“Man, from now on, you’d better learn to keep your mouth shut,” she warned, her gaze sharp. She didn’t make any additional threatening moves, but her demeanor made it clear she wasn’t just saying this for effect.
If Murong Jing He could move, he probably would have kicked her by now, but he was unable to do so and could only glare angrily at the woman who had turned back to roasting the snake meat. He spat out, “Wretched woman, one day I will make you pay for what you said today.”
Mei Lin yawned, bit into a piece of nearly roasted snake meat, and chewed as she replied, “Let’s talk about that when the time comes. Right now, you’re nothing more than a cripple; you depend on me for everything, so you’d better think about how to please me to make life more comfortable for yourself.” Even without salt, the roasted snake meat was delicious, a real treat for someone who hadn’t eaten cooked food in two days. After eating two pieces, she suddenly remembered the other person and unthinkingly picked up a piece of snake meat from the coarse leaf and shoved it into his mouth, just as he was about to say something.
Murong Jing He hadn’t eaten for a day and a night. Although he was extremely dissatisfied with Mei Lin’s rude attitude, he didn’t resist the food offered to him. He chewed and swallowed it quickly, not being the least bit polite: “More.”
Mei Lin didn’t plan on tormenting him too much; she continued to roast the meat while feeding him and eating herself. However, roasting two or three pieces at a time was slow and tedious, so she eventually sharpened a new stick, stripped off the outer bark, and skewered all the meat together for roasting.
As the meat temporarily ran out, Murong Jing He, whose appetite had just been whetted, was left craving more, his eyes fixed on the silent woman roasting the meat. Unable to hold back, he urged, “Stupid servant, slow as you are, are you trying to starve me to death?”
Mei Lin had never found anyone so noisy before and was getting annoyed. She grabbed a skewer of half-cooked meat and moved to shove it into his mouth. Startled, Murong Jing He quickly turned his head away and snapped, “How dare you offer me something that isn’t fully cooked?”
Mei Lin was amused by this and withdrew the skewer to continue cooking. “If you keep complaining, then you won’t eat at all.” If she hadn’t already experienced his methods firsthand, she might have thought he was just a spoiled and useless nobleman.
Hearing this, Murong Jing He widened his eyes, but seeing the seriousness in her expression, he realized she was likely to follow through. For the sake of his stomach, he reluctantly kept quiet.
The vine thicket became suddenly quiet, with only the sound of the sizzling meat and the occasional distant call of night birds breaking the silence.
Mei Lin immediately felt refreshed. For the first time since leaving the hidden workshop, she felt a sense of freedom and lightness, unburdened by tasks or antidotes. Since they had come this far, worrying any further seemed pointless.
As the aroma of the roasted snake meat grew stronger, she suddenly remembered that Murong Jing He couldn’t have failed to notice how different she was from the way she had acted back in the prince’s residence. Yet, he hadn’t questioned her once, which left her feeling somewhat puzzled. Had he really been so indifferent to her that he hadn’t noticed such a significant change, or was there another reason?
“How did you end up like this?” she asked, though it wasn’t the question she was really pondering.
Murong Jing He, likely still sulking from earlier, closed his eyes and ignored her.
Mei Lin chuckled softly, not particularly bothered by his reaction. After a moment’s thought, she suddenly got up and began searching through his belongings. Startled, Murong Jing He opened his eyes and barked, “What are you doing?”
Mei Lin didn’t immediately answer. After a thorough search, she found nothing but a jade pendant. Frustrated, she withdrew her hand without taking the item, muttering, “How do you not carry anything with you?” She had only been at the prince’s residence for a few days and hadn’t even received her monthly wages. Now that they were out in the wilderness, how was she supposed to manage?
The indignity of being repeatedly disrespected by a woman he considered of low status nearly made Murong Jing He faint with anger. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, “What I carry or don’t carry is none of your concern, you wretched servant!”
Mei Lin merely raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I think I should inform you that until you can move on your own, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me. Wherever I go, you go.” She didn’t believe for a moment that he would let her go easily once he returned to his own place. On the other hand, Murong Xuan Lie and the others would surely continue searching for them, and having him around offered some protection. Otherwise, even a hundred lives wouldn’t be enough to escape those hunters.
The snake meat was now fully cooked, with a light golden-brown color. Mei Lin divided it into two equal portions, placing one portion on the coarse leaf. While doing this, she glanced at Murong Jing He, who looked far from pleased, and continued, “Perhaps I should make it clearer: from now on, we are bound to each other. If I eat meat, you eat meat. If I eat gruel, you eat gruel. And if there’s nothing to eat, you’ll be the first to die. So, whether or not you have any silver or something to trade for silver on you is very much your concern.”
“Of course, I don’t mind if you keep calling me a wretched servant if that makes you happy.” As she spoke, she broke the skewer into two pieces to use as makeshift chopsticks and started feeding the now-fuming man. Although his expression suggested he wanted to refuse, after a moment’s hesitation, he obediently opened his mouth and ate the meat. She added, “But don’t expect me, a lowly servant, to spend a fortune hiring a doctor to treat you.” She had no intention of digging her own grave by doing so.
Perhaps he had been pushed past his breaking point, for Murong Jing He suddenly became calm. He quietly finished his portion of the meat, then closed his eyes to rest, exuding an aura of inscrutability. Mei Lin retrieved the yam she had buried in the ashes, peeled off the charred skin, and fed it to him. After eating, he leaned back against the thickly woven vines and fell asleep without further complaint.
Having said all she needed to say, Mei Lin welcomed the peace and quiet. She added some more wood to the fire, checked that it wouldn’t burn the surrounding vines, and then leaned back to relax.
As her breathing gradually deepened, Murong Jing He opened his eyes. He stared at her thoughtfully for a while before shifting his gaze to the small fire burning nearby. The flickering flames reflected in his dark eyes, causing him to recall the events of the past two days, as well as the departure of Luo Mei, whom he had driven away in anger.
Could it be that she had also been part of this conspiracy?
Just thinking about it made him feel intolerable. If it turned out to be true, he feared he might do something even he couldn’t predict.
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