Chapter 107 (1/2)

Chapter 107: Bite

The air was chilly in the cave. If they didn't start a fire, they would catch a cold. Fortunately, Jun Huang had brought a flintstone with her. There was also some dry gra.s.s on the ground.

Once the fire was started, Jun Huang squatted down and rubbed at her cold fingers.

Someone like her has most likely has never been in such a situation before, Nan Xun thought as he watched Jun Huang. With a faint smile, he said, ”This won't do. Keeping wet clothes on is going to stop you from warming up. You should take them off and dry them in front of the fire.”

They sat across each other with the fire between them. The warm glow created an air of intimacy. Jun Huang She took off her white jade cap, letting her wet hair down. She looked over at Nan Xun and found him looking back at her.

Is she blus.h.i.+ng, Nan Xun wondered, or is it merely a trick of the light?

Jun Huang hesitated. A gust of wind swept through the woods. She shuddered, her teeth chattering. If she stubbornly insisted on keeping her wet clothes on, she might not be able to endure until they found Mister Ji Bo.

Putting aside her reservations, she turned away from Nan Xun and untied the waistband of her outer robe. With her eyes downcast, she took off the robe and a.s.sembled a crude drying rack from dry branches. She draped her robe on the rack and sat back down with, hugging her arms close to her chest.

Nan Xun didn't say anything. He knew that as a woman Jun Huang must feel uneasy being so thinly-clad with a man present. He himself found it inappropriate for him to stay in her proximity. He silently moved towards the mouth of the cave, ignoring the wet fabric clinging to his body.

Jun Huang's inner clothes had turned dry about the same time as her outer robe. She put on the robe. Only then did she realize that Nan Xun was crouching at the mouth of the cave, all wet and uncomfortable. When the wind grew stronger, droplets of rain were brought further inside and fell on his head.

She thought back to how Nan Xun had disregarded his own safety for her. It didn't sit well with her to let him suffered the weather like that. ”The wind is strong. You should come inside. Dry your clothes. Otherwise you will get sick.”

Nan Xun c.o.c.ked his head in bemus.e.m.e.nt. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and untied his robe. Jun Huang quickly turned away. When she turned back, Nan Xun had taken off his topwear. s.h.i.+rtless, he dried his clothes before the fire.

Jun Huang looked away after a quick glance. She touched the tip of her nose in embarra.s.sment. She didn't know what to say to break the awkward silence, so instead, she picked up a stick and started writing on the ground.

It was getting darker. Jun Huang walked to the edge of the cave and looked up. It didn't seem like the rain would break any time soon. She sighed. Nan Xun's shadow guards still had not found them.

Once his clothes were dried, Nan Xun put them back on and glanced at Jun Huang, which was enough for him to read Jun Huang's thoughts. ”No one expected the weather to be so harsh,” he said comfortingly. ”There's no use to dwell on it. It's late. My men are not going to find us tonight. We can also go search for them once the rain stopped. Your body isn't at its top condition. You should rest.”

Jun Huang frowned. ”What about you?”

Nan Xun chuckled. ”I'm a man, and I rarely get sick. Tonight I'll stand watch. You can sleep easy.”

Jun Huang was tired. She had spent half a day traversing the mountain, and she had been soaked by rain. Now that her body was getting warm, she felt drowsiness. .h.i.tting her in waves. She looked at Nan Xun, who gave her a smile and gestured for her to lie down.

It was a waste of time to continue arguing. Jun Huang nodded and lay down on the ground, not caring if the ground was dirty. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Her breathing was shallow and slow.

Nan Xun forced himself to stay awake. They didn't know what dangers await them in this mountain. One of them had to keep watch. They couldn't take the risk.

He added branches and twigs to the fire for the entire night, keeping the cave warm. When day broke it finally stopped raining. Basked in the sunlight, he stood up and stretched his arms, relaxing his tense muscles.

He heard footsteps coming from the outside. He drew his long sword.

”Your Highness! Gentleman Feng! Where are you?” From a distance came one of the shadow guards' voice. Nan Xun let out a breath and slowly sheathed his weapon.

He knelt down before Jun Huang and patted her lightly on the shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused, but then quickly lit up as she sat up. She looked around before her eyes came to focus on Nan Xun's face.

”They have found us,” said Nan Xun.

Jun Huang got to her feet and patted soil off her clothes. They put out the fire before leaving the cave. It didn't take long for them to find the shadow guards. The guards let out a sigh of relief when they saw the two of them.

One of the guards walked up to them. ”Are you hurt, Your Highness?”

Nan Xun shook his head and surveyed the complicated terrain. They were in the middle of nowhere. The end of the path was beyond their view.

Jun Huang felt her heart sink. She had thought it wouldn't take long for them to find Mister Ji Bo. She didn't expect to get stuck without a clear direction. However, she was never one to back down when faced with difficulties. Quite the contrary, she always tackled challenges she encountered head on.