There was no sign of confusion upon awakening, nor was there the usual drunken haze in his eyes. His gaze was clear, deep, like a hidden mountain pool. Many years later, when Mei Lin recalled that moment, she would wonder if it was his eyes that gave her a sense of profound calm or if, for that brief instant, the birds truly ceased their singing, and even the wind seemed to vanish.
But that moment passed quickly. She snapped back to reality and coldly asked, "When did you wake up?" She couldn't believe that he had woken up so conveniently, just as she was about to leave him behind.
"Last night," Murong Jing He replied crisply.
Mei Lin's expression froze. Thinking about how the three of them had huddled together last night, along with everything they had gone through that day, a rare look of annoyance crossed her brow. She wanted to scold him but quickly realized this wasn't the time. She forced herself to swallow her frustration and instead offered a mocking smile. "Since the prince is awake, the Crown Prince and the others must be close by. Why trouble a mere woman like me?" She no longer referred to herself as a servant; there was no need to belittle herself any further.
At the mention of the Crown Prince, Murong Jing He's brow twitched imperceptibly. He didn't try to argue further, but neither did he release her ankle. Instead, he calmly repeated, "Take me with you."
The smile faded from Mei Lin's face as she glared at his calm yet stubborn eyes. "Has the prince forgotten that yesterday you wanted me dead? And today, on what grounds do you make such a request?" When Muye Luomei suggested that she be hunted like the other prisoners, he had agreed without hesitation. Even when she had begged for mercy, he had been too busy trying to please Muye Luomei to spare her even a glance. And now, here he was, daring to order her around as if he were entitled to everything.
"I never wanted you dead," Murong Jing He said, lowering his eyes. Just as Mei Lin felt a slight stir in her heart, he added a line that almost made her choke. "Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me." The meaning was clear: to him, she was nothing, so her life or death was of no consequence to him.
His explanation made it clear to Mei Lin. He had taken her into his tent, abandoned her in the mountains, and used her to appease his beloved—all because she had been convenient, not because he held any particular grudge against her. To him, she was more of an object than a living person. And an object has no life or death to consider.
Mei Lin didn't think she had ever had any expectations of him, but those words still stung. Ever since she had been taken to the Dark Workshop, she had been treated like an object. She had thought... When he had gazed so intently at the small mole on her brow, when he had held her as they slept, she had believed that, in his eyes, she was at least a person. But now...
She let out a low laugh, working to suppress the bitterness and anger welling up inside her. She tried to kick his hand away but stopped when his next words reached her.
"If you don't take me with you, don't expect to escape yourself." A blatant threat.
Any remaining pity she had for him vanished. With a cold smile, she drew her dagger from her waist and crouched down, pressing the blade to his vulnerable throat. "If I can't escape... Do you believe I won't kill you first and then chop off your hand?"
Murong Jing He's expression didn't change; he didn't even blink. "I believe you." He paused for a moment, seeing the slight retreat of her dagger, and then added with a smile, "But do you believe that if you kill me, neither you nor that boy will live to see the morning sun?"
A sharp cry from an eagle echoed from the sky. Mei Lin pressed her lips together, silently sheathed her dagger, knowing he was right. No matter what, he was still a prince. Whether or not the emperor favored him didn't change that fact. If a prince were to die here under mysterious circumstances, many people would suffer.
"Can you walk?" she asked, making a quick decision, knowing that if they delayed any longer, they wouldn't be able to escape at all.
Murong Jing He smiled but didn't answer. The truth was obvious—if he could walk, he wouldn't have pretended to be unconscious.
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