Chapter 80: Let Me Handle It, You Just Rest

Since he didn’t like his kind-hearted wife, why did he still bully her?

The second person to enter was, of course, Wei San’er. With the mind of a five or six-year-old child, he didn’t understand what these people were doing. His chubby hands held out wrapped eggs and slices of meat; knowing they’d get cold, he’d kept them close to his chest for warmth. Spotting Hua Qinci, he hurried over excitedly, cupping the food in both hands, his face blooming with a delighted grin.

“Hua’er, Hua’er! Look what I brought you to eat! It’s still warm!”

Wei San’er didn’t care about Qin Youtian’s dark expression. Cradling the eggs and meat, he called out a few more times.

Hua Qinci blinked awake in a daze. Seeing Wei San’er’s radiant, smiling face, she returned a smile of her own.

“Th-thank you, San’er!”

She reached out for the egg, but before she could take it, exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep again.

Seeing Hua Qinci slip into unconsciousness, Liu Qingyun’s heart ached. He looked straight at Qin Youtian and said, “Cousin, I have something to say to you.”

Qin Youtian tightened his grip on Hua Qinci and didn’t lift his eyes. “I have nothing to say to you.”

Liu Qingyun had always been timid. Qin Youtian’s words deflated him instantly. That was why, when Hua Qinci married Qin Youtian, only his sister Liu Bingbing dared to protest, while he himself could only drown his longing in wine, mourning the woman before him in secret.

They spent a rough night in the cave and only descended the mountain the next day.

Hua Qinci remained unconscious after returning home. Doctor Li checked her pulse and prescribed a remedy for her fever. After drinking it, she fell asleep again.

Wei Dachun tended to her with meticulous care, never leaving her side.

Hua Qinci slept until nightfall before she finally woke up completely.

“What happened to me?” she murmured, still a bit dazed, her body sore and weak.

Seeing her awake, Qin Youtian rushed over to help her sit up.

“Qinci, how are you? Do you feel alright?”

“Qin Youtian? I’m not dead yet?” she asked, looking at him in confusion.

Qin Youtian pulled her into his arms. “Silly, you’re a wildcat. Cats have nine lives, and you at least have ten. How could you possibly die?”

“But I’m so hungry!” She hadn’t eaten in over a day and felt as though hunger alone had roused her.

“Qinci, have some porridge first,” Wei Dachun offered. He and Qin Youtian had prepared porridge for her early that morning.

“Chun’er, why are you here too?” Hua Qinci reached for the bowl, but Qin Youtian took it to feed her himself.

“I’ll do it. You just lie back and rest.”

“Chun’er, you should go home. My husband will take care of me,” she said, noticing it was already dark outside and knowing there were few hands at the Wei household.

“Alright, Qinci, I’ll come see you tomorrow,” Wei Dachun replied. He’d always envied her. She’d once liked Qin Youtian herself, but Qin Mingyue had scorned her for being too sturdy, leaving her only able to watch Qin Youtian’s back from afar.

After Qin Youtian fed her porridge, he helped her lie down again.

Late that night, he lay down beside her, still fully dressed. This time, Hua Qinci didn’t bristle and push him away like a hedgehog, which brought him quiet relief.

Hua Qinci, too, realized Qin Youtian was not a bad man. He cared for her wholeheartedly and had risked his life to save her more than once. If she were ever to leave him, she wanted to cure his strange illness first. So she no longer resisted his closeness.

Qin Youtian held her tightly in his arms. Hua Qinci breathed softly, feigning sleep, afraid he might let his thoughts wander.

“Wife?” Qin Youtian couldn’t help but murmur softly.