Chapter 31.2 Second Kiss

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The village doctor examined Yu Yuan’s wounds. Overall, Yu Yuan was okay, there were just a few places that were cut by the firewood knife and needed to be bandaged, otherwise they could easily get infected. 

Yan Mu’s tears fell as her lower lip was bitten white. She didn’t speak and silently helped Yu Yuan bandage his wounds.

“……Yan Mu?” Yu Yuan reached out his hand to wipe away her tears. Hot tears fell into his palm. They were crystal clear, like dewdrops on lotus leaves in the morning.

“You’re obviously badly injured, why didn’t you tell me?” Yan Mu bit her lip and sobbed non-stop, “Does it……hurt a lot?”

She couldn’t control herself from feeling guilty and distressed when she remembered that she had let Yu Yuan carry her just now. 

How much pain must Yu Yuan have been in just now?

With this thought in mind, Yan Mu felt even more uncomfortable inside.

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“Hunter Zhang isn’t here yet?” The village doctor asked with some disbelief as he looked towards the door. 

Everyone in the village knew that Hunter Zhang had lost his wife at an early age and Zhang Goudan was his only son, so he usually doted on him very much. 

How come now that Zhang Goudan is injured and unconscious, Hunter Zhang is indifferent¹不为所动 (bùwéisuǒdòng) – remain unmoved? The village doctor was stunned.

“Zhang Goudan said that Hunter Zhang was hooked on that addictive flower,” Yu Yuan indifferently said.

“Flower?” The village doctor was stunned for a moment, then asked with shock, “That flower is very hard to find, how did he get involved with it?”

“……I don’t know,” Yu Yuan calmly said. “He slandered me by saying that I must’ve done it, and took a knife to kill me today.”

“This Zhang Goudan has become a little abnormal after he became crippled,” Father Yan frowned and sighed. “There isn’t anything wrong with his brain, is there?”

“This……” The village doctor was at a loss for words. He thought about it seriously and said, “Too much stimulation may cause stupidity and madness.” 

“And……” The village doctor glanced at Zhang Goudan and softly said, “His head hit a stone just now, which may also affect his brain.”

“It’s better for him to become stupid.” The person who spoke was Yan Mu. She had always been soft and gentle, so it was rare to see her speak so harshly²疾言厉色 (jíyán-lìsè) – harsh words and stern looks.

“If he can attack Yu Yuan with a knife this time, he can do the same to someone else next time,” Yan Mu angrily said. “It’s hateful for him to recklessly hurt someone because of his own ideas.”

“It’s impossible for Hunter Zhang to take care of Zhang Goudan in that state.” The village doctor sighed, “I’ll ask the village chief later to see how to deal with it.”

“If there’s really something wrong with his brain, he mustn’t be let out anymore,” Yu Yuan suddenly said. “If he blocks the road and kills a person everyday, it won’t even take half a year for everyone in the village to die out.”

What he said was strange, but not unreasonable.

The village doctor glanced at Yu Yuan and sighed, “Indeed, if he has really gone crazy, then he can only be locked up……”

After a brief sigh, the village doctor picked up his medicine chest³Picture of it: again and looked at Yan Mu’s injury.

Yan Mu rolled up her trouser leg, revealing a little of her bright white calf.

The village doctor pressed the muscle on her leg and Yan Mu suddenly let out a cry of pain. He then looked at her ankle, only to see that it was swollen like a steamed bun. 

“Maybe you ran too fast and pulled a muscle. Your injury will probably take a while to recover.” The village doctor took out a packet of painkillers and took her pulse as usual.

“Eh? Your body……” The village doctor was surprised.

“I’m fine already,” Yan Mu hurriedly said.

“Did you take any medicine?” The village doctor felt that he had encountered a medical miracle and excitedly followed up with Yan Mu to ask. She gave a fake laugh and perfunctorily replied, saying that she was early to bed, early to rise, and exercised more.

Although the village doctor was still puzzled, since Yan Mu herself had said so, he couldn’t keep asking. He silently recited to himself about going to bed early, getting up early, and exercising more while sending the three of them to the door.

This event had come to an end for now. On the way back, as usual, Father Yan asked about their school homework.

Usually, it was Yan Mu who chattered the most, but this time, it was Yu Yuan who idly continued the conversation. Even Father Yan noticed that something was wrong with Yan Mu.

“Daughter, what’s wrong with you?” Father Yan scratched his head. 

Yan Mu glanced at Yu Yuan and angrily said, “It’s nothing, I’m fine.”

Even someone as coarse as Father Yan had sensed that something was wrong between the two of them. Although he didn’t understand the reason, he also knew that with Yu Yuan’s honest and timid personality, it was impossible for him to bully Yan Mu.

Father Yan wanted to let the two of them reconcile, but he couldn’t think of a good way to do it even after thinking for a long time.

In the end, he could only fake slap his head and say, “Dad just remembered that the vegetables in the field seem to be growing well. Aiya, if we don’t eat them now, they’ll be overripe. I’ll go pick some, both of you go home first.”

After saying that, Father Yan hurriedly left.

For a moment, only Yan Mu and Yu Yuan were left looking at each other.

Yan Mu was stunned for a moment, then understood Father Yan’s painstaking efforts. But she was still angry inside and didn’t want to forgive Yu Yuan so easily, so she “hmph”’d, turned around, and left. 

However, imagination is ample and reality is skinny.⁴What you imagined is perfect, but reality doesn’t allow for perfection to exist.. Yan Mu had only taken a few steps before she was defeated by the sharp pain coming from her leg.

Her little face scrunched up and she crouched into a ball on the ground.

Yu Yuan’s body stagnated and he quickly walked forward to squat face to face with Yan Mu.

“Go away!” Yan Mu felt angry when she looked at Yu Yuan’s face.

It’s all this handsome face’s fault. If it wasn’t for this handsome face……wuu wuu wuu male beauty leads people astray!

She initially wanted to push the teenager away, but remembering the injuries on Yu Yuan’s body, she quickly retracted her outstretched hand. She could only angrily turn away and not look at him.

The teenager didn’t speak and crouched in front of her like a statue. After a long time, he lowered his head and spoke hoarsely, “Do you not want me anymore?”

His pitiful look was extremely similar to a lost wolf cub.

Yan Mu’s heart slightly wavered, but remembering Yu Yuan’s bad behaviour of not cherishing his body and hiding his injuries, that wavering heart instantly became firm. 

Yan Mu simply buried her head in her arms, trying to tell Yu Yuan with her body language——I don’t want to listen.

“Yan Mu.”

She couldn’t see Yu Yuan’s face and only heard that his voice was slightly trembling.

“……Yan Mu, do you not want me anymore too?” The teenager’s voice was very soft, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind.

Yan Mu had seen many sides of Yu Yuan. But such a weak and fragile look was rarely seen.

Yan Mu suddenly remembered how Yu Yuan used to be abused and mistreated in the past, and walked through a miserable and lonely childhood because of a few sentences that she had written.

Yu Yuan had obviously endured the worst malice in this world and had clearly seen a lot of darkness. But in front of her, he would always be that tsundere and considerate little teenager.

In an instant, Yan Mu’s heart was utterly defeated⁵溃不成军 (kuìbùchéngjūn) – (of troops) be utterly routed; be beaten to a mummy; break and scatter.

She quietly lifted her head, sniffling with her nose red from crying, and softly said to Yu Yuan, “I do.”

“I want Yu Yuan.” She looked at Yu Yuan for a while and then lowered her head again, somewhat embarrassed.

The corners of Yu Yuan’s mouth couldn’t stop rising, but they were forcibly suppressed again.

He stood up and extended his hand towards Yan Mu. Yan Mu’s anger came and went quickly. She wiped her tears and awkwardly pulled Yu Yuan’s hand to stand up.

“I……” Yan Mu pouted and whined, “My legs still hurt.”

“Then I’ll carry you on my back,” Yu Yuan said.

“I don’t want you to carry me!” Yan Mu exploded at the mention of it.

“Then……I’ll support you.” The teenager was a little helpless.

Yan Mu didn’t say anything, but her hand honestly held his.

“……Silly girl,” Yu Yuan softly mumbled.

“What did you say?” Yan Mu didn’t hear clearly.

“It’s nothing.” The corner of Yu Yuan’s mouth twitched. Afraid that Yan Mu would be angry again, he said, “I’m complimenting you on how good you look.”

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It was night. Yan Mu’s legs were hurting, so she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

Remembering the miraculous effect of Yu Yuan’s kiss, she hugged her small quilt and laid in bed, lost in thought.

“Since Yu Yuan’s kiss can extend my life……can it strengthen my body?” Yan Mu said to herself.

Her legs were hurting so much that Yan Mu just couldn’t take it anymore. So she dragged her legs out of the bed, thinking that she was being very sneaky⁶神不知鬼不觉 (shén bù zhī guǐ bù jué) – unknown to god or ghost—without anybody knowing it; with great secrecy, and opened the door to go to the living room.

The night was bright and the stars were wide apart. Yu Yuan lay on the table, thinking about what had happened today.

Today, he made Yan Mu worried and angry. At the thought of this, Yu Yuan’s heart felt so stuffy that he couldn’t sleep.

That numbing sensation still lingered on the nape of his neck, and the girl’s sweet fragrance still hovered on the tip of his nose.

Yan Mu……

Yu Yuan buried his head in the quilt and silently called out Yan Mu’s name in his heart.

The sound of light footsteps came, and Yu Yuan vigilantly poked his head out to check.

He only saw Yan Mu slowly walking from her room to the living room in the dark. Then, she stopped in front of the table he was sleeping on.

Is Yan Mu doing something? Yu Yuan was a little puzzled.

Inexplicably, he remembered before, when he caught sight of Yan Mu’s silhouette returning to her room in the middle of the night, while a faint sweet fragrance remained on his lips. And another time, when he had woken up at Yan Mu’s house and saw her, she had stood up in a panic.

For a moment, many clues flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t catch them. He didn’t make a sound and watched Yan Mu reach out her hand, fumbling around his body.

The cold little hand moved all the way up and finally stopped on his lips.

“Yu Yuan?” Yan Mu softly called out.

Yu Yuan pretended to be asleep and didn’t speak, wanting to see what she would do next.

Then, he saw Yan Mu leaning down. Under his stunned gaze, Yan Mu kissed his lips.

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The author has something to say:

When I wrote up to “Father Yan thought that Yu Yuan, that honest and timid child⁷老实巴交 (lǎoshibājiāo) – dialect for saying someone is well-behaved/ obedient/docile.……” I couldn’t hold back, I laid on the computer table and burst out laughing.

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Edited by: Gaze