In the most desperate of moments, one might find a brief respite and salvation through the other person’s small gesture or a clumsy joke.
It is like walking along the edge of a cliff, where one could fall into the abyss at any moment, yet somehow remains unscathed.
Of course, this is all predicated on not touching each other’s deepest bottom lines once more.
Perhaps, this is simply how they get along.
The smile on Ye Lan’s face gradually faded, leaving only a gentle warmth in the depths of her eyes.
But at the very least, her Little Xi was by her side right now.
The injury on her face still stung, and the gloom in her heart had not yet dispersed, but that was enough.
Mu Xi’s hands, which had been resting on her lap, had completely relaxed at some point.
She looked at the untreated wound on Ye Lan’s cheek, where tiny beads of blood shimmered under the light.
The chip’s command still existed; the craving for blood had not vanished.
But she did not demand it.
She simply reached out her finger and, carefully and cautiously, lightly brushed against the most prominent scratch on Ye Lan’s temple.
“Does it still hurt?” she asked again, her voice even softer than before.
The warmth in Ye Lan’s eyes had not yet fully settled when the brief tenderness inside the RV was interrupted by a sharp, urgent sound.
It came from the vehicle communication device.
It was encrypted, and it was the voice of the escort team captain.
-Lord Ye Lan, a motorcade has been detected approaching at high speed five kilometers to the west. There is a huge amount of dust being kicked up. Marked… suspected to be under Luoyuan’s command.
The softness on Ye Lan’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by her usual coldness and decisiveness.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she turned her hand and lightly patted the back of Mu Xi’s hand.
The pressure was slight, but it carried an unquestionable sense of comfort.
“Stay in the car, lock the doors, and wait for me to return.” Her voice was kept very low, yet it was exceptionally clear.
Mu Xi looked at her, and there was no panic in those beautiful eyes, only complete trust.
She nodded and watched as Ye Lan stood up.
Ye Lan checked the weapon at her waist with fluid movements, then opened the car door without the slightest delay and jumped down with agility.
The heavy armored door closed and locked with a “click,” completely isolating the interior from the world outside.
Almost at the same time, the roar of engines and the chaotic sounds of people moving rapidly came from outside, followed by dull thuds and the sound of some kind of energy weapon screeching as it tore through the air, intermittent and moving closer and further away.
The RV vibrated slightly; there must have been an explosion nearby.
These sounds became blurred as they passed through the thick armor and soundproofing layers, sounding like distant thunder heard through thick cotton.
Mu Xi sat on the sofa, not venturing toward the windows to look out. She remembered Ye Lan’s instructions.
She stood up, walked to the small bar inside the vehicle, and poured herself a glass of warm water.
The sound of the water purification system was faint and steady.
She held the cup and took small, slow sips.
The sounds of fighting outside continued; there were even a few particularly heavy thuds that caused ripples to spread across the surface of the water in her cup.
But strangely, she did not feel afraid in her heart.
It didn’t seem to be like this before.
It felt as though every time Ye Lan encountered danger, she would be so nervous that her palms would sweat and her heart would feel like it was about to jump out of her chest.
But now… is it because Ye Lan told her to stay in the car?
Or is it because she knows that Ye Lan is very strong?
She set the water cup down and her gaze landed on the snack compartment nearby.
There were small cakes, dried fruit, compressed biscuits, energy bars, and a few packs of individually wrapped strawberry-flavored sandwich biscuits.
She reached out with her slender fingers, tapped on a few items, and finally picked up a pack of strawberry-flavored sandwich biscuits.
The sound of the packaging tearing was exceptionally sharp in the quiet cabin.
She sat back on the sofa, placed the biscuits on her lap, and ate them one by one, slowly.
The chip’s command regarding blood seemed to have gone silent, or rather, it was temporarily suppressed by this more concrete sense of satisfaction derived from food.
The sounds of gunfire and explosions outside seemed to have become background music for the moment.
The sweet, cloying taste permeated her mouth.
Mu Xi even had the leisure to think that Ye Lan should end the battle quickly; otherwise, if the biscuits got cold later, they wouldn’t be as crispy.
The commotion outside ceased abruptly, leaving only the “pop, pop” sounds of engines cooling down.
There was no worry on her small face, only a calmness bordering on indifference, and the purest focus on the food.
Mu Xi stopped eating the biscuits and tilted her head to listen.
It was truly quiet.
A dozen minutes was neither long nor short.
The car door unlocked with a faint “click.”
Ye Lan’s figure appeared at the doorway, carrying with her the lingering scent of smoke and sand from the battle, blocking out the dim twilight from outside.
She quickly closed the door and locked it again, sealing away that desolate wilderness.
There were no obvious wounds on her body, and her combat suit was still relatively neat, though her hair was somewhat messy and her face was stained with some dust, which only made her phoenix eyes look sharper and more imposing.
The scratch on her temple had already crusted over, turning into a dark red line.
Mu Xi looked at her, scanning her from head to toe to confirm she was safe and sound.
Ye Lan walked to the sofa in a few strides.
Her gaze landed on the biscuit wrapper in Mu Xi’s lap and the small crumbs at the corner of her mouth, and her eyebrows arched almost imperceptibly.
She did not sit down immediately but leaned over to look at Mu Xi closely.
“I’m back.”
Ye Lan’s voice was slightly hoarse from the battle, but it was mostly filled with relief.
It was as if she needed to confirm that Mu Xi hadn’t been frightened by the commotion earlier.
Mu Xi nodded and pointed toward the small bar nearby, “The water is almost cold.”
‘Fighting for her life, yet she’s worried that the water is cold and the biscuits aren’t crispy?’ Ye Lan didn’t know whether to be angry or amused.
She pointed to the biscuits at her side, “These too.”
In the end, Ye Lan sighed helplessly, though there was a smile in her eyes she couldn’t hide.
She reached out and lightly brushed the biscuit crumbs from the corner of Mu Xi’s mouth with her thumb, a natural and effortless motion.
Then she popped them into her mouth and chewed twice.
“Mhm, they really aren’t as crispy.”
“Understood, my little ancestor.” She casually picked up a biscuit, walked to the bar, grabbed the cup of water, and finished most of it in one go.
The warm water slid down her throat, washing away the fatigue from the battle and the faint metallic tang of blood in her mouth.
Mu Xi shoved the last piece of biscuit into her mouth and asked, “Is it resolved outside?”
“Mhm, just some rats that didn’t know any better.”
Ye Lan put down the water cup, walked over to sit down beside Mu Xi, and reached out to pull her into her arms, resting her chin on her soft silver hair and nuzzling it gently.
“Next time Luoyuan sends people, I’ll send some ‘local specialties’ back to her.”
Mu Xi didn’t speak, just leaned quietly in her arms, feeling the body temperature and familiar scent radiating from her.
The chip’s command seemed to have gone completely silent, and only a faint, peaceful feeling spread through her heart.
Ye Lan held her, breathing in the fresh fragrance of her hair, and the murderous intent in her heart slowly subsided.
Looking at Mu Xi’s fair, delicate ears, she couldn’t help but reach out and pinch them gently.
The person in her arms was real and warm; that was enough.
She lowered her head, her voice carrying a hint of enticement.
“If you’re hungry next time, there are still small cakes.”
Mu Xi looked up from her arms, her eyes sparkling, “Strawberry-flavored?”
Ye Lan couldn’t help but laugh, her chest vibrating slightly, “Mhm, I’ll save them for you.”
Their noses brushed, their breaths intertwined.
The two gazed at their own reflections in the depths of each other’s eyes, and then, like some unspoken ritual, they leaned in closer, their lips touching.
It was a brief and gentle kiss, carrying the comfort of the smoke having cleared and a hint of imperceptible sweetness.
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