Murong Jinghe smiled without answering. The truth was evident—if he could walk, he wouldn’t have pretended to be unconscious.
Mei Lin, feeling helpless, bent down to help him up. But as she exerted force, the freshly bandaged wound on her left shoulder began to bleed again, and a sharp pain shot through her right leg, causing her to collapse to the ground. Murong Jinghe, whom she had just managed to lift halfway, fell back down as well.
“If you’re seeking revenge, there’s no need to rush,” Murong Jinghe said, his face showing a flash of pain, though his words were laced with mockery, despite his indifferent tone.
Mei Lin lowered her head, waiting for the pain to subside before lifting her gaze to him and saying coldly, “The arrow wounds I bear are all thanks to your woman.”
At the mention of Muye Luomei, Murong Jinghe’s expression darkened, and his tone grew colder. “She has a straightforward character and cannot tolerate even a speck of dust in her eyes. The fact that she spared your life is your good fortune—what more could you be dissatisfied with?”
Mei Lin let out a bitter laugh, recalling how Muye Luomei had "spared" her, and retorted, “Should I be grateful to her?” Seeing the anger rise on Murong Jinghe’s face and not wanting to hear any more harsh words from him, she quickly changed the subject. “The problem now is that, even if I could move you, we’d be caught in no time.” She stated the fact, but couldn’t resist adding, “I’m sure your woman will come after you. She’ll take you back safe and sound, so why are you still holding onto me?”
“Because I like it,” Murong Jinghe replied, realizing the urgency of their situation and dropping the issue of Muye Luomei. He pondered for a moment and then said, “You’re right—time is running out…”
＊＊＊＊＊＊
Murong Xuanlie’s personal guard scouted ahead. As they neared the area indicated by the hunting falcon, they spotted a figure standing amidst the vines, wearing Murong Jinghe’s clothes. Without thinking, the guard raised his bow and shot two arrows.
When Murong Xuanlie and Muye Luomei arrived, the guard was standing nearby with a troubled expression, while the person they had searched for all night—Murong Jinghe—was lazily reclining on a smooth rock by the stream, his head resting on a beauty’s lap.
A thin garment was spread over the rock, and the two figures lying on it were dressed only in white undergarments. One’s collar was half-open, the other’s hair was disheveled—there was no doubt about what they had been doing before their arrival. Surrounding the green stone, the stream flowed gently, wild chrysanthemums bloomed abundantly, and against the stark contrast of blood-stained white clothing, the beauty looked both tragically poignant and alluring.
Muye Luomei’s face darkened.
“Brother, why have you come?” Murong Jinghe asked, not bothering to get up, his tone anything but welcoming.
Murong Xuanlie glanced at the guard, who stood by with a peculiar and anxious expression, and felt a pang of doubt. He carefully studied Murong Jinghe, whose expression showed subtle displeasure, trying to discern anything unusual.
“Jinghe, you’re being reckless. Do you know how worried we were searching for you?” Murong Xuanlie frowned slightly, his face showing disapproval, like an elder brother chastising his younger sibling.
“Why were you looking for me?” Murong Jinghe said in surprise, turning his face slightly to glance at Mei Lin. She immediately understood and lowered her head to kiss his cheek, then nuzzled affectionately against his neck. Murong Jinghe tilted his head back, his expression indulgent and loving, though his words were directed at Murong Xuanlie. “I was here enjoying the autumn scenery with my beloved. When I’m done, I’ll naturally return. Does my brother think that after five years away from the army, I’ve become incapable of taking care of myself?” He suddenly smiled and glanced sharply at the guard, his voice turning cold. “So you thought you’d test my skills by shooting two arrows at me?”
Murong Xuanlie’s face darkened, and he glared at the guard. “How dare you!”
The guard immediately knelt, “Your Highness, please forgive me. The wind moved, and I mistook it for a wild beast. I had no intention of offending the Prince of Jingbei.” His tone was calm, without a trace of fear.
Before Murong Xuanlie could respond, Murong Jinghe, still smiling, said, “If a guard cannot distinguish between a person and a beast, keeping such a guard around surely puts my brother’s safety at risk.”
As soon as he said this, the guard’s previously confident expression turned ashen, and his kneeling body began to tremble subtly. He repeatedly kowtowed, “I know my mistake, I know my mistake…”
A cold glint flashed across Murong Xuanlie’s handsome face, quickly replaced by a smile. “Since this fool offended my brother, I will ensure he doesn’t go unpunished.” After a pause, he added, “The autumn rain has just stopped, and the cold is seeping in. It’s not wise to linger here. We should return quickly.”
Murong Jinghe, seemingly comfortable being pampered by the beauty in his arms, half-closed his eyes. After a long moment, he lazily allowed the beauty to help him sit up, though he still leaned against her as if boneless. He cast a flirtatious glance at Murong Xuanlie, whose smile was starting to falter.
“Brother, you should go ahead. My beloved and I are not yet done enjoying ourselves, so—”
“Enough! Murong Jinghe, how much more do you intend to play around?” Muye Luomei, who had remained silent until now, finally lost her temper. Her beautiful eyes blazed with anger and impatience.
It seemed that only now did Murong Jinghe notice Muye Luomei’s presence. His passion-clouded eyes slowly turned to her, staring for a moment as his expression grew colder and colder. “Who do you think you are to speak to me like that?”
At his words, not only Muye Luomei but even Murong Xuanlie and Mei Lin were taken aback. Then they heard him continue, “You harmed my beloved, and I haven’t even settled accounts with you—how dare you act so arrogant here?”
“Murong Jinghe, you… you…” Muye Luomei had always been doted on and adored by Murong Jinghe, and this sudden change in his attitude left her both furious and incredulous. For a moment, she didn’t know how to react.
“Is my name something you can just casually utter?” Murong Jinghe interrupted her, a look of disgust crossing his face. “A woman like you—boring and arrogant. I was just playing with you because I was interested, but you really thought you were something special? And you dare to harm my woman…”
Muye Luomei’s face turned pale with rage. She managed to say “Fine!” several times before turning on her heel and storming off.
Murong Xuanlie called after her a few times, but when she didn’t stop, he turned back, scolding, “Jinghe, you’ve gone too far this time!” With that, he too turned to leave. After taking a few steps, he paused and ordered one of the guards, “You stay here and protect the Prince of Jingbei. If anything happens to him, you’ll answer with your head.”
Only after watching him disappear into the forest did Mei Lin feel Murong Jinghe’s grip on her slowly loosen. A sharp pain radiated from her palm, causing her to frown in confusion. If he was in such pain, why did he say those things? Wouldn’t it have been better to let Muye Luomei know the truth?
Before she could think further, Murong Jinghe turned his head, his lips brushing against her neck. To an outsider, it would seem like the two of them were getting intimate again. The guard, recalling his companion’s earlier mistake, quickly turned his back and moved away.
“Get rid of him as soon as possible,” Murong Jinghe murmured, his tone laced with undisguised malice.
Mei Lin nodded. She knew this guard had been left behind by Murong Xuanlie to monitor them. If they let their guard down even for a moment, they might end up just like that shirt of Murong Jinghe’s—pierced with a few arrows. With that thought, she glanced at the shirt hanging from a small tree, where two arrows were still lodged firmly. Even when the wind blew, the shirt didn’t sway, showing just how powerful the archer’s shot had been.
Thinking this, she gently repositioned Murong Jinghe on the rock, arranging him in a comfortable, leisurely pose. Then she got up and began walking toward the direction where the guard had gone.
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