The two of them had simply filled their stomachs, the lingering aroma of roasted meat still clinging to their lips and teeth, but the true exhaustion surged over them like a tide.
The relief after surviving the ordeal made every nerve in Mu Xi scream for rest.
Jing Ji seemed to deliberately slow the pace as well.
After all, the Escort Team was still closely trailing behind them like shadows, and even the most tightly drawn string needs a moment to relax.
“Huff…”
Jing Ji leaned against a sturdy tree trunk, exhaling a breath of stale air as her gaze swept over the darkened Forest around them, as if assessing something.
Out of nowhere, she blurted, “What do you think—if that Ye Lan’s parents weren’t really dead and someone used them to threaten her now, would that be more interesting?”
Mu Xi was curled up, trying to draw a bit of warmth from the blood-stained uniform she wore.
The moment she heard “Ye Lan,” her body instinctively stiffened, as if pricked by a needle.
Immediately after, an indescribable sourness and dull pain struck her heart violently, her eyes involuntarily burning as mist rapidly gathered, almost ready to crystallize into tears.
Even she didn’t understand why.
The name Ye Lan should mean imprisonment, humiliation, and endless torment to her.
So why, at the mention of Ye Lan’s parents, did her heart feel as though an invisible hand was squeezing it painfully, making it hard to breathe?
This sensation didn’t feel like fear, but a profound, nameless sorrow.
Could it be that this body and Ye Lan shared some connection she didn’t know about?
Her chaotic thoughts ran rampant like untamed horses racing through her mind.
Mu Xi bit her lip tightly, struggling to suppress the heat in her eyes, afraid Jing Ji would notice.
She didn’t want to reveal any weakness before such a cunning woman.
Jing Ji keenly sensed Mu Xi’s unusual behavior.
She turned her head, inspecting Mu Xi in the firelight, her gaze laced with curiosity and amusement.
“Scared? Afraid that Ye Lan’s real parents might pop up to cause you trouble?”
Her tone was casual, almost teasing, as if she spoke offhandedly, but a subtle glint flashed in her eyes.
Mu Xi hurriedly lowered her head, hiding the moisture at the corners of her eyes, forcing a calm shake of her head, her voice hoarse, “N-no. I just think… this kind of assumption is kind of boring.”
She worked hard to keep her voice steady and natural, without a trace of wavering.
Jing Ji raised an intrigued eyebrow, the corner of her mouth curling into a meaningful smile.
She didn’t press further, only saying cryptically, “Little girl, your courage is small, but your thoughts run deep.”
Mu Xi’s heart jolted sharply, as if her innermost secret had been uncovered, and an inexplicable panic surged up.
She forced herself to lift her head and meet Jing Ji’s eyes with clear innocence, tinged with the typical confusion and vulnerability of youth.
“I’m just… a bit tired.”
Jing Ji stared at Mu Xi for a few seconds, seemingly discerning the truth behind her words.
In the end, she let out a soft laugh and withdrew her gaze.
“Rest if you’re tired. It’s almost dark; we still have to keep moving.”
She stood and walked over to the dying fire, poking at the embers before adding a few dry sticks.
The flames surged back up, their orange glow illuminating her spirited face, mysterious light flickering in her eyes.
Mu Xi silently watched Jing Ji’s back, her mind churning.
This woman was far more dangerous and inscrutable than she had imagined.
She appeared frivolous and casual but was actually meticulous and remarkably observant.
Being around someone like her was like walking on thin ice; one wrong step and she would see through all her disguises.
After a short break, Jing Ji stood and walked to the motorcycle parked at the edge of the Forest.
“Let’s go.” She swung onto the bike and held out her hand to Mu Xi.
Mu Xi hesitated, then took her hand.
Jing Ji grabbed her wrist firmly and yanked her onto the back seat.
“Hold on tight.” Jing Ji started the engine, which roared deafeningly, shattering the Forest’s silence.
The motorcycle charged forward like a wild beast, roaring as it plunged into the dark winding trail.
The jarring shocks came immediately; Mu Xi gripped the hem of Jing Ji’s uniform tightly as her body swayed with every bump.
The wind howled past her ears, biting her cheeks like knives.
Night deepened slowly, descending from the horizon, swallowing the Forest into an engulfing darkness.
The path, once clear in daylight, now blurred and uneven, looked like countless open mouths silently threatening the motorcycle’s passage.
Jing Ji twisted the throttle harder, the engine’s roar growing wilder, but the speed refused to pick up.
The bike bounced violently on the rugged trail, as if it might fall apart at any moment.
“Damn it!” Jing Ji cursed softly, forced to slow down.
At this rate, not only could they not shake off the Escort Team, but they might crash into a roadside ditch themselves.
“This won’t do. Too dangerous.”
She slammed on the brakes, the motorcycle shrieking as it slid forward under inertia before finally coming to a halt.
Dust and fallen leaves whipped up, choking them both.
Mu Xi was jolted forward by the sudden stop, nearly crashing into Jing Ji’s back.
She quickly steadied herself, clutching Jing Ji’s clothes as her heart pounded faster.
“What’s wrong?” Mu Xi’s voice trembled slightly, the darkness spreading like an invisible net that wrapped tightly around her, filling her with inexplicable oppression and unease.
Jing Ji didn’t answer right away but scanned their surroundings warily.
Under night’s cloak, the Forest grew even deeper and quieter.
The tree branches swayed like ghostly claws, rustling in the wind, as if something lurked in the shadows, waiting to strike.
“It’s too dark, and the road’s bad. Going any further is too risky.”
Her voice dropped low, taut with barely perceptible tension.
“We need to find a place to rest. Wait till dawn before moving again.”
Mu Xi knew Jing Ji was right, but the thought of spending the night in such a pitch-black, godforsaken place made her uneasy.
She would rather endure the rough ride on the motorcycle than stop and be trapped by this deathly silent Forest.
“But…” Mu Xi started to protest, but Jing Ji cut her off.
“No buts.”
Jing Ji decisively killed the engine, and the roaring ceased.
The surroundings plunged into suffocating silence.
Only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the faint chirping of unknown insects echoed in the darkness, emphasizing the vast emptiness and desolation of the Forest.
“This is it.” Jing Ji pushed the motorcycle and moved toward a relatively open hillside by the roadside.
Mu Xi followed her gaze downward and saw a pitch-black void beneath the slope, bottomless, like a huge black hole.
Looking down from here, all one could see was endless darkness, evoking dizziness and fear as if one misstep would send them plummeting into an abyss of no return.
“Here?” Mu Xi’s voice held obvious resistance, her instincts screaming that this place was unsafe.
The area was open and exposed, with no cover.
If the Escort Team caught up, wouldn’t they be sitting ducks?