Chapter 40: Savage

Chapter 40: Savage

"Splash—"

Clear water droplets sprayed, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight as if lit from within.

Qiu Shuiyi emerged from the water, sputtering a few times.

Her hair bun was disheveled, her hairpin having fallen out somewhere during the tumble. Her dark hair hung loosely, soaked and plastered to her cheeks and neck.

Water droplets slid down her straight nose, dropping right onto her full lips.

Her fair face, washed by the water, resembled a lotus emerging from the water—elegant and jade-like in its smoothness.

After catching her breath, Qiu Shuiyi shivered.

She looked around.

Water rushed down in a cascade, a misty veil hovering over the waterfall as if formed by countless droplets. A single touch would leave your face wet.

She was in a pool, the icy water raising gooseflesh all over her skin.

Wildflowers bloomed in clusters along the shore. Whether it was her imagination or not, Qiu Shuiyi felt their colors seemed more vibrant than usual.

Occasional splashes of water droplets made them look even more lush and vibrant.

Her eyes shifted, spotting a figure floating on the water not far away.

"Your Highness...?"

Qiu Shuiyi called out tentatively.

Only the chirping of birds answered her.

Qiu Shuiyi sensed something was wrong. As she opened her hand, something slipped from her grasp.

Looking down, she realized she had been clutching the prayer bead tightly all along.

Instinctively, she fished for it. After a moment's hesitation, she tucked the bead into her waistband. She swam to Shen Yuchao's side, and with great effort, grabbed his collar and dragged him toward the shore.

Who would have thought someone who looked so slender could be so heavy?

Gritting her teeth and using all her strength, she finally managed to drag half of him ashore. Qiu Shuiyi was left heaving for breath.

She fell back, exhausted, propping herself up with her hands, tilting her head back to gaze at the sky as she gasped for air.

Rivulets of water ran down her neck with her movements, disappearing into her collar.

After resting for a while and regaining some strength, she struggled to drag Shen Yuchao away from the cold pool.

"Thud—"

Her hands suddenly gave way, and Shen Yuchao fell heavily to the ground.

Qiu Shuiyi jumped in fright, then apprehensively reached out to check his breathing.

He was still alive.

She let out a sigh of relief and plopped down beside him, her expression conflicted as she examined the arrow wound on Shen Yuchao's chest.

This injury... should be treated, right?

Often navigating dangerous situations, she carried various medicines with her, so she had no shortage of wound remedies.

Having made up her mind, she unfastened Shen Yuchao's robe and frowned as she inspected the wound.

One look froze her in place, her face filled with disbelief.

Shen Yuchao's skin was pale, making the chest wound starkly visible at a glance.

She had expected to see a ghastly, swollen, and gruesome injury.

But...

While the wound did look savage, it was visibly closing up before her eyes.

Qiu Shuiyi rubbed her eyes.

When she looked again, the wound had already shrunk slightly compared to before.

She tried hard to recall: when she had tended to Shen Yuchao's wound before, had it shrunk then?

When Shen Yuchao was injured in the plum grove, Qiu Shuiyi hadn't seen his wound, so she couldn't compare and didn't know.

But what she witnessed now was seen with her own eyes.

Qiu Shuiyi was utterly astonished.

What kind of monster was Shen Yuchao?

With such regenerative abilities, why... would he die?

Qiu Shuiyi stood frozen.

Only when the damp fabric of his clothes touched her hand did she snap back to reality.

Exhaling a heavy breath, she suppressed all her chaotic thoughts and, one by one, carefully re-fastened Shen Yuchao's water-soaked collar.

The man, still unconscious, looked pale, his lips colorless, his brows faintly furrowed as if trapped in a nightmare.

Qiu Shuiyi watched him quietly for a long moment. A gust of wind blew, and she shivered from the cold.

She found a sunny spot and dragged Shen Yuchao over with great effort.

After basking in the sun for a while, Qiu Shuiyi rubbed her hands together and got up to gather dry firewood.

...

His hand gently pressed against the door, pushing it inward. The wooden door emitted a soft creak before falling silent.

Shen Yuchao stepped inside, one step at a time.

Passing through the bamboo curtain, the man leaning by the window reading a book suddenly smiled and beckoned to him, "Chao'er, come here quickly."

The weather outside was lovely, a golden ray of light falling on his profile, making him appear like warm jade bathed in sunlight—gentle and peerless.

Yet Shen Yuchao stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning, his face unusually blank with shock.

"Chao'er, why are you standing there dazed? Come here at once!"

The man spoke with a smile.

Shen Yuchao pressed his lips into a tight line.

A sliver of light stole into the room, quietly creeping into his eyes and leaving a glistening trail.

He took an extremely slow step.

One step after another.

Until he stood before the man.

The man glanced at him with a hint of chiding. "What, don't you recognize me anymore?"

Shen Yuchao parted his lips, his voice carrying a faint tremor.

"No, I..."

He eagerly stepped forward, was on the verge of touching the man.

In the next instant, the world spun before his eyes, and all light around him vanished completely.

Shen Yuchao stood on a cliff, surrounded by darkness.

From the bottom of the abyss, countless hands covered in blood and bleached bones stretched out, desperately trying to drag him into a hell of chilling winds and eternal ghostly flames.

Countless discordant voices echoed in his ears, among them one as gentle as a spring breeze brushing over willow trees by the riverbank—so soft it made one relax, yet as venomous as a demon's curse.

"Child, you carry the world's most noble bloodline within you."

The voice sighed faintly. "Alas... you are a bastard."

"To cleanse the filth in your blood, there is only one way..."

A pair of hands gently grasped his from behind.

Shen Yuchao looked down.

He was holding a sword.

The voice whispered insidiously in his ear—

"Kill him..."

The crackle of the fire broke the silence, and his consciousness, submerged in darkness, abruptly returned.

Shen Yuchao lifted his eyelashes, and a sky full of stars came into view.

The sound of rushing water echoed not far away, interspersed with the chirping of birds, weaving together a lighthearted melody.

Half of his body felt cold, while the other half was warmed by a gentle heat.

He turned his head.

The campfire burned brightly, its flames warm and bright.

The young woman had undone her hair bun, braiding it into a long plait that hung over her chest.

She rested her chin on one hand while holding a long stick to roast a fish with the other, turning it over from time to time.

The firelight cast a warm glow on her face.

Noticing his gaze, she glanced over softly, her eyes suddenly brightening as they curved into a smile. "Your Highness, you're awake."

Shen Yuchao frowned slightly. He couldn't understand. After witnessing his ruthless and sinister methods firsthand, how could Qiu Shuiyi still treat him as she had before?

Qiu Shuiyi paid no mind to what he thought. What did his methods or temperament have to do with her?

She was just an innocent young girl who wanted to live a long life.

Qiu Shuiyi's smile remained unchanged, her gaze fixed intently on him.

After myriad thoughts raced through his mind, Shen Yuchao turned over and sat up, pulling at the wound on his chest and pausing slightly.

His clothes were damp, and his voice, for a moment, was as clear as a mountain breeze. "Did Second Miss rescue this prince from the water?"

Qiu Shuiyi nodded shyly. Seeing him wince in pain, she added, "I have some ointment with me. Your Highness may use it."

Shen Yuchao glanced at her.

Qiu Shuiyi avoided his gaze, took out the ointment, and placed it beside Shen Yuchao. She lowered her head dejectedly. "Your Highness dislikes Shui Yi, so I did not presume to apply the medicine for you. Please do not blame me."

His index finger twitched slightly. Shen Yuchao smiled warmly. "At that time, this prince had already sensed assassins nearby and had no choice but to find excuses to force Second Miss to leave. What a pity..."

Qiu Shuiyi didn't believe him. Still, she suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with hope as she gazed at him. "Is what Your Highness says true?"

"Of course."

The smile on his lips was as gentle as water, yet Shen Yuchao's eyes gathered a layer of frost.

She was lying.

If the man she fancied was injured and unconscious, and she had ointment on hand, how could she possibly ignore him just because of a single word of dislike?

The normal course of action would be to treat his wounds and leverage the favor to demand marriage into Prince Duan Su's residence.

Either she was too foolish.

Or she was lying.

Based on his understanding of this Second Miss Qiu, she hardly seemed like a foolish and ignorant woman.

On the contrary, she was quite clever.

Then... only the second reason remained.

She was lying.

The reasons for lying boiled down to two possibilities.

He had misinterpreted her intentions—Second Miss Qiu did not actually harbor affection for him and naturally saw no need to treat his wounds.

But her behavior over this period, aside from admiration, what else could it mean?

Otherwise, he couldn't think of any other reason why she would go to such lengths to get close to him.

That left only one possibility.

She had originally intended to treat his wounds, but something happened that made her change her mind.

What had she done? What had she seen?

Considering a certain possibility, Shen Yuchao's gaze turned sharp.

He reached for the medicine, tightened his palm, and said gently, "Thank you, Second Miss, for the medicine."

Qiu Shuiyi smiled with curved eyes, "You are most welcome, Your Highness."

Although she didn't know the reason for Shen Yuchao's previous behavior or why he had changed his mind to allow her to continue approaching, with these words, she could now openly appear by his side again to 'bump into' assassinations.

Thinking of this, Qiu Shuiyi felt quite pleased with herself.

Shen Yuchao stepped aside to tend to his wound, his gaze fixed on the porcelain bottle, dark and unfathomable.

He was hesitating.

After a long while, he finally sighed, parted his garments, and calmly applied the medicinal powder to the wound on his chest.

Very well. Since she had saved him, he would spare her life... for now.

...

Qiu Shuiyi smiled and focused on roasting the fish.

Since she hadn't known when he would wake up, she had only prepared enough for herself.

When Shen Yuchao returned, she was skewering another fish.

Sitting opposite Qiu Shuiyi, Shen Yuchao turned sideways to dry his wet side by the fire and asked, surprised, "How did you catch this fish, Second Miss?"

"I didn't catch it."

Qiu Shuiyi shook her head, her hair swaying with the movement.

Unlike Shen Yuchao's bedraggled state, her clothes had long since dried. She rolled up her sleeves, skewered the fish, and placed it over the fire.

With her hands free, she pointed outside, "I found it out there. Maybe some bird dropped it accidentally."

Shen Yuchao didn't ask further.

The two fell silent as night deepened. The valley was quiet, with only the crackling of the fire.

When the fish was ready, Qiu Shuiyi handed one to Shen Yuchao.

"Please, Your Highness."

Shen Yuchao nodded, "Thank you, Second Miss."

Qiu Shuiyi blushed slightly, like a lovestruck maiden alone with her crush.

She lifted the skewer and took a small bite.

The refreshing aroma of lemongrass blended with the natural freshness of the fish. Though it couldn't compare to the skilled chefs in the mansion, it was still palatable.

It would have tasted better with more seasonings.

Qiu Shuiyi was quite disappointed.

Unfortunately, among the plants and flowers by the clear pond, she only recognized lemongrass.

After finishing the whole fish and having staved off her hunger for now, Qiu Shuiyi looked for a place to rest for the night.

Just as she stood up, an angry roar erupted like thunder.

"Which little brat ate my fish!"

Qiu Shuiyi was startled and quickly turned around.

Shen Yuchao frowned and looked up.

A figure approached in the darkness.

He was very tall, about the same height as Shen Yuchao but with a broader frame.

His clothes were tattered and patched, his cloth shoes worn through at the toes.

A thick beard covered most of his face, obscuring his features, but his exposed eyes were sharp and bright.

At that moment, he stared at Qiu Shuiyi and Shen Yuchao in astonishment.

He asked, puzzled, "What are you doing in front of my house?"

House... in front?

Qiu Shuiyi turned back in shock to look at the green vines behind her.

Could there be something hidden behind them?

"So it was you who ate my fish!"

The wild man pointed at the fish bones on the ground, hopping mad, "Taking without asking is stealing! Give me back my fish!"

Qiu Shuiyi said guiltily, "I'm sorry, I thought it was unowned. I truly apologize. How about..."

"What's that smell?"

The wild man sniffed the air, moving his nose back and forth.

Qiu Shuiyi picked up the remaining lemongrass, "It's the lemongrass I picked outside..."

"What lemongrass!" the wild man suddenly exclaimed, "That's the 'Thousand Drunk' I planted! It's poisonous!"

Poisonous?

Qiu Shuiyi stared blankly downward. Suddenly, half her body felt paralyzed and immobile, her mind dizzy. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.