She remembered the look in Jing Ji’s eyes before she died, the determination she felt when pulling the trigger, and the way Ye Lan’s eyes looked when she said, “I love you.”
She shook her head, unwilling to dwell on those complicated emotions.
For now, staying alive was the only thing that mattered.
“When you wake up,” Mu Xi said softly as she looked at Ye Lan’s face, “we’ll settle our accounts.”
She reached out and lightly touched Ye Lan’s cheek, her fingertips feeling a faint warmth.
This person, who should have been the one she hated most, was now her only emotional support in this dangerous world.
Little An’s consciousness slowly emerged from the darkness, and the world before her eyes gradually became clear.
As fragmented memories reassembled, she realized what she had done.
Pointing a gun at Mu Xi, trying to force her…
The realization felt like a bucket of ice water poured over her head.
“Little Mistress, I — I don’t know what happened to me.”
Little An tried to move, only to find her wrists firmly bound to the bedpost with rope.
Her voice trembled so much it was almost tuneless, and her face was filled with terror and shame.
Mu Xi’s back was turned to her.
She was checking Ye Lan’s injuries, her long silver hair shimmering under the dim light of the emergency light.
Hearing the voice, her movements paused for a moment, but she did not turn around.
“Have you been a servant for so long that once you suddenly gained power, you wanted to turn the tables and become the master?” Mu Xi’s voice was frighteningly calm.
Her fingers lightly brushed over Ye Lan’s pale cheek, but her gaze grew sharp.
“I was wrong! I was truly wrong!”
Little An shook her head desperately, tears flowing uncontrollably.
“I don’t know why I did that. It was like — like there was another me controlling my body… Please forgive me!”
Mu Xi finally turned around.
No emotion could be seen on her exquisite face.
She walked slowly to the bedside and looked down at the bound Little An from a height.
The power dynamic between the two had never been so stark.
“You know what?” Mu Xi leaned in close, her voice little more than a whisper, “I completely understand you.”
Little An widened her eyes, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“In the face of instinct, people turn into monsters they don’t even recognize.”
Mu Xi reached out to untie the knot, a sense of weariness beyond her years in her eyes.
“We won’t mention this again.”
Little An rubbed her wrists, which were marked with red welts, as a conflict raged within her.
Mu Xi’s tolerance was not the reaction she expected; instead, it made her feel a deeper sense of shame and guilt.
“I will always be your servant. This relationship will never change.” Little An knelt on the ground, her forehead nearly touching the tips of Mu Xi’s toes.
Mu Xi did not respond.
She simply walked toward the weapon rack in the corner.
After a moment of hesitation, Little An stood up and followed, her gaze falling on the gun she had used to threaten Mu Xi moments ago.
Their hands reached for the weapon at the same time.
Mu Xi’s gaze pierced through Little An’s soul.
Little An gave a small smile and picked up the gun to check the ammunition.
“I’ll go out on patrol to protect this place.” Her tone had returned to its usual respectfulness, but there was a newfound determination in her eyes.
“Wait.” Mu Xi grabbed Little An’s arm and said, “I killed Jing Ji earlier.”
Little An’s body tensed instantly, her expression shifting from submissive to alert.
“Jing Ji? The one from the Nightmare Squad?”
Her voice dropped to a low whisper, “Master, Jing Ji never acts alone. I heard that from the other maids in the convoy before. She has companions.”
Those words were like a bolt of lightning splitting through Mu Xi’s thoughts.
The two exchanged a look and immediately sprang into action.
The rain outside had weakened, but darkness still shrouded the forest.
Mu Xi gripped her gun tightly, and Little An followed closely behind.
The two cautiously approached the spot where Jing Ji had fallen.
The bloodstains were still clearly visible, soaking into the soil, but the corpse had vanished without a trace.
Evidence of the surrounding bushes being trampled was easy to discern, leading deeper into the forest.
‘No way. Not again! Could she really come back from the dead?’
“Our location has been compromised.” Mu Xi clenched her teeth, feeling a chill spread down her spine.
“We must relocate immediately.” Little An scanned the surroundings, her finger on the trigger, ready for any emergency.
“Bring Ye Lan and Li Xin.”
The two returned to the safe house at top speed.
Mu Xi pulled Ye Lan’s coat tight and checked the bandages once more to ensure that moving her wouldn’t cause the wounds to reopen.
Her fingers lingered on Ye Lan’s carotid artery, feeling the weak but steady pulse.
“You did so much to me once, but now you have to rely on me to survive.”
Mu Xi whispered, her voice a mix of complex emotions, “From a certain perspective, I suppose your love was quite successful.”
Little An had already prepared a rope to tie Li Xin to her body, but Li Xin’s condition was worse than expected.
The wounds on her legs were beginning to get inflamed, and her fever wouldn’t break.
“Little Mistress, you can carry Li Xin. I’ll take responsibility for Ye Lan.” Little An made a quick decision.
Having undergone professional training, her body was stronger than Mu Xi’s.
“No, I’ll carry Ye Lan.” Mu Xi’s tone left no room for argument.
“She owes me too much. This is the one thing I must do myself.”
Little An didn’t argue.
She helped Mu Xi hoist Ye Lan onto her back.
Ye Lan’s body was heavy yet warm.
Mu Xi could feel her faint breath against the back of her neck.
They used a waterproof tarp for simple protection against the rain, providing cover for the two unconscious women as well.
Mu Xi counted to three, and she and Little An stood up at the same time, carrying their respective burdens.
“Which direction?” Little An asked in a low voice, her body leaning slightly forward under Li Xin’s weight.
Mu Xi looked around at the pitch-black forest.
Every direction was equally dangerous and unknown.
She closed her eyes, feeling the direction of the wind, the scent of the rain, and her deep-seated intuition.
“That way.” She pointed northeast, exactly opposite the direction in which
Jing Ji’s body had been dragged.
“Let’s go. We must find a new hiding spot before dawn.”
The two girls stepped into the boundless darkness, carrying the injured whose lives hung in the balance.
Mu Xi could feel Ye Lan’s blood seeping through the bandages, soaking the back of her shirt — sticky and warm.
This was a race against time, and they were already far behind.
Little An gripped her gun and led the way.
“Little Mistress, no matter what happens, I will protect you.” Her voice was firm, as if she were using the words to wash away her previous sins.
Mu Xi didn’t answer.
She simply adjusted Ye Lan’s position on her back and continued walking.
The heavy rain soaked Mu Xi’s long hair, the silver strands clinging to her pale cheeks.
Her back ached from bearing Ye Lan’s weight.
With every step, more of Ye Lan’s blood soaked into her shirt, serving as a silent reminder.
Time was passing; life was slipping away.
“Little Mistress, just hold on a bit longer.” Little An’s voice came from up ahead.
Carrying the feverish Li Xin, her pace was much steadier than Mu Xi’s.
Mu Xi didn’t respond, only adjusting Ye Lan’s position once more.
Ye Lan’s breath was against the back of her neck, faint and hot, like a flame that could go out at any moment.
“Why aren’t you dead yet…” Mu Xi’s lips moved, her voice thin as a thread.
“You’re clearly so badly hurt, yet you still have to drag me down to suffer with you.”
She said it on purpose, wanting to test Ye Lan’s reaction.
Ye Lan moved slightly on her back, as if she had heard the words, but she did not wake up.
Mu Xi clenched her teeth and kept going.
Time became blurred in the darkness; they had no idea how long they had been walking.
The sky remained blanketed by dark clouds, so gloomy that not a single ray of light could be seen.
Hunger and exhaustion were like two invisible hands tightening around their throats.
“Little Mistress, I see something!” Little An suddenly stopped.
She leaned forward and squinted toward the front.
Mu Xi looked up.
Through the curtain of rain, she could vaguely see a gray line winding into the distance.
“The public road…” Her voice was a bit hoarse from the long silence.
“That’s the public road.”