Big Boss – Chapter 16

Spending a night together

“Ci Ke?” Ye Youqing couldn’t hide her surprise. She looked around; birds flew scattered, and the ground bore messy footprints.

She didn’t approach immediately but sized up the woman lying amidst a pile of fallen leaves and dirt.

Ci Ke lay on her side, hands clutching one side of her calf, almost curled into a ball. A closer look at her hair would reveal she was suppressing a tremble.

In the wilds, why would Ci Ke be here? Could it be related to Qin Wang again? Ye Youqing thought, taking two steps forward, then abruptly stopped.

By the time Ci Ke looked up again, the figure had already passed through the bushes and left.

“Heh,” Ci Ke suddenly scoffed, slowly stretching out, lying flat on the ground, gazing at the increasingly dim sky above, the sharp pain in her leg slowly subsiding into an immovable numbness.

A full moon in the distance, its light piercing through layers of clouds like mist, as wild geese flew in formation overhead.

How could she harbor even a slight hope again? Ye Youqing, of all people, why expect anything from her?

Closing her eyes full of confusion, she quietly felt the night breeze and the rustle of insects crawling past her ears.

“Can you move?” A gentle voice sounded above her, and a cool hand grasped her knee, turning her calf over to reveal a wound that had seeped a large patch of blood.

Ci Ke suddenly opened her eyes, the confusion not yet cleared, staring blankly at the woman half-kneeling beside her. The woman’s hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, her eyes cool and detached, but her tone gentle.

Ye Youqing placed a package she just brought over down, dug out a small porcelain bottle from inside, used her fingertip to pop open the seal, and poured the liquid inside onto Ci Ke’s leg through the fabric.

Her movements were swift. After disinfecting the wound, she glanced sideways at Ci Ke, only to be taken aback by the tears streaking the woman’s face.

“Does it hurt that much?” Ye Youqing felt somewhat baffled. She looked at the porcelain bottle in her hand, “The wound is not deep, and Qin Xin said this medicine is very mild.”

Ci Ke suddenly turned her face away, refusing to look at Ye Youqing, her lips pursed tightly while tears fell like beads off a string, as if she was bearing the weight of immense injustice.

“Leave me alone.” Ci Ke said.

In this and her past life, Ye Youqing had never encountered someone so stubborn; nearly dissolving into a puddle of pain, yet still so defiant with her words.

She sighed deeply. Having been a model citizen in her previous life, she couldn’t just leave an injured woman alone in the forest at night.

“Can you walk?” Ye Youqing asked, then reached out to support the woman’s neck, exerting a slight force to help her sit up.

As Ye Youqing embraced her, Ci Ke instinctively wanted to pull away, but for some reason, resisted the urge and slowly relaxed, although still refusing to meet Ye Youqing’s gaze. Looking downwards, she said sarcastically, “Miss Ye, you left already, why come back?”

“I’m going to get the medicine,” Ye Youqing replied briefly, and then repeated, “Can you still walk?”

It took a moment before Ci Ke shook her head.

By the dimming light, soon to be fully obscured by the branches, Ye Youqing carefully examined the wound, which seemed to have been caused by something sharp. The clothing was torn, revealing a small section of skin stained red with blood.

How did she fall to injure her calf in such a way? Ye Youqing wondered.

Never mind, Ye Youqing thought to herself. Then, she stepped over Ci Ke, positioning herself on the other side. With her left hand on the woman’s shoulder and the other under her knees, she gently lifted Ci Ke into a carry.

In the moment she was embraced, Ci Ke bit her lip, her eyelashes fluttered as if struggling with her inner turmoil, before she gradually relaxed her body, yet her eyes remained firmly shut.

Ci Ke’s body appeared voluptuous but was unexpectedly light, not requiring much effort to hold.

Ye Youqing made her way back to the campfire, navigating through the thorns along the path they had come. She gently kneeled to set Ci Ke down, casually draping her outer garment over Ci Ke’s shoulders, then turned her focus to tending to the dying fire.

A few dry logs were thrown in, and the flames crackled back to life with vigor.

Ci Ke remained silent, letting herself be taken care of by the woman. Her eyes, still slightly red, were fixed on Ye Youqing, watching her every efficient and orderly move.

Ye Youqing felt Ci Ke’s gaze but didn’t mind. She was aware of her dissimilarity to the original owner and had no desire to maintain the former’s personality and behaviors. People change, after all – they either achieve enlightenment or fall to their lowest.

After finishing her tasks, Ye Youqing worked on constructing an unsightly frame to roast a chicken until its skin was crispy and aromatic. Then, she returned to Ci Ke and squatted down in front of her.

“Stretch out your leg,” she said indifferently.

Ci Ke didn’t move. Ye Youqing, not one to waste words, grabbed her ankle and pulled her over. Ci Ke’s body swayed, and she steadied herself with her hands behind her.

The woman in front of her was serious and efficient in rolling up the trouser leg to reveal the wound, no longer bleeding. Supporting the leg with her left hand, Ye Youqing took out another bottle of medicine with her right, bit the seal with her teeth, and popped it open.

A cool powder sprinkled down, seemingly easing the pain and replacing it with a tingling sensation.

Held by Ye Youqing’s hand, Ci Ke instinctively wanted to draw closer, as if something deep inside her was screaming at her. Yet, she suppressed it fiercely, culminating in a cold laugh, “Miss Ye, you humble yourself.”

Normally, such a remark would have provoked Ye Youqing’s anger. However, this time, she seemed as if she hadn’t heard at all. After applying the powder, she took out a white cloth and began wrapping the wound in layers.

Ci Ke suddenly felt as if she was punching cotton – neither pain nor irritation was felt.

“Why are you here in these dangerous mountains?” Ye Youqing asked.

“My master sent me, so I had no choice but to come,” Ci Ke quietly replied.

Ye Youqing suddenly understood – it must have been Qin Wang who sent her. That man was truly heartless, sending a girl through the forest in the dead of night.

“Where are the others?” Ye Youqing asked.

“Chasing the fox.”

Ye Youqing paused in her actions, thinking to herself that she indeed arrived a step too late. Yet, fortunately, the white fox was not yet in Qin Wang’s hands, and she still had a chance.

“Where are they?”

“Why should I tell you?”

Ye Youqing, running out of patience, increased the pressure on her hand slightly. Ci Ke desperately tried to pull her foot back, but it was still firmly in Ye Youqing’s grasp.

“Over there.” Ci Ke, enduring the pain, trembled as she pointed in the direction where the two men had run.

The pain in her leg suddenly eased, and the woman’s movements remained gentle as she even moved Ci Ke closer to the fire, speaking softly, “It’s cool at night. If you’re still cold, there’s burning liquor and dry food in the bundle that could warm your stomach. But don’t touch the roast chicken.”

Ci Ke clenched the cloak draped over her, turning her head away, refusing to look at Ye Youqing.

The woman didn’t look back either. She stood up, brushing the dirt off herself, her hand firmly gripping a willow leaf hairpin. Her blue-grey silhouette quickly vanished into the dense forest, as if with her departure, warmth had left, and silence descended all around.

Ci Ke stared blankly at her bandaged wound, her eyes shifting from anger to a numb expression.

Even with a roaring fire, the surrounding air turned cold. She suddenly stretched her hand, pulling Ye Youqing’s cloak tighter around her and buried her face in her knees.

She couldn’t help but seek warmth, even though she knew this warmth could turn into a heart-piercing, bone-cutting knife at any moment.

Time slowly passed; even the circling birds vanished from the sky. Thick clouds enveloped the hilltops, obscuring the moonlight, and the trees limited the visibility. Aside from the sky, everywhere was shrouded in darkness.

Only the bonfire was burning strongly, a faint sense of fear spreading to her heart. Ci Ke could only move closer to the flames, stopping only when the heat became somewhat scalding.

She didn’t want to admit it but had to acknowledge that she was scared.

The surrounding quietness was too profound, with animal howls coming from somewhere, causing Ci Ke to shiver slightly. Eventually, she threw down the cloak, trying to get up by supporting her knees.

But, unfortunately, she applied pressure in an unfortunate spot. A stabbing pain ran through her calf, causing her to stagger immediately.

Before she could steady herself, a hand emerged from the shadows, firmly grasping her and steadying her stance.

“Why get up?” Ye Youqing asked, as she reattached the willow leaf hairpin to her hair, a trace of dejection in her demeanor, before she let go and sat back down by the campfire.

Ci Ke stiffened for a moment before joining her, sitting down. Despite not wanting to admit it, the fear that had gripped her seemed to have dissipated.

“Those two fools fell into a hunter’s trap,” Ye Youqing said with a helpless shrug, bending over to add some wood to the fire, “And the fox is nowhere to be seen.”

The night was a bit chilly, and she breathed onto her hands for warmth. Under the glow of the firelight, her face appeared slightly flushed, her eyes shimmering.

Ci Ke, feeling somewhat relaxed, shifted her gaze to the campfire and hummed intentionally.