Chapter 56
“Thump, thump thump—Huaishan, Huaishan, can you hear me?”
As the sky darkened, a biting cold wind howled through the mountain forest, ruthless and unrestrained, like the cries of ghosts and wolves, instantly sweeping away the little warmth there was.
The bamboo tube was still warm, but the hand holding it was getting colder and colder.
The closed bamboo door did not move an inch. After waiting for a long time without a response, the smile in Hua Shi’an’s eyes gradually faded, his brow furrowed slightly, and he changed from knocking to pounding on the door, shouting through the crack in the door, “Thump thump thump, Huaishan, Huaishan, are you in the tree hollow? I’m going to open the door and come in myself, okay?”
He hadn’t seen him all day, and no one answered the door. Besides him not being in the tree hollow, Hua Shi’an couldn’t think of any other reason. But on such a cold day, where could he be if not in the tree hollow? Even if he had to go out, he should have at least told him, right?
Could it be… he fainted from the cold inside?
Overthinking couldn’t solve the problem. Hua Shi’an took a deep breath, bent down and placed the two bamboo tubes to the side, then reached out and inserted his fingers into the cracks of the bamboo slats, pulling the bamboo door with force.
With a “snap,” the coir rope tied to the inside of the bamboo door broke. The bamboo door, which couldn’t be pushed or pulled, was freed from its restraint and opened with a gentle pull.
Holding the bamboo tubes, he bent down and squeezed into the tree hollow. Hua Shi’an’s suspended heart fell back into his chest. Thank goodness, at least he was in the tree hollow.
The beastman’s new tree hollow was a circle larger than Hua Shi’an’s, but the inside was very empty, with very few things. On the left side of the door, a layer of coir sheets was spread out, with potatoes and chestnuts piled up randomly. Beside them was a row of bamboo tubes, filled with pine nuts, willow branches, honey…
Besides that, the entire tree hollow only had a low-legged bamboo bed.
The bamboo bed was placed on the right side of the tree hollow. A layer of coir sheets was also spread on the bed board, and a large, bulging lump was propped up by a soft, white sheepskin, trembling slightly. He didn’t even know that someone had entered his home. The beastman, facing the wall of the hollow and with his back to the entrance, was still sound asleep, his breathing, sometimes shallow and sometimes heavy, echoing in the tree hollow.
So he was sleeping all this time. Did he stay up all night last night? He can sleep so much.
Hua Shi’an let out a long sigh of relief. He walked to the bedside with the bamboo tubes, leaned in close to the beastman’s furry head, and called softly, “Huaishan.”
It was unclear whether he had just woken up or if the aroma from the bamboo tubes was too tempting. He hadn’t heard him shouting outside the door, but now, with just a soft call, the sleeping beastman slowly turned over, from lying on his side to lying on his back, and opened his sleepy eyes.
He was still very sleepy. The beastman’s eyes struggled to open a slit, but when he groggily saw Hua Shi’an standing by the head of the bed, Mo Huaishan’s eyes instantly widened like saucers, and he shot up from the bed.
“Shi, cough, cough cough cough…”
A messy cough blocked the unfinished words in his throat. The beastman supported his chest with one hand, his body trembling violently, his head bowed as he coughed until he was dizzy.
Finally realizing why he hadn’t seen him all day, Hua Shi’an quickly put the bamboo tubes on the ground, grabbed the sheepskin that the beastman had thrown off, and draped it over his back, then wrapped it around his shoulders to cover his chest as well.
The coughing gradually subsided. The beastman gasped for breath, the hair on his forehead soaked with sweat, his face flushed, his lips dry and chapped. He looked more haggard than ever before.
There was still a little clear water in the beastman’s tree hollow. Hua Shi’an brought the water over, sat on the edge of the bed, and held the bamboo tube to Mo Huaishan’s lips. “Here, have some water. Drink slowly.”
He was too embarrassed to be fed. The dizzy Mo Huaishan was taken aback and slowly raised his hand, but before his hand could touch the bamboo tube, Hua Shi’an firmly pressed it down. “Don’t move. Just drink like this.”
His voice was a little cold. Mo Huaishan grunted sullenly and, with Hua Shi’an’s hand, took large gulps of the water in the bamboo tube.
After putting the bamboo tube back on the ground, Hua Shi’an raised his hand and gently placed his palm on the beastman’s forehead. The bewildered Mo Huaishan subconsciously tried to dodge, but Hua Shi’an held his shoulder, not allowing him to resist.
He wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t touched it. One touch and he was shocked.
The beastman had a fever. His forehead was surprisingly hot. Although Hua Shi’an had just come in from outside and his hands were a little cold, this scorching hot body temperature was undoubtedly a high fever.
In a primitive society with backward or even non-existent medical conditions, a fever could be a fatal illness. Hua Shi’an slowly withdrew his hand, turned his head to look at the beastman, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter. “When did you start feeling unwell? Besides the fever and cough, are there any other discomforts?”
They were so close, their arms were even touching!
Mo Huaishan’s head was buzzing. He didn’t even hear what Hua Shi’an was saying. It took him a couple of breaths to belatedly react with a “huh.”
Hua Shi’an patiently repeated himself. After listening, the beastman shook his head and stammered, “Shi’an, I, I’m not unwell. I just got up too quickly just now. I, I choked on my saliva.”
“Choked on your saliva?” Hua Shi’an’s face was stern, and he glared at him with dissatisfaction. “You can sleep in a tree hollow for a whole day just from choking on your saliva? Your forehead is scorching hot, your face is as red as a monkey’s butt, and you’re so weak. You’re still trying to fool me.”
“I’m not weak. I, I’m not weak.”
Mo Huaishan’s reaction was particularly strong, his voice full of vigor.
As soon as he shouted, he was in trouble. The itch in his throat was uncontrollable. He bent over and had another violent coughing fit, coughing until his heart and lungs were about to come out, his face red.
Even so, as soon as he had recovered, he immediately explained to Hua Shi’an, “It’s okay, I’m really okay. You don’t have to worry about me, Shi’an. Cough cough, quick, quick, go back and rest.”
Hua Shi’an was extremely worried. He gently patted his back and comforted him with great patience, “You’re such a big person, why are you still like a cub? If you’re sick, you’re sick. If you’re not feeling well, you’re not feeling well. What’s there to not admit? Am I going to dislike you?”
“I, I…”
As if his thoughts had been exposed, the beastman’s expression was a little unnatural.
He stammered for a long time, pursed his lips nervously, let out a hot breath, and muttered, “Alright, I, I am a little unwell. I felt hot for no reason while sleeping at night, so I didn’t cover myself with the sheepskin. Then when I woke up this morning, my head was dizzy, I was sleepy, I was coughing, and I was alternating between cold and hot.”
“Shi’an,” Mo Huaishan bit his lower lip, clutched the sheepskin tightly, and glanced at Hua Shi’an nervously. “I, I have a good constitution, I’m strong, and I run fast. I’ve rarely been sick since I was little. This, this time, I don’t know what’s wrong. I’ll get better soon. You, you don’t have to…”
He didn’t finish his sentence, but Hua Shi’an guessed it.
A beastman’s body was his capital. A strong physique was the primary criterion for a sub-beastman to choose a mate. No sub-beastman would choose a sickly beastman who couldn’t carry anything as a mate.
The beastman was afraid, afraid that Hua Shi’an would dislike him for this.
He had been busy roasting konjac skewers. He had known that it was strange that the beastman hadn’t come out all day, but he hadn’t gone to check on him earlier, letting the sick person sleep in the tree hollow all day. Hua Shi’an was heartbroken. How could he dislike him?
Illness comes like a landslide. The high-spirited beastman had been deprived of his vitality by the high fever. His eyes were red, as if he had just cried. He looked so pitiful. Hua Shi’an did not hesitate to raise his hand, his thumb stroking the trembling eye under the long eyelashes, his voice gentle, “No, Huaishan, I promise.”
“People are made of flesh. Everyone gets sick sometimes. I know you’ve always been in good health. You probably got a cold yesterday from sweating too much while pounding the konjac and then being exposed to the cold wind. I also felt a little unwell when I woke up this morning.”
“You’re not feeling well either? Where are you not feeling well?” Mo Huaishan was greatly alarmed. He suddenly sat up straight and, mimicking Hua Shi’an, quickly reached out to touch his forehead.
Hua Shi’an let him touch it for a few seconds, then grabbed his wrist and moved the hot, large hand from his forehead. But he did not let go. Instead, he inadvertently moved up a few inches and gently held his hand. “Well, not as hot as you, right? It was mainly you who was working yesterday. I didn’t sweat much. It’s not a big problem.”
“That, that’s good.” Mo Huaishan froze, not daring to move.
A soft, small hand was holding his. The slightly cool body temperature of the sub-beastman was continuously transmitted.
Fearing that the sub-beastman would let go, he didn’t even dare to breathe too heavily. So when Hua Shi’an asked him if he was hungry, he reflexively tightened his grip on Hua Shi’an’s hand and quickly shook his head. “Not hungry. I’m not hungry.”
His mouth was tough, but his body was honest. As soon as he finished speaking, with a “gurgle,” his long-starved stomach let out a dissatisfied roar, the long sound echoing in the tree hollow.
The beastman’s face flushed red, all the way to the back of his ears. Hua Shi’an burst out laughing and then shook the hand he was holding. “I’m not leaving. I brought something to eat. Can we hold hands again later? Let’s eat first.”
“Mm-hm.” The beastman nodded and reluctantly let go.
The bamboo tube’s insulation was not bad. The konjac tofu skewers were not completely cold, still a little warm. Hua Shi’an and Mo Huaishan shared them. He ate the spicy ones, and the beastman ate the non-spicy ones.
He had probably not eaten all day. Although the beastman was sick, his appetite was quite good. He finished the eight skewers of konjac cleanly and seemed to want more, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally staring at Hua Shi’an’s hands.
He didn’t dare to give him the spicy ones. Hua Shi’an didn’t want to tempt him and quickly stuffed the last small bite of konjac into his mouth. But after he finished the konjac, the beastman was still looking at his hands. Only then did he belatedly realize—oh~ he wanted to hold hands.
In the end, he still couldn’t let the beastman have his wish. After finishing the konjac, Hua Shi’an left with the two bamboo tubes.
He didn’t go directly back to his own tree hollow. Hua Shi’an turned and went to the warehouse. He grabbed a handful of the fish mint that had been dried a while ago, a handful of the stone lychee that had been dug up on the way and saved for soup, and another piece of ginger, and went home to cook soup.
Ginger dispels cold and warms the body, and improves immunity. Stone lychee soothes the lungs and relieves coughs. Fish mint clears heat and detoxifies, and also has a certain antipyretic effect.
He was not a professional doctor. Hua Shi’an was not sure if this combination would be effective, but these three plants could be eaten directly and had their own effects. At least, they would not be incompatible with each other.
Night fell. The frost-covered forest was like the top of a snow-capped mountain. The wind was bone-chillingly cold, and a biting chill came from all directions. Hua Shi’an, draped in a sheepskin, was shivering from the cold.
The bamboo tube in his hand was steaming, but he couldn’t walk too fast, or the soup would spill out. Hua Shi’an shrank his neck and walked in the cold wind. A ten-minute journey took him twenty minutes. He shivered as he reached the entrance of the beastman’s tree hollow.
Without bothering to knock, Hua Shi’an hooked the bamboo door with the tip of his foot and gently pulled it open. He ducked into the tree hollow, carefully placed the two bamboo tubes on the ground, and then quickly closed the bamboo door, blocking the cold outside.
“So cold, so cold! It’s especially cold tonight. It feels like it’s going to snow.”
He was almost frozen. Hua Shi’an crossed his arms and rubbed his frozen arms back and forth.
He had been holding the hot bamboo tube all the way, and his palms were still a little warm. But after rubbing for a while, his arms didn’t warm up, and his hands also became cold, like ice.
“Shi’an, come over here. I’m warm.”
Mo Huaishan, who was lying on the bed, sat up. Looking at Hua Shi’an, who was rubbing his hands and stomping his feet, his brow furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with worry.
Hua Shi’an breathed a hot breath into his palms and quickly shook his head. “It’s okay, I’ll be fine in a moment. You’re a patient now. I can’t pass the cold to you.”
It wasn’t very warm in the tree hollow. You could imagine how cold it was outside. Mo Huaishan was anxious. Seeing that Hua Shi’an wouldn’t come over, he moved his own weak legs and tried to get out of bed.
“Hey, don’t move, don’t move. I’m coming.”
The cold had almost dissipated. Hua Shi’an brought the two bamboo tubes to the bedside, handed one to the beastman, and instructed him gently, “It’s a bit full. Hold it with both hands. Be careful, it’s hot. Drink slowly.”
The brown soup rippled in the bamboo tube, and the fresh fragrance drifted with the steam. Mo Huaishan held the bamboo tube with both hands, a lump inexplicably forming in his throat. It took him a long time to speak again, “Thank you, Shi’an. You even have to, have to cook soup for me on such a cold day.”
“Soup? This is not soup.” Hua Shi’an held his bamboo tube and sat on the edge of the bed, pointing to the soup in the bamboo tube with his chin. “This should be considered medicine. It can relieve coughs, reduce fever, and help you recover faster.”
Whether it was soup or medicine, it was cooked for him by the sub-beastman in the severe cold. Mo Huaishan could imagine the small sub-beastman guarding the stone pot, curled up with his arms wrapped around himself, shivering when the cold wind blew.
As if he had guessed his thoughts, Hua Shi’an lifted his chin slightly and chuckled softly. “Are you moved? If you’re moved, then I’ll sleep in your tree hollow tonight. See, I even brought my sheepskin.”
Mo Huaishan’s hand, which was holding the bamboo tube, trembled violently. He stared at Hua Shi’an with wide eyes, in disbelief. “That, how can that be? You’re not of age yet, and we haven’t, haven’t…”
Is it that he doesn’t want to? No, he really wants to. He also wants to be close to the sub-beastman, but he can’t.
This reaction was too strong. It was obvious that he had misunderstood. The smile in Hua Shi’an’s eyes deepened, and he deliberately teased him, “Why are you refusing so quickly? Didn’t we also sleep together when we were collecting honey on the mountain?”
“That was in our beast form,” Mo Huaishan said righteously.
Hua Shi’an’s eyes were innocent. “I was talking about sleeping in our beast form. What, what were you thinking?”
Finally realizing that he had misunderstood, Mo Huaishan quickly lowered his head, his ear tips turning red. After about ten breaths, he looked up again, deliberately averting his gaze, and muttered, “Even in our beast form, it’s, it’s not appropriate. If we sleep in the same tree hollow and someone sees us, it, it will be bad for you.”
No longer joking, Hua Shi’an’s eyes drooped slightly. Looking at the reflection in the bamboo tube, he suddenly said seriously, “I don’t care. What if you kick off the sheepskin again at night? I’m not at ease. I have to watch over you.”
