked step by step toward Wen Jingheng in the center of the pool. The water rippled around him, the resistance making his movements appear slow and deliberate. He reached Wen Jingheng’s side, hesitated for a moment, and then, as if gathering immense courage, extended his arms and gently, yet firmly, embraced the man floating in the water from behind.
His chest pressed against Wen Jingheng’s back, his cheek nestled close to the side of the other man’s neck. Maximum skin contact!
“!!!”
The impact in that instant far surpassed Shu Yijin’s imagination!
It was as if a thunderclap had exploded deep within his soul! The Seal’s barrier emitted a clear, grating sound of shattering! The long-imprisoned Evil God Essence surged violently, nearly breaking free from his body! And the Holy Energy within Wen Jingheng, like a thoroughly enraged (or awakened) giant dragon, roared and surged back!
Two fundamentally opposite, high-essence energies fiercely collided and merged between their tightly pressed skins, amplified and catalyzed within the unique energy field of the hot spring!
Shu Yijin let out a muffled groan, feeling a sweetness in his throat. A metallic taste welled up, which he forcibly swallowed. It was energy backlash! He had underestimated the power of the force within Wen Jingheng and overestimated his body’s capacity to withstand the shock!
At the same time, he clearly felt the body in his arms, which had been silent until now, tremble violently, almost imperceptibly! Wen Jingheng’s brows furrowed tightly, as if enduring immense pain, or perhaps seeing a blinding light in endless darkness!
He couldn’t continue!
Shu Yijin made a decisive move, forcibly severing most of the energy connection, retaining only the most basic thread. He couldn’t expose too much here, and he certainly couldn’t let Wen Jingheng truly wake up prematurely!
He maintained the embrace, burying his face in Wen Jingheng’s neck, his body trembling slightly. To outsiders, this looked entirely like an emotionally overwhelmed wife struggling to maintain composure. He used this intimate contact to greedily absorb the last vestiges of pleasure brought by the loosening Seal, and… the genuine warmth and heartbeat emanating from the body in his arms.
A strange feeling welled up. It wasn’t just the joy of increased power, but also an… indescribable sense of security? As if a long-drifting solitary boat had finally found a temporary harbor to anchor. The moment this thought arose, he forcibly crushed it.
Danger! This feeling was more dangerous than the energy backlash!
A few minutes later, he regulated his breathing before slowly releasing his embrace and stepping back a little. With a lingering blush and a hint of fatigue on his face, he whispered to Wen Jingheng: “The water is a bit hot… shall we come again next time?”
He climbed out, put on his outer robe, and without looking at the therapists by the entrance, left the therapy area directly. He needed to return quickly to process this massive gain, and… suppress the unwanted emotional fluctuations.
What he didn’t know was that after he left, one of the therapists quickly took out an oddly shaped instrument and tested the residual energy field in the hot spring pool. A string of abnormally complex data flashed across the instrument’s screen. The expressions on both their faces became extremely solemn.
The shared hot spring bath, like a giant stone, had thoroughly stirred the deep waters of the Wen Family. And Shu Yijin failed to notice that during that moment of extreme power impact and intimate contact, a tiny seed had quietly settled at the bottom of his cold heart.