Chapter 101

The forest was silent save for their footsteps and the occasional insect chirp from afar.

Shen Shuangning blinked, and the scene from earlier under the big tree surged again in her mind—this man, with almost mad force, seized her lips and harshly declared he would not hand her over to Xie Lin...

She furtively lifted her eyes and glanced at Xiao Jingyuan; in the firelight his profile was cold and hard, showing little expression.

But Shen Shuangning felt uneasy in her heart; after a moment of silence she said, "... Probably."

Xiao Jingyuan suddenly stopped walking.

Shen Shuangning's heart jumped, thinking she had angered him and he might abandon her in a fit of rage; she hastily tightened her grip around his neck.

Fearfully she said, "Xiao Jingyuan, don't leave me."

Xiao Jingyuan had been staring into the pitch-black forest ahead, discerning disturbances in the night wind, when this soft, tender voice suddenly struck his ears.

His movement stalled, and he involuntarily turned his head to look at her.

Thus he met her red, moist eyes; her pale face in the firelight glowed with a soft sheen, her lashes trembling, her expression both reliant and frightened, looking pitiful.

Xiao Jingyuan's heart inexplicably softened, and he said, "I won't abandon you."

Shen Shuangning said nothing more, only burying her face deeper into his neck, as if to confirm the truth of his words.

Xiao Jingyuan fell silent for a moment, then spoke more gently, with a solemnity he himself hadn't noticed: "I won't force you anymore; don't be afraid of me."

The firelight reflected in his eyes, as if a hint of mist had risen within them.

Shen Shuangning startled; before she could think it over, Xiao Jingyuan set her down, his expression already back to normal, showing no trace of abnormality.

"Someone's coming—give me the torch, you hide first. No matter what happens later, don't make a sound, and don't come out unless I call you."

Xiao Jingyuan was always vigilant; she caught sight of his hand already resting on his sword sheath, perhaps sensing something.

Shen Shuangning's heart tightened; as she turned, Xiao Jingyuan produced a dagger from somewhere and handed it to her, urging her to hide.

Shen Shuangning hid in a nearby thicket, knees drawn up, clutching tightly the dagger Xiao Jingyuan had given her; the relaxed expression she'd just had turned tense again.

Soon after, she heard Xiao Jingyuan's footsteps receding.

Immediately after, the sound of weapons clashing rang out, mixed with a few sharp shouts.

Shen Shuangning's eyelid twitched; she didn't dare even peek out.

Indeed there were assassins hidden in the woods—or perhaps, among those who had come looking for her, some of Xie Yan's men had infiltrated.

If she were Xie Yan, he would certainly not let her return alive.

Thinking of this, Shen Shuangning couldn't help but admire Xiao Jingyuan's keen intuition, while also worrying that he might not be able to handle them alone.

Not long after, the sounds of close combat faded, and someone approached her direction, footsteps growing nearer.

Shen Shuangning steadied herself instantly, her heart leaping to her throat as she gripped the dagger tightly.

Fortunately, it was Xiao Jingyuan who came.

"Come out." His voice remained as steady and calm as ever.

He wasn't holding a torch; it must have been dropped and extinguished during the earlier fight.

Already dressed in dark robes, now without any light, he seemed to merge with the heavy night.

Shen Shuangning walked toward him by moonlight, but Xiao Jingyuan seized her hand in a firm grip, his knuckles whitening, and said, "Don't be afraid."

It sounded as if he were the one who was more afraid.

Shen Shuangning could barely make out his expression; she gave an unnatural "uh" before asking, "You're not hurt, are you?"

She seemed to smell blood on him.

The next moment Xiao Jingyuan let out a soft hum and said, "Those people can't hurt me."

Only then did Shen Shuangning relax.

Xiao Jingyuan squatted with his back to her; Shen Shuangning knew the situation was urgent, no time for coyness, so she readily climbed onto his back.

"Can we go out this way?" she asked, noticing Xiao Jingyuan heading in the opposite direction.

Xiao Jingyuan's steps didn't pause: "I don't know. Since they sent assassins, they must have ambushes on the usual route; right now the most dangerous thing is to take the regular path. I alone wouldn't fear it, but with you I must choose the safest way."

Shen Shuangning lay on his back, clearly hearing his steady heartbeat mixed with the vibration of his speech.

At this moment her arms were wrapped around his neck, her fingertips unconsciously tightening the fabric of his chest.

Xiao Jingyuan freed a hand and lightly patted the arm she had around his neck: "Don't be afraid. The more a place seems impassable, the less likely it is to be ambushed. They want a quick victory; they won't waste too much strength on such rough trails."

Shen Shuangning gave an "uh," knowing Xiao Jingyuan was cautious and smart; listening to him was surely right.

For now she said nothing more, fearing any noise might draw the hidden danger.

The path Xiao Jingyuan chose was tougher going, but indeed they encountered no one else.

The half-moon had risen to zenith, when a few clouds were blown by the night wind, obscuring most of its light.

After walking an unknown length of time, Shen Shuangning's chin rested lightly on Xiao Jingyuan's shoulder; she felt his steps steady but his breathing heavier than before, so she gently patted his shoulder.

"Let's rest a while."

Xiao Jingyuan was about to say he wasn't tired when he heard a faint "gurgle" and his steps halted.

It was Shen Shuangning's stomach growling.

Shen Shuangning herself stiffened, her cheeks flushing hot.

She hadn't eaten anything that morning, and at noon had gone hunting with Jingyu; her stomach had been empty ever since, and she had to admit she was indeed hungry...

Xiao Jingyuan said nothing, only found a relatively flat clearing and gently set her down.

Shen Shuangning hurriedly said, "I'm actually not that hungry; don't delay our journey."

Xiao Jingyuan replied, "I deliberately took three detours; even if they pursue, they'll have to spend some effort."

He paused, unconsciously rubbing his sword hilt, his eyes darkening: "Besides, if they really come after us, I'll kill one for one, a pair for a pair. You wait here; I'll go and return shortly."

Having said that, as he was about to lift his foot, a cool hand lightly grasped his sleeve.

"I'm coming with you." Shen Shuangning looked up at him, residual panic still in her eyes, her voice trembling, "This place… it's too dark; I'm scared to be alone."

Xiao Jingyuan simply answered, "All right."

He carried a fire striker, soon lit a fire, and drove away the surrounding darkness.

Shen Shuangning sat by the fire hugging her knees, watching him bustle about; she had wanted to ask where in the deep forest at midnight there was any ready-to-eat food.

Before she could speak, she saw him pick up a fuzzy object from under an old tree—a wild rabbit whose hind leg was caught in a rust-speckled trap, already on its last breath.

Xiao Jingyuan took the rabbit aside to clean it; when he returned, the rabbit in his hand had been stripped of fur and gutted clean, leaving only snow-white flesh tinged with pink that gleamed in the firelight.

Shen Shuangning instinctively turned her head to the side.

Having grown up in a grand manor since childhood, she had eaten rabbit meat before but had never witnessed such a raw butchering scene, and she felt somewhat reluctant.

But not long after, a rich meat fragrance drifted over on the wind.

Xiao Jingyuan didn't know where he got the spices; that fragrance mixed with the smoky scent of burning pine wood, bringing a primitive, tempting warmth that made people's five viscera and six bowels twitch with desire.

Shen Shuangning's stomach untimely let out a "gurgle," and she couldn't help turning her head back.

Xiao Jingyuan skewered the rabbit meat on a sharpened stick, holding it above the fire and slowly turning it; the fat sizzled as it roasted, dripping into the flames and spattering tiny sparks, while the aroma grew stronger.

Shen Shuangning couldn't help swallowing her saliva.

Rabbit...... it turns out to be this fragrant?

Xiao Jingyuan seemed to notice her gaze, skillfully turning the rabbit meat as he said, "Just wait a moment; it'll be done, cooked through so you won't get an upset stomach."

His normally cold, hard tone seemed to have been warmed by the fire.

Shen Shuangning hastily withdrew her gaze, pretending to look at the jumping flames; such a moment had never happened before.

Xiao Jingyuan also seemed to be lost in some memory, momentarily speechless.

The rabbit meat quickly roasted to a crisp exterior, glistening with tempting oil.

Xiao Jingyuan drew the dagger from his waist, cleanly cut off a tenderloin piece, and handed it to Shen Shuangning: "Try it."

Shen Shuangning felt guilty inside, eating small bites while crying that it smelled wonderful.

Xiao Jingyuan had thought she would disdain this mountain wild game and find it hard to swallow, but seeing her like that, he couldn't help letting out a low laugh.

That laugh was low and pleasant, especially clear in the quiet night.

Shen Shuangning thought he was mocking her, glared at him, and ignored him, after all, a fed mouth is soft.

One rabbit—Xiao Jingyuan hadn't eaten much, while Shen Shuangning had eaten more than half—indeed, his cooking skill was superb.

As the saying goes, a gentleman stays far from the kitchen; how much more so for him, a noble-born young master? Even when he was at the Yan Prince's Manor, no one had seen him set foot in the kitchen, yet he turned out to have such superb culinary skill.

This was actually the first time eating something he had made.

Shen Shuangning couldn't help but look at him with new eyes.

Xiao Jingyuan, not knowing what she was thinking, seeing she had eaten her fill, said: "Going down the mountain now is not a good opportunity; the mountain paths are hard to travel at night, and those people might still be wandering in the woods—running into them would only cause trouble."

He lifted his gaze toward the nearby cliff half-shaded by tree shadows and said: "There seems to be a cave over there; though simple, it's better than being out in the wind. Let's go rest there first, then leave at dawn—safer that way."

Shen Shuangning followed his gaze and indeed could faintly see a recessed rock face, mostly blocked by dense vines, hard to spot unless one looked closely.

That was indeed a good hiding place,

She nodded, just about to rise, but Xiao Jingyuan pressed down on her shoulder.

"Don't move," he said, reaching his hand toward her cheek.

Shen Shuangning's heart gave a slight start; the memory of being forcibly kissed under a big tree surged up, and she instinctively shrank back.

Yet she saw his fingertip lightly brush her nose, picking up something.

"Just some ash," Xiao Jingyuan withdrew his hand, his fingertip pinching a speck of charcoal dust, with not a trace of ill intent in his eyes.

Shen Shuangning then realized she had overthought it; her face flushed a little, and she hurriedly lowered her head to pat her collar to conceal her fluster.

A faint smile flickered in Xiao Jingyuan's eyes.

He then stood up, pressing the fire with sand and earth to cover most of it, hiding any trace.

The two walked one after the other toward the cave, with Shen Shuangning's hand tightly gripped in his palm.

The cave wasn't very deep, able to hold about three or four people; in the corner lay piles of dry twigs and withered leaves, looking like a spot where hunters used to rest.

Xiao Jingyuan held up the fire striker and turned it around inside the cave, confirming there were no snakes or insects before letting her in.

Xiao Jingyuan took off his outer robe and spread it on the fallen leaves: "Sit down, the ground is cold."

That dark‑blue brocade robe, its edge embroidered with obscure patterns, clearly valuable, was spread by him on the ground; then he went off to start a fire without even glancing at her.

Shen Shuangning hesitated a moment, then sat down.

All along the way she had been exceptionally well‑behaved.

After Xiao Jingyuan lit a small fire, he sat down beside her, leaving half an arm's length between them.

She gazed at the jumping flames, her eyelids growing heavy; after a tiring half‑day and having eaten her fill, weariness welled up like a tide, and she couldn't help yawning.

Seeing this, Xiao Jingyuan said: "If you're tired, sleep a while; I'll keep watch and call you at dawn."

His voice was low and gentle.

Shen Shuangning immediately propped open her eyelids: "I'm fine, not very sleepy."

Though she said that, her head then tilted and she fell asleep leaning on the person beside her.

Xiao Jingyuan lowered his head to look at the person leaning on his shoulder, then reached out and gently pulled her a bit closer so she could lean more securely.

The night wind howled outside the cave, yet he felt that this tiny cavern held a rare tranquility; but when he closed his eyes and thought of his past life, his heart felt as if cut by a knife.

When he opened his eyes again, the depths of his vision were crimson, and all those fierce emotions were pressed deep inside, making his breathing painful.

"Marrying Xie Lin would also be nice......" he murmured, gazing at the flames.

After all, in his previous life he had failed to protect her, causing her death at the Yan Prince's Manor; it was only natural for her to want to stay away from him.

He no longer dared to mention his past life.