Chapter 12 – Outburst

Xia Tian quickly lifted the door curtain and rushed inside, only to find Shen Nian lying on the kang, one hand clutching his neck. His face had turned a dark purple from coughing, and he was gasping for breath, mouth wide open.

Xia Tian was terrified and hurried over, kneeling beside the kang. She lightly patted Shen Nian’s back a few times, then turned to see the teapot on the table. She quickly got up and poured water.

The teapot was empty. She set it down and rushed to the kitchen.

She grabbed a bowl and scooped up some cold boiled water from the stove, then remembered she had the spiritual spring. She quickly added a few drops of spiritual spring water, brought it back, and went to the main room.

She entered the room, first setting the bowl down on the kang table. Not even bothering to remove her shoes, she climbed onto the kang, helping Shen Nian sit up and lean against her. She picked up the bowl and began to feed him water.

At this point, Shen Nian was breathing rapidly, his forehead veins bulging. Xia Tian worked hard, managing to get half a bowl of water into him, some of it spilling, but she succeeded.

She put the bowl down and quickly began to press her hands on Shen Nian’s chest to ease his breathing.

Once Shen Nian’s breathing started to calm, Xia Tian relaxed. She gently supported him and slowly helped him sit against the quilt pile, continuing to ease his breathing.

Xia Tian felt a wave of fear. If she had been any later, Shen Nian might not have made it…

Seeing that Shen Nian had recovered a bit, Xia Tian realized that her back was drenched in sweat.

She hadn’t noticed earlier because she was so tense, but now that she had relaxed, she saw that there was blood at the corner of Shen Nian’s mouth.

Xia Tian was startled. It seemed the blood she had noticed on his clothes earlier was from him coughing. His illness was worse than she had imagined.

Looking at Shen Nian’s sweat-drenched hair, Xia Tian went outside to get a basin of warm water and brought it back in.

She wrung out a towel and wiped the sweat off his face and neck. Once Shen Nian was feeling better, she would help him change his clothes.

She went to the kitchen, filled another bowl of water, and, after some thought, added a few drops of spiritual spring water to it.

After seeing how Shen Nian reacted to the water earlier, she felt the spiritual spring water might be helpful. She didn’t dare add too much, in case the change was too noticeable, and she wouldn’t know how to explain it.

Xia Tian tasted the water first. It had no particular taste.

Earlier, in the rush of the moment, she hadn’t thought much about it. Now, she was calm and more cautious.

After Shen Nian’s outburst, his face was now pale, and his hands trembled uncontrollably, his body weak.

Xia Tian brought the water to his lips, and Shen Nian didn’t resist. He drank the entire bowl in one go, letting out a long breath afterward, feeling like he had come back to life.

Xia Tian gently rubbed his chest to ease him, and when she saw that he was feeling better, she felt a sense of relief.

Shen Nian watched Xia Tian’s movements but didn’t have the strength to stop her. Every time he had an outburst, it felt like he was brushing with death.

This time was the most dangerous yet. He felt like someone was choking him, making it hard to breathe, and his lungs felt like they were on fire.

For a moment, he truly thought he might not make it through today.

Recently, his illness had been flaring up more frequently. Sometimes he coughed up blood, and he could feel his life slipping away slowly.

He doubted he would ever see Mu Feng again.

It didn’t matter. A body so battered and frail, clinging to life—what good would it do if Mu Feng came for him?

But dying like this didn’t sit well with him. His vengeance wasn’t avenged, and the things he deserved hadn’t been claimed. How could he accept that?

Xia Tian looked at Shen Nian’s changing expressions—despair, anger, unwillingness…

Her heart sank. This person must have suffered unbearable trauma. Perhaps his illness was a result of something man-made.

Xia Tian didn’t know how to comfort him. No one who hadn’t experienced it could truly understand his pain.

She silently stayed by his side, and when Shen Nian’s face gradually returned to its usual cold, distant look, she finally let out a breath of relief. “Shen Dage, are you feeling better?”

Shen Nian gave the slightest nod.

Xia Tian took the bowl, her voice soft as she looked into his eyes. “Shen Dage, I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I want you to know that you’re very strong. I hope you stay alive. As long as you’re alive, there’s hope for the things you want to do.”

“You don’t have to tell me about your illness, but you don’t have to bear it alone. Although I may not be able to help much, I can serve you tea and water.”

“Sometimes, a person’s health is influenced by their mood. If you feel better, your condition will improve.”

“Living in this world is just about solving one problem after another. It’s not that big a deal.”

Xia Tian poured out some words of comfort, though she wasn’t sure if Shen Nian even heard them.

Seeing that Shen Nian had calmed down, Xia Tian stepped out into the yard and took a deep breath.

Though Shen Nian had appeared calm and composed in recent days, she always felt like he had become disillusioned with life, devoid of any energy.

Most people, even if gravely ill, would still try their best to survive, seeking doctors or medicine, still holding on to some hope.

But Shen Nian was different—he resisted taking medicine or seeing a doctor, as if he had already given up hope on living.

Sigh… She hoped he would come to terms with things, and at least in the future, he could live without feeling so suffocated.

Xia Tian didn’t want Shen Nian to leave. After all, he was the first person she had spent so much time with after arriving in this strange world.

Though she might only be seen as a servant in his eyes.

Xia Tian rubbed her face, not thinking about it any longer, hoping the spiritual spring water would have some effect.

Shen Nian rested for a while, and his strength gradually returned. This time, it seemed he recovered faster than usual, and the tight feeling in his chest had also lessened.

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Shen Nian’s mouth. He realized he had been overthinking.

Since the first time the poison took effect three years ago, he had never returned to his carefree days. The chronic poison inside his body was like a slow-moving snake, consuming everything.

Even after visiting countless famous doctors, the poison still tortured him, from three months between flare-ups to one month, then half a month, and now, recently, it flared up every day.

He could no longer suppress it. Even the divine doctors said the poison had seeped too deep, and nothing could cure it. How could he possibly feel at ease?

Perhaps it was because, deep down, he still hoped for recovery, still wanted to live, that he had this fleeting sense of relief.

Or perhaps it was because of that girl’s words earlier, triggering his instinct to survive…

Xia Tian stood in the yard for a while before feeling a cold chill on her back.

She went back to her room, changed her clothes, and got another basin of warm water. She helped Shen Nian change his clothes, then washed his sweaty ones in the yard.

She didn’t dare stray too far, fearing that Shen Nian might need help again.

After washing the clothes, she was about to rest for a bit, but then remembered how Shen Nian had been exhausted earlier, so she figured he must be hungry. She decided to start preparing dinner.

She went to the kitchen, washed some rice, and decided to cook a pot of plain porridge first.

As the porridge was cooking, she realized the cupboard was out of eggs, so she went outside to buy a few from Sister Yao, planning to make some egg pancakes.

Then she remembered the bamboo shoots she had dug up earlier hadn’t been processed yet, so she peeled two to prepare for a cold dish.

Tomorrow, she had to go into town to buy some meat and a chicken to make soup for Shen Nian.

With time still on her side, Xia Tian peeled the rest of the bamboo shoots and cut them, laying them out to dry in the yard.

She couldn’t help but check on Shen Nian again. When she saw him lying on the kang, his complexion normal and his breathing steady, it seemed like he had fallen asleep.

Xia Tian continued with her work, and when dinner was ready, she kept it warm in the pot. She heard some movement in the main room, signaling it was time to prepare for the meal.

When Shen Nian ate, everything seemed to be back to normal. It looked like the crisis had passed.

That night, as Xia Tian lay in bed, she let out a long sigh of relief. What a turbulent day it had been—from encountering a wild boar to the spiritual spring space appearing, to Shen Nian’s life-or-death struggle. It had truly been a rollercoaster!