Chapter 60 : Responsible for Me

Seeing Song Ying stunned, Huo Zhen thought he had scared her and quickly explained, “It’s just a hug. If you don’t want to, then just pretend I farted.”

Song Ying replied, “So hugging me is like farting to you?”

“Huh?” Huo Zhen shook his head rapidly. “No, no, that’s not what I meant. I mean treat me like a fart, like a fart…”

Song Ying said, “I’m not interested in farts.”

Huo Zhen looked like he was about to cry, his mouth frozen mid-sentence…

Seeing his pitiful expression, Song Ying moved her fingers slightly, reaching out to smooth the few messy strands of hair on his head.

“Brother, dinner’s ready!”

Fu An lifted the tent flap and saw Song Ying and Huo Zhen standing very close together. He instantly realized he had walked in at the wrong time.

“Sorry, sorry, my bad. Just treat me like a fart too.”

Song Ying was speechless. So all the men in this camp liked calling themselves farts.

Huo Zhen didn’t care about rank, he ate the same food as the soldiers. But with Song Ying there, he scooped all the meat from his bowl into hers.

“Eat more, don’t go hungry.”

Song Ying pushed the meat back into his bowl. “You need to eat properly if you want to fight.”

Huo Zhen picked it up again and returned it to her. “I told you to eat it, so eat it.”

Song Ying gently set down her chopsticks and said calmly, “Pick it back for me.”

Huo Zhen obediently put the meat back into his bowl and ate it in front of her.

Only then did Song Ying nod in satisfaction and begin eating.

The doctor had made some initial progress, so Huo Zhen left to hear his findings and discuss countermeasures with the others. Meanwhile, Song Ying stayed in the tent, organizing her bottles and jars.

She kept some mushroom samples to study more thoroughly once she returned to Beijing.

Late that night, Huo Zhen came back.

He saw Song Ying lying on the couch in her clothes, clearly asleep.

He tiptoed over, picked up a nearby quilt, and prepared to sleep on the floor.

Song Ying opened her eyes and sat up. “Come up. The ground is damp, and your injury hasn’t healed yet.”

Huo Zhen replied, “It’s okay, I’m fine after taking your medicine.”

Song Ying got up and walked to her medicine box. “Take off your clothes and sit on the couch.”

She was going to reapply his medicine.

Huo Zhen quickly took off his clothes and turned his back to her. “I can handle the front wounds myself.”

Song Ying cut off the gauze with scissors, then gently cleaned off the old ointment with prepared water.

The wound looked better than yesterday, less pus and blood.

“I’ve adjusted the formula. It might sting a little. Bear with it.”

Huo Zhen said, “It’s fine, go ahead. Even if it’s chili paste, I can take it.”

Song Ying pressed on the worst spot with her finger. When Huo Zhen hissed in pain, she said, “Don’t act so tough.”

Huo Zhen chuckled. “Heh, don’t treat me like some fragile girl. I once set my own broken bone.”

Song Ying asked, “When was that?”

Huo Zhen replied, “I don’t remember. It was ages ago. If I didn’t tell you, would you have noticed?”

Song Ying said, “No.”

Huo Zhen grinned. “So don’t let these scars fool you, I’m fine. A fortune teller once told me even the King of Hell wouldn’t dare take my life.”

Song Ying continued applying the new medicine gently to his shoulder blades. “Any discomfort?”

Huo Zhen: “No.”

She moved on. “What about here?”

Huo Zhen: “No.”

After confirming everything, Song Ying began applying the ointment more thoroughly.

“All done.”

Huo Zhen turned around and took the bowl from her hands. “I’ll handle the rest.”

Song Ying nodded. “Okay.”

Seeing that she had no intention of leaving, Huo Zhen asked again, “Would you please step aside?”

Song Ying replied, “Are you still afraid of me seeing you?”

Huo Zhen moved his lips, then smiled and said, “If you look at me, you have to take responsibility.”

“Oh…” Song Ying stared at his abs and added, “There’s really nothing much to see.”

Huo Zhen was dissatisfied. He straightened his back and flexed his abdominal muscles. “This doesn’t look good to you?”

Song Ying nodded, “It’s not the first time I’ve seen a man’s abs.”

Huo Zhen suddenly thought of her and Yue Shaozhi, and pursed his lips in displeasure. “My body is way better than his. His belly’s as pale as a blank sheet of paper.”

“Who are you talking about?” Song Ying looked confused.

Huo Zhen: “Your ex-husband. Or… are you seeing anyone else besides him?”

Song Ying: “Aren’t you the only man besides him?”

“Eh?” Huo Zhen scratched his head. He felt like she was messing with him. “You, turn around and don’t peek.”

“Got it.” Song Ying turned her back. “Didn’t you say I should be responsible for you?”

While applying medicine, Huo Zhen muttered, “Responsibility is a man’s job.”

After a while, Song Ying suddenly asked, “Can I ask you something?”

Huo Zhen: “What is it?”

Song Ying: “When the Chamber of Commerce was attacked, did you get advance warning and rush over because of that?”

Huo Zhen: “Yeah.”

Song Ying: “Who told you?”

Huo Zhen paused, looking at the back of her neck. “My father.”

Song Ying: “Then how did your father know that the caravan would pass by Cuihu Lake?”

Huo Zhen was stunned by the question.

Song Ying went on, almost talking to herself, “I found out that the bandits were all from Xiyue. They were well-prepared and came in large numbers, which suggests they’d planned it ahead. So I’ve been wondering… was the Chamber of Commerce’s escort mission a trap to lure out the Xiyue agents hiding in the country?”

Huo Zhen’s expression changed. He suddenly reacted and cursed, “Damn it, that old man…”

Song Ying interrupted, “What are you cursing for?”

Huo Zhen: “The old man almost got you killed!”

If things were really as Song Ying suspected, and this had all been a setup… If Song Ying hadn’t gotten lucky, both of them could’ve—

Song Ying: “Your father didn’t know I asked to join the escort myself.”

Huo Zhen: “Huh?” He froze, then picked up on what she said. “Wait, you… asked to join the escort?”

Song Ying: “Yes.”

The anger on Huo Zhen’s face instantly gave way to joy. “So, you came here of your own accord, just for me?”

Song Ying didn’t dodge the question. “You could put it that way.”

If he didn’t have ointment all over his hands, Huo Zhen would’ve hugged her on the spot.

She had just admitted she came to Wucheng for him.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA.”

Song Ying: “Look at how happy you are. Are you really that happy?”

Huo Zhen: “Of course! That means I have a chance to marry you!”

Song Ying: “You want to marry me? Aren’t you afraid my family will eat you alive?”

Huo Zhen: “Then we’ll just form our own government!”

Song Ying: “I haven’t said yes yet.”

Huo Zhen: “Huh?”

Song Ying turned and picked up gauze to wrap his wound. “I just came to see you. This place is close to Xiyue, and I wanted to check for any herbs I could use.”

Huo Zhen pouted, clearly disappointed. “So I was just a pit stop?”

Song Ying laughed and said, “Yes.”

But Huo Zhen laughed too. “It’s fine if I’m just a pit stop, as long as you came.”

Laughing, Song Ying boldly reached out to untie his belt…