Friends who often play Galgames know that when a heroine says a line you have never seen before, it either means there is a hidden plot or you are about to trigger a direct “game over.”
Su Xuan did not expect Su Yunjin to ask such a thing, and for a moment, he did not know how to respond.
This was not a game; there was no option to restart. If he made the wrong choice, this path might be cut off entirely.
“I just miss home a bit.”
After a moment of silence, he turned to Su Yunjin and decided to tell her the truth.
“Home…”
Su Yunjin’s beautiful eyes lowered. Those two words alone evoked painful memories.
She had not been home for ten years.
Back then, she had parents with high cultivation, a sister who doted on her, and a brother-in-law. It had been a happy family, and she was their little princess.
But because of her failing health, her parents had searched for heavenly treasures to save her. They were ambushed by enemies along the way, leaving them unable to advance their cultivation ever again. To save their parents, her sister and brother-in-law had lost their only daughter in the chaos.
Despite all that, her condition had not improved. She only had a few months left to live. She was nothing but a burden.
‘If that child had grown up, she would be about his age by now.’
Su Yunjin’s gaze swept over the young man. The memories of years past were stirred up, tormenting her heart.
“Cough…”
Before she could dwell on her sadness, a fit of violent coughing seized her. A heart-wrenching pain erupted from within her body, and beads of cold sweat instantly broke out on her forehead, intensifying by the second.
She quickly grabbed the wine jug and drained it. The icy liquid slid down her throat, but it felt like water hitting a red-hot iron pan. It evaporated into trails of white steam, which provided her a modicum of comfort.
However, a small jug of wine did not last long. As the liquid ran out, the pain intensified. She felt as if she had no strength left, leaving only the agonizing sensation of being burned alive.
“Wine…”
Su Yunjin remembered the jug in the young man’s hand. She reached out to grab it, only to find she could not even lift her hand. She could only look at him with a pitiful gaze, hoping he would understand.
Su Xuan understood, of course. He had seen this situation before.
The pain inside Su Yunjin was unbearable, and she had taken the initiative to ask him for wine to suppress it. This situation usually only triggered after several drinking sessions in the game.
Seeing the once-charming woman curled up in pain, unable to even speak, he hurried to her side. Ignoring the scorching heat radiating from her body, he skillfully wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace.
“Pain-Pain Fly Away, Pain-Pain Fly Away, it won’t hurt after you finish drinking…”
As Su Xuan spoke, he supported her head and fed her the wine, mouthful by mouthful.
As for that cringeworthy line, it was actual text from the game, and he recited it without missing a single word.
Su Yunjin’s mind was clouded by the intense pain. When she realized she was being held by a strange young man, her instinct was to strike out and teach him a lesson.
But when she heard his words, her body froze.
Those were the words her mother used to say to coax her into taking medicine when she was woken up by pain in the middle of the night as a child. Even the tone was exactly the same.
‘Is this another drunken dream?’
“Mother, it really hurts…”
Unable to distinguish reality from her memories, she instinctively took small sips of the wine until the jug was empty. Shrinking into Su Xuan’s warm embrace, a few tears escaped the corners of her eyes, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Su Xuan held her, feeling the soft warmth in his arms. However, he felt no desire, only a deep sense of pity.
‘What on earth happened to this woman?’
In a game, one could do anything for the sake of progression, but now that she was a real person, he could not bring himself to be so cold-blooded.
Without realizing it, the afternoon had passed. The bleak autumn wind blowing over the tower grew even colder.
The pain in Su Yunjin’s body seemed to have been suppressed as her brow relaxed. When the wind blew, she curled deeper into his arms, clinging to him even tighter.
Su Xuan checked the weather and, after a moment of thought, carefully picked her up in his arms and headed down the tower.
Compared to the youthful elasticity of Lu Zhiyi’s skin, the body in his arms felt soft and warm, like holding a bundle of cotton. The wonderful sensation made him lose track of the weight of a grown woman, and he felt a bit reluctant to let go.
When he reached the second floor of the tower with Su Yunjin in his arms, Huan’er was holding his cloak with a look of utter disgust, as if debating whether to throw it away.
“You… Miss?!”
She first saw Su Xuan’s shoes and thought the lecher had come down alone. She was about to snap at him when she saw her mistress in his arms, and she could not help but raise her voice.
“What did you do to the mistress? Let go of her!” Huan’er demanded, looking at Su Xuan warily.
“Your mistress is asleep. Can’t you see?” Su Xuan whispered.
Huan’er froze. Only then did she notice her mistress curled up in his arms, her arms wrapped around his neck and her breathing steady as if she were having a pleasant dream.
‘How is this possible?’
‘How long were they up there?’
The mistress had never treated anyone, especially a man, like this!
For a moment, Huan’er forgot what she was supposed to do.
“The cloak… wrap it around her. Lead the way. Do you think you can carry her yourself?” Su Xuan said irritably, seeing how she lacked any common sense.
Huan’er snapped out of it and hurriedly draped the cloak over his chest before leading him quickly down the stairs.
Su Xuan carried Su Yunjin through the Inner Market and toward the residential area.
Perhaps because Su Yunjin was so stunning, even her silhouette beneath the cloak drew frequent stares.
Some of the more lewd passersby caught the scent of wine and gave him a secret thumbs-up, as if he were some sort of successful flower thief.
“It’s here!”
Huan’er pointed to a small courtyard and ran ahead to open the door.
Su Xuan was already panting and nearing his limit. He gritted his teeth and followed her inside.
If his cultivation had not strengthened his physical body, he probably would have collapsed long ago.
He was perhaps more familiar with the layout of the courtyard than the maid herself. Without waiting for her to lead him, he headed straight for Su Yunjin’s bedroom.
As he pushed open the door, a thick scent of Elixirs washed over him. A massive Pill Furnace stood in the center of the room, with various unorganized tools scattered nearby.
He walked quickly to the bed and carefully laid Su Yunjin down. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief. He stretched his aching back and arms and began to observe the area around the Pill Furnace.
‘That’s it. Her alchemy skills are definitely above Tier 3!’
The game only used static images, so he couldn’t see much, but being here in person, smelling the dense medicinal aroma and seeing the design of the furnace, Su Xuan made his judgment instantly.
After confirming his suspicions, he walked back to Su Yunjin’s bedside. Her breathing was steady, and a slight smile played on her lips; she was likely having a good dream.
‘I wonder if she’ll teach me how to refine elixirs.’
Regardless, this first impression had far exceeded any starting scenario he had ever played.
He would see how things progressed later.
“Hey…”
Huan’er stood behind him and lightly tapped his back, gesturing for him to follow her out.
“I don’t know who you are or what you do, but…”
She led Su Xuan outside and gently closed the door before speaking in a soft, embarrassed voice. Her eyes were slightly red as she added, “The mistress is in poor health and can only rely on Elixirs to survive. But every time she takes them, she suffers through intense pain and can only endure it by drinking.”
“She hasn’t slept this soundly in a long time.”
Huan’er stood on her tiptoes to peek inside, then turned back to Su Xuan with a pleading expression.
“So, if you have the time, please come and drink with the mistress every few days.”
Su Xuan was a bit stunned that she would say such a thing. He had expected her to kick him out.
“Every time you come, I will give you… one High-grade Spiritual Stone. What do you think?”
Seeing that Su Xuan remained silent, Huan’er thought he was unwilling. She pulled a small cloth bag from her tunic, revealing her savings. Although she looked reluctant to part with it, she steeled her heart.