Aromatic Flesh

Gu MingYue felt like she was floating in a pool, and it was dark and solemn all around her. The thick water pressure pushed against her body from all directions, and in the darkness, there was only loneliness in the unknown depths.

There was nothing else there… However, it was surprisingly reassuring…

The female body in the water seemed extremely comfortable. Her arms were stretched wide apart, as if embracing the darkness around her, while her mind stayed blank.

She felt as if she had forgotten something, something extremely important that was waiting to be completed, but unfortunately, she just couldn’t remember what it was…

Every time she tried to recall it, all she felt was bitter thoughts while her chest twitched with waves of despair and sadness. Vague scenes flickered through her mind in flashes of deja vu.

Who was she? What was she doing? Where was she going?

As she was thinking, a sudden light intruded through the darkness and wrapped itself around her floating body. She heard something, was it her name? Someone was weeping…

Her brows furrowed slightly together as the weeping noise grew louder, and as it got clearer, she could feel her memories returning to her.

Gu MingYue’s eyelashes flickered subtly, and quickly after, she opened her eyes. The room looked unfamiliar, and she was lying on a bed she did not recognize. It was somewhat difficult to breathe, her throat was parched and sore, while her back burned with pain.

She understood instantly that her gamble paid off, and she did not lose her life as Lord Zhang and Master JingDe, who hailed from the temple, were proficient and skilled as a doctor.

She coughed softly, hoping it would clear the tightly within her throat slightly, as it was getting very uncomfortable for her.

The man sitting by her bed looked pale, and dark purple circles could be seen under his tired and bloodshot eyes. The mustache on his face was left unkept, and he seemed as though he had not showered for days. None of his glorious past self could be seen from his frame.

“Eh?” Mu JinYu widened his half-shut eyes at her cough, before widening his eyes at the woman on the bed. In fact, many days had passed since he last rested properly, and he had been surviving on light naps for fear that Gu MingYue’s body would go cold as he slept.

The cough was like a dream to him, and for a moment, he thought he was dreaming. He did not dare hope that it was real, because if it wasn’t, the disappointment was too much to bear.

However, once he took a look at her, he could feel the tiredness leave his body, only to be quickly replaced by a furious joy that spread throughout his entire body.

“Ruo Lan, you’re finally awake!” He stood up suddenly, before hurrying over to the table nearby to fetch a cup of plain water for her. He took a small sip, testing the temperature of the water before placing it near her lips, and watched as she drank greedily. “Do not flip over onto your back, as it was injured badly.” He explained patiently.

Gu MingYue paused for a second, not getting used to this because his voice was gentle and soft, as if he was cooing was a young child.

“Young master, those ruffians…” Gu MingYue spoke softly, “Are you injured?”

Mu JinYu’s face darkened as he was once again reminded of the bold assassins and the actual instigator behind their back, “Those assassins have been sent to where they deserved to be, as for this incident… It’s definitely not over yet!” He gritted his teeth in rage, but upon noticing her cringe, he instantly softened his voice and comforted her gently, “Do not worry, I have only suffered light injuries. Do not overthink, you need to rest in order to recover.”

Gu MingYue had never seen him with such a serious expression on his face, and not knowing how to react, she merely nodded her head solemnly.

After being unconscious for days, her once full cheeks were now mellow and sickly, her complexion was too pale, and her eyes became too prominent on her thin face.

However, to Mu JinYu, she looked exactly like a pained cub, and all he wanted to do was to protect her and keep her in safety forever.

“You have suffered.” Mu JinYu stroke her cheeks tenderly before taking a deep breath, “Ruo Lan, let’s get married once we return!”

Gu MingYue stared at him in disbelief and vaguely wondered if her injuries were causing her to experience hallucinations.

Mu JinYu knew that it would take a lot of effort to explain the situation to the woman in front of him because it was obvious that she did not think she was worthy of becoming his legitimate wife.

Of course, before this, he too had never thought she was qualified either.

But because of this incident, Gu MingYue was heavily injured because of him, and several times, he almost thought she would not survive the high fever.

He was unwilling to recall the pain he had suffered as he guarded her side for days.

He was shocked by the weight of her love that caused her to willingly sacrifice her own life for him, and knowing that she might not be able to survive caused him so much pain that it felt as if he had been struck in the heart by a sharp twisting knife. At one point, he had even decided that if she died, he would only follow her footsteps willingly.

He never thought he was capable of feeling this way. This was the kind of sorrow that one would only ever understand once he had gone through it personally.

Before this, he would sometimes wonder about her life after he married the princess or any other noble lady. However, after this incident, he finally understood that there will always be situations that he would not be able to protect her. And if something really happened to Gu MingYue in the future after that, he did not know how he would be able to live on.

At this exact moment, he finally doubted his decision to marry another woman and keep Gu MingYue as his favored concubine.

Enjoy and feel free to comment on my work! <3