Chapter 169: Chapter 168 I’m a bit cold...
I don’t know why, even though he still had strength, no matter how seriously injured, he wouldn’t be oppressed to the point of not being able to get up. But right now, this clearly thin and soft body pressing down on him made him feel as if he couldn’t muster his strength.
"You—"
As he tried to struggle again, Shang Ruyi gripped the edge of the bed with one hand and the sheet with the other, tightly holding him with her body. After several tussles, Yu Wenye felt his strength gradually draining away, unable to exert any more.
He gritted his teeth and eventually lay back on the bed powerlessly.
Both were panting heavily, their bodies closer than ever before. Shang Ruyi could even feel the strong chest beneath her heaving with his intense breathing, as if his breath were striking against her body, and the burning warmth from his skin penetrated through their clothes onto her.
At this moment, she finally realized what she had done in her urgency.
In an instant, a blush spread from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears, her cheeks as hot as his body. Shang Ruyi didn’t dare to look at him, and could only turn her head away, resting her cheek against his chest.
Yu Wenye gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "What are you doing?"
Shang Ruyi replied sulkily, "No matter what, I can’t let you go out again."
"..."
"You, you must stay here."
"..."
"Second brother, you’re already in so much pain. Could you give yourself a little time not to suffer so much, okay?"
Listening to her words, Yu Wenye lay powerlessly on the bed, his dry eyes devoid of any tears. It was only after a long time that he noticed the ornate, splendid canopy above. So, this was Shang Ruyi’s bed.
His rapid breathing finally began to calm down.
Feeling his calm, Shang Ruyi also breathed a sigh of relief and immediately, with cheeks burning, prepared to get up.
But as she was about to rise, she felt her hands being grasped by two other hot hands, losing her support. She could only slump over his chest, her face suddenly burning like fire.
She wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.
The two of them just quietly stayed so close, almost without a single barrier between them.
After who knows how long, she heard the person beneath her speak, but because they were so closely pressed together, his voice didn’t seem to come from beside her ear but rather from his chest to her heart. The voice was not only low and deep, but carried a note of utter hopelessness——
"Why don’t you talk me out of it?"
"..."
It turned out he had heard Jinyun’s words.
Shang Ruyi’s breath tightened slightly, "I, I haven’t figured out how to persuade you."
"Oh?"
"I thought about it, usually to comfort someone in this situation, you’d say, if the deceased saw you like this, they would be sad too..."
The breathing below her stalled again.
Shang Ruyi continued, "But since mother was so kind and virtuous, she must now have ascended to bliss, and all the troubles of the world can surely no longer disturb her. So, she can’t see any of this..."
"..."
"So, I don’t know what to say to persuade you, to make you not so sad, to come back and rest."
...
Yu Wenye was silent for a long while, saying nothing.
But Shang Ruyi felt the body beneath her gaining a hint of warmth.
And the two hands that were gripping her wrists finally relaxed a little. Shang Ruyi barely managed to support herself and looked down at the pallid face with a sickly flush, a face that usually only showed strength and severity. For the first time, she saw a hint of fragility in Yu Wenye.
Shang Ruyi’s voice was deliberately softer than usual, "Rest well."
Having said that, she prepared to get up.
But just as she moved, the hands gripping her wrist used a bit more force again, catching her off guard as she fell back onto Yu Wenye’s chest. Though it didn’t hurt, it startled her, and her whole body went rigid.
Before she could open her mouth to ask or do anything, she heard Yu Wenye’s hoarse voice above her——
"I feel a bit cold..."
"..."
Shang Ruyi froze for a moment.
Instinctively, she glanced at the quilt that had been pushed to the side during his earlier struggle but did nothing more. Her face reddened as she gently settled back over him.
She said softly, "Then, you rest well."
"..."
"I, I will be here."
"..."
"I’ll always be here..."
Hearing her voice, as if receiving a promise that brought him peace, Yu Wenye gradually closed his eyes. Though his eyes were still slightly red, his whole body seemed to relax a lot, and gradually, his breathing became smooth.
As Shang Ruyi lay over him, listening to his long and soft breathing, she gradually drifted into sleep as well, as if she were being lulled by him.
This sleep lasted through the whole night.
When the next day came, Shang Ruyi awoke from her slumber slowly, feeling much more comfortable all over, and the fatigue that had been weighing on her was gone.
But, the moment she opened her eyes, she realized she was no longer resting against the gently breathing chest that had given her warmth and brought her comfort all night, but just a layer of bedding.
Where was Yu Wenye?
Shang Ruyi jolted awake, quickly got up and looked around, but saw that she was alone in the bed, and there was no sign of Yu Wenye in the entire room.
Where did he go?
Shang Ruyi immediately panicked a little and hurried off the bed, but as she reached the door, she heard Yu Wenye’s voice talking with Aunt Hui outside. The two seemed to have just met in the hallway outside the door——
"Aunt Hui, thank you for your hard work these past few days."
"What are you saying, Second Young Master? The lady’s matters are my matters. I only wonder if the Second Young Master is still feeling well?"
"I’m fine now."
"Then I’m relieved. Now that only you are left to make decisions at home, you absolutely mustn’t fall."
"...Aunt Hui, has there been any news from him?"
As soon as she heard this question, Shang Ruyi’s heart skipped a beat.
Him?
Who is Yu Wenye talking about?
Opposite her, Aunt Hui seemed silent for a while, then spoke softly, "Actually, as soon as the lady’s news came back, I already sent someone to inform the eldest young master. But, it is said that some time ago he encountered some issues and faced many setbacks."
"Oh? So he is now——"
"He finally gained some enlightenment, and now, it’s said he has gone on a journey."
"..."
"So, he hasn’t received the news of the lady’s passing, and he likely——won’t come back."
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi’s heart couldn’t help but start pounding.
So they were talking about Yu Wenye’s elder brother, that very Duke’s eldest son from the Duke Mansion who was once engaged to her, but then broke off the engagement and didn’t marry her——Yu Wenqian!