"Do you think... we might not be able to get out of here?" she asked hesitantly.
Murong Jing He snapped out of his reverie, responding flatly, "Perhaps."
Strangely enough, hearing his uncertain response made Mei Lin feel more at ease. It wasn’t that she had come to terms with their situation, but rather that their constant disagreements made her instinctively interpret his words in the opposite way. If he had confidently asserted that they would definitely find a way out, she might have been more worried.
"In that case, we might as well become a short-lived couple here," she said with a playful smile, adjusting his head to rest on a higher pile of dried leaves as she prepared to lie down and rest.
Murong Jing He was momentarily stunned by her words, then he responded angrily, "Who wants to be your spouse!"
Seeing a bit of his old spirit return, Mei Lin felt a sense of relief, though she pretended to be surprised. "Didn’t you cling to me because you admire me so much? Otherwise, why didn’t you latch onto Yue Qin instead?"
Murong Jing He snorted, recognizing that she was deliberately trying to provoke him. He simply closed his eyes, choosing to ignore her.
In truth, they both knew that while Yue Qin was kind-hearted, uninjured, and relatively strong, making him seem like the ideal companion for escape, his ability to adapt and survive in the wild was far inferior to Mei Lin’s. Moreover, one was a prisoner of war, and the other was a woman who had spent some time with Murong Jing He and was, in name, under his protection. If they were pursued, it would be easier to maintain their cover with her than with Yue Qin. Being with Yue Qin might not only hinder their escape but also risk being accused of treason.
Mei Lin realized that their roles seemed to have reversed. In the past, he had been the one provoking her, and she rarely responded. Now, it was the other way around. Reflecting on this, she found her behavior somewhat pointless and shook her head, losing interest in continuing the conversation.
Silence settled around them once more, broken only by the occasional clanging sound carried by the wind. Mei Lin felt a pair of hands wrap around her from behind, just like the previous night, shielding her from much of the cold. Murong Jing He wasn’t accustomed to this kind of closeness; he had never allowed anyone to hold him like this before. But now, he could only open his eyes and quietly observe the delicate hands clasped around his chest.
Those hands were covered in various cuts and wounds, one of them still wrapped in a cloth bandage. Though they retained some of their original grace, they were now almost unrecognizable, scarred and battered. Yet, these were the hands that had carried him over mountains and through forests, bringing him to this place nearly unscathed.
Although he had chosen her after secretly observing her for a night and half a day, believing she could manage, he was still surprised by the inner strength and resilience she had displayed when she actually succeeded.
He couldn’t help but recall how Muye Luo Mei had expressed her desire to see how someone without martial skills could survive in such perilous conditions, intending to use the experience for specialized soldier training. Perhaps she should have been the one escaping alongside Mei Lin, not chasing after them. That way, she would have understood the immense potential a person could unleash in the face of death.
Thinking of Muye Luo Mei, and the anger with which she had departed that day, a deep sense of fatigue and disappointment welled up within him. If one day he were to be condemned to death by his father or brother, she would undoubtedly plead for his life with her own. But faced with a paralyzed, crippled man, he wasn’t confident she could bear it. From what he knew of her, she would likely prefer him dead rather than see him live in such disgrace.
Disgrace...
The memory of that day’s humiliation resurfaced, causing his face to flush with heat. The softness of the woman’s body pressed against his back and her steady breathing suddenly became all the more noticeable, and he found his hands unconsciously tightening their grip.
Just then, a faint, rustling sound, like that of a rat, reached his ears, cutting sharply through the eerie wind.
Murong Jing He’s heart skipped a beat, his chaotic thoughts instantly vanishing. As the sound grew closer, he quickly closed his eyes, leaving them just slightly open.
A few pebbles rolled across the ground in front of him, and after a moment, a hunched figure appeared, sneaking through the dim light.
Mei Lin felt troubled. She couldn’t understand how, after just a nap, everything had disappeared, leaving only an empty bamboo board.
"Do you think it was done by humans or ghosts?" she asked Murong Jing He, her words bordering on delirium.
Murong Jing He shook his head, remaining silent.
"Weren’t you always alert?" Mei Lin couldn’t help but question, though it wasn’t that she doubted him, but rather that the situation was so bizarre.
Murong Jing He looked at her, his eyes devoid of any emotion, but inside, he was reeling with shock.
She knew! She actually knew about his difficulty falling asleep. To conceal this, he had even gone so far as to let women stay overnight with him, ensuring no one would notice. Even during these past few days, when they were constantly together, he had tried to appear as normal as possible. How had she figured it out?
Mei Lin didn’t expect any further answers from him and sighed with resignation. "At this rate, we really might end up staying here forever." Despite her words, she began gathering the still-warm bundles of dried leaves, then placed Murong Jing He on the bamboo board.
"At least you’re comfortable now," she said with a wry smile, securing his upper body with vines to prevent him from sliding off during the journey.
She wasn’t wrong; with the thick padding of dried leaves beneath him, even though the cart was short and his legs had to drag along the ground, it was far more comfortable than being carried on her back, where he often slipped down.
Murong Jing He watched her expression, noticing how, after the initial shock, she had regained her usual composure. He couldn’t help but admire her remarkable resilience.
"My ear hurts. Take a look at it," he suddenly said.
Mei Lin was taken aback, finding his request odd, but she asked, "Which side?"
"The right."
Because of the poor light, Mei Lin had to lean in close, her hand reaching for his right ear. As she bent down, she noticed that his ear was perfectly fine. Just as she was about to speak, she saw his lips move slightly, as if he were trying to say something. Realizing what he meant, she quickly lowered her head further, almost pressing her ear to his lips. To an observer, it would have appeared as though she were carefully inspecting his ear.
"Someone’s following us," Murong Jing He whispered so softly that it was almost inaudible, his voice nearly drowned out by the wind. "I only saw one person. He has a machete and a bow and arrows."
Mei Lin wanted to ask if this person had stolen their belongings, but before she could speak, Murong Jing He silenced her with a look.
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