Ch. 201 Spending the Night Together
Chu Lian frowned and stood up to check her surroundings first. She then squatted down and placed the herbs she had just picked into her mouth, chewing them into a paste. She fed half of it to He Changdi and applied the other half to the wound on his neck.
He Sanlang's brows were tightly furrowed, perhaps due to his sickly condition. Chu Lian touched his forehead a few times and tried to rub away the crease between his brow, but in the end, she could only leave him to it.
Chu Lian went out to search for another hour and finally found a crude cave near a pile of earth. Even though the cave wasn't big, it was enough for at least a temporary shelter.
It was the start of winter, and to make matters worse, they were in the middle of a mountain forest. They were still fine during the day, but when night fell or if the weather changed, even the healthiest man wouldn't be able to withstand the bitter cold.
Well, you know what they say- speak of the devil and he shall appear. Just as Chu Lian finished checking around the cave, she poked her head out and heard the telltale pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the canopy above.
Chu Lian cursed at the heavens and hurried back to where she had left He Sanlang.
When she saw that her saviour was still safe under the shade of the pine tree, she heaved a sigh of relief.
Ignoring the rain pelting her face, Chu Lian lifted He Sanlang by the arm and prepared to head towards the cave.
Unfortunately, He Sanlang was taller than Chu Lian by a whole head. He was also a strong, burly military officer with long limbs. How was a weak young lady like Chu Lian supposed to carry him over?
But Chu Lian braved the icy rain anyway and used all the strength she had to heave the heavy weight on her shoulders towards the cave. The physical exertion quickly made her break out into a cold sweat. When she turned back to check, she had only shifted the man less than five metres in total...
When she realised this fact, her remaining energy threatened to seep out of her limbs.
Chu Lian wailed and collapsed on the ground. Without any support, the comatose He Changdi also fell- right on top of her.
Chu Lian wanted to cry from frustration. She stared at the man's broad shoulders and hit him twice, complaining, "Why do you have to be so big?"
Her complaints were just to vent some frustration. Chu Lian really couldn't bear to leave her saviour out in the rain, especially not in a random forest in the mountains. He had already been poisoned and was currently comatose. If he really got drenched by this bout of winter rain, he definitely wouldn't wake up at all.
So, Chu Lian gritted her teeth and climbed up, pushing herself off the dry leaves of the forest floor.
She managed to prop the man up against a nearby tree trunk, and after a moment of thought, she also took off her large cloak and wrapped it around the man.
Although the cloak wouldn't be able to keep all of the rain off him, she couldn't let him get battered by it directly.
After Chu Lian finished doing all that, she rubbed her trembling arms and walked deeper into the forest.
This time, it took her an hour before she came back. Right at this time, He Changdi woke up for a short moment. He tugged groggily at the cloth obscuring his vision. His eyelids felt like they were covered in lead, and as he squinted through them, he caught sight of a familiar little figure dragging a crudely fashioned stretcher made from vines behind her.
He wanted to stay awake a little longer, but his body felt like it was on fire. He couldn't control his mind and quickly fell back into unconsciousness.
Chu Lian didn't think to check the man's condition. She placed the crude stretcher next to He Sanlang and rolled him onto it. The rain was getting heavier now, and as Chu Lian looked up at the sky, she knew she would have to hurry. After heaving a hapless sigh, she took up the vines to pull the stretcher and started heading towards the cave she had found.
With the help of the stretcher, it was much easier to shift the man. However, even so, an hour had passed before they managed to reach the entrance of the cave.
When Chu Lian finally dragged her saviour inside, the rain still hadn't stopped. She found that she had used up all the strength left inside her.
Chu Lian leaned against the cave wall and tried to catch her breath. She gave herself a short break to recover before looking out towards the cave entrance. Judging by the colour of the sky, it seemed like it was almost dusk.
Chu Lian glared at the man lying next to her. There was no other choice- she could only muster up her willpower and drag her fatigued body to go out and gather firewood.
The temperature in the forest dipped heavily at night. Even though they had already found shelter, they would surely freeze to death without a fire. Furthermore, their clothes were now soaked through thanks to the rain. If they wanted to keep warm, they would have to use the fire to dry their clothes first.
Unfortunately, the dried leaves and branches on the forest floor had been drenched by the rain. It was going to be hard to find kindling.
Chu Lian spent another lifetime of strength before she finally found some dry branches and leaves in a mountain pass. She stored them in her skirt like a basket and hurried back to the cave.
The sky quickly turned dark. By the time Chu Lian reached the cave, the last trace of light had disappeared; it was so dark that she couldn't see her fingers in front of her face.
Chu Lian sniffled and carefully placed the branches to one side. She started feeling around the rocks nearby. When she found the flints that she had hidden here earlier, she sighed in relief.
With the flints in hand, she rubbed them together and finally managed to set the small pile of kindling on fire. A warm glow suffused the inside of the dark cave.
Looking at the warm, dancing flames before her, Chu Lian could finally stop worrying.
At the same time that she set her burdens down, her stomach began to gurgle.
Chu Lian was surprised by the sound. It was only then that she recalled that she hadn't eaten anything at all apart from a few sips of honey water.
She checked her waist and found that her snack pouch was still there. Fortunately, there was still her beef jerky inside, though it was a little wet from the rain.
Chu Lian took one piece out for herself before counting how many remained. Her head turned to look at the comatose man lying by the fire.
She sighed and swallowed the delicious beef jerky in her mouth before looking back to her pouch regretfully. In the end, she closed it up and tucked it away.
This was all the food she had on her, and there was still a sick man here to take care of. It would be better to keep the food for him first. As for herself, when it was day again, she was going to go out into the forest to look for edible fruits.
Chu Lian checked the temperature of the man's forehead again before chewing up the remaining herbs she had found and applying them to the man's wound. When she checked its progress, it seemed like the skin around the wound had regained its normal colour, so the herbs had worked.
With this bit of news, another burden lifted off Chu Lian's heart and she took the time to dry off her clothes.
When she touched the man's clothes and found that they were wet too, Chu Lian looked down at the bearded face of the man and gritted her teeth. In the end, she still reached out and removed the man's armour and clothes to dry them by the fire.
Chu Lian stared dazedly at the man's lean and muscled upper body after taking off his clothes. Her gaze travelled down from the man's neck to his eight pack abs. She awkwardly swallowed some drool that had pooled in her mouth.
Upon coming to her senses, Chu Lian realised that she had lost control of herself and quickly averted her gaze. She mumbled under her breath, "He looked so tall and skinny on the outside. Who could have thought that he would have such fine goods hidden beneath his clothes?"
Then, she stuck her tongue out at the comatose man to hide her own embarrassment.
What Chu Lian didn't know was that He Changdi still retained some awareness despite his coma. He had heard every bit of her backhanded compliment towards him.
By the time her clothes were almost dried, Chu Lian had already yawned several times in succession as she waited by the fire.
This whole day had just been too tiring for her. She had ridden a horse, escaped the Tuhuns, fallen off a cliff, stumbled around an unknown mountain forest, been pelted with icy winter rain, somehow managed to drag herself and this big, burly military officer to shelter... It hadn't been easy holding up to this point. Chu Lian had used up her entire store of energy, and she didn't even have enough food to replenish it at the end of the day.
She placed her cloak on the ground next to the fire. Afraid that her saviour would freeze, she had moved him closer to the fire, too. After checking his temperature by touching his forehead, Chu Lian set down her worries and laid on her cloak, finally shutting her eyes for a well-deserved rest.
He Sanlang first felt a piercing pain in his head when he woke up. Next, his thick eyelashes trembled as he struggled to open his eyes.
He tried to move his arm and felt the prickling of pins and needles in response. He frowned with difficulty and shifted his gaze. In the next instant, his entire body stiffened up.
Chu Lian!
Her eyelashes fanned out like butterfly wings as they rested over her closed eyelids. There was a slight pout on her face as she drew in long, shallow breaths. From the upward curve of her lips, it was clear that she was in the midst of deep slumber.
One of her hands was curled over her heart while the other was placed on his chest. Her body was curled up in the crook of his arm and she was stuck to him like a leech.
He Changdi's expression turned stormy and he subconsciously reached out to push the clingy Chu Lian away.
However, when he caught sight of that familiar woman's cloak from the corner of his eye and realised that more than half of it was draped over his body, the hand that was in the midst of reaching out to push her stopped.
The memories of everything Chu Lian had done for him after he had gotten injured drifted up into his consciousness.
The depths of He Sanlang's eyes turned unreadable as his gaze landed on Chu Lian's porcelain white face.
Had things changed in this lifetime? Had this wicked woman's personality changed completely? Otherwise, why would she have spent so much effort to save him when it was such a good opportunity to get rid of him? Wasn't abandoning him to die more in line with her goals?
A multitude of feelings churned together in He Changdi's heart.
Even though he was looking at the exact same face of his tormentor from his past life, he could feel that his feelings towards this person had changed.
He Changdi's lips pursed together. The right hand hovering in midair finally moved towards the cloak. He tugged more of the makeshift blanket over Chu Lian, covering up her dainty little form.
The arm placed under Chu Lian's neck was starting to go numb, but He Sanlang didn't move it away. He simply raised his arm a little and moved Chu Lian closer to him so she could be more comfortable.
For some reason, even though this was an insignificant action between a married couple, there was a trace of satisfaction in the depths of He Sanlang's heart.
While in the midst of her deep slumber, Chu Lian was starting to feel a little chilly in the middle of the night, so she flipped herself around. When her arm touched something warm, her body unconsciously wriggled towards that warmth.
As expected, after obtaining a source of warmth, she was able to drift back into a comfortable sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Chu Lian slowly regained consciousness.
She realised that she was being held by a strong arm, and her nose was filled with a rather masculine smell.
It was mixed with the slightly mouldy scent of damp earth and the rotting leaves of the forest floor. The smell wasn't pleasant at all, but she felt strangely reassured by its presence.
Chu Lian wasn't a morning person. When she opened her eyes, her head was still fuzzy and she completely forgot where she was.
When she looked up, a pale, sickly-looking face with fine features covered by a great beard met her eyes.
Actually, this man had a pretty good-looking face. Furthermore, from his smooth, unwrinkled skin, she could tell that he was rather young.
The imposing set of armor and the black tunic underneath it made him look like a strong and mighty man; his presence made all those around him feel safe.
Oh, this was the beardy who had saved her. The nice guy who had helped her out of that pickle with the Tuhuns.
Back then, Chu Lian thought that would be the end of the line for her. However, this man had pulled her into his protective embrace even in such a precarious situation, and he even fell down the cliff together with her without a care for his own life.
As Chu Lian thought back to those moments, she was suffused with a feeling of safety.
Chu Lian was about to burrow deeper into this warm and safe embrace, but before she could, she abruptly recalled who she was.
She was a married woman- House Jing'an's Third Young Madam, He Sanlang's wife!
Her husband was that crazy He Changdi who always had strange requests for her and an eternally gloomy face!
It was as if she had been doused in ice cold water. Chu Lian had never been more awake in her life.
Chu Lian yanked back her hand as if she had been burned. She felt that there still wasn't clear enough of a boundary between them, so she reached out to push the man away and keep him at arm's length.
Chu Lian crawled up from the ground with her head lowered to hide her flushed face. Torn with herself, she said, "Excuse me, mister. Although I'm very grateful that you've saved my life, you can't use this chance to take advantage of me!"
Hah?
He Sanlang's originally warm expression immediately turned into the stormiest one he could summon!
Just now, he had been enjoying the fluttering warmth in his heart as he watched Chu Lian lie in his arms so trustingly. He had still been taken aback that this wicked woman had such a lovely and endearing side to her.
However, when he thought back to how he had saved her without reservation previously, it was normal that she would fall in love with him. Furthermore, they were husband and wife, so this level of intimacy was a given. As strict as the customs of the Great Wu Dynasty were, this much was still acceptable between a married couple.
Completely out of his expectations, in this warm and loving moment, that wicked woman Chu Lian had actually blurted out something to kill the mood completely!
He Sanlang's body went stiff from shock.
He stared at her with his eyes an unfathomable black. Within those depths, a storm was brewing.
He Changdi wasn't stupid. Of course, he had understood the meaning behind Chu Lian's words. This wicked woman... He had risked his life to save her and she... she hadn't recognised him!!
Outrageous!!
Did she really think that he wouldn't dare to punish her!
How could Chu Lian have expected this crude-looking, strong young man with a beard to turn out to be her own husband?
Actually, Chu Lian really wasn't to blame here.
The day of their wedding had been their first meeting.
On their wedding night, He Sanlang had threatened Chu Lian and had only ever shown her his crazy side thereafter.
Chu Lian was a normal person; she wasn't a masochist. After getting treated like that by her newlywed husband, even if He Changdi were to look like a deity descended onto the mortal plane, she refused to look at him any more than she had to.
Coupled with He Sanlang's unwarranted enmity and how he shunned her, it was impossible for Chu Lian to believe that He Changdi would risk his own life to save her.
He Changdi had earned the nickname of 'He Sanlang the Fair' back in the capital. His looks were really fine and fair. Now that he had a beard obscuring half his face, there was just too much of a difference between his appearance back then to now. Any other person wouldn't be able to recognise him either, let alone Chu Lian!
Chu Lian just hadn't spent enough time with He Sanlang, so it was understandable that she hadn't managed to recognise him.
Ch. 202 A Familiar Voice
When Chu Lian saw that the man before her was just staring at her in complete silence, she thought that she hadn't made herself clear.
She pressed her dry lips together and put a little more thought into her words. Then, she said, "Mister, I have to be frank with you. I'm already married."
The undercurrent of her words was that, even if he had feelings towards her, he should give them up and keep his distance.
He Sanlang almost puked blood. He was so angry that he felt tendrils of pain stabbing his head. However, after hearing Chu Lian declare her marital status, he was also relieved.
At least this wicked woman still remembered her place and how important her good name and reputation were. She wasn't trying to seduce other men and make a cuckold out of him.
However, before He Sanlang even had the time to relax, Chu Lian's next words gave him the urge to strangle her.
Chu Lian had carefully observed the man's expression before continuing to speak.
She coughed gently to dispel the awkward atmosphere.
"I'm very grateful that you saved me under those circumstances. Judging by the look of your armour, you must be one of the soldiers in the Liangzhou border troops? My husband's also in the same army. He might even be your superior! And with that weird temperament of his, if he finds out that you've taken advantage of me, he might even decide to cut your hands off!"
He Changdi sneered inwardly and added his own line at the end. If someone really dared to touch Chu Lian, he wouldn't just stop at chopping off the adulterer's hands. His gaze turned cold when it landed on Chu Lian's own soft, white hands, which were tightly clenched in her clothes.
His half-lidded eyes concealed his cold expression from Chu Lian's notice. She thought that she had successfully reminded the man of the stakes and huffed a little in relief.
"Actually, I don't blame you at all. This cave is cold and chilly and you were both poisoned and injured yesterday. You had a high fever, too, so it's understandable that you did something like that. Since you were so kind-hearted as to save a stranger you had never met before, I'm sure your character is trustworthy. However, there aren't that many good people in the world, and mouths talk. But since we're the only ones who know about us spending the night together, as long as you don't say anything after we leave this place, then my good name will be safe.
"It's not easy to be a woman. You surely have a few sisters or a mother yourself, don't you? Surely you can sympathise with my plight?"
When she finished speaking, Chu Lian stared at him innocently with her pair of big, almond-shaped eyes.
As if she would keep staring at him for all eternity if the man before her didn't agree.
He Sanlang's expression was already dark. He was close to choking on his anger and had the urge to discipline her. However, when she looked at him with those puppy eyes, his heart couldn't help but soften.
Even so, he did have quite a bit of anger left in him still. He had risked his life to save her, but she hadn't recognised him as her husband at all. Any other man in his position would feel the exact same way!
He Sanlang was on the verge of falling into depression. He didn't want to reveal his identity immediately. He wanted to see what other outrageous words would come out of this wife of his- and exactly how long it would take her to catch on. How long would it take for Chu Lian to realise his true identity?
A mischievous sort of anticipation bubbled up in his heart. He wondered what expression Chu Lian would have when she finally realised that strange, savage husband she was speaking of was right in front of her.
He Sanlang suppressed his resentment and managed to keep the twitching of his lips under control. He slightly nodded.
When Chu Lian saw that he had agreed to her request, she heaved a long sigh of relief. She stood up and straightened out the cloak on the floor before saying, "Of course, I won't forget the debt I owe you for saving my life. From now on, if you meet any difficulty, you can come and look for me. I'll do my best as long as it's something within my capabilities."
He Changdi's condition had gotten much better. However, his fever hadn't broken completely, although it was still better than yesterday.
When he heard Chu Lian's words, a corner of his lips lifted up. His tone was full of disdain as he replied, "What can a person like you help me with?"
Chu Lian turned to him with an unhappy frown. "Well, who knows what'll happen in the future! How do you know that I won't be able to help you? I can even help you right now! Wait here, I'll go and find something to eat."
He Sanlang turned towards the cave entrance. The rain had stopped, and there was a thick layer of snow on top of the dried grass outside the cave. He snorted inwardly. With this sort of bitterly cold weather in the middle of a mountain forest, it was going to be impossible for a weak little girl like Chu Lian to find anything edible.
Chu Lian had been watching He Changdi's expression, so she immediately noticed the disbelief and contempt on his face, which provoked her stubborn temper.
Her cheeks puffed up as she said angrily, "Sit here and don't move! I'll be back soon!"
Then, Chu Lian took her big cloak with her as she quickly walked out of the cave. When she reached the entrance, the cold air immediately forced her sleepy mind to wake up all at once.
Somewhat disturbed, Chu Lian shook her head and stomped her foot.
What had gotten into her? Why was she so easily provoked by that beardy? He hadn't even really said anything to her and here she was, all ready to go out and look for food by herself.
But now that she had already left the cave, she couldn't just return empty handed. Wouldn't that just make her die of embarrassment?
Chu Lian sighed and tried to calm herself down. She accepted her fate and picked a random direction before trudging off into the woods.
After walking for some time, the scene in the cave played in her mind again. That beardy's voice seemed strangely familiar, as if she had heard it somewhere before. However, she couldn't recall exactly where...
Chu Lian shook her head and set that matter aside. There were so many people who looked alike in this world, it wasn't a surprise if there were people who sounded the same, too. After reassuring herself, Chu Lian stopped thinking about it.
He Changdi watched as Chu Lian's slender figure disappear from sight. Only then did his stiff body untense in relief.
He looked up at the uneven surface of the cave wall, thoughts hidden in the unreadable depths of his eyes.
However, after a short moment, he suddenly stood up. Due to his abrupt movement, he felt a wave of dizziness crash over his head, and he couldn't help but stumble. He Changdi immediately grabbed onto the cave wall for balance and shut his eyes. After resting for a while, his body felt better.
Although He Sanlang's condition had improved since yesterday, he was still poisoned and feverish. The remaining toxins hadn't been cleared from his system yet, so his body was still weak. Actually, he was in very frail health right now, but when he thought of how Chu Lian had gone into the woods all by herself, he couldn't rest easy.
Who knew if those crafty Tuhuns were still out there in the forest? What if Chu Lian encountered them? Even if there weren't Tuhuns around, the forest was a dangerous place in winter.
He had risked his life to save Chu Lian's, so if anything happened to her now, wouldn't all his previous efforts go to waste?
He Sanlang's expression was as gloomy as ever. He couldn't stop thinking about everything that could go wrong, and so he used this twisted reasoning to cover up the concern he felt for Chu Lian.
He Changdi bore with the weakness of his body and left the cave. He quickly found a place to leave a distress signal for his subordinates to find, and then began to track Chu Lian's footprints to follow after her.