Help, I’m Being Forced to Marry a Frail and Sickly Immortal Doctor! 29

Chapter 29: Short Are These Bitter Days

Wanting to touch her and be touched by her…

The door opened to no one, only a screen blocking the front of the bed.

After a few breaths, Ning Ruoque came out from behind the screen, lowering her head to tidy her collar.

Her clothes and face were clean, a result of the dust-removing spell.

Chu Xuan sniffed and looked at her good friend suspiciously.

“Why is there a smell of blood? What were you doing? Where’s Yin Buran?”

Ning Ruoque’s face was tense. “I was just cultivating and spat out a few mouthfuls of clotted blood. As for Yin Buran…”

She was not good at lying and paused for a moment before saying softly, “She’s resting.”

Chu Xuan didn’t believe her. “Yin Buran is resting, and you’re cultivating in there?”

Isn’t it too crowded for two people in such a small space?

Seeing that her clumsy lie was about to be exposed, Ning Ruoque immediately changed the subject.

Very impatiently, she said, “Get to the point!”

Chu Xuan clicked her tongue a few times. She knew she was trying to hide something, but she didn’t press further.

“Didn’t I say I sent people to Xiaochi Village before? Their last transmission was actually in a town not far from Xiaochi Village. I want to go and take a look. Any objections?”

Ning Ruoque stared at her with a blank expression. “Is that all?”

“What else?” Chu Xuan spread her hands, her tone changing as she tried to put her arm around Ning Ruoque’s shoulder. “Ning Ruoque, let’s go hunting and skiing! We can just catch up after a tour.”

Ning Ruoque suspected that the latter half of the sentence was her real purpose.

A certain curly-haired person laughed heartily, not thinking that there was anything wrong with her impulsive and sudden intrusion.

However, Ning Ruoque had already started to see her out. “No, you get out. I’m going to cultivate.”

After speaking, she held Chu Xuan’s shoulder and forcefully pushed her out, slamming the door with a “bang.” Her actions and expression were ruthless and unfeeling.

“Hey!”

Chu Xuan was almost hit in the face by the door. She pouted and left with a lack of interest.

Only after walking a long way did she realize that this cultivation Ning Ruoque was talking about…

Was it proper?

*

After finally getting rid of Chu Xuan, Ning Ruoque let out a sigh of relief.

It had been too sudden just now. In her panic, she had hidden Yin Buran in the quilt without even considering whether the other was willing.

She hurried back, wanting to get her out.

Yin Buran was clearly sick herself, yet she insisted on treating her. If her condition worsened because of this, she would feel very guilty.

Turning past the screen, the quilt on the bed was still tightly covered, and only a human shape could be vaguely seen.

Ning Ruoque carefully lifted a corner and met a pair of half-closed, watery eyes.

Flickering in the light, Yin Buran’s gaze shifted, and her line of sight fell lightly on Ning Ruoque.

A certain sword cultivator felt as if she had been tickled by a feather and almost took out a sweet cake to stuff into Yin Buran’s mouth.

She noticed the blush on Yin Buran’s cheeks.

However, this red did not add much color to her face. Instead, it was like a plum blossom crushed by a storm, inexplicably decadent and beautiful.

Ning Ruoque boldly reached out to touch Yin Buran’s forehead, and the other did not refuse.

It was a little hot.

Ning Ruoque was instantly at a loss. Even counting her years as a mortal, Yin Buran was the most fragile person she had ever seen.

She was clearly a doctor who healed the sick and saved the dying, bringing countless people back from the brink of death, yet she herself had ended up with a body full of chronic illnesses.

She asked nervously, “Are you… running a fever? Should I ask Qingtong to take a look?”

Yin Buran closed her eyes, her voice low and weak. “I don’t have the strength to hit you right now.”

Ning Ruoque thought to herself, It’s not like you had much strength before. It makes no difference.

The soundproofing of the flying boat was excellent, and not even a whisper of wind could be heard. So once the atmosphere froze, the room became terrifyingly quiet.

Ning Ruoque was very uncomfortable and did not like this kind of atmosphere. After much thought, she forced out a sentence:

“Then do you want to drink some hot water?”

Yin Buran: “…”

I really want to crack open this sword cultivator’s head and see if it’s filled with hot water and swords.

She turned to her side and stared at Ning Ruoque without blinking.

Perhaps because she had consumed too much energy before. Now that she had relaxed, the long-suppressed emotions surged to her heart like a tide.

She suddenly felt very uncomfortable, but her whole body was weak and she didn’t want to move. She didn’t even have the strength to curl up.

Yin Buran lowered her eyes and tried to speak calmly, “You suddenly want to keep your distance from me because Chu Xuan said that we don’t have a marriage contract, right?”

Ning Ruoque didn’t dare to make a sound, which was a tacit admission.

Yin Buran buried half of her face in the pillow. “In your eyes, Chu Xuan is a good friend, and I’m just a medical cultivator you know.”

“It’s normal for you to believe her and not me.”

This was the reason she was angry.

She frowned, futilely grabbing a corner of the pillow, her breaths short and rapid.

Yin Buran knew Ning Ruoque’s personality and understood the choice she had made. Whether it was thinking of running away or being suspicious, she could understand.

But, she still felt wronged.

She was clearly not a crybaby, but as soon as she saw Ning Ruoque, her tears and emotions would become uncontrollable.

Ning Ruoque’s eyes shrank, and her mind went blank.

Yin Buran is trembling.

She had never felt such a strong sense of guilt.

It was as if she had committed a terrible mistake, forcing a gentle and self-possessed person to shed tears silently.

She should coax Yin Buran.

Ning Ruoque was quiet for a moment, then silently got onto the bed and lay on her side beside Yin Buran.

She patted Yin Buran’s back with some clumsiness, like coaxing a child to sleep.

Her voice also softened and slowed down. “How about you sleep for a while? I’ll keep watch.”

Yin Buran moved closer to Ning Ruoque until she could easily bury her head in the other’s chest.

The familiar scent enveloped her, and Yin Buran’s emotions gradually calmed down. She was really easy to coax, and even a not-so-proper “hug” was enough.

But in its place was another, more surging desire.

Wanting to be close to Ning Ruoque.

Wanting to touch her and be touched by her.

Yin Buran frowned and silently suppressed this thought.

Could this be… a side effect of the spiritual soul contact?

Her throat bobbed. She was not satisfied with the current situation.

She wanted to press her whole body against her to absorb her body temperature.

But in the end, she only reached out and gently grabbed Ning Ruoque’s lapel. The latter’s body clearly stiffened, but she still acquiesced to her behavior.

Yin Buran could hear the beating of Ning Ruoque’s heart, one beat after another, lively and powerful.

Maintaining this awkward and reserved posture, she fell into a wronged sleep.

*

Just as it was getting dark, the group arrived outside Yunling Town.

It was an unfortunate time to arrive, as a blizzard had started.

The cold air was bone-chilling, and the north wind swirled with snow, as if wanting to bury them before it would stop.

Qieyu propped up a wind-breaking barrier, but even so, the road ahead was almost invisible.

Ning Ruoque carried the listless Yin Buran, who was wrapped in a thick cloak, from the wheelchair and made a decisive decision.

“We need to find a place to take shelter first and gather some information.”

Chu Xuan had no objections. She put away the flying boat, and the group walked towards the town.

After crossing a stone bridge, a tattered plaque was thrown onto the frozen river surface, with two large characters written on it—”Yunling.”

Yunling Town was remote, and the current ruler of the human race clearly did not pay it much attention.

Most of the buildings in the town were old, and the stone bricks on the ground were also scattered.

A green wine banner fluttered, and a white lantern was torn by the wind, half-hanging from the eaves, looking particularly desolate.

Chu Xuan knocked on doors all along the street, and finally, a shop opened its door a crack.

Qieyu instantly put away the barrier.

It was a consensus in the cultivation world to avoid revealing one’s identity as much as possible when acting in the mortal world.

The shop assistant was about twenty years old, with thin arms and legs, as skinny as a monkey.

He looked out through the crack in the door and was very surprised. “My goodness, with such a big snowstorm, there are still people coming!”

Then he quickly opened the door to welcome everyone in and struggled to pull the door shut.

“This damn weather,” the shop assistant said with a smile as he wiped the snow from his face. “Guests, please come in and warm up, have some tea.”

The shop was simply furnished, with a total of five tables and chairs, and only one dim candle was lit. Most of the room was hidden in darkness, and nothing could be seen.

Only after sitting down did Qingtong realize that this table was missing a leg and was wobbly. The tabletop was not clean either, and was covered with greasy dirt.

She immediately showed a disgusted expression and felt sorry for her Little Senior Sister for having to suffer in such a place.

The shop assistant diligently brought a pot of hot tea and even lit an extra candle.

He took out a cup to pour tea and took the opportunity to scan the crowd with his cloudy eyes.

His sticky gaze roamed over everyone’s faces, wishing he could get closer. Finally, he swallowed and stared at Yin Buran.

Ning Ruoque felt a wave of annoyance, as if her own food was being wantonly coveted.

She directly scolded in a cold voice, “Turn around. What are you looking at?”