Transmigration; Married to My Ex-Fiancé's Uncle-Chapter 280; Arrival of the Celestial Mother

Lu Yuze didn’t wait to hear more. He climbed the stairs carefully, each step measured to avoid jostling Shuyin. She remained unconscious in his arms, her breathing soft against his neck.

The master bedroom was at the end of the hallway, the same room they’d both been sleeping in just hours ago. Lu Yuze shouldered the door open and carried Shuyin inside, heading directly for the ensuite bathroom.

He couldn’t put her back in their bed like this, covered in blood and the black residue of expelled poison. She needed to be cleaned first, cared for.

The bathroom was spacious, all marble and chrome, with a large walk-in shower and a separate soaking tub. Lu Yuze headed for the bathtub, carefully lowering himself to sit on the edge while still holding Shuyin. He reached over to turn on the taps, adjusting the temperature until warm water began filling the tub.

While the water ran, he began removing her blood-soaked pajamas with infinite care.

The matching silk set, pale blue with delicate embroidery, was completely ruined, saturated with blood both red and black. The fabric stuck to her skin in places where blood had dried. He worked slowly, gently, peeling away each layer with the tenderness of someone handling something infinitely precious and infinitely fragile.

The top came off first; the silk was so soaked that it would never be salvageable. Then the trousers, equally destroyed. He tried to maintain clinical detachment, focusing only on the task at hand. However, he couldn’t help noticing the paleness of her skin, the way bruising was already forming in places, evidence of the trauma her body had endured.

When the tub was half-filled with warm water, he turned off the taps. Then, as carefully as possible, he lowered Shuyin into the water, supporting her head and shoulders to keep her face above the surface. He positioned her so she was half-reclined against the sloped back of the tub, one of his arms remaining behind her shoulders to keep her stable and safe.

The warm water immediately began turning pink, then red, then black as it made contact with the blood and poison residue on her skin. Lu Yuze reached for a soft washcloth, dampened it, and began gently cleaning her face first, carefully wiping away the dried blood from around her nose, mouth, and ears.

She stirred slightly as the warm cloth touched her face, a soft sound of protest escaping her lips, but didn’t wake.

"It’s all right," he murmured, brushing wet hair back from her forehead. "Almost done."

He worked methodically, supporting her with one arm while using the other to clean her. He was thorough but gentle, washing away every trace of blood from her skin, carefully working through her long hair to remove the dried blood matted there. The water around her grew darker, and twice he had to drain and refill the tub to continue cleaning properly.

Throughout it all, he never let go, never let her slip beneath the water, his arm a constant support behind her shoulders.

When she was finally clean, the water running clear, he carefully lifted her from the tub. Water streamed from her hair and skin as he wrapped her in one of the large, soft towels from the warming rack, then carried her back into the bedroom.

He laid her gently on the bed, on top of the covers for now, and dried her carefully with another towel, squeezing water from her long hair, patting her skin dry with gentle touches.

Then he went to the walk-in closet they now shared. On her side, neatly arranged, were the clothes she’d accumulated since moving in, dresses, casual wear, and yes, several sets of pajamas. He selected a fresh pair, soft cotton this time in a deep navy blue, simpler than the ruined silk set but just as comfortable.

He returned to the bed and worked her arms through the sleeves of the top, then carefully guided her legs into the trousers. She remained mostly limp, making soft sounds of discomfort as he moved her, but still didn’t wake.

Once she was dressed, he finally allowed himself to strip off his own soaking wet, blood-stained clothes. He showered quickly, washing away the blood and the lingering smell of copper and something darker, the acrid scent of the poison that had nearly killed her.

When he emerged, clean and dressed in fresh sleeping clothes, Shuyin was exactly as he’d left her, lying on her side atop the covers, breathing softly, her damp hair spread across the pillow like dark silk.

Lu Yuze pulled back the covers and carefully lifted her, tucking her beneath them. He positioned pillows around her, ensuring she was comfortable, that her head was slightly elevated in case she got sick again.

Then he slid into bed beside her, close but not touching, afraid that even his presence might somehow cause her pain.

For a long moment, he simply watched her breathe, relief and residual terror warring in his chest. She almost died. Had been dying, right in front of him, and there had been nothing he could do except watch and call her name and hope it was enough to guide her back.

He could feel his trembling hands and body entirely... No one was gonna understand what he was going through.

Suddenly, a soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," he called quietly.

Ah Ling entered, changed into clean clothes, his expression carefully neutral. "The sitting room is being cleared, Master. Everything will be disposed of within the hour. The servants have been instructed to maintain absolute discretion. And new furniture is already on the way..."

"Good."

"And do get a darker colour, get rid of all those other cream colored couches and everything should be changed into dark, even the carpet."

"Yes, Master...."

"The doctor has been sent home with a substantial payment and a reminder of his confidentiality agreement. He won’t talk." Ah Ling paused. "The lady and Mei are settled in the east guest room. Mei is keeping watch. She says her mistress is sleeping peacefully and doing okay."