Mu Xi raised her head, her eyes flashing with a cunning light beneath her long eyelashes.
“I’m out of strength. Feed me.”
Ye Lan raised an eyebrow, her tone serious, “Do your own tasks, Little Xi. I can’t let you become too dependent on me.”
“Why can’t I?” Mu Xi tilted her head, her long silver hair swaying gently with her movement.
“I just want to depend on you.” Her voice was as soft as a breeze, yet it carried a type of willfulness that brooked no refusal.
Ye Lan’s gaze softened slightly, but she remained firm and said, “You will be the Princess of the Imperial City in the future. You cannot be so delicate.”
Mu Xi blinked her captivating eyes, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
“But I don’t remember anything now. I only remember that you are very good to me.”
She reached out her small hand and gently tugged at the corner of Ye Lan’s clothes, her voice carrying a hint of grievance, “Just this once, okay?”
Ye Lan’s heart softened.
The hard line of defense she held instantly collapsed in the face of Mu Xi’s spoiled acting.
“Just this once,” she sighed.
She crouched down and gently pressed the water bottle against Mu Xi’s lips.
Mu Xi smiled with satisfaction.
Her small lips pressed against the opening, slowly sipping the cool water.
A few droplets of water slid down the corner of her mouth, sparkling with a crystal light under the sun.
They slid across her fair neck and finally vanished beneath her collar.
Ye Lan’s gaze involuntarily followed those few droplets, and her throat tightened slightly.
She watched Mu Xi’s partially closed eyes.
Her long eyelashes casted faint shadows on her face, and her pink lips looked even more translucent from the water.
A strange sensation rose in Ye Lan’s heart.
She forcibly suppressed that restlessness, reminding herself that the current Mu Xi needed protection, not anything else.
“Is that enough?” Ye Lan asked softly, her voice a bit gentler than usual.
Mu Xi nodded and stuck out her little tongue to lick her lips.
That unconscious action caused Ye Lan’s heart to skip a beat.
“Thank you, Ye Lan.” Mu Xi looked up, her eyes full of trust and dependence.
“With you by my side, I feel very at ease.”
Ye Lan gently stroked Mu Xi’s hair, a flash of complex emotion crossing her eyes.
“I will always be by your side until you recover your memories, and until you sit in the position that belongs to you once more.”
Mu Xi leaned against Ye Lan’s shoulder and said softly, “What if I don’t want to recover my memories? What if I just want to be with you like this?”
Ye Lan did not answer.
She simply picked Mu Xi up gently, feeling the warmth and weight of the person in her arms.
No matter what Mu Xi wanted, she would give it to her.
Even if it was the entire world, she would seize it for her.
***
Once Mu Xi had rested enough, the two of them walked back to the RV amidst the afterglow of the setting sun.
Ye Lan pushed open the door.
Mu Xi leaped lightly onto the steps, her long silver hair shimmering in the last rays of the sunset.
“I have to go out for a trip,” Ye Lan suddenly spoke, her voice calm but carrying a certain sense of distance.
Mu Xi turned around, her clear eyes widening slightly, “Where to?”
“I have some things to handle,” Ye Lan answered briefly, avoiding Mu Xi’s gaze.
“I might be back late. You should rest first.”
Before Mu Xi could ask anything else, Ye Lan had already turned to leave.
The door closed softly behind her.
Mu Xi stood in place, her small hand unconsciously gripping the corner of her clothes.
The inside of the RV suddenly felt empty and silent.
Mu Xi sat down on the sofa in the living room, looking around with nothing to do.
Night in The Desert always arrived unexpectedly.
The scorching heat of the day was quickly replaced by a bone-chilling cold.
‘Where did Ye Lan go…’ she murmured to herself, her small feet dangling in the air.
Time passed minute by minute, and the sky outside changed from deep blue to pitch black.
Mu Xi tried to turn on the display screen, but she didn’t know the password.
She rummaged through the storage cabinets, but aside from some dry rations and water, there was nothing interesting.
She sighed and curled up on the sofa, playing with her long silver hair.
The expression Ye Lan had before leaving surfaced in her mind.
That deliberate sense of distance made her chest feel a bit stuffy.
‘We were just…’ She pouted, recalling Ye Lan’s tenderness when feeding her water during the day.
Unknowingly, her eyelids became heavy.
The lights in the living room turned into blurred spots of light while she was half-asleep.
“Click”— the sound of the door opening startled Mu Xi awake.
She sat up abruptly and found Ye Lan standing at the entrance.
The moonlight spilled in from behind her, draping her in a silver border.
“You’re back!” Mu Xi rubbed her sleepy eyes, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.
A hint of an unusual smile hung on the corner of Ye Lan’s mouth.
It was a look of satisfaction after achieving a goal.
She gently took off her coat and walked over to sit beside Mu Xi.
“Where did you go? You’re back so late,” Mu Xi asked, a trace of grievance in her eyes.
“Executing a mission,” Ye Lan answered briefly, yet she couldn’t help but curl her lips.
Mu Xi wanted to press further, but seeing Ye Lan’s excellent mood, she swallowed her words.
She simply nodded gently and replied, “I see.”
Ye Lan stood up and stretched, “It’s time to rest.”
Mu Xi followed Ye Lan into the bedroom.
The two of them tidied up as usual.
Ye Lan turned off the light, leaving only the faint moonlight from outside the window in the darkness.
Mu Xi felt Ye Lan’s arm wrap around her, pulling her into a warm embrace.
She leaned in, feeling Ye Lan’s steady breathing.
An unknown amount of time passed, and Mu Xi had already fallen into a deep sleep, her breathing long and steady.
In a daze, she felt a hint of moisture touch her lips.
Mu Xi opened her eyes groggily.
By the faint moonlight, she saw Ye Lan’s face close at hand.
“Ye Lan…?” she murmured softly.
Ye Lan did not answer.
Instead, she lowered her head again, the tip of her tongue gently tracing the outline of Mu Xi’s lips.
That moist sensation made Mu Xi wake up instantly, her heart rate accelerating.
Mu Xi did not shrink back.
Instead, she slightly opened her lips to meet Ye Lan’s movements.
The tips of their tongues touched, and a sensation like an electric current instantly swept through her entire body.
Ye Lan’s kiss gradually became passionate.
Her palm slid up from Mu Xi’s waist and reached inside her clothes.
Mu Xi trembled slightly.
She instinctively moved closer to Ye Lan’s body, as if drawn by an invisible magnetic force.
“Is it okay?” Ye Lan whispered in her ear, her voice low and raspy.
Mu Xi did not answer with words.
Instead, she proactively climbed onto Ye Lan’s shoulders, surrendering herself completely.
The moonlight spilled through the gap in the curtains, shining on the intertwined figures.
The silence of The Desert was broken by their rapid breathing and suppressed low moans.
The RV rocked slightly, as if it were also vibrating along with their rhythm.
***
The next day, the morning light spilled through the gap in the RV’s curtains, casting a soft line of light on the bed.
Mu Xi first felt the body temperature of the person beside her.
She squinted her eyes.
Her silver hair was scattered messily on the pillow, and a hint of a lingering blush remained on her cheeks.
“Are you awake?” Ye Lan’s voice came from above her, carrying the raspiness of someone who had just woken up.
Mu Xi gave a light hum and stretched, but the movement tugged at the soreness all over her body, causing her to frown.
She rolled over and buried her face in the crook of Ye Lan’s neck, nuzzling her like a Little Cat.
“I don’t want to get up,” she said muffledly.
Ye Lan chuckled, her fingers running through Mu Xi’s silver hair, gently smoothing it.
“Were you too tired last night?”
Mu Xi immediately looked up, her fair face instantly staining with a layer of crimson.
She lightly punched Ye Lan’s shoulder and said, “You’re still talking about it!”
Ye Lan raised an eyebrow, a flash of cunning in her phoenix eyes.
She lowered her head and pressed a kiss onto Mu Xi’s forehead.
“Lie down for a while longer. The weather outside…..”