Edited by Lord Immortal
In late autumn, it was gloomy at night, especially in the mountain forest. In the moonlight, the trees cast a dappled shade that moved when the wind stirred, and the leaves rustled in the autumn wind. On occasion, some tiny animals rushed away, and the noise they made could scare people off.
Compared to the noisy forest, the peaceful silence of the evening protruded. The murmuring of running water never ceased. All of a sudden, with a splash, a robust man sprang out of water. After pushing the girl in his arm onto the riverside with all his might, he also climbed up to the land. Sitting on her side, he was out of breath.
It was late at night. Only the faint moonlight lit the road up ahead.
Under the dim moonlight, the girl on the ground should be Xie Mengxuan who choked on water and lost consciousness. After resting for a while, the man came to lie her down flat and pressed upon her abdomen several times. He didn"t stop until she threw up the river water.
Standing straight, the man looked around and then glanced at Xie Mengxuan with delight and excitement in his eyes.
A gust of cold wind made the man shiver. He bent to hug Xie Mengxuan in his arms and disappeared in the woods, only leaving wet footprints.
Xie Mengxuan felt hot and cold from time to time as if she had gone back to the river bottom where she struggled in desperation and could do nothing although her hands and legs were all free. In the end, she saw the brightness and yelled. "No!"
Xie Mengxuan sat up with her eyes closed and mouth open wide. She took a deep breath several times to ensure she was out of danger.
Eventually, after her pounding heart calmed down, she opened her eyes to observe the surroundings.
She was in a clean cave, and there was a bonfire nearby. A wooden stick was hung next to the fire with a man"s outer clothing on it. Xie Mengxuan looked at her clothes. It was what she wore before she fell into the river. Her dress was half-dry but still a little bit damp, which made her uncomfortable.
Who? Who had saved her?
Xie Mengxuan held the clothes with her eyes full of puzzlement. She remembered that no one had come to save her before she lost consciousness. Was she just in good luck? Where was she?
A slight headache pained Xie Mengxuan. Indeed, it was a tough and arduous journey during which she jumped from the cliff top and fell into the river. She risked her life every time, always on tenterhooks.
As she was recalling what she had experienced, from the entrance of the cave came a man who only wore underclothes. "You are awake? Do you feel ill?"
Frightened by his voice, Xie Mengxuan was on the alert. The man appeared to be an upright gentleman with dashing eyebrows and bright eyes. Although he only wore underclothes, he didn"t try to cover the rest of his body. In addition, his smile and gentle voice made him look friendly.
Xie Mengxuan looked at him and then her eyes fell on the outer clothing next to the bonfire. She guessed that this man might be the one who had saved her life.
She slowly stood up, leaned on the wall, and slightly nodded toward the man. "Who are you, gentleman? Why are you here?"
"I came here to save you. As for my ident.i.ty, you"ll know it in the future. Do you feel ill? If not, we are going to hurry with our journey." The man went forward with a smile and put on the nearly dry garments.
Xie Mengxuan frowned. Although she owed the debt of life to him, there were all kinds of people around her. Therefore, it was necessary for her to be remain alert.
"Thank you for saving my life. Where are we going? Since you are so warm-hearted, are you going to send me back?"
"We are in a forest. Despite late autumn, beasts still roam this place. We are now occupying a bear"s cave, and it"ll come back soon. We"d better hurry up. It depends on you whether we"ll go back or somewhere else."
The man handed the bamboo tube over to Xie Mengxuan.
Xie Mengxuan didn"t take it. With a faint smile, the man opened the bamboo tube and had a drink. "There"s nothing wrong with the water. Please drink, lady."
"Thank you."
Xie Mengxuan received the bamboo tube to drink a little while she still kept a sharp outlook. She knew nothing about this man who claimed to have come for her with no material evidence. His kindness might be a disguise, so she could not easily trust him.
"My leg was injured. How are you going to send me back, mister?" Xie Mengxuan looked at her leg and returned the bamboo tube to him.
A rosy blush flushed his cheeks. He cleared his throat and said with shyness. "If you are willing, I"m ready to carry you on my back."
"No. It"s improper for unfamiliar men and women to touch each other"s hands. At that time, you had to break the rule to save my life. Now that I"m awake, If we two get too close, we"ll disobey the propriety." Xie Mengxuan moved backward with her head slightly lowered while observing the man from the sidelines.
The man looked anxious and went forward. "What should we do then, young lady? We are deep into the forest, and it will take us a long time to find others. If you"re left alone, I"m afraid that you will become food for the beasts."
Xie Mengxuan looked up and asked: "Are we far away from the Zhou village?"
The man estimated the distance. "A little bit. If going along the riverside, it will take two hours even for those who walk fast."
Xie Mengxuan was relieved. Fortunately, it was not that distant. "Gentleman, can you go to the Zhou village to find someone called Geng Zhishan?"
"What"s the relationship between you and that man?"
The man seemed to be very concerned about this with an earnest look both on his face and in his eyes. Puzzled and on the alert, Xie Mengxuan"s lips curved into a smile. "Mister, what you want to know is too much. It"s inappropriate since we have just met each other. I"ll pay back your kindness of saving my life, but I"m already engaged. Please, stand in my shoes, and think about it."
The man lost control of his mood and went close to Xie Mengxuan. Holding her hand, he said in a low voice with anger, "You! You got engaged?"
"Yes." Looking at him, despite the pain from her wrist, Xie Mengxuan didn"t change her expression.
The man exerted force on her wrist and didn"t loosen his grip until he saw her frown. Filled with indignation, he turned back with a stiff look. "Stay in the cave, and I"ll find that man for you."
"Thanks," Xie Mengxuan nodded.
When going near to the cave"s entrance, the man slightly turned his head as if to tell her something, but with a sweep of the sleeve, he finally left the cave with anger.
A small object fell, tiny and light. Driven by the wind from the entrance, it fell onto the ground not far from Xie Mengxuan.
Standing still, she subtly squinted her eyes to have a clear look at that thing. Suddenly, her face changed to panic and incredulity. She quickly raised her head and looked out of the cave with a nervous expression and trembling lips.
Who was he?