Chapter 6 He found her. Why is she so pitiful?
The mountain roads were difficult to travel in the rain.
A layer of white mist enveloped the mountains.
Li Chengyi walked step by step into the mountains with a frown. His clothes were already soaked by raindrops; normally, Li Chengyi would have been mindful of his gentlemanly conduct.
But he had no time to worry about those details; he just wanted to find Lin Yanshu as soon as possible and take her back for a hot meal.
Li Chengyi was not familiar with this mountain. He only knew that Lin Yanshu had gone up the mountain to collect herbs, so he followed the mountain path where there were many herbs.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Li Chengyi's hands, which were holding the umbrella, were damp with sweat.
He saw the hillside where Lin Yanshu had slid down earlier, with obvious signs of human intervention.
He peeked down and looked, but didn't see Lin Yanshu.
As we walked, the rain grew heavier and heavier, turning from a light drizzle into a torrential downpour. The raindrops were like pearls from a broken string, pelting us at an angle.
Even with his calm and collected nature, he became anxious.
He slid halfway down the hillside and called out Lin Yanshu's name towards it:
"Lin Yanshu!"
"Lin Yanshu!"
"Lin Yanshu!"
“…”
Lin Yanshu had already huddled in a corner, constantly rubbing his hands together and breathing on them to warm them.
It was so cold; her wet clothes clung to her body, making her feel as if the cold air was seeping into her skin through her pores.
If she stays here overnight, she'll definitely get a fever, or even less.
As her mind grew increasingly muddled, Lin Yanshu seemed to hear her own name through the haze.
She tried to open her eyes, the raindrops on her eyelashes trembling slightly as she opened them. Lin Yanshu tilted her head back, facing the rain, and squinted her eyes.
She started knocking on the wall, neither too hard nor too soft.
The sound wasn't loud; it was barely noticeable, masked by the sound of rain.
But as if guided, Li Chengyi ran towards Lin Yanshu's direction.
He rushed to the edge of the pit and immediately spotted Lin Yanshu, who was in a disheveled state, in the corner.
He only felt that Lin Yanshu's face was frighteningly pale.
Lin Yanshu struggled to open her eyes, and only then could she clearly see Li Chengyi.
She gestured weakly at him:
What brings you here?
Li Chengyi frowned, found a vine nearby, and threw it to Lin Yanshu.
Lin Yanshu tugged at the vine; it was very sturdy, but she didn't have enough strength to hold on to it.
She raised her hand and pulled back her sleeve, revealing the bruise on her elbow, and shook her head at Li Chengyi with a self-deprecating smile.
Li Chengyi stared at her arm, his eyes filled with heartache.
He leaned half his body into the pit and reached out his hand to Lin Yanshu.
Li Chengyi's palm was above Lin Yanshu's head. She looked up at him and reached out to grasp Li Chengyi's hand.
The man's hands were different from Lin Yan's; they were hot and heavy.
The moment Lin Yanshu's fingertips touched Li Chengyi's palm, she trembled from the heat.
Li Chengyi grabbed Lin Yanshu's hand. He felt that Lin Yanshu's hand was too cold, like a piece of cold jade that could not be warmed.
He braced himself on the ground with one hand and pulled Lin Yanshu up with the other.
Lin Yanshu used the pit wall for leverage and was pulled up by Li Chengyi.
This series of actions almost exhausted Lin Yanshu's remaining strength.
She lay half-prone on the muddy ground, panting heavily, her wet hair clinging to her cheeks. Her clothes were soaked with mud and raindrops.
This was the first time in Lin Yanshu's life that she had been so disheveled.
Li Chengyi clenched his fist, held up a paper umbrella over Lin Yanshu's head, squatted down, and reached out to tuck the wet hair on Lin Yanshu's cheek behind her ear.
Lin Yanshu looked up, her eyes filled with a barely perceptible hint of grievance, staring blankly at Li Chengyi.
Lee Seung-ik felt his heart race under her gaze, as if a pig was running wildly across his chest.
He turned his head away, handed the paper umbrella to Lin Yanshu, and squatted down with his back to her.
"Get on, I'll carry you."
Lin Yanshu took the paper umbrella, hesitated for a moment, and reached out his hand, but before he could touch it, Li Chengyi grabbed him tightly on the shoulder.
Li Chengyi grabbed Lin Yanshu's calf and pulled her firmly against his back.
Lin Yanshu finally felt a little safe. She put her arms around Li Chengyi's neck and quietly felt the warmth of his body.
She felt that Li Chengyi was like an inexhaustible furnace, so warm.
Thinking this, Lin Yanshu buried her face in Li Chengyi's neck, gently rubbing against it, and in doing so, the rainwater on her face seeped into Li Chengyi's collar.
Li Chengyi felt an itch on his neck and noticed the movement of the person on his back. He stiffened and asked, half-stammering:
"Go...where to?"
Lin Yanshu then raised her head, looked around, and pointed in a direction.
The rain was too heavy, it was getting late, and the road down the mountain was too long, so Lin Yanshu pointed out a path leading to a nearby cave.
Following Lin Yanshu's directions, Li Chengyi entered a cave and gently put Lin Yanshu down.
Lin Yanshu patted the water droplets off her clothes and closed her umbrella.
Li Chengyi took the opportunity to survey the cave's environment, finding it to be a suitable place to take refuge.
Lin Yanshu walked into the cave. Generally speaking, hunters would leave some supplies in the cave to prepare for any unexpected situations.
Lin Yanshu turned over the haystack, picked up the tinderbox next to him, and pointed to the firewood inside.
Li Chengyi understood immediately, walked over, bent down, picked up the pair of firewood, and piled them up in the corner.
Lin Yanshu held a pile of hay in her hand and placed it on the firewood. She blew on the tinderbox and lit the hay.
Flames gradually ignited, their vibrant red reflection shimmering in Lin Yanshu's dark eyes.
Lee Seung-ik was somewhat shocked as he watched her skillfully complete all of this.
Lin Yanshu followed his gaze, looked up and met his eyes. Lin Yanshu curled her lips and smiled slightly.
Li Chengyi licked his lips and sat down in the windy spot. Lin Yanshu sat down next to him.
She stretched out her hands, which were scorched by the flames.
Li Chengyi stared at her soaked clothes, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly:
"If you wear these clothes until tomorrow, you'll get sick."
Hearing this, Lin Yanshu lowered her head, then looked up at Li Chengyi.
Lee Seung-ik turned around, stood up, and walked a few steps outside, covering his eyes with his hands.
Lin Yanshu blinked as she watched his movements, then slowly unbuttoned her clothes and hung her outer garment over the fire to dry.
She was wearing only her inner lining, fanning herself by the fire while warming herself with the hem of her dress.
With his eyes covered, Li Chengyi felt that his hearing had become even more acute.
The soft rustling of clothes reached Li Chengyi's ears like a breeze. He felt a surge of heat and stepped outside to the vent, letting the cold wind blow through him.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but the clothes on the rack were warm from the heat, and Lin Yanshu put them on layer by layer, feeling warm all over.
After fastening the last button, Lin Yanshu turned to look at Li Chengyi, only then realizing that he had secretly run to the cave entrance.
He didn't mind the cold that day.
She walked over and reached out to touch Li Chengyi's fingertips. Unlike before, Li Chengyi's fingertips were slightly cool. The coolness collided with the thin calluses on the man's fingertips, giving a tingling sensation.
Lin Yanshu unconsciously scratched his fingertip, and Li Chengyi tensed up, opening his eyes to look at Lin Yanshu.
Lin Yanshu smiled at him and pulled him into the cave.
Li Chengyi was still immersed in the sensation on his fingertips when he inexplicably became somewhat angry.
He considered himself a gentleman, but Lin Yanshu always subtly crossed the line like this; how could she...?
How can you be so casual with yourself, without any reservations?
He's a hot-blooded man!
Lin Yanshu looked at Li Chengyi's furrowed brows and tilted her head, puzzled.
She gestured at him:
Thank you for today.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
As she spoke, she reached out to touch Li Chengyi.
Li Cheng, feeling sullen, moved to the side, grabbed Lin Yanshu's wrist, and stared at him with a dark expression.
Lin Yanshu shrank back when she saw that look in his eyes.
"Didn't anyone teach you about the proper separation between men and women?"
"You...you can't keep touching men like that."
Lin Yanshu scratched his head, not understanding, and reached out to explain:
"No, my master said that all people in the world, regardless of gender, are just a lump of flesh, some fat and some thin."
Halfway through the gesture, Lin Yanshu blinked:
"Besides, you're not a man..."
Before Lin Yanshu could finish explaining, Li Chengyi suddenly raised his voice:
"I'm not a man?"
"I am eight feet tall, and I am exceptionally talented in all six arts of a gentleman. No one of my age can compare to me."
"If I'm not a man, then who is?"
"Those guys you picked up before?"
"What exactly is your master teaching you?"
Lin Yanshu stared at him with wide eyes; she hadn't finished speaking yet!
Moreover, what is Li Chengyi so excited about?
He's really strange; maybe amnesia affects his brainpower.
Li Chengyi had no idea that he had been labeled a strange person in Lin Yanshu's mind.
He felt an unbearable rage inside him; no one had ever told him he wasn't a man before!
Lin Yanshu is the first one!
What exactly did her master teach her?
Lin Yanshu patted Li Chengyi's shoulder reassuringly:
"You are a patient, and so are they."
"Master...taught me to read, to heal the sick and save lives..."
As she gestured, Lin Yanshu's expression grew melancholy; she was starting to miss her master, the old man.
I wonder how that old man is doing now.
Li Chengyi was about to question this so-called master about what he had done, but when she saw the sadness and longing in Lin Yanshu's eyes, her voice softened:
"He... is actually a pretty nice person."
Lin Yanshu snorted coldly, slightly agitated as she complained about her master:
"fart!"
"That old man has never done anything reliable."
“When I was ten, they left me alone, saying they were going out to find medicine for me, but they never even sent a message.”
"She must have run off with someone!"
Lin Yanshu couldn't help but recall how the old man used to throw her into his basket when he was a child, and when he went up the mountain to collect herbs, he would throw all sorts of broken grass and rotten flowers into the basket. She found it fun, and she would hold these herbs in her hand and stuff them into her mouth.
She took a bite of each herb, and by the end, Lin Yanshu felt something was wrong. Her mouth felt numb and her head was spinning. She reached out and tapped the back of her master's head, her mouth dry as she said:
"Master, I feel dizzy."
Ji Yuan was suddenly knocked on, his body bent over, completely forgetting that there was a little person on his back.
Lin Yanshu tumbled off Ji Yuan's back!
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