Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

Chapter 128 The Bright and Elegant Fake Gold 5

Even Lord Wen's usually composed face showed a hint of panic.

One is his proud eldest son, and the other is his pampered daughter whom he has cherished since childhood. How could he not be anxious?

But seeing his wife in complete disarray, he couldn't panic.

Lord Wen took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the burning sensation in his throat, and reached out to support his swaying wife.

"Aya, stay calm. Zhi Miao has always been steady, and Shu'er is clever. They can definitely take care of each other and hold out until we find them."

His fingertips were calloused as he gently patted his wife's back, but the force in his palm concealed a barely perceptible tremor.

"I will first send my servants to provide reinforcements, and then go to the palace to ask His Majesty to dispatch the Imperial Guards for support."

Lord Wen helped his wife walk towards the inner hall, but tried to keep his steps steady. "The Imperial Guards are familiar with mountain searches. With them here, we can be much faster."

"Alright! Go quickly! I'll stay here and keep watch, so that if Wen Lin and the others find them, we can go to meet them immediately."

Madam Wen leaned against her husband's chest, her voice still trembling, but she forced herself to sit up straight and reached out to tidy the messy strands of hair at her temples.

"I'll have someone prepare warm clothes for Zhimiao and Shu'er, and also boil some ginger soup so they can use them when they come back."

Looking at his wife's forced composure, Lord Wen felt both heartache and bitterness.

He gripped his wife's hand tightly and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, I'll go to the palace right away and make sure nothing happens to them."

After saying that, he turned and strode out.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the cave.

Under the influence of the medication, Wen Zhimiao's high fever finally subsided. His eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing that catches the eye is the flickering orange-red flames, and the air is filled with the elegant scent of a woman.

The feel under my hand is...

He suddenly lowered his head, his hand recoiling as if electrocuted, and his breath caught in his throat when his gaze fell on the person in his arms.

Liu Yunshu was only wearing a peach-colored bodice, and her messy hair fell on her fair cheeks.

Wen Zhimiao immediately closed her eyes, not daring to look anymore.

The image of black hair, red lips, and snow-white skin, with its intense colors and strong visual impact, is etched into my mind like a brand.

What... what happened?! Didn't they roll down the hillside? How...?

He struggled to get up, but the movement aggravated the wound on his back, and a sharp pain spread along his spine.

Wen Zhimiao couldn't help but groan, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on her forehead.

The movement startled Liu Yunshu awake. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked, "Big brother, you're awake?"

She reached out and touched his forehead again, feeling the cool temperature with her fingertips, and breathed a sigh of relief: "That's great, the fever has finally gone down."

The two were very close, close enough to see the tears welling up in her eyes from drowsiness.

Even the sweet scent of her breath gently brushed against Wen Zhimiao's chin.

Wen Zhimiao abruptly turned her head, her voice low and hoarse as she asked, "Why...why are you dressed like this?"

His ears were so red they were almost bleeding, and his gaze was fixed on the flickering flames, not daring to even glance at Liu Yunshu out of the corner of his eye.

The wound on my back was still throbbing, but the panic in my heart was far greater than the pain.

He held his sister in his arms like this while he was not fully conscious.

Seeing this, Liu Yunshu's eyes flashed with a smile, and she pretended to be flustered as she picked up her inner garment and put it on.

With a blush, she softly recounted what happened after Wen Zhimiao fell into a coma.

She paused when she mentioned that he was thirsty.

He vaguely mentioned, "Your jaw was clenched so tightly that it took me a while to feed you water," deliberately avoiding eye contact.

"Later, you developed a fever, and I gave you all my clothes, but you still kept saying you were cold. I really had no other choice, so I..."

At this point, Liu Yunshu deliberately lowered her eyelashes, and tears fell like broken pearls, landing on the back of her hand and leaving a small wet patch.

"I know that men and women shouldn't touch each other, but you had a high fever and were shaking all over. I couldn't just watch you get hurt... If you think I overstepped my bounds, I... I'll apologize to you."

Hearing her tearful voice, and recalling the scene of her protecting her as she rolled down the slope before she fainted, Wen Zhimiao's panic was instantly replaced by guilt.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he turned around with difficulty.

Despite the excruciating pain from the wound on his back, he still tried his best to face Liu Yunshu, speaking in a very soft voice.

"I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, I might not have made it this far."

He dared not look at her reddened eyes, but stared at the bits of grass stuck to the ends of her hair, while the redness on the tips of her ears did not fade at all.

"You were trying to save me, so there's no question of overstepping your bounds."

Liu Yunshu then stopped crying and smiled, before looking at him with concern, "Big brother, how are you feeling now?"

Wen Zhimiao tried to move her fingers. Although the stinging pain in her back had not completely disappeared, she could barely bear it.

He nodded slightly: "Much better, but still a little weak."

His gaze swept over the still-drizzling rain outside the cave, then returned to Liu Yunshu.

Seeing the mud on her inner sleeves and the dry blade of grass tucked behind her ear, he felt a mixture of warmth and bitterness in his heart. "Yun Shu, thank you for your hard work."

Liu Yunshu smiled and shook her head. "We're siblings, there's no need for such formalities. Besides, you were seriously injured protecting me, so it's only right that I take care of you."

Liu Yunshu got up, dusted off her skirt, walked to the cave entrance and peeked out: "The rain seems to have lessened a bit. I wonder when they will find us."

As soon as he finished speaking, several faint shouts suddenly came from outside the cave, mixed with the sound of wind and rain. They were indistinct yet familiar; it was Wen Lin's voice!

Liu Yunshu's eyes lit up instantly. She immediately turned around and grabbed Wen Zhimiao's wrist, her voice filled with excitement: "Big brother! It's Wen Lin! They've found us!"

She put her clothes back on, tidied herself up, and ran to the cave entrance, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Wen Lin! We're here! In the cave!"

Amidst the wind and rain, that response was like a ray of light breaking through the fog.

The shouts outside the cave suddenly stopped, followed by hurried footsteps, mixed with the crisp sound of dry branches being broken, approaching step by step.

Wen Lin, covered in mud, appeared first at the cave entrance, holding a torch in his hand.

The moment he saw Liu Yunshu, his tense face relaxed instantly, and his voice, hoarse with relief, cried out, "Miss! Young Master! Are you alright?"

The guards following behind surged forward, their lanterns illuminating the cave brightly.

Wen Zhimiao tried to stand up, leaning against the stone wall, but Wen Lin quickly stepped forward and pressed him down: "Young Master, don't move! Your back injury is still serious!"

He looked at the herbs covering Wen Zhimiao's back, his throat tightened, and he immediately knelt on one knee: "This subordinate failed to protect his master, causing young master and young lady to suffer so much. Please punish me, young master!"

Wen Zhimiao raised her hand to support him, her voice weak but still steady: "It has nothing to do with you, we underestimated our opponent."

His gaze swept over the guards who were arriving one after another outside the cave. Seeing that everyone was covered in mud and scratches, he knew how difficult the search had been.

"Thank you for your hard work. We'll head back now."

Wen Lin responded with a "Yes," and carried Wen Zhimiao outside.

He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the carriage parked at the foot of the mountain.

Carefully placing Wen Zhimiao into the cushioned carriage, Liu Yunshu followed closely behind and crawled into the carriage.

They returned to the Wen residence safely and without incident.

As soon as the carriage entered the Wen family mansion gate, Liu Yunshu lifted the curtain and looked out.

Madam Wen was already standing at the gate with an umbrella, her hair disheveled by the wind, and the bloodshot eyes and tightly clenched handkerchief revealed her anxiety.

Liu Yunshu practically jumped off the carriage, rushed to Madam Wen, and threw herself into her arms, crying, "Mother~"

Madam Wen released the umbrella from her hand and then hugged Liu Yunshu tightly.

As his hand ran over her mud-stained clothes, his fingertips could feel the slightly cool skin beneath the fabric, and tears instantly streamed down his face.

"My Shu'er! I've been waiting for you to come back! Are you hurt anywhere? Are you cold?"

Her voice trembled as she held Liu Yunshu's shoulder, looking him over from side to side, afraid of missing even the slightest injury.

Only after confirming that her daughter's eyes and brows showed only fatigue and no obvious wounds did she breathe a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Wen Lin had already helped Wen Zhimiao out of the carriage.

Madam Wen caught a glimpse of the strip of cloth wrapped around her son's back, with faint traces of blood seeping through it, and her heart clenched again.

She staggered forward, but afraid of hurting him, she dared not approach. She could only sob with red eyes, "Zhi Miao... how did you get hurt like this?"

Looking at her mother's reddened eyes, Wen Zhimiao forced a faint smile and said in a soft voice, "Mother, I'm fine. It's just some superficial wounds. Yunshu has already taken care of them for me."

He tried to sound relaxed, but the pulling pain in his back made him unconsciously frown.

But she quickly relaxed again, not wanting to cause her mother any more worry.

Madam Wen refused to believe it. Her fingertips hovered in front of the strip of cloth on his back, wanting to touch it several times but then pulling back, her tears falling even more fiercely.

"He's bleeding and you still say he's fine! Wen Lin, quick! Help the young master inside! Granny Lin, quickly go and fetch Doctor Jin."

We originally invited Dr. Jin over as a precaution, but we never expected that he would actually come in handy.