Getting married

Seeing that Ah Xiang had beaten the wolves to almost nothing, she stood up and ran towards Chi Xun. When she was near the tree, bloodstains on the snow came into view.

She called out to the tree, "Axun, come down quickly, we're one of you."

Hearing the sound, Chi Xun quickly climbed down the tree and gently brushed off the snow on her shoulders. Only then did A'li notice that his trouser legs under his thin undershirt were torn and there were traces of clotted blood on his trouser legs.

"It's snowing hard outside. Why did you come out, A-Li? Is it too cold in the cave? We were delayed by wolves on the way, and unfortunately the firewood was soaked by the snow."

Chi Xun's tone was full of self-blame, and he kept looking back with regret at the firewood piled beside the tree while speaking. He seemed to be completely unaware of the pain in the wound on his calf.

Noticing Yuanli staring at his trouser legs, Chi Xun adjusted his clothes to cover his trouser legs as much as possible. He turned sideways and said, "We can't stay here for long."

"Axun, go home."

Hearing this, Chi Xun was surprised and asked, "Why? My leg is fine. I only suffered some minor injuries. It's nothing serious. But if I go back now, Ah Li, all your efforts will be wasted."

"What nonsense are you talking about? It's so cold, will you come home with me?"

Seeing this, Ah Xiang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Oh, young master, just go home with your wife. Husband and wife always quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot of the bed. Besides, just now..."

Chi Xun's cheeks flushed slightly when he heard this, and he felt a little shy, as if he knew what outrageous words she had said just now to save him.

Seeing Ah Xiang's words becoming more and more outrageous, Yuanli quickly interrupted, "Madam, aren't you in a hurry to get on with your journey? We won't bother you any further. Thank you so much for your generosity in rescuing us just now."

"Thank you, lady."

Seeing that Chi Xun was not very enthusiastic and Ah Xiang's face looked a little strange, the three of them felt a little awkward.

Ah Xiang pulled out a men's coat from somewhere and handed it to them. Then he clasped his fists and said goodbye, "You're welcome. The wind and snow in the mountains get even stronger in the second half of the night. You two should be careful on your journey. Goodbye."

After saying that, Ah Xiang ran towards the top of the mountain holding her soup spoon. Yuanli held her forehead helplessly, saying that the wind and snow were getting worse, so how could anyone from outside the village rush to the top of the mountain?

After Ah Xiang was gradually devoured by Xue Ye, Yuanli opened the cloak she had just handed to her and put it on Chi Xun. The cloak seemed to be tailor-made for Chi Xun.

"You wear it, it's cold."

Chi Xun stubbornly wanted to take it off and give it to her, but Yuanli slapped his hand that was holding the coat away and said, "I have your coat. Use your body temperature to warm me up. If I get cold, give it to me."

"But…"

"No buts. Tonight, neither you nor I can die in this wilderness."

After tying it tightly and tidying it, Yuanli brushed the snow off his hair. Touching its material, she knew it had a warm outer coat and white fox fur inside, so it would definitely keep him warm. Yuanli felt relieved.

"Axun, we're going home."

On the mountainside, Yuanli and Chi Xun walked in the snow one after the other. After only a hundred meters, Chi Xun's pace gradually slowed down, sweat slightly appeared on his forehead, and he walked with some effort.

Yuanli stopped and looked back. Chi Xun was frantically trying to cover up the bloodstains on his trouser legs, leaving many holes and looking a little helpless.

Walking to his side, Yuanli got into his outer cloak, put his right hand on her shoulder to support him, and grabbed his belt with her left hand to hug him. The heat from his body was dispelling the coldness that she had contracted.

Perhaps feeling the coldness in her body, Chi Xun held her tightly against his body with his arms stiffly to bring warmth to her.

It’s so warm.

"I'll follow your steps. If it hurts, I'll stop and rest. Home isn't far away. Maybe I'll run into someone close to me who can help me. By the time the snowstorm hits in the middle of the night, we'll definitely be home."

"good."

The two leaned against each other as they walked, their numb bodies gradually soothing. Yuanli lowered her head, concentrating on the road, striving for stability, completely unaware that more and more villagers were gathering not far ahead.

"Ari..."

"Don't worry about me. If you have anything to say, go home and tell me. If your injured leg hits that rock and gets jarred, you'll be in so much pain that you'll die."

Chi Xun had no choice but to shut up, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. As they got closer, Yuanli felt a warm light in front of her. As soon as she looked up, she saw half of the villagers gathered in the snow looking at them.

Yuanli tilted her head and approached, muttering in dissatisfaction, "Why didn't you remind me?"

Chi Xun imitated her behavior and tilted his head. He lowered his head as close as possible to her ear and whispered, "I called you, but you asked me not to distract you."

Suddenly, she raised her head with an awkward smile and almost made contact with Chi Xun. Yuanli was so scared that she pushed him away and stepped back. However, Chi Xun was caught off guard and his feet were unstable, as if he was about to fall. Yuanli took a quick step and subconsciously hugged his waist with both hands.

The action of pushing him just now was covered by the cloak, and it was not clear in the darkness. The villagers who did not know the truth cheered.

Someone started the commotion, saying, "Yeah! The young leader is getting married!"

With the start, everyone seemed to have found their destination, cheering in unison: "Get married! Get married! Get married!"

In the crowd, Yuanli caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Oh no, Dad and Mom!

Yuanli buried her head in Chi Xun's chest in frustration. Chi Xun grabbed his outer cloak to cover her and said to the villagers, "The young leader has returned safely. It's late now. Let's all go back."

"We've all been through this, we all understand. Girls are shy, and Young Village Master, I'm sorry. Just listen to me, an old woman, and don't get in the way."

With that, the enthusiastic old lady sent everyone away. Three or five children who were watching the fun were also carried home by their parents by their clothes. As the warm light of the torches in the distance faded away, Chi Xun still held her tightly and was reluctant to let go.

He had never crossed the line, even though she had treated him as a brother and acted coquettishly in his arms since she was a child. But this time, he wanted to be greedy and hug his beloved girl a little longer.

The person in his arms grumbled, "Now it's all your fault. How am I going to survive in the village in the future?"

"Then you will be my wife."

Yuanli paused, unsure how to begin. Just as she was feeling apprehensive, Chi Xun's voice rang out from above her head, saying, "Ali was my future wife before she was even born. They'll just treat it as a spectacle like normal. Besides...Ali, aren't you leaving here soon? Why should you be afraid of rumors?"

Yuanli's hands that were hugging Chi Xun's waist slid down, and just as she was about to retreat, Chi Xun hugged her, resting his chin on her hair, and holding her shoulders tightly with both hands.

Before Yuanli could think of a response, Chi Xun let her go. Cold wind blew into her outer cloak, blowing away her impulsive words. Chi Xun forced a faint smile.

"Don't be trapped by the gossips of the world. Just live freely. Ah Li, help my brother go home."

After helping Chi Xun into the house, Yuanli insisted on staying to apply medicine for him. Seeing that she was about to get angry, Chi Xun couldn't resist her and let her do whatever she wanted to him.

Yuanli tried to roll up her loose trouser legs, but just as she reached the wound, Chi Xun couldn't help but hiss in pain, but he quickly put on a smile to comfort her.

She had never suffered any bloody injuries since she was a child. She always avoided Yuanli when treating Chi Xun's injuries. The only injury she had treated was Wen Yici's. As a result, she lacked practical experience and did not consider things comprehensively. She did not consider the fact that the blood scabs from the wound were stained on her trouser legs, and guilt surged in her heart.

"It doesn't hurt, brother."

As he spoke, Chi Xun covered her eyes and said, "Close your eyes. Brother, separate the trouser leg from the wound and change into a new pair of underwear. Ah Li will deal with it, okay?"

Hearing this, Yuanli nodded obediently. When she heard a rustling sound beside her, she closed her eyes tighter, fearing that she would see something she shouldn't see if she opened her eyes.

After sitting for a while, Yuanli felt a little shy, her cheeks flushed. Chi Xun was now an adult man, and he took off all his clothes in front of her, while she was still sitting beside his bed. What was this? She regretted not going out to wait for him.

Sitting alone for a long time, strange things flooded into his mind. As he was lost in thought, Chi Xun raised his voice and asked, "Doesn't it hurt to close your eyes so tightly?"

"It doesn't hurt. Brother, you should change your underwear quickly. The wound needs to be treated quickly, otherwise it will be bad if it gets infected."

"Change, open your eyes."

Yuanli tentatively squinted her right eye and looked through the slit of her eye. Through her blurry vision, she saw Chi Xun sitting on the bed. The two dirty pants had been taken off by him and folded at the end of the bed. The bloody and dirty parts had been folded and hidden.

He covered his chest and thighs with a quilt. Blood was still oozing from his two white legs. Some of the blood scabs had been torn open and were bleeding profusely. The deep red blood holes made her frown slightly.

While getting the medicine box, Yuanli turned around and quietly wiped the tears from her eyes. After calming herself down, she sat down beside his bed with the medicine box.

After wiping away the blood from his wound, Yuanli treated and bandaged the wound under Chi Xun's guidance. She stretched the trouser leg as wide as possible before carefully and slowly pulling it down, fearing to hurt him like before.

Chi Xun was amused by her seriousness and couldn't help but tease her, saying, "A-Li, since you care so much about me, it won't be too late to leave after you get married."

"Who wants to marry you, a guy who can't even beat a wolf?"

As she spoke, Yuanli covered him with a quilt, quickly packed up the medicine box and left the room.

The next morning, Yuanli got up early, retrieved the package that had fallen into the cave yesterday, and sneaked down the mountain.

Just as they were about to leave the Miao village, Yuanli heard a villager say after the shift change, "I heard the village chief called a doctor this morning. It seems Chi Xun has a high fever, and it seems quite severe. With all the heavy snow and wind yesterday, plus the wolf bite, I wonder if he can make it."

"Alas, that kid is so adorable. He finally found love with the young leader, but now he's in imminent danger. I wonder if he'll be lucky enough to make it through..."

Upon hearing this, Yuanli turned back and rushed towards her home on the top of the mountain. Even though she was exhausted and out of breath, Yuanli did not stop to rest for a moment.

I rushed back home, opened the door, and saw my father sitting on the armchair in the yard, his eyes glaring at me.

"Chi Li! You ran away from home again, didn't you?!"

Facing her father's accusations, Yuanli was frightened. She ran towards Chi Xun's room, saying, "Father, I'll go see Chi Xun first, and then I'll apologize to you!"