Chapter 59 Her Little Tail Xie Yunze
“In these deep mountains and forests, I’m afraid you might get lost because you’re unfamiliar with the area, or fall into a trap set by some old hunter. That would be very dangerous.”
I know this forest like the back of my hand, and I kindly offered to be your free guide, but I almost lost my life instead.
Xu Zhili's eyes remained unchanged, still icy: "No need. Get out."
She turned and left quickly, trying to get rid of this inescapable trouble completely.
However, Xie Yunze was like a piece of chewy taffy, with long legs and wide strides. He easily caught up with her in just a few steps, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far, just at the edge of her attack range, and followed behind with a grin.
"Sister, don't be so cold. This forest is no joke. Besides those treacherous traps, there are hungry wild boars, packs of jackals that can devour a person to the bone, and if you're 'lucky,' you might even run into a bear out for a stroll! And you, a delicate and beautiful woman..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Xu Zhili's sudden stop.
Xu Zhili turned around abruptly, raising the wood-chopping knife again, the tip almost piercing Xie Yunze's nose.
Her eyes were as cold as ice, her extreme impatience after being pestered, and her rising killing intent were barely contained in her voice, which also carried a dangerous rage.
"What exactly do you want?"
Pointing at him with that cold blade, Xie Yunze's smile finally faded a bit.
He raised his hands in surrender, but his eyes met Xu Zhili's scrutinizing gaze with unusual frankness. Gone was the previous playfulness; instead, a strange seriousness and a hint of barely perceptible confusion settled in his gaze.
"I……"
He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, his eyes flickering with a hint of hesitation that even he himself didn't fully understand.
“I don’t know why… I just felt a little panicked when I saw you going into the mountains alone, sister. I felt like I couldn’t let anything happen to you.”
He scratched the back of his head, a gesture that carried a touch of youthful clumsiness, contrasting sharply with the skill he had previously displayed.
“My mother said I was a wolf cub raised in these mountains and forests. I know the paths in the mountains and forests very well and have a natural instinct for danger.”
He pointed to his heart, his tone becoming exceptionally sincere, "Sister, will you believe me this once? I really don't have any bad intentions, I just... I just don't want you to get hurt."
Xu Zhili's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Her cold, penetrating eyes locked onto Xie Yunce's open, even somewhat naive, gaze. In her eyes, there was no scheming, no greed, only an almost animalistic concern and...stubbornness.
Her fingers, gripping the machete, loosened slightly.
It wasn't because of belief, but because of assessment—this boy was agile, had extremely fast reflexes, could dodge her sudden fatal blow, and was indeed familiar with the mountains and forests.
Instead of wasting time getting entangled here, or actually falling into his trap and being attacked by wild beasts, why not... make use of this waste?
More importantly, her keen sense of smell detected a very faint, almost imperceptible... scent of blood.
The smell seemed to be coming from the back of Xie Yunze's body where he had bumped into the tree trunk.
Is he injured?
when?
Xu Zhili slowly lowered the wood-chopping knife, but her eyes remained full of warning, and her voice was icy: "You can follow, but stay three meters away from me. If you dare to take a single step closer, or make any unnecessary noise that might disturb the prey..."
She didn't finish speaking; instead, she flicked her wrist slightly, twirling the woodcutter's knife in a beautiful flourish. A cold glint flashed from the icy blade, the threat unmistakable.
Xie Yunze's eyes lit up instantly, like a puppy that had just received a bone. He nodded vigorously and said, "Understood. I promise to stay three meters away from my sister, be absolutely quiet, and absolutely not cause any trouble."
He even exaggeratedly made a zipper gesture over his mouth, and then obediently took three steps back, keeping a distance and following closely behind Xu Zhili. However, his bright eyes remained burningly focused on the slender yet powerful figure in front of him.
The forest returned to silence, with only the faint sound of the two walking one after the other at a safe distance.
Sunlight struggled to penetrate the dense canopy, casting shifting patches of light.
Xu Zhili re-entered hunting mode, activating all her senses.
Her "little tail" faithfully adhered to the "three-meter rule," but the probing gaze and growing interest, like vines quietly sprouting in the forest, silently entwined around her.
Xu Zhili stopped abruptly, as if she were a beast that had smelled blood.
Her sharp gaze was fixed on the muddy ground—where several fresh, deep hoof prints were clearly visible.
The two semi-circular depressions form a twisted inverted heart shape, with the edges covered in churned, wet mud, emitting a strong earthy smell and an indescribable, wild, pungent odor.
Wild boar!
This thought surged through Xu Zhili's nerves like an electric current, instantly igniting a dormant flame in her eyes—not fear, but excitement, an almost instinctive excitement belonging to a apex predator.
The men in the construction team finally had a hearty lunch, and An'an could finally enjoy some delicious meat.
Xie Yunze, who had been keeping a three-meter distance and following closely like a wary little wolf, immediately sensed the dramatic change in the aura ahead.
He took a silent step closer, then abruptly stopped, remembering the prohibition, and lowered his voice, his tone filled with the curiosity and tension typical of a young man.
"Sister? What's wrong?"
His gaze quickly swept to the ground, and when he saw the hoof print, his pupils contracted slightly, and his muscles tensed instantly, as if he had smelled a dangerous beast.
Xu Zhili did not turn around. Her profile appeared cold and focused in the dappled light. Her voice was extremely low, carrying an unquestionable tone of command.
"Can you climb a tree? Now, right now, find a thick one and climb up. If the wild boar comes out and dares to come down and cause trouble, I'll break your legs first!"
"ah?"
Xie Yunze was taken aback by her sudden, murderous order. He subconsciously tilted his head, his beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with confusion.
"Climbing a tree? Why..." He didn't finish his question.
Xu Zhili didn't give him any time to ask questions.
She was like a silent black lightning bolt, instantly removing the empty basket from her back and tossing it aside, her movements so fast they left afterimages.
The machete in her hand was no longer a tool for cutting thorns. Now she gripped it tightly in her other hand, the handle sinking deep into her palm, the cold metallic gleam gleaming with a deadly chill in the dark forest.
She crouched down, like a cheetah poised to pounce, and with a few silent slides, she precisely concealed herself behind an ancient tree that was as thick as two people could hug, leaving only a pair of cold yet fiery eyes burning with hunting desire, fixed on the direction the hoofprints extended.
Xie Yunze was completely stunned by this display of power.
Looking at Xu Zhili's figure blending into the shadows and exuding a terrifying aura, his heart pounded and his throat went dry.
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