Rebirth: My Dear Little Wife Is So Scheming

Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Warmth Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Warmth Bai Xiao shivered as she had just closed the front door, wrapping herself in a blanket in a corner of the room, trembling from the cold. She had used her powers too ruthlessly this time, but it was because Li Guoqing’s illness was critical, a matter of life and death. She couldn’t afford to heal him bit by bit and had to take a risky approach, which had left her exhausted.

She might as well freeze to death.

There was a knocking sound from outside the door.

Bai Xiao really didn’t feel like responding. Who could be so insensitive as to come to her home at this time?

She hardly had the energy to take a step.

But the knocking continued without pause.

Bai Xiao had no choice but to move to the door, just as she was about to ask who it was.

She saw someone suddenly flip over the courtyard wall, and Bai Xiao truly wanted to curse.

Which bastard was trying to break in uninvited?

Was this an invitation for thieves?

Then she saw someone quickly enter the room and found herself staring eye to eye with the intruder.

An Zhiyuan knew his actions were wrong, but he had been sure someone was inside the house since the main door was locked from the inside. Yet, despite his loud knocking, no one had answered. A few aunties next door had added fuel to the fire, saying that Bai Xiao had just been healing someone, and An Zhiyuan couldn’t help worrying that the girl might have fainted.

He knocked for a while longer, but when no one came out and the aunties had left since it was time to get back to work in the fields, he had no choice but to climb over the wall in a fit of urgency.

Right after coming in, he found the girl bundled up in a cotton quilt in the corner of the bedstead, even in the height of summer. How could that be normal?

“Bai Xiao, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”

He reached out instinctively to feel Bai Xiao’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever?” He even tested his own forehead! Indeed, the temperature seemed perfectly normal.

“No, I’m not sick! Company Commander An, what are you doing here?” she said, calmly dodging An Zhiyuan’s hand that was still trying to check her.

An Zhiyuan finally realized his mistake, men and women should not touch each other so freely.

He had been too impulsive.

“You don’t look well. Maybe I should take you to the hospital,” he said, clearly noticing Bai Xiao’s shivering form and her lips turning blue, which was a sign of severe hypothermia.

Bai Xiao shook her head, “No need, I know my own body. I’m just a bit cold.” She was well aware of her own condition, wasn’t it all because of healing Li Guoqing just a while ago?

She yearned for a bowl of hot soup, the tears of craving almost falling.

“How long have you been like this?” An Zhiyuan asked, seeing her tears shimmer in her eyes, his concern making him soften.

“Not long!” She had no intention of revealing her weakness, and the words that came through her quivering teeth sounded far from confident.

An Zhiyuan turned and left the room, Bai Xiao buried her head in the blanket, breathing in the warmth she had generated. Could this make her a bit warmer?

She couldn’t help but miss her elder brother and sister, who would at least make her a bowl of hot soup and hold her protectively in their arms.

But now…

She seemed to be all alone in the world.

Suddenly, footsteps approached, “Bai Xiao, drink this!” An Zhiyuan’s voice emerged above her head.

Bai Xiao struggled to lift her head and saw An Zhiyuan holding a big steaming bowl. Tears of excitement welled up in her eyes, but unfortunately, she couldn’t stretch out her arms.

An Zhiyuan placed the bowl by her lips. Her body was stiff with panic, but she soon realized that An Zhiyuan definitely had good intentions. Being fussy at this time would be too pretentious. Bai Xiao took several big sips from the bowl he held. In fact, the sound of her teeth clinking against the rim of the bowl embarrassed her.

Thankfully, the warm ginger sugar water made her stomach feel warm. She indulged in the warmth, unable to resist taking a deep breath. She hurriedly grasped the edge of the bowl with her trembling hands, nearly spilling the sugar water with her shaky movements.

She steadied herself and continued to drink. Alright, this kind of happiness almost made her want to die.

An Zhiyuan watched the young girl’s satisfied look and couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile, chuckling to himself! She really was still a young girl, indeed.

He took out the hot water bottle from his embrace and stuffed it into Bai Xiao’s arms, wrapped the blanket around her snugly, making sure even her toes weren’t exposed a bit, then turned and left the room.

Bai Xiao really wanted to shout “Long live Instructor An”.

This Instructor An was like a godsend to save her.

After drinking a big bowl of ginger sugar water and hugging the hot water bottle, her consciousness became a bit blurry. She leaned against the wall, nodding off little by little, just like a chick pecking at grain.

She drifted into sleep without realizing it until the aroma of a meal woke her with hunger. She had only eaten breakfast yesterday, missing both lunch and dinner. Not to mention this morning, she hadn’t had a drop to drink.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw Auntie Wang smiling at her, “Hungry, aren’t you? Get up and eat. You silly girl, you’ve got a fever and you didn’t say a word. Had it not been for Instructor An asking for help, I wouldn’t have known. I made you a sizzling pan-fried fish with noodles. Come on, eat up! Eating will help you recover faster.”

Bai Xiao was too embarrassed to face anyone; she was mistaken for being sick.

Li Chunmei also came in, her face full of shame, “It’s all my fault! You suffered so much yesterday and were still busy saving people today. All of a sudden you fell ill. I was so anxious that I only took care of your Uncle Guoqing and forgot about you. This is my fault. Don’t worry! Your meals will be provided by our house for the next few days. You just rest well. Instructor An and the others are outside building your house. It’s good to be an official!” She set the bowl of food before Bai Xiao and handed her the chopsticks.

“Don’t come down, look at you, so pitiful, wrapped up tight in such a thick blanket in this hot weather and still holding a hot water bottle. The Bai Family is truly cruel! Rest assured, from now on, you are my own niece. Your uncle and I will definitely take care of your affairs—we won’t let anyone bully you.” She brushed the hair from Bai Xiao’s face behind her ears, looking extremely kind.

Bai Xiao looked at the two plump poached eggs in the pan-fried fish with noodles and was startled, “Auntie, this really isn’t right, eggs are such valuable things, I can’t eat them!” In those days, nobody would easily eat their own eggs; they were sold for money to buy essentials like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Li Chunmei glared at her, “Eat up, be good. It’s just a few eggs. What’s that compared to the good you did for our family? Eat them up. If you don’t, your auntie would feel bad.” A few eggs were nothing compared to her brother’s life.

Her own parents would be going over to express their thanks. If Bai Xiao hadn’t been sick in bed, they would have been kowtowing their thanks by now.

Bai Xiao was in a difficult position, but Auntie Wang laughed, “Just eat, or your auntie will feel uneasy. Go on, eat. Your Auntie Chunmei can manage; there are so many hens at home, laying lots of eggs. Eat two more and watch her hurt!”

All three of them burst into laughter.

Bai Xiao could only humbly accept, finishing a big bowl of the sizzling noodle fish with two poached eggs. Her face flushed with health and she began to feel warm.

Her body’s temperature regulator was back in action.