Chapter 26: Out of Danger

After the recent incident, neither of them had any intention of talking. They walked out one after the other.

Before long, Lin Yan, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped in his tracks. The sound of breathing behind him had become incredibly faint, as if it might stop at any moment. He turned his head and saw Mei leaning against a dead tree. Her stunningly cold and beautiful face was now completely devoid of color. Her eyes were still open, but the light in her pupils was fading bit by bit.

Lin Yan frowned. "Can you still walk?"

Mei tried to take a step, but her body swayed, and she pitched straight forward. Lin Yan reached out and caught her by the shoulders. Even through the fabric, he could feel that her skin was freezing cold, as if she had just been pulled out of icy water.

Mei looked up, her gaze already growing unfocused. She wanted to shake off his hands, but her strength had been completely drained. She couldn't even lift a finger.

"Pardon the offense," Lin Yan said softly, his movements swift and decisive. He crouched in front of Mei, guided her arms over his shoulders, and supported the back of her knees. With a gentle hoist, he settled her securely onto his back.

Mei's body instantly stiffened. Through the two layers of coarse cloth, she could feel the heat radiating from his back, as hot as a blazing fire. Worse still, she wore absolutely nothing underneath her tattered black clothes. Resting against Lin Yan's back, her chest was pressed tightly against his spine.

An unprecedented sensation made her entire body burn up. Her mind went completely blank, leaving only the THUMP THUMP THUMP of her racing heartbeat. She wanted to push herself up slightly to create even the tiniest bit of distance. But her arms were as limp as wet noodles. She barely had the strength to keep them hooked around his neck, let alone do anything else.

Every breath and every bump in the road made the contact even more distinct and agonizing. Mei closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling violently.

She repeatedly told herself that it was fine. Mr. Lin was an honorable gentleman! He had donated an entire chest of gold and silver in Willow Tree Village, and his eyes hadn't wandered in the slightest when he draped his clothes over her earlier. Yes, he was a man of integrity, and he was only trying to save her life. Mei repeated these words over and over in her mind, but the more she recited them, the hotter her face became.

That overwhelming sensation was no longer confined to just one spot; it spread throughout her entire body. She even felt a faint, embarrassing urge to relieve herself.

However, compared to the flustered Mei, Lin Yan's footsteps were incredibly steady, producing almost no jolts. In truth, he could roughly guess what the woman on his back was thinking, but he had a clear conscience. If he had wanted to do anything untoward, he would have done it earlier. There was no need to wait until now. Taking advantage of someone in peril was something Lin Yan disdained to do.

After walking for a while, the mist ahead gradually thinned out until they completely emerged from it.

Zhou Wanqing was standing behind a large tree, standing on her tiptoes as she peered in their direction. When she saw Mei's current state, her heart clenched violently. She hurried over to meet them and placed her fingers on Mei's pulse. After concentrating for a moment, she let out a long breath of relief. Fortunately, they were mostly flesh wounds. Although a few were a bit deep, they weren't fatal. She had just lost a lot of blood and inhaled some miasma, which was why she was so deeply unconscious.

Putting her worries aside, she finally shifted her gaze to Lin Yan, only to immediately notice that something was off. For some reason, Mei was draped in his clothes, and he was currently bare-chested.

Zhou Wanqing's fingers paused slightly as a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart. Not daring to look any further, she hastily turned her head away, but her mind was filled with the image she had just seen.

"Is this what a martial artist's body looks like?" she wondered. "Compared to my husband..."

She mentally spat in self-reproach, suppressing those bizarre thoughts before changing the subject. "Mei, she... she didn't intentionally hide her true face; she had her reasons. I'll let her explain everything to you herself once she wakes up."

Lin Yan gave a slight nod. "Are we heading back to the city?"

Hearing this, Zhou Wanqing lowered her eyes. After a long pause, she shook her head. "No. There are too many prying eyes in the city, which might bring us trouble. We won't return tonight; let's find a place to rest for the evening."

Lin Yan had no objections. "Alright."

A short while later, he found the tethered Old Niu. The ox had been hungry for quite some time, and with no edible grass around, it was already growing anxious. The moment it saw people approaching, it began to MOO incessantly, almost as if it were scolding them. Helpless, Lin Yan could only tend to Old Niu's needs first before they could finally resume their journey.

Sitting inside the carriage canopy, Zhou Wanqing rested Mei's head on her lap, gently wiping away the cold sweat from her forehead bit by bit. Mei mumbled something incomprehensible in her daze before falling into a deep slumber once again. Zhou Wanqing lowered her head and reached out to brush the stray hairs from Mei's forehead, finally letting out a soft sigh.

Outside at the front, Lin Yan was driving the ox cart. The sunlight outlined the silhouette of his back. His muscle definition wasn't overly exaggerated, but it was incredibly lean and powerful. Every time Zhou Wanqing accidentally caught a glimpse of it, she would immediately avert her gaze as if she had been burned.

"I can't look anymore!" she thought to herself. She pulled the clothes tighter around Mei, making sure they were completely secure, before leaning against the carriage wall and closing her eyes.

The ox cart traveled slowly along the quiet mountain road. After an unknown amount of time, a grove of old locust trees appeared by the side of the road. Their thick canopies blocked out the sky, completely obscuring the sunlight.

Lin Yan steered the cart deep into the woods, finding a flat, sheltered spot away from the wind to stop. At the same time, Zhou Wanqing opened her eyes. She gently moved Mei's head to the side, stepped out of the cart, and crouched by a nearby stream to wash her hands. The icy water was refreshing and helped clear her mind. At the very least, it significantly quelled her chaotic thoughts.

Nearby, Lin Yan started a fire and began preparing some food. Mei was still asleep, but her breathing was much steadier than before, and her expression had relaxed. She was clearly starting to recover. It was fortunate that she practiced martial arts year-round. If she had been an ordinary person, she might not have survived this ordeal.

After returning, Zhou Wanqing hugged her knees and stared at the dancing flames, remaining silent for a long time. Lin Yan stood up and handed her a multigrain flatbread. She took it and began taking small, tentative bites.

He then settled down next to Old Niu to rest. The ox snorted behind him and nudged its head against his shoulder. Lin Yan reached out and patted the ox's head with gentle movements, and Old Niu quickly quieted down.

"Mr. Lin, thank you so much. You didn't just save me, but you also saved Mei," Zhou Wanqing finally spoke up.

Lin Yan shook his head slightly. "You've already thanked me several times. Besides, if you really want to do something in return, then go save more people."

"I will!" Hearing this, Zhou Wanqing's expression grew determined and uplifted. "I've already formulated a prescription. This time, I can definitely cure the plague once and for all."

However, just as she finished speaking, her stomach let out a highly ungraceful GRUMBLE. Zhou Wanqing's face visibly flushed red, and she looked as though she wished she could bury her head in her chest. The flatbread from earlier simply wasn't enough to fill her up.

Lin Yan didn't mock her; instead, he brought out some more food. "It's only natural to eat when you're hungry."