The carriage quickly filled with the aroma of food.
The cheap bread carried a faint scent of industrial yeast, and the milk wasn’t fresh either—the production date printed on the carton was already three days old.
But to the starving Mu Xi, this was a rare delicacy.
She didn’t care much, tearing open the bread’s packaging and gulping it down with the cold milk.
Crumbs fell onto her purple uniform, milk dripped down the corner of her mouth, but she paid no mind, as if trying to make up for all the hunger she’d endured.
Beside her, Li Xin drove with focused precision, watching through the rearview mirror to ensure no pursuers were tailing them.
At that moment, Mu Xi stole a glance at Li Xin.
Li Xin’s profile, focused on driving, was sharp and smooth, as if carved by knives and axes.
Her short hair lay flat against her forehead, emphasizing the heroic air in her brow.
The air carried not just the scent of food but a faint metallic tang of blood and the unique, chilling aura that belonged to Li Xin—like the cold wind atop a snowy mountain peak: sharp and biting, yet with a subtle warmth that brought an inexplicable sense of comfort.
After devouring the bread and milk, Mu Xi let out a contented burp.
With food in her stomach, her body gradually warmed, and the tense nerves relaxed considerably.
Only then did she remember the question she’d been meaning to ask.
“Li Xin,” Mu Xi called out directly, her tone mixed with curiosity and doubt, “how did you survive? I clearly saw you collapsed in a pool of blood. With so much blood, any normal person would’ve died, right?”
Li Xin’s lips curved into a slight smile, as if she had anticipated Mu Xi’s reaction long ago.
Her eyes fixed on the road ahead, she calmly explained, “The forest was dimly lit back then, so I expected an ambush. Sure enough, someone tried to sneak up on me.”
“And then?” Mu Xi pressed on, her voice tense but eager.
“And then?” Li Xin chuckled lightly.
“Of course, I turned the tables.”
“Turned the tables?” Mu Xi was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting that answer.
“Mm.” Li Xin nodded, continuing, “Lin Jun’s strength isn’t weak, but unfortunately, he underestimated me.”
She didn’t go into detail about the counterattack, brushing it off with a simple statement—but Mu Xi could imagine how perilous it must have been.
In a forest fraught with danger, facing a sneak attack, even the slightest mistake could be fatal.
That Li Xin survived and struck back showed just how formidable she was.
“But what about the blood on you…” Mu Xi was still puzzled and couldn’t help but ask.
She had witnessed the large pool of blood beneath Li Xin, vividly red and shocking.
“That was a ruse,” Li Xin explained.
“After killing the attacker, I dragged him behind the bushes and… mixed our blood together.”
“Mixed together?” Mu Xi’s confusion deepened; she didn’t understand the purpose.
“That’s right.” Li Xin patiently elaborated, “It was getting dark, and the lighting was poor. When people panic, they’re easily deceived by appearances. I deliberately collapsed in the mixed blood to make it look like I’d lost too much—creating the illusion that all the blood was mine.”
Mu Xi suddenly understood and finally saw through Li Xin’s intent.
She gave a thumbs-up, genuinely impressed: “That’s amazing!”
Li Xin’s mouth twitched upward into a proud smile.
Her plan was indeed risky, but effective.
By exploiting human nature’s weaknesses, she successfully fooled both Mu Xi and Jing Ji, buying herself a chance to escape.
“What happened next was a bit complicated.”
Li Xin drove the car forward, the old pickup emitting a dull roar.
“When I climbed out of the blood pool, my first thought was to leave as quickly as possible. The forest wasn’t safe—someone would come again sooner or later.”
Mu Xi hugged the milk carton, its cold surface sobering her slightly.
She watched Li Xin’s profile intently, unwilling to miss any detail.
“I had hidden a vehicle in the woods,” Li Xin continued, her tone steady, as if recounting something unrelated to herself.
“It was prepared just in case, never expected it to actually be needed.”
The pickup bounced along the uneven road.
The faint scent in the car shifted—the metallic tang of blood faded, replaced by the subtle aroma of damp earth.
“After finding the car, I headed straight back,” Li Xin gripped the wheel tightly, her gaze fixed ahead.
“I guessed Jing Ji’s target was you. She wouldn’t let you go easily.”
Mu Xi’s heart skipped a beat.
She recalled Jing Ji’s heroic face and that faintly mocking smile at the corner of her mouth, emotions swirling inside her.
“I sped up, hoping to intercept her and save you,” Li Xin’s voice was low but strong, carrying a reassuring strength. But unexpectedly…”
She paused, her tone laced with confusion, “I chased along the main road for a long time but saw no sign of Jing Ji or you—as if you vanished into thin air.”
Mu Xi pressed her lips together, her eyes darkening.
“We didn’t take the main road. Jing Ji… she took a shortcut with me.”
Li Xin frowned slightly, clearly surprised, “A shortcut? The forest’s small paths are complex and easy to get lost in. Why take the shortcut?”
“I don’t know.” Mu Xi shook her head, her voice heavy.
“Probably thought it was safer—to avoid the Nightfall Guards.”
Li Xin’s eyes softened just a fraction as she looked ahead into the blurry road.
“In any case, I brought you back. That’s what matters.”
She paused, as if mentioning something casually, “What about Jing Ji?”
Mu Xi hugged the milk carton, her icy fingertips tracing the edges of the box.
She whispered, “Last night, Jing Ji sacrificed herself protecting me. She fell from the hill together with members of the Escort Team.”
When she said “sacrificed herself,” her voice wavered, uncertain yet tinged with reluctant hope.
Li Xin’s lips curved into a cold smirk, glancing at Mu Xi’s expression before saying nonchalantly:
“Don’t rush to declare her dead without seeing the body. People like her are tougher than weeds. She’s probably hiding in some dark corner right now, licking her wounds and waiting for the right moment.”
Her words carried the harsh steeliness of someone accustomed to death.
Mu Xi lifted her head, silver-white strands gleaming faintly in the dim carriage light.
She looked seriously at Li Xin, hesitating briefly before nodding slowly.
“What you say… makes sense.”
Indeed, just like Li Xin herself—clearly seen collapsed in a pool of blood, yet here she was, sitting beside Mu Xi, driving this battered pickup.
Death might not be as easy to claim someone as one might think.
“By the way.” Li Xin’s fingers twitched on the steering wheel, as if recalling something.
Her voice dropped low.
The old pickup gave a tired wheeze and slowly pulled over to the roadside.
The engine’s roar faded, leaving only the distant chirping of insects from deep within the Forest—quiet and profound.
Li Xin turned sideways from the driver’s seat.
Her deep green uniform shimmered darkly in the low light.
She took a small glass bottle from a pocket close to her body.
A thin mist covered the bottle’s surface, and a few pills clinked softly inside.
She handed the bottle to Mu Xi, then opened a bottle of mineral water and passed it along with swift, calm movements—as if handing over the most ordinary object.
“Medicine,” Li Xin said briefly, her voice low but carrying a barely perceptible gentleness.
“Memory Recovery Medicine.”