| GB | Frightened | 14
The autumn rain was pouring down with a loud patter, bean-sized droplets pounding the ground, filling the air with noise.
Huo Duo'er piled the hides under the eaves, holding onto a small, warm hand—so soft it felt like it would melt into water with the slightest pressure. He didn’t dare use even a bit of strength.
Yu Bai squeezed into the house with Huo Duo'er, turned back under the firelight, and saw the orc dripping wet from head to toe. Water streamed down his exposed arms, along with a few indistinct streaks of red.
Yu Bai’s heart skipped a beat, his throat tightening. “Huo Duo'er, you're hurt?”
The firelight couldn’t hide the sudden pale look on his face. His eyes, dark and deep, filled the giant with restless unease.
Huo Duo'er casually wiped away the red marks. “Bai, don’t worry. It’s not my blood, it’s from the Grey Mountain wolves.”
Yu Bai: “Wolves?”
Were those hides outside all from wolves?
It was the middle of the night, the rain unrelenting, and Huo Duo'er had run into a pack of Grey Mountain wolves. Just imagining it made Yu Bai’s skin crawl and his heart go cold.
He quickly had Huo Duo'er sit down and began checking him for any wounds.
Huo Duo'er's usual cold expression was replaced by a trace of helplessness. His gaze rested on the top of Yu Bai’s head. “Bai, I’m really fine.”
Yu Bai’s expression darkened slightly, and he raised his voice, “Sit.”
Huo Duo'er sat cross-legged, his back slightly hunched. Rain-soaked hair clung to his shoulders as he ran his hand through the wet strands, pushing them back. His light-colored beast eyes remained steadily fixed on Yu Bai.
“Bai, is this good enough?”
Yu Bai: “……”
His eyelids twitched, and even his lashes trembled slightly.
After all, Huo Duo'er was a giant, getting him to sit down was like commanding a wild, ferocious animal to sit still in front of you.
Awkwardly, he gave a small nod, then added, “You’re soaked through. Take off your clothes and move closer to the fire.”
Huo Duo'er removed his hemp robe, and Yu Bai handed him a dry one along with a square piece of cloth.
Yu Bai stammered, “Wipe yourself off… and cover up a little.”
He glanced over to see Huo Duo'er roughly drying himself, then wrapping the hemp robe loosely around his waist and hips.
Yu Bai let out a sigh of relief, quickly collecting himself before checking the old wounds on the beastman.
The scabs around Huo Duo'er's shoulders had almost all fallen off. The flesh underneath had grown back, with no signs of tearing.
Yu Bai’s voice carried a tone of relief. “Nothing serious.”
Huo Duo'er tensed, his shoulders giving a slight tremble.
Yu Bai was close while examining his injuries. As he spoke, each gentle and warm breath brushed against Huo Duo'er's nape and shoulders, carrying a clean, pleasant scent.
There were no bite marks from wild beasts, but a few scratches left by branches and underbrush.
Yu Bai’s fingertips lightly touched one of the cuts. “Does it hurt?”
He looked directly into Huo Duo'er's eyes as he asked, but the other man averted his gaze.
“Bai, these marks will heal by morning.”
Yu Bai pressed his lips together. “……”
Well, that made sense. A orc’s physique and healing ability were far beyond his expectations. If it was a little bit later, those scratches would likely be gone without a trace.
He felt a pang of envy in his heart. If he had a body like that, he wouldn’t be a burden on his parents and family, he might even be able to help them.
“Bai?”
Huo Duo'er grasped the sub-female’s wrist. “Did I scare you?”
Yu Bai had just been lost in memories of the past and hadn’t noticed Huo Duo'er calling him several times.
He tried to pull his wrist back, but the giant instinctively tightened his grip.
“You can let go now…” Yu Bai cleared his throat, his voice getting quieter and quieter. “I was just… thinking about something else.”
Huo Duo'er stared at his face, as if trying to read his expression.
Soft strands of hair fell over the sub-female’s eyes and brows. His small and pale lips, pressed into a line, but with a hint of stubbornness.
Huo Duo'er said nothing, but slowly released his grip.
Yu Bai turned his back, pulling a few sticks of firewood from the corner. In the process, he quietly tilted his head back, forcing the moisture in his eyes to retreat.
“I’ll boil some hot water and roast a few pieces of meat. You’ve been out in the rain for so long, washing up with warm water will help you feel better. Eat something after you’re done.”
Huo Duo'er watched the sub-female start to busy himself. His gaze shifted to his own left shoulder, and he lowered his head to sniff it.
He had been traveling through the mountains for a full day and night, and had fought off a pack of Grey Mountain wolves in the dark. Even though the rain had washed off most of it overnight, the strong scent of sweat mixed with blood still lingered.
Yu Bai looked delicate and frail, yet he kept everything in the house neat and clean.
All the small bowls and basins inside were arranged in perfect order. Yu Bai insisted on washing up and brushing his teeth every day. Before bed, he would always wipe himself down, and on warmer days, he would even heat water to bathe fully.
Besides that, when the weather was sunny, Yu Bai would always make time to bask in the sun. That’s why Huo Duo'er could always catch that clean, warm, and slightly herbal scent on him.
Huo Duo'er walked over. “Bai, let me handle this. You should go to sleep.”
He remembered Yu Bai had to take herbs every day, but still often struggled to sleep. During the day, it was hard for him to summon much energy.
Yu Bai said, “The rain is so loud, and you just got back, how could I possibly sleep?”
Maybe he really had been startled by the sight of Huo Duo'er covered in blood. Even after knowing he was okay, there was still a lingering mix of fear and anxiety in his heart.
Huo Duo'er wanted to say something else, but Yu Bai rubbed the tip of his nose and his nose turned red instantly, making him look pitiful.
Whatever words Huo Duo'er had on the tip of his tongue, he swallowed them back. If Yu Bai wanted to do things his way, then so be it.
The rain was still heavy. Even though the roof had been layered with four sets of leaves, some rainwater still managed to leak through. Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad.
That night passed quickly. Before dawn, Yu Bai managed to catch a little more sleep.
When he finally opened his eyes in a groggy daze, the room around him felt empty. A beam of light pierced through the gap in the eaves and landed in the corner of the wall. He stared at it.
Beneath him was a layer of beast hides, with two more spread over him as covers.
The door creaked as Huo Duo'er came in, just in time to see Yu Bai awkwardly trying to free his arms and legs from the tightly wrapped hides. His exposed cheeks were rosy and warm.
Huo Duo'er said, “Bai.”
Yu Bai's legs gave out slightly as he got out of bed. “What time is it?”
Huo Duo'er replied, “Almost noon.”
Yu Bai mumbled, “Why didn’t you wake me up? ”
Then he realized, Huo Duo'er must have seen him get up in the middle of the night and wanted to let him sleep a little longer.
It had rained heavily last night, and puddles had formed all over outside, but the yard wasn’t messy at all.
Huo Duo'er had woken up early. He’d first scraped and soaked the three wolf hides he brought back, then cleaned the courtyard according to Yu Bai’s habits, clearing out all the standing water.
Yu Bai was brushing his teeth with a small pig-bristle brush when he glanced back and saw Huo Duo'er lifting out freshly steamed, soft beans from the pot and another pot of chicken soup.
That bit of awkwardness from the middle of the night melted away. Yu Bai blinked, then smiled dumbly.
After breakfast, the sun rose from the east.
The chill in the courtyard slowly dispersed. Since it was still colder inside than outside, Yu Bai picked up a bundle of leaf-wrapped snacks and sat himself down on a wooden stump placed under the eaves.
Huo Duo'er flipped the drying wolf pelts over and happened to glance over at the sub-female, quietly sitting on the wooden stump.
The sunlight made his hair look soft and fluffy, dyed in a warm hue. His slender neck was slightly bowed, delicate and fragile, while his hands fiddled with the bundle in his lap.
As the leaves were peeled away one by one, Huo Duo'er stepped closer and frowned. “You’re almost out of herbs.”
The herbs Yu Bai used were different from the ones he had gathered himself. These were collected by an old orc during the spring.
It was thanks to those very herbs that Yu Bai, who had once been hanging on by a thread, was able to survive up till now.
Yu Bai picked up a herb and placed it into his mouth, then looked up and smiled softly at the giant.
But Huo Duo'er couldn’t smile back.
In all the time he’d spent with Yu Bai, the other had remained thin and weak, needing medicine morning and night.
If the medicine ran out… would he—
Huo Duo'er crouched down halfway and said, “Bai, tell me what kind of herbs they are. I’ll go out and find them for you.”
Yu Bai gently shook his head.
Huo Duo'er's brows twitched. “Bai?”
Yu Bai said, “Don’t worry.”
Then, with his usual calm and patient tone, he explained, “You can’t just pick herbs whenever you want. Some need to be harvested in the spring, some in the fall. Others can only be picked at night, and there are those best gathered at dawn.”
He wrapped the leaves back up and smiled faintly. “Once spring comes again, I’ll be able to collect the herbs I need.”
Huo Duo'er said, “I’m just worried you’ll feel pain.”
His concern was so direct and unfiltered that it made Yu Bai feel like his heart was steeped in warm water. He swallowed down the emotion and replied, “I’m not in pain right now.”
He had bone cancer. As long as he wasn’t experiencing the sharp, overwhelming pain, he could endure everything else.
He had been in this other world for a year now, and he didn’t know whether the cancer in his body had faded or simply gone quiet. But over the past few months, the pain had occurred far less often, and he treasured that feeling deeply.
After saying that, Yu Bai noticed Huo Duo'er still crouching there, looking up at him with that unwavering gaze. He lifted a hand to lightly shield himself from those pale beast eyes.
“Huo Duo'er, don’t keep looking at me like that…”
That gaze made his heart thump uncontrollably. He couldn’t understand it.
Yu Bai always felt that Huo Duo’er was hungry and wanted to eat, which was why he looked at him like that.
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