The fire occasionally gave off a faint crackle or two, with a pile of burned-out ashes beside it.
“Young Master Fu, are you in a lot of pain?” Qin Qiwu asked worriedly, looking at Fu Xianyan, who was sitting some distance away.
Fu Xianyan’s face was deathly pale. Clutching his chest, he weakly shook his head.
His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and the veins there stood out sharply from the pain.
Xu Ancheng, who had just finished gathering firewood, walked over and frowned as he took Fu Xianyan’s pulse. He let out a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry, Young Master Fu. I’m afraid I’m powerless against the poison in your body.”
Young Master Fu was so young. What a pity…
Fu Xianyan’s eyelashes trembled. He was just about to speak when a cool hand suddenly settled over his wrist. The words on his lips came to an abrupt stop.
Qin Qiwu looked curiously at Ji Zhaoxi, whose expression had turned grave. “Miss Ji, have you sensed anything?”
Xu Ancheng also looked at her with an open, humble expression.
Miss Ji looked so professional. Her medical skills must be exceptional as well. He ought to learn more from her.
Ji Zhaoxi said nothing as she felt his pulse, her brows drawing tighter and tighter.
The other three stared at her intently.
From an angle no one else could see, Fu Xianyan’s gaze gradually turned cold.
Could she have discovered something…?
Time passed bit by bit, and a trace of danger seemed to spread through the air.
Ji Zhaoxi suddenly looked as though she had realized something and raised her head to look at them.
“Miss Ji!”
“Miss Ji.”
Fu Xianyan watched her silently, barely even breathing.
Ji Zhaoxi cried out in surprise, “Why has Young Master Fu’s pulse stopped beating?!”
The air fell silent for a moment.
Fu Xianyan lowered his eyes to look at the hand on his wrist. After a moment of silence, he said, “Miss Ji, I believe that isn’t the proper place to take someone’s pulse.”
Qin Qiwu silently moved Ji Zhaoxi’s hand to the correct position.
Xu Ancheng paused, then looked at her encouragingly. “Miss Ji, you should be able to feel Young Master Fu’s pulse now.”
Ji Zhaoxi coughed awkwardly and took his pulse again. “Young Master Fu, that was just a minor mistake. Let me take your pulse again.”
Fu Xianyan closed his eyes and leaned against the tree, refusing to speak any further.
He had actually thought that a fool could pose a threat to him…
For the rest of the time, whether it was Xu Ancheng or Qin Qiwu, whenever either of them approached Fu Xianyan, Ji Zhaoxi would be sure to keep watch nearby. She would continue staring until both parties grew uncomfortable.
The night was dark. A breeze occasionally drifted through the forest, and every now and then, the sword across from them flashed with a dazzling glint.
Fu Xianyan soon figured it out: whenever he spoke with either of the other two, the person across from him would start polishing his sword.
He looked at Ji Zhaoxi, who was secretly observing him, and coughed before saying weakly, “Young Master Xu, Miss Qin…”
The moment Ji Zhaoxi heard his voice, she sprang to her feet.
This Fu Xianyan really was relentless!
Ever since he had arrived, Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng had been spending far less time together.
Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng exchanged a glance, then looked at Ji Zhaoxi, hesitating over whether they should go and check on him.
Would Miss Ji be unhappy if they went over…?
Before they could react, Ji Zhaoxi had already considerately walked over to Fu Xianyan and sat down beside him.
“Young Master Fu, is something wrong?”
Fu Xianyan’s breathing was somewhat labored, with a slight nasal quality to it. He looked weakly toward Xu Ancheng, but Ji Zhaoxi smiled and blocked his line of sight.
Fu Xianyan laboriously turned his gaze toward Qin Qiwu.
“Miss Qin…”
Ji Zhaoxi could take it no longer. She immediately stood in front of him, completely blocking his view.
With her hands on her hips, she looked down at him, her eyes full of suspicion. His entire body was enveloped in her shadow.
This Fu Xianyan really had come here to cause trouble.
Seeing this scene, the two people by the fire choked on the smoke. They quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look up.
“Young Master Fu, what’s wrong?” Ji Zhaoxi’s tone held a hint of danger.
Fu Xianyan leaned against the tree and gave her an embarrassed smile. “Miss Ji, I’m a little thirsty. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you…”
Ji Zhaoxi handed him some water, her expression growing increasingly solemn.
She absolutely had to keep a close eye on him and find an opportunity to drive this freeloader away.
Fu Xianyan took a shallow sip, ignoring the scorching gaze fixed on him.
The forest was especially quiet at night. Moonlight filtered through the leaves and fell upon the ground, while the air was filled with the faint sound of breathing.
Fu Xianyan glanced at Ji Zhaoxi across from him. She was leaning against a tree with her eyes slowly closing.
The next second, she suddenly jolted awake, hugged her sword, and sat up straight, continuing to keep watch over him.
But once sleepiness set in, there was no resisting it.
Hugging her sword, Ji Zhaoxi’s head bobbed up and down like a pecking chick.
A gentle breeze swept past. Ji Zhaoxi’s eyelashes trembled, and she looked blearily at Fu Xianyan across from her. He was already asleep. Surely it wouldn’t hurt if she closed her eyes for a little while too…
Who would have thought that once she closed them, she would never open them again?
Fu Xianyan, sitting across from her: …
He had thought she would hold out for quite a while.
Instead, she had fallen asleep before Qin Qiwu and Xu Ancheng had even gone to bed…
The faces of the other two, sitting beside the fire, were red—whether from the heat of the flames or embarrassment, no one could say.
“Miss Qin, did you enjoy the fish tonight?” Xu Ancheng asked softly.
Qin Qiwu’s eyelashes trembled, and she gave a quiet response.
Xu Ancheng was also a little embarrassed. “Then I’ll grill some more for you all tomorrow.”
Once Ji Zhaoxi had fallen asleep, the two of them spoke quietly for a few moments before settling down to sleep as well.
The night grew deeper and deeper. Gradually, the fire burned lower, and a faint sound suddenly arose. It was extremely soft, like something crawling over dead leaves.
Rustle—
Ji Zhaoxi heard the noise and drowsily looked in the direction it came from.
The light was dim, but she could vaguely make out several insects. They were scurrying toward Fu Xianyan.
When she finally saw what was crawling across the ground, she was so frightened that she immediately stabbed at them with her sword.
Blue blood gushed out.
Ji Zhaoxi hurried over and cautiously nudged the creatures with her foot. Only after confirming that the poisonous scorpions were well and truly dead did she finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Young Master Fu, wake up…” Ji Zhaoxi lowered her voice as she patted Fu Xianyan beside her. “There were several poisonous scorpions just now. They nearly crawled onto you! Luckily, I was quick enough to stop them.”
Fu Xianyan kept his eyes tightly shut, pretending not to hear her.
A violent pounding struck his chest once more. The pain made him cough, and at last he opened his eyes with an expression of utter despair.
If he didn’t open his eyes soon, he was afraid she might actually pat him to death.
Fu Xianyan looked at Ji Zhaoxi’s proud face, then at the blue blood on the ground. He remained silent for a long while.
“Thank you, Miss Ji…”
Ji Zhaoxi couldn’t help sighing. “That scared me half to death. This really isn’t a good place. I can’t believe there are even poisonous scorpions here.”
“Luckily, I reacted quickly. Otherwise, you would have been poisoned to death!”
Fu Xianyan already had so much poison in his body. If he were bitten by a few poisonous scorpions as well, he could have gone straight to the afterlife tonight.
Listening to Ji Zhaoxi’s reflections beside him, the corner of Fu Xianyan’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. He closed his eyes once more.
The blood on the ground slowly seeped into the soil. The grass nearby seemed to have been scorched, withering rapidly until all that remained was a mass of charred black.
