Chapter 53: Fifty-Three

Feeling a bit better, Li Yuanxi went to bed early. Wei Shu wasn’t sleepy yet. She took the venison Li Yuanxi had brought home from the hunt and cut it into strips, threading them with vines.

The deer hide had been left outside overnight; the fleas and lice were gone. Wei Shu poured plant ash into a bucket of water and soaked the hide for treatment.

She draped the largest hide over Li Yuanxi as an extra blanket.

By firelight, Wei Shu carefully sliced the remaining leg meat and the venison offal. Organs are rich in nutrients, including vitamin C and iron.

The deer liver couldn’t be eaten fresh, so she hung it up to air-dry later. With rain these few days, it would stay in the cave for now.

The short knife in her hand easily parted the meat. This time, Li Yuanxi hadn’t brought back the bones, only meat and hide.

The deer fat in the basket she hadn’t processed yet. Now, she washed the white fat, cut it into small pieces, and put them in the pot.

The cave door was open, letting smoke drift out. Drops of water splashed on her face; she wiped them with the back of her hand. She looked coolly detached in the firelight, working methodically without rush.

With a flick of the knife, she cleanly separated the liver, slicing it thin. She added it to the pot rendering the fat.

This time, she also added a piece of sand ginger to the pot to remove the gamey smell.

Li Yuanxi woke up, her throat dry and sore. She sat up, saw Wei Shu still busy. “Shu Shu.” Her hoarse, almost silent voice still reached Wei Shu, who looked up.

Li Yuanxi smacked her dry lips, tried to get up, but Wei Shu glared her back down. Wei Shu washed her hands, poured a cup of warm water, and handed it to her. “Drink slowly.”

Li Yuanxi took it and downed it in a few gulps. Still thirsty, she held the cup out again, grinning. “Hehe, Shu Shu, thirsty.”

Wei Shu knew she was thirsty, refilled the cup, and watched her drink it all. She then made Li Yuanxi lie back down, tucking the blanket around her. Done, she turned to continue cutting meat.

Li Yuanxi grabbed her hand. “Aren’t you sleeping? How long have you been working?”

She didn’t know exactly, but it had been a while. “I can’t sleep yet. You sleep. I’ll render the fat first, then I’ll come.” Wei Shu bent down and kissed Li Yuanxi’s now-cool forehead.

Li Yuanxi obediently closed her eyes and quickly drifted back to sleep. Rest is the fastest way to recover. An alpha’s self-healing is strong; a good sleep would make her much better.

Wei Shu sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the sleeping face. Her tender, affectionate gaze traced Li Yuanxi’s cheeks, rosy; her straight, delicate nose; the few strands of bangs on her white forehead. Wei Shu smoothed them.

Even asleep, the corners of Li Yuanxi’s mouth turned up. What sweet dream was she having? Wei Shu placed the back of her hand on her forehead, confirming no fever, and sighed in relief.

She turned to check the pot, which was crackling. The deer fat was rendering with the sand ginger, filling the air with an irresistible aroma. She fished out the fried liver and set it aside.

Fried liver would be less gamey. When Chuyi’s cold was better, she could eat it to nourish her body.

She worked late into the night before she grew sleepy. She washed her hands thoroughly with shower gel, removing all grease, blood, and odors. The rest would wait for tomorrow.

The meat strips were threaded but not yet hung. She left them outside the cave, where the low temperature would keep them from spoiling.

When she finally lay down, weariness didn’t bring sleep. Her mind was still active, and she kept touching Li Yuanxi’s forehead.

She feared Chuyi would have another fever in the night. There were several hot water bottles under the blanket, keeping the bed warm and cozy.

“When you’re well, no more hunting. These three hides, sewn together, will make a good quilt.” Wei Shu rolled onto her side, intertwining her fingers with Li Yuanxi’s resting beside her.

Her gaze traced every inch of Li Yuanxi’s face. “You’re tanned. Winter will lighten that.” She rested her head on Li Yuanxi’s pillow and slowly fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Wei Shu woke again. This time, half her body felt drenched. Disoriented, she opened her eyes. The fire had died down, but she still felt the dampness on her back.

She reached behind and touched the person hugging her tightly. Her hand came away wet. She rubbed her fingers together—it was real, not a hallucination.

She realized Li Yuanxi had broken into a sweat, expelling the cold from her body. Her clothes were soaked.

Sleep was impossible now. She closed her eyes, waiting as Li Yuanxi sweated for a while. When the sweat stopped, she tried to loosen Li Yuanxi’s grip.

She pulled once—no movement. She pulled again—still stuck. Wei Shu muttered in exasperation, “How tightly are you holding me? Afraid I’ll run away?”

She had to wake Li Yuanxi. “Chuyi, wake up. Let go. I need water. Loosen your grip.”

Half-asleep, Li Yuanxi heard her voice, loosened her arms, and groggily got up, automatically heading for the table. Seeing her fluidly pour water, Wei Shu couldn’t help laughing.

She seized the moment, got up, took out dry clothes, put them on a stool, and added more wood to the fire. The cave’s warmth wouldn’t fade.

“Sit here. Let me change your clothes.” She pushed the still-closed-eyed Li Yuanxi onto the stool. The hot water on the stove wasn’t ready yet; after that, she’d need to wipe her down.

Li Yuanxi, groggy, felt her sticky clothes and wanted to sleep, so she cooperated with whoever was helping.

“Raise your arms and hold still.” Wei Shu had Li Yuanxi lift her arms and keep them up. A T-shirt came off easily. Li Yuanxi hadn’t worn a bra to bed.

Now, Wei Shu got a full, undisguised view. She glanced quickly at the faint abs that hadn’t disappeared, then hurriedly dressed her. Li Yuanxi had just broken a fever; any chill would be bad.

Changing pants was trickier. They wore long pants to bed; changing was a hassle.

Especially the underwear. Wei Shu bit her lower lip, embarrassed. But she steeled herself, made Li Yuanxi stand, and coaxed her, “Can you change your own pants?”

Li Yuanxi didn’t answer, looking like she’d fallen asleep on the stool. Out of options, Wei Shu soaked a towel in hot water and pressed it to Li Yuanxi’s face. Li Yuanxi blinked awake.

“Your clothes and pants are soaked. Quick, change before you catch cold.” Wei Shu blushed, urging her. Li Yuanxi blinked slowly, then closed her eyes again, mumbling something unintelligible.

Wei Shu leaned closer, hearing, “I don’t want to. Change me. Sleepy~”

“You have to cooperate.” Wei Shu coaxed. Li Yuanxi nodded lazily, her eyes closed, sleeping deeply.

Wei Shu looked at Li Yuanxi’s waist, her gaze flickering away, then forced herself. It was her first time taking off someone else’s pants. She reached out several times, but couldn’t touch the waistband.

“Cold~” Li Yuanxi had been standing too long; her pants were wet inside. Wei Shu gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, her neck and ears completely red. Both hands pressed against Li Yuanxi’s pants and pulled them off in one go.

She couldn’t bring herself to remove the underwear beneath. She grabbed the dry pants. “Lift your leg.” She patted Li Yuanxi’s knee.

A long, pale leg lifted, revealing everything. Wei Shu didn’t dare look. Face burning red, she dressed Li Yuanxi quickly and shoved her back under the blanket.

That side of the bed was too wet now. Wei Shu moved Li Yuanxi to the farthest side, then stripped the clothes from the grass mattress, replaced them with fresh ones, and made do for the night.

While changing Li Yuanxi’s pants, she had glimpsed something embarrassing. She pressed her cool fingertips to her face, trying to cool it.

Usually, she was the one in control, but tonight, with her doing everything, she felt completely flustered. How mortifying.

And this goof… Wei Shu thought of something, her face going even redder. She buried her head in the blanket, turning her back to Li Yuanxi. She needed a moment.

Li Yuanxi, innocent and not-so-innocent, woke up the next morning to find Wei Shu sleeping on the outside and herself on the inside. Her clothes were different from the night before.

Had she sweated again last night?

A little confused, but she needed to pee urgently. She stepped over Wei Shu, grabbed her coat, opened the wooden door, and ran out.

When she woke up properly, it felt like she was completely healed—no more aches, full strength, just a slightly hoarse throat. No other issues.

When Wei Shu woke, the food in the pot had been reheated twice. Li Yuanxi was lying on the bed, staring at her. The moment Wei Shu opened her eyes, she was met with a magnified nose, making her jerk back.

Li Yuanxi wrapped her arms around her, pulling her closer. Pressed against Li Yuanxi, Wei Shu didn’t move. “How do you feel now?”

“Fine, except my throat’s a bit rough.” Her low, rough voice deepened further, sounding surprisingly nice, even sexy.

“Let me go. I need to wash up. I’m hungry.” Wei Shu patted her shoulder. Li Yuanxi released her, then suddenly asked nervously, “Did you help me change my pants last night?”

The memory flashed in Wei Shu’s mind, and her face flushed again. She mumbled an assent, not wanting to face the person involved right now.

“What did you think?” Li Yuanxi asked nervously. Wei Shu blinked, confused. “Think what?”

Li Yuanxi thought about it and started blushing too. That had sounded ambiguous, but… she still wanted to ask, though she couldn’t bring herself to.

Seeing her fidget, Wei Shu knew what she meant. “Not bad. A bit big,” she said, her eyes darting away. She didn’t specify which aspect.

This time, it was Li Yuanxi’s turn to be shy. She practically buried her head in her chest, murmured, “Mm.”

She’d wanted to ask if Shu Shu had any other feelings, worried she didn’t like it. She’d only meant to test the waters; she hadn’t expected this answer.

Li Yuanxi was too embarrassed to raise her head, but secretly a little pleased.

Wei Shu took her towel and toothbrush and went out to wash. The atmosphere was too intense. Usually, their kisses and hugs stayed on the right side of the border. Last night had crossed it unexpectedly, and now both were shy.

Standing outside in the cold wind, Wei Shu shivered several times, instantly clear-headed. Remembering the earlier conversation, she wanted to slap her forehead.

That exchange was exactly like after some event—a little goldfinch asking its rich mistress. And she’d just now realized it.