"I'm going to pull out the arrow for you..." Ming Yu shot him a look of annoyance when she saw Hua Yun Jin smile. She couldn't understand why she had come back. Wouldn't it have been better to let this man die in the wilderness?
"Alright..." Hua Yun Jin replied readily. He leaned forward, and perhaps because he touched his wound, his face turned paler.
"Hold still, I have to pull the arrow out for you." Ming Yu stuffed a few herbs into her mouth, chewed them, and then tore open the back of Hua Yun Jin's clothing with her hands, exposing the wound.
Blood stained the area around the wound, and the spot where the arrow had entered was swollen. Ming Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it wasn't a poisoned arrow, or she wouldn't have been able to save him.
"Hold on..." Ming Yu gripped the arrow with her right hand, uttered a few muffled words, and then with a swift movement of her right hand, with a *tsk*, the arrow was pulled out, along with a considerable amount of blood.
Hua Yun Jin remained silent throughout the arrow's extraction. His hands were clenched tightly at his sides. His lower lip was bitten through.
Ming Yu quickly spat out the chewed herbs and applied them to the wound. Then, she tore off the hem of her own skirt and bandaged the wound.
After finishing, Ming Yu sat on the ground, gasping for breath.
Hua Yun Jin's entire body was soaked in sweat. He endured the pain without a single sound. Ming Yu couldn't help but admire him. He was indeed the king of a city, a veritable Asura on the battlefield.
"Are you alright?" Ming Yu asked with concern, seeing Hua Yun Jin's deathly pale face as he leaned against a tree.
"I'm fine." Hua Yun Jin forced a smile.
"That's good. How could you be so careless? With your skills, how could you possibly miss that arrow?" Ming Yu sat down beside Hua Yun Jin, letting him lean against her.
Hua Yun Jin smiled. Looking at the puzzled Ming Yu beside him, he said softly, "If I had dodged it, you would have been the one injured."
Ming Yu stiffened, her eyes dimming. A wave of unfamiliar emotions surged within her.
He said if he had dodged the arrow, she would have been injured. Such a heart-wrenching yet heartwarming statement.
Over the years, how many people had ever truly thought of her? They only saw the halo around her, the responsibilities she bore, but no one knew that she, too, was a person who needed care.
Ming Yu's eyes welled up. She murmured, "You fool..." Why was he so good to her? She had intended to take his life! They were enemies! How could he do something like this? To disregard his own life for an enemy?
"Miss Ming Yu, are you moved already?" Hua Yun Jin couldn't bear to see Ming Yu cry. In his impression, Ming Yu could be cold, heartless, act spoiled, or be fierce, but he never wanted to see her cry.
Seeing Ming Yu like this, Hua Yun Jin felt an inexplicable sense of helplessness. He didn't know how to comfort her. He had never valued a woman this much before, and he himself hadn't expected that he would risk his life for one.
"Hate..." Ming Yu glared at Hua Yun Jin. The previous surge of emotion vanished instantly. She reached behind him and gently patted the wound on his back.
Hua Yun Jin gasped in pain, the agony shooting through his entire body. He hadn't expected Ming Yu to dare do something like that!
Hua Yun Jin glared at Ming Yu, his body trembling slightly from the pain. But seeing Ming Yu's triumphant expression, all his anger dissipated. Looking at her smug smile, Hua Yun Jin felt it was worth it.
"You said that about me..." Ming Yu, feeling a little embarrassed by Hua Yun Jin's gaze, turned her head away and muttered resentfully.
"Stop messing around. Once I'm better, you can do whatever you want." Hua Yun Jin reached out his right hand and gently ruffled Ming Yu's hair.
Ming Yu blinked and looked at Hua Yun Jin with confusion. When she saw the tenderness in his eyes, she lowered her head.
Chang Yu had said that Hua Yun Jin was the type of person who, once he fell in love, would love someone with his entire heart.
Her interactions with him over the past period had gradually shifted her initial hatred to a sense of unease.
She seemed to have unconsciously grown accustomed to Hua Yun Jin. She seemed to have softened towards him.
Hua Yun Jin's gaze towards her grew increasingly tender, clearly flowing with affection. Ming Yu didn't know what to do next.
If, one day, Hua Yun Dan had an opportunity, what would she do? Would she let Hua Yun Dan kill Hua Yun Jin?
Her heart was no longer as hard as it was at first. After months of being together, the warmth Hua Yun Jin had given her was something she could never forget. Just like today, Hua Yun Jin had taken an arrow for her, disregarding his own safety.
"Hua Yun Jin, I'm scared..." Ming Yu said softly.
"I know..." Hua Yun Jin pulled Ming Yu into his embrace, resting his chin on her head.
"Miss Ming Yu, shall we just continue like this?" Hua Yun Jin said softly. If we continue like this, you don't say it, I don't say it, and we just go on like this, it's actually not bad. We won't have to suddenly stand on opposite sides and become enemies one day.
"Okay!" Ming Yu replied, her voice choked with emotion.
"Miss Ming Yu, I'm hungry..." Hua Yun Jin felt the woman's sadness in his arms and, with a twinkle in his eye, said pitifully.
Ming Yu stiffened, then looked up at Hua Yun Jin in disbelief. Hua Yun Jin's face was pale, and he wore a pitiful expression. Ming Yu let out a chuckle and playfully pinched his face, "The dignified king of a city, showing such a pathetic face! If your people saw this, they'd surely have their jaws drop."
"There's no one here but us," Hua Yun Jin said dismissively. "Miss Ming Yu, aren't you hungry? Look, the sun has set, and the birds have all gone home to eat!"
"There are no human settlements for hundreds of miles. How are we supposed to find food?" Ming Yu rolled her eyes. This place was full of trees, but there wasn't even a rabbit in sight. Fearing that they might alert the people who wanted to kill them, they didn't even dare light a fire.
The night air was cool and crisp. Ming Yu, held in Hua Yun Jin's arms, they held each other for warmth.
"Miss Ming Yu, I'm so sleepy..." Hua Yun Jin felt overcome with drowsiness, his body trembling slightly. He was so cold, even holding Ming Yu, he felt chilled.
Ming Yu noticed the abnormal temperature of Hua Yun Jin's body. She reached out and placed her hand on his forehead. Her palm felt burning hot. Ming Yu's worst fear had come true. He had a fever.
What was she supposed to do here, so far from any settlement?
Ming Yu grew anxious. A person with a wound was most vulnerable to fever, which could lead to infection of the wound.
"Miss Ming Yu, I'm so cold..." Hua Yun Jin murmured with his eyes closed, his body temperature rising.