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Improper wound care, lack of medication, inadequate nutrition from food, and the abundance of germs in the harsh air—these were all reasons for Xu Nuan's high fever.
During her fever, Xu Nuan was delirious, her words fragmented and incoherent. Yet, whether it was her delicate murmurs or her flushed face and parched lips, they tugged at Gu Ze's heart.
When Gu Ze realized that Xu Nuan was sick and there was no medicine at hand, the panic that spread within him made him aware of something profound, stirring up great waves in his heart.
He had not truly let go of the woman named Xu Nuan. From the time she was an innocent and lively girl to her becoming independent and mature through struggles at work, even to her coldness and ruthlessness in a Life-and-Death Game, she was always Xu Nuan.
She was the one he held dear in his heart.
No longer deceiving himself, Gu Ze's only thought was to help Xu Nuan recover, and all he could do was sacrifice the only piece of clothing on his upper body.
Without hesitation, Gu Ze took a short knife and cut off a strip from the bottom of his shirt, then picked up Xu Nuan to find a relatively clean water source.
Leaving the unconscious Xu Nuan behind while he searched would be unwise; realizing this, Gu Ze knew he had to carry Xu Nuan with him at all times. As she nestled in his arms, moving restlessly, Gu Ze felt a mix of frustration and helplessness—this was not the right time for such distractions.
Especially when feverish Xu Nuan occasionally opened her eyes to look at him with misty gaze; this feeling of being relied upon brought both joy and pain to Gu Ze.
After a long search, when he finally found a clean water source, Gu Ze could only use his shirt to soak up water and repeatedly rub it on Xu Nuan's forehead, neck, and wrists in an attempt to cool her down, but it had little effect.
Xu Nuan's temperature continued to rise. As Gu Ze hurriedly increased his pace, he couldn't help but worry if she would end up losing her mind from the fever.
The thought of a dazed Xu Nuan being cute crossed his mind, and immediately he slapped himself twice.
“It's better to bring down the fever quickly.”
As he muttered to himself, he did not slow down his actions.
“If there’s no medicine, alcohol will do; this old method can cool down quickly.”
After talking to himself for a while without anyone responding only deepened Gu Ze's gloom. He glanced around at the shallow lake formed by rainwater, surrounded by clusters of unknown plants. The sound of insects chirping came from nearby bushes, while sunlight filtered through the leaves creating a dappled effect around them. Xu Nuan lay half-reclined in his arms, unconsciously clutching at his shirt like a child seeking comfort.
“What a rare moment for just the two of us together; yet nothing has come of it. Now Xu Nuan is sick, and we can't even fulfill the wish to chat.”
Gu Ze felt a deep sense of frustration that was far from trivial.
He repeated the actions of wetting, wringing, wiping, and cooling down countless times until the sun had moved to the west, and the brilliant evening glow hung on the horizon, casting a magical hue over the earth. Only then did the flush on Xu Nuan's face begin to fade.
Gu Ze reached out to check Xu Nuan's forehead and let out a heavy sigh.
"Finally, it's gone. This silly method actually works pretty well."
With that thought, Gu Ze once again wrapped his arms around Xu Nuan's upper body and gently shifted her to lean against a tree.
"My hands and legs are sore."
Gu Ze complained aimlessly, rubbing his hands before attempting to massage his numb legs. However, he noticed several deep marks on his black pants. Water wouldn’t leave such marks on dark fabric. Realizing something, Gu Ze's expression turned grim.
Almost instinctively, he crouched down in front of the still-sleeping Xu Nuan, his face contorted with worry. His movements were gentle as he half-embraced her, lowering his gaze to Xu Nuan's back. It was no surprise to see several red bloodstains on the back of her orange jacket.
Gu Ze's breathing grew heavy as he slowly turned to look at Xu Nuan’s face, which had gone from flushed to pale. His deep brown eyes flickered with emotions he couldn’t quite control. Carefully removing her orange jacket, he discovered that the back of her gray long-sleeve shirt was still stained bright red with blood.
Feeling increasingly anxious, Gu Ze rummaged through the orange jacket for supplies but found nothing left—no ointment and certainly no bandages.
"What should I do?"
Gu Ze ran a hand through his hair forcefully, his brows knitting together in frustration. For the first time, he felt utterly helpless in this dire situation.
He knew nothing about traditional medicine and had no idea what herbs could stop bleeding in the wild. He even hesitated to clean Xu Nuan's wounds. What lay ahead was either finding the main group or locating a Supply Station; either option required a stroke of luck.
"Damn it!"
Gu Ze cursed under his breath. After much contemplation, he slowly lifted Xu Nuan's shirt and tore off a clean piece of fabric from it. With utmost care, he began to wipe away the bloodstains, determined that at least she shouldn’t suffer from infection—that was his only thought at that moment.
Xu Nuan, you must hold on. This thought lingered in Gu Ze's mind as he worked diligently.
Worried about leaving the unconscious Xu Nuan alone, Gu Ze decided to carry her while searching for dinner. However, holding her in his arms was not practical, so he switched to carrying her on his back. This way, with Xu Nuan clinging to his neck, Gu Ze could still use one hand to pick fruits.
In the midst of misfortune, Gu Ze let out a sigh of relief.
As night fell, Xu Nuan still showed no signs of waking up, leaving Gu Ze to eat the same food he had been consuming for days.
The small forest remained fraught with danger at night, teeming with creatures stirring in the darkness. While keeping an eye on Xu Nuan, Gu Ze remained vigilant of his surroundings. Despite his usual fearlessness, he found himself praying that no wolf packs or giant bears would appear. With his strength nearly depleted and Xu Nuan's wounds reopening, they had no energy left to fight.
Additionally, there was another matter that kept Gu Ze on high alert: Xu Nuan unconsciously seeking warmth in the night. She had completely latched onto him, wrapping her arms around his waist and nuzzling her head into his embrace like a spoiled kitten—adorable yet clingy.
If she had been awake and in this state, Gu Ze would have welcomed it with joy.
The night passed without dreams.
Xu Nuan quickly accepted the fact that she had woken up in a man's arms—if one overlooked the red ears hidden beneath her long hair.
As she accepted this reality, Xu Nuan swiftly climbed up without disturbing Gu Ze. Upon seeing the dark circles under his eyelids, she immediately understood that it wasn't her own strength that had improved; it was simply that Gu Ze was exhausted.
Xu Nuan still remembered having a fever. The fact that she could recover without medication made her marvel at her own improved physical condition. Of course, it also had a lot to do with the care provided by the man still asleep beside her.
"I'm accumulating more debts," she murmured to herself as she draped the jacket that had slipped off her over Gu Ze's body. When she noticed the bloodstains on it, her expression turned serious as she reached back to touch her own wounds, feeling conflicted.
"Should I thank him or not?"
The words came out through gritted teeth.
After wandering around the area where Gu Ze had chosen to rest, Xu Nuan only managed to find some berries. Judging by their color, they seemed to be more sour than sweet.
When Xu Nuan returned with a handful of berries, she found Gu Ze awake and staring blankly at the orange jacket he had been wearing.
"Looks like you weren't caught by the giant bear after all."
Xu Nuan's light words snapped Gu Ze back to reality. He hastily shoved his orange jacket onto the nearby grass, but sensing something was off, he picked it up and neatly folded it before turning to Xu Nuan, who was sitting across from him, and offered a faint smile.
"What a pity. But your vitality is impressive; you can still jump around looking for food even before fully recovering."
There seemed to be a hint of resentment in that statement.
Xu Nuan smiled back, politely placing the berries in front of Gu Ze, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Well then, considering how hard it is for me, please completely eliminate them."
Seeing her smile, Gu Ze instinctively leaned back a step. Was she unlocking some extraordinary switch? She was nothing like her previous gloomy self.
While thinking this, Gu Ze still felt a sense of delight as he enjoyed the berries that Xu Nuan had given him.
"Ouch, that's sour!"
After just one bite, Gu Ze covered his cheeks, his upper and lower eyelashes brushing against each other.
Xu Nuan glanced over, suppressing a laugh at the corners of her mouth.
"Indeed, it's sour. Tsk tsk."
"…"
Gu Ze fell silent, feeling like a test subject, though his mind was racing with thoughts.
This woman had definitely flipped a switch.
Well, it wasn't so bad; her lively demeanor was quite charming.
As for the awkward moments, both of them tacitly chose to ignore them.
The entire following day was a repetition of their earlier search. Xu Nuan could only muster a bit of spirit; her body had not yet recovered, and most of the daily tasks were handled by Gu Ze.
To some extent, a mutual understanding had developed between them, one that they were both unaware of.
Another day passed, and Xu Nuan and Gu Ze finally found the marks left by the main group. However, the marks were completely dried up, indicating that Xu Hang and the others were now quite far from this place. But this good news was enough to lift Xu Nuan and Gu Ze's spirits. Gu Ze even insisted on celebrating this discovery, while Xu Nuan merely smiled and brushed it off.
No matter how harsh the environment was, she would persevere, and she believed that Gu Ze would do the same.
That night, after discovering the marks left by Xu Hang and the others, Xu Nuan kept watch over the campfire alone while Gu Ze was still out searching. Feeling bored, she was suddenly stirred when Gu Ze returned with a bright smile on his face, holding a freshly prepared wild duck in his hands.
“Ha ha! I have a surprise for you. You've been craving roast duck for a long time, right? Tonight you can enjoy it properly.”
In that moment, Xu Nuan felt a rush of emotions.
Among them was guilt.
A silent guilt.
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