His left arm hung limply, powerless, unable to muster any strength. No matter how hard Wen Qingci tried, he couldn’t lift himself up.
Their bodies pressed together, and Xie Bufeng’s scorching warmth penetrated Wen Qingci’s thin clothes.
He could even feel the irregular beating of the young man’s heart.
After half a year apart, Xie Bufeng had grown thinner, but his muscles had become more solid from repeated battles.
Especially the arm that tightly gripped the heavy sword.
Now, with exertion, the muscles were taut, almost unnaturally rigid.
Xie Bufeng’s breath, heavy from fever, filled the silent night.
Each inhalation reached Wen Qingci’s ears distinctly.
It all gave Wen Qingci a surreal feeling—right now, he was the prey caught in the young man’s grasp.
…But wasn’t Xie Bufeng suffering from a high fever and poisoning? How did he still have such strength?
Wen Qingci couldn’t help questioning life.
The heat from the brazier and the fever on Xie Bufeng’s body dispelled the chill from Wen Qingci.
Sweat formed on his forehead, and the carefully stitched wounds on Xie Bufeng’s body reopened due to the force.
In a moment, Wen Qingci smelled a strong metallic scent—the unmistakable smell of blood.
The imperial physician frowned, searching for the source of the young man’s injuries.
But his movements were completely restricted.
Without hesitation, Wen Qingci raised his left arm with difficulty and pulled out the jade hairpin from his hair.
He intended to use it to pierce the acupoints on Xie Bufeng’s arm and make him release his grip.
The wide sleeve brushed across Xie Bufeng’s body.
And along with it came that familiar bitter fragrance.
As if anticipating his move, the young man suddenly lifted his hand again.
Xie Bufeng’s fingers were long and powerful. With just one hand, he effortlessly imprisoned both of Wen Qingci’s wrists.
Wen Qingci: …!!!
He instinctively tried to get up.
The bed curtain hanging nearby also fell open at that moment.
This mansion in Changyuan originally belonged to a wealthy merchant who had fled to Yongdu with his family when war broke out.
Changyuan sat at the border between two nations and thrived on trade during peacetime.
The mansion was not only luxurious but also influenced by the northern barbarian culture, with bold decorations.
The dark red bed curtains were embroidered with flowers and adorned with countless shards of colored glass.
Light filtered through the curtains, creating a mosaic of rainbow hues that fell upon Wen Qingci like crushed rainbows accompanying the sunset.
The dim, ambiguous colors blurred Wen Qingci’s vision.
His breath faltered.
He repeatedly told himself to stay calm.
Someone could enter at any moment, and Xie Bufeng’s condition couldn’t be delayed further.
Wen Qingci took a deep breath and tried to break free again.
But just then, the young man, who had been unconscious for days, suddenly opened his eyes.
The air seemed to freeze.
With a soft hum, Wen Qingci’s mind went blank.
Xie Bufeng’s amber eyes squinted as they fixed on Wen Qingci.
They held both the battle-hardened aura from the battlefield and the vulnerability and confusion that only surfaced during sleep.
Wen Qingci’s heart raced uncontrollably.
Xie Bufeng is awake?
After a brief shock and panic, Wen Qingci realized that Xie Bufeng’s gaze remained unfocused, no different from before.
Although he had opened his eyes, he clearly hadn’t fully regained consciousness.
Wen Qingci breathed a sigh of relief.
In a feverish state, people’s minds were unclear, and they might even experience hallucinations.
It was similar to being drunk.
Usually, upon waking, they would forget what had happened or dismiss it as a dream.
…Xie Bufeng was probably in that state now.
Wen Qingci tried to speak, intending to ask the half-awake young man to release his grip.
But the moment he parted his lips, Xie Bufeng’s gaze deepened significantly.
And in the next second, the scalding, dry, yet gentle touch descended…
Their positions flipped instantly.
Wen Qingci’s eyes widened.
Wait, he was sick—how did he still have this much strength?
Then, Xie Bufeng slowly closed his eyes again.
…How could Wen Qingci be here?
The light filtering through the glass shards, the dark red hues, and the disheveled hair that looked different from usual…
It all made the young man think that everything happening now was a crazy dream.
Since it was a dream, he might as well act recklessly.
Unlike their cautious parting kiss.
This time, Xie Bufeng bit down fiercely, seizing Wen Qingci’s breath, capturing all the air in his lungs.
Then, slowly reached down.
…
Ridiculous, it’s really ridiculous.
Wen Qingci didn’t know how long this chaos lasted.
Fearing that he might attract people outside, Wen Qingci bit his lips tightly and did not make a sound.
Due to lack of oxygen, tears slid down from the corners of his eyes, hitting the young man’s arm, then slid down along the muscle lines, blending into the off-white wool bracelet, and disappeared without a trace.
The almost non-stop travel from Yongdu to Changyuan had already pushed him to his limit, and fatigue piled up one after another.
He managed to stay conscious only by his willpower and the pain in his chest and lungs.
Xie Bufeng held Wen Qingci’s hands tightly all the time.
Just when he was about to take the last step, Wen Qingci finally found an opportunity. He took out the jade hairpin that he had been holding in his hand and stabbed it into the young man’s acupuncture points.
——This is the method he learned from the medical skills of the Valley of Divine Physicians after he transmigrated into the book.
Xie Bufeng finally slowly closed his eyes and calmed down again.
Wen Qingci couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief, and with a trembling right hand, he pulled up his loose moon-white gown.
The wide sleeves slid down the arms, leaving purple bruises on the pale skin, which was particularly eye-catching.
Wen Qingci took a look and immediately looked away as if he had been scalded.
His originally pale face suddenly turned slightly red.
As soon as Wen Qingci stood up straight, he started coughing uncontrollably.
Without time to think too much, Wen Qingci turned around and looked into the room with some difficulty.
—On a nearby table lay the medical kit left behind by the army physician.
Inside were the silver needles he needed and the medical records from this period.
Wen Qingci immediately retrieved the records and studied them closely.
Time was running out—
At the , the sound of soldiers echoed from outside the mansion.
The soldiers stationed here began their drills.
Voices from nearby gradually grew louder.
At this moment, the tightly closed door in the central courtyard of the mansion was slowly pushed open from the inside.
A figure in moon-white attire dissolved into the room like a wisp of blue mist.
Snow fell once again in Changyuan.
The heavy snow covered all traces beneath it.
“…Wen Xiansheng, your complexion is truly poor. Lie down quickly and rest a while longer.”
In the suburban medical clinic, the medicine attendant from the Valley of Divine Physicians handed over a cup of warm ginger tea with a worried expression.
His gaze then fell upon Wen Qingci.
Wen Qingci had collapsed in the snow before reaching the clinic, unconscious.
Fortunately, the medicine attendant had been watching outside and brought him in promptly.
Wen Qingci had just regained consciousness from his stupor and sat up, looking as if he was ready to leave at any moment.
Although Wen Qingci’s skin had always been pale, his lips rarely lacked color like they did now.
Upon closer inspection, only the crimson cinnabar mole on his face retained a hint of vibrancy.
“Cough… It’s nothing.” Wen Qingci reached for the tea.
The medicine attendant’s expression was filled with regret. “If I had known, I should have gone in with you… If the Valley Master saw you like this, he would be distressed.”
This medicine attendant was over a decade older than Wen Qingci and had watched him grow up within the Valley of Divine Physicians.
…Knowing Wen Qingci’s unique constitution, he couldn’t diagnose or prescribe medicine for him. All he could do was prepare a cup of ginger tea.
The phrase “going in together” startled Wen Qingci.
He quickly lowered his head to drink the ginger tea, concealing his surprise.
Although Wen Qingci’s movements were a bit forceful, his sleeve slid down, revealing the bruised circle on his wrist, which caught the medicine attendant’s eye.
“This…” The attendant blinked.
After a few seconds, his gaze became incredibly complex.
Realizing this, Wen Qingci immediately withdrew his hand and nonchalantly set the ginger tea aside.
He smiled faintly and said to the person across from him, “Xie Bufeng has awakened. Considering the time today, we should prepare to return to Yongdu.”
Even though he forced himself to sound confident, there was little conviction in his words. He was clearly pushing himself.
As expected, after he spoke, another uncontrollable fit of coughing overtook him.
The medicine attendant hurriedly handed him a handkerchief, and in the next moment, it was stained with a vivid red.
…Wen Qingci, was he coughing up blood?
The attendant’s heart clenched.
During their journey here, it had rained for half the way.
Riding their horses one after the other, the attendant occasionally heard Wen Qingci’s suppressed coughs but had no idea that he was now coughing up blood.
“Cough… It’s fine.”
Unlike the visibly anxious attendant, Wen Qingci didn’t even spare a glance at the handkerchief in his hand.
He tossed it directly into the nearby charcoal fire.
In the next second, flames leaped from the brazier, and the white handkerchief vanished instantly.
As if that scene had never occurred.
On their way to Changyuan, Wen Qingci had already prepared pills and various medicinal ingredients at a clinic associated with the Valley of Divine Physicians.
Fearing Xie Bufeng might notice, Wen Qingci refrained from administering acupuncture.
After reading the medical records and taking Xie Bufeng’s pulse, Wen Qingci immediately fed him the appropriate medicine.
Xie Bufeng’s fever and prolonged unconsciousness were due to both his injuries and Wen Qingci’s blood.
—Fever was a protective mechanism of the human body.
The residual substances in Xie Bufeng’s body, carried by the blood, were constantly combating toxins. The external manifestation of this process was the fever.
In theory, once this process concludes, Xie Bufeng should awaken from his coma.
The medicine administered by Wen Qingci not only protects Xie Bufeng’s internal organs but also accelerates the recovery process and ensures a smooth outcome.
A mixture of rare medicinal herbs has been ingested, and Xie Bufeng should regain consciousness by tonight at the latest.
In theory, as a medical attendant, he should refrain from speaking too much in front of Wen Qingci.
However, observing Xie Bufeng’s current state, the medical attendant couldn’t help but say, “I understand your urgency to return and dispel the emperor’s suspicions. But your current physical condition is not optimal. Rest well and reconsider your plans. It would be even more troublesome if you collapsed halfway.”
…His words indeed make sense.
Wen Qingci paused for a moment, then nodded slowly. “We’ll reconsider tonight.”
Hearing this, the medical attendant finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He carried the small bowl containing ginger soup and was about to leave when he turned back and smiled at Wen Qingci. “Your temperament remains unchanged after all these years, just like when you were a child.”
Hearing this, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but pause.
…is his personality really the same as the original owner’s?
Having slept through the morning, the bright daylight now streamed through the window.
The war was still ongoing, and the border town remained desolate.
Before Wen Qingci’s ears could settle, he faintly heard a distant cheer. The sound grew louder and closer.
He couldn’t resist wrapping himself in a cloak and heading toward the courtyard gate.
…
“The general is so heroic!!!”
“Your Highness, live a thousand years!”
“General Dingyuan! General Dingyuan!”
News of Xie Bufeng emerging from his coma had circulated here for several days, but even the soldiers, let alone the townspeople, found it hard to believe.
Now, they finally saw that familiar figure—a dark-clad silhouette riding a horse emerging from the mansion.
The general was leaving to return to the military camp!
The war-ravaged city came alive because of Xie Bufeng’s arrival.
Doors that had been tightly shut along the streets swung open at this moment.
Countless people flooded the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the young general today.
Longyuan wasn’t large, and half of its residents had already fled after the outbreak of war.
Yet, even so, they erupted in deafening cheers at this moment.
—Xie Bufeng was their war god!
Despite scarce food at home, the townspeople stayed, throwing prepared supplies to Xie Bufeng’s subordinates from a distance.
Everyone shouted “General Dingyuan” as if they were mad.
This was a small town.
Therefore, even though it was not on the main street, the scene of the young man riding his horse through the long street still caught Wen Qingci’s eyes.
His amber eyes, no longer clouded like during the night.
The young man’s icy gaze swept across the street.
Xie Bufeng’s body hadn’t fully recovered, and he should continue resting in bed.
But the young man knew that, as a general, he needed to stabilize the troops’ morale.
He stood tall, seemingly unaffected by the multiple injuries he had sustained.
No one here would be angered by Xie Bufeng’s “unreasonableness” or “disdain.” Instead, they cheered and rejoiced.
Xie Bufeng belonged to this world from the start.
—He was their general, the war god guarding the borders!
For the first time, Wen Qingci looked at him from this perspective…
Unbeknownst to him, Xie Bufeng had long ceased to be the young man from the Taishu Palace.
The heavy snow continued to fall, eager to blanket the town, the distant deserts, and grasslands in white.
Before long, a thin layer accumulated on Xie Bufeng’s armor.
Outside the city gate, near the military tents, cheers erupted. Bonfires blazed in nearby open spaces, flames leaping over the high walls, illuminating half the city and the defiant expression on the young man’s face.
A moment of vivid intensity.
Simultaneously, it illuminated Wen Qingci’s eyes, as dark as ink.
Listening to the cheers, a faint smile finally appeared on Xie Bufeng’s lips.
The young man on the black warhorse inadvertently glanced in this direction.
In that instant, Wen Qingci’s heart pounded heavily.
—Was it because he worried Xie Bufeng would recall last night’s events and become nervous? Or was it due to an indescribable, inexplicable emotion?
Wen Qingci remembered Xie Bufeng’s words on the ship during the southern expedition, but he had never pondered them deeply before.
Perhaps because Wen Qingci had already decided on his path of death, or perhaps because he always considered the simple fondness and dependence that Xie Bufeng had in his youth, which was vague and destined to end in vain.
But at this moment, Xie Bufeng’s mature face and cold eyes, as well as what happened this morning… rushed up like a flood, constantly hitting his reason.
Forcing him to recall the scene of that day over and over again in his mind.
Im so weak with context clues, what exactly happened wqc, care to elaborate? 👁️👁️
Thank you for the mass update~ 💕
Y.. Y..You can’t just write “He reached down-it ended before taking the last step” and be done with it!!! Author have you no conscience or mercy??? ! I’m dyinghere! 😤 I NEED EVERY SINGLE DETAIL !!!