The firewood was damp from the rain, taking a while to ignite.
"All of you, come closer and dry your clothes. You'll catch a cold otherwise," Xiao Cheng said to the group.
They shuffled closer, some sitting on rocks, some on wood, and some on logs, all falling into silence.
He Kai Lingchuan, feeling the awkwardness, initiated a conversation with Anthony.
Meng Jingwei lowered her head, watching the crackling firewood, her mind burdened.
After entering the mountains, to avoid traveling the same path, they had been assigned seven or eight different entry points.
She had left markings for Qing Muyue all along the way, but she hadn't anticipated the rain, which had washed away all traces.
Would Qing Muyue still be able to find her smoothly?
"Haa~"
He Kai Lingchuan yawned. "I'm sleepy. I'm going to sleep. We have to travel tomorrow."
Anthony cast a meaningful glance at Meng Jingwei and then went to his tent.
"You two sleep. I'll take the first watch. Kang Zi, you can take the latter half of the month."
Xiao Cheng voluntarily took on the duty of the first half of the night watch.
After all, both Anthony and He Kai Lingchuan were princes, and Meng Jingwei was a woman; she couldn't possibly stand guard.
"Okay." Kang Zi stood up and, limping, returned to his tent.
Once all three had entered their respective tents and zipped them closed, Xiao Cheng finally looked up and met Meng Jingwei's gaze. "You should go rest too. With me on watch, you can all sleep soundly."
The unspoken meaning: With me watching over you, nothing will happen.
Meng Jingwei pursed her lips and nodded slightly before going to sleep.
Because they had compressed biscuits in their backpacks, everyone only ate compressed biscuits for dinner. Moreover, with limited visibility at night, hunting was impossible, so there was no way to have an "extra meal."
With no other food to sustain them, compressed biscuits were the last resort.
Lying in her sleeping bag, Meng Jingwei closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.
At least she felt secure knowing Xiao Cheng was guarding her.
After an unknown amount of time, Meng Jingwei keenly felt her sleeping bag stir.
She reached under her pillow, retrieved a dagger, and remained still.
Gradually, the sleeping bag was unzipped, and someone crawled in.
Sensing the person getting closer, Meng Jingwei grabbed the intruder's clothing, pinned them to the ground, and held the dagger to their face, lowering her voice, "Who is it?"
"It's me!"
The man's voice was very soft.
Meng Jingwei then withdrew her dagger and asked in a deliberately hushed tone, "Xiao Cheng, what are you doing?"
"Swapping sleeping bags," he said concisely.
Meng Jingwei didn't ask for the reason.
She could figure it out with her toes: Xiao Cheng wanted to swap tents with her to shield her from danger.
"No need!"
Meng Jingwei flatly refused.
She owed Xiao Cheng too much; she couldn't let him take risks for her or charge into danger.
"He Kai Qing Tang meticulously crafted these new game rules specifically to eliminate you and Qing Muyue. I advise you not to be too confident."
Although called individual tents, they were essentially just sleeping bags.
Xiao Cheng entered the tent. Meng Jingwei knelt beside him, one hand gripping his collar, the other supporting his forehead. As she spoke, afraid of being overheard, she leaned in close, creating a somewhat intimate proximity.
In the confined space, and wearing thin clothing, they could almost feel each other's body heat.
Xiao Cheng had longed for such closeness with her, but at this moment, no impure thoughts occupied his mind; it was all concern for her.
"Precisely why I cannot let you walk to your death!" Meng Jingwei replied.
"Since that's the case, I... have a suggestion."
"What suggestion?"
Meng Jingwei asked.
This time, it was Xiao Cheng who seemed hesitant.
He paused for a few seconds and then said, "The tents for men and women are blue and pink. In our group, you are the only woman. If those people want to kill you, they can eliminate you without even entering your tent. The best way would be..."