Chapter 52

 By the time they finally got inside, both of them were completely soaked. Pei Yuan was stumbling as he walked, leaning heavily on Bao Ning's shoulder. Bao Ning’s face was wet, and it was hard to tell whether it was sweat, tears, or rain.

Liu Mama had expected them to return later in the evening, so she was shocked to see them back so early and in such a disheveled state. "What—what happened?"

"He’s drunk. I’m just helping him back," Bao Ning replied with a smile. "You should go rest now."

Liu Mama was suspicious but dared not ask further. She only said, "I’ll send two bowls of ginger soup over later."

"No need," Bao Ning declined. "I’ll make it myself. He probably doesn’t want to see anyone right now."

Liu Mama complied, watched them go inside, and then left.

A Huang and Xiao Yang, hearing the noise outside, eagerly looked on. When they saw them come in, they hurried over and began circling around them. Bao Ning had no time to deal with them. She struggled to help Pei Yuan onto the bed, stripped off his wet clothes, quickly wiped him down with a dry cloth, and covered him with a blanket.

Pei Yuan seemed to have fallen into a stupor. Bao Ning, too exhausted to care about modesty, stripped him down to just his underpants, revealing his muscular chest and abdomen.

Pei Yuan's body was covered in scars—some were shallow and faded to a light pink, while others were raised and winding like a large centipede. The network of toxins on his left arm was spreading visibly.

Bao Ning was taken aback, her heart filling with sorrow. How could this man be so vulnerable now?

Fearing that Pei Yuan might catch a chill, she quickly found a thick winter down comforter from the cupboard and covered him with it, then changed her clothes in haste.

When she turned back, Pei Yuan was already awake, watching her intently. His eyes were bloodshot and looked somewhat unsettling. He gave a soft, weak smile.

"You're so beautiful," Pei Yuan murmured, "I want to kiss you."

"At a time like this, can you be serious?" Bao Ning wanted to scold him, but seeing his condition made it hard for her. She turned to the cupboard to get the ceramic jar for the leeches and some medicine.

A Huang and Xiao Yang seemed to understand that this was not a time for play and stayed quietly by the side.

Bao Ning opened the jar of leeches, suppressing her discomfort and fear, and instructed them, "Keep the door closed. No one is allowed to come in."

A Huang responded with a bark. Bao Ning took the acupuncture kit and walked to Pei Yuan’s bedside. She sat down and rolled up his left trouser leg.

Even though she was mentally prepared, seeing it still gave her a jolt. Every vein seemed to have a life of its own, turning a deep purple and swelling up, with countless tiny spots pulsing. Bao Ning took a deep breath, forced herself to stop looking, and scooped out a spoonful of the pre-prepared ointment. She glanced at Pei Yuan and said softly, "Shall I start now?"

Bao Ning pressed her lips together. "It might hurt a bit."

Pei Yuan lay there, turned his head to look at her, and suddenly spoke, "Ning Ning, I’ve been thinking. I’m really sorry for what I've done to you."

"…Why are you saying this now?" Bao Ning hesitated, her fingers curling inward. "What have you done to wrong me?"

"Looking back, you’ve done so much for me," Pei Yuan said quietly. "Without you, I might still be stuck in that small courtyard, like a useless person. You know, I'm stubborn and prideful. I really thought if my leg was useless, my life was over, and it would be better off if I died."

Bao Ning looked into his eyes, feeling her jaw tighten and tears threatening to fall. She didn’t understand why Pei Yuan was saying this suddenly, especially since he was never a sentimental person.

"Rather than living in a world where people point fingers and call me a cripple, I would rather die in a corner where no one knows. But I wasn’t willing to accept it." Pei Yuan smiled. "I still have so much left to do, revenge to take, and dying just like that isn't my style. But I couldn’t go on living."

"I don't believe in ghosts or gods, but during that time, I kept hoping that if there were any Bodhisattvas in this world, that would be great."

Pei Yuan reached out to pull her little finger and gently rubbed it with an ambiguous expression. "Then I waited and eventually found you."

Bao Ning lowered her eyes, blocking her nose, and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

She had always wanted to hear Pei Yuan say something nice to her, and now that she finally did, she couldn’t bring herself to be happy. He said it so solemnly, like it was a last confession, and it made her want to cry even more, unlike before when even their quarrels felt lighter and more relaxed.

"Do you think I’m being long-winded?" Pei Yuan’s gaze darkened, and he sighed. "I’m telling you all this now because I’m afraid there won’t be another chance."

Bao Ning suddenly looked up. "What do you mean?"

"What if I die?" Pei Yuan paused, watching as Bao Ning’s eyes widened in shock, then he smiled lightly. "Why are you so anxious? I’m just saying what if."

His tone grew slower. "What if I die like this, and you’re still so young, with a long road ahead? I’m afraid you might forget me. I’m afraid that when you think of me in the future, you’ll only remember my faults, because, after all, I truly haven’t been good to you."

"I’m not a naturally good person, and I’m not a qualified husband by nature, but I do have my merits. I don’t retaliate when scolded, and in the future, you’ll have to patiently teach me."

"If there’s still a chance."

Bao Ning sniffed, stubbornly retorting, "If there isn’t a chance, if you die, I’ll remarry immediately. I’ll start a new life and won’t think of you even for a day."

"Dream on," Pei Yuan narrowed his eyes. "If anyone dares to marry you, even if I die and become a ghost, I’ll haunt their ancestors’ graves. So you’d better be good and stay a widow for the rest of your life."

Bao Ning was exasperated and laughed through her frustration. "You’re being so shameless and unreasonable. I’m not going to argue with you."

After all the commotion, Bao Ning’s panic had eased considerably. She stirred the medicinal paste with the jade stick, took a last look at Pei Yuan, and resolutely applied it to his calf.

This medicine was designed to attract the leeches to burrow into the skin. Leeches crave blood, but they aren’t foolish; they can sense poison in the blood and won’t simply comply. The medicinal paste has a special odor that deceives the leeches' senses, allowing them to enter the skin and detoxify. But the cost is significant pain.

Madam Ming had described it to her as feeling like hundreds of needles being pricked into the flesh of one’s fingernail.

Bao Ning looked at Pei Yuan’s face. He was already sweating, his fingers gripping the bedclothes tightly, and her heart ached with him. She stopped asking pointless questions about whether it hurt, as Pei Yuan would surely be in pain. Better to endure the pain briefly than to suffer it over a long period. Bao Ning used chopsticks to fish out the plump leech, wiping the mud off its body with a cloth.

The touch of the leech was cold and slimy. Bao Ning glanced at Pei Yuan, who was also looking in this direction, and he nodded.

Bao Ning gently placed the leech on the area with the medicinal paste. It had been listless and unenergetic, but as soon as it smelled the paste, it became lively, wriggling and quickly attaching itself to the skin.

Soon, the leech’s transparent body began to change. A thin line of blood flowed from its head into its abdomen, which started to swell. Bao Ning had seen it feeding on snails before, where the blood was bright red. But now, the blood was purple-black, glowing faintly, giving it a sinister appearance.

Bao Ning sat beside Pei Yuan, holding his wrist and observing the changes.

At first, there was no effect, but as the leech fed, the pulsating toxin gradually subsided, and the originally spreading poison seemed to retreat slightly.

Bao Ning looked at Pei Yuan in surprise and said, "Look, it's working!"

Pei Yuan pulled her closer, burying his face in the nape of her neck, and didn’t speak.

His breathing, initially rapid and heavy, gradually became more even. Bao Ning’s wildly beating heart also began to calm down. She wiped the sweat from her palm, feeling a sense of relief akin to surviving a calamity.

Although this was just the beginning and they had a long road ahead, with leech detoxification needed every fifteen days, which meant Pei Yuan would have to endure this kind of pain every half month for at least three years.

Bao Ning stared at the fat leech on Pei Yuan’s leg, watching it drop off after feeding, then wriggle a few times on the bed before going still.

Pei Yuan fell asleep on Bao Ning’s shoulder. She squeezed his fingers, but there was no response. She gently turned him onto his back, and he was very compliant, allowing her to move him around as if he were a large dog.

Bao Ning smiled slightly and thought about Pei Yuan’s earlier words, wondering if he truly meant it when he said he would endure any kind of abuse without retaliation.

Bao Ning reached out and touched his eyelashes. They were stiff and straight, with no sensation. Her own eyelashes were long and felt comfortable to touch.

She tidied up the bed, put away the jar, and lay down beside Pei Yuan. She couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning, thinking about his words.

He was very clear about his flaws and kept asking her to teach him, never bothering to ask if she was willing. He hadn’t even paid for his tuition, and being so clumsy, she wouldn’t have accepted him as a student.

Bao Ning's mind wandered, recalling how Pei Yuan had once angered her by saying he would wash her feet but never did, and now she was the one taking care of him. Bao Ning glared at Pei Yuan and, unable to hold back her anger, kicked him in the face. One kick wasn’t enough, so she kicked him again and quickly withdrew her foot, nervously glancing at Pei Yuan’s expression.

He was still sound asleep, showing no signs of waking.

Bao Ning sighed with relief, finding an excuse for herself. Pei Yuan had said he would endure any abuse without retaliation, so kicking him twice should be acceptable.

…

After a tense day, now that everything had settled, and there were no more worries, drowsiness overtook her.

Bao Ning pulled the blanket over her nose and fell into a deep, restless sleep. When she woke up, it was already completely dark. The blanket was too heavy, and she was covered in a layer of sticky sweat. Uncomfortably shifting around, she opened her eyes and met Pei Yuan’s gaze.

He seemed to have been awake for a while, tugging at her hair and teasing her softly, "Is it fun taking advantage of someone’s weakness?"

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