No matter how Mei Lin had thought about it before, now that she had truly escaped danger, she found herself unsure of how to deal with Murong Jing He. Without hesitation, she asked him directly where he wanted to go.
"Where to? I’m not going anywhere," Murong Jing He replied as he sipped the wild chicken soup she had boiled with ginseng, not even bothering to lift his gaze.
This answer surprised Mei Lin. She knew it wasn’t what he truly desired, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit pleased. The joy she felt was evident on her face.
Murong Jing He didn’t notice her reaction. The long-missed warmth of the soup finally provided some comfort to his dull taste buds.
Mei Lin didn’t say anything further. She focused on feeding him the rest of the soup, then helped him lean back against the heated brick bed (kang) to aid digestion. She opened the window beside the bed, letting the outdoor scenery flow in, before taking the empty bowl and leaving.
Outside the window was the courtyard, enclosed by a wicker fence, with a simple wooden gate partially ajar. A moss-covered, weathered well stood near the fence. The courtyard floor was packed earth, with a stone path leading from the main house to the gate. Inside and outside the fence were a few old trees, their leaves long fallen, making it hard to identify their species. The gnarled branches stretched out against the clear blue sky, giving the scene a wild charm. Beyond the fence, the roofs of other houses could be seen in the distance, with the mountains and cliffs rising even farther away.
Murong Jing He quietly observed the view through the window, his gaze deep and still like calm water.
Mei Lin was the type to adapt to her circumstances and wasn’t picky about where she lived. Once she settled down, she had no intention of leaving. Since Murong Jing He didn’t express any desire to leave, she wasn’t about to make any decisions for him. In fact, if she sent him to where he truly belonged, she wouldn’t be able to stay here anymore. She liked this place, and it was better if he didn’t leave.
With Murong Jing He’s condition stable, Mei Lin turned her attention to preparing for winter. She needed to think beyond just food and clothing—there were other things to consider…
As she carried bundle after bundle of chopped firewood into the woodshed, Mei Lin busied herself while mentally listing all the tasks she needed to complete. She didn’t expect that, as she was carrying the last small load, she would suddenly collapse, falling headfirst onto the woodshed floor along with the firewood.
After two days of overcast skies, it finally began to rain. The rain wasn’t heavy, but its persistent drizzle was certainly annoying.
Murong Jing He watched as the firewood left in the courtyard got soaked. Rainwater blew in through the half-open window, soaking a large part of his old quilt in just a short time.
It wasn’t until dusk that Mei Lin quietly reappeared, carrying a dim oil lamp that cast an eerie, ghostly light on her pale face.
The rain continued to pour, with signs of intensifying.
"Where did you go?" Murong Jing He asked quietly, breaking the silence as he watched her climb onto the bed, close the window, remove the heavy, soaked quilt, and wipe the wet spots on the bedding with a dry cloth.
Mei Lin’s hand paused momentarily before she continued her task.
"Someone asked for help, and it took longer than expected," she replied softly, her damp bangs hanging low and slightly disheveled.
Murong Jing He detected a suppressed tension and exhaustion in her seemingly calm tone. Narrowing his eyes slightly in displeasure, he mockingly asked, "Are any of your words ever true?" His words carried a hidden meaning.
Mei Lin glanced at him, forcing a faint smile, but she didn’t argue or say anything more.
She was more silent than ever, but she didn’t neglect any of her duties.
She lit the kang, and since the bedding wasn’t too wet, she didn’t change it, as there was nothing else to use. Instead, she relied on the heat from the kang to dry it out. She boiled water for Murong Jing He to take a bath, driving away the cold that had settled into his bones. She attended to his meals and other needs, and, using thicker, dry clothes as a makeshift blanket, she managed to make it through the night.
In retrospect, it seemed that all her efforts revolved around taking care of Murong Jing He, leaving little to be done for herself.
In the past, to make it easier to care for him and save firewood, they had shared the same bed. But that night, after helping him settle in, she took the oil lamp and left, never returning.
That night, the kang remained warm.
Although there were no blankets, Murong Jing He felt hot, not so much that it was unbearable, but enough to keep him from sleeping. Perhaps anyone would have trouble sleeping after lying in bed all day with nothing to do.
From the kitchen, faint noises reached his ears, letting him know that the woman was also awake through the night.
Before dawn, she entered with a bowl of hot porridge and two steamed buns. This time, she didn’t light the lamp. When she leaned over to help him, her hands trembled slightly. He noticed that in just one night, her eye sockets seemed to have sunken considerably, and her lips were as pale as a corpse’s, with deep bite marks on them.
"You…" He turned his face away from the porridge she offered, hesitated, and then asked, "What’s wrong?"
The spoon clinked against the bowl, and Mei Lin unconsciously bit her lip again, her teeth sinking into the wound. Her trembling hand stilled as her chest heaved twice, and then she suddenly looked up at him and blurted out, "Give me the antidote, and I’ll take you wherever you want to go."
Murong Jing He met her gaze, not avoiding it, and replied slowly, "What antidote?"
Mei Lin’s eyes dimmed, and she fell silent. She simply held out the spoonful of porridge again.
Murong Jing He’s gaze lingered on her bloodied lips for a long time before he finally opened his mouth and drank the porridge. He only drank half a bowl and ate most of one bun before turning his head away.
"I already told you, I’m not going anywhere," he reiterated, watching as the woman sat quietly, her head bowed, eating the leftovers. She no longer showed any of the joy she had that day, and the slight hunch of her back gave the impression that it could break at any moment.
After quickly finishing the leftovers, she went out again. When she returned, she brought in the quilt that had gotten wet the day before. It was dry now, and when she draped it over him, it still held the warmth of the firewood.
"I’ll be back before noon…" She said as she helped Murong Jing He turn over and massaged his limbs and the side of his body that lay against the bed. Her gaze drifted toward the window, where the faint light of dawn filtered through. The rain still hadn’t stopped, tapping against the glass. After a pause, she added, "Since it’s raining, I won’t open the window today." She knew how uncomfortable it was to lie in bed all day, unable even to turn over, so she often propped him up slightly and opened the window before leaving, at least giving him a view beyond the walls.
"Where are you going?" Murong Jing He asked, watching her thoughtfully.
Mei Lin shook her head without answering. She smoothed her disheveled hair and quickly walked out. As she disappeared through the door and closed it behind her, a shadow of darkness flickered in Murong Jing He’s eyes.
0 Comments