Chapter 448 - 448: Substitute Bride of the Demon King (52)

Andre's mind was racing, but he was unable to form a coherent thought. Instead, he could only mumble a single, defeated word: "nothing."

The deep crimson hue that spread across his cheeks, along with the extremely embarrassed look, also made Yue Ran understand something.

Suddenly, a flicker of alarm crossed Yue Ran's face. She immediately struggled and pushed the person away from her body. Hard. With all her strength. In the midst of the chaos, her hands unknowingly pressed against an unexpected part of them, and the intense warmth below became more apparent in an instant.

Fury surged within her. Yue Ran was so angry that her cheeks turned a furious shade of crimson.

"You—"

"…It is not what you think," Andre tried to explain, desperation lacing his voice as he struggled to convey his intentions that he himself could not put into words. He really didn't mean it.

Words failed him; he could only stay still, his mind racing with explanations that failed to leave his lips. Before he could even gather his thoughts, a sudden, sharp slap echoed through the air, stinging his cheek with its force.

"You rogue!" The young woman exclaimed, her voice crackling with indignation as her palm connected sharply with his cheek, fury palpable as her hand hovered momentarily in the air after the contact. There was not a hint of hesitation in her actions.

Andre immediately realized that he could not explain anything, so he could only bear this treatment silently. After all, no one would believe him, no matter how hard he tried to clarify.

The tension in the air thickened, casting a shadow that made the already uncomfortable atmosphere feel even more awkward and depressing.

Andre turned his face away under the other party's cold gaze, and there was a bright red slap mark burned against his fair skin, which looked particularly vivid, strikingly out of place.

Both of them sat in the small yard and looked at each other in silence, the afternoon sun casting dappled shadows around them as they exchanged glances in a heavy silence.

After they went back to the room and settled down, Andre lifted the medicinal concoction to his lips, the herbal scent wafting up as he downed it honestly, and he deliberately lowered his head to avoid her gaze.

As he set the bowl down on the wooden side table, his eyes caught a fleeting glimpse of her face, and he noticed that her expression seemed a little off— something was amiss.

Yue Ran frowned slightly, her delicate fingers instinctively rubbing her arm with one hand, and her face looked a little pale, as if to soothe some hidden pain of the fall she had taken earlier.

Before he could rein in his concern, a question tumbled out of his mouth, laced with worry: "Are you injured from the fall?"

Yue Ran froze, her eyes narrowing as she lifted her chin, exposing her disdain with a piercing glare directed at the man before her.

"It's none of your business," she declared, her voice laced with irritation. Despite the fierce defiance in her words, the slight wince that flickered across her face betrayed the truth. Moreover, her words were a silent acknowledgment that she was, in fact, suffering from an injury she was reluctant to disclose.

Andre ignored what Yue Ran said and continued to ask, "Where are you injured? I… can help you with it."

Yue Ran did not even lift her head and continued to ignore him.

Seeing that the other party was still unwilling to pay him any attention, Andre also knew that she was angry, so he softened his tone, his voice becoming gentler, more coaxing, and said, "Didn't you tell me to take care of my body? That I should prioritize my own well-being? Then you should also think about doing the same. You don't need to hurt your body just to get angry with me."

Yue Ran glanced at the man strangely and went silent for a moment, as if she felt that what he said made some sense. Then her expression eased as she said, "It is all your fault." She revealed her scraped elbow, the redness stark against her skin. "It was you who hurt me when you fell on me just now."

Andre suddenly felt uncomfortable as his gaze landed on her wound.

"Sorry, I did not mean to hurt you," he said, guilt flooding his voice.

His eyes were drawn to the young woman's elbow, where a significant patch of skin was marred and raw, the delicate surface bruised and irritated with traces of being rubbed roughly, clearly showing she was injured. Some parts were already inflamed, red, swollen, and seeping blood.

Andre frowned in concern and gently urged, "Don't move; let me take care of it for you…"

Yue Ran hesitated for a fleeting moment, and then she did not insist anymore. After all, the wound was really painful.

"Then hurry up," Yue Ran replied, her voice a blend of annoyance and vulnerability.

Andre nodded slowly, a quiet "yes" escaped his lips as he carefully rolled up the loose long sleeve of her dress, exposing the tender skin beneath. He stared at the purple marks left on the wound against the backdrop of red and swollen skin, and his movements became lighter.

"It will not hurt after applying the medicine…" he reassured her.

He carefully cleaned the wound and applied the medicine, his fingers light and gentle as they glided over the young woman's skin.

When he finished and looked up, he was met with Yue Ran biting her bottom lip, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and the corners of her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, glistening like dew in the early morning light, as though she was about to cry.

He suddenly felt a little strange, confused. What happened?

Andre lowered his gaze once more, and his eyes fell upon their hands, which were interlaced. A sudden jolt of realization struck him.