BDSMST -Chapter 75 A Touch That Stirs the Heart

Several consecutive days of medicinal baths and the warming herbal meals Jiang Suisui carefully prepared had driven away most of the persistent damp chill in Gu Yan’s body. Although a dull ache still surfaced deep in his joints whenever it rained, it was far better than the bone-piercing pain he had endured before.

He no longer sat idly in the study all day, and much of his vigor had returned.

That day, the rain finally stopped, and the sky revealed a faint gray-white brightness. Jiang Suisui led a few of the youths to inspect the new batch of strawberry seedlings in the greenhouse. Gu Yan followed along.

Inside, it was warm as spring. Rows of raised beds stretched neatly before them, vibrant green strawberry plants thriving with life. Some early-ripening varieties had already borne small, unripe fruits, and a few white blossoms dotted the leaves.

“Madam Jiang, look—these plants have yellowing along the leaf edges. Did we water them too much?” Li Rui asked worriedly, pointing at a plot.

Jiang Suisui crouched down, rubbed a pinch of soil between her fingers, then carefully examined the veins beneath the leaves.

“It’s not a watering issue,” she shook her head. “They’re lacking certain trace elements. In Mr. Shen’s notes, he mentioned that strawberries favor phosphorus and potassium, but their need for iron and zinc is also particular. The base fertilizer in this plot may be slightly unbalanced.”

She stood and instructed Chunxing, “Go to the storage room and bring some of the ‘No. 2 fertilizer’ we made from plant ash and fermented soybean cake. Dilute it one hundred times with water and irrigate these beds separately.”

Chunxing acknowledged and hurried off.

Gu Yan stood quietly to the side, listening. The agricultural terminology was still only half comprehensible to him, but as he watched Jiang Suisui’s calm confidence—her complete command over every detail—his gaze unconsciously softened.

He realized he liked watching her work.

She would smile with satisfaction over a thriving seedling and frown at the sight of a diseased leaf. All her emotions were closely tied to this land—genuine and alive.

It was far more moving than the polite, practiced smile she wore in the capital’s marquis residence while facing account books and guest lists.

At that moment, a boy in charge of patrol rushed over, looking flustered. “Madam! Marquis! Something’s wrong! The new irrigation channel in the western orchard—it’s… it’s collapsed in one section!”

Jiang Suisui’s expression changed instantly. She stood up. “Where? Take me there!”

Everyone followed the boy quickly toward the orchard.

The western hillside had been newly reclaimed this year, intended for planting fruit trees next spring. To facilitate irrigation, Jiang Suisui had ordered a water channel dug along the slope. After days of heavy rain, the loosened soil must have given way where it hadn’t been reinforced properly.

Sure enough, when they arrived, they saw that near mid-slope, a section of the channel’s sidewall—three to four meters wide—had collapsed. Muddy rainwater spilled from the breach, flooding the freshly leveled land below into a swamp of sludge.

“Quick! Bring tools! Block the gap first!” Jiang Suisui commanded immediately.

The youths scrambled for shovels and sandbags.

Without hesitation, Gu Yan removed his outer robe, leaving only a thin training garment, and jumped straight into the freezing mud water.

“Marquis!” the others cried out.

“Stop wasting words! Get down here and help!” Gu Yan barked. His tall frame pressed firmly against the leaking breach, using his back to slow the collapse.

Wei Ziqian and Qian Duoduo gritted their teeth and followed, jumping into the icy water. Together, they formed a human barrier against the breach.

The freezing mud soaked through their clothes instantly, cold seeping straight into their bones.

Jiang Suisui’s heart tightened at the sight—especially when she saw Gu Yan. His old injury had only just improved. Soaking in cold water like this would surely cause him to suffer again that night.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

“Sandbags! Quickly—stack them beneath the breach! Li Rui, take some people upstream and find stones and wooden boards to divert the flow temporarily!” she directed steadily from the bank.

A tense emergency repair unfolded.

Gu Yan and the other two braced the gap with their bodies while those on shore passed sandbags and stones frantically, filling the break.

Ignoring the mud underfoot, Jiang Suisui joined in personally, lifting and passing heavy sandbags. Before long, the rough burlap had rubbed her hands red.

After what felt like an eternity, with everyone working together, the gaping wound in the channel was finally sealed.

When Gu Yan, Wei Ziqian, and Qian Duoduo climbed out of the muddy water, their lips were purple, their bodies trembling violently from the cold.

“Quick! All of you, come back with me! Chunxing, boil three large barrels of hot water—and add plenty of ginger!” Jiang Suisui ordered, immediately leading them back.

After returning to the courtyard, Gu Yan was ushered straight into the familiar room reserved for his medicinal baths.

Jiang Suisui had him soak in the tub while she turned to fetch clean clothes and medicine for his wounds. When she came back with a small porcelain bottle, Gu Yan had already warmed up and was preparing to step out of the bath.

Steam filled the air. His upper body was bare, bronze skin glistening with droplets of water. Beneath the hazy mist, the fierce scars that once looked so brutal seemed less menacing, replaced instead by a quiet sense of strength.

Jiang Suisui paused instinctively at the sight, warmth rising to her face. She quickly averted her eyes, set the porcelain bottle on the table, and said somewhat awkwardly, “You… your back was soaked in muddy water. It’s better to apply some medicine to prevent inflammation.”

“Mm,” Gu Yan replied.

He stepped out of the tub and casually grabbed a dry cloth to wipe himself down.

Walking over to the table, he picked up the porcelain bottle—but soon found himself at a loss. Applying medicine to the wounds on his chest was easy enough, but the long scar running down his back was far beyond his reach.

He tried a few times, all in vain.

Watching his clumsy attempts, Jiang Suisui sighed softly and finally stepped forward.

“I’ll do it,” she said.

Gu Yan’s body stiffened slightly.

Without giving him a chance to refuse, Jiang Suisui took the porcelain bottle from his hand and poured a small amount of ointment onto her fingertips. Her touch carried a faint coolness as she carefully pressed her fingers against the still slightly reddened scar on his back.

Gu Yan’s spine tensed instantly.

It was a sensation he had never experienced before.

It was nothing like the rough smearing of military doctors, nor the cold slicing of blades. Her fingertips were soft and delicate, trembling ever so slightly as they glided gently across the jagged scar.

Wherever she touched, it felt as though a faint current ran through him, leaving his entire back tingling.

He could smell the subtle scent of grass and herbs clinging to her, and he could feel her warm breath brushing lightly against the back of his ear.

The room fell silent, save for the occasional wind outside the window—and the distinctly audible, slightly hurried breathing between them.

The atmosphere grew subtle and charged.

Jiang Suisui was just as nervous. Her cheeks burned; her heart raced wildly. It was the first time she had ever been so close to a man’s body. His skin was scorching hot, his muscles firm and brimming with restrained strength. The scars covering him silently spoke of his turbulent past.

She tried to focus on applying the ointment, but her fingers wouldn’t stop trembling.

Just as she was about to reach the scar near his waist, Gu Yan suddenly turned around.

Startled, Jiang Suisui nearly dropped the ointment.

He caught her hand.

His palm was large and burning hot, roughened with calluses from years of gripping weapons. It enveloped her slightly cool hand completely.

“That’s enough,” he said, his voice lower and hoarser than usual.

Jiang Suisui looked up and met his deep, night-dark eyes. Within them churned emotions she couldn’t quite understand—complicated and fervent.

She tried to pull her hand back, but his grip was firm, leaving no room for retreat.

“Jiang Suisui.” He called her name slowly, deliberately.

“Mm?” Her voice floated faintly.

He said nothing more. He simply looked at her. The distance between them was so close she could almost feel his heartbeat. The air seemed to freeze; time stretched endlessly in that single moment.

Her heart pounded faster and faster, as though it might leap from her throat. She stopped struggling and let him hold her hand, meeting his gaze steadily.

After what felt like an eternity—so long she thought she might suffocate—Gu Yan finally loosened his grip.

He stepped back, putting space between them. Then he turned away, took the clean inner robe draped over the screen, and quickly dressed.

“Today… thank you,” he said with his back to her.

His voice sounded calm again, but the faint redness at the tips of his ears betrayed the turmoil within.