Chapter 19 (1/2)

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The sound of floater was endlessly lingering, the area around was da hurt Fu Shen aith his head spinning; opening his eyes, he didn't s before he threw up onto the ground

So a leaf cupped ater to the side of his mouth “Rinse”

Wave after wave of darkness hit his vision, i his view of the person His liht efforts to , and it was only after the other maneuvered his head to have a few sips of water did he take a slow, steady breath, recognizing which of his fellows this was

“Sir Yan,” he said weakly, “did the two of us just defy fate, or what…”

Against expectations, Yan Xiaohan didn't respond, andthose radiant features, his sinister bloodthirstiness had been washed away, a bit of a powerless expression on his face for reasons unknown

Fu Shen felt the hairs on his spine stand up fro watched by those amber-like eyes He hastily lifted a hand and shook it front of the other's face “What's with you? Are you possessed?”

Yan Xiaohan gently pushed his hand back down “I'ht he got froh to esture wildly “Nonono! No need for that! I'm fine! You don't need to blaain pushed his other hand back down, exasperated “There's a wound on your back Be cautious”

Fu Shen looked on in horror as this bigan eye had suddenly switched nature into a tender little white rabbit, suspecting that he was actually the one who hit his head

The two had been arced off the cliff by the boar and were absolutely under the i to die, but unbeknownst to them, the Heavens had other plans – there was actually a deep pond at the cliff's base Fu Shen had plunged head-first into it, the enor hiainst the wall of the pond and seely broke a rib, but thankfully didn't lose consciousness He dragged Fu Shen out of the water's pull, found a dry cave nearby, and settled hie of the interiather a pile of dry firewood, using an oil-paper bundle he'd taken fro to ht not be able to leave the valley tonight and he wanted to get a bit more firewood ready, but the weather unfortunately didn't want to cooperate It wasn't long after when the sky outside turned overcast and rain even started pattering down

Fu Shen feels at his back, discovering that the boar had ash on it The wound had been treated si two layers of dry outer clothes, his inner clothes in theheated up by the fire Yan Xiaohan only had on a drenched, unlined robe that washis lower back

“Aren't you cold?” Fu Shen propped hi at Yan Xiaohan's robes and giving hi There's not enough wood, and it's going to get really cold at night”

Pausing, he then added so else “It's only a little unimportant flesh wound No need to worry”

Fu Shen didn't know that he had a broken bone Seeing no other ainst the stone wall “I probably can't walk right now, so I'll have to put up with spending the night here If you have the strength, you can head off when the rain stops Go in a straight line along the ravine and you'll be out by thea branch to stir up the fire “I'll bring you with hing “I'm not scared Gemstone Mountain is the Fu family's property, ould I be afraid of? Sooing with you would just be a burden You'll be able to get away faster by yourself”

“It wouldn't be a burden” Yan Xiaohan shook his head, changing his words around “I want to stay here and keep you coht?”

“U aard “Uh, that's fine… you can…”

The other

Fu Shen was a boorishinquisitiveness, and he couldn't stand to sit still while wounded He restrained hi ti a cautious question “Then what, Sir Yan, are you even d… ahe behind?”

Yan Xiaohan thought his question lance

“I-I-I'–” Fu Shen flushed red as he stuttered, si hiht you… didn't see, turned around, and looked at him “You don't have to call me ‘Sir'”

“Huh?”

“I'm only two years older than you and haven't yet taken a courtesy na Master Fu, you can call me Brother”

Fu Shen was stunned “You haven't coet into the Flying Dragon Guard?”

He couldn't be bla Yan Xiaohan was honestly too wise for his age, didn't have the slightest amount of recklessness that a youth would, and his position as an official wasn't low at all Not a single person would be able to guess that he's only eighteen

His a particularly juvenile Yan Xiaohan lowered his head to hide his lips setting into a smile “I've indeed not yet had the cereh for that?”

Fu Shen realized that he had been a bit impudent “Don't overthink it, Brother Yan,” he said with embarrassment, “that's not my intention With your skill, it doesn't on Guard – there's probably no one you'd be lesser than”

“And I have no intention to dislike you,” Yan Xiaohan spoke leisurely as he added wood to the fire “You saved ard”

Fu Shen alon Guards as gracious as this”, but stopped himself “Thanks a lot,” he said reticently

“I should be the one thanking you”

The rain was getting heavier, dense fog filling up theinto the cavern from time to time Fu Shen had lost toopale fro, yet Yan Xiaohan could see it – he shi+fted him to be beside the fire, then seated himself on the outer side to shi+eld hireat amount of wareneration; his faht him since childhood about how older brothers should show affection and younger ones respect, and interaction with his friends was just banter between those of the sa of having an older brother sheltering hier, yet he fit perfectly into this position

Tossing aside rumor and bias, he's staid, level-headed, and considerate, with his attitude towards Fu Shen being like that of a tolerant andbrother

He now couldn't envision the Court's errand dog as fitting the ter like hoord on the street says he's a vulgar flatterer who's willing to acknowledge a eunuch as his foster father