Chapter 22: Can a Mad Tyrant Be Forced? [22]

Chapter 22: Can a Mad Tyrant Be Forced Too? "22"

When Mu Jin was wrapped in a robe still carrying body heat and scooped up, he had only one thought in mind.

So it seemed 648 hadn't screwed up after all—even if the spot wasn't all that safe, at least someone had shown up to save him.

He just had no idea if this guy was actually a good person.

Because this guy had shown up at such a perfect moment, Mu Jin's faith in 648 crept back a little.

To the point that, as he was carried off, he went totally lax, without a hint of resistance or fight.

Truth was, Mu Jin knew full well that in a place and situation like this, even if he fought back and stayed put, he'd just end up as food for those beasts.

Mu Jin had no idea how long he was carried for. Even bundled in a coat, being out in the bone-chilling wind for that long was getting to him.

His head was all foggy, he felt hot all over, and when he tried to speak, his throat was raw and dry—which killed any thought of talking.

Mu Jin could tell his carrier was a man—a big, solidly built one at that.

He squirmed and quietly tucked his head into the man's chest, which gave him a brief flash of warmth, making him rub against him without thinking.

Even so, he eventually blacked out.

When Mu Jin came to again, he'd been laid out on a bed.

He reached out and ran his hand over—what was under him and what was draped over him both felt like quilts stitched from some animal's pelt, plush and toasty.

A charcoal fire was still burning in the room, and the heat wrapped him up in layer after layer of coziness.

Mu Jin figured the fire was just too hot, because his whole body was burning up and his head was all foggy.

Just as he was about to shove the quilt off himself, the door swung open.

"Don't you move!"

Hearing that cool, crisp voice with a thread of irritation in it, Mu Jin froze mid-motion and dazedly looked toward where the voice came from.

The man saw Mu Jin perched on the bed, all obedient, clutching the quilt, looking all meek and lost as he stared back.

His naturally pale face was flushed pink from the high fever, and his puzzled eyes were even misty with tears.

"Did you... save me?"

Mu Jin's voice came out raspy, and after those few words, he dutifully shut up.

Throat hurts...

"Yeah, I'm Feng Buyu. I was up in the hills hunting when I spotted you passed out, so I carried you back."

Feng Buyu came over, sat on the edge of the bed, and said softly:

"You've got a high fever, so don't go pushing yourself. Here, drink this medicine first."

Mu Jin dutifully drank it, and his throat did feel a lot better, but he still felt a little feverish. He murmured his thanks:

"Thank you."

Feng Buyu pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed the dampness from the corner of Mu Jin's mouth, and said, almost with a sigh:

"The world's too chaotic these days. You look like some pampered young master from a rich family—how'd you end up like this?"

Mu Jin mulled it over, then lifted his eyes to Feng Buyu, still looking dazed, looking rather innocent:

"I don't remember... I—I don't remember a thing."

Anyway, in his current state, going back to the palace would do him no favors, let alone that villain with shady intentions eyeing him.

He had no clue where 648 had dropped him, but if this was far enough from the palace, he could probably hole up here for a while.

Mu Jin mused to himself, carefully reaching out to feel around. His fingertips brushed the silver bell on his braid, but it didn't make a sound.

That made Mu Jin freeze for a beat, but he quickly snapped out of it and grabbed Feng Buyu's sleeve:

"Mr. Feng, could you tell me where this is?"

Feng Buyu narrowed his eyes at Mu Jin, as if weighing whether he was telling the truth, then let out a soft chuckle:

"These are just a few nameless hills outside the imperial city. I live here by myself, and every now and then I hunt game or pick herbs to sell down in town."

"Since you don't remember anything, just stay here for now. Once you're better, I'll help you track down your family."

Mu Jin nodded dutifully again: "Thank you, Mr. Feng."

Feng Buyu reached over and ruffled Mu Jin's hair, but froze at what he'd called him, clearly not liking that form of address, and said offhandedly:

"No need to be so distant. I can tell you're definitely younger than me, so how about you call me Brother Feng?"

Mu Jin hesitated, then tested the waters: "...Brother Feng?"

It was a bit of an awkward title.

But this guy had saved him and made him medicine, and he had nothing to offer him anyway—it was just a name, no big deal.

Mu Jin quickly talked himself into accepting it.

Feng Buyu beamed at him. "Since you don't remember anything, let me give you a name first."

"When I picked you up, you were dressed way too thin, and there was a 'Jin' embroidered on your collar—figured it had to be connected to you."

Feng Buyu thought for a second, then said brightly: "How about I just call you A Jin?"

Mu Jin: "???"

Oh right—his clothes had been swapped out by Yun Fuyue, so this had to be Yun Fuyue's handiwork.

"Okay."

The moment Mu Jin agreed, Feng Buyu eased him back down onto the bed and said with great sincerity:

"Good A Jin, lie back and rest. Big brother's gonna get you something to eat."

Once he heard the door click shut, Mu Jin breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though Mu Jin could tell Feng Buyu didn't mean him any harm,

he still felt awkward around someone who'd shown him this much kindness the moment they met.

After another half hour lying in bed, the smell from outside had completely hooked Mu Jin.

Mm, that smells so good...

Mu Jin lay in bed, couldn't sleep and had nothing else to do.

He could only quietly pull the fluffy quilt over his head, wrapping himself up tightly, trying to block out the mouthwatering smell.

"Alright, A Jin, let's head out and grab a bite."

The moment Feng Buyu pushed open the door, Mu Jin immediately pulled the quilt down and poked his head out, his eyes lighting up as he looked at him.

But then he quickly remembered that he couldn't move his legs anymore, and could only look at Feng Buyu, a little embarrassed, clearing his throat before explaining:

"Brother Feng, my legs aren't in great shape, could you..."

Mu Jin had meant to ask if Feng Buyu could bring the food in, but to his surprise, Feng Buyu smiled like he wasn't surprised at all and said:

"No problem, then I'll carry you out."

Feng Buyu said this without giving Mu Jin a chance to refuse. He just grabbed the fox fur cloak beside him, wrapped it around Mu Jin, and lifted him up.

This sudden movement made Mu Jin instinctively wrap his arms around Feng Buyu's neck.

Mu Jin's eyes flickered slightly, but he pressed his lips together and didn't say anything.

Feng Buyu gave the person in his arms a little heft, then remarked with a sigh:

"A Jin, you're too skinny, you need to eat a lot more later to build yourself up."

Mu Jin mumbled a reply and let Feng Buyu carry him outside.

He didn't know exactly how much food Feng Buyu had prepared, but whenever Feng Buyu brought something to his lips, he'd quietly take a bite.

What Feng Buyu cooked was really delicious.

The only thing that felt awkward was that Feng Buyu kept insisting his legs were bad and he might fall.

Not only did he feed him during meals, but he also had to hold him in his arms.

Mu Jin kept swallowing his discomfort, silently repeating to himself that this man was his lifesaver.

A lifesaver who cooked great and could go toe-to-toe with Ying Huaifeng in the kitchen.

He still had to get better, and he still wanted to eat Feng Buyu's cooking.

So what if he was being held and fed?

It was no big deal.

They were both men after all; being held wasn't like he'd lose a piece of meat.

After Mu Jin ate half a roasted rabbit, four grilled fish, three bowls of fish soup, and gnawed on five fruits without changing his expression.

Only then did it hit him that maybe he shouldn't have eaten so much.

Mu Jin held the fruit, looked at Feng Buyu, who had been feeding him nonstop, and asked, "Aren't you eating?"

But Feng Buyu smiled and pinched the soft skin on his cheek.

"I'm not hungry, I already ate earlier."

Mu Jin was confused: "Why are you so nice to me? We... just met."

Feng Buyu was almost too good to him, and it even made him think of Ying Huaifeng for no reason.

But thinking about it, aside from their names being a bit similar, their personalities were different, and even the way they smelled was different.

Besides, at this time, Ying Huaifeng still had the people Mu Jin had left behind.

Now that the two villains were at each other's throats, it was the perfect time to build up his own power. As the male lead, Ying Huaifeng couldn't possibly show up in a place this remote.

With that thought, the last bit of doubt in Mu Jin's heart faded away.

Feng Buyu was quiet for a moment before explaining:

"Actually, I used to have a little brother. If he were still alive, he'd probably be around your age."

Feng Buyu sighed as he spoke, his voice heavy with sadness:

"It's a pity the world was too chaotic back then, and I couldn't protect him in the end. Now that I see you, it's like seeing him, so I can't help but look after you a bit more."

"You won't blame me, will you, A Jin?"

Mu Jin was stunned by Feng Buyu's explanation, and for a moment, his expression turned complicated.

Just as Feng Buyu was secretly wondering if his made-up excuse had been too flimsy, he heard Mu Jin say with a smile, "Of course not."

Mu Jin quietly took a bite of the sweet, juicy fruit.

Mm, it seemed a little sweeter than the ones before.

All of Mu Jin's good mood vanished when Feng Buyu got into the same bed as him that night.

Mu Jin chose his words carefully: "Brother Feng, is there only one bed here?"

Feng Buyu said plainly, "Yeah, I usually live alone, so of course there's only one bed."

"Don't you want to sleep holding me, A Jin?"

Feng Buyu's tone was so innocent that Mu Jin went quiet.

Mu Jin had slept with Ying Huaifeng before, but the bed in the palace was huge, while this one here was tiny.

For Feng Buyu to sleep with him, he had to hold Mu Jin in his arms just to barely fit on the small bed.

So now, when Feng Buyu spoke, his warm breath hit Mu Jin's ear, sending a tingle through him and making his heart itch.

Such a weird feeling...

Mu Jin couldn't help thinking about Ying Huaifeng again.

But as soon as that name popped into his head, he pushed it away.

What was wrong with him? Why did he keep thinking about Ying Huaifeng?

Just then, Feng Buyu wrapped an arm around Mu Jin's waist and pulled him closer. At that, they were almost completely pressed together.

Feng Buyu lowered his head, a smile in his eyes, and when he spoke near Mu Jin's ear, his voice carried a hint of hurt:

"A Jin, it's snowing outside, and it's so cold..."