Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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After winter set in, clear skies were rare; the sky was always leaden gray, hazy and misty, as if brewing a snowfall. A cold wind occasionally swept through, carrying a slight chill to the bone.
“Madam, let’s rest at that meadow ahead,” the coachman said, “and let the horses graze.”
You Xu lifted the carriage curtain and saw Xinan Mountain in the distance. The mountain wasn’t very high, rather gentle, and consisted of several peaks. A main road ran along the flat slope at the foot of the mountain. To the right of the road, near the mountain, was a large meadow, while to the left was a cliff.
You Xu said, “Alright, let everyone rest, have something to eat and some water.”
They had been traveling for three days straight, stopping frequently to rest. Accustomed to modern subways and high-speed trains, You Xu was jolted and dizzy from the carriage ride, her back aching.
They would reach Linghuai Town in about two or three more days. You Xu planned to see if there were any nice gifts to buy and take back to apologize to Wen Shu.
Besides the two rotating coachmen, there were four strong men accompanying You Xu to protect her.
One of the men took a sip of water and said, “Brother, have you heard? This road seems rather unsafe lately. If it weren’t for needing to save some money for the New Year, I wouldn’t have come.”
Another strong man with a large beard said, “Of course I’ve heard. Some people from who-knows-where have formed a gang around here, specializing in robbing passersby of their money. If there are women, they’ll be taken away.”
“…” You Xu thought to herself, “Why didn’t you tell me this when I hired you?”
“This road is treacherous. Perhaps we should hurry on our way and rest properly once we reach the town.” Perhaps it was their words, but she felt uneasy and wanted to leave immediately.
The other driver had no objection: “Alright, as you wish, Madam.”
Just as You Xu was about to lower the curtain and get in to continue her journey, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly arose.
A group of men wielding large swords approached from the gentle slope of the mountain. They looked quite fierce, and the sound of their hooves was like the beating of drums.
You Xu: “…”
The strong men who were supposed to be her bodyguards panicked. Some ran away, some stood frozen in place, and some even knelt down begging for mercy.
“I didn’t expect them to actually come!”
“Who jinxed us!”
“Gentlemen, spare my life! I have elderly parents and young children to support!”
The group rushed down, slowed their horses, and circled around You Xu and her companions.
“Hand over all the gold and silver, or we’ll chop off a finger for every copper coin we find!”
The coachman and his men were all poor, and had at most a pittance, so the bandits all turned their attention to the carriage.
The burly leader, with a full beard like a mud-covered kiwi, sized You Xu up and down, then pointed his knife at her: “This woman is mine.”
The bandit next to him laughed: “I agree to her being our leader’s wife; she’s much prettier than the last one.”
One of the bandits said: “Since our leader wants you, you’d better get off here. Don’t force us to do it. The rest of you, come with me to search the carriage.”
You Xu jumped off the carriage and stood beside it, her mind racing, trying to figure out how to escape.
The mud-covered kiwi, sitting on his horse, approached her step by step, his eyes filled with ill intent.
You Xu instinctively took a step back.
Just then, the sound of hooves came from behind the carriage, not the thunderous roar of the bandits’ horses; the rhythm suggested it was just one horse.
Before anyone could react, a brown horse galloped into the encirclement.
You Xu, still stunned, saw the newcomer, backlit, suddenly bend down, scoop her up with his left hand, and lift her onto the horse’s back.
You Xu exclaimed incredulously, “Wen Shu!”
“Hold on tight,” Wen Shu said, urging the horse on with one hand, his other hand not holding her.
“Stop!” Ni Houtao reacted, gripping his sword and spurring his horse after them.
Behind her was a familiar embrace, warm with a hint of crisp bamboo scent. You Xu suddenly remembered ten years ago, as a kitten, nestled against his thin chest. Now, his chest was strong enough, like a barrier against danger.
The sound of hooves thundered, each thud like a blow to her heart, making it pound wildly.
Faintly, a hoarse, deep voice sounded above You Xu’s head, saying, “You Xu, don’t be afraid.”
Ni Houtao had already spurred his horse to their side, raising his broadsword high against Wen Shu’s neck. A flash of cold light, and the blade swiftly slashed down.
You Xu’s blood ran cold. “No—”
Before she could finish her sentence, she felt Wen Shu loosen the reins, grab her waist with his left hand, and forcefully pull her to the left. You Xu followed his movement and tumbled down the cliff to the left of the road.
In a dizzying rush, she felt pebbles and vegetation brush against her body, then something hit her head. You Xu’s vision went black, and she lost consciousness.
….
You Xu awoke with a splitting headache. Before her was a dark, low-hanging sky, the wind blowing incessantly, her limbs stiff with cold.
You Xu felt someone beneath her, and an arm around her waist.
She struggled to sit up and saw that Wen Shu was still unconscious; his situation was dire. Anxious, she looked around and realized they had jumped from a precipice. Below, a steep slope led to their current location, a small, natural basin resembling a sinkhole.
You Xu laid Wen Shu down and got up to look for shelter. She had scratches, but thankfully, she hadn’t twisted her ankle.
After searching for a while, they found a small opening not far away, only shoulder-high and about the width of a person’s outstretched arms.
The sky grew increasingly gloomy, and the temperature dropped lower and lower. Without delay, You Xu turned back and carried Wen Shu on his back.
“You Xu…” Wen Shu slightly opened his eyes, and saw the fine snow falling and the wind ruffling her black hair. She carried him on her slender back, struggling forward.
Several times, she saw her sway, but she didn’t fall, like a treetop laden with snow, bent low but not breaking.
Finally, at the cave entrance, You Xu didn’t notice a stone under his feet, tripped, and fell forward. But she instinctively shielded Wen Shu, the pain instantly bringing tears to her eyes.
After settling Wen Shu in, You Xu went out to find branches and wood to start a fire for warmth; otherwise, spending the night in this cold cave would likely lead to catching a cold.
The sky was too dark, and there were no stars or moon, making searching difficult. You Xu searched for a long time before finding some usable wood.
As You Xu approached the cave, she saw a figure at the entrance, leaning against a tree trunk, swaying slightly, seemingly about to fall forward.
You Xu quickly approached and supported him: “Why did you come out?”
Wen Shu caught his breath and slowly said, “I was looking for you.”
“I’m fine, don’t worry, let’s go back into the cave.” You Xu thought he was only worried about her safety, but little did she know that when he slightly opened his eyes and saw her departing figure, a sharp pain shot through his heart.
It seemed that many times before, he could only watch her leave.
Back in the cave, You Xu piled up the wood and took out a tinderbox from her clothes. Perhaps it was because she had seen how difficult it was for Li Yi’er to start a fire with a flint and steel, that she had subconsciously brought fire-starting supplies with her when she went out, and she hadn’t expected to actually use them.
The flames grew into a small fire, illuminating the cave with a warm, yellow light. You Xu dusted off her hands and turned to check Wen Shu’s injuries. She hadn’t seen them clearly before in the darkness, but now she realized he had far more scrapes and abrasions than she did; it was obvious he had protected her, shielding her from a lot of rubble and vegetation.
Seeing her distress and self-reproach, Wen Shu raised his hand to cover her eyes. “Don’t look.”
You Xu was about to push his hand away when she noticed his palms were raw and bleeding.
“What happened?” As soon as You Xu finished speaking, she noticed the abrasions on his thighs; if it weren’t for his trousers, his inner thighs would probably be bleeding too.
You Xu understood; Wen Shu had been rushing, traveling day and night, which had caused these injuries.
Her heart felt as if it had been ripped apart and soaked in saltwater, aching and numb.
You Xu’s nose stung, and his voice choked with emotion: “Are you stupid?”
Wen Shu covered his legs with his robe and said, “It was worth it.” If he had arrived any later, he feared… He dared not think of it; the thought sent chills down his spine.
Only now did he realize that she had quietly taken such an important place in his heart in just a few months.
You Xu didn’t know what to say; her head was buzzing and she was somewhat dazed. So she turned to face the fire.
Sparks crackled softly from the fire in the center of the cave, and snowflakes drifted outside. They welcomed the first snow of the year in this narrow cave entrance.
Wen Shu leaned against the rock wall, looking down at her. She was curled up, hugging her legs, her head resting on her knees, revealing her fair neck.
She looked dejected, her eyes brimming with tears, shimmering like tiny stars in the firelight.
For some reason, Wen Shu recalled ten years ago, when snow was falling outside, and inside a small, dilapidated house, a person and a cat sat side by side, huddled together, enduring the silvery winter and the cold wind.
Back then, there was also a small fire in front of them, illuminating half their bodies, their eyes filled with the warm yellow glow of the fire, and each other reflected in their peripheral vision.
Just like now.
Wen Shu’s heart stirred, a strange flutter rising within him.
You Xu stared at the fire, trying to process and suppress her chaotic emotions, when suddenly she felt a warmth spread through her body as someone pulled her into an embrace.
His chin rested on the top of her head, gently stroking it with a comforting touch.
The tears You Xu had just held back almost spilled again. So she forced a distraction, asking, “Are you very cold?”
“Yes, cold.”
So close, You Xu could feel the slight vibration of his chest, accompanied by his soft breath, as he uttered those two words.
They made her blush.
You Xu recalled the last time he was drugged and teased by her, leaving him looking somewhat bewitching and alluring. And she couldn’t help but cough lightly. “If you’re cold, I’ll take off my clothes and cover you with them.”
As she spoke, she reached for her belt, but Wen Shu stopped her, his voice tense: “No.”
You Xu hadn’t meant anything by it, but his husky voice led her astray: “Master, what are you thinking? Although this isn’t a sacred Buddhist site, you have so many injuries, how can you do that? It’s not that I’m unwilling, but I have to consider your health, don’t you think?”
Wen Shu: “…”
“But one must be flexible,” You Xu suggested matter-of-factly, “If you really want to, but it’s inconvenient for you to move, how about I do it? I think I can.”
Wen Shu: “…………”
Seeing that he didn’t speak, You Xu looked up and noticed that his Adam’s apple was bobbing and his ears had turned red.
She buried her head back down, sighing inwardly, “The more abstinent a person is, the easier it is to arouse their desire.”
After a while, the wind howled in, making the firelight flicker and the cave dimly lit.
You Xu was still worried about him: “Master, aren’t you cold?”
With that, Wen Shu tightened his left arm around her.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, seemingly out of the blue, “I only have one hand…” His tone was flat and emotionless.
He only had one hand; he couldn’t fully embrace her.
For the first time in so many years since losing his arm, he regretted his disability.
You Xu quietly raised her head and saw the darkness in his eyes. She instantly understood what he was thinking. She could understand; loving someone meant wanting to give the best, yet simultaneously feeling inadequate.
“Wen Shu, I can hold you.”
No need to think, no need to worry, I can hold you tightly. If you want it, I will do it.
Wen Shu was slightly startled. The darkness in his eyes had faded, replaced by a glimmer of light, like the warm sun dispelling gloom.
“Will you let go?” he asked cautiously and hesitantly.
“No.”
Fine snow fell, the north wind howled, and the cramped cave resembled the dilapidated hut of ten years ago, with only a faint light emanating from it.
Behind the firelight, shadows huddled together, passing the long night.
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