Chapter 83 Watch out! Avalanche!
Ye Wanning looked at him, her heart melting. She nodded and sat on the stool by the bed: "Okay, I'll stay with you."
Pei Zhi held the military treatise he had just read, but didn't look at it again. He just chatted with her casually—about how he was naughty in the camp when he was a child and was punished by his father to run laps; about how his hands trembled with nervousness when he first went to the battlefield; about how he had seen her mother gathering herbs when he went to Begonia Valley before…
Ye Wanning listened quietly, responding with a few words when appropriate.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tent, falling between the two sleeping bags, warm and inviting, like springtime. Looking at Pei Zhi's profile, Ye Wanning suddenly felt that this moment was truly precious.
Night fell, as dark as ink, and the military camp was shrouded in darkness and silence, save for the rustling of tents and the footsteps of patrolling soldiers. Ye Wanning lay in Pei Zhi's tent, intending to return to her own tent next door to sleep, but she turned back at the tent entrance—she hadn't been able to resist glancing at Pei Zhi earlier and saw that he was sleeping restlessly, grinding his teeth and humming softly.
She had several things on her mind: first, she was worried that his wound might get infected at night; second, she was worried that he would be thirsty and no one would give him water; and third, she was worried that he would be anxious if he woke up and couldn't see anyone.
In her hazy state, she felt someone gently stroking her hair, the movement soft and gentle, as if afraid of damaging something precious. Ye Wanning suddenly opened her eyes and saw Pei Zhi awake, his eyes shining like stars, smiling at her: "Why don't you go back to the next room to sleep? It's too tiring to lie here like this."
"I'm worried you won't sleep well at night and there will be no one to take care of you." Ye Wanning rubbed her eyes, her voice soft and sweet, with the languor of someone who had just woken up, like a kitten that had just woken up.
Pei Zhi looked at her sleepy eyes and his heart softened. He moved to the inside of the bed to make room for her: "Come on up and squeeze in. This bed is big enough. Don't get cold."
Ye Wanning hesitated—it wasn't appropriate for a lone man and woman to share a bed. But looking into Pei Zhi's sincere eyes, and then at the thick bandage on his arm, she couldn't bear to refuse. She gently took off her shoes, lay down next to Pei Zhi, and tried to keep a fist's distance between them.
"This way you won't be cold." Pei Zhi smiled and closed his eyes.
Not long after, he quietly opened his eyes again and looked at the person beside him. Ye Wanning was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly, her long eyelashes falling on her eyelids like two small fans, she was extremely cute.
In the middle of the night, Ye Wanning was fast asleep and unconsciously leaned towards Pei Zhi, resting her forehead on his uninjured arm. Pei Zhi's body instantly stiffened, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of his throat. He wanted to push her away, but seeing her peaceful sleeping face, he couldn't bear to.
Pei Zhi quietly moved closer to her, gently protecting her shoulder with his uninjured right hand, as if protecting a rare treasure. He was afraid she would catch a cold, and also afraid that any sudden movement would wake her, so he could only remain motionless in that position.
In his hazy state, he recalled Ye Wanning changing his bandages during the day, and the way she said "Don't worry" with her ears red. He couldn't help but whisper, "Wanning, don't leave me..."
These words were spoken softly, yet they reached Ye Wanning's ears perfectly. Her eyelashes fluttered, a faint smile curved her lips, and she snuggled closer to him before falling back asleep.
As dawn broke, Ye Wanning woke up. Finding herself leaning on Pei Zhi's arm, his hand still protecting her shoulder, her heart skipped a beat. She gently pulled away, about to get out of bed, when Pei Zhi grabbed her arm.
"Awake?" Pei Zhi's voice was hoarse from just waking up, but his eyes were bright. "Won't you sleep a little longer?"
"No, I have to go cook breakfast." Ye Wanning blushed instantly and quickly lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye.
Seeing her flustered appearance, Pei Zhi couldn't help but laugh: "Okay, I'll wait for you to come back."
Ye Wanning ran out of the tent as if fleeing, but her heart felt warm, like it was carrying a little sun. She touched her face; it was still hot—so this is what it feels like to sleep next to someone you like.
When Ye Wanning changed Pei Zhi's dressing in the morning, she noticed that his wound was a little red and swollen, with a faint bruise. She frowned and asked the army doctor, "Why is this happening? Is the medicine not good enough?"
The military doctor sighed, "Madam Ye, it's not that the medicine is bad, but we're missing a key ingredient—Ice Crystal Grass. This grass can clear heat and detoxify, and it's very helpful for wound healing, but the camp's stock ran out yesterday."
"Where can I find Ice Crystal Grass?" Ye Wanning asked hurriedly.
“There are wild ones on the nearby snow-capped mountains, but the mountains are too dangerous. They are covered in snow and prone to avalanches, so no one dares to go there,” the military doctor shook his head.
Ye Wanning didn't say anything more, but she had made up her mind—no matter how dangerous it was, she had to go; Pei Zhi's injury couldn't wait.
Before dawn, Ye Wanning wrapped herself in a thick cotton robe and hat, grabbed a small shovel, and led two bodyguards up the snow-covered mountain. As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, the ankle-deep snow was already over her feet; with each step she sank half a foot deeper, and the icy snow water seeped into her shoes, making her toes numb with cold.
"Miss, it's too dangerous, let's go back!" a guard advised her with concern. "Even without the Ice Crystal Grass, the army doctor has a way. What will Lord Pei do if something happens to you?"
"Pei Zhi's injury can't wait any longer; the longer it drags on, the more it will hurt him. I must save him; I must find the Ice Crystal Grass." Ye Wanning's voice was soft, but there was no room for negotiation.
The guards had no choice but to follow her, carefully protecting her. They walked for another two hours, and dawn gradually broke. Ye Wanning's face and hands were red from the cold, and her lips were pale, but she never stopped.
Just then, she saw several lush green grasses in the ravine ahead, with ice crystals hanging on their leaves—they were ice crystal grasses!
"Found it!" Ye Wanning shouted excitedly, ran over quickly, and squatted down to carefully dig up the grass roots with a shovel. Afraid of damaging the roots, she moved as slowly as if embroidering, but she didn't notice that the snow on the hillside above her head was sliding down little by little.
"Miss, watch out! Avalanche!" A guard lunged forward to try and pull her out, but he was too late.
The ice block slammed down like a saddle, landing squarely on Ye Wanning's back. She cried out in pain, but clung tightly to the ice crystal grass in her arms, afraid it would be buried by the snow. The guards rushed over, pulled her out of the snow, and quickly brushed the snow off her.
"Miss, are you alright?" the guards asked anxiously.
Ye Wanning waved her hand, hugging the Ice Crystal Grass tightly to her chest: "It's alright, it's alright, as long as the Ice Crystal Grass isn't lost. Let's go back quickly, Pei Zhi is still waiting for the medicine!"
When they returned to the military camp, it was already broad daylight. Ye Wanning's hair and eyelashes were covered in ice, making her look like a snowman, but she was still clutching those few ice crystal grasses in her hand.
Pei Zhiyi's expression changed instantly when he saw her. He rushed over and grabbed her hand: "Are you crazy? Are a few herbs worth risking your life for?" He squeezed her hand hard, making Ye Wanning feel a little pain, but she smiled and handed him the Ice Crystal Grass: "Look, I found it! This way your injury will heal faster."
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