TGFH Chapter 36: Buns (Part 1)...

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After receiving the urgent message, Xiao Yiran immediately rushed back to the General's Manor. Along with him were Bu Huaiyuan, Mu Qi, and Qin Zhenli, who had been assisting in the pursuit of the imposter "Murong Yao." The two assassins sent by Murong Yao to impersonate him and divert Xiao Yiran's group had also been apprehended. Realizing there was no escape, the two made a desperate attack on Bu Huaiyuan in their final moments, only to be killed by Mu Qi.

At this moment, Xiao Yiran had just dismounted from his horse and, without pausing for a breath, rushed straight to the main courtyard. There, he saw Xiao Min and Feng Jing pacing anxiously in the hall, their faces filled with worry. His heart sank even further, and with a grave expression, he asked, "How is Ah Yi?"

"General?!" Feng Jing was the first to notice his arrival. He rushed over, gripping Xiao Yiran's hand tightly, his voice unsteady as he said, "You’ve finally returned! Ah Yi… Ah Yi was just taken into the room by Young Master Yun. He said it’s premature labor, and… and there was so much blood! It’s all my fault for not taking good care of him… I… I…”

Seeing Xiao Yiran return, Feng Jing’s guilt and sorrow surged, especially as the incident had occurred despite him and Xiao Mo being present. His remorse made his words incoherent. Thankfully, Xiao Min, who remained relatively composed, gently pulled Feng Jing aside and carefully explained the situation to Xiao Yiran.

“Elder Brother, let’s set aside the trivial matters for now. Both Sister-in-law and Cousin Lan are injured. Cousin Yun is tending to Sister-in-law and mentioned the need to induce labor. The situation doesn’t look good... Cousin Lan is in another room with a knife wound to her chest. Doctor Zhong is monitoring her, but if the knife isn’t removed soon, her life might be in danger. Cousin Yun is overwhelmed on his end. Did you manage to summon the imperial physicians?”

“They’ll arrive shortly,” Bu Huaiyuan answered, walking in behind Xiao Yiran. Following him were Mu Qi and Qin Zhenli. Xiao Yiran, focused on rushing back to the manor, hadn’t had time to personally fetch the physicians from the palace. Fortunately, Bu Huaiyuan had mobilized the Shadow Guard to handle it as soon as they received the message.

Upon entering the room, Xiao Yiran saw Yun Mozhi holding the unconscious Bai Yi while feeding him a bowl of medicine. Black liquid trickled down the side of Bai Yi's mouth, making his already pale face even more ghastly. The sight of Bai Yi’s closed eyes and the thick smell of blood in the room struck Xiao Yiran hard, and he stood frozen at the door, unsure of how to react.

"What are you standing there for? Come and help hold him up! I need to feed him the medicine!" Yun Mozhi, noticing Xiao Yiran’s daze, rolled his eyes and shouted.

Xiao Yiran quickly snapped out of it, rushing to the bed. He gently took Bai Yi’s body from Yun Mozhi’s hands, supporting him from behind. Holding Bai Yi, whose body felt lifeless in his arms, Xiao Yiran’s worry intensified. He was filled with fear, far more than when he faced battles. His heart pounded as he silently prayed over and over, Ah Yi, please wake up…

After handing Bai Yi to Xiao Yiran, Yun Mozhi turned Bai Yi over and forcefully poured the remaining medicine into his mouth. Once the entire bowl was emptied, Yun Mozhi tossed the empty bowl aside and pressed down on Bai Yi’s chest and abdomen in a few places. After the final press, Bai Yi suddenly coughed violently, expelling a mixture of black blood and the medicine from his mouth. Xiao Yiran gently wiped the blood from Bai Yi’s mouth with his sleeve, but the more he wiped, the more blood came. His fists clenched tightly, and for the first time, his usually expressionless face was filled with pain.

When Yun Mozhi saw Bai Yi expel the poisoned blood and medicine, he silently sighed in relief. He lifted the blanket and checked Bai Yi’s abdomen, only to frown at the sight of the closed birth canal. He raised his voice, "Has the labor-inducing medicine been prepared?"

"It’s almost ready!" Yuan’er’s voice came from the partition. In order to save time, she had been preparing the medicine in the adjacent room.

"...Mm… Yes…" After spitting out the medicine, Bai Yi slowly regained some consciousness. His eyes barely opened, and then he immediately felt pain in his abdomen. He pressed his left hand to his stomach, gripping the fabric of his clothes tightly, and let out a soft groan. His breathing became rapid, and his body began to twist restlessly.

Xiao Yiran quickly embraced Bai Yi to stabilize his body, whispering his name, "Ah Yi, I’m here. Don’t be afraid... Don’t be afraid."

But Bai Yi seemed not to hear Xiao Yiran’s voice and became more agitated. His legs kicked uncontrollably, his eyes blurry, and his breathing grew heavier. Before long, he was gasping for air, his groans growing louder, "Ha… Mm… Haha… Ah…" His left hand pressed firmly on his abdomen, unable to withstand the pain.

Xiao Yiran quickly pulled Bai Yi’s left hand away to prevent him from hurting himself, saying urgently, "Ah Yi, it’s okay. Mozhi is here. It will be over soon. If it hurts, shout it out." He then turned to Yun Mozhi, who was preparing the medicine, and urgently called, "Mozhi, hurry!"

It seemed that Bai Yi’s grip on Xiao Yiran’s hands brought him back to his senses. He slightly tilted his head, and his dazed eyes slowly focused on Xiao Yiran’s anxious face. Bai Yi’s voice was soft as he murmured, "Yiran?"

"It’s me, I’m here. Ah Yi, I’m here." Xiao Yiran said deeply, his eyes filling with tears. For the first time, he cried, overwhelmed by fear and pain, just as he had when his mother passed away. He was deeply afraid and heartbroken. Bai Yi had endured so much for him, yet he still couldn’t protect him…

"Don’t… cry… Mmm!" Bai Yi, feeling Xiao Yiran’s hot tears fall on his face, felt a pang of guilt. He tried to force a smile to comfort Xiao Yiran, but suddenly a sharp pain tore through his abdomen, causing him to gasp for air. His mind went blank, and his eyes lost focus. It felt as though his stomach was about to explode, every part of his body writhing in agony as though it was being torn apart, and he could no longer sense anything else.

"...Ah… Mmm… Mm…" Bai Yi buried his head in Xiao Yiran’s arms. His upper body was drenched in sweat, his hair sticking to his face, hiding his expression. At first, he let out a cry, but then he clamped his mouth shut, only emitting low, painful sounds.

"Open his mouth, don’t let him bite his tongue!" Yun Mozhi, who had just returned with the labor-inducing medicine, saw this and shouted to Xiao Yiran.

Xiao Yiran immediately lifted Bai Yi’s face slightly, prying open his mouth and placing his own arm inside. "Bite me if it hurts! Don’t bite your own tongue."

Bai Yi, unable to bear the pain, sank his teeth into Xiao Yiran’s arm. Fresh blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, but Xiao Yiran didn’t flinch. He didn’t care about the pain but only felt more heartbroken for Bai Yi. It seemed that the smell of blood revived Bai Yi’s senses. Though still in intense pain, he pulled back slightly, releasing Xiao Yiran’s arm.

"Hurry, drink the medicine." Yun Mozhi reached the bed, holding the bowl of labor-inducing medicine to Bai Yi’s lips. "You haven’t reached full term, and your contractions are irregular. The birth canal hasn’t opened yet. Drink this quickly, we need to get the baby out." What Yun Mozhi didn’t say was that the previous dose of medicine had forced Bai Yi to expel the poisoned blood, but it had also affected the baby. If they couldn’t induce labor quickly and save the child, it might die in the womb. And with Bai Yi’s weak body, it would be even harder to give birth to a dead child, leading to even worse consequences.

It seemed that the intense pain had subsided for a moment. Bai Yi caught his breath, and though his stomach still hurt terribly, his senses were slightly clearer. He cooperatively drank the labor-inducing medicine from the bowl.

Xiao Min nodded slightly at the three men, indicating that formalities could be set aside at this crucial moment. Fortunately, the three men were not ones to dwell on formalities.

Xiao Yiran, feeling an overwhelming sense of urgency, could barely pay attention to anything else. After asking about Bai Yi's whereabouts, he left the others behind and rushed into the room. The others, though equally anxious, could only wait in the hall. As for Qin Zhenli, although he was Bai Yi's betrothed, the engagement had not yet been formalized, so he was considered an outsider and stayed with the others in the hall.

When Xiao Yiran entered the room, Yun Mozhi was holding the unconscious Bai Yi and feeding him medicine. Black liquid spilled from Bai Yi’s mouth, making his already pale face even more ghastly.

Bai Yi’s closed eyes and the thick scent of blood in the air caused Xiao Yiran’s heart to skip a beat. His mind went blank, and he stood motionless at the door, unsure of how to react.

"Why are you just standing there? Come here and help hold him up so I can feed him the rest of the medicine!" Yun Mozhi, seeing Xiao Yiran dazed at the door, rolled his eyes and shouted loudly.

Xiao Yiran immediately snapped out of his daze and rushed to the bed. He carefully took Bai Yi from Yun Mozhi’s hands and supported him from behind. Holding Bai Yi's lifeless body in his arms, Xiao Yiran’s earlier worry was now magnified into sheer fear. He had never been this scared, even when facing battles.

Holding Bai Yi, Xiao Yiran gently took his right hand and clasped it with his own, silently praying over and over: Ah Yi, wake up...

Once Yun Mozhi had passed Bai Yi into Xiao Yiran’s care, he turned and poured more medicine into Bai Yi’s mouth. He continued feeding him until the entire bowl was emptied. Afterward, Yun Mozhi discarded the bowl and pressed on Bai Yi’s chest and abdomen at several points. After the final press, Bai Yi suddenly coughed violently, expelling a mix of black blood and the medicine from his mouth. Xiao Yiran gently wiped the blood from Bai Yi’s lips with his sleeve, but the more he wiped, the more blood flowed. His fist clenched tightly, and his usually emotionless face was filled with sorrow.

Yun Mozhi, seeing Bai Yi expel the poisoned blood and medicine, sighed in relief. He lifted the blanket and checked Bai Yi’s abdomen, frowning when he noticed the unopened birth canal. He raised his voice and asked, "Is the labor-inducing medicine ready?"

"It’s almost done!" Yuan’er’s voice came from the adjoining room, as she had started preparing the medicine there to save time.

"...Mm... Ah..." After expelling the medicine, Bai Yi began to regain some consciousness. His eyes fluttered open slightly, and then he immediately felt the sharp pain in his abdomen. He pressed his left hand to his stomach, clutching his clothes tightly, groaning softly. His breathing became rapid, and his body twisted in discomfort.

Xiao Yiran immediately held Bai Yi steady, whispering his name, "Ah Yi, I’m here. Don’t be afraid... Don’t be afraid."

Bai Yi seemed not to hear Xiao Yiran and became more agitated, his legs kicking slightly. His eyes were unfocused, and his breathing became more labored. Before long, he was gasping for air, his groans growing louder. "Ha... Mm... Ha... Ah..." His left hand pressed more firmly against his abdomen.

Xiao Yiran quickly grabbed Bai Yi’s left hand to prevent him from injuring himself, saying urgently, "Ah Yi, it’s okay, Mozhi is here. It will be over soon. If it hurts, scream it out." He then turned to Yun Mozhi, who was preparing the labor-inducing medicine, and called out, "Mozhi, hurry!"

It seemed that the sensation of his hands being tightly held had brought Bai Yi back to his senses. He slightly tilted his head, his dazed eyes gradually focusing on Xiao Yiran’s anxious face. In a soft voice, he murmured, "Yiran?"

"It’s me, I’m here with you. Ah Yi, I’m here." Xiao Yiran spoke deeply, tears flowing from his eyes. For the first time, he cried. At that moment, he felt the deepest fear and pain, as if it were the same as when his mother passed away. He was terrified, and his heart ached. Bai Yi had endured so much for him, and yet he still couldn’t protect him...

"Don’t... cry... Mm!" Bai Yi felt Xiao Yiran’s burning tears fall onto his face. He felt a pang of guilt. He wanted to force a smile to comfort Xiao Yiran, but suddenly a sharp pain surged through his abdomen, causing his breath to falter. He lost consciousness for a moment, his vision going blurry. His stomach felt as though it would burst open, the pain tearing him apart, and he couldn’t feel anything else.

"...Ah... Mm... Mm..." Bai Yi buried his face in Xiao Yiran’s chest, his upper body drenched in sweat. His hair stuck to his face, obscuring his expression. He let out one cry at first but then kept his mouth tightly shut, making only faint sounds.

"Open his mouth and don’t let him bite his tongue!" Yun Mozhi, who had returned with the labor-inducing medicine, shouted at Xiao Yiran.

Xiao Yiran immediately lifted Bai Yi’s face slightly, pried open his mouth, and placed his arm inside. "Bite me if it hurts! Don’t bite your own tongue."

Bai Yi, unable to bear the pain, sank his teeth into Xiao Yiran’s arm. Blood immediately flowed from the corner of his mouth. Xiao Yiran did not pull away and showed no sign of pain, only feeling more heartbroken for the man in his arms. Bai Yi seemed to be revived by the taste of blood. Although he was still in intense pain, he slowly pulled his head back slightly and released Xiao Yiran’s arm.

"Quick, give him the medicine." Yun Mozhi hurried over to the bed, holding the labor-inducing medicine and offering it to Bai Yi. "You haven’t reached full term, your contractions are irregular, and your birth canal hasn’t opened. Drink this medicine quickly and get the baby out." What Yun Mozhi didn’t say was that the earlier medicine had helped Bai Yi expel the poisoned blood, but it had also affected the baby. If they didn’t induce labor quickly, the child could die in the womb. Given Bai Yi’s weak condition, it would be even harder to deliver a stillborn child, and the consequences would be even worse.

It seemed that the intense pain had subsided for a moment. Bai Yi was able to breathe more easily and, although his stomach still hurt, he regained some clarity. He cooperatively drank the labor-inducing medicine.

Not long after Bai Yi drank the medicine, his contractions became more noticeable, and his stomach tightened. Due to the previous momentum, the baby had already descended lower, and when Yun Mozhi examined him, he found that the cervix had opened by about three fingers. Yun Mozhi frowned slightly, "The cervix is opening too slowly. Drink another bowl."

Bai Yi’s body was too weak to move, and since the baby was already very low, if the baby descended further but the birth canal didn’t fully open, there was a risk that the baby could get stuck, leading to suffocation and possibly causing a hemorrhage. Yun Mozhi had no choice but to have Bai Yi drink another bowl of medicine to stimulate the contractions.

Fortunately, Yuan’er had been preparing the medicine in the adjoining room, so Yun Mozhi quickly fed Bai Yi another bowl of the medicine, then had him lie flat to prevent the baby from descending too quickly. He placed a soft cushion under Bai Yi’s waist to relieve the pressure.

After drinking two bowls of the labor-inducing medicine, Bai Yi's abdomen moved even more intensely, and his belly visibly swelled with each contraction. After such a long period of turmoil, Bai Yi was too exhausted to move any longer. He could only breathe with his mouth open, occasionally letting out faint groans when the pain became unbearable.

Xiao Yiran knelt beside the bed, holding Bai Yi’s hands. He rested his head against Bai Yi’s ear, afraid that Bai Yi might lose consciousness again. He kept speaking softly to him, "Ah Yi, have you thought of a name for the baby yet? What do you want to call him? The New Year is coming soon, and the baby will share the same birthday as the New Year... By the way, we still need to arrange the wedding for Lan’er and Zhenli… After the New Year, when you’re feeling better, let me take you back to Huaiding to stay for a while, alright?"

Xiao Yiran’s voice was low and calm, always lacking in emotion. But as he spoke, his voice started to break slightly. Bai Yi's face had turned pale to the point of translucence. The severe blood loss and the pain made him look very weak, but he still summoned the strength to turn his head slightly and glance at Xiao Yiran. His eyes were filled with countless unspoken emotions.

Xiao Yiran, who wasn’t very skilled at reading people, understood Bai Yi’s emotions in that moment, especially the overwhelming emotion of "no regrets" in his eyes, which almost suffocated him. Xiao Yiran gently took Bai Yi’s hand, brushing his own eyes to wipe away the tears. He gave Bai Yi a painful smile, one that conveyed the deepest emotions Xiao Yiran felt. He lowered his head and finally spoke three words, "I love you."

Bai Yi smiled, a tear sliding down his cheek.

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