Dawn had only just begun to break. Heavy storm clouds hung low overhead, pressing down on the sky. The morning mist, thick with moisture, drifted across the river’s surface, and amid the gentle murmur of flowing water, the vegetation along the banks appeared hazy and indistinct.
The light stabbed painfully at his eyelids. After his eyeballs twitched a few times beneath them, Jian Ru suddenly opened his eyes.
“Hah… cough, cough…!”
He gasped for breath, interrupted by violent coughing and dry heaving. His entire chest ached terribly. Turning his head to the side, he coughed up several mouthfuls of filthy water.
It took quite a while before his breathing finally eased. Jian Ru blinked his heavy eyelids and only then realized that every part of his body hurt. His clothes clung to him, soaked through. Though it was summer, they felt icy cold against his skin, making him shiver uncontrollably.
Some animal howled somewhere in the distant mountains. Strange bird cries echoed through the air as well, eerie and indistinct, as though separated by a layer of cloth.
Water had probably gotten into his ears.
Jian Ru shook his head, only to nearly vomit from the nausea. Closing his eyes, he rested for a while longer.
Pat. Pat.
Large raindrops began falling, striking his face and body, for it was raining again.
So he hadn’t died.
Jian Ru let out a bitter laugh. It seemed even the River God didn’t want him and had sent him back. The stones beneath his back dug painfully into him, and the cold was becoming unbearable. Looking around, he guessed this was somewhere downstream of the Zhuxiu River. By this point, the river had become much shallower. He must have been swept here and stranded among the pebbles along the bank.
Heaven had let him escape death once again, yet while it allowed him to live, it refused to let him live well. A deep desolation filled Jian Ru’s heart, as the rain was growing heavier. If he continued lying here, death would not be far away.
“…”
But… better a miserable life than a good death.
Pushing aside his thoughts, Jian Ru braced himself on his arms and prepared to stand. Only then did he discover that something heavy was pinning down the lower half of his body, preventing him from moving.
Struggling up on one elbow, Jian Ru looked down.
A head of very long, jet-black hair lay across him, the ends submerged in the river water and swaying gently with the current. The owner of the hair was sprawled across his waist and stomach, and the person’s white robes were completely soaked and stained with mud.
Jian Ru blinked in surprise.
Then he lowered his gaze to the pale, slender-fingered hand resting on his chest.
After staring for a moment, realization finally dawned on him, and his face instantly grew hot. Hurriedly, he brushed the hand aside, a cold hand that fell limply to the ground beside him.
Jian Ru stared at it for another moment before suddenly gathering his strength. Grabbing the person’s shoulders with both hands, he exerted every ounce of strength he possessed and shoved them off himself.
By the time he finished, he was panting heavily from exhaustion, and the pain throughout his body had grown even worse. Veins throbbed at his temples as he squinted at the stranger, trying to determine whether the person was dead or alive.
Then, the moment he saw the man’s face clearly, he froze.
Jian Ru had never seen anyone with skin so fair, nor had he ever seen anyone so beautiful. There was no sun in the sky, yet the first thing Jian Ru thought upon seeing him was that this person was practically glowing. He looked like an immortal from a painting, but…
…Who was this?!
And how had he ended up washed onto the riverbank together with him?
Could it be…
A look of astonishment appeared on Jian Ru’s face as a ridiculous thought flashed through his still-foggy mind. Could this person be…
The River God?!
The rain continued to pour harder and harder, as though someone were emptying buckets from the heavens. Bent over beneath the downpour, Jian Ru struggled to drag the man toward the foot of the mountain.
He had already looked around. The area was barren, with no houses in sight, and only a shallow cave near the mountain offered temporary shelter.
The man he was dragging seemed to be waking slightly. His long brows were faintly furrowed, and his breathing rose and fell unevenly. The ground was covered with mud, stones, and branches, so being dragged across it certainly could not be comfortable.
But Jian Ru had done his best.
The man looked slender, but he was tall, and Jian Ru had already tried carrying him and found it impossible. By the time he finally dragged him into the cave, Jian Ru’s vision had darkened from exhaustion. He could only collapse at the cave entrance, staring at the curtain of rain outside while catching his breath.
One hand unconsciously rubbed the other beneath the falling rainwater, washing it over and over again.
A rustling sound came from deeper within the cave, and Jian Ru turned around. The man in white was lifting a hand to his forehead, apparently suffering from a headache. Then he lowered his hand and slowly pushed himself upright. His long hair fell loose around him, revealing exquisitely handsome features.
Those eyes turned toward the cave entrance and met Jian Ru’s gaze.
“Who… are you?”
The young man’s voice was slightly hoarse, and Jian Ru swallowed. The man’s skin was fair, his lips full and rosy, but his face was flushed as well, making the contrast with his black hair all the more striking.
He truly did not seem like a mortal. This really must be the River God, Jian Ru thought.
However, the God was still asking who he was. Jian Ru wanted to say he was a ger from Changshou Village. He also wanted to say he was the person who had been thrown into the river as a replacement sacrifice, meant to become the River God’s bride.
But how could something like that be explained in a sentence or two?
The other man had already been waiting for an answer for some time. Growing flustered, Jian Ru opened his mouth and blurted out the first thing that came to mind without thinking:
“…I’m your wife.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Jian Ru’s face turned bright red.
Meanwhile, the God looked at the red wedding robes still dripping water from Jian Ru’s body, confusion and surprise plainly appearing on his face.
“No, that’s not what I mean…” Jian Ru hurriedly stood up to explain. With that, he also grabbed the red bridal veil hanging crookedly over his head and yanked it off.
Only then did he see the God’s gaze fix itself on the left side of his face.
The surprise on the man’s face immediately became even more obvious, and Jian Ru abruptly stopped where he stood, remembering the frightening scar on his face. He wanted to raise a hand to cover it, but forcibly stopped himself. Instead, he clenched his teeth and allowed the other man to stare openly.
“I…” The God spoke again, and Jian Ru lifted his eyes to look at him, only to see the man’s eyes roll back, revealing the whites. In the next instant, he collapsed onto the ground with a thud, his eyes squeezed shut. Jian Ru stood there blankly.
Then, he slowly touched the scar on his face, as his heart tightened painfully, hurting so much he could hardly bear it.
The River God…
Had he been scared unconscious by him?!
……………..
From that moment on, the God failed to become conscious again.
The healthy color Jian Ru had initially mistaken for a good complexion was actually from a fever, and a severe one at that. Even the man’s rapid breaths felt scorching hot.
Jian Ru withdrew the hand resting on his forehead and found himself at a loss.
He himself had soaked in the river all night, and his clothes were still wet even now. Aside from the injuries he had gotten from being battered against rocks in the river and the exhaustion from dragging someone around, he felt no major discomfort. Yet this man, despite being so tall, seemed far less resilient than he was. His condition was visibly worsening.
Jian Ru sat at the cave entrance and looked outside.
The world had become a vast gray blur, heaven and earth nearly joined together by the curtain of rain. Water rushed across the ground, carving small channels through the mud before flowing toward the lower-lying riverbanks.
The God needed a fire to keep warm. He also needed hot water.
They were at the foot of a mountain, so there was no shortage of deadwood. Jian Ru could go outside and gather firewood, but after so many days of rain, all the wood would be soaked through. It would need drying before it could even be lit.
Patting himself down, he found a few copper coins hidden in the small pouch he had sewn into his clothes beneath the red wedding robes. There had also been a firestarter for emergencies, but it had long since become soaked and fallen apart.
Jian Ru sighed.
After some hesitation, he tore off a corner of the red wedding robe, soaked it with cold rainwater, wrung it out, and laid it across the God’s forehead.
Then he sat beside him, waiting for the rain to stop so he could look around for a nearby village. Every so often, he would touch the red cloth. Once it became warm, he would rise, rinse it again, and replace it.
Occasionally, he would also cup rainwater in his palms and feed some to the God, but after who knew how many trips back and forth, the young man’s breathing only grew faster and hotter. Jian Ru could not tell whether the red cloth had bled color onto his skin, but the God’s entire face had turned an alarming shade of red.
Jian Ru grew anxious.
He hesitated again and again before finally gritting his teeth. Carefully, he removed the man’s upper garments.
He did not dare look too closely. Instead, he wrung every bit of water from the clothes, then draped them back over him once they had dried somewhat.
As for the trousers…
Jian Ru truly could not bring himself to touch them.
So he tore off another strip of cloth from himself, soaked and wrung it out, then slipped it beneath the clothing covering the God and wiped down his body to reduce the fever.
After struggling through this for a long time, the man’s face finally became less red, and his breathing eased somewhat. Jian Ru reached out and touched his forehead. It seemed as though the fever had gone down a little, and only then did he let out a small sigh of relief.
At that moment, he finally became aware of how exhausted, hungry, and cold he was. Drowsiness weighed heavily on him, making it difficult to keep his eyes open.
Closing them, he absently rubbed his hands together and thought, Just a short rest, just for a moment. Then, before he knew it, he had fallen asleep, but he did not know how long he had slept when he suddenly jerked awake.
Something felt wrong.
Outside, dusk had already fallen, but the rain still had not stopped. It poured relentlessly, as though the sky itself had sprung a leak.
Jian Ru immediately turned to look at the young man beside him.
In the dim light, the God’s complexion was pale as paper, his face ashen and lifeless. The rise and fall of his chest had become so faint it was barely visible.
Frightened, Jian Ru scrambled to his feet and reached over with trembling fingers, testing for breath beneath the man’s nose. To his horror, it seemed there was more air going out than coming in.
This time, Jian Ru dared not hesitate any longer.
He had once cared for Zhang Jiao’s bedridden mother, so his movements were practiced and efficient. Without wasting a moment, he stripped off the God’s wet trousers as well and spread them on the cold, hard ground beside the rest of the clothing. Then he shut his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth, and reached for his own collar.
One by one, he undid the fastenings.
With several swift motions, he stripped down until only his inner garments remained. The clothes he had warmed with his own body heat until they were half dry were draped over the young man instead.
As for the outer red wedding robe, he propped it across the cave entrance with branches and secured the bottom into the mud. At the very least, it blocked some of the wind and rain blowing into the cave.
After finishing all that, Jian Ru returned to the man’s side. With the entrance covered, almost nothing could be seen inside anymore. He could only vaguely make out the figure lying motionless on the ground.
He looked almost dead.
Jian Ru stopped hesitating. In a few quick motions, he stripped off his remaining inner garments as well and added them to the pile covering the God.
Then he rubbed his arms, goosebumps rising from the cold.
Bending down, he lifted the layers of clothing and slipped underneath them, wrapping his arms tightly around the weak body beneath. The moment their bare skin touched, Jian Ru shuddered.
Yet he had no improper thoughts whatsoever, for the God’s body was as cold as a corpse’s.
If not for the heartbeat beneath his hand, Jian Ru would have believed he had already died. In the darkness, while violent wind and rain raged outside, Jian Ru’s lips trembled slightly.
Eyes squeezed shut, he buried his face in the man’s icy neck.
Jian Ru was tired.
Hungry.
And heartbroken.
By now, Jiang Maocai and Zhang Jiao had probably already escaped the village and gone wherever it was they had always wanted to go.
“All these years, once I understood things, the person I liked was always Jiao Jiao. You two always played together, and I only treated you well so Jiao Jiao would be happy.”
“I never had any feelings for you. Let alone now that your face looks like a ghost, how could I possibly like you?”
Jiang Maocai’s words seemed to echo beside his ears once more, and Jian Ru wanted to cry, but he quickly realized that he could not.
The old monk at the temple had once said:
Saving one life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda.
So Jian Ru thought that his own life had been a miserable one from beginning to end. But if he could save a God…
Then perhaps his trip through this world would not have been entirely in vain.
………………..
Jian Ru fell asleep, or perhaps, he simply passed out from hunger and exhaustion. At some point, he vaguely felt as though someone was speaking to him. Whoever it was seemed very careful while moving him around.
Jian Ru let out two faint hums, but he could not open his eyes, nor did he have the strength to speak. After that, he lost awareness again. Later, he woke once more, but he still could not open his eyes. He only felt his whole body swaying gently, as though he were lying in the cradle his father had made for him when he was a child.
Someone fed him water.
He gulped it down greedily, every drop, but even after finishing it, he still was not satisfied. In his haste, he accidentally bit one of the person’s fingers.
The owner of that hand had a good temper and did not get angry. Instead, they gently patted his shoulder in reassurance before giving him more water.
Jian Ru gulped down the second serving just as eagerly. Before sinking back into sleep, he turned his scarred side of his face into the pillow, hiding it from view. In his muddled state, he thought:
This is a good person. I shouldn’t scare them.
When Jian Ru opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room. One side of the bed curtains had been tied back, revealing a paper-covered window set diagonally across from him. Beside the window stood a carved flower stand, upon which sat a pot of elegant white orchids in bloom.
Next to it was a long writing table furnished with paper, inkstone, brushes, and ink. A round-backed armchair stood nearby, and a faint fragrance lingered in the room. It was difficult to describe, a mixture of medicinal herbs and some other scent, but it was pleasant. However…
This wasn’t his home.
Fully awake now, Jian Ru sat up uneasily as memories flooded back.
The thick quilt slid down, revealing the soft, lightweight sleeping robe he was wearing.
These weren’t his clothes either.
He touched the fabric. It was fine material he had never seen before.
His hair and body had obviously been washed, and beneath the robe he wore nothing at all.
Jian Ru’s unease deepened, and just then, footsteps sounded outside. He immediately pulled the quilt up and stared warily toward the door. A moment later, the wooden door creaked open, and a fair, clean-featured ger carrying a tray walked inside. Upon seeing Jian Ru awake, he exclaimed, “Oh look! The ‘young master’ is finally awake…”
With that, he walked to the bedside, set the tray on a nearby round table, and tied back the remaining half of the bed curtain. Watching his movements, Jian Ru keenly sensed a trace of hostility in the other’s tone.
“Where am I?” he asked. “And who are you?”
The ger sat down on a stool beside the bed and looked him over, lingering especially long on the scarred half of his face. Jian Ru met the scrutiny directly, neither hiding nor flinching.
“This is Steward Li’s horse-breeding estate west of the river,” the ger replied. “I’m Sun Yushuang, the wife of Steward Li’s third son.”
Jian Ru knew of Steward Li. He also knew of this estate. Years ago, when he had traveled into town, he had seen it from afar along the road. Back then, Zhang Jiao had looked at it enviously and said that it was a place for wealthy people. If someone could get a job here tending horses for Steward Li, it would be enough to support an entire family.
Jian Ru had never imagined he would one day enter the estate himself, much less stay in such a fine room, even if only temporarily.
Sun Yushuang sat beside the bed with his clear complexion, bright eyes, white teeth, and elegant clothing. Every gesture carried effortless grace, and even his name sounded refined.
Though Jian Ru had never thought to compare himself to others, he still could not help feeling somewhat ashamed of himself.
This was not a place that belonged to him.
“My name is Jian Ru.” He stroked the smooth bedding beneath his fingers and curled his hand slightly. “I’m from Changshou Village. I don’t know which benefactor saved me, but I’d like to meet them and express my gratitude.”
At that, Sun Yushuang smiled, but it was a peculiar smile. Looking him over, he asked, “And after you’ve thanked them?”
“After thanking them,” Jian Ru looked puzzled, “naturally, I’ll go home.”
At that, Sun Yushuang’s smile grew even stranger, clicking his tongue as he asked, “But when the time comes, will you really be willing to leave?”
“What?” Jian Ru asked, not understanding.
The fake smile vanished from Sun Yushuang’s face. Without it, his features suddenly seemed somewhat sharp and mean.
“These past few days, Steward Li’s nephew, Second Young Master Li, has been recuperating at this estate. The evening before last, he went for a walk by the river and accidentally fell into the water. The men of the Li family were all away at the time. They searched for an entire day and two nights before finally finding him in a cave downstream along the Zhuxiu River.”
Jian Ru immediately thought of the young man he had dragged into the cave. And naturally, he also remembered everything he had done to save the “God’s” life. Even with his ordinarily thick skin, the memory still made his face flush.
He wondered whether the man had survived… And now that his mind was clear, he understood that the man could never have been some River God.
After all, how could a River God even drown?!
And how could a River God fall so gravely ill, just like a mortal?
“You saved Second Young Master Li’s life,” Sun Yushuang continued in an indifferent tone. “You’re now the Li family’s great benefactor.”
So he was alive.
Jian Ru let out a small sigh of relief. As for being a benefactor, he had never thought about that. He had only saved the man so his own conscience could remain at peace.
What truly occupied Jian Ru’s thoughts was something else entirely. The question he wanted to ask was difficult to voice, so after a pause, he approached it indirectly.
“The clothes I’m wearing…”
“I cleaned you myself,” Sun Yushuang glanced at him. “I changed your clothes too.”
The knot that had been hanging in Jian Ru’s chest finally loosened, but just as he was about to thank him, Sun Yushuang rose as if preparing to leave.
“This medicine is for treating a chill,” he said. “Drink it.”
Although Jian Ru did indeed feel dizzy and cold all over, he truly did not want to owe anyone more favors. He already had no way of repaying the kindness he had received. Looking at the bowl of medicine on the table, he bowed slightly, refusing with a “Thank you. But I haven’t caught a chill, so I won’t trouble anyone further.”
For some reason, those words seemed to irritate Sun Yushuang, and his expression darkened.
“The Li family is a renowned healer family,” he said mockingly. “Second Young Master Li personally took your pulse. Do you think his diagnosis is wrong?”
Jian Ru froze.
“He… examined me?”
The Li family was well known even to him. After all, the largest medical clinic in town belonged to them. Second Young Master Li’s father had been Steward Li’s younger brother. Though his branch of the family was not as wealthy as Steward Li’s, they were still comfortably prosperous.
The old doctor had possessed exceptional medical skills and frequently provided free treatment to the poor, earning widespread respect throughout the region.
Unfortunately, good people often did not live long.
Two years ago, Old Doctor Li had fallen ill while making house calls. Not long after returning home to recuperate, he passed away. Still, Jian Ru had heard that all of Doctor Li’s children were excellent physicians in their own right, and the family clinic continued to flourish under their care.
“Who would’ve thought a country ger could possess such schemes and methods?” Sun Yushuang let out a cold laugh, but Jian Ru could only stare blankly at him.
What schemes?
What methods?
“Don’t worry,” Sun Yushuang continued. “The Li family are respectable people.” With that, his gaze pierced into the scarred half of Jian Ru’s face like needles before he finally added, “No matter how unwilling Second Young Master Li might be, considering that you saved his life, he’ll have to give you an explanation.”
Jian Ru blinked.
He turned those words over in his mind, trying to understand what they meant, but before he could figure it out, Sun Yushuang flicked his sleeve, turned around, and walked out the door.
Leaving Jian Ru sitting on the bed, completely bewildered.
T.N: If you like his novel, you can read up to chapter 12 on my Patreon, with new updates coming every week!
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