Shan He Zhen – Chapter 69

Wei Yun, whether in his past life or this one, had always been a man of iron will. When had he ever uttered the word “pain”?

For someone who never spoke of pain to suddenly mention it, it was heart-wrenching beyond measure.

Chu Yu sniffled, holding the barely conscious Wei Yun. She gently pressed his head against her shoulder, resting her cheek on his head, and said in a hoarse voice, “Xiao Qi is fine. I’ve brought you home, okay?”

Wei Yun’s consciousness was hazy, but he vaguely heard the words “brought home” and responded weakly, “Mm…”

He leaned his entire weight on Chu Yu as if she were his greatest support.

“Sister-in-law…” he said hoarsely, “I’m so tired.”

“If you’re tired, then sleep,” Chu Yu held him, gently patting his back. “I’m here.”

Wei Yun fell silent, closing his eyes and leaning against her. Soon, Chu Yu heard his steady breathing. She sighed, gently laying him down. Chu Yu went to find a water source, tore her tattered clothes into strips, soaked them in water, and filled a water skin before returning.

Wei Yun was running a high fever, so she continuously used the damp cloth to cool him down.

By midnight, he began to feel cold again. Chu Yu moved him closer to the fire and embraced him.

He shivered in her arms, vaguely opening his eyes to look at her.

Though his mind was foggy, he could see the woman’s face in the firelight. She was calm and composed, standing firm like a rock amidst raging waves, her expression unwavering.

Seeing her gaze, he felt fearless. Like a child, he rested his head on her shoulder, a simple gesture that spoke volumes.

Chu Yu knew he was acting on instinct in his current state. Unable to do much more, she raised her hand to embrace him, feeling a painful dryness in her throat.

After a night of struggle, Wei Yun’s temperature finally returned to normal near dawn. He woke up groggily, and Chu Yu gave him some water to drink, restoring some color to his parched lips. Then she discussed with him, “We need to set out. I must find a doctor for you. Can I carry you on my back?”

Wei Yun hesitated for a moment. Knowing his concern, Chu Yu quickly said, “Your leg is injured. I’ve secured it, but I’m not sure if there’s damage to the bone or tendons. If you walk on it, it might cause lasting damage.”

“But…” Wei Yun began.

“Xiao Qi,” Chu Yu bent down to check his bandaged wound, calmly saying, “The Wei family will rely on you in the future. Carrying one more person is nothing for me.”

Wei Yun remained silent, lowering his gaze.

Chu Yu turned around, half-crouching, allowing him to place his hands on her shoulders.

She stood up with Wei Yun on her back, securing him with cloth strips, and began walking.

“Sister-in-law,” Wei Yun’s voice was still hoarse, “Where are we going?”

Chu Yu thought for a moment before finally saying, “We’ll first find a town. I’ll buy medicine for you, then find a secluded doctor to treat you.”

“I’m from Da Chu. What if they refuse to treat me?”

“Don’t worry,” Chu Yu said calmly. “As long as we find someone, there will be a way.”

Wei Yun said no more. He leaned against Chu Yu’s back. Though he was much taller than her, Chu Yu carried him without apparent effort, her steps steady and her heartbeat calm.

He rested against her back, listening to her heartbeat.

Spring had arrived, and their clothes weren’t very thick. He could feel her warmth seeping through, comforting and peaceful.

He didn’t know why, but despite still being on the run, he couldn’t help but smile.

He couldn’t suppress his smile, but then remembering how Chu Yu had put herself in such danger for him, he immediately furrowed his brow.

Chu Yu couldn’t see these changes in his expression as she carried him, clearing the path, wading through streams, and climbing over mountains.

Wei Yun remained on her shoulder, quietly watching her.

When Chu Yu finally crossed over a mountain and reached a small path, she noticed Wei Yun’s expression and asked curiously, “What are you looking at?”

Wei Yun hurriedly averted his gaze, lowering his head without a word. Chu Yu smiled, thinking how childlike Wei Yun appeared at this moment.

She set him down to rest, finding a flat area behind a hill. She gathered dry firewood, started a fire, and began roasting a rabbit she had caught by the stream earlier.

Wei Yun leaned against the hillside, silently watching her work. Chu Yu looked up at him while roasting the rabbit and couldn’t help but smile, “What’s wrong? Did your trip to the Bei Di royal court make you mute?”

Wei Yun stiffened, not saying much. As the firewood crackled, Chu Yu, estimating that their pursuers wouldn’t catch up anytime soon, chatted casually with Wei Yun, “You’re quite daring, aren’t you? Didn’t I tell you to guard Feng Ling City while I slowly advanced? Yet you brought five thousand troops straight to the Bei Di royal court. Who do you think you are? Bai Qi reborn? Huo Qubing reincarnated?”

Though Chu Yu’s tone was calm, Wei Yun could hear the reproach in it. His eyelashes fluttered as he said softly, “Sister-in-law, I was wrong. Please don’t be angry.”

Chu Yu scoffed lightly, “You think I don’t know you? You say you’re wrong now, but if you encounter something like this again, you’ll surely rush in without a second thought.”

Wei Yun dared not reply. Chu Yu was right; he apologized verbally, but if faced with a similar situation, he would still go.

“Why don’t you trust me?” Chu Yu sighed softly. Wei Yun pursed his lips before finally saying, “Did you manage to hold Feng Ling City?”

Chu Yu remained silent. Wei Yun looked up at her, his expression calm, “Given Su Cha’s offensive, how much longer could you have held out?”

Chu Yu dared not speak.

In the final moments, out of two thousand troops, only five hundred remained usable. If they had continued fighting, even the elderly, women, and children in the city might have had to man the walls.

If it had continued, it would have likely ended up like Chu Lin Yang’s situation years ago.

Wei Yun saw the answer in her expression and smiled gently.

“So, how could I sit back and watch you go to your death? If someone had to die, better it be me.”

“Xiao Qi…” Chu Yu furrowed her brow, “If it’s for your brother, you don’t need to…”

“It’s not for my brother!” Wei Yun interrupted her quickly. As soon as the words left his mouth, both of them were stunned.

Wei Yun had never spoken to her so forcefully before. If Chu Yu hadn’t clearly remembered what she had just said, she might have thought she had said something offensive.

But what had she said?

She felt she had only stated the truth – that the strongest connection between her and Wei Yun was that she was Wei Da’s wife.

Wei Yun was a person with a strong sense of responsibility. Without this relationship, Wei Yun and she were just two strangers who had known each other for barely eight months. How could he go to such lengths for her?

She saved him out of love, admiration, responsibility, and a certain recklessness towards life and death that came from her rebirth.

But his saving her – apart from responsibility, what else could there be?

Her gaze was clear and calm, full of incomprehension. Seeing her look, Wei Yun understood what she was thinking. He couldn’t help but breathe rapidly, clenching his fists, suppressing the anger and frustration in his heart.

He forced himself not to look at her, lowering his eyelids and speaking through gritted teeth, “My willingness to risk my life to save you is not for my brother. It’s just Wei Yun wanting to save Chu Yu, never for anyone else.”

Chu Yu stared at him blankly, her eyes full of confusion.

After a long while, she looked at the young man before her, who resembled a small animal turning its head away. She couldn’t help but smile.

After all, he was still young.

She could calmly and rationally view relationships between people, but Wei Yun was only fifteen. It was inevitable for him to invest more emotions in someone who had accompanied him through the most difficult times of his life.

Chu Yu found a reason for herself, feeling somewhat amused. She raised her hand and ruffled Wei Yun’s hair.

Wei Yun was taken aback. He turned to look at Chu Yu, who smiled and said, “Alright, I understand. You saved me because you care about me, and it has nothing to do with your brother.”

“You care about me.”

These words, spoken so casually by her, struck him like lightning.

For a moment, he even thought that the person before him understood his feelings. But meeting her gaze, he clearly understood that she didn’t grasp the meaning of these words.

His caring for her was entirely different from what she imagined.

But he couldn’t say it. He felt ashamed even for harboring such thoughts.

He lowered his gaze, no longer speaking. Chu Yu quietly watched him, like a little dog that had tentatively extended its paw, only to reluctantly and unwillingly withdraw it.

She finally sensed something odd about Wei Yun, but she couldn’t understand why. She only felt that the atmosphere had become somewhat awkward, and the person before her seemed to have closed a door, unwilling to speak with her anymore.

She coughed lightly, unable to bear it any longer, and finally changed the subject, “Let me tell you about what happened in Hua Jing.”

With that, Chu Yu recounted everything – how Zhao Yue had protected Yao Yong, occupied Hua Jing, and allied with Chu Lin Yang and Song Shi Lan. After finishing, she said, “I’ve left the Wei family affairs to Gu Chu Sheng and Qin Shi Yue to manage, with my brother overseeing them. When we return, Gu Chu Sheng should have the logistics and finances in order. Then we can negotiate with Zhao Yue again. What do you think?”

Wei Yun didn’t respond. Chu Yu looked at his expression, hesitating, “Do you have any thoughts?”

Wei Yun raised his eyes to look at Chu Yu, his gaze full of scrutiny.

Chu Yu felt uneasy under his gaze and asked uncertainly, “Xiao Qi?”

“What did you promise Gu Chu Sheng?” Wei Yun asked coldly.

Chu Yu was taken aback, and then asked, “Why do you ask that?”

“What official position does Gu Chu Sheng hold? What are his abilities? What past achievements does he have? How much trust is there between you two that you can entrust the Wei family to him?” Wei Yun clenched his fists, staring at Chu Yu, “What makes you think he can manage so many people? That he won’t take advantage of the situation?”

Chu Yu was stunned by these questions, momentarily at a loss for how to answer.

What could she say?

Wei Yun’s questions were valid. What was Gu Chu Sheng’s current status? What was their relationship, and how well did she know him?

How could she explain to Wei Yun? Should she tell him that she had spent twenty years with Gu Chu Sheng, that she knew his capabilities, his character, and that as an ally, Gu Chu Sheng was as reliable as they come?

She couldn’t say that.

She could only lower her head and say softly, “I’ve asked my brother and Qin Shi Yue to keep an eye on him, so nothing should go wrong. But you’re right, I was rash in this matter.”

Wei Yun remained silent, feeling something churning inside him.

He knew it wasn’t right, knew he shouldn’t say it out loud.

Gu Chu Sheng was truly talented; he knew this from their first meeting when Gu Chu Sheng had asked to marry her with neither servility nor arrogance. He knew then that this man was no ordinary person.

He trusted Gu Chu Sheng’s abilities and his feelings for Chu Yu. Those determined eyes couldn’t betray her.

But it was precisely because of this that he felt something pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Sister-in-law, why do you trust him so much?” He shouldn’t have asked, it was none of his business.

But he couldn’t help it. He clenched his fists, his nails almost drawing blood from his palms. Chu Yu remained silent, turning the rabbit roasting over the fire.

After a long while, she finally said, “He came to Feng Ling City alone, willing to die with me.”

Chu Yu lowered her eyes, “I think someone like that is probably worthy of trust.”

Hearing Chu Yu’s words, Wei Yun felt his heart being pulled down, falling into an endless abyss.

Of course, they were in love; it was just a twist of fate that had kept them apart.

What was the point of asking these questions? Gu Chu Sheng’s feelings for her were genuine.

He could go to Feng Ling City willing to die with her – how was that any less than his rush to the royal court?

It was just that he couldn’t be by her side; he had fallen short in the end.

Wei Yun slowly closed his eyes.

His throat bobbed, and after a long time, he finally spoke hoarsely—

I see.

I see, he was willing to die with you.

I see, you’re willing to trust him again.