Chapter 5 Please Forgive Me and Take the Initiative to Make Peace

Li Chengyi curled his lips and raised an eyebrow at Lin Yanshu with great excitement:

"I'm back!"

Lin Yanshu was secretly pleased when she saw him, but then looked away and casually moved to the side.

Yes, she's still angry with that idiot.

Li Chengyi was already used to it. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, pushed open the door and jumped in, holding a dagger in his hand. He presented it to Lin Yanshu like a puppy seeking praise.

“I bought that dagger that day for only four qian.”

Lin Yanshu's eyes lit up; he actually went and bought this dagger.

This idiot even knows how to bargain.

Wait, where did he get the money?

In an instant, Lin Yanshu's expression changed from surprise to confusion to anger.

Li Chengyi looked at the girl in front of him, his eyes turning from round like a deer to cold like a venomous snake.

He froze on the spot. What had he done wrong this time?

He didn't say anything, did he?

A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea.

Li Chengyi quickly took out the hairpin from his pocket, carefully opened the outer packaging, and presented it to Lin Yanshu.

He was unsure whether Lin Yanshu would like it, and with a hint of anticipation in his eyes, he said nervously:

"I was just passing by and thought it would suit you perfectly."

Lin Yanshu looked up at the emerald green jade hairpin. The orchids on it were lifelike. She had never bought any jewelry before, and her eyes were fixed on the hairpin.

Looking at the girl's dazed expression, Li Chengyi couldn't help but find Lin Yanshu's dazedness rather endearing.

Before Lin Yanshu could react, he raised his hand and stuck it straight into Lin Yanshu's head.

The jade hairpin, pointing upwards, was inserted straight into the girl's hair like a chopstick.

But Li Chengyi didn't think much of it; he thought it looked beautiful, though the hairpin seemed a bit unworthy of Lin Yanshu.

After he raised his hand, Lin Yanshu finally reacted, her eyes wide as she looked up and slowly touched the cool jade hairpin on her head.

She thought:

Ah Zhao, that fool, he's actually quite good at charming women.

But then she thought, this might not be a skill she had practiced before she lost her memory!

She touched the hairpin and walked away angrily.

Li Chengyi followed behind, puzzled, his mind racing.

Could it be that she doesn't like it?

But she was clearly very happy just now.

He followed awkwardly behind Lin Yanshu, biting his lip, and finally gently tugged at Lin Yanshu's sleeve. Lin Yanshu tripped over him, turned her head to look at him suspiciously, her eyes full of accusation:

"What! Do! You! Do!

Li Chengyi blushed slightly and stammered a bit. This was the first time he had ever yielded to someone since he came of age.

"It was my fault before. I didn't understand what you meant and made you angry."

"Yan Shu, don't be angry."

As he spoke, he suddenly realized something, pulled out a large bag of silver, stuffed it into Lin Yanshu's hand, and said smugly:

"Here's the money."

When Lin Yanshu first heard him call her "Yanshu sister," she couldn't help but bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

This was the first time she had heard Li Chengyi speak the language of the country folk. Li Chengyi usually acted like a refined gentleman, speaking in a very literary style, often using phrases like "alas" and "amazing."

She looked down at the heavy bag of silver in her arms; this was the first time someone had so forcefully stuffed money into her hands.

When her master was still alive, he would force her to eat a bunch of medical books and tell her that she couldn't eat candied hawthorns until she had memorized them all.

She was so angry that she cried loudly while carrying it on her back. Finally, the vendor couldn't stand it anymore and took her to buy all the candied hawthorns from the stall, stuffing them all into his own hands.

She was so small at the time that she almost lost her grip and got syrup all over herself.

She grasped Li Chengyi's hand in return, pulled him into the house, took out a piece of paper, and wrote down what she wanted to say:

Where did you get the money?

Li Chengyi touched his nose. To say that he was so poor that he had to pawn his jade ornaments was somewhat embarrassing for a crown prince.

But he still answered Lin Yanshu:

"I pawned some of my own things, they're worthless! Don't worry."

Lin Yanshu hadn't expected the money to come from this source. She was somewhat stunned and puzzled.

Lee Seung-ik explained, somewhat embarrassed:

"I just felt that you were living too poorly, and you took such good care of me, so I'm giving you something to improve your life."

"This little bit of stuff isn't worth mentioning!"

"Once I'm healed, you can have anything you want."

Hearing Li Chengyi's words, Lin Yanshu couldn't help but tear up, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Since her master left, she has been alone. As a doctor, healing and saving lives are etched in her mind. She has always been the one taking care of others, and no one has ever offered to do anything for her.

She hugged Li Chengyi gratefully. Li Chengyi wanted to continue his boasting, but was startled by Lin Yanshu's sudden hug and stood frozen in place.

He remained stiff, slowly responding to Lin Yanshu, his palm gently patting Lin Yanshu's delicate shoulder blades:

"You...you don't need to be so touched...it's just a small thing."

He regretted it as soon as he said it.

Lin Yanshu, this country girl, must have never seen the world and had never been treated so lavishly.

If he acts like this, won't Lin Yanshu become even more infatuated with him, and then use the excuse of saving her life to cling to him...?

Thinking of this, Li Chengyi composed himself. He grabbed Lin Yanshu's shoulders, lifted her up, and moved her backward, placing her steadily on the ground like a stone. He touched his nose and stammered:

"Men and women... should not touch each other."

Lin Yanshu looked at Li Chengyi's face, blushed slightly with embarrassment, and used sign language to express her gratitude:

"Thank you, A-Zhao."

Li Chengyi couldn't understand it, and every time Lin Yanshu tried to communicate with him, he had to find paper and pen again.

He suddenly wanted to learn the sign language so he could communicate with Lin Yanshu without any delay.

He looked down into Lin Yanshu's eyes and said solemnly:

"Lin Yanshu, please teach me sign language!"

"I don't want to communicate with you through pen and paper every time."

The boy's sincere expression was reflected in Lin Yanshu's eyes, and for some reason, her heart felt like a feather falling on the surface of a lake, causing ripples.

………

Li Chengyi was very enthusiastic about learning. Every day after taking his medicine, he would pester Lin Yanshu to teach him sign language.

Lin Yanshu wrote the meaning on a piece of paper and slowly demonstrated it to him. Li Chengyi then copied it exactly.

After half a month, although Li Chengyi had not fully mastered it, he was able to communicate with her in sign language, albeit haltingly.

She just didn't understand why Lee Seung-ik always learned those swear words before using everyday language.

She hadn't taught him any swearing gestures. What's even more infuriating is that the swear words Li Chengyi learned were used on her instead.

When they argued, Lee Seung-ik didn't speak, but instead used powerful sign language:

"Fool!"

"idiot!"

Lin Yanshu even felt a sense of awe, as if teaching a disciple to hate his master.

However, after Li Chengyi secretly cursed her every time, he would slink away to do his work, which made Lin Yanshu unable to get angry.

After two months, Lee Seung-ik was able to communicate fluently with her using sign language.

Lin Yanshu felt relieved that Li Chengyi was home alone, so she left him some food and went up the mountain to gather herbs.

She hadn't been up the mountain in so long; it had changed.

No longer the lush green of summer, it now carries a hint of chilly autumn. The leaves have turned from green to yellow, with patches of green interspersed among them, mingling with the fresh scent of earth after the autumn rain.

Thick leaves covered the mountain path, so Lin Yanshu picked up a stick to probe the way and avoid slipping.

Despite her precautions, an accident still occurred.

Perhaps it's because Li Chengyi has taken such good care of her these past few months that her legs aren't as nimble as they used to be when climbing mountains.

Lin Yanshu, clinging to a tree trunk, leaned sideways on the slope, bending down to pick eucommia ulmoides hidden in the grass. Her long hair swept across her neck, and she slipped, sliding down the hillside. She tumbled onto the muddy ground.

She instinctively cried out, her arm slamming heavily to the ground. Lin Yanshu braced herself and managed to sit up halfway.

She shook her dizzy head and tossed the Eucommia ulmoides she was clutching into her basket.

Slipping is inevitable when going up the mountain to collect herbs. Lin Yanshu looked down at herself; she was covered in mud. She patted it off and sighed helplessly.

I've had such bad luck today, I should go back and eat the hot meal Ah Zhao made early in the morning.

Thinking this, she started walking down the mountain, only to find herself stepping into a newly set trap by the hunter.

She fell into the pit with a "whoosh," her head hitting the wall hard, instantly forming a large red bump.

Even with Lin Yanshu's good temper, he was now somewhat angry.

She punched the earthen wall, and a half-dry, half-wet clod of earth rolled onto her head.

Lin Yanshu sighed helplessly, shook his head, and looked up at the pit opening.

The sky was beautiful, a clear blue, which only made her look even more disheveled.

She is now like a frog in a well, looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.

She originally remembered that no hunters had set up traps here.

She's too exhausted to keep going.

Lin Yanshu sat down against the wall, intending to rest for a while before finding another angle to climb up.

As she leaned against the railing, she actually fell asleep. When she woke up, a light drizzle was pattering on her cheeks.

She then realized that her elbows were extremely sore. When she rolled up her sleeves, she saw that her arms were covered in bruises.

It's probably because of the injuries she sustained from those two falls that they're only now becoming apparent.

Lin Yanshu tried to use her arms to exert force, but could only click her tongue in pain. Raindrops hit her face, clothes, and the dirt.

Her clothes gradually turned dark, and water pooled around her feet.

Lin Yanshu moved to the side and anxiously looked up at the sky. The sky was foggy and the dark clouds were very low.

She worried that the downpour would last a long time, and that she might be in big trouble on her own.

Lin Yanshu tried to climb out again with a look of anxiety on her face.

Even with all his strength, he couldn't escape from this damp pit.

Li Chengyi, who was far away at home, saw that the sky outside had suddenly darkened and it had started to rain again, and he was a little worried about Lin Yanshu.

What will happen if she gets trapped on the mountain all by herself?

But he quickly dismissed the idea; she could carry him down the mountain all by herself, what could possibly happen to her?

I'd better cook properly, otherwise Lin Yanshu will complain about the food when she comes back.

Li Chengyi tended the fire while listening to the pattering rain outside.

When the dripping sound became louder than the sound of burning firewood, Li Chengyi suddenly stood up, grabbed a paper umbrella, and ran into the rain…