Wen Yu was already delirious with fever. Hearing someone call her and speak to her, she only responded vaguely with her eyes closed.

Hearing that weak “mm,” even though Xiao Li knew the person on his back might have made the sound while barely conscious, the corners of his mouth still pulled slightly upward.

He continued carrying her toward the seemingly endless forest edge, blinking to force down the beads of sweat on his eyelids, saying in a low voice: “Then that’s settled between us.”

—

When darkness fell, Xiao Li finally found a farmhouse. After knocking on the door for a long while, a cautious man’s voice finally came from inside: “Who’s there?”

Xiao Li said: “Big brother, we’re refugees fleeing from the north. We were robbed on the road and barely escaped with our lives. My… sister has also developed a fever and urgently needs a place to rest. Big brother, could you do us this kindness?”

He didn’t dare say he and Wen Yu were master and servant—if government soldiers came searching later and made inquiries, it would match up.

Hearing him speak quite politely and that he had a sister with him, the man peeked through the door crack and saw he was indeed carrying someone on his back. Only then did he lower his guard and remove the door bolt, saying: “Come in quickly. These are troubled times, and there are many bandits in the mountains. When we hear knocking at night, we don’t dare open the door easily.”

Carrying Wen Yu into the courtyard, Xiao Li said: “Many thanks, big brother.”

Wen Yu, lying on his back, had remained unconscious the whole time, her veil wrapped around her head and half her face. The man couldn’t see her features clearly and simply told Xiao Li it was no trouble, then called his wife to help make up a bed.

The house built of packed earth was rather old, and the furnishings inside were all quite worn. After Xiao Li placed Wen Yu on the bed the farm wife had made up with half-worn bedding, he reached out to feel her forehead—it was alarmingly hot.

The oil lamp on the table cast a dim glow. Wen Yu’s thick, dark lashes rested quietly beneath her eyes, covering those eyes that always looked at people so gently and clearly. The tips of her lashes curved slightly upward, casting fan-shaped shadows in the lamplight.

Probably suffering from her illness, her slender dark brows were slightly furrowed, and her face had been flushed to a thin red by the high fever.

Xiao Li stared at her sickly appearance for two breaths before withdrawing his hand, pulling the quilt over to cover her properly. He then took out two pieces of broken silver and the cold medicine packet from the bundle beside him and said to the farm wife: “Please trouble yourself to brew this medicine for me.”

The farm couple looked at the silver, both delighted. But noticing the rash on Wen Yu’s hand hanging over the edge of the bed, they couldn’t help but hesitate, asking fearfully: “I see this young lady has broken out in a rash. Could it be she’s caught an epidemic?”

Xiao Li understood their concerns and said: “It’s wind rash. My sister has had a weak constitution since childhood and has suffered some hardships along this journey.”

The farm wife examined Xiao Li and, seeing neither his hands nor face had any rash, finally felt relieved. Taking the medicine packet and silver, unable to suppress her smile, she said: “Then young brother, wait a moment. I’ll go brew it right away.”

Xiao Li nodded his thanks and added: “Also trouble yourself to bring me a basin of water.”

The farm wife agreed to everything. Before long, she came in carrying a basin of warm water.

Xiao Li wrung out a cloth to wipe Wen Yu’s face. The farm wife glanced at Wen Yu’s fever-flushed cheeks and said: “Your sister’s epidemic looks quite serious. Just wiping her face won’t be enough. I’ll find two more cloths—you should also wipe her neck hollow and armpits.”

Xiao Li’s hand holding the cloth paused. He said: “I can wipe below her neck, but for the armpits I’ll have to trouble you.”

The farm wife readily agreed: “It’s nothing at all. You wipe her neck hollow first. I’ll go find her a change of clothes—she’ll probably need to sweat it out during the night.”

After the farm wife left, Xiao Li carefully lifted Wen Yu’s neck and removed the veil wrapped around it.

Wen Yu’s body had already produced quite a bit of sweat. Strands of dark hair stuck to her sweat-dampened snow-white neck. Xiao Li hesitated before using his hand to brush them aside. Although he tried his utmost to remain focused, when his fingertips truly touched that patch of fair, soft skin, he still felt somewhat at a loss in that instant.

His fingertips seemed burned by the scorching temperature of Wen Yu’s body, tingling slightly—a sensation that spread all the way to his heart, making his heartbeat clamorous.

Xiao Li lowered his eyes, trying as much as possible not to let his gaze fall on that snow-white neck. After brushing aside the disheveled hair, when wiping with the cloth, his knuckles also avoided touching her skin as much as possible.

When the farm wife came over carrying clothes, seeing his wiping method, she directly pushed him aside. While loosening Wen Yu’s collar, she scolded: “What kind of way is this to care for someone? Your sister is wearing a full set of winter clothes with the collar tightly fastened, and covered with a thick quilt—how could she be comfortable? Her body is burning like a coal—she needs to dissipate some heat.”

When the farm wife removed the padded jacket Wen Yu was wearing, pulled apart her inner garment’s collar, exposing a small patch of skin below the neck as white and smooth as jade, Xiao Li had already hastily averted his eyes.

Yet after the farm wife finished scolding and fed Wen Yu some water, she handed the cup to Xiao Li to hold. As she wrung out the cloth again to wipe Wen Yu’s neck hollow, she still called to him: “Watch this—you have to wipe like this for it to be effective.”

Xiao Li raised his eyes to see the cloth in the farm wife’s hand had almost slipped inside Wen Yu’s loosened collar. On that collarbone bathed in the lamp’s warm white glow lay a strand of fine black hair, its tip winding along that patch of still-moist skin, extending deeper into the clothing.

Even the tips of his ears flushed red, and he had absolutely no idea where to look.

Turning back to see him like this, the farm wife simply assumed that since the siblings were both this grown, some avoidance was naturally needed. She said: “You’re siblings from the same family. Although young ladies need to be mindful when grown, as her elder brother you should avoid impropriety, but right now she’s sick like this—she might not make it through. Don’t worry too much about propriety between men and women just yet…”

Hearing the farm wife say Wen Yu might not make it through, Xiao Li’s hand gripping the bamboo cup tightened almost instantly as he said with certainty: “She won’t.”

Hearing something off in his tone, the farm wife hastily said, afraid he’d misunderstand: “I’m not cursing your sister! I’m telling you to be more attentive when caring for her. In our village in winters past, several people died of illness every year!”

Xiao Li looked at Wen Yu’s fever-flushed face and said: “I know.”

After finishing wiping Wen Yu’s armpits, the farm wife wrung out the cloth again and handed it to Xiao Li, saying: “The water’s gotten cold. I’ll go change the basin. Young brother, take this cloth. If your sister’s fever rises again, wipe her down with it.”

Xiao Li nodded in agreement.

After the farm wife left, he pulled over a long bench and sat before the bed, looking at the person unconscious with high fever. As he wiped her forehead with the cloth, he said in a low voice: “Don’t you still need to take revenge? It’s just a cold—you have to get through this.”

Looking at Wen Yu’s brow still slightly furrowed even in sleep, he raised his hand as if to smooth it out. But when his hand nearly touched her brow, he withdrew it again, only gently dabbing with the cloth. After pulling together the collar the farm wife had left wide open after wiping her armpits, he carefully wiped her neck hollow.

When the farm wife came over again, she carried a bowl of black medicinal brew, while the man following behind her carried a water basin.

The farm wife said: “After feeding this young lady the medicine and wiping her down once more to change into dry clothes, let her sleep well and sweat it out.”

Xiao Li agreed, took the medicine bowl and fed Wen Yu with a spoon, then withdrew to let the farm wife wipe her down and change her clothes again.

He stood guard outside the door. Seeing the man bring out a charcoal brazier from the kitchen and place it under the eaves, the man said: “It gets bitterly cold at night. Put this brazier in the room later—you can also use it to warm water. If your sister wakes during the night, she’ll have hot water to drink.”

Xiao Li said: “Thank you, big brother.”

The man waved his hand: “It’s nothing. The house only has two rooms. Young brother, why don’t you squeeze in with me tonight? My wife can sleep in the same room as your sister and help care for the young lady during the night.”

Wen Yu’s cold was severe. Xiao Li didn’t dare let others care for her, and he was also afraid that in her feverish delirium she might say something she shouldn’t in her sleep talking and cause trouble. So he said: “Thank you for your kind offer, big brother, but I don’t dare trouble your wife too much. I’ll just make a floor bed and watch over my sister.”

The man simply assumed he was worried about his own sister and nodded: “Alright then. I’ll find you two more quilts. If anything happens during the night, just call us.”

Xiao Li thanked him.

After drinking the medicine, Wen Yu’s high fever did subside somewhat.

Before sleeping, Xiao Li felt her forehead and found it wasn’t as hot as before. She also slept much more peacefully. Only then did he blow out the lamp and lie down fully clothed on the floor bed.

He listened to the light breathing sounds coming from the bed, resting his arm under his head as he stared at the pitch-black ceiling for a long while before finally closing his eyes to doze lightly.

During the night, he heard a faint moan: “Water…”

Xiao Li got up and lit the lamp, picked up the kettle that still had some warmth from sitting on the brazier, poured a cup of water, and helped Wen Yu up to carefully feed it to her. Only then did he discover she was still unconscious—her fever had simply risen again. Her cheeks were burning hot, her clothes soaked through with sweat, and her lips had dried until a layer of skin had formed.

After feeding Wen Yu half a cup of water, he used the cloth to wipe her face and neck hollow. Afraid she’d catch a chill wearing sweat-soaked clothes, he went to call the farm wife over to help wipe her down and change her inner garment.

After all this fussing, it was already the fourth watch.

The farm wife said with some worry: “Your sister’s condition doesn’t look too optimistic. In Majia Village, a dozen li away, there’s an old physician whose medical skills are famous throughout the surrounding villages. If your sister’s fever hasn’t broken by tomorrow morning, take her to see the physician.”

Xiao Li nodded his thanks.

After the farm wife yawned and returned to her room, he sat by the bedside looking at Wen Yu, but couldn’t muster the slightest bit of sleepiness. He wrung out the cloth to wipe her flushed cheeks, helping her dissipate heat.

But Wen Yu seemed trapped in some nightmare, sleeping very restlessly, continuously muttering something in her sleep, her expression extremely pained.

When she turned her head, her burning cheek pressed against the back of Xiao Li’s hand holding the cloth. Craving that touch of coolness, she didn’t move for a moment, and a tear sliding from the corner of her eye happened to land right on Xiao Li’s hand.

The tear was cool, but Xiao Li’s heart felt as if it had been scalded.

His five fingers holding the cloth curled slightly inward, but he didn’t dare move another fraction, just letting her rest against him like that. His other hand somewhat stiffly patted her back through the quilt as he hummed a nursery rhyme in an extremely low voice: “Tabby cat, spotted cat, jumping over the southern mountain…”

That was a tune Xiao Huiniang had hummed while holding him during a serious illness in his childhood when he was delirious with fever.

He didn’t know what the tune was called, but he’d remembered it for many years, and he also remembered that mother who seemed not to like him had stayed awake all night watching over him.

Deep in the night when all was quiet, only the soft rustling of wind through the treetops in the wild forest outside could be heard.

His low, hoarse humming in the dimly lamp-lit room seemed to isolate another world.

In this low, soothing sound, Wen Yu’s tightly furrowed brow finally loosened slightly.

Xiao Li tucked a strand of sweat-dampened hair by her cheek behind her ear and said: “A’Yu needs to get better quickly.”

He no longer called her Hanyang, as if temporarily forgetting she was that Princess of noble birth.

—

Yongzhou.

Pei Song dismounted with large strides and tossed his sword to a nearby personal guard.

The Chief Administrator came out to greet him, cupping his hands: “Congratulations on my lord’s great victory!”

Pei Song walked through the gate treading on a ground of frost and snow, removing his helmet and tucking it under his arm. As he walked, he asked: “I heard traces of Hanyang have already been found?”

The Chief Administrator said: “Following your instructions, I’ve dispatched a contingent of your elite private soldiers to pursue and eliminate her. We absolutely won’t let that remnant of the former Liang reach Southern Chen alive.”

Pei Song’s expression was cold: “That had better be the case. Xiangzhou is easy to defend but hard to attack—for now, surround and wear them down. Dingzhou is already showing signs of collapse. Before long, I must personally go to Dingzhou to take command. The south cannot have any more disturbances.”

The Chief Administrator said: “With Mengzhou broken and Xiangzhou surrounded, everything south of the Wei River is already in my lord’s grasp. Setting aside that the former Liang remnant will surely die this time, even if Southern Chen wanted to use a marriage alliance with the former Liang as a pretext to get a share of this realm, if my lord also extends an olive branch to Southern Chen, who Southern Chen ultimately allies with remains to be discussed.”

After thinking for a moment, Pei Song said: “From the time Fengyang was besieged, that Wen clan woman headed straight for Southern Chen, as if certain Southern Chen would send troops. That old fox, Prince Changlian, probably planted some contingency plan in Southern Chen. We mustn’t be careless.”

He looked toward the Chief Administrator: “By the way, how is that woman?”

The Chief Administrator paused, then realized he was referring to the woman Xing Lie had wounded that day. He said: “Her life was saved, but she keeps clamoring to see her son.”