Qing Muye's brows furrowed. He cast a displeased glance at her, snatched the water bottle from her hand, and stuffed it into a side pocket of his backpack. "Talk less, you won't die."
He Ka Liannuo was naturally fair-skinned with deep-set features, thick eyebrows, large eyes, red lips, white teeth, and a head of naturally black, curly hair. Even with her hair tied up in a bun, she exuded a charming and alluring beauty.
A natural-born beauty, as lovely as the Queen of Loulan.
This was why He Ka Liannuo confidently declared, "There's no man in this world this Young Master can't conquer."
She was indeed beautiful; few could resist her allure.
Especially her every graceful movement, her bewitching eyes, and her heart-stirring charm.
But no matter how beautiful she was, Qing Muye remained unmoved.
"I'm so tired, Shifu. Can we rest for a while?"
She whined, "We've been walking for four hours since morning. I'm hungry. Can we take a break? I remember you have a saying in Lancheng, something like... 'Even a mule from a production team can't work constantly.' I'll really die of exhaustion."
Qing Muye, who had been worried sick about Meng Jingwei, couldn't help but chuckle at her words.
"You're a mule, does your mother know?" he responded, in a rare good mood.
Mule?
The saying referred to a donkey, but somehow He Ka Liannuo had misremembered it as a mule.
"Are you cursing me? Humph, if my mother knew, she'd chop off your head." He Ka Liannuo was indeed tired.
Although she had sprained her ankle, it had recovered and no longer hurt, but she was genuinely exhausted.
The constant uphill trek had consumed too much energy.
She had only eaten a few wild fruits that morning, and her energy replenishment was insufficient for such exertion.
She grabbed Qing Muye's wrist, "Shifu, let's rest, please, just for a bit, okay?"
Her hand on his wrist made Qing Muye stop in his tracks, his expression instantly turning grim.
He turned his head, his clear, cold gaze fixing on He Ka Liannuo. "Let go."
Those two terse words were spoken with an involuntary emphasis, carrying an inherent authority. His gaze alone made He Ka Liannuo a little intimidated.
She pouted, "Why so fierce? It's just holding your hand, it won't make a piece of flesh fall off."
While she grumbled under her breath, her hand obediently let go of his.
She rolled her eyes indignantly, "Tch, I really don't know how a woman like Meng Jingwei could fall for a man like you."
Honestly, she was a little envious of Meng Jingwei.
Envious that she could receive Qing Muye's complete love.
If she had been drawn to Qing Muye's appearance when they first met, then now, facing him—charming, handsome, and cool—she was truly captivated.
A desire to conquer Qing Muye grew wildly within her, like an invasive evil thought, beyond her control.
"Let's rest."
Qing Muye pointed to a small stream that appeared ahead, its gentle flow producing a pleasant sound.
He Ka Liannuo's eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over, crouching by the crystal-clear stream to drink some water and splash some on her face.
After resting by a rock for a while, her condition improved.
She looked up at the mountains, her gaze landing on a crooked-neck tree whose branches extended precisely behind Qing Muye.
Qing Muye, meanwhile, had produced a map from somewhere and was studying it.
He Ka Liannuo raised her well-defined eyebrows and walked towards Qing Muye step by step.
"Watch out!"
She lunged forward, slapping a branch behind Qing Muye and simultaneously flicking out a snake with an entirely green body.