"Young Master Xie, you're walking so fast!"
Hearing Qin Jiujiu's voice from behind, Xie Jing, as if by some whim, gradually slowed his pace. Qin Jiujiu seized the opportunity to catch up, finally walking alongside Xie Jing.
However, Qin Jiujiu soon realized the atmosphere had become awkward.
"Young Master Xie, do you dislike sweets? But when you're in a bad mood, eating something sweet can really help. I have a lot of snacks here, what would you like? Would you like some dried fruit? They're very tasty..."
As she spoke, Qin Jiujiu unfastened the pouch at her waist, reaching inside to retrieve some dried fruit. Dried fruits were essential for passing the time; munching on them while walking was the most delightful thing.
Scanning her selection, the bright red strawberry dried fruit caught her eye; it looked so cute. Qin Jiujiu decided on that, picked up a handful, and held it out to Xie Jing.
Looking at the red, unfamiliar objects before him, Xie Jing stopped walking.
To get the dried fruit as close to Xie Jing as possible, Qin Jiujiu stretched her arm out to its maximum length. Xie Jing's initially disdainful gaze shifted to mockery as he saw her struggling to stand on her toes, stretching her arm out.
Qin Jiujiu felt Xie Jing was laughing at her height.
Indeed, her height of just over 1.6 meters made her seem exceptionally short compared to Xie Jing's 1.85 meters. Coupled with her frail build, from behind Xie Jing, Qin Jiujiu was completely invisible.
Seeing Xie Jing refuse to take the dried fruit, Qin Jiujiu's mischievous spirit flared.
If you won't take it, I'll feed you myself!
"Do you like Sister Bai?" Qin Jiujiu's round, watery eyes stared intently at Xie Jing. To make him speak at this moment, only Bai Qianluo would do!
Xie Jing looked down at her. Her fair skin was dazzling in the sunlight, her round eyes fixed on him, her small, oval face seemingly small enough to be held in one hand.
Upon hearing her words, Xie Jing was startled and instinctively opened his mouth to speak, only to have a piece of the dried strawberry, as she called it, thrust into it.
Qin Jiujiu didn't know where she found the courage, but she actually tiptoed and managed to place a piece of dried strawberry into Xie Jing's mouth.
In her haste, she couldn't help but brush against Xie Jing's lips. She naturally noticed this, her hand recoiling instantly. But her fear intensified, and she unconsciously ignored the soft touch on her fingers.
As Xie Jing felt something foreign being shoved into his mouth, he also sensed the contact on his lips, a sensation he had never experienced before. Though it was just a light brush, the spot felt incredibly hot, as if it were burning a hole.
Feeling something amiss, Xie Jing became agitated and, for the moment, forgot to spit out the fruit.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiujiu was consumed by regret. Wasn't it better to be alive? Why had she dared to provoke him? She looked like a child who had done something wrong, her innocent eyes fixed on Xie Jing's mouth.
Xie Jing's lips were a little pale, fitting his usual image of a frail young master. Whether it was psychological or not, Qin Jiujiu felt the spot she had touched now had a hint of color. She hadn't used any force; it must be her imagination, she thought.
"Yan Xing gege, I didn't mean to. If you don't like it, you can spit it out here."
She didn't know why she had blurted out this title. It was because when she had reviewed the plot previously, someone in the original text had called him that. The sheer absurdity of it had left a deep impression. In a moment of impulse, she had just said it.
No matter how much she regretted it or how embarrassed she felt, she had to see this through!
Qin Jiujiu took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and held it with both hands near Xie Jing's lips. From her angle, she could see his lips, but she was too embarrassed to look now, so she deliberately shifted her gaze upwards, looking at his eyes.
As for making him spit it out, and into her hand, although she found it distasteful, she had to take responsibility for her own mess.
Xie Jing had never been so closely approached. Just as he was about to get angry, he suddenly heard the girl's soft, sweet voice, and his heart skipped a beat.
The title "Yan Xing gege" sounded so natural coming from the girl's lips. No one had ever called him that before, yet Qin Jiujiu saying it didn't strike him as strange. Instead, it evoked a strange, indescribable feeling.
Qin Jiujiu felt her life was now in the villain's hands. With no one around, it would be effortless for him to act, and in a way that left no trace.
The thought made Qin Jiujiu unconsciously lower her head, or rather, tuck her neck away. Every time she saw the villain, she felt as if her neck was suffocating.
But to Qin Jiujiu's surprise, Xie Jing didn't strangle her. Instead, he spat the dried strawberry into her handkerchief. Even through the fabric, Qin Jiujiu felt as though his saliva would transfer to her hand.
She had done this foolish thing, asking him to spit into her hand, out of sheer self-preservation. But she hadn't expected Xie Jing to actually do something so revolting.
Qin Jiujiu felt the author's portrayal of Xie Jing's character had instantly collapsed. Wasn't Xie Jing supposed to be a ruthless demon who loved no one but the heroine, a merciless killer? Even a great devil wouldn't do something so absurd.
But it had happened.
Qin Jiujiu subtly hid her disgusted expression and then, pretending to be subservient, smiled at Xie Jing as she dropped the handkerchief, along with the strawberry piece containing the villain's saliva, behind her.
Xie Jing watched her every move but didn't expose her. He decided to tease her, letting her keep the handkerchief!
"Too sweet!" Xie Jing said deliberately, his gaze locking onto Qin Jiujiu. This made her hand, which was sneakily discarding the handkerchief, freeze. Why did she feel like Xie Jing didn't want her to throw it away? She told herself she must be too stressed lately, as every move Xie Jing made made her jumpy.
Xie Jing felt his forbidden arts were about to act up. The moment he heard "Yan Xing gege," he knew something was wrong. What had started as a burning sensation on his lips where she touched them had spread to his earlobes, and his heart felt even more unsettled.
Except when killing, Xie Jing had never felt his heart beat so fast, as if it were being infused with fresh blood, vibrant and powerful.
If he hadn't known that Qin Jiujiu was merely mortal, he might have suspected she had used some dark magic on him.
For someone who had lived in darkness for so long, a heart as still as stagnant water could hardly be stirred. Seeing no light, there was no other option but to sink deeper into the darkness.
Xie Jing looked at Qin Jiujiu's face. Although her eyes held disdain, her expression was a smile. Xie Jing knew this look all too well; she was pretending.
Xie Jing reached out, intending to stop her disingenuous smile. Such a smile did not bring him pleasure; instead, it angered him.
As Qin Jiujiu sensed him reaching for her, she instinctively took a step back. This step confirmed to Xie Jing that the girl before him was afraid of him, terrified to the point that any of his movements made her vigilant.
The thought made Xie Jing's mood worsen. To control this emotion, he would surely kill her.
Just as Xie Jing was about to reach out and do what he had long intended, he was abruptly interrupted.
"Help! Help me..."
A girl in a red wedding dress, her hair disheveled, ran towards them, repeatedly crying for help, as if pursued by monstrous beasts.
Qin Jiujiu was immensely grateful for the girl's appearance. She had truly, undeniably felt Xie Jing's killing intent just moments before.
She could sense the murderous intent churning beneath the villain's dark eyes, the very look and state described in the book whenever the villain committed murder.
Qin Jiujiu had already resigned herself to dying in this desolate wilderness, but she never expected her savior to appear in such a pathetic state.