AUBTN -Chapter 181 Desperate Situation

She instinctively clutched the front of her clothes, her eyes darting away.

Her ears, however, were flushed so red it seemed they might bleed.

“No… it’s not necessary… I… I can do it myself…” Her voice was faint like a mosquito’s hum, tinged with a subtle mix of embarrassment and resistance.

In this desolate valley, with just the two of them—a lone man and a lone woman—undressing to treat a wound… this was truly…

Shen Jue looked at her like this, his heart aching and softening, but his tone left no room for argument, carrying an unmistakable dominance: “How can you see it for yourself? The wound is deep down to the bone. If it isn’t cleaned properly, once infection sets in, even immortals couldn’t save you. Wanwan, listen to me.”

As he spoke, he reached out to untie her sash.

But Su Hewan, like a frightened rabbit, jerked backward, pulling at the wound. Pain made her brows knit tightly and cold sweat stream down, yet she stubbornly shook her head.

Shen Jue’s hand froze.

He gazed at her reddened eyes and pale lips, and for the first time, his usually calm and composed eyes were filled with the shyness and fear of a young girl.

He let out a sigh, and the hardness in his heart instantly softened into gentle tenderness.

He leaned down to meet her gaze. The deep peach blossom eyes, usually sharp and commanding, had now shed all harshness.

What remained was nothing but full gentleness and solemnity.

“Wanwan, in my heart, I’ve already regarded you as my wife.”

Su Hewan’s head shot up in shock, her eyes shimmering with moisture.

Shen Jue reached out, using his fingertips to gently wipe away the tears at her eyes, his movements soft and careful.

His gaze burned with determination as he spoke each word:

“In this life, Shen Jue will marry only you. Between husband and wife, what is there to be shy about?”

Hearing this, Su Hewan blushed even more, overwhelmed by shyness and embarrassment!

Even with a modern woman’s soul, she couldn’t help it!

“W-Who… who is your wife?!” Her voice was barely audible, like a tiny mosquito.

Shen Jue had no choice but to hold her, soothing her trembling: “It’s okay, Wanwan! Let me see if your wound is alright.”

Then, he began to kiss her softly, in tiny, careful motions.

At this moment, all her shyness, hesitation, and fear seemed to be calmed by him.

She no longer dodged, just bit her lip and, almost imperceptibly, nodded.

Receiving her silent consent, a flash of pain appeared in Shen Jue’s eyes.

He no longer hesitated, but his movements grew even gentler.

Carefully, he untied her sash, removing the wet garment from her back to reveal the gaping, gruesome wound.

Seeing the twisted flesh, a surge of self-reproach and murderous anger welled up in Shen Jue’s eyes.

“It’s my fault. I didn’t protect you properly.” His voice was filled with suppressed pain.

Su Hewan gently shook her head, taking his hand, trembling slightly from anger, into her own, and weakly reassured him: “It’s not your fault…”

Shen Jue drew a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions, and began carefully tending to her wound.

He tore strips from his clean inner garment, soaked them in the clear spring water, and meticulously cleaned her wound bit by bit.

Su Hewan trembled from the pain but gritted her teeth and said nothing.

Once cleaned, Shen Jue found a few herbs nearby that he recognized as capable of stopping bleeding and reducing inflammation, crushed them, and carefully applied them to her wound.

The icy herbs stung when they touched the wound, but also eased the burning pain.

She knew there was no anti-inflammatory medicine, and the risk of infection was very high!

But at this point, there was simply no other choice!

After completing everything, Shen Jue carefully wrapped her wound with a clean cloth.

He helped her lie down and covered her with his outer robe.

As night fell, as expected, Su Hewan began running a high fever due to the wound infection.

She was trapped in a chaotic nightmare, tossing and turning on the haystack, murmuring indistinctly in her sleep.

“Shen Jue… save me… don’t…”

“Qingqing… don’t jump…”

Shen Jue repeatedly used a wet cloth to cool her down.

His heart felt as if it were being kneaded over and over by a giant hand, the pain unbearable.

He bent down and gently pulled the trembling Su Hewan into his arms, resting her head against his chest.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” He warmed her with his own body heat, whispering soothing words over and over into her ear.

“Wanwan, be good. I’m here. I’m with you. I’m not going anywhere.”

In her unconscious state, Su Hewan seemed to sense that familiar presence.

Instinctively, she clutched his clothing, gradually stopping her struggles, curling quietly in his embrace.

Shen Jue lowered his head, staring at the girl in his arms, her cheeks unnaturally flushed from the fever!

No matter what, he would make sure she survived.

Days in the valley passed, each filled with anxious waiting and the struggle to survive.

For Yu Qing, these few days felt longer than all the years of her life up to now.

She had never imagined that someone as clueless about survival as herself could awaken such immense potential simply for another person’s life.

During the day, she ran all over the valley.

She learned which wild fruits were safe to eat and which mushrooms, though brightly colored, were deadly.

She overcame her fear of insects and ants, flipping stones to search for worms to use as fish bait.

Every time she made a fire, new blisters formed on her hands; the old ones burst, only to be replaced by new ones.

Yet she barely noticed the pain. Her mind held only one thought—to get Lu Yan a bite of hot food, to help him recover as quickly as possible.

At night, the valley grew bitterly cold.

She would cling tightly to Lu Yan, using her own not-so-warm body to stubbornly drive away the chill for him.

Whenever he groaned unconsciously from the pain of his wounds, her heart would twist painfully.

She could only soothe him softly again and again, kissing his forehead, silently begging heaven for mercy.

Finally, under her tireless care, Lu Yan’s injuries began to miraculously improve.

One evening, when Yu Qing brought a steaming bowl of fish soup, clumsily blowing on it to cool it down, preparing to feed him as usual,

his long-silent hand suddenly lifted and grasped her wrist.

Yu Qing froze and looked up, meeting a pair of clear, deep eyes.

“Lu Yan!”

She cried out in joy, and the stone bowl in her hands clattered to the ground.

But she didn’t care at all, her gaze fixed on him, tears instantly filling her eyes.

“You… you’re finally awake!”

Lu Yan looked at her, a flood of emotions surging in his heart.

He had been partially conscious over the past few days, but his body was too weak to move or speak. Yet he could feel her tireless presence, guarding him day and night.

He looked at her face, thinner than before, her chin so sharp it made him ache.

An indescribable mix of heartache and guilt, intertwined with overwhelming love, nearly drowned him.

“You’ve suffered, Qingqing.”

His words instantly shattered all of Yu Qing’s carefully maintained strength over the past days.

She could no longer hold back and burst into a wailing cry.

Like a child wronged by the world, she threw herself into Lu Yan’s arms and cried her heart out.

It was as if all the fear and anxiety of the past days were being poured out through her tears.