My Destiny

6.regain

That afternoon, Snow had yet to awaken. Yang Jin continued his routine of gathering wild fruits and placing them in a woven basket by the bedside daily, hoping that when his wife woke up, she would have something to eat. After that, he filled the water jar from the stream and resumed his vigil by her side.

"Wife, when will you wake up? Hic! I’m... sob... so lonely." His lips quivered, and his eyes filled with tears. Being alone made him feel isolated, and he longed for his wife's presence.

"I… hic!"

Growl!

"Hungry." The tall man quickly wiped away his tears as hunger struck. He grabbed some fruit from the basket next to the bed, reasoning that since his wife hadn’t woken up to eat, he could always gather more for her later.

---

Meanwhile, at the Zhou household, the situation was dire. The eldest son had received a royal decree to join the army at the border the next day.

"Big brother, can’t you refuse?" Mei Zhu clung tightly to her elder brother’s arm. She had already lost her second brother, and now her eldest brother was leaving too. Who would she have left?

"Mei’er, I cannot defy the royal decree. Besides, I have a task I must accomplish," he said, stroking her hair affectionately.

"Really? What task?" The young girl looked up at her brother with wide, curious eyes.

"I’m going to find our second brother," he said, smiling gently.

"Really?! Oh, that’s wonderful!" Mei Zhu jumped up and down in delight, prompting her brother to gently scold her.

"Compose yourself, little sister. You’re a lady, remember?"

"Apologies, big brother," Mei Zhu said sheepishly, her excitement dimmed by his stern gaze.

"If there’s nothing else, I must take my leave," Yong Zheng said. He had other matters to attend to.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to enter the palace," he replied. Mei Zhu nodded in understanding and refrained from delaying him, silently praying he would find their second brother. She couldn’t bear to lose another family member.

"Young miss, Madam Second Wife has requested your presence," a maid announced. Mei Zhu sighed heavily. What would her mother lecture her about this time? Ever since she could remember, her mother had been trying to instill hatred for her second brother and had repeatedly pushed her toward becoming the fifth prince’s consort. However, the prince had never shown interest in her, and Mei Zhu didn’t mind because she only saw him as an older brother figure, nothing more.

"I’ll be there shortly," Mei Zhu said, sitting by the lotus pond a little longer before reluctantly heading to the main residence.

---

Back at Yang Jin’s home, he continued his daily ritual of collecting wild fruits and placing them by the bedside. He then sat beside his wife, who had been unconscious for a week, watching her in silence.

Yang Jin, usually out begging for food and coins to survive, was now dedicated to caring for his wife. In the past, townspeople would often give him scraps of food out of pity, though sometimes he was beaten and robbed of his meager earnings by local thugs. One day, he was abducted and brought to an unknown place, beaten until he passed out. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in the same room as his wife, who lay unconscious beside him. Both were barely clothed. He later learned she had been punished, while he was locked in the firewood shed until a young woman informed him that she was now his wife.

"Wife, please wake up soon," Yang Jin whispered. Despite his amnesia, he was determined to care for her. Inspired by what he had learned from the townsfolk, he diligently attended to her needs. Surprisingly, he was quite capable. Exhausted, Yang Jin eventually drifted off to sleep at her bedside.

---

The next morning, the person who had been unconscious for over a week finally stirred. Large, round eyes blinked open, and a mechanical voice echoed in her mind.

{Awake at last, host?}

"Hmm... How long was I asleep?" Snow muttered, her voice hoarse as she felt an ache throughout her body and a parched throat.

{Exactly one week, not a day more, not a day less. You should know that your husband has taken excellent care of you—changing your clothes, wiping you down, and providing food. Despite his amnesia, he’s done a remarkable job.}

That explained why she didn’t feel sticky or uncomfortable. Snow turned her gaze toward the man sleeping beside her bed. He was dressed in shabby, faded rags, but it didn’t diminish his good looks. His sharp brows, piercing eyes, straight nose, and red lips, combined with his well-defined face and toned body, made him undeniably handsome. His pale skin and muscular frame were quite a sight to behold.

{Pervert!}

"Not even close," Snow retorted, her hoarse voice barely audible as she reached for water to soothe her throat.

"So, I’ve removed the poison from his body. What should I do with him now?"

{Take care of him, of course. A wife should look after her husband. Don’t tell me you’re planning to abandon him after everything he’s done for you. That would be heartless!} Snow rolled her eyes at the system’s dramatic assumptions. Besides, nothing physical had ever happened between her and the beggar. They hadn’t even shared a bed.

"You’re overthinking things," she replied.

{Good, because he’s your soulmate in this world. If you fail to cure him or abandon him, the heavens will destroy your soul, and you’ll never reincarnate again.} The system’s ominous warning, complete with a dramatic boom sound effect, made Snow flinch.

"Fine, fine. I’ll heal him and take care of him. I’ll even make sure not a single mosquito gets near him. Happy now?" she said sarcastically.

{Excellent idea, host! You must love and cherish him deeply. You won’t regret it. And remember your promise—no mosquitoes or flies!}

"Argh! What kind of system is this?!" Snow thought, utterly exasperated.