Chapter Fifty-Five: Living Together at the Cliff

Half an hour later.

After Jiang Huan finished bandaging Huo Lin's wounds, the cave fell into a brief silence.

She bent down to tidy up the remaining strips of cloth, her fingertips still trembling slightly.

Whether it was the tension from before or the intense gaze that Huo Lin had been fixed on her, making her heart race, she didn't know.

Huo Lin moved his right shoulder. Although there was still some dull pain, the dislocated joint had been put back in place, and he felt much better than before.

He looked down at the neatly wrapped bandages on his arm, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

"Are you hungry?" Huo Lin suddenly asked, his voice deep.

Jiang Huan was startled, only then realizing that they hadn't had a drop of water since they fell off the cliff.

She subconsciously touched her stomach, and before she could answer, she heard Huo Lin's inner thoughts.

She must be hungry; I must go find her something to eat.

"Your Majesty, don't move!" Jiang Huan quickly pressed him down. "You are still injured and cannot move around."

She cares about me!

"Don't worry, we can't die of starvation instead of from the pain, these injuries are nothing serious."

Jiang Huan pursed her lips, wanting to persuade him again, but Huo Lin had already stood up and stretched his limbs.

"I will be back soon. You wait here."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the cave entrance, his tall figure appearing particularly upright in the dim light.

Jiang Huan opened her mouth, but ultimately did not stop her.

They are now at the bottom of the cliff, and they need to conserve their energy before they can be rescued.

She cautioned, "Then Your Majesty, please be careful."

Huo Lin paused, turned around and glanced at her, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Um."

After Huo Lin left, the cave fell silent.

Jiang Huan sat with her knees drawn up to her chest against the stone wall, listening to the faint sound of the wind outside, her thoughts drifting away.

Why would Huo Lin so resolutely accompany her to jump off the cliff?

And why would he unhesitatingly shield her in his arms the moment they fell, taking all the impact himself?

She looked down at her fingertips, where traces of Huo Lin's blood still lingered.

"Why..." she murmured to herself.

As an emperor, he could have simply stood by and watched her life or death.

But he...

A strange, bittersweet feeling welled up in her chest. Jiang Huan bit her lip, forcibly suppressing the unusual emotion.

Although Huo Lin's injuries looked horrifying, they were actually just superficial wounds.

Hunting for food was not difficult for him.

Not long after, footsteps were heard coming from the cave entrance.

Jiang Huan looked up and saw Huo Lin returning carrying a plump wild rabbit. His robes were covered with bits of grass, but his expression remained calm.

"emperor!"

She quickly got up to greet him, scanning him over to make sure there were no new wounds before letting out a sigh of relief.

Huo Lin handed the rabbit to Jiang Huan, "Shall we deal with it?"

Jiang Huan took the rabbit, her fingertips accidentally touching Huo Lin's palm.

The warm touch made Jiang Huan's ear tips burn.

She quickly withdrew her hand and replied, "Okay."

Huo Lin looked at her slightly red ear tips, his eyes darkening, but he said nothing and simply turned to start a fire.

The fire quickly blazed, its warm orange glow illuminating their faces.

Jiang Huan skillfully skinned and gutted the rabbit, then placed the meat over the fire to roast.

The oil dripped down, making a sizzling sound, and the aroma gradually spread.

Huo Lin sat opposite Jiang Huan, his gaze fixed on her focused profile.

The firelight softened her features, her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, and the tip of her nose gleamed slightly.

Everyone says that serious men are the most handsome, but no one tells me that serious women are also very handsome.

Especially her...

She looks so beautiful when she's grilling things.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the rabbit meat into the fire.

She tried to remain calm, pretending not to hear his inner thoughts.

But his cheeks, like the rabbit being roasted by fire, were so hot they seemed to bleed.

"alright."

She handed the roasted rabbit meat to Huo Lin in a soft voice.

"Would Your Majesty like to try some?"

The fire crackled and popped, and just as Huo Lin was about to reach for it, a series of sounds suddenly rang out.

Glug glug.

The two of them were stunned at the same time.

"I am not hungry."

Huo Lin immediately straightened his face and spoke in the most serious tone, saying the most guilty words.

[It's all over! Where is the imperial majesty?!]

Jiang Huan almost laughed, but she held it in.

To save face for the emperor, she tore off the tenderest rabbit leg and handed it over.

"I'm hungry, Your Majesty. Would you mind having something with me?"

With Jiang Huan having put it this way, how could Huo Lin refuse?

Besides, he was already hungry.

"good."

Huo Lin took it, took a bite, and found the meat to be tender, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with just the right amount of seasoning.

[There are no seasonings at all in the wild, yet she still managed to make it taste so good.]

"It was delicious."

Huo Lin looked up at Jiang Huan and, for the first time, openly expressed his love for food.

Shen Yi said that everyone likes to hear praise, and that I had been too subtle in my expression before, but I won't do that again.

Will she be happy if I say this?

Jiang Huan smiled, of course she was happy.

"As long as His Majesty is pleased."

The two sat around the campfire, enjoying a particularly warm dinner.

As the night breeze grew cooler, Huo Lin noticed Jiang Huan's slender figure, moved closer without making a sound, and draped his outer robe over her shoulders.

"Be careful not to catch a cold."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Jiang Huan touched the warm robe, pretending not to notice that Huo Lin had secretly warmed the clothes with his internal energy.

She's so tiny, wrapped up in my clothes like a little rice ball...

Jiang Huan nestled in her warm clothes and suddenly felt her heart beating incredibly fast.

The wind howled outside the cave, and occasionally the howls of wild beasts could be heard.

Jiang Huan shrank closer to the fire, unconsciously moving closer to Huo Lin.

Huo Lin noticed her movement and his brow furrowed slightly.

Is she scared?

[You've used up all the bravado you had when you bandaged me.]

Huo Lin's voice was steady, and his straight back stood out like a mountain in the firelight.

"Come closer, I'm here, those living creatures can't get near you."

Jiang Huan was initially a little scared, but after hearing Huo Lin's thoughts, she was no longer afraid.

She shifted slightly, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Your Majesty's martial arts are unparalleled, so I am naturally at ease."

[Oh my god, she said my martial arts skills are unparalleled!]

Huo Lin's inner thoughts were racing, but on the surface he simply nodded reservedly.

"Um."

After the two finished eating the rabbit, they sat around the fire in silence.

The surroundings were quiet, and the glow of the campfire cast swaying shadows on the stone wall.

Jiang Huan was wrapped in Huo Lin's outer robe, and the warmth seeped into her skin through the fabric, making her feel sleepy.

Her head was nodding off, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.

Huo Lin remained seated upright by the fire, his back ramrod straight.

He remained vigilant, as if ready to face any potential danger, like a guardian deity.

Upon noticing Jiang Huan pecking at the rice among the chicks, a soft light flashed in Huo Lin's eyes.

"Go to sleep if you're tired, I'm here."

The voice was like a spell, and Jiang Huan was completely unable to resist it.

Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until she could no longer open them.