Lin Rou hurt all over. She knew that her leg was broken and her back was injured. What happened to her? She couldn't seem to remember where she was or where she came from. Is it from whatever hurt her?
A door opened. "See if the girl will live, I found her at the base of the cliff. I don't care what it costs, just make sure she will live."
The voice was soothing in a sea of pain. "I'll do what I can Hunter Mu, but if her leg can't be healed, then she will be crippled."
Lin Rou moaned then tried to rise. A firm hand held her shoulder as a handsome man spoke softly so as not to scare her.
"Miss! Stay still, your injured badly. Don't worry, I brought the doctor to help." She blinked up at the kind man. His eyes were a startling grey. Sharp yet soothing. His long hair was pulled back in a simple bun. His thick black hair shone in the sun coming from the window. He had the physique of a panther, strong muscles yet sleek and graceful.
The Hunter moved and helped her to sit up. "Thank you, for saving me, sir."
"Do not be scared, you are safe here. I called the doctor to help heal you."
The doctor was quick to start treating her. The Hunter held her while the doctor set the bone and wrapped her leg with slats of wood to keep it in place. Lin Rou was sweating hard by the time they were done. The doctor gave her something for the pain and left. The Hunter stayed and brought her a clean set of robes.
"Where am I?"
"This is my house. I am Mu Chen, a hunter." He helped her change her outer robes but didn't go too far as to change her inner robes. A true gentleman.
"Lin Rou. I don't know anything else." Mu Chen hummed then took out a comb to help her tidy up her long blue black hair.
"Can you remember why you were up on that mountain?" The feel of his hands gently combing her hair was soothing and helped calm her.
Lin Rou took a moment to think. Why was she up there?
Her memory was fuzzy. "I remember running from someone or something, my memory is blurry, I can't remember anything else."
Mu Chen frowned but didn't say anything. "Is there some water?"
He moved and helped her drink the water in a cup by the bed.
"Since you don't remember where you are from, then stay here for now. I'll let the Village Chief know what happened and see what we can do to help you." He went back to fixing her hair. He braided the long strands then rolled up the braid into a simple bun at the nape of her neck, then he used a leather cord to tie it.
Lin Rou smiled and before she could thank him for saving her, a woman started shrieking outside.
Mu Chen frowned and rose to go out to see the woman.
"Take me outside as well, I need fresh air and this bed needs cleaning." He nodded then before he lifted her, he apologized.
Lin Rou was held gently in his arms for a moment before he set her down on a stump outside. The shrieking had stopped when the two of them appeared.
"Brother Mu, who is this vixen clinging to you!?"
The woman was dressed in a bright yellow cheongsam with silver hair pins.
"This is Lin Rou, she-"
Lin Rou spoke up before he could deny a relationship.
"Ah-Chen is my man, he saved my life so to compensate him for his trouble, I will become his wife. Who are you miss to call me a vixen?"
The woman grew furious. She rushed forward to slap Lin Rou, but Mu Chen blocked her path.
"Do not go too far, miss Li. Rou'er is injured and I will not allow her to be hurt anymore."
Mu Chen immediately accepted the relationship. He was shocked that Lin Rou would say this at first but he didn't deny that she was stunningly beautiful.
Her eyes were a deep purple that lightened to soft blue. Her face was a delicate masterpiece. She was obviously a delicate lady, her skin was fair and not a callous one on her dainty hands. He had the urge to pamper her for the rest of his life.
"Brother Mu, I have liked you for a long time and wanted to be your wife, yet you kept turning me away! Why? Why am I not worthy of you, but this vixen is?!"
Lin Rou remained sitting on the stump. Mu Chen gently covered her with his own outer robe. "Do not catch a chill."
Mu Chen then placed himself in front of Lin Rou, blocking her from Li Xue's view.
"The Village won't accept that vagrant as one of ours. We don't tolerate suspicious people." Li Xue glared at Mu Chen with venom in her eyes. "Soon I will be your wife, if I have to lie to do so, I will."
She stalked off before Mu Chen could say anything. "Ah-Chen, what does she mean?"
Mu Chen sighed and turned to face Lin Rou. He knelt before her and brushed his knuckles softly against her delicate cheek. "Do not worry, my sweet Rou'er. She means to spread rumors that I have been intimate with her. Though half the village knows I refused her many times. She hopes to sway public opinion to her side."
Lin Rou frowned then took his hand, it was rough with callouses. The sign of steady practice at his craft. "Then we need to pull them to our side. Go call on the Chief, we must register our marriage. I wasn't lying when I said I would be your wife in payment for saving me. I can help take care of the house."
Lin Rou believed that she had to repay Mu Chen for saving her. He was kind and a good man. A thought nagging in her mind told her to always pay her debts. She wondered where it came from.
Mu Chen smiled and lifted Lin Rou into his arms again. He didn't set her back down until they were in the main room of the house. He then left to put clean bedding on the bed and air out the room. The house had two bedrooms on either side of the main room and a kitchen behind the main room. The house wasn't very large but it was well maintained and clean. When he returned, he lifted her back into his arms and took her into the room. The windows were opened to let in the breeze and new padded blankets were on the bed. He set her down gently on the bed and placed a white animal fur on her legs.
"Stay here and keep warm. I'll go see the Village Chief about this matter." He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and left her.
Mu Chen did not think that when he saved the young lady, she would be so beautiful it broke his ice cold heart. Yes, Lin Rou was stunning and held a calm temperament. But her looks alone were not enough to move him. Since he was young, no woman or girl could touch him without him breaking out in a rash. So he became cold and unfeeling towards women. It was the only way he could not become ill. Yet when he picked up Lin Rou from the base of that cliff, his reaction wasn't negative. He wanted to be closer to her, to hold her in his arms forever.
He went straight to the Village Chief's house and knocked on the door. "Chief, are you home? It's Hunter Mu."
The door was opened by a young man about Mu Chen's age. "Father is in the study, how can we help Hunter Mu?"
"I have finally found a suitable bride, I need to speak to the Chief about this."
The young man was Rong Lu, the oldest boy of Chief Rong and a good friend of his. He lead Mu Chen directly to his father and left them to their business.
Chief Rong looked up from his desk. He was recording that days work. "Hunter Mu. I heard from the doctor that you saved a girl. Is she alright?"
"Miss Lin Rou was chased up that mountain and she only remembered this much. Her memory is fuzzy on the rest. She only knows her name. She has decided to thank me for saving her life by giving it to me. I agreed. Miss Lin is a very gentle woman. She is perfect for me. Her calm temperament is helpful to my job as a hunter for the village."
The Chief sat up straight. "What of your own illness?"
"She has no affect on me, I can touch her hand and not break out in rashes. I had to help her go outside and back to bed and nothing happened."
Mu Chen smiled softly as he spoke about his new bride.
"Are you going to give her a wedding?" Mu Chen paused for barely a second, then nodded. "I'll even give her a grand betrothal gift. I have the fur of a tiger I kept to sell, but I will give it to her. I will go back up the mountain to find her some pets to play with. She will get a proper betrothal from the best Hunter."
Chief Rong nodded then as if as a side note. "What of Li Xue? She has spread a rumor that you were inappropriate with her."
Mu Chen's expression became frosty. "You know I never touched her. I get sick if she even comes near me. I have no relationship with that poisonous viper."
The Chief nodded then pulled out a blank document. He began to write. "Here is the marriage registration. Keep it safe. Miss Lin Rou sounds like a brave girl to run up the mountain rather than resign herself to whatever fate was waiting for her. I will look into this matter and let you and Miss Lin know what I find."
Mu Chen nodded and bowed before leaving to begin preparing for his marriage to Rou'er.