Of course she wasn't heavy. Wu Li carried her on his back, his steps remaining light and his breathing perfectly steady.
Seeing how she only picked out the meat when eating and rarely touched vegetables, yet still barely had an ounce of fat on her, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"I was referring to your brain."
Chai Xiaomi was dizzy and weak from the fever. It took her half a second to realize he was mocking her for having a pig's brain.
Her hands were wrapped around his neck, her fingertips resting lightly against his pulsing jugular. She threatened him in a faint, breathy voice, "Say that again if you dare."
Why the sudden personal attack!
Her two slender arms rested limply against him, looking as fragile as willow branches that could snap with a single squeeze. Right now, she barely even had the strength to lift her hands.
This threat held absolutely no weight; instead, she looked like a sickly little kitten trying to bare its fangs and claws.
Feeling the slight tightening of the forearms hooked around his neck, Wu Li scoffed and said in a nonchalant tone, "Even a fool can see that Jiang Zhiyu likes Song Yueyao. What made you think he likes you?"
"I guessed," Chai Xiaomi kept her eyes closed, playing dumb and spouting nonsense. "Based on a woman's sixth sense."
Pausing for a moment, she suddenly asked softly, "What about you?"
"What?"
"The book says... oh no, everyone says that Song Yueyao is the number one beauty in Liangya State. She's so pretty, who wouldn't be moved by her." Chai Xiaomi's voice grew lower, her eyelids heavy and her nose uncomfortably stuffed, yet she stubbornly wanted to hear his answer. "Do you like her?"
Looking up to speak was too tiring. As she spoke, her head drooped, burying itself into the crook of the young man's neck.
Wu Li's body always exuded a cool sensation, like a green leaf floating on the surface of a lake.
Aside from the jingling silver fish earring that was somewhat in the way, Chai Xiaomi groggily brushed aside the tassels. Feeling as though her head was as hot as a burning coal, she couldn't help but nuzzle deeper into the crook of his neck, craving that wisp of coolness.
Her hot breath washed over his skin in waves, damp and scalding.
Wu Li's steps faltered slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing unconsciously.
In the moonlight, the two overlapping shadows paused briefly before continuing to stretch forward.
In her daze, Chai Xiaomi seemed to hear Youtiao howling in her mind: 'Host, ahhh, help! It's too hot in your head, you're going to fry this system's CPU!'
She ignored it.
She was burning up with fever herself, feeling top-heavy, leaving only one lingering obsession in her mind.
Did Wu Li have feelings for Song Yueyao or not?
"Why aren't you answering, Wu Li..."
Wu Li was slightly distracted. Although her voice was soft, her scalding lips parted and closed with her murmurs, brushing faintly against his neck where his veins throbbed beneath the skin. He hadn't even caught what she had said earlier, simply giving a haphazard reply: "Mhm."
...Mhm?
So he admitted it.
It turned out his indifferent expression just now was all an act. He liked her but just didn't show it. He really had fallen for the female lead.
This made things difficult.
Chai Xiaomi mumbled weakly, "Anyway, I've already told the lie, so do me a favor and help me cover it up. Besides, a lone man and woman sharing a room without the title of husband and wife will inevitably invite gossip... I can even help you block the pursuits of women from other tribes. Don't you hate trouble the most?"
Her voice grew lower and lower, almost melting into the wind:
"For now... just don't like anyone else, okay?"
In the night, only the soft crunch of shoe soles rolling over the road remained, the footsteps striking against the silence one by one.
After a long time, the young man's voice drifted over with the wind:
"Okay."
But the young girl buried in his neck made no further sound.
Her head tilted, her breathing gradually growing long and even. The hands wrapped around his neck slipped away unconsciously, hanging down limply.
Wu Li supported the back of her knees and lowered his back a bit to prevent her from sliding off.
But the person on his back wasn't a peaceful sleeper. She turned her face and actually tried to roll over, her whole body suddenly jerking backward.
Wu Li nearly lost his grip and hurriedly steadied her.
"So clumsy." He sighed softly, speechless, and looked up toward the shadows untouched by the moonlight. "Hongjiao."
The reddish-brown patterned snake that had been silently following behind immediately understood. It swiftly slithered up from the ground along its master's ankle, transforming into a sturdy rope that threaded through the young girl's waist and arms, tying her firmly to its master's back.
*
Dense mist floated on the surface of the water, blurring the field of vision.
Clear water bubbled out from a bamboo pipe, splashing into fine droplets and sending ripples across the surface.
So hot...
Chai Xiaomi frowned slightly, finding her body submerged in a natural hot spring.
The spring must have been at least 45 degrees Celsius. When she previously went to a resort for hot springs, she could only handle the low-temperature baths. Soaking in a temperature like this made her dizzy. In no time, she was sweating profusely. She wanted to leave, but her limbs were weak and limp. She could only sit in the pool, unable to move.
The water vapor and heat waves intertwined, resembling gauze and cotton, giving off an ethereal vibe and obscuring everything around her.
Just then, footsteps sounded from the shore.
Tap, tap, tap...
Deep and slow, like bare feet stepping on wet stone.
The footsteps stopped.
The water gently rippled; someone had entered the pool.
Deep within the white mist, a black silhouette was faintly outlined, slowly approaching. Just from the outline alone, one could tell he had a tall and beautifully proportioned figure.
The pool water was too hot, and a flush rose on Chai Xiaomi's face.
She remained motionless, her eyes staring blankly.
Through the swirling mist, those captivating abdominal muscles and V-line were faintly visible. Such perfect muscles.
She didn't like those bulky, knotted muscles, nor did she like the scrawny type. These well-proportioned, lean muscle lines, slightly raised with clear definition, harbored hidden strength.
It was just right. A bit more would be too rigid, and a bit less would be too weak.
She couldn't help but swallow, her gaze slowly drifting upward. But the next second, the person suddenly dove into the water, disappearing to the bottom of the pool.
Huh?
Where did he go?
She had just wanted to see the handsome guy's true face, but in the blink of an eye, even his shadow had vanished completely.
Chai Xiaomi lowered her eyes in slight disappointment.
Just then, the water in front of her swayed gently.
A pair of heterochromatic eyes, one amber and one deep purple, slowly emerged from the water. His eyes looked moist in the hazy mist, like glass washed by clear water, reflecting the faint light and her face.
The corners of his eyes curved upward, and his eyelashes were distinct like raven feathers, hung with water droplets. With a light blink, the droplets pattered down.
Chai Xiaomi's heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat.
The young man's name was on the tip of her tongue, but she was struck speechless by his beauty.
She suddenly felt that the phrase lotus emerging from the water wasn't just suitable for describing women.
Gradually, the lower half of his face also slowly surfaced. Under the haze of the heat, his already crimson lips gained an extra touch of gorgeousness.
"Do you want to kiss?"
He leaned forward, pressing her against the pool wall, and caught one of her fingertips, gently placing it against his soft lips.
His eyes narrowed slightly, both alluring and obscure, as if capable of pulling someone into a deep whirlpool.
Chai Xiaomi stared at him blankly, her throat moving slightly, and she murmured as if possessed, "I want to..."
The corners of the young man's lips curled into a half-smile. Then, his figure shifted, and he sank back into the water.
The next instant.
Chai Xiaomi's ankle suddenly tightened! A dripping wet hand grabbed her from beneath the water, yanking her down without mercy.
A wave of heat surged up in an instant, swallowing her startled gasp and completely engulfing her entire figure.
