TGFH Chapter 38: Wake Up

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Bai Yi was in a coma for three days after giving birth. During those three days, Xiao Yiran brought Yun Mozhi over several times to check on him. Only after Yun Mozhi, known as a divine doctor, swore that Bai Yi was fine—merely weakened and would wake up after some rest—did Xiao Yiran feel reassured.

In those three days, Xiao Yiran also thoroughly investigated the events of that day and made corresponding arrangements. Murong Yao and the assassin were escorted to the prison by Feng Jing and Xiao Mo, and the matter was handed over to Mu Qi and Bu Huaiyuan. Feng Jing caused a bit of a fuss over this, loudly proclaiming he wanted to kill Murong Yao to avenge Bai Yi. Xiao Yiran had to sternly reprimand Feng Jing to settle him down. Although Xiao Yiran himself wanted to kill Murong Yao, the latter was, after all, the heir of Yan Kingdom. His actions constituted an assassination attempt, and killing him now would be vigilante justice. Moreover, Mu Qi was currently negotiating with Yan Kingdom, and Murong Yao was an important bargaining chip.

As for Aunt Xiao, her special status made it difficult for others to demand harsh punishment. After all, she was Xiao Yiran’s elder. While she was clearly in the wrong, calling for her death or punishment would make Xiao Yiran appear unfilial. Everyone else remained silent, and since Xiao Yiran was preoccupied with Bai Yi’s condition, he had no time to deal with Aunt Xiao. For now, he had her confined to the general’s residence under strict guard.

Speaking of Aunt Xiao, her crimes were indeed severe. On the larger scale, they amounted to colluding with the enemy and treason. On the smaller scale, it was at least attempted murder. If sent to prison, she would either face execution or life imprisonment. However, Xiao Yiran could not bring himself to send her to prison. Although he could not forgive her, he also could not shift all the blame onto her. After all, the root cause of everything was himself. Holding Aunt Xiao solely responsible was something he simply could not do.

During this time, Hua Lan also woke up and, despite her injuries, knelt at Bai Yi's door, begging Xiao Yiran to spare Aunt Xiao. Although Xiao Yiran did not promise to let the matter go entirely, he did agree not to hand Aunt Xiao over to the authorities, which appeased Hua Lan enough to leave.

After dealing with these matters, Xiao Yiran stayed by Bai Yi’s side, even taking leave from court sessions. He personally cared for Bai Yi, unwilling to let anyone else get close, except for Yun Mozhi, who came daily to check Bai Yi’s pulse.

When it was time to eat, Xiao Yiran carefully propped Bai Yi up, letting him lean against him. Taking the porridge delivered by Yuan’er, he scooped a spoonful, cooled it with his breath, and transferred it into Bai Yi’s mouth. Since Bai Yi had been unconscious and unable to eat, Xiao Yiran had been feeding him liquid food and medicine in this manner over the past few days.

After feeding the last spoonful, Xiao Yiran handed the bowl back to Yuan’er, gently laid Bai Yi down, tucked him in, and then sat by the bedside, watching him.

“General, you should rest for a while. Yuan’er will keep an eye on Madam, and I’ll call you as soon as he wakes up,” Yuan’er said softly, feeling sorry for Xiao Yiran. He had often complained to Bai Yi about how the general let his pregnant wife suffer alone, but now the general hadn’t closed his eyes for three days, staying by Bai Yi’s side except for handling urgent matters. Yuan’er was afraid Xiao Yiran might collapse from exhaustion.

“You rest,” Xiao Yiran said without turning his head. He wanted Bai Yi to see him the moment he woke up.

Seeing that persuasion was futile, Yuan’er had no choice but to leave quietly, feeling helpless. The bond between the two was unshakable by outsiders. Yuan’er decided to check on the young master. According to Yun Mozhi, the baby’s condition wasn’t good. Being premature and poisoned during childbirth had left the infant weak and with residual toxins. It was uncertain if he would survive to his first month. The baby hadn’t made a sound since birth, suggesting he might never speak. Although Xiao Yiran had asked Yun Mozhi to do his best, his entire focus remained on Bai Yi. Thinking of this, Yuan’er’s eyes welled with tears. Feeling sorry for Bai Yi and the baby, he quietly closed the door after himself.

After Yuan’er left, Xiao Yiran lightly brushed his hand over Bai Yi’s eyes and said softly, “Ah Yi, don’t sleep anymore. Please wake up.” Xiao Yiran, naturally cold in demeanor, always spoke in a firm, unyielding tone—except when talking to Bai Yi. His voice softened instinctively, but now, burdened with guilt and sorrow, it carried a hint of a sob.

“Are you punishing me by not waking up? I’m sorry, Ah Yi...” Xiao Yiran lowered his head, burying it against the bedside. These past few days, his heart had felt hollow, as though a piece was missing. He finally realized how important Bai Yi was to him. As the Northern Frontier General of Dazhao, he had countless people to care for and responsibilities to bear, but in his life, there was only one Bai Yi. Without Bai Yi, what meaning would life hold? He couldn’t bear to lose him.

Xiao Yiran lay there like a wounded beast, silently weeping. He knew he had no right to cry. Bai Yi had endured so much pain for him yet always smiled so warmly and fought so hard. How could he, in comparison, complain of his own suffering? But the betrayal of family and the helplessness of watching his beloved endure so much—it was crushing.

“I... didn’t…” A faint, weak voice sounded in the room.

Xiao Yiran froze. He felt a warm hand slowly cover his own. Trembling, he lifted his head to see Bai Yi weakly tilting his head, smiling at him. That smile was so gentle, so forgiving.

“You know I could never… blame you,” Bai Yi said hoarsely, struggling to speak after days of unconsciousness. His voice was weak but not dry, thanks to Xiao Yiran’s diligent care.

“You’re awake! Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? I’ll call Mozhi!” Xiao Yiran exclaimed, his composure instantly breaking as he prepared to leave.

Bai Yi gently tugged at Xiao Yiran’s hand, stopping him. “No need... Help me sit up.”

Xiao Yiran immediately complied, carefully helping Bai Yi sit up and letting him lean against his chest. He pulled the blanket tightly around Bai Yi, remembering Yun Mozhi’s warning that Bai Yi’s weakened body mustn’t be exposed to drafts. Xiao Yiran, ever cautious, ensured Bai Yi was well-protected.

“I didn’t… mean to punish you.” Bai Yi leaned against Xiao Yiran’s embrace, taking a shallow breath to steady himself before speaking softly. His voice was still weak, but he seemed to be in relatively good spirits.

Xiao Yiran tightened his hold on Bai Yi, his voice choked with emotion as he said, “I know, it’s my fault.” His Bai Yi had never been willing to blame him, let alone punish him. It had always been Xiao Yiran who owed him.

“It’s not your fault.” Bai Yi lifted his head, looking into Xiao Yiran’s eyes and giving him a gentle smile. “This time, it was an accident.” He knew Xiao Yiran must be feeling terrible about everything that had happened. Though Bai Yi found it hard to forgive Aunt Xiao, he didn’t want to make things harder for Xiao Yiran. He wouldn’t add to Xiao Yiran’s burden, trusting that he would handle everything properly and that such things wouldn’t happen again.

Suddenly recalling how Hualan had been injured by a flying dagger while saving him, Bai Yi quickly asked, “What about Lan’er? How is she?”

“The dagger has been removed,” Xiao Yiran replied in a low voice. “The imperial physician said she lost a lot of blood and needs rest. Mozhi also gave her an ointment to prevent scarring. She’ll be fine.”

“That’s good.” Bai Yi let out a sigh of relief. Although Aunt Xiao had invited disaster into their home, it would have been deeply unfair if Hualan had lost her life because of it. Knowing Hualan was alright eased Bai Yi’s worries.

“What about the baby? Is the baby okay?” Bai Yi asked nervously, thinking of the child he had risked his life to bring into the world. This time, Xiao Yiran didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he seemed to hesitate, and that pause caused Bai Yi’s heart to skip a beat. He struggled to sit up, looking at Xiao Yiran with worry. “What’s wrong with the baby? What happened? I need to see the baby… I—”

“The baby is fine! Fine! Don’t get worked up…” Xiao Yiran quickly held Bai Yi tighter, stopping his movements, and wrapped the blanket around him more securely to keep out any drafts. “The baby is with Mozhi. He’s a little weak, but Mozhi is taking care of him, and there’s nothing to worry about. You’ve just woken up, so don’t overexert yourself.”

“Really?” Bai Yi asked softly, his voice faint with exhaustion. Previously, while nestled in Xiao Yiran’s arms, he hadn’t noticed how weak he was. But after his brief struggle, he realized just how frail his body felt, as though all his strength had been drained. Every movement left him feeling like his bones were out of place, aching terribly. Even his abdomen throbbed faintly, and sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead. He realized he couldn’t move recklessly and leaned against Xiao Yiran, panting softly.

“It’s true. Premature babies are always a little frail, but with Mozhi looking after him, he’ll be fine,” Xiao Yiran reassured him in a gentle voice. He didn’t dare tell Bai Yi about the baby’s inability to cry. He was afraid Bai Yi’s weakened body wouldn’t be able to handle the news. Instead, he quickly changed the subject. “The baby doesn’t have a name yet. Let’s give him a name.”

“That’s right, the baby doesn’t have a name yet…” Bai Yi relaxed slightly at Xiao Yiran’s assurances and slowly leaned back into his arms. “What… should we name him?”

“Ah Yi? Ah Yi…?” Xiao Yiran called out in alarm when he felt Bai Yi go limp in his arms. He quickly held him tighter.

Bai Yi tried to open his eyes to look at Xiao Yiran, but the earlier exertion had left him utterly drained. Feeling extremely fatigued, he murmured softly, “Don’t worry… I’m just a little tired… Let me… sleep a little longer.” With that, he closed his eyes, resting quietly in Xiao Yiran’s embrace.

Xiao Yiran called out to him several times, but Bai Yi didn’t respond. Panic surged through him, but he didn’t dare shake Bai Yi awake too forcefully. Instead, he loudly called for the servants, instructing them to fetch Yun Mozhi immediately.

Holding Bai Yi tightly, Xiao Yiran leaned his head against Bai Yi’s shoulder and whispered into his ear, “Just a little while, Ah Yi. You promised me—you can only sleep for a little while…”

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