Without thinking too much, Mei Lin found a spot among the soft leaves, pressed them down, and sat, leaning against a nearby rock for a nap. Although she had been left behind, her weary and aching body finally had a chance to rest, which wasn’t such a bad outcome.
In truth, Mei Lin understood that Murong Jing He had already achieved his purpose in bringing her out. Luo Mei’s reaction, even if it didn’t prove she had strong feelings for him, at least showed that she cared—cared enough to be bothered by another woman taking some of his attention. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have returned and insisted on a "fair competition," forcing him to leave the nuisance behind. Of course, that nuisance was Mei Lin.
At first, Mei Lin thought they would return quickly, so she didn’t dare fall into a deep sleep. However, as the sun climbed higher in the sky and her stomach began to rumble with hunger, she realized they probably had forgotten about her.
Realizing this, she decided to lie down in the thicket, letting the warm sunlight lull her into a deep sleep, disregarding any potential dangers.
She slept until the sun had set, and the autumn chill began to creep in.
Rubbing her empty stomach, Mei Lin sat up and looked at the blue sky peeking through the branches above her and the faintly red clouds tinged by the sunset in the distance. She let out a long sigh.
Should she take this opportunity to escape, to leave all this behind, and live like an ordinary person? The thought stirred something in her heart, and a strong yearning flickered in her eyes, but it quickly faded. She couldn’t forget the poison in her body, which required monthly doses of antidote. Without it, the agony of the poison’s effects would be unbearable. Besides, she had nothing with her, not even the means to defend herself. Where could she escape to? Would she become a beggar? Even if Murong Jing He didn’t expressly forbid her from leaving, she would likely have to beg him to keep her.
She pulled a wooden comb from her pocket, untangling her hair, which was full of leaves, and loosely tied it back. Then she stood up and started retracing her steps. If she didn’t leave now, it would soon be too late. The mountains at night were full of dangers; even experienced hunters had to be cautious, let alone someone as defenseless as she was.
The only thing she was grateful for was that after resting, her physical discomfort had lessened, making walking easier than it had been in the morning. She wasn’t worried about getting lost in the forest; after all, the training in the dark factory hadn’t been for nothing. But her hunger was becoming unbearable.
A grasshopper suddenly leaped from the leaves in front of her, landing on a tree bark. She quickly grabbed it, pinched off its head, and popped it into her mouth, chewing a few times before swallowing.
She didn’t have time to slowly search for food, so she gathered whatever was edible as she walked—bitter wild fruits and insects that would make most people’s skin crawl. When one is hungry enough, as long as something isn’t poisonous, it becomes edible. She wasn’t that desperate yet, but she had been before. If it was edible, there was no reason to go hungry, especially since she needed the strength to get out of the forest.
After autumn, once the sun sets, darkness falls quickly. It wasn’t long before the forest grew dim, but fortunately, the moon had risen, providing just enough light to see by. Mei Lin used the faint light to navigate the forest, carefully following the trail she had left while avoiding nocturnal predators. It was a difficult journey. During this time, she couldn’t help but long for her lost martial skills. From there, her thoughts wandered to her mysterious master.
If she hadn’t understood why her master had stripped her of her martial arts before, she did now after learning of her mission. It would be too easy for someone to find out if she had martial skills. As a maid accompanying a princess, being skilled in martial arts would not put anyone at ease.
She sighed helplessly, thinking about the dark factory, the previous night, and the life she was now facing. A wave of indescribable fatigue washed over her, almost making her too tired to continue.
Pausing for a moment, she leaned her forehead against the rough bark of a tree, taking a few breaths before shaking off the dark thoughts that came unbidden in the night. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to keep moving forward.
"No matter what, I have to escape all of this," she muttered to herself as she swatted away the buzzing mosquitoes at her ears. As she spoke, she remembered the fields of spring flowers she had seen through the carriage window years ago, and a faint smile crossed her lips.
* * *
By the time she emerged from the forest, the moon was high in the sky. Mei Lin saw the lights of the campfires in the distance, but her legs felt as heavy as lead, making it almost impossible to move.
She couldn’t help but laugh at herself for her hesitation.
But this time, she didn’t have long to dwell on it. A stern voice called out, "Who’s there?"
The sound of hooves followed, and a group of riders, carrying torches, emerged from another part of the forest. The man leading them wore a dark warrior’s robe, with a falcon perched on his shoulder. His handsome features were so striking they almost caused pressure, and Mei Lin realized with a start that it was the Crown Prince, Murong Xuan Lie. The horses of the guards behind him were laden with game, including a leopard, indicating a successful hunt.
Mei Lin hadn’t expected to encounter them and stood frozen for a moment before she managed to bow in greeting.
"Your servant greets the Crown Prince," she said, noticing that they too were returning to the camp. She wondered if Murong Jing He and Luo Mei had returned as well.
Murong Xuan Lie narrowed his eyes, studying her for a long moment as if trying to place her. Finally, a hint of confusion crossed his face.
"Aren’t you the one who entered the forest with the Third Prince this morning? Why are you here alone? Where is the Third Prince?"
The barrage of questions left Mei Lin momentarily at a loss for words, but she knew she had to answer. After carefully considering her words, she replied, "Your servant got separated from the Third Prince in the forest and was just on her way back to see if he had returned to the camp..." It was only now that she realized Murong Jing He was the Third Prince, which meant there was another prince above him. She didn’t recall seeing him yesterday.
As she spoke, one of Murong Xuan Lie’s guards stepped forward and whispered something in his ear. When he looked at her again, his long, narrow eyes were filled with undisguised sympathy. She wasn’t sure if it was because he had learned she had been abandoned or for some other reason.
"Come with us," he said, signaling for one of his men to bring her a horse and helping her mount.
Given her condition, Mei Lin would have preferred to walk, but she couldn’t refuse. She tried to discreetly shift her body to appear as normal as possible, despite her discomfort.
Since she was now considered part of Murong Jing He’s household, Murong Xuan Lie didn’t speak to her again during the ride back.
Riding behind him, Mei Lin occasionally caught sight of his tall, upright figure and couldn’t help but feel uneasy, recalling the scent of the incense she had smelled when she had fallen onto him the previous night.
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