Upon hearing the news that Sister and Pei Huaian had been rescued, Shen Yunshu immediately rushed to the Yiguan where they were being treated.
At that moment, the knife wound on Pei Huaian’s chest had been removed, and the injury properly dressed, but he was still unconscious due to extreme weakness.
In the Yiguan’s backyard, there was a kitchen dedicated to preparing Tangyao.
The medicine had been brewed and brought over, but the question remained—how to feed it to him?
Pei Huaian was completely unconscious now, and trying to feed him with a spoon was futile.
Pei Huaijin had tried several times but failed.
The two of them were at a loss when Shen Yunshu arrived.
Yuran Shen hurriedly handed the bowl to her.
“Sister, you feed him…”
Shen Yunshu took the bowl but first checked on her sister, relieved to see her safe.
She couldn’t help but cry with joy, “Yuran, you’re all right, you’re really all right…”
Like Pei Huaijin, she had been worried sick these past three days, barely sleeping, sustained only by a few sips of ginseng soup.
“I’m fine, Sister, but Pei Huaian…”
Yuran’s voice faltered.
Shen Yunshu glanced toward the bed where the unconscious man lay.
Pei Huaian’s face was pale, his clothes stained with blood, eyes tightly shut.
“Those bandits didn’t keep their word. They only agreed to release one of us. Pei Huaian stabbed himself to force them to let me go as well.”
Yuran looked at Pei Huaijin.
“If you had come even a little earlier, it would have been better.”
Pei Huaijin embraced her shoulders in guilt.
Now was not the time for such talk.
Shen Yunshu, holding the still-warm bowl of medicine, sat beside the bed and scooped the Tangyao, preparing to feed it.
“Sister, it won’t go down this way.”
Just now they had tried the same method, but most of the medicine spilled instead of being swallowed.
“Then how should it be fed?”
Yuran whispered, “Feed it by mouth…”
The last time she had been sick and thirsty in the middle of the night, Pei Huaijin had given her half a cup of water to drink, and fed the other half by mouth.
At that time, she was awake and unwilling, but now Pei Huaian was unconscious—this method might actually work.
Hearing this, Shen Yunshu blushed.
“Don’t joke with me, how could that be done?”
“Why not? Aren’t you married?”
Yuran said.
“Isn’t kissing normal between a husband and wife? I don’t even know how many times Pei Huaijin has kissed me.”
“We…”
Shen Yunshu glanced at her sister, then at Pei Huaijin.
Pei Huaijin knew about her sham marriage with Pei Huaian.
“Brother, you do it!”
Shen Yunshu handed the bowl toward Pei Huaijin, cheeks flushed.
Pei Huaijin refused the bowl.
“Sorry, sister-in-law, I can’t do that…”
As the eldest brother, he couldn’t bring himself to feed his younger brother mouth-to-mouth.
If Shen Yunshu hadn’t come, he planned to use a Bamboo Tube to force the medicine down Pei Huaian’s throat.
Seeing them hesitating, Yuran grew anxious.
“Sister, the Langzhong said this medicine must be given quickly. He’s been unconscious for a long time…”
“Very well.”
Saving a life was the priority.
Besides, she and Pei Huaian had shared much closer moments before; now this was just using the mouth to pass medicine.
Without further delay, Shen Yunshu sat at the bedside and fed him spoonful by spoonful.
Yuran bent over, curiously watching.
A large hand suddenly covered her eyes; Pei Huaijin pulled her into his arms.
“Don’t look if it’s indecent.”
Fortunately, the method worked. Soon the entire bowl was fed.
When Shen Yunshu set down the empty bowl and looked up, her face was fully flushed.
But there was no time to be shy.
She took her sister’s hand and examined her from head to toe.
In just three days apart, Yuran looked haggard, her jaw sharper, voice hoarse, clothes dirty, hair disheveled…
Though she was her dearly beloved sister, she had suffered injuries again and again because of her.
Shen Yunshu stroked Yuran’s face, guilt overwhelming her.
“It’s all my fault. I keep causing you trouble…”
“Sister, don’t blame yourself…”
On the way back, Pei Huaijin had told her that this incident was definitely related to Lu Yi.
He wanted to kidnap her sister, but Yuran happened to pass through the alley first and was mistaken for her.
No wonder when she was taken into the woods, someone came to look at her but left after only seeing her face.
That person had been Lu Yi.
If Sister had fallen into his hands, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
With Lu Yi’s dark intentions, he might have hidden Sister away forever.
She might never see her again.
Luckily, it was Yuran who was taken…
“Sister, I almost never got to see you again… sob…”
Yuran threw herself into her sister’s arms, recounting the misery and terror she endured in the Hulan Wo.
She then mentioned the strange young man.
“They tried to give me to the Shao Dangjia as a wife. Luckily, the Shao Dangjia had once known a girl with the same name as me, so he let me go…”
Shen Yunshu and Pei Huaijin exchanged a glance.
This was something they had wanted to ask but never dared.
A young and beautiful girl kidnapped by bandits raised the gravest concerns: her life, and secondly, her purity.
But from what Yuran said, it seemed her purity had not been compromised.
Shen Yunshu beamed.
“Yuran, the Shao Dangjia…he didn’t harm you?”
Yuran knew how hard it was to believe.
Everyone in the bandit den, including Pei Huaian and Qing Wu locked in the Chai Fang, assumed she had been abused.
She glanced first at Pei Huaijin, then at her sister, voice hoarse, “I said no. Do you believe me?”
“I believe you.”
Shen Yunshu knew her sister wouldn’t lie.
If she said no, then no.
“I always knew my sister was blessed, able to turn danger into safety…”
Pei Huaijin stood nearby, wiping her tears away.
“I believe it too.”
His steady, solemn tone was full of unwavering trust.
The trust of those closest to her eased Yuran’s fears, relaxing her tense body.
She hadn’t slept well these days—fearful day and night.
Although the boy never overstepped, being locked in his room left her constantly on edge, only daring to nap curled in a corner, startled awake by every noise.
Now, finally back among loved ones, she could rest peacefully.
Feeling the weight in her arms, Shen Yunshu remembered something and called softly, “Yuran…”
“Hm?”
“There’s something I forgot to tell you…”
Yuran’s eyelids grew heavier, but she forced herself alert.
“What is it?”
Shen Yunshu gently patted her sister’s back.
“The bandits originally wanted to kidnap me. The ransom letter sent to the Pei Family had my name on it, so Brother and I decided to keep up the deception and say I was the one kidnapped. When you return, don’t let this slip…”
“How could I?”
Yuran raised her head, disagreeing.
“If that’s the case, won’t your reputation be ruined?”
Shen Yunshu pressed her back down.
“It’s because of me you suffered so much. I brought disaster upon you, but there’s nothing I can do except this. Please trust your sister…”
“But I don’t want you to be hurt by gossip…”
“I’m fine, Yuran. Just listen…”
Yuran wanted to argue, but exhaustion overcame her.
Her sister’s embrace was so warm.
She murmured some words and eventually drifted asleep.
“I’ll take over.”
Pei Huaijin lifted the sleeping girl from Shen Yunshu’s arms.
“I’ll bring her back first. Brother Seven has taken the medicine and should recover soon. Please stay here a while and accompany him. Once I’m back at the residence, I’ll send someone to pick you both up…”
“Yes, Brother. This is my duty.”
Pei Huaian had suffered this disaster because of her as well, so Shen Yunshu’s guilt extended to him too.
“Leave the matter with Lu Yi to Xiao Ci. Once you’re back at the Pei Residence, rest well first. The rest can wait until you’re stronger.”
These past days, none of them had slept.
Their bodies were utterly exhausted.
Reputation, fake marriages, divorces—all paled in comparison to a good rest.
“Yes, Brother.”
Pei Huaijin carried Yuran out of the Yiguan, leaving a few guards behind.
In the carriage, he changed her clothes and returned via the Pei Residence’s back gate.
After some trouble avoiding servants, he finally brought her safely to the Yunzhi Courtyard.
Exhausted himself, having not slept in three days, his head throbbed terribly.
Summoning the last of his strength, he sent word to the elders in all the courtyards that Brother Seven and the Seven Young Madam had been safely rescued, though Brother Seven was lightly injured.
The ransom had not been paid, and everyone could rest assured.
“Sir, what about the First Madam…”
Danruo wanted to say something, but Pei Huaijin waved her off.
“I’ll talk when I wake.”
He then closed the door, stripped off his clothes and shoes, and removed Yuran’s outer garments too.
Neglecting his own unwashed body for three days, he held the filthy girl tightly, soon falling asleep.
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