My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 14

Chapter 14: The Rescue

The villagers often went to the back mountain, but they rarely ventured into the deep mountains, as there might be large, fierce beasts there. Only the village hunters dared to walk in the deep mountains, and even they had to be careful, for a moment of carelessness could lead to death by a beast’s maw.

It would take time for Song Changxu to go back to the village to find people. Besides, most of the villagers were in the fields at the moment, so he wouldn’t be able to find anyone quickly. He picked up a long wooden stick, took a deep breath, and walked in.

As soon as he entered the forest, the shade of the trees blocked out the sun, and a chill ran through him. The sounds of insects and birds became more distinct. The trees were lush with branches and leaves, their branches intertwined. Looking up, he couldn’t see the sky, only a canopy of leaves, creating a scene like a primeval forest.

A bird flapped its wings and flew past Song Changxu.

Song Changxu tightened his grip on the long stick, calling out Xu Zhizhou’s name as he walked.

.

Xu Zhizhou felt cold in the pit. His throat was hoarse from shouting, but still, no one had found him. Now, his only hope was that Song Changxu would notice he was missing and come looking for him.

The pit was filled with yellowish-brown earth. His knees, hands, feet, and face were all covered in mud. He sat in the pit, hugging his knees, looking dusty and disheveled. A sharp pain shot through his ankle.

Xu Zhizhou had never really suffered much. This was the first time he had fallen into a pit. He was injured, and there was no one to care for him. Instead, he was filled with fear and anxiety.

He let out an involuntary sob, swallowing his bitterness and burying his head in his knees, as if trying to find a sliver of security.

The earlobes peeking out from under his dark hair were fair and tinged with pink.

“Xu Zhizhou… Xu Zhizhou…”

Xu Zhizhou’s ears perked up. He quickly lifted his head from his knees, trying to discern which direction the voice was coming from.

“I’m here!” Xu Zhizhou shouted loudly.

As the weather warmed, the snakes in the mountains began to stir. Song Changxu had encountered two snakes while looking for Xu Zhizhou, but fortunately, he had managed to subdue them.

Hearing Xu Zhizhou’s voice, Song Changxu’s tense nerves relaxed. From the moment he had guessed that Xu Zhizhou might be in the deep mountains, he had felt a chill all over, and his heart had started to pound.

“I’m coming!” Song Changxu carefully identified the direction of the voice and quickened his pace.

Soon, he passed through the forest and heard Xu Zhizhou still shouting, “Song Changxu, I’m here.”

Xu Zhizhou was standing up as he shouted. He was afraid that if he shouted while squatting, his voice wouldn’t carry. Standing up made it easier for his voice to travel.

He endured the pain in his ankle.

A dark head appeared above the pit. When Xu Zhizhou saw Song Changxu, his nose tingled, and tears welled up in his eyes. He began to sob.

Song Changxu saw that he was unharmed and then looked at the pit. He estimated that he couldn’t jump in to rescue him from this distance.

He looked at his long stick. It was too short to reach into the pit.

Xu Zhizhou tried to stand on his tiptoes but still couldn’t grab the stick.

“Wait here. I’ll go find a suitable tool.”

Seeing Song Changxu, Xu Zhizhou felt much calmer. He said, “Then you have to come back quickly. I’m scared here by myself.”

Hearing this, Song Changxu paused for a moment. He acknowledged him and left.

It would be safer to go home and get a hemp rope, but that would take a lot of time. Unpredictable things could happen during that time. He decided to look for some vines in the mountains first.

Luckily, he found some vines. He went to get the sickle from his basket and cut them down.

Xu Zhizhou heard the sound of approaching footsteps and called out tentatively, “Song Changxu!”

“It’s me. Wait for me to tie the vine to a tree. Then you can tie it around your waist, and I’ll pull you up,” Song Changxu said calmly.

Xu Zhizhou had been terrified since falling into the pit. Hearing Song Changxu’s organized words, he felt a sense of reassurance.

“Okay.”

Soon, a green vine was thrown down.

Xu Zhizhou caught the vine and tied it around his waist. Song Changxu looked down, and seeing that it was secure, he began to pull.

The vine moved in fits and starts. Xu Zhizhou got further and further away from the pit and closer and closer to Song Changxu. When his feet touched the ground, he felt a bit unsteady. Song Changxu let go of the vine, the web between his thumb and forefinger aching.

As soon as Xu Zhizhou landed, he stumbled and was about to fall. Song Changxu quickly reached out to support him.

Xu Zhizhou grabbed Song Changxu’s hand tightly.

After this incident, with mud on his face, he looked pitiful and well-behaved with his eyes downcast.

“I was so scared,” Xu Zhizhou sobbed.

Song Changxu hesitantly put a hand on Xu Zhizhou’s back and patted it comfortingly. “It’s alright now. We’ll go back right away.”

He supported him as they walked back. Xu Zhizhou hissed in pain, and Song Changxu stopped.

“My foot is injured. It hurts to walk,” he said, his voice like a whine.

Song Changxu had him lean against a tree, then squatted down to lift his pant leg. Xu Zhizhou’s cheeks turned red, and he bit his lower lip, his body stiff, but he didn’t refuse.

He was so fair that any injury looked like a bruise. His ankle was scraped and bleeding, and his heel was badly swollen. Song Changxu was alarmed.

Xu Zhizhou’s voice came from above. “My knee hurts too.”

Hearing this, Song Changxu wanted to roll up his pant leg, but his mind stopped him. He asked, “Can I look at your knee?”

Xu Zhizhou mumbled an affirmative.

He rolled up his pant leg. His knee was a bruised purple and bleeding slightly, a shocking sight.

Song Changxu put his pant leg down. He remained in a squatting position and turned to Xu Zhizhou, revealing his broad, solid, and well-defined back.

“Get on. I’ll carry you back,” Song Changxu’s muffled voice reached Xu Zhizhou’s ears.

It was still a bit cold in the deep forest. Xu Zhizhou shivered, but his heart was warm. His ears and face turned red. He hesitated for a moment, then put his arms around Song Changxu’s neck, his body resting lightly on the man’s back.

Song Changxu stood up, his hands holding his legs. The heat from his palms seeped through the fabric to his skin. He felt that the area, along with his heart, was heating up. The heat rose, and he shyly buried his head in the back below, like a quail.

He smelled the clean, refreshing scent of soapberries on Song Changxu. The mountain path was not easy to walk on and was a bit bumpy. As the person on his back started to slip, he tightened his fingers and hoisted him up.

Xu Zhizhou’s body trembled. The tears in his eyes were gone, but his eyes were still watery.

The close proximity of their chests brought an unfamiliar sensation and warmth. Only when he was a child had his father carried him. This was the first time a man had carried him.

Thinking of this, Xu Zhizhou’s arms around Song Changxu’s neck tightened involuntarily.

Sensing that Xu Zhizhou might still be afraid, Song Changxu’s voice softened with a hint of helplessness.

“Loosen your hands a bit, or I won’t be able to breathe.”

Xu Zhizhou said “oh” and quickly loosened his grip, as if he had been shocked.

Song Changxu looked down at the path. The person on his back was about to slip off, so he grabbed his legs.

He had gone into the mountains to look for Xu Zhizhou right after cutting the grass, then cut the vines, and carried him down the mountain without a rest. Now, he was sweating.

The sweat trickled down his high nose bridge and chin. The fine beads of sweat on his neck, visible in the sunlight, seemed to burn Xu Zhizhou’s eyes.

Xu Zhizhou put one arm around his neck and fanned him with the other.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. I was picking soapberries and saw a wild chicken, so I chased after it and fell in by accident. I’m sorry for troubling you. I won’t be so impulsive in the future. I’ll watch where I’m going,” Xu Zhizhou said listlessly.

“Don’t go into the deep mountains if you don’t have to. This time is fine, but what if you run into a bear? Don’t rush when you walk. You must watch the path,” Song Changxu said, not scolding him, as he had already learned his lesson.

As expected, Xu Zhizhou lowered his head in shame. He stopped fanning Song Changxu, put both arms around him, and rubbed his head against his back.

Did I speak too harshly?

It can’t be.

Song Changxu felt his back suddenly become a little damp, and the damp area was gradually expanding.

This, this…

Song Changxu was stunned.

He asked tentatively, “Is your wound hurting?”

Xu Zhizhou didn’t answer. The hand on his neck was tight, the knuckles white. His neck was also flushed from crying.

Song Changxu couldn’t see Xu Zhizhou’s expression and couldn’t judge his mood. He could only feel the wet patch on his back growing larger.

They walked out of the forest and onto the village path.

Xu Zhizhou cried silently, but continuously, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Song Changxu said, “I spoke too harshly.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhizhou tightened his grip again and rested his head quietly on his back, listening to him speak.

Song Changxu thought for a moment and said, “I was worried about you, so I couldn’t help but speak harshly. I apologize. Please don’t cry.”

Xu Zhizhou cried even more sadly.

“I didn’t do it on purpose. It was scary to fall down alone. I already know I was wrong, and you still have to scold me.”

“It was such a deep pit, and I just fell in. Did I want to fall in? I was scared too. I was scared of getting hurt, scared of being eaten by a bear, scared that no one would come to rescue me, scared that you would leave after cutting the grass and not care about me, not look for me, and leave me all alone and terrified.”

His arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. This time, Song Changxu didn’t tell him to loosen his grip.

Song Changxu looked up, the dense mountain scenery filling his eyes.

He said, “I wouldn’t have. I would have looked for you. Don’t be afraid.”

They reached the Xu residence, and Song Changxu stopped.

Xu Zhizhou gave Song Changxu directions and was gently placed on the bed.

“I’ll help you clean the wound first, then I’ll go find a doctor.”

Song Changxu brought a basin of water to clean his wound. From Xu Zhizhou’s angle, he could see the smooth line of his jaw and his handsome profile.

Cleaning the wound hurt a little.

After Song Changxu finished, he was about to go out to find a doctor.

Xu Zhizhou called out to him, saying shyly, “Song Changxu, thank you. Don’t take the nonsense I said earlier to heart.”

Song Changxu paused and said, “I remember everything you said before.”

Xu Zhizhou: “…”

Xu Zhizhou looked at Song Changxu’s back, fuming.

Then he buried his head in his pillow, his face burning hot.

Author’s Note:

Little Song: Crybaby.

Little Xu: I can’t walk, I fell down. [Pats head]