Chapter 75: A Village

Chapter 75: A Village

The next day.

Opening her eyes, Qiu Shuiyi suddenly felt that something was off.

Her hand reached out to the side.

Empty.

She immediately sat up and looked over.

Shen Yuchao's side was completely empty.

Where was he?

A faint rustling suddenly came from the cave entrance. Qiu Shuiyi peered toward it.

Shen Yuchao came walking in slowly from outside, holding a bundle wrapped in leaves.

Meeting Qiu Shuiyi's gaze, he smiled gently, "Awake?"

Qiu Shuiyi's tone was sharp, laced with anger, "Why did you wander off? Don't you know you're still injured? Was all that talk about not dying all just lies to me? Do you want your wound to reopen and bleed out?"

Shen Yuchao was taken aback by her questions.

Looking down, he saw the girl's eyes were strikingly bright, as if holding flames.

He shook his head with a wry smile, "My constitution is special. Although severely injured, I've rested for two days. I won't be unable to walk."

"I said I wouldn't die. I won't lie to you."

Seeing his serious expression, Qiu Shuiyi felt relieved.

Reassured, she then asked, "What did you go out for?"

"To get something to eat first."

Shen Yuchao handed over the bundle in his hand, "I didn't want to go far with you alone in the cave. I only found these."

Qiu Shuiyi took the bundle and placed it on her lap.

Opening it, she saw wild berries.

Mixed colors, quite beautiful.

She picked one up and put it in her mouth.

A bit sour, but very juicy. Not bad.

Shen Yuchao slowly sat down beside her.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

Her chewing slowed. Qiu Shuiyi selected a red berry and offered it, "Here."

After waiting a couple of breaths, the berry was still between her fingers.

Qiu Shuiyi gave him a puzzled look.

The man's flawless features grew larger.

He leaned over, taking the berry with his mouth. His lips inevitably touched Qiu Shuiyi's fingertip.

The soft sensation was extremely distinct. Her finger trembled slightly, and her breath hitched.

By the time she reacted, Shen Yuchao had already leaned back, murmuring softly, "Sweet."

Qiu Shuiyi's ears grew warm. She pushed half of the berries in her lap toward him, speaking rapidly, "Then eat more."

Subconsciously grabbing a few berries and tossing them into her mouth, after swallowing, she suddenly realized—this hand, Shen Yuchao had just...

Qiu Shuiyi quickly stopped the thought, secretly fanning her cheek with her hand, trying to cool the heat on her face.

Fortunately, Shen Yuchao remained silent, quietly eating the berries, making her feel much more at ease.

Once back to normal, Qiu Shuiyi picked up a berry identical to the one Shen Yuchao had eaten.

As soon as it entered her mouth, sourness exploded on her tongue.

Her face instantly scrunched up.

So sour. How did he endure it just now?

A real stoic.

...

Berries weren't filling. Within an hour, Qiu Shuiyi was hungry.

Just as she stepped out of the cave, Shen Yuchao called out to her.

He stood up, supporting himself against the cave wall, "I'll go with you."

Qiu Shuiyi instinctively frowned, "Don't wander around with such a serious injury. Wait for me to come back."

"I don't feel right about it."

Shen Yuchao said softly, "It was one thing to let you go alone while I was unconscious. Now that I'm awake, I should go with you."

Qiu Shuiyi firmly disagreed, "No."

Shen Yuchao gave a helpless smile, but seeing her serious expression mixed with worry, a different emotion stirred in his chest. He spoke gently, "Not far. Just nearby."

"I've searched nearby already. There's nothing to eat," Qiu Shuiyi said irritably.

Shen Yuchao walked slowly out of the cave, scanning the surroundings.

A few steps away was a large rock, surrounded by scattered smaller stones. He walked over, sat down, bent to pick up a pebble, and weighed it in his palm a few times.

Qiu Shuiyi followed closely, watching his actions, confused.

She moved a rock over, blew off the dust, and sat next to Shen Yuchao, "What are you doing?"

Shen Yuchao raised a finger to his lips, softly going "Shh."

Qiu Shuiyi wrinkled her nose in mild distaste.

She tilted her head, listening carefully.

Aside from the rustling of the wind sweeping through the mountain vegetation, there was no other sound.

Two shadows flickered in her peripheral vision, and Qiu Shuiyi instinctively glanced up.

The sky was a clear blue, with two birds flying through the clouds above her head.

A sudden gust of wind whipped past her ear. As she turned her head, Qiu Shuiyi saw a pebble shooting toward the birds like a shooting star.

The birds let out sharp, mournful cries before plummeting rapidly from the sky.

A shadow fell over her. When she shifted her gaze, Shen Yuchao was smiling gently at her. "Let's go."

Qiu Shuiyi's lips moved slightly, but she made no sound, silently falling into step behind him.

She tilted her head, studying the man's broad shoulders and back, thinking to herself.

What a peacock.

...

The birds hadn't fallen far. After walking for a short while, the two easily spotted them in the grass.

Qiu Shuiyi parted the weeds, her eyes instantly widening in surprise.

He'd actually managed to get them both.

Glancing back at Shen Yuchao, Qiu Shuiyi picked up the two birds.

Shen Yuchao reached over and took them from her. "I'll handle it."

Qiu Shuiyi carefully observed his condition. Seeing that he still seemed in decent spirits, she let him take over.

On the way back, she remembered the traps she had set the day before and decided to check them, on the off chance she'd caught something.

When they arrived at the spot, Qiu Shuiyi pointed ahead. "That's where I set the trap yesterday... Who are you?!"

Her tone turned sharp.

She stared warily at the person not far ahead.

The man was slightly bent over, holding a pheasant in his hands. From his posture, it seemed he was trying to place the pheasant into Qiu Shuiyi's trap.

Hearing the noise, the man looked up.

Upon seeing Qiu Shuiyi, his expression instantly turned flustered.

His grip loosened, and the pheasant struggled desperately.

The man fumbled, clutching it to his chest, and stammered, "I... I'm... just a passerby."

Qiu Shuiyi's wariness did not diminish.

Seeing this, the man hurriedly explained, "I... I'm A Zhu, from a village nearby."

"Ahem." Shen Yuchao suddenly let out a low, muffled cough.

"What's wrong?" Qiu Shuiyi glanced sideways at him.

Shen Yuchao's face was gradually losing color, his lips turning pale, and a hint of pain flickered in his pupils.

Qiu Shuiyi dropped the two birds, took his arm, and said seriously, "Did your wound reopen? I told you not to come, but you insisted."

"It's nothing."

Shen Yuchao shook his head helplessly. "Just pulled at it."

Turning to A Zhu, he said gently, "Brother A Zhu, is there a village nearby?"

"Yes, there is." A Zhu nodded, his eyes scanning the two of them as if realizing something.

Shen Yuchao smiled. "My wife and I are originally from the capital. We were traveling south to visit relatives, but on our way back, we encountered water bandits and ended up stranded here."

Hearing the word "wife," A Zhu's expression visibly fell, barely registering the rest of the explanation.

"Brother? Brother A Zhu?"

"Ah?" A Zhu snapped back to attention. "Wh-what is it?"

Sunlight reflected a cold glint in his eyes, but Shen Yuchao's expression remained unchanged as he smiled. "My wife and I have nowhere to stay in this desolate wilderness. I wonder if you could take us in for a few days? We will surely repay you generously."

Qiu Shuiyi felt her ears grow warm at the mention of "wife" and secretly glared at him. She smiled and added, "Don't worry, brother. We will cover all expenses ourselves."

A Zhu stole a glance at her, his tanned skin hiding a hint of shyness. "Y-you can follow me."

"Thank you."

Shen Yuchao nodded.

Taking Qiu Shuiyi's hand, he followed behind A Zhu.

"What's wrong?"

Qiu Shuiyi looked at him, puzzled.

Shen Yuchao lowered his gaze, his voice soft. "The mountain path is rugged. Be careful."

Qiu Shuiyi rolled her eyes and muttered, "I thought your wound was hurting."

A Zhu's village was on the other side of the mountain. The three of them walked a long way around the foot of the mountain.

Shen Yuchao managed to hold on at first, but gradually, he began to struggle.

His face grew paler, and a faint trace of blood seeped through the front of his clothes.

Qiu Shuiyi's worried gaze fell on him. She tightly held onto Shen Yuchao's arm, supporting him. "How are you? Can you keep going?"

Sweat dripped from his temple down the side of his face. Shen Yuchao gritted his teeth. "I can."

"This... this gentleman is so badly injured. Perhaps..."

Both of their gazes fixed on him. A Zhu nervously hugged the pheasant in his arms. "Perhaps I could carry him."

Qiu Shuiyi's face lit up with pleasant surprise. She was about to nod when she saw Shen Yuchao straighten his back and decline with a smile. "Thank you for your kindness, Brother A Zhu. I can still manage."

"But you don't look well," A Zhu said with concern.

"It's fine." Shen Yuchao changed the subject. "How much longer do we have?"

A Zhu pointed ahead. "Almost there."

Qiu Shuiyi pinched Shen Yuchao's good arm, snapping, "What are you trying to prove?"

Her gaze dropped to his chest, and she said worriedly, "The blood is seeping through."

Shen Yuchao gave her palm a firm squeeze. "I don't like strangers getting too close."

Qiu Shuiyi scowled at him, sighed helplessly, and clung to his arm.

Fortunately, they hadn't gone much further when the faint outline of a village appeared ahead.

Wispy white smoke rose slowly, lingering in the air.

"We're here," A Zhu cried out happily.

It was noon, and every household was home cooking or taking a midday nap. As Qiu Shuiyi and Shen Yuchao followed A Zhu through the village, they barely saw a soul.

The village was built along the foot of the mountain. A Zhu arrived at a house, pushed open the courtyard gate, and shouted, "Mother, A Xiang, I'm back."

He led Qiu Shuiyi and Shen Yuchao inside. "This is my home."

Supporting Shen Yuchao, Qiu Shuiyi glanced around.

The courtyard wasn't large but was extremely clean. A vegetable plot had been cultivated beside the house, a lush, green patch that looked very refreshing.

A girl of about thirteen or fourteen, with thick braided hair, ran out from inside the house and cried joyfully, "Brother's back!"

She trotted over, took the pheasant from him, her face beaming. "You finally caught one today! Good thing, unlike yesterday when you came back empty-handed."

A Zhu coughed awkwardly.

Qiu Shuiyi leaned closer to Shen Yuchao and whispered, "Could it be... that pheasant yesterday was given by young A Zhu?"

Shen Yuchao didn't reply.

Noticing the two of them, A Xiang was struck by how good-looking they were.

She nudged her brother and, in what she thought was a low voice, asked, "Brother, who is that lady? Could she be the sister-in-law you found for me?"

"Don't talk nonsense."

A Zhu's face flushed, then he lowered his eyes dejectedly, patting A Xiang's head. "They're a married couple. Don't ruin the lady's reputation for no reason."

"Oh."

A Xiang let out a long sigh, unable to hide her disappointment.

Just then, a woman came out from inside the house. "Why aren't you coming in..."

Her words trailed off as she asked in confusion, "A Zhu, who are they?"

A Zhu briefly explained their situation. "Mother, this gentleman and his wife have nowhere to go and would like to stay with us for a few days."

Aunt Zhang looked the two of them up and down. Seeing the bloodstain on Shen Yuchao's chest, pity flashed in her eyes, but soon, she frowned with difficulty.

Understanding her meaning, Qiu Shuiyi took off the jade pendant from her earlobe and also pulled a few gold leaves from her waist, handing them all to Aunt Zhang. "We've lost all our valuables. If you don't mind, please accept these. Once we contact our family, we will surely repay you generously."

Rubbing the gold leaves, Aunt Zhang's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly called to A Xiang. "Go, prepare two more dishes."

A Xiang happily ran into the kitchen.

Beaming, Aunt Zhang said to A Zhu, "Go quickly and tidy up the empty room in the east wing for our honored guests to settle in."

"Mother."

A Zhu felt ashamed of his mother's mercenary attitude.

"Go now!"

Aunt Zhang glared at him.

A Zhu had no choice but to go.