NOVEL NEXT 26
Chapter 26
Lin Yu was wearing a pair of straw shoes with white socks underneath, so He Ze couldn’t see the injury. He frowned and reached out to support Lin Yu’s arm. “Try standing up and see if you can walk.”
The rain continued to fall, and both of them were soaked to the bone, their clothes heavy and cold.
With He Ze’s help, Lin Yu managed to stand up, but as soon as he tried to put weight on his injured right foot, a sharp pain shot through him, causing him to lean heavily on He Ze.
“No, I can’t walk.”
Lin Yu shook his head, looking toward the base of the mountain. His face was pale, the rain making him look even more washed out.
The rain was getting heavier, and it showed no signs of letting up.
“Can’t walk…” He Ze glanced around, then placed Lin Yu’s hand on a nearby tree branch. “Hold on.”
“What are you doing?”
He Ze didn’t respond. He quickly took off his own basket, picked up the bow and arrows from the ground, and put everything into Lin Yu’s basket. Then he crouched down in front of Lin Yu. “Get on!”
“You…” Lin Yu was momentarily stunned, just staring at him.
“Hurry up, I’ll carry you back!”
He Ze barked out, patting his own shoulder.
“No, what if someone sees us…”
“…Do you want to stand here in the rain?” He Ze turned his head, his expression darkening.
Did Lin Yu want to aggravate his injury and catch a cold on top of it?
He Ze’s face grew even more serious. Without waiting for Lin Yu’s reply, he squatted lower and pulled Lin Yu’s arm over his shoulder, lifting him up by his knees.
Lin Yu was surprisingly light, a stark contrast to the strength he usually displayed. He Ze was taken aback for a moment.
Suddenly being lifted, Lin Yu instinctively clung to He Ze’s shoulders. “You…”
He Ze turned his head again, and for some reason, Lin Yu couldn’t find his words under his gaze. He mumbled, “You… bend down a bit, I need to get your basket.”
He Ze glanced at the ground, then bent down again.
“Lower.”
He Ze bent his legs a bit more.
Lin Yu grabbed the basket with one hand and picked up the leaves that had landed on a tree branch with the other. “Got it.”
He Ze straightened up, adjusted Lin Yu’s position, and began walking down the mountain with large, steady steps.
He walked quickly and steadily.
Lin Yu clung to He Ze’s back, feeling uncomfortable. He tried to distance his upper body from He Ze, but the next moment, he would lose his balance and end up clinging tighter, his head bumping into the back of He Ze’s head several times.
“Stop moving, or I won’t be responsible if you fall!”
He Ze paused his steps.
As soon as he spoke, Lin Yu froze, holding onto the leaves with one hand and He Ze’s shoulder with the other, his whole body tense. His previously pale face turned a deep red, the flush extending down his neck.
The large leaves effectively shielded He Ze from the rain. Under the leafy canopy, rain drops pelted down, with only a few splashing onto He Ze’s face.
He looked up and said, “You don’t need to hold the leaves anymore. We’re already soaked. Aren’t your arms getting tired?”
“……”
Lin Yu didn’t respond, leaving his hand and the leaf as they were, getting soaked like a drowned rat.
Seeing that the shadow above didn’t move, He Ze said nothing more and simply quickened his pace.
They returned to the village around noon, by which time the rain had lessened. He Ze carried Lin Yu all the way back to the Lin family home, encountering a couple of villagers returning from the fields who gave them curious glances.
Lin Yu couldn’t help but bury his head into He Ze’s back, but He Ze didn’t notice.
When they entered the Lin family’s courtyard, Uncle Zhang was pacing anxiously on the stone steps, frequently glancing towards the gate. Seeing Lin Yu on He Ze’s back, his face changed, and he hurried over.
Lin Yu quickly called out, “Dad, don’t come over!”
He Ze climbed the steps quickly and went under the eaves. Dad Zhang immediately approached, “Yu-ge, what happened? Are you alright? What happened…?”
“Dad, let He Ze carry me inside first,” Lin Yu said, forcing a smile.
Dad Zhang glanced at He Ze, his expression a mix of confusion and concern, before hurriedly saying, “Quick, get inside!”
He Ze set Lin Yu down on a stool before standing up. “Uncle Zhang, I’m really sorry. I asked Lin Yu to take me up the mountain, and now he’s hurt his leg because of me…”
“Dad, it’s not He Ze’s fault. I was just careless…” Lin Yu interrupted, “It’s nothing serious, just a bump. It’ll be fine in a few days.”
“Really, is it really nothing?” Dad Zhang sighed in relief.
“He could be injured for a hundred days if it’s a bone injury,” He Ze said, frowning and squatting in front of Lin Yu, reaching for his right foot. “Let me see the injury. After changing clothes, I’ll go to town to get Dr. Xu.”
“What are you doing!” Lin Yu quickly pushed He Ze’s hands away before he could touch him.
He Ze froze, his hands still mid-air. Dad Zhang gave a dry laugh, squatting down and gently pushing him aside. “Let me, let me. He Ze, it’s inconvenient for you.”
Inconvenient… inconvenient… He Ze realized his mistake and resisted the urge to slap his forehead. He had forgotten the social norms – Lin Yu was a ger!
He Ze looked up at Lin Yu. How could he forget, with someone so beautiful, he kept treating him like a man.
He had gotten used to Dad Li and He An being gers, but with Lin Yu, he still didn’t remember.
“This, this swelling… Xiao Ze, you…”
Dad Zhang’s sudden exclamation interrupted He Ze’s thoughts. He lowered his gaze.
Lin Yu’s straw shoe had been removed, revealing a white sock rolled down to his heel. From his firm, slender calf down, his skin was pale. He Ze’s eyes moved lower, and his expression changed.
Lin Yu’s ankle was already severely swollen, the bruise a stark contrast to his pale leg, looking quite alarming.
“This is what you call nothing?” He Ze’s voice was urgent as he abruptly stood up. Turning to Dad Zhang, he said, “Uncle Zhang, if Lin Yu hadn’t taken me up the mountain, this wouldn’t have happened. I’ll go home and change clothes, then head to town to bring Dr. Xu here. Please take good care of him.”
“Ah—”
Without waiting for a response, He Ze turned and left the room. Lin Yu watched his retreating figure, wanting to speak, but the words caught in his throat.
His eyes showed a hint of confusion.
Author’s Note: I’ll make a correction to the previous chapter later. Lin Yu was wearing shoes, so He Ze shouldn’t have seen his ankle. Also, apologies for the delay; it’s 520 (Chinese Valentine’s Day), and as a single, my friends dragged me out for a bit of fun. Got writer’s block, so this is shorter than usual. Sorry! I’ll make it up with two longer chapters tomorrow, I promise!!!