Chapter 44 –  So Much Warmth (2)

Shen Fei didn’t answer her. Instead, he raised his arms and opened the windows. His actions were as good as an answer.

Zhao Xi felt a little hurt. “I’m going to clean up.”

The weasel was simply too capable; just with this incident alone, Shen Fei had become unwilling to talk to her.

Zhao Xi placed the medicine basket in the corner and brought the box containing the brittle snake along with her. She boiled sufficient hot water for two person usage as usual and cleaned herself. After she was done, she was about to help clean Shen Fei when he stopped her. Shaking his head, he said, “You should wash yourself another time.”

Zhao Xi was speechless.

She went to clean herself again, using some of the bath beans. Only after she smelled fragrant again, did Shen Fei allow her to carry him.

The room contained some unpleasant odours. Only after the stench outside had dispersed entirely, Zhao Xi then opened all the windows to ventilate the room. She carried Shen Fei out of the house, and they had their meals far away, next to a small stream. The air was much fresher here.

After eating, they did not return immediately. They stayed out in the sun for a while, brushed the pot, washed the bowl, and after realising the smell in the room had dispersed, Zhao Xi changed the bed covers and blankets. Then, she carried Shen Fei back, before collapsing on the bed, and immediately falling asleep.

Perhaps due to her having found the brittle snake and finally feeling relieved, Zhao Xi felt that she had a very deep sleep. Not once did she wake in the night, nor did she have any dreams.

Not knowing for how long she was asleep for, in her grogginess, she heard Shen Fei’s voice calling out to her: “Zhao Xi, Zhao Xi…”

Zhao Xi struggled to open her eyes and realised it was day and was bright everywhere. “It’s still a little early, let me sleep in a little longer—”

“You have been sleeping for one whole day and night already. This is the second day since you returned.” Shen Fei’s hand touched her forehead as he said, “Your forehead is really hot, are you sick? Do you need me to do anything for you? I can help you.”

His voice sounded as if it had drifted from a faraway place, and Zhao Xi found it difficult to hear carefully. All she could was catch some of the keywords. Sick? Forehead is hot?

“You are sick?” Zhao Xi reached out to touch his forehead.

Shen Fei avoided her hand and said, “I am not the sick one, you are.”

It took some time before Zhao Xi understood what was being said. “I am all well, how is it possible that I am sick?”

Her fingers reached out to take her own pulse, and she was shocked. “I have been poisoned.”

It was the miasma from the swamp. Zhao Xi did take an antidote, but as she had stayed there for too long and kept breathing in the air, the antidote’s dosage was insufficient, and she had been poisoned without realising.

She was definitely not expecting this. Initially, she had planned to apply acupuncture on Shen Fei today, and even before she could do so, she had fallen sick first.

As she spent most of her time dealing with medicines, her body was always in a healthy state and even had some antibodies. The only reason why she would end up getting poisoned was that she had been too busy running around the last few days, and the fatigue had weakened her immune system, creating a chance for the miasma to affect her, and she ended up getting poisoned.

“There’s medicine in the cupboard’s drawer. It’s the blue pill bottle.” When Zhao Xi left previously, she only took two antidotes with her. She ate one when she first reached the swamps and took the second when she was on her way back. Despite that, it was still too late to keep the effects of the poisonous miasma under control, and it had now spread in her body, affecting her heart and lungs. Even if she took another antidote, it would still take her another two days of rest to recover.

It seems like the acupuncture to heal Shen Fei would have to be delayed by two more days. Will this make him think that she’s doing it on purpose? That she doesn’t want to heal him?

Zhao Xi genuinely didn’t want this situation to happen. She did have the thought of having Shen Fei have a small incident so that he could spend his whole life living in the valley together with her. But while she did consider it, she never once acted upon it. Every single time when she went out to hunt for the brittle snake, she had always tried her best, and her feet would even swell from all the walking she did.

When she had fallen into the swamps, her first thought wasn’t to ensure her own safety or well-being but to catch the snake. After bringing the snake back safely, she was even more anxious than Shen Fei and wished she could immediately start the acupuncture treatment so that he could recover earlier.

Unfortunately, she was genuinely too exhausted. If she had tried to treat him under such mental and physical strain, there could be mishaps. Besides, it was too risky. As such, she had planned to push it to the next day. However, her plans were now no longer feasible. To think she was currently poisoned.

As a doctor, she had a good understanding of herbs and poisons. Even if she tried to explain herself, her being poisoned sounded like a lie.