Chapter 11: Feeling a Little Shy

Seeing Su Yan’er’s current state, Xu An felt both heartbroken and deeply concerned.

“Yan’er, don’t be afraid. I’m coming down right away!”

“Mm, alright! Husband, please be careful,” Su Yan’er choked back tears as she spoke.

Though her face was dirty, her eyes shone brightly.

“I know. Just stay there and don’t move around. Wait for me,” Xu An instructed, his gaze fixed on the steep slope.

The slope was about six or seven meters high and very steep, covered in moss that made it extremely slippery. One wrong step would mean a fall.

Below the slope lay a perilous cliff.

A fall from there would be fatal beyond salvation.

It was already fortunate that Su Yan’er had stopped at the base of the slope.

Xu An quickly devised a plan: he would gather some sturdy vines, weave them into a rope, secure it around himself, and slide down the slope.

This way, climbing back up would also be much easier.

It might take some time, but compared to the life-threatening danger, a little time was trivial.

Before long, Xu An found a bundle of strong vines in the woods and began weaving them together.

To be safe, he braided four vines simultaneously to ensure the rope’s strength.

Otherwise, if the vine snapped halfway during the descent or ascent, the fall from the cliff would be tragic.

As a traveler from another world, he hadn’t even made a mark here yet, and dying from a fall would be a ridiculous end.

He swore it wasn’t fear of death, but he refused to die so easily.

Half an hour later, Xu An finished weaving the rope and securely fastened it around his body.

Throughout this, Su Yan’er sat obediently, watching him at work without uttering a word—so well-behaved and sensible.

After securing himself, Xu An tied the other end of the rope to a sturdy tree and began sliding down carefully.

Though silent, Su Yan’er’s large eyes were fixed intently on him, her small hands clutching the basket more tightly, clearly anxious.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Five minutes later, Xu An reached the bottom safely.

“Yan’er, didn’t I tell you to just gather firewood from the outer edges? Why did you come all the way down here?” he asked.

“Do you know how worried I was? Don’t do that again, understand?” he scolded gently.

Hearing this, the little girl’s lips trembled and tears began to fall like pearls.

“Boohoo, husband, I didn’t mean to disobey. A wild boar chased me.”

“I was scared, so I just kept running and running, and accidentally fell…”

“I didn’t know where I was and thought I’d never see you again.”

Chased by a wild boar?

Xu An was momentarily stunned.

Wild boars in these mountains were ferocious—strong men would avoid provoking them.

But they usually stayed deep in the forest. Why would one appear so close to the edge today?

He didn’t dwell on it and began comforting the little girl.

“Alright, don’t cry. Everything’s fine now.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

The little girl stopped crying, wiped her face, and said softly in her sweet voice, “Husband, my foot… it hurts a lot…”

“Let me see.”

Xu An gently rolled up her pant leg to reveal a slender, pale leg.

Though her slender figure made her chest look immature, her legs were long, delicate, flawless, and incredibly smooth to the touch—so much so that one would never want to let go.

But Xu An had no time for such thoughts now; her ankle was swollen and bruised, with a jagged wound bleeding steadily.

“Try moving it gently. See if you can move it,” he said softly, looking at her.

“Okay!”

Holding her little foot in his hand, the girl blushed faintly.

Though it was natural for her husband to touch her foot, she still felt shy.

She moved it slightly, then whispered, “Hu-husband, it hurts…”

Lowering her small head in bashfulness.

“Then it’s probably not broken. Just rest well for a while and you’ll be fine.”

“But the wound needs treatment right away, or it might get infected.”

Xu An sighed in relief and spoke quietly.

“But… there’s still so much work to do.”

The little girl’s soft voice was hesitant.

Xu An looked at her helplessly and gently patted her head.

“Taking care of your injury is most important. Don’t worry about the work—I’m here.”

“Sorry, husband, for causing you trouble. I’ll rest well and help you when I recover.”

Su Yan’er spoke softly, full of guilt.

“Good,” Xu An smiled.

He tried to wipe her face with his sleeve, but she pulled back slightly.

“Husband, my face is dirty. I don’t want to dirty your clothes.”

“Dirty clothes can be washed.”

“Besides, my clothes were already dirty.”

Xu An smiled warmly, pulled her close, and gently cleaned her face.

“Alright, let’s head back up first. Then we’ll figure out how to treat your wound.”

Su Yan’er looked up, her bright eyes taking in the steep slope, then glanced at Xu An before lowering her head again.

“Husband… I can’t walk with this foot. I can’t climb back up.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry. I’ll carry you up.”

“Carry me?”

The little girl looked up in surprise.

“Yes, you’re not heavy. With the vine for support, carrying you up won’t be a problem.”

Xu An answered confidently.

“Okay! Thank you, husband.”

She had witnessed his strength firsthand.

Carrying a big bundle of firewood was hard with her two hands, but her husband lifted it effortlessly with one.

If he said he could do it, then he surely could.

“But what about these mushrooms and the knife?” Su Yan’er pointed to the chopping knife on the ground and the mushrooms in the basket.

“That’s easy—just toss them up,” Xu An said.

He originally thought to leave the mushrooms behind, but considering how hard she had worked and how disheveled she was from gathering them, he decided to bring them along.

He picked up the knife and placed it in the basket, then grabbed some grass to seal the basket’s mouth and threw it up the slope with a strong flick.

The basket sailed through the air in a beautiful arc and landed at the top.

Su Yan’er looked at Xu An with admiration, her eyes shining.

Her husband truly was amazing.

“Alright, let’s go up!”

Xu An smiled.

“Mm, okay~” the little girl responded sweetly with a smile.

He tied Su Yan’er securely to his back with the vines and began climbing up.

She was very light, only about seventy pounds.

If she were any heavier, it would have been much harder.

“Yan’er, hold tight and don’t move around,” Xu An reminded her on the way up.

Though she was light, the slope was steep, and carrying someone was exhausting. Falling would be disastrous.

“Okay, husband!” Su Yan’er replied brightly, hugging him tighter.

Her cheeks flushed slightly.

Being on her husband’s back made her feel truly safe.

She wondered how it would feel to be held in his arms.

Fifteen minutes later, they finally reached the top.

Xu An set her down and lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

His body was still somewhat weak; he needed to train harder.

“Husband… I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“You’re a scholar and should keep up appearances, but I made you look so disheveled.”

“And I’m so heavy, making you carry me…”

Su Yan’er spoke with a red face, full of guilt in her eyes.

“Don’t think so much. You’re my little lady, and of course I have to protect you. Besides, you’re not heavy at all. You should eat more and put on some weight!”

The little girl glanced down at her chest, then at her rear, with a determined look.

Seems like her husband also liked women with larger chests and fuller figures.

She resolved to eat more and grow plump.

“Alright, I’ll support you in that, husband!” she said softly, blushing.

“Sit for a while. I’ll find some wormwood to disinfect and bandage your wound,” Xu An said with a gentle smile as he prepared to stand.

But at that moment, he suddenly stiffened, alert as if facing a great threat.