Lin Yunchu had no experience with traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions at all.
She didn’t recognize any of the herbs listed.
She had met many people before, but she couldn’t read any emotion from the old doctor.
She also had no idea what side he stood for.
He wasn’t very warm toward them either—after pointing them to a room, he disappeared.
“Old man, you’re here at home, so why is the chimney smoking? Did you forget to remove the firewood again? Have you forgotten what happened last time when you almost burned down the kitchen? How many times have I told you—once you leave, you must put out the embers!”
In the dark night outside, a woman in her fifties or sixties carrying a bamboo basket walked in.
Hearing the voice, Lin Yunchu quickly came out of the kitchen and explained that she was a family member accompanying her husband for medical treatment.
When the old woman saw Lin Yunchu’s delicate appearance, she froze for a moment, then smiled and said, “You’ve come such a long way—you must stay at our house.”
“You haven’t eaten yet, right? I’ll cook for you. I don’t have anything fancy, don’t be picky.”
“Ma’am, how could we? We’re already troubling you—we’re very grateful.”
“Ma’am? Call me grandma! I’m already over sixty—you look like you’re only twenty, right?”
“Yes, I just turned eighteen.”
“Only eighteen… how nice… if only…” The old woman’s gaze drifted far away, her cloudy eyes filling with moisture.
Lin Yunchu sensed a trace of sorrow in her words. It sounded like she had a story, but she didn’t ask.
After the medicine was ready and warmed, she brought it into the room and handed it to Pei Huaiyuan.
After he drank it, he lay down with his eyes closed to rest.
Lin Yunchu went back to the kitchen again and poured hot water into a wooden bucket.
“Grandma, I’m going to help my husband wash his feet. He was beaten by my older brother and has some issues—he feels embarrassed to see people and refuses to come out.”
The old woman nodded. “Young people are shy, that’s normal. But it’s not a big deal. When you get to our age, you’ll understand that being healthy and safe is what matters. Sometimes, being born into this world isn’t necessarily a good thing for a child…”
“…”
“And you must stay in our house tonight—don’t go out, understand? If possible, stay a few more days too.”
“Go on, hurry and bring the water to your husband.”
The old woman waved insistently, urging her to go inside.
Lin Yunchu returned to the room again.
Pei Huaiyuan suddenly opened his eyes. When he saw it was her, his tense expression relaxed slightly.
“Man, wash your feet.”
Lin Yunchu placed the wooden bucket in front of him.
Pei Huaiyuan looked at the steaming water. “No need. I won’t wash.”
He hadn’t had a proper sleep or proper wash in a long time.
He knew he was dirty, but he didn’t dare wash—he was afraid that once he did, he would relax too much and lose his vigilance.
Lin Yunchu frowned and said loudly, “The water’s already prepared, and you still won’t wash? That was my brother who beat you—your own ‘older brother’ in name. Getting beaten by him isn’t strange, so why are you sulking?”
“Even if you’re injured, I’m not disgusted. But if you don’t wash or bathe, are you trying to suffocate me?”
“…”
Pei Huaiyuan remained unmoved.
Lin Yunchu walked closer and lowered her voice. “Act like we’re really a couple. Don’t mess this up. I just talked to the old woman—I think she’s strange. I can’t tell if she and the old doctor are good or bad people. We don’t even know if we’re safe yet. You have to hold it together. If they find out you’re injured, we’re in trouble.”
If she hadn’t been stopped by those two men earlier, she would’ve tried to take him away immediately.
But now that they were here, pretending to be husband and wife was the only way they could stay.
After finally reaching the doctor’s house, she thought they could be safe for the night—but now both the doctor and the old woman seemed suspicious.
It felt like they had just escaped one den of wolves only to fall into another fire pit.
Pei Huaiyuan looked deeply at her for a few seconds, then finally put his feet into the bucket.
The water was just the right temperature—comfortably warm.
It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“That’s better. Otherwise, you’ll make Grandma’s bedsheets dirty.”
Lin Yunchu said loudly.
Seeing that Pei Huaiyuan had to bend down with difficulty and wash very slowly, she frowned again.
Forget it—might as well do it properly.
She knelt in front of him and helped massage and wash his feet.
Then she wrung out a towel and wiped his face.
“Um… take off your clothes. I’ll help you wipe your body.”
“…”
Pei Huaiyuan instinctively tightened his clothes.
Lin Yunchu couldn’t help laughing.
“Who’s the one losing out if you take your clothes off?”
“You’re covered in bruises anyway—what’s there to be embarrassed about? It’s not like I can see abs or chest muscles.”
Strangely, the more serious he was, the more she wanted to tease him.
Finally, Pei Huaiyuan loosened his frown and simply lifted his shirt and took it off.
“…”
Lin Yunchu froze completely.
She had clearly misjudged.
The man had bruises and scratches all over his face and neck, and he looked thin enough that his eye sockets were slightly sunken. She had assumed he was starved from surviving in the wild.
But unexpectedly—he had abs, chest muscles, and strong, well-defined arm muscles.
More shocking than her wrong assumption was the extent of his injuries.
From below his navel, he was tightly wrapped in thick bandages soaked with blood.
His ribs were covered in bruises—deep purple and blue.
She couldn’t tell how badly he was hurt, but it was definitely serious.
No wonder he refused to take his clothes off earlier.
Seeing this made her heart tighten.
Thinking back to how he had fainted the moment he met her again, she had a bad feeling.
If she wasn’t mistaken, he was already on the verge of collapsing from sheer willpower.
She didn’t know what mission he was carrying out, but if even Elder Si was searching for him, he must be someone important—perhaps even a hero.
“Maybe… you can try trusting me a little more,” Lin Yunchu said softly, her clear eyes fixed on him. “Elder Si from Yue City came to see me yesterday. He said you are very important. He has mobilized the entire city to find and rescue you.”
“I won’t ask anything about your identity or your mission. But I will do everything I can to protect you—until you can safely return to where you belong.”
Her voice was gentle yet firm, sincere and steady; her eyes were bright like starlight. In that moment he met her gaze, Pei Huaiyuan felt something break through his defenses.
A surge of strength filled him.
He wasn’t alone.
His comrades were still looking for him.
Even this girl—she was saying she would protect him.
It was impossible not to be moved.
Pei Huaiyuan’s expression barely changed, but his eyes flickered slightly.
Lin Yunchu carefully wiped his wounds, trying to be as gentle as possible.
After finishing, she carried the water outside and poured it into a small drainage ditch in front of the doctor’s house so no one would notice the blood.
When she returned, Pei Huaiyuan was still in the same guarded position.
Even after hearing her words, he remained alert, ready for battle at any moment.
“Or… do you want to sleep inside?” Lin Yunchu asked.
“…”
Pei Huaiyuan’s eyes flickered with surprise.
They had already acted enough for today’s performance—was she planning to go this far even in sleeping arrangements?