Mu Xi opened her eyes and glanced at Li Xin soaking in the water, a hint of amusement flickering in her gaze.
She walked to the creek’s edge, crouched down, cupped her hands, and gently scooped up the clear creek water, lightly splashing it onto her face.
The icy droplets slid down her cheeks, bringing a refreshing coolness.
“The water feels nice, doesn’t it?” Mu Xi’s voice was soft and gentle, carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible temptation.
Li Xin lifted her head to look at Mu Xi, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.
She nodded slowly, her voice low, “Yes, it feels good.”
“Then just relax properly.”
Mu Xi smiled, stood up, and walked over to her uniform lying nearby.
She crouched down again, carefully checking how dry it was.
The sunlight was strong, and the uniform was already mostly dry.
Mu Xi picked up the uniform, shook it out, then leisurely began putting it on.
The deep green uniform clung tightly to her figure, outlining her graceful curves and adding an extra touch of restrained beauty.
After dressing, she returned to the creekside, gazing at Li Xin still immersed in the water, and softly said, “I’ll go check over there first. You finish washing at your own pace and come over when you’re done.”
With that, she turned and walked toward the depths of the forest.
Her silver-white hair shimmered dazzlingly under the sunlight as her figure gradually vanished into the dense trees.
Li Xin watched Mu Xi’s departing back, her eyes deep and conflicted.
She closed her eyes and let the creek water wash over her body, but her heart was filled with turmoil and struggle.
She had been loyal to Miss Ye Lan since childhood, trained to be the most devoted guard.
Yet now, for a woman she had only recently met, her loyalty to Miss Ye Lan wavered.
The thought of betrayal terrified her, yet it also sparked a secret thrill.
She knew she was walking down a dangerous path, but there was no turning back.
Desire spread within her like wildfire, devouring her reason and soul.
She longed for Mu Xi, craving her love, willing to pay any price no matter the cost.
***
Mu Xi paced cautiously at the forest’s edge, her eyes sweeping over every shadow.
To ensure safety, she kept glancing back at the creek, Li Xin’s figure serving as an anchor, preventing her from losing her way in the lush greenery.
A peculiar wildflower caught her attention.
Its petals were a bewitching purplish-red, layered like exquisitely carved gemstones, standing out vividly in the dim woods.
Curious, Mu Xi crouched down, intending to get a closer look.
Just as her fingertips were about to touch the petals, she noticed the stem was covered in fine, sharp thorns.
She withdrew her hand, observing from a distance, feeling an inexplicable sense of caution.
Beautiful things often concealed danger ā a lesson she vaguely recalled hearing somewhere, or perhaps it was an instinct rooted deep within her soul.
At that moment, an unusual sound came from the dense woods to her sideāa rustling, as if something was moving through leaves, or footsteps stepping on dry branches, intermittent and hard to discern.
Mu Xi’s heart jumped violently, like a startled bird, her nerves instantly tense.
Pursuers?
Or wild beasts?
In this perilous forest, any rustle could mean a deadly threat.
She dared not linger, nor venture recklessly to investigate.
Slowly, Mu Xi kept facing the direction of the sound and began retreating step by careful step.
Each step was cautious, afraid of snapping dry branches and revealing her position.
When she finally returned to the creekside, she let out a slight breath, breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling sharply.
Li Xin had already gotten out of the creek, swiftly buttoning her uniform.
Her damp short hair clung to her forehead, making her appear even more spirited.
Seeing Mu Xi’s panicked expression as she rushed back, Li Xin immediately sensed something was wrong and sharply scanned the surroundings.
“What’s wrong?” she lowered her voice, with a barely noticeable trace of tension.
“Over there, in the forest. I heard something,” Mu Xi spoke rapidly, trembling slightly.
“It sounds like someone’s coming, but I don’t know if they’re from Ye Lan’s faction.”
Li Xin’s previously relaxed expression instantly turned grave.
She walked to the creek’s edge and listened carefully for a while.
Apart from the wind and birdsong, there seemed to be no other sounds.
“I can’t tell,” Li Xin frowned, then decisively said, “I’ll go check it out. Stay here and be careful.”
“You be careful too,” Mu Xi grabbed Li Xin’s arm, her eyes full of worry.
She knew Li Xin was capable, but Ye Lan’s men were no small players, and who knew what dangers lurked in the forest’s depths.
Li Xin squeezed Mu Xi’s hand back, her gaze steady and calm, as if reassuring her.
“Don’t worry, nothing will happen.” After saying this, she released Mu Xi’s hand and vanished like an arrow shot from a bow, quickly disappearing into the thick woods.
Only Mu Xi remained by the creek, staring in the direction Li Xin had disappeared, her heart heavy with anxiety and unease.
The forest returned to silence, with only the gentle sound of creek water flowing, intensifying the suffocating tension.
Time passed quickly; the orange-red sunset gradually faded, twilight spreading like a massive inkstone, slowly staining the sky.
Mu Xi stood alone by the creek, restless and uneasy like entwining vines tightly binding her body.
Li Xin had been gone too long ā long enough for the sun to nearly sink below the horizon.
The forest’s depths grew darker, like the gaping jaws of a beast silently devouring the light.
The truth was as clear as nightfall ā Li Xin had encountered trouble.
Otherwise, given her speed and skills, she wouldn’t still be missing.
Now, Mu Xi faced a cruel dilemma:
Should she abandon Li Xin and flee alone, or trust her and wait, leaving their future to the fickle hands of Destiny?
Yet, fate seemed to offer no choice at all.
Just as Mu Xi stared fixedly into the forest, torn between hope and despair, a sudden icy touch grazed her ankle.
Before she could react, the water surface exploded.
A figure, like a lurking beast long waiting for the perfect moment, surged out of the creek and grabbed her by the back of the neck, fiercely dragging her into the water.
The biting cold of the creek instantly submerged her head.
The choking sensation was like an invisible hand tightening mercilessly around Mu Xi’s throat.
Panicked, she gasped water, the icy flow violently flooding her nose and mouth, her lungs burning as if torn apart.
Her head was pressed firmly underwater, and her survival instinct unleashed tremendous strength.
She struggled wildly, her hands clawing desperately, trying to grab anything for leverage.
The bone-chilling cold wrapped around her entire body; the creek water stabbed her scalp like countless icy needles.
The suffocation clung relentlessly.
Pressed down beneath the water, her lungs screamed in pain, and she fought frantically.
Her fingernails scraped blindly, touching only cold stones and slippery waterweed.
Death’s shadow descended, and her consciousness began to blur.
Just as she thought she would drown, the constricting grip suddenly loosened.
Mu Xi was thrown onto the shore like a broken sack, collapsing onto the wet, cold mud, coughing uncontrollably.