SFS Chapter 136 I'll Feed You
Chapter 136 I'll Feed You
"Okay, okay, I'll go right away." The woman wiped the water off her body on her apron and immediately went to the small kitchen to start a fire and get busy.
"Young lady, how did you end up coming out of the mountains?"
After settling Lu Zhiheng in, the hunter turned to look at Chu Qingyin, his eyes scanning her up and down with a hint of wariness.
The girl looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. She was beautiful and bright, and dressed in fine clothes. Her family background was obviously not simple. How did she end up in this mountain?
"My brother and I originally came out to escape the summer heat with our elders, but we accidentally got separated from our family while hunting in the mountains." Chu Qingyin lowered her head and wiped away her tears, putting on a weak appearance, but secretly she was thinking of a way to deal with it.
After all, her and Lu Zhiheng's identities must not be discovered by outsiders, otherwise it would only implicate the two of them.
The hunter frowned, seemingly puzzled, but didn't ask any further questions.
As he treated Lu Zhiheng's wounds, he said, "These mountains are very dangerous. You're lucky to have made it this far. Have something hot to eat and get some rest later."
“I see you have quite a few injuries. I’ll have Amei take a look at you later.”
"By the way, my surname is Liu, you can just call me Brother Liu."
Hunter Liu chuckled and continued, "Your brother's injury is not serious. The wound has been treated very well. He just has a slight fever, but he'll be fine once the fever subsides. Please don't worry, young lady."
"Then thank you very much, Brother Liu. I am deeply grateful for your life-saving grace."
Hearing that Lu Zhiheng was alright, Chu Qingyin finally felt relieved. After the hunter went out to help start a fire, she went to Lu Zhiheng's bedside.
The man on the bed was as white as paper, his breath was weak, and although the bleeding from his wound had stopped, it still needed to be treated properly, otherwise it could easily worsen.
Before long, the woman named Amei came in with a bowl of steaming hot wild vegetable porridge. "Girl, conditions in the mountains are simple, this is all we have. Please make do with this for now."
Chu Qingyin gratefully accepted the gifts, saying, "Sister-in-law, this is already very kind of you. Thank you and Brother Liu for saving my life."
Looking at the steaming bowl of wild vegetable porridge, she was filled with joy. She gently helped Lu Zhiheng up and tried to feed him some hot porridge.
Unfortunately, the man's lips remained closed, and he couldn't take in even a single bite.
His brows were furrowed, his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, his face was unusually ruddy, and his body was burning hot.
Chu Qingyin quickly turned around, pushed open the door and went out, asking the couple for water and a handkerchief to wipe Lu Zhiheng's body to cool him down.
"Lu Zhiheng, you absolutely cannot get hurt, otherwise how will I get back?" Chu Qingyin whispered in Lu Zhiheng's ear, her tone carrying a worry that she herself did not realize.
When Amei pushed the door open with a bowl of medicine, she saw this scene and couldn't help but comfort her: "Girl, don't worry too much. Fever is common in the mountains. It will probably go down in a while."
Chu Qingyin nodded slightly, but her heart was far from calm.
As dawn broke, Chu Qingyin fell into a deep sleep by the bedside.
The morning sunlight streamed through the wooden window. Lu Zhiheng's eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes, only to see the girl lying on the edge of the bed.
The morning light scattered across her cheeks, making her already fair skin appear even more delicate, like a freshly peeled soft-boiled egg. Only her long, butterfly-wing-like, jet-black eyelashes trembled slightly, indicating that she was sleeping very restlessly.
Did she just stay by his side all night like that?
Suddenly, a strange feeling rose in Lu Zhiheng's heart.
Since he could remember, apart from the old master of the Lu family, no one had ever cared for him like this.
In a daze, he raised his hand.
But before his long, well-defined fingers could touch her cheek, they aggravated his wound, causing him to gasp in pain.
The slight noise startled Chu Qingyin awake. She suddenly raised her head, her eyes still filled with lingering drowsiness and worry. But when she saw that Lu Zhiheng was awake, her eyes instantly lit up with joy.
"You're awake! How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"
This series of questions momentarily startled Lu Zhiheng.
After a moment, he moved his chapped lips and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm fine, I'm just a little thirsty."
"Oh? Okay, then I'll get you some water."
Chu Qingyin quickly got up, reached for the table, poured a glass of water, and carefully helped Lu Zhiheng sit up. She then held the glass to his lips, saying, "Drink slowly, don't choke."
Watching Lu Zhiheng gulp down water, Chu Qingyin's eyes welled up with tears.
He finally woke up.
"Where are we?" Lu Zhiheng looked around at the simple surroundings and had a rough idea of where they were.
"It's at Brother Liu's house. The cave we encountered on the road earlier was cleaned up by him."
Chu Qingyin quickly explained their situation to them, and then added, "This time, we are very grateful to Brother Liu and the others, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do."
Just then, the wooden door to the room was pushed open, and a woman named Amei came in carrying a wooden bowl. Seeing that the two of them were awake, the woman grinned and said, "You're awake! Perfect timing, we've cooked some porridge, get up and have some."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law Amei. I'll help my brother out now."
Nowadays, it's not good to stay in bed while eating at someone else's house.
Chu Qingyin's eyebrows curved into a smile. She had changed into an old cotton dress that Amei used to wear, and her dark hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, adding a touch of gentle and refined beauty.
"Don't move him. This young master's injuries are quite serious. It's best not to move him unnecessarily."
The woman quickly stopped her, her smile innocent: "Don't be shy, just stay here and rest. We'll talk about going back once you're better."
Chu Qingyin sweetly replied with an "okay," and smiled, "Thank you..."
Before she could continue, she was interrupted by the other party who said, "Stop thanking me, I'm tired of hearing it."
The woman chuckled and then looked at Lu Zhiheng on the bed. "Young master, your sister is extremely devoted to you. She stayed up all night watching over you without closing her eyes."
Ah Mei deliberately emphasized her sister's words twice, her smile playful, clearly indicating that she had noticed the unusual relationship between the two.
Chu Qingyin was taken aback, realizing that the other party had misunderstood something. Just as she was about to explain, she heard Lu Zhiheng weakly reply, "Yes, this time, it was indeed hard on you, little sister."
Chu Qingyin: "...?"
Was it just her imagination? Why did she feel that there was something strange about Lu Zhiheng's words?
She glanced at Lu Zhiheng suspiciously, but the man still maintained his dignified and aloof demeanor.
Could it be that she misunderstood?
Seeing Chu Qingyin's restrained and puzzled appearance, Lu Zhiheng's eyes flickered slightly, and a strange ripple stirred in his heart.
He had never seen Chu Qingyin like this before.
In the palace, as an imperial concubine, she wore fine clothes and exquisite makeup, exuding an air of high status and wealth. But now, she had gained a touch of the innocence and charm of a girl next door.
Which one is the real her?
After placing the porridge on the table, Amei left. Chu Qingyin got up, ladled out a bowl of porridge, gently blew on it to cool it, and then sat down by Lu Zhiheng's bedside to feed him.
Lu Zhiheng was slightly taken aback and reached out to take the bowl, but Chu Qingyin dodged him. "You're still injured, don't move around. I'll feed you."