Chapter 58: Warm and Secure |
[August 29, 2023]...
Shěn Lí listened to Xíng Zhǐ’s slow footsteps as he went to boil water outside the house. When she estimated the water was about to come to a boil, she said, “I can see today. I didn’t realize you were a fisherman. You have a really nice home.”
The white fabric that was peeking through the door flashed away as the figure hid to the side. Shěn Lí heard a burst of rattling and clanging, like someone was in a panic and had knocked some things over, like a pot. She was sure it had to be a mess outside.
Shěn Lí waited for a long time, but it remained silent. She could imagine Xíng Zhǐ’s furrowed brows and his wry smile as he shook his head.
It was. . . comforting.
Shěn Lí turned her head to the side and smirked. She hadn’t enjoyed herself enough when she saw a dark-headed young man in course linen clothes enter. He looked so much like a fisherman who worked in the water all year round that Shěn Lí blinked. He spoke in the hoarse voice she had grown used to in the last few days.
“Miss’s eyes are better now?”
Shěn Lí looked him up and down carefully. “My five senses are sometimes good, sometimes bad. Today, my sense of taste, smell, and touch are useless. But I can speak, hear and see, so it’s a good day today.”
The young man frowned. “Why is that?”
The young man gave an understated, “Hm,” before sitting down and picking up a cup of tea. He was about to drink from it when he stopped his hand midair, realizing that maybe things like this shouldn’t be a matter of course. He thought about it for a moment before clearing his throat and speaking. “I have to go to sea every day to work. Miss’s injury is so serious that I have lost a lot of time every day taking care you. I can no longer delay.”
Shěn Lí’s lips twitched. “I will compensate you for the loss funds.”
“It’s not about lost money; it’s about lost time. You’ve delayed my life.”
Shěn Lí nearly choked and began thinking that maybe she shouldn’t take him too seriously. In the end she remained silent.
“How about this, miss promised to grant me a wish earlier. Things should be done in pairs, so why not grant me another wish?”
“What would you like?”
“If I say it now, I’m afraid miss won’t be able to do it, so let’s hold off on it. This way I can help heal your wounds wholeheartedly.”
Shěn Lí glanced sideways at him for several beats. “You, sir, talk a lot.”
“Well, miss was in a precarious position before when the metals bars where still embedded in your limbs. It looked like you could die of anger with just a few words. I didn’t dare say much. But now. . . ” He paused, and finally drank the tea in his hand. The rim of the cup hid the smile on his lips. “Isn’t this all because miss promised to grant me a wish?”
Even if Shěn Lí refused, it wasn’t like he’d throw her out. On that, Shěn Lí was clear. But she still looked at his profile and responded. “All right, I am willing to grant you two wishes. As long as it is something I, Shěn Lí, can do, then I shall do so.”
The smile on Xíng Zhǐ’s lips was still there after he put the teacup down. He turned his head away from Shěn Lí a little, pursed his lips, and adjusted his smile. “I cooked fish soup today. Would you like to try some?”
Shěn Lí nodded even though eating fish soup would be no different from drinking water since her sense of taste was gone.
She had been living in the house for a while, but her body was too badly injured, so her recovery was slower than usual. Her five senses were also still behaving strangely. She told herself not to rush, but every time she had to be fed, she was reminded of her hatred for Fú Shēng. More importantly. . .
“I have to relieve myself. . . ” Shěn Lí said the words in a firm voice.
They had done this many times before when Shěn Lí thought Xíng Zhǐ was just a random fisherman. Originally, she had planned on killing the guy, but obviously everything was different now and she certainly wouldn’t be able to silence Xíng Zhǐ.
One, because she couldn’t kill him. Two, because she was shy. . . And three, because Xíng Zhǐ was a god and should have been worshipped, not to be doing this kind of thing for people. . .
While Shěn Lí was struggling with her thoughts, Xíng Zhǐ had already taken out the chamber pot and placed it beside her in the usual corner. He’d even changed it to make it more convenient for her condition. Xíng Zhǐ reached for her through the quilt, loosened her belt and pulled her pants down. Shěn Lí’s clothes were long, so he had to arrange them under the quilt first before pulling her out. He held her horizontally as he placed her on the chamber pot to allow her space to sit down, before letting her go. His expression never changed throughout the entire process.
It took Shěn Lí some time to adjust her emotions and relax after sitting down. Once she was done, there was the cleanup to contend with, but even if it meant dying, she wouldn’t let Xíng Zhǐ do it. She faced the pain from her opening her wounds and cleaned herself up. Then once finished, she shouted, “All done!”
Xíng Zhǐ came in from outside and followed the routine again, only this time in reverse. He saw blood oozing from her wrist when he was covering her back up with the quilt. It made him frown, but he ultimately chose to remain silent.
Shěn Lí felt awkward every time. After Xíng Zhǐ arranged her under the covers and went outside, she had nothing to do but stare around the room in a daze.
It took some time, but after a while she finally tried walking. Though she was eager to start running, she would fall over only after a couple of steps. Days without touch weren’t bad. Because it didn’t hurt, she would get up and try again right after. But on the days when her sense of touch returned, the pain was so raw and powerful she had to grit her teeth and lay recovering on the ground for a long time before she could stand back up.
She always picked times Xíng Zhǐ was out of the house. Her situation was already embarrassing enough without her making it worse for herself. She didn’t want to look bad, especially not in front of Xíng Zhǐ. . .
Xíng Zhǐ stayed away for longer stretches of time, often disappearing completely after breakfast. Shěn Lí worked on her arms and legs every day nonstop, but she couldn’t change the speed it took for her muscles and joints to recover.
On this particular day, Shěn Lí’s vision was missing. She walked around the table, tired after working out, and wanted to pour herself a drink of water. She touched the teapot, but discovered her fingers wouldn’t cooperate. She wanted to hold the handle, but couldn’t force her fingers to move the right way.
Fine motor control, like finger movements, were much harder to recover. The small muscles and tendons weren’t fully healed, so holding a teacup or pair of chopsticks was a hundred times harder than walking or running.
Shěn Lí was obsessed and desperately wanted to hold the teapot handle. . . but she couldn’t. If things were like this. . . if they remained this way, how was she going to hold her spear and protect the people in the future? Her arm brushed against a teacup and it fell off the table. The break was discordant and sharp.
Hurried footsteps rushed over.
Shěn Lí was so angry at herself. She waved her arms across the table and swiped everything to the floor in rage. “Get out!”
Xíng Zhǐ opened the door the same time a teacup flew against the door frame. The shattered pieces nicked him on the brow and drew blood, but he didn’t react. It took him two steps to reach Shěn Lí. He grabbed her just as she was about to fall, then helped her to the sit on the bed. Two drops of blood fell on Shěn Lí’s hand when he lowered his head.
Shěn Lí couldn’t see, but her sense of smell was more sensitive than usual. She reached out and grabbed Xíng Zhǐ’s hand as he turned away to clean up the mess.
He looked back at her inquisitively.
Shěn Lí’s mouth moved but nothing came out. She gripped his hand tighter, refusing to let go.
Xíng Zhǐ squatted down in front of her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shěn Lí was silent for a long time before lowering her head. “I. . . I hurt you. . . I’m sorry.”
He knew she couldn’t see so only smiled softly and said, “It’s OK.”
Shěn Lí still refused to let him go. “For physical reasons. . . I’ve been a little impatient recently.”
“Hm.”
Who knew how long the silence hung between them? Shěn Lí released his hand so she could reach out and touch his face. Stretching out her index finger, she poked at his cheek. “Was it here that was cut?”
Xíng Zhǐ let her finger roam around face but didn’t point her to the correct spot, just replying with a, “No,” and a smile.
“Here?”
“Wrong.”
“Here?”
“Try again.”
Sensing that he was toying with her, Shěn Lí became annoyed and poked hard. “Here?!” The wet on her fingertip was accompanied by a yelp. Shěn Lí immediately withdrew her hand. “I’m sorry. I poked your eye. . . ”
Xíng Zhǐ sighed. He gently took her hand and laid her finger over the brow that was cut. “Here.”
It felt like there was a lot of blood. “Does it hurt?”
Xíng Zhǐ was silent as if considering; then he nodded. “It hurts.” It was like being cut with a sharp knife. The cold pain was followed by a burning pain, just like the feeling in his heart.
“I will try my best to control my temper.”
“There’s no need.” Xíng Zhǐ repeated softly, “As long as we’re here, there’s no need.” He would let her do whatever she wanted.
After losing her temper, Shěn Lí calmed down and thought about it more rationally. It was useless to force things, so though she would continue to practice every day, she wouldn’t be as eager for quick results.
Practicing this way was better; her body recovered faster even though her five senses had their ups and downs. On bad days without touch, she focused on sight and sound. When she lost sound, smell became sharper. Eventually all five senses improved, and when all was said and done, it was a blessing in disguise.
Shěn Lí was walking reliably on her own without aid from a chair or table one day when the thought of going outside struck her. She pushed open the door and looked around. She didn’t know what to expect.
What she saw was Xíng Zhǐ standing in the yard. He wasn’t doing anything, just standing in the sunshine like a young man of the sea. He turned and their gazes met.
He had been here the entire time, accompanying her silently through the days.
“I’m hungry.” Shěn Lí said.
“I made fish soup.”
It was an ordinary conversation that warmed the heart.
From then on, Shěn Lí was left to take care of herself and Xíng Zhǐ really did leave when he walked out in the mornings. He laid breakfast out on the table for Shěn Lí to eat in the mornings then he packed up and went fishing with the local fishermen, only returning at noon with his catch, which he then cooked over an open fire for Shěn Lí’s lunch.
Whenever Shěn Lí’s sense of smell appeared, she would always smell the brininess of the sea on his body. But this smell was different from when they met on the beach. Back then, his body smelled of the sea breeze as though he had been at sea for many months. Now he smelled so much more complicated. There was the brininess of the fish from the sea, there was the salt, and the blood. . .
He was serious about being a fisherman. . . just like the time he reincarnated as a mortal. Though he had memories from the Immortal realm, he focused solely on how a mortal person would live their life.
Shěn Lí had to admire his adaptable and easy-going mentality.
Recently, Shěn Lí was idle and bored. After Xíng Zhǐ left in the mornings, she did two circuits around the yard, but even that was getting old, so she stepped out beyond the yard, curious to see how the local fishermen worked. Her slow pace meant that by the time she reached the nearest fishing village, the group of people who went out fishing in the morning were already returning. Unlike the fishermen unloading their haul, Xíng Zhǐ was rubbing the center of his brows like he had a headache as he stood on the boat looking out to the sea.
Curious, Shěn Lí walked onto the pier and asked. “You didn’t catch any fish?”
She glanced down as she spoke and saw the contents of his boat. There were pearlescent shells and exotic treasures galore, but absolutely no fish. Shěn Lí couldn’t hold back the amused, “Poof,” from escaping her lips.
Shěn Lí’s magic hadn’t recovered yet, so she couldn’t detect Xíng Zhǐ’s divine aura. But the Sea king was no fool. Knowing a high god cast a net into his waters, the Sea king naturally took the opportunity to send out presents. Presumably, the Sea king had exchanged the fish originally in the net for the exotic things there now.
Xíng Zhǐ wasn’t happy, but upon seeing Shěn Lí smile, a smile reached his eyes as well. “Why are you here?”
“I wanted to see how the fish were caught.” Shěn Lí pointed to his boat empty of edible fish and said, “But it seems you didn’t catch any today.”
Xíng Zhǐ nodded. “Yes, I decided to collect these things instead.”
This man. . . he didn’t miss a beat when lying.
Shěn Lí sat down on the pier. “Let’s see. There are so many treasures. Why not sell them for money?”
Xíng Zhǐ shook his head, picking up a few pearl oysters. “It’s useless to take too many. I’ll toss them back to the sea later.”
“Don’t!” Shěn Lí yelled. “Let me choose a few first!”
When Xíng Zhǐ saw her hurrying to get onto the boat, he went over to help her. But with the fishermen rushing back and forth on the pier, someone was clumsy and knocked into her, forcing her to fall head first toward Xíng Zhǐ. She landed solidly in his embrace, chest to chest. They were so close; she could feel their heartbeats beating.
The embrace was just like in her dream; warm and secure.
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