Chapter 158

The green bamboo snake, also known as the bamboo viper, has a pointed tail, a relatively large head shaped like a triangle, a slender neck, and a grass-green body on the back and lighter or yellowish on the belly. It often appears in mountain forests, damp areas near mountain streams, grassy thickets, bamboo groves, or rocks. Its venom is highly potent.

At that moment, hanging from a bamboo branch above Wang Yuan’er’s head was a grass-green creature. What else could it be but a bamboo viper?

Cui Yuan picked up a small stone from the ground, holding it tightly in his hand. While keeping an eye on Wang Yuan’er, he also cautiously watched the bamboo viper slowly moving closer.

His expression was stern and cautious, which left Wang Yuan’er startled and unsure of what to do.

“W-what’s wrong?” She shifted her shoulder slightly, feeling uneasy. That slight movement caused the snake above her head to move as well, hissing and flicking its tongue.

Cui Yuan’s face turned pale, and he shouted, “Who told you to move?!”

His expression clearly looked off, and Wang Yuan’er was on the verge of tears. “What’s going on?”

She was terrified by the unknown danger—knowing nothing made her panic internally, and there was nothing she could do.

Cui Yuan originally didn’t want to tell her, but he was even more afraid she would move recklessly. He had no choice but to say, “There’s a snake—a bamboo viper—coiled on the bamboo branch above your head. Don’t move.”

“What? A bamboo… viper!” Wang Yuan’er almost jumped up in shock. Wasn’t that the green bamboo snake?

The green bamboo snake was incredibly venomous, and being bitten by one could cost your life. She had heard of such incidents many times!

No way—how could she be so unlucky? In her previous life, she’d taken her own life. Was she now going to die at the hands of a bamboo viper?

Her legs suddenly went weak, trembling uncontrollably. She shivered, unable to move, and sweat began to bead on her forehead in just a short moment.

“Am I… am I going to die?” she asked, her voice trembling, tears almost breaking through as her legs shook.

“Don’t worry, you won’t die. This young master is here!” Cui Yuan, now very close, said calmly. “When I say run, you run.”

“But… but I don’t have the strength,” Wang Yuan’er said bitterly.

“If you’re out of strength, then wait to die. It’s your choice!” Cui Yuan retorted.

Angry and flustered, Wang Yuan’er reluctantly nodded.

Cui Yuan stood still, his peach-blossom-shaped eyes narrowing as he silently calculated the timing. With a swift motion of his hand, the pebble flew through the air, and at the same time, he shouted, “Run!”

Wang Yuan’er let out a scream and used all her strength to run. But after just a few steps, she twisted her ankle, the sharp pain piercing through her. She fell to the ground and couldn’t get back up.

This is bad!

The bamboo viper, startled by Cui Yuan’s strike, fell to the ground and slithered away into the grass.

Cui Yuan didn’t bother chasing it. Instead, he smugly clapped his hands and said, “If you’d run any slower, I’d have turned you into stew!”

Turning around, he saw Wang Yuan’er sitting on the ground. Raising an eyebrow, he teased, “Look at you! Weren’t you just saying you’re familiar with this mountain? It’s just a snake—did it really scare you this much?”

Wang Yuan’er clutched her foot, too pained to even retort.

“Let’s go!” Cui Yuan said casually, but when she didn’t follow, he turned to look. Wang Yuan’er’s face was pale, sweat covered her forehead, and she was still holding her foot. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wang Yuan’er looked up, her voice trembling as she cried, “I twisted my ankle!”

How were they supposed to get back now?

Cui Yuan froze for a moment before quickly walking over, reaching out to grab her foot. Startled, Wang Yuan’er shrank back, glaring at him warily. “W-what are you doing?”

Seeing her guarded expression, Cui Yuan chuckled. Feeling mischievous, he pretended to lick his lips and began untying his belt. “You tell me—out here in the wilderness, just the two of us, what do you think I’m going to do?” He reached out toward her.

“Get lost, go away!” Wang Yuan’er was immediately startled and scared. Screaming, she reached out her hands toward him while pushing her feet back. Her heart was filled with regret—she should never have come to the mountain in the first place.

Seeing that she was genuinely frightened, Cui Yuan laughed heartily and pointed at her, saying, “Miss Wang, did you really think of yourself as some goddess? I was just teasing you!”

Teasing her?

Wang Yuan’er glared at him with full caution, her lips curling in anger. “If Young Master Cui finds life too dull, I can direct you to the flower pavilion by the river.”

At a time like this, he was still so improper. Did being a young master make him so extraordinary?

She struggled to get up, but Cui Yuan pressed her down with one hand, clicking his tongue. “It was just a joke, and you’re really mad? Don’t move, let me take a look!”

Wang Yuan’er withdrew her foot and coldly replied, “Men and women should keep their distance, so I won’t trouble Young Master Cui. Please continue your journey, as I cannot guide you any further!”

Cui Yuan raised his eyebrows and said, “I didn’t expect a young lady like you to be so stubborn. Fine, I really will leave then!”

Wang Yuan’er ignored him, her mind occupied with figuring out how to get back. Her foot was surely swollen. Forcing herself to walk down the mountain would likely ruin it entirely, and unfortunately, there wasn’t another soul in sight at this time.

“I’m really leaving!” Cui Yuan stood up and glanced at her.

Wang Yuan’er was still deep in thought, determined to find a sturdy stick to support herself. The pain in her right foot was so excruciating that even lying flat was unbearable. How could she possibly walk?

“Goodness, Wang Yuan’er, I surrender to you!” Cui Yuan shook his head as he saw the young lady genuinely planning to crawl down the mountain on her own. He stepped forward to help her.

“Don’t worry, no matter how mischievous I am, I’m not some despicable scoundrel.” Facing Wang Yuan’er’s wary expression, Cui Yuan rolled his eyes and pointed at her foot. “If you try to go down the mountain like this, your foot will probably be ruined. You’ll end up crippled—who would want you then?”

What a jinx! Wang Yuan’er glared at him angrily but couldn’t deny that he was right.

“I served in the army when I was young and learned a bit about treating injuries from the medics. Let me take a look first.” Cui Yuan helped her to a large rock by the stream and sat her down. Seeing her pull her foot back again, he glanced around and said, “There’s not a soul in sight here, so your reputation won’t be affected. Relax! But let me clarify—I’m helping you out of kindness, so don’t hold me accountable later!”

Wang Yuan’er was fuming!

Cui Yuan removed her shoes and socks, revealing her delicate, fair foot—no, it was now swollen and red. He frowned at the sight.

Despite having lived two lifetimes, Wang Yuan’er was traditional at heart. As an unmarried young lady, having a man who wasn’t her husband removes her shoes and socks left her feeling shy and embarrassed, her face burning hot.

“Ah!” Before she could finish feeling embarrassed, a sharp pain shot through her foot. Cui Yuan had pressed on her swollen ankle.

“Does this hurt?” Cui Yuan looked up at her. Seeing her wipe away tears, he said, “Bear with it for a moment. I need to check if you’ve fractured anything.”

Wang Yuan’er shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Cui Yuan pressed a few more spots before concluding, “It looks like it’s just a sprain, probably a strained tendon. Hand me your handkerchief.”

Wang Yuan’er handed over her handkerchief. Cui Yuan folded it into a square, soaked it in the stream water, and applied it to her swollen ankle. The cold, damp handkerchief eased the pain significantly, much to Wang Yuan’er’s surprise.

“Why not just put it directly in the water?” she asked. If water was being used for relief, why not immerse her foot entirely?

Cui Yuan replied, “It’s already early autumn, and the stream water is too cold. A young lady like you shouldn’t keep your hands or feet in cold water for long—it could lead to chills.”

Wang Yuan’er felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this. “I didn’t expect you to have this kind of skill,” she remarked, noting his thoughtful nature despite his usual carefree demeanor. However, she quickly recalled his tender care when helping Miss He into the carriage earlier, which eased her surprise.

“You wait here; I’ll go see if there are any medicinal herbs nearby,” Cui Yuan said as he stood up.

“There’s no need for that. Finding a doctor down the mountain will suffice,” Wang Yuan’er replied.

“It’ll help ease the pain and speed up the recovery—it’s still an hour’s trek down the mountain!” Cui Yuan disagreed and quickly ventured into the forest.

Wang Yuan’er looked at her foot and sighed. “What terrible luck—is this what they mean by a troubled autumn?”

Moments later, Cui Yuan returned, holding a small bunch of wild herbs. As he gathered them together, he ground them against a nearby rock, explaining, “I didn’t dare go too far, but these should do for now. They’re good for promoting blood circulation.”

He swiftly crushed the herbs, wrapped them in Wang Yuan’er’s handkerchief, and applied them directly to her injured foot. Then, he found a tree vine and tied it around her foot.

As Wang Yuan’er looked at her foot bound with the vine, she burst out laughing.

Cui Yuan shot her a glance and said, “Well, it’s like wrapping a dumpling, isn’t it?”

With that, he couldn’t help but laugh along with her. Their laughter startled the birds in the forest, making them flutter away, and the distance between them suddenly felt much closer.

No matter how much Wang Yuan’er tried to be stubborn, she couldn’t resist Cui Yuan’s insistence. Blushing, she reluctantly leaned onto his back, and the two began descending the mountain.

The journey was quiet—so quiet, it became awkward. Wang Yuan’er had to find something to break the silence.

“You said you served in the military. Is that true?”

“Of course, it’s true! I was rolling and crawling across battlefields at the age of fourteen!” Cui Yuan replied though he was only a minor errand boy.

“Are you a high-ranking officer?” Wang Yuan’er asked another question.

Cui Yuan paused for a moment before continuing forward. “No, I’m just an insignificant nobody.”

“Young Master Cui, are you close with Lord Li?” Wang Yuan’er asked, looking at his profile.

Cui Yuan tilted his head slightly and smirked. “What, are you hoping I’ll help you connect with the Lord? Let me tell you, the Lord doesn’t fancy little bean sprouts like you!”

Wang Yuan’er understood the jab and angrily smacked him. “You—your mind is so filthy!”

“Don’t move! If you fall again, I really can’t catch you—you’re heavy!”

“You…” Wang Yuan’er gritted her teeth but decided to hold her temper, considering that he was carrying her down the mountain. Looking at the stream beside them, she said, “Young Master Cui, have you ever seen a flash flood?”

“What?”

“A flash flood—have you seen one? I once read in the records of Le Mountain’s history that a hundred years ago, this very Changle Mountain experienced a flash flood that wiped out an entire town,” Wang Yuan’er revealed her long-held thoughts. “Young Master Cui, do you think there’s a chance Changle Mountain could have a flash flood?”

Cui Yuan turned his head to look at her. Her eyes were clear and bright, but now they were filled with seriousness and an indescribable worry and urgency.

A flash flood—was this what was on her mind?