Jade Amulet

Changing the topic, Su Xinglan said, "Ah, you must be hungry. Let me prepare some supper for you."

Su Xinglan quickly stood up but before she could leave the room she was stopped by a low and mellow voice.

"That won't be necessary."

"Then... do you want me to help you with anything right now?"

Long Shushen thought for a moment before responding, "If you could assist me with sitting upright and help bring something for me to drink, I would appreciate that."

Not thinking too much into it, Su Xinglan nodded and with a professional mindset, she bent over his naked body and wrapped her arms underneath his armpits to his back and behind his neck. She placed one of her knees onto the bed slowly lifted his upper body upwards while trying to minimize his pain as much as possible. With her petite stature, she struggled a bit, causing Long Shushen to grunt slightly in pain.

"Sorry, please bare it for a little bit more." Su Xinglan said apologetically.

"Mhm." During the whole process, Long Shushen's gaze did not leave Su Xinglan as she struggled to help him.

She was so focused on helping him that she forgot that, underneath the blanket that covered his body, he wasn't wearing anything. The bandages wrapped around his body and her thin nightgown barely blocked their skin from touching. He could feel her soft breast pressed against his bare chest and a subtle sweet scent coming from her warm body.

'She's soft,' Long Shushen thought, 'and smells like lavender.'

Long Shushen closes his eyes and trying to keep his mind off the pain while focusing his on the relaxing, sweet scent coming from her body.

Su Xinglan adjusted Long Shushen to a more comfortable position and blanket before bringing a cup of water with a straw to his thin lips.

After he took a few sips, she then asks, "Do you need anything else?"

"No, that'll be all."

"But-"

"Meditating will help heal my injuries."

'... Does that work for external injuries?' Su Xinglan wanted to question him further but seeing how he didn't want to be bother, she let him meditate in peace.

"I'll be resting in my room upstairs. I'll leave Miki here in case you need anything. He'll come find me if you ask him to."

Without opening his eyes, Long Shushen grunted in response, "Mhm."

Su Xinglan was about to walk out of the room when she heard him speak.

"Thank you."

She turns around and saw his piercing dark eyes gaze on her.

"It's no problem at all. Please let me know if you need anything else. Have a good night."

Su Xinglan showed a small but gentle smile before walking out of the room. Long Shushen briefly watched Su Xinglan's figure leave the room before closing his eyes once more and focused on meditating.

---

After a whole night of meditating, Long Shushen's injuries healed slightly and regained control of his body. It would have healed faster if he was still in his world, but since he is currently in Su Xinglan's world, it was harder to gather spiritual energy to heal his wounds. He would just have to make do with meditating every night to slowly heal them while he figured out a way to return home and complete his mission.

Yesterday, while on a secret mission assigned by his Imperial Father, he was ambushed by hired assassins. Although his injuries weren't too deep, the assassin's weapons were dipped in a paralyzing poison which effects last over a day.

Before he could counteract the poison, the jade amulet given to him by his Imperial Father for his mission suddenly started to glow brightly, sending his body to Su Xinglan's world and several feet above the pond. With the sudden impact against the water and the fact that the poison already started to take effect, his body sunk into the pond. He eventually lost consciousness from the impact and lack of air. Fortunately, he didn't sink too deeply into the water by the time Miki grabbed his body and swam back to shore.

Recalling his mission, Long Shushen opened his eyes and scanned the room for his belonging. In the corner of the room laid his sword, burlap satchel, a set of unfamiliar clothes neatly folded on top of the dresser that Su Xinglan left for him and his boots on the floor. He stood up from the bed, exposing his bare body, picked up his satchel and carefully examined the items in it. Long Shushen finally let out a sigh of relief when he found the jade amulet still safe and completely intact.

The amulet was an emerald imperial green, circular jade about half the palm size with an intricate dragon carved on it and attached to a red string. This was the same jade amulet that caused the sudden glowing reaction and transported Long Shushen to this world. It is the only lead he had to finding the person he was looking for. According to his Imperial Father, the amulet was carved from the same jade as the bracelet the person he was looking for owns.

Thinking back to the time he was laying by the pond, he remembered seeing Su Xinglan wearing a jade bracelet, but he didn't have enough time to get a better look of it before losing consciousness. He also didn't remember seeing her wear the bracelet last night when he woke up.

'It all can't be a coincidence, can it?'

He looked back at the neatly folded clothes and decided to dress himself first before searching for more clues.