After entering the tent, Lei Yu took off the thick coat he was wearing.

He then smiled bitterly and said, "I used to not be afraid of the cold, but after coming to the grasslands, I realized what real cold was like."

"..."

"So, I have the most fire pans in the entire Yatai."

"..."

"I imagine your body can’t handle the cold better than mine. If you feel cold, let me know, and I’ll ask someone to bring more."

Shang Ruyi shook her head.

Actually, upon waking up on this journey, she was already so cold that her entire body was stiff, as if the blood in her veins had half-frozen. The cold was so extreme, it was no longer uncomfortable; but upon feeling warmth again, she regained sensation, and her body began to shiver uncontrollably. By the time Lei Yu led her to sit down on the bed in the inner room, her face had already flushed with a sickly red.

Lei Yu sensed something was wrong and reached out to touch her, finding she was indeed burning up.

She said, "You’re having a fever!"

Shang Ruyi looked up at her with eyes that were bright yet lackluster: "Hmm?"

Soon, Lei Yu had her laid on the bed due to the fever, and she drifted into a slumber. In her haze, Shang Ruyi heard Lei Yu’s fearful yet worried voice, calling for the doctor and continuously whispering reassuring words in her ear.

The doctor quickly arrived, and upon examination, the condition was not serious.

In fact, even though she was feeling sore all over and her mind was unclear, Shang Ruyi had a vague understanding that this illness was inevitable. Ever since hearing of Shen Wuzheng’s misfortune, it was as if a bleeding part from her heart had been torn away. Then, leaving the city, being captured, traveling north with exhausting journeys, Ashina Zhuxie had been kind but not attentive enough to provide her with thick clothing, so she had resisted the cold of the grasslands with inner numbness. It was only now with both physical and mental fatigue that she fell ill, reaching the limits of her body. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Fortunately, her constitution was still strong.

In a daze, she was spoon-fed some bitter medicine. Shang Ruyi groaned in discomfort but still obediently swallowed it while listening to the soothing words beside her ear. By nighttime, a pair of warm and gentle arms embraced her, the atmosphere surrounding her was bleak yet resolute, unconsciously driving away the chill within her.

Shang Ruyi finally slept peacefully.

Unknown how much time had passed, she was awakened by a clattering noise, and upon opening her eyes, she was faced with a familiar but haggard face right before her.

It was Lei Yu.

She had been sleeping beside her, sharing the covers, her hands tightly holding Shang Ruyi against her chest, it was also her gentle aura that dispelled the cold from Shang Ruyi’s body.

Shang Ruyi immediately showed a grateful smile.

But in the next moment, she noticed that Lei Yu’s brow was slightly furrowed unconsciously, seemingly worried even in her dream, and perhaps disturbed by the noise.

Shang Ruyi then realized it was raining outside.

During her childhood travels in Turkic regions, she had also experienced rainy days. The rain in the grasslands differed from that in the Central Plains; even the heaviest rain in the Central Plains was gentle, sung amid pavilions and towers, a howl that shook the earth; but the grassland rain was like countless arrows sent by the heavens, densely piercing the sky, each raindrop forming a pit upon the ground, striking one’s body like icy swords, with no place to hide.

This rain, unsure of how long it had been pouring, sounded quite intense, the chilling breath of the rain even permeating through the tent.

Unable to stop such sounds, Shang Ruyi could only look worriedly at Lei Yu, who was indeed troubled by the noise, unable to wake completely, her brow furrowed deeper, forming several noticeable wrinkles.

Unconsciously, Shang Ruyi reached out her hand, intending to cover Lei Yu’s ears to shield her from the sound, but as soon as she extended her hand, Lei Yu opened her eyes suddenly.

Shang Ruyi quickly withdrew her hand: "Did I wake you up?"

"...!"

Lei Yu’s eyes first showed shock, then immediately filled with a joyful expression upon seeing Shang Ruyi awake with a normal look. She said, "You’re alright now?"

While speaking, she reached out to touch her forehead.

The temperature felt in her palm was indeed normal.

She immediately broke into a broad smile, clapping her hands joyfully: "You’re really okay now. That’s great, wonderful!"

Shang Ruyi looked at the darkness in her eyes and the red lines in them, apologetically saying: "I said yesterday, coming here was to accompany you for relaxation, instead, I made you care for me. I’m really—"