As the other two wolves lunged at her, Meng Jingwei fought them fiercely. The wolf king, sensing an opportunity, rose and attacked her with its keen sense of smell.
Meng Jingwei was still grappling with the two wolves, unable to defend herself against the wolf king's assault. Just as she thought she was about to meet her end, a deafening bang echoed through the forest, startling the birds into flight. The wolf king howled and collapsed to the ground.
Following the gunshot, Meng Jingwei saw Qing Muyye descend as if from the heavens, a gun in his hand. He fired two more shots at the wolves in front of her, killing them instantly.
The wolves lay still on the ground. Meng Jingwei, as if her strength had been drained, slumped to the ground and weakly looked at Qing Muyye, who was jogging towards her.
The man was as handsome as ever, his chiseled features and sculpted face filled with worry. He strode towards her in three quick steps, looking down at her before his gaze fell upon her right arm.
Her arm was bleeding profusely. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt, it offered no protection, and the gruesome wound was laid bare before Qing Muyye. Fresh blood seeped from the wolf's bite, irritating the unhealed wound and causing it to bleed, trickling down her fair fingers onto the grass.
Meng Jingwei leaned against the tree trunk, weak and listless. Her right leg was bent, her injured arm resting limply on her knee, her fingers trembling as blood continued to flow. Despite her poor condition, a relieved smile spread across her face when she saw Qing Muyye. It was a smile filled with a sense of security, as if her tense heart had instantly relaxed, and she was no longer afraid.
"If you hadn't come, you might never have seen me again," Meng Jingwei said with a smile, teasingly. She knew Qing Muyye would come looking for her. He hadn't disappointed her!
Heaven knew how anxious Qing Muyye had been when he'd arrived, following a wisp of smoke from the jungle above, and witnessed the scene before him: a slender woman surrounded by wolves, nearly losing her life. At that moment, his heart had nearly stopped, his breath caught in his throat.
A faint smile touched the man's usually icy face. "You have a tough life; you won't die." It was a jest, but also a comfort. He crouched down, looking at her injured right arm, so badly wounded. "Your injury is serious. We need to get you a tetanus shot immediately."
As he spoke, he took off his white short-sleeved shirt, tore it into strips, and wrapped them around her arm, bandaging it simply.
"How did you find me so quickly?" Meng Jingwei asked, finding it hard to imagine how Qing Muyye had found her given the distance of two to three hundred li.
"I was afraid Grandma would be sad if you died," Qing Muyye replied as he bandaged her arm.
"I have a tough life, I won't die. But..." Meng Jingwei looked at Qing Muyye, pursed her lips, and asked, "Do you have anything to eat? I'm hungry." She was genuinely, ravenously hungry. After she spoke, she looked at Qing Muyye, only to see him stunned for a moment. She immediately waved her hand, "Forget it, forget it. Men like you wouldn't have anything to eat."
"Would you eat this?" the man asked, fumbling in his pocket. He then held out his palm to Meng Jingwei. In it were... White Rabbit candies.
Seeing the candy, the young woman's eyes lit up. "Where did you get candy?" she asked. With no food available, a few candies to replenish her energy would be good.
"This time, we donated not only school supplies but also many snacks to the children. This is what they gave me when I helped them at the school that day." As he spoke, the man picked up a White Rabbit candy, peeled off the wrapper, and put the candy into her mouth.
The White Rabbit candy was soft and incredibly sweet. It was likely the best thing Meng Jingwei had eaten in days. The sweetness chased away the bitterness in her mouth, instantly lifting her spirits. She looked at Qing Muyye foolishly and smiled at him. Her smile, bright but tinged with a hint of bitterness, made the man's heart ache, yet he smiled back with satisfaction. He instinctively reached out and stroked her head. "You smile like an idiot."
As the young woman continued to smile, she turned her head away. A wave of bitterness welled up in her clear eyes, making them red, but she didn't want Qing Muyye to see it. She feared he would take advantage of her vulnerability and mock her. Her actions tugged at Qing Muyye's heart. He looked at her with immense tenderness and asked, "Do you want to eat meat?"
Meng Jingwei sniffled and frowned, confused. "Where's the meat?" The man raised his brow slightly and glanced at the wolf beside them... There it was, ready-made.
"Wolves are protected animals, isn't that illegal?" Meng Jingwei asked. The man raised an eyebrow at her. "You're about to die, and you're still worried about that?" Meng Jingwei said nothing more. She hadn't eaten in three days, had traveled a long distance, and was tired and hungry. If she could eat, it would be wonderful.
"Sit still, I'll get it for you." The man found dry wood and started a fire in front of her. Then, he dragged a wolf over to prepare it, cleaned it, and roasted it over the fire.
"If you start a fire here, it might attract wolves," Meng Jingwei said, feeling a little worried.
"With me here, you can rest assured," Qing Muyye replied. Those words brought a wave of security, making Meng Jingwei feel exceptionally safe and relaxed. She knew Qing Muyye was Li Yun'er's fiancé, and she should be wary. However, after days of being together, she had gradually let down her guard around him!
Rustle rustle—
Suddenly, a faint sound was heard. The two of them looked up, met each other's gaze, and then turned their heads in unison, following the direction of the sound. At that moment, a figure burst out of the dense forest. It was none other than... the masked man!
The masked man froze, looking at Qing Muyye, then at Meng Jingwei sitting by the fire. He remained silent. However, Qing Muyye had already drawn his pistol, the dark muzzle aimed at the masked man, his face chilling and terrifying.
Seeing this, Meng Jingwei stood up, her injured right hand pressing down on the gun in Qing Muyye's hand. This action baffled Qing Muyye. He looked at Meng Jingwei in confusion, only to see the young woman take the gun from him, raise her right hand, and aim the muzzle at the masked man!
As their eyes met, the masked man's brows furrowed beneath his mask. "You want to kill me?"
"If I don't kill you, do I save you for the New Year?" Meng Jingwei had always been someone who clearly distinguished between love and hate, a person who sought revenge for any wrong. Without further ado, she gripped the gun in her hand, shifted the muzzle, and aimed it at the man's thigh, firing.
"Ugh..." The bullet brought immense pain, causing him to tremble and nearly buckle at the knees. But the man held firm, standing there without moving. Meng Jingwei then handed the pistol back to Qing Muyye and said to the masked man, "We're even now. If there's a next time, it will depend on whose luck is better."