After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 86

Pei Zhen’s expression was extremely tense as he held Li Chanxiu tightly and quickly walked out of the military camp. On the way, he ran into Yang Yuanyi greeting him, but ignored him.

Yang Yuanyi stood there in a daze, momentarily suspecting that he might be invisible.

Pei Zhen’s heart tightened, filled with an indescribable panic. He had never touched such a cold body before, like someone who had just been fished out of an ice pit. It felt as though if he were even a moment later, the other person would freeze into an ice statue.

Carrying Li Chanxiu, he hurried back to the small courtyard. A place like the pharmacy tent simply couldn’t retain much warmth. Even with a charcoal brazier burning, the bed was hard to heat through. He had to bring him back and warm him on the heated kang.

But along the way, no matter how careful he was, cold wind inevitably slipped into the quilts. Li Chanxiu frowned in pain. For him in this moment, even the slightest trace of cold felt like icy blades scraping against his bones, so painful he wished for death.

Like a fledgling bird that had fallen into an icy lake in the depths of winter, he shrank within his thin down feathers, trembling incessantly in Pei Zhen’s arms.

At the extreme of cold, it felt as though nothing remained but pain. He curled up in agony, his consciousness already blurred, clinging to Pei Zhen’s neck and murmuring “Father.” Tears fell uncontrollably into the other’s collar, chilling to the bone.

Pei Zhen held his trembling body tightly, his heart feeling as if it were being gripped by something. With a tense expression, he strode quickly into the main room.

Only when he placed him onto the kang did he notice that Li Chanxiu’s tightly shut brows were filled with pain, and he had already bitten his thin lips until they were bluish-purple and bleeding.

Pei Zhen’s expression changed abruptly. He hurriedly grasped his icy cheeks, applying slight pressure with his thumb and forefinger to pry open his trembling lips and teeth, then pushed his own finger joint into his mouth for him to bite.

Li Chanxiu’s teeth chattered uncontrollably and immediately clamped down by instinct, showing no restraint at all. But this left Pei Zhen unable to free himself to light the kang fire.

At that moment, Yang Yuanyi, who had sensed something was wrong, followed over and called from outside, “Jian… Pei Er, what’s going on with sister-in-law? Do you need help?”

Pei Zhen let out a breath of relief and immediately said, “Come help light the kang fire.”

Hearing this, Yang Yuanyi quickly nodded in agreement.

The kang was soon lit, and it finally warmed up. Li Chanxiu’s condition seemed to improve somewhat. His tightly clenched teeth gradually loosened, though he was still trembling uncontrollably.

When Pei Zhen withdrew his finger, he realized that both sides of the knuckle were marked with two rows of fine teeth marks, and the skin had been slightly broken, though fortunately there wasn’t much bleeding.

He frowned but didn’t think much of it. Quickly, he removed the old quilts wrapped around Li Chanxiu and replaced them with freshly warmed ones from the heated kang.

At the side, Yang Yuanyi couldn’t help asking, “What exactly happened? Did he fall into water? Or into an ice pit?”

But his clothes and hair didn’t look wet.

Pei Zhen suddenly turned his head and frowned, asking, “Why are you still here?”

Yang Yuanyi: “Huh?”

Pei Zhen: “There’s nothing more to do here. You can go back first.”

Yang Yuanyi: “…” Brother, am I a tool? You toss me aside after using me?

But forget it, considering you finally managed to get yourself a wife, I won’t argue with you for now.

“Then come find me if you need anything,” he added kindly before leaving.

Pei Zhen didn’t stand on ceremony with him either, saying, “Close the door when you leave.”

Yang Yuanyi: “…” How did I end up making a friend like you back then?

But forget it, considering how hard it was for this guy to finally get himself a wife, he comforted himself again.

After he left, Pei Zhen immediately took off his outer robe and shoes and socks, also knelt onto the kang, and pulled Li Chanxiu, together with the quilt, tightly into his arms again.

Only after finally warming him up a bit, and as the room gradually grew warmer from the heated kang, did he carefully loosen the quilt, intending to remove the thick padded robe from Li Chanxiu. Wearing fewer thick layers would make it easier to warm up while lying against the heated kang and under the quilt.

At this moment, Li Chanxiu was hazy and had regained a bit of consciousness. Sensing a well-defined hand reaching to his waist to untie his belt, his subconscious suddenly grew alert. His icy fingers tightly pressed down on that hand as he struggled to speak: “No…”

His opened eyes were dark, yet as if covered with mist, unfocused, carrying a dazed haze, clearly not fully awake.

Pei Zhen’s breathing stalled slightly. He tried to pry open his fingers, coaxing softly, “Take off your clothes and lie down to sleep, it’ll be easier to get warm.”

Hearing the words “get warm,” Li Chanxiu’s fingers loosened slightly. But just after releasing two fingers, he belatedly realized the clothes couldn’t be removed and quickly pressed down even tighter.

Pei Zhen’s arm couldn’t help but tighten, drawing him into his embrace as he coaxed him bit by bit: “Be good. I really won’t do anything today, I just want you to be a bit warmer. You’re already sick; I’m not such a beast…”

Before he could finish, he suddenly fell silent, a bit embarrassed. The words sounded very familiar, last night he had said the same thing, but last night he…

Pei Zhen gave a light cough. Seeing he still couldn’t persuade him, he remembered how Li Chanxiu had murmured “Father” in pain earlier, and couldn’t help but say, “I’m Father. Will you listen, okay?”

To be able to call out like that at one’s most vulnerable and pained moment, his father must carry great weight in his heart.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Li Chanxiu looked at him with misty eyes and murmured, “Father?”

Pei Zhen responded with an unnatural “Mm.”

Li Chanxiu’s vigilance receded slightly, and his jade-cold fingers finally gradually loosened. Pei Zhen let out a breath of relief and quickly removed his outer thick padded robe.

Li Chanxiu sat obediently, letting him do as he wished, his mist-damp pupils trembling slightly as he looked at him with complete trust.

But perhaps because last night’s behavior had been too ungentlemanly, or perhaps because he feared frightening him again, Pei Zhen instead acted like a gentleman this time. After helping him remove the thick padded robe, he didn’t touch the two remaining layers of thick clothing, and hurried to tuck him into the warm bedding and press him down to lie properly.

But before he could, Li Chanxiu suddenly bumped into his arms, hugging him tightly, nuzzling against him like a kitten.

Pei Zhen’s heart instantly felt as though an iceberg had melted into spring water. Though he also recalled that when his wife had taken medicine or was half-asleep and muddle-headed, she would behave very differently from usual. Still, this soft and clingy side of hers, so unlike her usual cold rationality, no matter how many times he saw it, it was never enough.

He couldn’t help but tighten his arms around the supple body in his embrace. But the next moment, he heard the other hug him tightly and murmur softly, “Father, I missed you so much…”

Pei Zhen froze. No matter how much romantic thought there had been, it all turned into guilty unease at this moment, and he quickly pressed him into the bedding.

Even with the heated kang, Li Chanxiu was still so cold that he shivered from time to time.

For the entire night, Pei Zhen felt as though he were holding a small block of ice that continuously emitted cold. Even though the bedding was warm enough to make one sweat, the person in his arms seemed as if even his bones were made of icy jade, like an ice cellar in summer, still giving off threads of chill even under the blazing sun.

Pei Zhen held him tightly, feeling half his body icy cold and the other half scorching hot, suffering greatly. Li Chanxiu, however, felt that his body was very warm and unconsciously burrowed further into his embrace.

Perhaps because they were too close, Pei Zhen realized his wife seemed… somewhat flat. The moment this thought arose, his expression stiffened slightly, and he immediately rebuked himself in his heart. His wife was already this ill, and he could still think of such things, simply inhuman.

He quickly dismissed the distracting thoughts and raised his hand to feel Li Chanxiu’s forehead again. Finding it still cold, he pressed his face tightly against the other’s soft cheek to warm him a little.

Only in the latter half of the night did Li Chanxiu finally begin to warm up, his body no longer trembling uncontrollably.

Pei Zhen finally let out a complete sigh of relief and, holding him, slowly fell asleep.

***

In a haze, Li Chanxiu had a chaotic dream. In the dream, he finally left Yongfeng, arrived in the southwest, and reunited with his father.

When the cold poison flared up, his father, as when he was a child, held him in his arms and gently coaxed him to sleep. But as the scene shifted, the person holding him tightly suddenly became Pei Er.

His father instead pushed open the door and walked in, just catching sight of him and Pei Er in an intimate embrace, their necks entwined, even their black hair tangled together…

Li Chanxiu suddenly woke with a start. After opening his eyes, he found that he was not in the pharmacy, but on the kang at home.

Outside, it was already bright, it seemed to be the next day.

The bedding was warm and toasty, very comfortable, and his bones were not sore like the last time the cold poison had flared up, when he had curled up the entire night.

He blinked, then turned his head. Beside him were clear traces that someone had slept there, the soft pillow still held an indentation.

Soon, his memory returned. He remembered how yesterday he had been held tightly by Pei Er and carried all the way from the military camp back home. Many soldiers had seen them along the way, and that officer surnamed Yang had also seemed to run into them…

Not only that, he had tightly wrapped his arms around Pei Er’s neck, his whole body hanging onto him. When the cold pierced his bones with pain, he had, in his muddled consciousness, nuzzled against his neck and called him “Father,” even crying enough tears to soak his neck…

Li Chanxiu: “……”

His expression first stiffened, then turned pained as he shrank further into the quilt, wishing he could disappear on the spot and pretend he had never existed.

Suddenly, the heavy door curtain was lifted, and Pei Zhen entered carrying a bowl of shredded ginger and lean meat porridge.

Seeing that he was awake, the other quickly walked over.

Li Chanxiu stiffened and subtly shrank further into the quilt.

Pei Zhen only assumed he was cold and walked over, asking gently, “Awake? Get up and eat some porridge before going back to sleep.”

Li Chanxiu: “……”

Forget it, he had to face it sooner or later. It wasn’t the first time he had embarrassed himself anyway.

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his expression as normal as possible. Propping himself up, he wanted to sit up from under the quilt, but was first struck by a wave of fatigue, his elbows going weak.

Pei Zhen quickly supported him, draped a thick garment over him, and placed a soft pillow behind his back.

Li Chanxiu was a little stiff at first, but later realized he truly had no strength, so he could only let him handle things. After sitting properly, he pressed his lips together, raised his eyes to look at Pei Zhen, and said, “Many thanks.”

Only when he spoke did he realize his voice was especially hoarse, and his lips hurt a little, as if they had been bitten open.

He frowned slightly, his expression carrying the fatigue after illness. His face was still pale as snow from the recent flare of cold poison, his black hair loose and disheveled, making his whole person look somewhat fragile, like a delicate and easily breakable porcelain doll.

Pei Zhen’s heart softened completely. His large hand couldn’t help but stroke his black hair, smoothing a few strands behind his ear, then he picked up the lean meat porridge, scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to his lips.

Li Chanxiu: “……”

He wanted to get up, but truly had no strength, so he could only say somewhat unnaturally, “I want to rinse my mouth first.”

Only then did Pei Zhen remember this, and hurried to get warm water and a small twig for him to rinse and clean his teeth first.

After that, he continued feeding him porridge. Li Chanxiu originally wanted to refuse, but his raised arm had no strength at all, and he couldn’t stay hungry either, so he could only lower his head and eat the porridge brought to his lips.

The shredded ginger and meat porridge had been cooked by Pei Zhen before dawn, when the rooster next door had only crowed twice. It was savory, fragrant, soft, and very delicious.

Li Chanxiu kept his head lowered; when the spoon was brought, he would take a bite, and when it came again, he would take another bite, remaining silent the entire time.

But to Pei Zhen, the way he was like this, like a small animal being fed, obedient and pitiful, made his heart grow even softer.

Li Chanxiu only ate half a bowl of porridge before he couldn’t eat anymore. He raised his head and gave him a faint smile, saying, “That’s enough.”

Pei Zhen frowned, but knowing that he had just recovered from illness and couldn’t eat too much at once, he didn’t insist. Lowering his eyes, he stirred the remaining porridge and then drank it in a few gulps.

Li Chanxiu: “……”

His smile froze slightly. Seeing the movement of the other’s throat as he drank the porridge, he awkwardly averted his gaze.

Pei Er treated him this well all because he believed they were truly husband and wife, perhaps even… liked him.

Originally, it had only been meant to be a temporary pretense for a few days, but unexpectedly, in just two days, his relationship with the other had grown closer and closer, completely out of control. The night before last needn’t be mentioned, he could treat it as an accident after drinking, but from last night to today, being cared for so meticulously, if it weren’t for liking him, what husband could do this much?

Li Chanxiu slightly clenched the bedding at his side, lowered his eyes, and thought quietly: it couldn’t continue like this. If it went on, not only Pei Er, but he himself…

And if it continued, the deeper Pei Er fell, the worse it would be for both of them, and in his heart he would also… feel guilty.

Thinking this, Li Chanxiu took a deep breath and forced a smile at Pei Zhen, saying, “I’m a bit tired. I want to rest alone for a while, is that okay?”

After being “ill,” his face showed fatigue and pallor. Though he was smiling faintly, it only made him look more fragile.

Pei Zhen had originally wanted to ask why he had fallen so seriously ill, but seeing how exhausted he looked, it wasn’t good to disturb him further. So he helped him lie down and said gently, “Then have a good rest. I’ll go to the military camp first.”

Li Chanxiu nodded lightly. After he left, he unconsciously let out a small sigh of relief. Then he frowned and fell into thought, considering a way to leave.

Not long after Pei Zhen left, the window was suddenly tapped rhythmically from outside.

Recognizing the signal of his father’s old subordinates, Li Chanxiu hurriedly wrapped himself in the quilt, got up, and quickly walked to the window, asking, “Yi Xun?”

Outside the window, Yi Xun’s lowered voice soon came: “Your Highness, the others have all arrived as well.”

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