I'm a little panicked when I cross the collapse

The night was as dark as ink.

The air in the hotel room was somewhat stagnant, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible heat. This heat did not come from the room temperature, but rather from the figure on the bed, wrapped tightly in a thick quilt.

Lu Qiong stood by the bed, his brows slightly furrowed. His handsome face lost its usual gentleness, replaced by a look of solemnity and helplessness.

Eden, lying in bed, was like a curled-up caterpillar, writhing uncontrollably. Her once smooth and shiny brown hair had broken free of its restraints, with a few strands scattered messily along the edge of the bedding, covered with fine beads of sweat, giving her a disheveled appearance.

In the past, she stood under the spotlight, a superstar in the music industry, with every gesture elegant and poised. Her beautiful face always carried a calm smile, and her tall and graceful figure, wrapped in gorgeous clothes, radiated dazzling light.

But at this moment, her jade-like face was flushed with an unnatural redness, even her neck was flushed with an alluring pink, her long eyelashes were tightly furrowed in pain, trembling from time to time, her cherry lips were slightly parted, and a few soft moans escaped her lips. As her body twisted, her originally loose performance dress became more and more disheveled, making her skin appear even whiter and making the uncontrollable heat even more obvious.

Lu Qiong's gaze darkened as he rapidly considered how to respond.

After much deliberation, the most direct and reliable method gradually became clear—use the icy cold water to suppress the medicinal properties, first stabilize her turbulent blood and qi, and then find an opportunity to use healing-type Honkai energy to slowly regulate her skin texture eroded by the cold.

Having made up his mind, Lu Qiong no longer hesitated and acted swiftly and decisively.

He bent down and gently lifted the thick blanket wrapped around Eden's body. The blanket, which she had already twisted loosely, fell off as soon as he lifted it, revealing a person underneath who was flushed and still unconsciously writhing.

Eden seemed to have suddenly lost his restraints, his body instinctively rubbing against the heat source, his movements carrying a childlike instinct, yet exuding an indescribable allure.

Lu Qiong's Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly. He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, leaned down and precisely grabbed her restless wrist. His strength was steady yet gentle, preventing her from struggling and getting hurt, while also making her feel uncomfortable from being restrained.

Immediately, he bent down, supporting her knees with one hand and holding her waist with the other, and with a little effort, he lifted her up in his arms.

He already knew that Eden was very light on the way. Through the thin dress, he could clearly feel the burning heat emanating from her body, and her uncontrollable trembling.

She whimpered uneasily in his arms, unconsciously nuzzling her head against his neck. Her warm breath brushed against his skin, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance—her usual perfume, elegant yet particularly alluring at this moment.

Lu Qiong remained expressionless, his upright posture carrying her as he strode towards the bathroom.

Along the way, Eden became increasingly restless, her burning fingertips unconsciously scratching at the fabric of his military uniform on his chest, her slender arms flailing wildly, and her body twisting and turning in his arms as if searching for something. The soft moans that escaped her lips became more and more frequent, carrying an unbearable anxiety.

Fortunately, Lu Qiong reacted quickly and was prepared. He tightened his grip on her wrist slightly and held her even tighter with his other hand around her waist, firmly suppressing her movements.

He looked down at the person in his arms, whose eyes were glazed over and whose face was flushed. He sighed inwardly at the troublesome situation, but maintained his composure on the surface. He did not slow down at all and quickly stepped into the bathroom. He placed her temporarily on the sink and turned on the bathtub faucet with one hand.

The sound of rushing water suddenly rang out as icy tap water poured down from the faucet into the gleaming bathtub, splashing up tiny droplets that carried a chilling sensation that instantly filled the small bathroom.

The sound of the flowing water seemed to agitate Eden, and she struggled even more fiercely, kicking her slender legs wildly and nearly kicking the shelf next to her. Lu Qiong had to spare some energy to keep an eye on the water level in the bathtub while firmly holding her steady, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

In the midst of this flurry of activity, they finally managed to fill the bathtub with water without any major incidents.

Lu Qiong turned off the tap, and the bathroom was instantly filled only with the faint sound of rising steam and Eden's unbearable panting.

He looked back at the person in his arms, his gaze falling on her still-wearing exquisite high heels. The shoes were originally meant to match her performance dress, with slender heels and tiny rhinestones adorning the surface, but now they were covered in dust, completely out of place with her current disheveled state.

Lu Qiong softened his movements, carefully squatted down, raised his hand to hold her slender ankle, and gently took off her high heels.

His fingertips were slightly cool, and when they touched her burning skin, Eden instinctively flinched, but did not struggle violently any further.

After taking off his shoes, he got up again, carried her step by step to the bathtub, and slowly put her into the cold water.

The moment the icy water touched her skin, the beautiful skirt that had been covering Eden's delicate body was instantly soaked, clinging tightly to her body and outlining her graceful yet fragile curves.

The biting cold spread rapidly along his skin, creating a stark contrast with the surging heat within his body. Even though Eden regularly exercised to maintain his condition and his physical fitness far surpassed that of ordinary people, he was still forced to shiver from the sudden temperature difference.

"Hiss—" A soft, painful gasp escaped her lips. Her once flushed face lost all color at a visible speed, turning as pale as paper. Even her delicate lips were tinged with a faint bluish-white. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her teeth chattering and making a soft knocking sound. Painful moans escaped from her throat, making one's heart tighten.

Lu Qiong stood by the bathtub, looking at her like this. A trace of helplessness flashed across his handsome face, but his eyes concealed a barely perceptible heartache.

He had intended to let the cold water suppress the medicinal properties, but seeing how she couldn't bear the cold, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Alright, I'll help them all the way through, and see this through to the end."

He sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of casual complaint, as if trying to find a reasonable excuse for himself, "If I ever have the chance to see you perform in the future, at least give me a good ticket, so that my efforts won't be in vain."

As soon as he finished speaking, he no longer hesitated. He reached out and unbuttoned his coat, quickly took it off, and casually draped it over the towel rack next to him. He also took off most of his shirt, leaving only his underwear.

Then, he stepped into the bathtub filled with cold water.

The bathtub wasn't very spacious to begin with, and as soon as he got in, the water level rose a few notches, and the icy water rushed in, but his expression remained unchanged, as if he couldn't feel the biting cold.

Lu Qiong's arrival was undoubtedly the warmest refuge for Eden, which had been suffering from the chill of the cold water.

Almost the instant he settled down, she seemed to lose all her strength, or as if pulled by something, she suddenly lunged forward and clung to him tightly in an almost octopus-like manner.

Her slender arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist, and her cheeks pressed against his warm chest. She wished she could embed herself into his body, greedily absorbing that rare warmth.

This sudden action was exactly what Lu Qiong wanted.

He had no intention of taking advantage of her vulnerability. In this way, he could use his body heat to slowly relieve Eden's chill, preventing her from being damaged by the cold water. At the same time, he could also stabilize her body and prevent her from struggling and choking in the water.

He raised his hand and gently supported her back, his movements soothing her along her spine as she clung to him. His gaze was calm, with a hint of barely perceptible tenderness.

At this moment, Eden's consciousness had already been thrown into chaos by the effects of the drug, and he had fallen into an endless illusion.

She felt as if she were in a world of extremes, a world of ever-changing temperatures. One moment the sky was ablaze with heat, as if it were burning her to ashes, every inch of her skin burning with pain, the heat driving her almost insane. The next moment the temperature plummeted, snow began to fall, and a biting wind howled past, freezing her limbs stiff, her blood feeling as if it were about to freeze. The bone-chilling cold made her suffer so much that she almost suffocated.

She struggled desperately in this extreme torment, lost and helpless, like a lone boat tossed about in a storm, unable to find anything to lean on. Until a blurry, gentle figure appeared in this chaotic illusion, a figure carrying a faint warmth, like a ray of light in the darkness, instantly drawing all her attention.

Almost instinctively, she rushed towards the figure, hugging him tightly and giving him all her weight. She greedily pressed herself against him, savoring the warmth that could dispel all pain, finding it sweet and unwilling to let go.

She didn't know where she was or who she was holding. Her reason had been completely devoured by the drug, leaving only the most primal instincts. She only knew that the warmth before her was the only salvation, so she could only hold on tightly, pressing herself closer to him. Her slender fingertips unconsciously caressed his skin, and her cheeks gently rubbed against his chest. Soft, dependent moans escaped her lips, her appearance carrying a touch of innocent allure. She was completely unaware of the test her actions were putting on the person in front of her.

While Eden was lost in an illusion, completely unaware, Lu Qiong was suffering terribly.

The chill of the cold water was already biting, and with a burning hot person wrapped around him, the contrast between the cold and the heat was already extremely unbearable. What's more, Eden's movements at this moment were completely unconscious. Every closeness, every caress, felt like an electric current spreading through his skin, making him restless.

He could clearly feel the burning heat of the woman in his arms, the touch of her slender fingertips tracing his skin, the soft body pressed tightly against him, and the faint fragrance lingering in his nose, constantly testing his willpower.

In order to avoid any accidents and to uphold that bottom line, Lu Qiong could only maintain a posture, his body as straight as a pine tree, not daring to move an inch, and even his breathing was extremely light, for fear that he might accidentally disturb the person in his arms or do something inappropriate.

Left with no other choice, he could only silently recite the calming mantra he hadn't used in a long time. He had learned the mantra during his training with the Moth of Fire years ago. It could calm the mind and eliminate all distracting thoughts. In the past, when he was on dangerous missions and his mind was in turmoil, he only needed to recite a few words to quickly calm down.

At this moment, he slowly recited each word in his heart, trying to suppress the strange emotions that arose from Eden's actions through this ancient incantation, ignoring her increasingly close movements, ignoring her burning body temperature, ignoring the fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, holding only a pure thought, only thinking about how to help her get through this unbearable medicine.

The steam in the bathroom grew thicker, enveloping the two of them. The cold water gradually warmed from their body heat, and the night outside the window slowly faded in this silent confrontation, transitioning towards dawn.

Lu Qiong sat there motionless, letting Eden cling tightly to him, chanting the calming mantra over and over again until his throat felt dry and his limbs stiffened, without ever letting up.

He could feel the trembling of the person in his arms gradually subside, and the flush on her body was slowly fading. Although her breathing was still a little unsteady, it was much more stable than before. It seemed that the combined effect of the cold water and his body temperature had finally suppressed the effects of the medicine to some extent.

He looked down at the sleeping face of the person in his arms, who had calmed down a bit. Her long eyelashes were still slightly furrowed, as if she was still enduring lingering pain. Although her face was still pale, it was much better than before.

Lu Qiong's gaze softened slightly. He raised his hand and gently brushed the stray hairs that had fallen across her cheek behind her ear, his fingertips touching her slightly cool skin with a very light touch.

The night was long, the cold water rippled gently, and the room was quiet.

The first rays of morning sunlight, carrying a warm force, pierced through the heavy window curtains and slanted in, falling on Eden's exquisitely beautiful face.

The golden halo outlined her delicate eyebrows and eyes, the flush and fragility of last night faded, and a touch of morning hazy softness was added. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyelids, trembling gently with her breath, making her look particularly endearing.

After an unknown amount of time, Eden slowly opened her beautiful brown eyes a crack. The morning light was too dazzling, and she subconsciously squinted, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.

She moved her body, only to feel sore and weak all over, as if all her strength had been drained away. A chill lingered in her limbs, and her forehead felt swollen and heavy, making her feel dizzy and lightheaded.

She raised her hand and rubbed her slightly swollen forehead, her fingertips feeling cool.

With a slight effort, Eden slowly sat up, the blankets slipping off his body, revealing a beautiful moment to the air.

She looked around blankly; the room was unfamiliar, the furnishings were unfamiliar, and everything exuded a sense of alienation.