Chapter 112 – Black-Bellied Regent VS Loyal Shadow Guard (16)
He had never felt such hatred toward anyone before. If it weren’t for having to watch over Mu Jin and find a way to save his beloved, Wen Renhong would have gathered all the forces of the Hidden Pavilion and stormed the palace, ready to do whatever it took to ensure Wen Renda’s body was left to rot without a proper burial.
Inside Mu Jin’s mind, he hadn’t realized that once he was fully drawn into the consciousness realm, time flowed a bit differently compared to the outside world. By the time he became aware, three days had already passed in the outside world.
During that time, 003 had finally managed to repair Mu Jin’s body. The internal injuries were gone, but some surface wounds remained, requiring some days to fully heal.
That evening, Mu Jin finally regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Wen Renhong, with red eyes and stubble covering his chin. Mu Jin was startled, blinking hard to confirm that the disheveled man before him was indeed his suave and charming lover from this world.
Apparently, Wen Renhong also couldn’t quite believe that Mu Jin had awakened. He stared blankly at Mu Jin’s face, hesitating before he cautiously called out, “Xiao Jin?”
Mu Jin nodded lightly in response, saying, “Master.” The next moment, the man on the other side grabbed his hand with a tight grip.
Wen Renhong actually wanted to pull Mu Jin into a hug, but because his beloved was still injured, he refrained and just gripped his hand firmly.
He stared at Mu Jin’s face, needing several reassurances that he had truly woken up, unable to hold back his tears. He felt like these three days were longer than three years. If not for the fact that the person on the bed still had a faint breath, Wen Renhong might have already lost his mind.
He gently caressed Mu Jin’s cheek, worried that this might just be an illusion. After a long pause, he finally managed a smile. Even as he tried to keep his expression light, his voice choked with emotion, “Xiao Jin, you finally woke up. You’ve been asleep for three whole days.”
Mu Jin was surprised to find out so much time had passed. Seeing his lover in such a disheveled state, he knew he must have been exhausted and anxious over these past few days, feeling extremely guilty for causing him so much worry.
Feeling ashamed, Mu Jin quickly tightened his grip on Wen Renhong’s hand and softly said, “Master, I’m sorry.”
Wen Renhong quickly shook his head—he was the one who should apologize. Xiao Jin had ended up in danger because of him.
He promptly instructed the servants to call a doctor, then bent down to kiss Mu Jin’s forehead, softly asking, “Xiao Jin, how do you feel? Is there anything uncomfortable?”
Mu Jin quietly replied, “No.” He noticed the dark circles under his lover’s eyes, indicating that Wen Renhong hadn’t had much rest in the past few days. He urgently encouraged him, “Master, I’m fine now. You should get some rest.”
“It’s fine,” Wen Renhong replied, without taking his eyes off Mu Jin for a moment. He then kissed Mu Jin’s hand, his gaze soft enough to melt anyone.
The people in the room were relieved to see Mu Jin awake; the prince’s grim expression had been terrifying for days, and they had been worried about losing their heads for the slightest mistake. With the person on the bed finally awake, they hoped heaven would be kind, allowing the doctor to recover quickly.
Many of the attendants sent by the local authorities were locals who knew Mu Jin as the doctor who had treated patients with plague. They assumed Wen Renhong had specifically brought him because of his excellent medical skills, not realizing that Mu Jin’s true identity was that of a shadow guard.
After Mu Jin’s accident, many refugees had knelt outside the inn, praying for his recovery. They wished blessings upon this living Bodhisattva1 and hoped his kindness would be rewarded.
However, no one expected the relationship between Mu Jin and the prince to be like this! The young servant saw Mu Jin’s gentle face and thought, although the doctor was a man, his appearance was even more endearing than some women, and his kindness made it easy to see why the prince was so infatuated.
It didn’t take long for the doctors to arrive. When they saw Mu Jin awake, they were surprised, as his injuries had been severe, and he had lost a lot of blood.
The most experienced doctor came over to check Mu Jin’s pulse and examine his condition. He discovered that not only had the injuries greatly improved, but even the wounds were starting to heal, showing significant progress.
The elderly doctor showed a hint of joy, quickly turning to Wen Renhong, “Prince, Doctor Mu is no longer in mortal danger. However, his previous injuries still need careful tending to, and he will need some time to recover fully.”
Hearing this, Wen Renhong finally let out a sigh of relief. He asked the doctor about the necessary precautions and instructions for Mu Jin’s recovery before letting him go.
Turning his head, the man looked at Mu Jin with a mix of excitement and emotion. He said, “Xiao Jin, the doctor says you’re in the clear!”
Mu Jin nodded and replied gently, “I heard.”
Wen Renhong then instructed the servants to prepare some food suitable for Mu Jin. Shortly after, a bowl of warm porridge was brought in. He carefully helped Mu Jin sit up a bit and propped him up with a few soft pillows. Taking the bowl, he blew on the porridge to cool it down before feeding it to Mu Jin spoonful by spoonful.
Watching his lover meticulously feed him, Mu Jin felt a wave of warmth and tenderness. It seemed that enduring more pain would be worthwhile for this person. After all, they had shared lifetimes of love together.
Once he finished the porridge, Mu Jin felt a wave of drowsiness. Although his body had been repaired by 003, it still required some time to heal completely after sustaining such severe injuries. Yet, just as he was about to drift off, he noticed that Wen Renhong was still staring at him without blinking.
Knowing that his lover had been watching over him tirelessly, Mu Jin felt concerned about his health. Even the toughest men could wear out if they pushed themselves too hard. With a tinge of worry, Mu Jin said, “Master, you should get some rest; I’m fine now.”
Wen Renhong nodded, stood up, and walked away from the bedside. However, once Mu Jin closed his eyes, he felt an intense gaze upon him. He quickly opened his eyes and saw Wen Renhong had only moved to a chair nearby, still watching him intently.
Realizing how much he had scared his lover, Mu Jin sighed internally and gently grabbed Wen Renhong’s hand. “Master, the bed is wide enough. Would you like to rest here with me?”
As Mu Jin shifted inward to make room, Wen Renhong, fearing he might injure himself further, quickly stopped him. Yet, he didn’t want to leave either, so he simply lay on the edge of the bed, silently watching Mu Jin, reluctant to close his eyes.
Having taken care of Mu Jin for so long, Wen Renhong indeed felt exhausted, but the joy of seeing his lover awaken made everything feel surreal. He was terrified that if he closed his eyes, he’d realize it was all just a dream. He couldn’t sleep; it seemed like the only way to calm his nerves was to keep watching Mu Jin.
Eventually, Xiao Jin had really awakened. He was no longer lifeless, like a puppet, but had returned to being a vibrant, living person.
Wen Renhong’s large hand intertwined with Mu Jin’s fingers, feeling his warmth and catching the faint scent of lotus leaves that was uniquely Mu Jin’s. He had an urge to cry—he hadn’t lost him after all.
But Mu Jin didn’t want his lover to be this tightly wound, noticing the red veins in his eyes. He placed a gentle hand over Wen Renhong’s eyes, saying, “Master, you should sleep. If you keep staring at me like this, I won’t be able to rest.”
Wen Renhong, understanding the concern, finally complied and closed his eyes. He soon fell into a deep sleep, his many days of fatigue finally catching up to him, his nerves soothed by his lover’s presence.
When he saw Wen Renhong finally resting, Mu Jin breathed a sigh of relief. With 003’s help, he learned about what had transpired in the past few days. He found out that after his accident, Wen Renhong had thrown a fit of rage, dispatching the Hidden Pavilion to sweep through the area, uncovering many hidden assassins.
Typically, Wen Renhong would have held back from extreme measures, even when discovering spies from Wen Renda, but this time he skipped any interrogation and had them executed outright. His ferocity scared everyone, and no one dared to say a word against him.
Mu Jin sighed deeply, knowing exactly why his lover had acted this way. His injuries had provoked Wen Renhong into this aggressive behavior, making him go to such lengths. He knew that if he hadn’t woken up, there would be even more insane consequences.
- . In Mahayana Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is an enlightened being who has chosen to stay in the world to help others reach enlightenment and alleviate their suffering, rather than attaining Nirvana for themselves.
Calling someone a “living Bodhisattva” is a way of honoring them for their compassion, selflessness, and dedication to helping others. ↩︎