For a moment, he finally let her go.
Qin Jiujiu, regaining her breath, suddenly found her throat grasped by the person before her.
Her breath was stolen once more.
A flicker of shock crossed her eyes as she stared at him. He seemed to understand, but coldly uttered, "You deserve to die!"
Why? Why did she deserve to die?
She had done no wrong, harmed no one. Why did she deserve to die, and why would these words come from his lips?
The hand that choked her neck, a hand she had once longed to warm, was now about to claim her life.
And she had no idea what had happened in this fleeting moment.
Her eyes were wet, fixed on his bloodshot gaze.
She had thought their intimacy meant he had feelings for her too.
So, the long-awaited "I like you" wasn't because it was too late.
Her hand lay on Xie Jing's, her struggling with all her might, but her strength was too little, unable to budge him at all.
A tear fell from her flushed face, landing on his hand.
It felt hot!
Xie Jing's heart suddenly ached, but why was he in such pain?
Wasn't killing a pleasant thing?
Qin Jiujiu gradually lost consciousness, like a fish on the verge of drowning, about to die.
Gradually, she lost consciousness.
And her breath ceased.
She remembered her last desperate plea, muffled by the chokehold, barely coherent.
"I want to go home… Xie Jing… please… don't kill me…"
So, before death, there were lingering desires.
…
She seemed to slumber in a quiet world for a long time.
Xie Jing held Qin Jiujiu in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
"Jiujiu, wake up…"
"Xiao Jing!"
Qin Jiujiu heard her name being called in her sleep and suddenly opened her eyes. Bai Qianluo was crouched before her, backlit.
Behind her, a scene of lush green.
She gasped, her eyes instantly clearing.
This place was nothing like the barren desert. All she saw were verdant plants, growing luxuriantly.
Was this a jungle?
The words of Bai Qianluo and Xie Yun confirmed her thoughts.
She seemed to have had a dream where Xie Jing had suddenly turned dark and killed her…
Qin Jiujiu instinctively touched her neck, finding no abnormalities, and breathed a sigh of relief.
But could this be a premonition?
In the original plot, Qin Yunwan was choked to death by Xie Jing. If she couldn't complete her mission smoothly, wouldn't she also be choked to death by him?
Thinking of this, Qin Jiujiu felt the suffocating sensation on her neck surge towards her.
It was as if her throat was being constricted again, her breathing difficult.
Bai Qianluo, noticing Qin Jiujiu's peculiar actions, asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Qin Jiujiu shook her head and lowered her hand.
But where was Xie Jing?
Speak of the devil, Xie Jing suddenly walked out from behind a tree, with Xie Yun behind him.
Seeing Xie Jing, Qin Jiujiu instinctively felt fear, the suffocating sensation still in her throat, and she hesitated to approach him.
Qin Jiujiu subtly hid behind Bai Qianluo. This action, however, alerted Xie Jing.
His observation of her became more meticulous than before.
Xie Yun, oblivious to the undercurrents between them, said, "Although we don't know how we arrived in this jungle, that tree adorned with red ribbons yesterday must be the entrance… This jungle is far more perilous than the desert, we must be extra careful!"
Bai Qianluo nodded in agreement. The jungle held countless unknown dangers; one misstep could be fatal, so caution was indeed necessary.
"This is an insect repellent sachet. Most insects will keep away if you carry it!"
He distributed the sachets one by one. Qin Jiujiu took hers and tied it to her Qiankun bag.
The four of them followed the small path to explore.
For others, the correctness of their path would depend on luck. But following the protagonist group meant relying on their luck. Qin Jiujiu knew they would surely reach their destination and find Anzhou.
Finding water in the rainforest was an easy task. By evening, they found a large tree and prepared to set up hammocks to sleep.
Qin Jiujiu couldn't climb trees, so she could only watch Xie Yun and Xie Jing set up the hammocks.
The hammocks looked rather high. She felt uneasy. What if she fell out while sleeping at night?
But sleeping below would be too dangerous at night. After much thought, sleeping in the tree seemed safer!
Qin Jiujiu heard the sound of water, there must be a water source nearby!
She glanced down at herself, then at Bai Qianluo. Both of them were not in good condition.
They definitely needed a bath!
"Sister Bai, why don't we go for a bath?"
Bai Qianluo had also long found the sticky feeling on her body uncomfortable, so she followed Qin Jiujiu towards the sound of water.
As expected, there was a lake.
The lake water looked quite clear. Qin Jiujiu had a thought, glanced around, then took off her outer clothes, wearing only a bodice, and entered the water.
Bai Qianluo was a bit reserved. She turned her back to Qin Jiujiu and began to undress.
Qin Jiujiu let out a light laugh, "Sister Bai, you are so beautiful!"
It was a teasing remark, but also a genuine compliment.
Bai Qianluo's face flushed. "Jiujiu, what are you talking about?"
Qin Jiujiu leaned on the bank, and Bai Qianluo stood very close. With one reach, she pulled Bai Qianluo into the lake with her.
The cool water gently caressed every inch of her skin, flowing everywhere.
Qin Jiujiu moved closer to Bai Qianluo, "Sister Bai, isn't it comfortable?"
Bai Qianluo diligently washed away the dirt, the water flowing over her fair skin, creating ripples.
When Bai Qianluo finished washing and efficiently got ashore to put on her clothes, Qin Jiujiu was still in the water.
"Jiujiu, are you done?"
Qin Jiujiu shook her head. "Sister Bai, don't you want to soak a little longer?"
Bai Qianluo's eyes clearly conveyed her refusal, "I'll go back first and see how Chen Zhi and the others are doing with the setup…"
The place was close to their resting spot, so it was considered safe.
Qin Jiujiu could only watch Bai Qianluo's back gradually disappear from her sight. Just as she was about to get up, she heard Xie Jing's voice from behind the large tree in front of her.
"Miss Qin, not staying for a longer soak?"
Why was he here?
In her panic, Qin Jiujiu sank back into the water. Xie Jing heard the splash, and instead of avoiding it, he walked out from behind the tree.
His gaze was fixed on her. Qin Jiujiu's face flushed, and she submerged herself further in the water.
"Second Young Master Xie, why are you here?"
His gaze fell on her face, still fixed.
Qin Jiujiu felt as if she were standing naked before Xie Jing, being looked at by him.
However, she quickly realized that she was, in fact, naked at this moment.
"What? I can't be here?"
He suddenly walked to the edge of the bank. He lightly untied his belt, and his clothes, no longer bound by the belt, instantly revealed an opening.
He took off the loosely draped clothes, revealing his fair and lean physique underneath.
What was he planning to do?