On the other side.
Yan Ning and his group were already on their way out of the deserted valley.
Sun Wuji walked beside Yan Ning, still a little uneasy, and scratched his head, asking:
"Sister Ning, are we really just going to leave that dilapidated temple there and ignore it? What if the fire isn't completely extinguished?"
Yan Ning didn't stop walking and said calmly, "Don't worry, I secretly set up a circle of water-attracting talismans around that temple."
"When the time comes, the water from the ground will gush out on its own, ensuring that the fire is completely extinguished, leaving not even a spark."
She glanced at Sun Wuji sideways and continued:
"As for the four in the temple, they have to bear the consequences of their own sins."
They found a flat, sheltered spot and decided to rest there and pitch their tents for the night.
As soon as she settled in, Yan Ning's stomach growled. She clapped her hands and stood up:
"I'm starving. I'll go wander around the neighborhood and see if I can find some wild game to supplement my meal."
She had just lifted her foot when Xie Huaiye's cold voice came from behind her:
Let's go together.
Yan Ning was a little surprised and turned to look at him.
Xie Huaiye had already walked to her side, his face expressionless, but his eyes were very serious:
"We're not familiar with this forest, it's safer for two people to go together."
Yan Ning thought to herself, "Quite thoughtful," but said nothing aloud and simply nodded.
"Okay, let's go."
The two walked into the woods one after the other.
Not far along, Yan Ning, with her sharp eyes, spotted a plump pheasant leisurely pecking at food behind a bush.
Her eyes lit up, and she crouched low, holding her breath, like a little leopard pouncing on its prey, silently approaching.
We're in for a treat tonight...
Yan Ning was happily deciding whether to braise or stew the chicken, her attention completely focused on the chicken, and she didn't notice where she was standing.
Just as she lunged forward with all her might, her right foot suddenly stepped on a patch of wet, slippery moss!
"oops!"
Yan Ning cried out in surprise, instantly losing her balance and falling forward uncontrollably!
Just then, a strong arm suddenly reached out from behind and precisely wrapped around her waist!
It's Xie Huaiye!
He reacted incredibly quickly, pulling her back in one swift motion.
But the moss was just too slippery.
Although Xie Huaiye managed to pull her back, he also slipped, and the immense inertia caused both of them to fall to the ground.
A sudden dizziness.
The scent of earth and grass wafted towards us.
When Yan Ning finally came to her senses, she found herself lying on the ground, while Xie Huaiye...
It was pressing firmly on top of her!
His arm was still firmly wrapped around her waist.
To stabilize her body, she braced her other hand on the ground next to her head, forming a small circle around it.
Their faces were very close, their noses almost touching.
Yan Ning could clearly see her own small reflection in his deep eyes, and could even count his slightly trembling eyelashes.
Xie Huaiye's warm breath brushed against her cheek, carrying a strange, burning heat.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the sound of their somewhat disordered breathing.
And there was Yan Ning's own heart pounding like a drum in her chest.
Xie Huaiye was also stunned.
He could clearly feel the temperature of Yan Ning's body, and the faint fragrance of herbs lingered around his nose.
It smells so good...
Her wide eyes reflected the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, carrying a hint of lingering fear and...
A kind of panic he couldn't understand.
The distance is too close, almost unfair.
Xie Huaiye's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and the muscles in his arms around her waist inexplicably tensed.
But they forgot to get up immediately.
Yan Ning's cheeks flushed crimson at a visible speed.
She opened her mouth, as if to say something to break the suffocating awkwardness, but only managed to utter a faint whisper.
"you……"
Xie Huaiye's voice was somewhat low and hoarse, as if he also wanted to speak.
Just then, Sun Wuji's boisterous shout came from not far away:
"Sister Ning! Young Master Xie! Did you catch any game? I'm starving!"
The two of them only came to their senses when they heard the sound. They realized how embarrassing it would be if others saw what they were doing!
The two frantically tried to get up, but their arms got tangled together again, and they almost fell again.
After finally managing to get up and stand, the two of them blurted out in unison:
Are you alright?
Before the words had even finished, as if they had planned it beforehand, they blurted out at the same time:
"I'm fine."
The air froze instantly, becoming eerily quiet.
It was an awkward and somewhat ambiguous situation.
The moment their eyes met, they recoiled as if burned, each staring at the grass beneath their feet.
"Um, um..."
Yan Ning felt she had to do something to break this deadly awkward situation.
Her eyes darted around and she spotted the pheasant in the bushes nearby, which hadn't gone far.
"pheasant!"
Yan Ning, as if grasping at a straw, shouted, "The chicken is still there! I'll go catch it!"
Before she finished speaking, she suddenly plunged into the bushes beside her, more to escape than to catch a chicken.
Xie Huaiye hesitated for a moment, then blurted out, "Be careful, don't fall again..."
A rustling sound came from the grass.
"Giggle!"
The pheasant squawked in fear, and when Yan Ning emerged again, she was holding the disoriented pheasant in her hand.
With a stern face, she held the pheasant high, trying her best not to look at Xie Huaiye, and said in a deliberately calm voice:
"Look, we caught him! Mission accomplished! Let's go, let's hurry back to camp, we're starving!"
Xie Huaiye nodded quickly, his voice muffled: "Okay, let's go back."
The two walked back silently, one in front of the other, at least two meters apart, without saying a word to each other.
As soon as he stepped into the camp, he bumped into Sun Wuji's face.
He looked up and saw the two of them, his eyes lit up instantly, and his mouth stretched to his ears in a wide grin:
"Oh, the two hunting heroes are finally back!"
Sun Wuji put down the firewood, clapped his hands, stood up, and walked around the two of them for a short distance:
"This isn't efficient enough today, you're a whole incense stick's time slower than usual! Wait, what are your faces like..."
He deliberately leaned closer, pointing at Yan Ning and then at Xie Huaiye, "What's wrong? They're as red as freshly cooked shrimp?"
"Mosquito bites in this woods? That can't be right, mosquitoes only bite the face?"
Yan Ning felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and she subconsciously covered one cheek.
The pheasant struggled in her hand again, almost slipping out of her grasp.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
Yan Ning's voice was a little unsteady as she glared at Sun Wuji, "Isn't it obvious? It's hot! This trip is tiring! And the sun's been beating down on me!"
After saying that, she picked up the pheasant and rushed towards the area in the camp where the game was processed, muttering to herself:
"I'm starving! I'm starving! Hurry up and get something to cook!"
Xie Huaiye stood still, quickly lowered his head, and mumbled a reply:
"Yeah, it's pretty hot..."
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