The chocolate, not a large piece to begin with, was almost entirely consumed by Hou Mingzhu in a blink. At the last bite, despite swallowing hard, she ultimately chose to leave it for Ye Tiancheng.
"If I were to eat it all myself, I'd feel quite bad. You have it. It's just one bite left, to replenish your energy a bit. I still need you to protect my safety."
"It's alright. I can go two or three days without eating. You enjoy it yourself. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll be too hungry to sleep tonight, which will affect your condition tomorrow."
The wind and snow continued outside, clearly indicating that Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu would be spending the night in this cave. Ye Tiancheng could manage with his true qi protecting his body, but if Hou Mingzhu went hungry, even her resistance would weaken.
"Okay, then I won't eat it all. I'll leave a little bit. Otherwise, if I get hungry later, I won't know what to eat."
The last bite of chocolate, as a pampered young lady from a wealthy family, Hou Mingzhu became uncharacteristically stingy. She carefully folded it, put it in her bag, unwilling to eat even one more bite.
"Alright, then let's leave a little. However, this rain probably won't last long. I estimate it will end soon."
Ye Tiancheng had a strong premonition, so he didn't feel that this predicament would continue indefinitely. He was very confident that everything would be resolved clearly very soon.
And so, inside the cave, listening to the sound of the rain outside, he suddenly felt a strong sense of déjà vu, as if time had rewound to a previous night. The only difference was that the person beside him had changed; it wasn't Hou Mingzhu before.
"It seems I truly have a special connection with caves. It's happened several times now. Each time, after being trapped here and falling into despair, I regain hope. I hope this time is the same."
"I'm sleepy. Ye Tiancheng, I'm impressed with myself. Under such difficult circumstances, I can still feel this sleepy. I'm truly a talent."
Hou Mingzhu's voice grew softer, her spirit beginning to falter. She felt utterly listless, on the verge of falling asleep at any moment.
"Sleep. I'll watch over you. I can stay up all night without any issues. You just sleep soundly."
Ye Tiancheng truly felt it was no big deal. Sometimes, staying up a night didn't pose any problems. Perhaps it was due to the harsh environment, but over time, he had developed extraordinary abilities.
"You should sleep with me. You look quite worn out too. I don't want you to exert yourself alone. You've put in a lot of effort to take care of me."
Previously, Hou Mingzhu had resented Ye Tiancheng, feeling he was irresponsible and lacked the responsibility of a man. He always enjoyed competing and prioritizing himself, embodying what is commonly referred to as male chauvinism. However, this time, Hou Mingzhu witnessed Ye Tiancheng's significant change and felt he had truly matured. He was entirely different from the impulsive person she remembered.
"Then I'll see if there's anything I can do. If not, I'll try to get some rest too. You sleep."
Ye Tiancheng took off his jacket and placed it beneath Hou Mingzhu. After all, she was a girl and deserved proper care. In this cold and damp cave, a pampered young lady like Hou Mingzhu would surely be unwilling to endure such hardship. Ye Tiancheng tried to improve her situation as much as possible.
"It's still a bit cold."
Hou Mingzhu hugged her arms. She had intended to lean there for a short nap, but gusts of cold wind seeped into her body from her neck, the soles of her feet, and all over. Hou Mingzhu wasn't made of iron. Her constitution wasn't very strong to begin with, and after the ordeal of childbirth, she was left with some lingering effects. Now, she felt a chill all over, as if she had a fever.
"It's alright. I'll build a fire for you. Once there's fire, it will be warm."
Ye Tiancheng first used his true qi to create a protective layer around Hou Mingzhu. Then, he braved the heavy rain and went out into the forest to find some firewood.
This firewood was slightly damp, making it difficult to ignite. Ye Tiancheng used his true qi as an aid to finally start the fire.
As the flames crackled and burned, the firelight also illuminated Ye Tiancheng's face. While feeling the warmth, Ye Tiancheng also felt a renewed sense of hope.
Looking at the flickering flames, his mind inexplicably drifted to many past events. It seemed that the more one experienced, the more nostalgic they became. Or perhaps it was because he was at a low point in his life; if he were at his peak, he wouldn't have time to dwell on such trivial matters.
Unknowingly, he grew tired and desperately needed a sleep to rest his body and mind.
Even as he finally fell asleep, it was in a daze. When he woke up, the rain outside had stopped. Ye Tiancheng glanced at Hou Mingzhu, who was still asleep. He couldn't bear to disturb her. After stretching, he left the cave and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
"The air is so fresh today. The black energy has also dissipated. It seems the bad things are over."
Closing his eyes, he greedily inhaled the fresh air, feeling as if he were in a massive forest oxygen bar. The air on Black Wind Mountain was getting better and better.
Ye Tiancheng prepared to wake Hou Mingzhu to leave together. Turning back, he saw that Hou Mingzhu had already woken up. At this moment, she was exhibiting an appearance of discomfort all over, even stretching.
After all, she was a young lady of high society, accustomed to sleeping on Simmons mattresses. Today, she had to make do in a cave for a night. Although Ye Tiancheng had taken care of her, it was ultimately no comparison to the comfort of a five-star hotel. Thus, her bones felt sore.
"Good heavens! I can't believe I slept a night in such a terrible place. And the first thing I see upon waking is you, such a bizarrely shaped, ugly, and old man. I'm going to be scared to death."
What Ye Tiancheng liked most was Hou Mingzhu's bluntness. Although he was scolded as old and ugly first thing in the morning, his mood was still quite good, not too bad. It was a great kindness to him that Hou Mingzhu was willing to speak the truth. Now, as long as anyone didn't pity Ye Tiancheng, that was the greatest gift to him.
"Isn't this all because of the curse? You know what I looked like before. While I wasn't a great handsome guy, I could at least be called a refined man. When people called me unfashionable, they would also praise my handsomeness, indicating that I looked quite good. Now that I've become like this, I find it a bit hard to accept, but at least I still have you with me."
"Of course, I find you displeasing, but it's not good to completely crush your self-esteem. Ugly is ugly, old is old, as long as you don't have any strange illnesses."
Hou Mingzhu's requirements were becoming lower and lower. As long as she was safe by Ye Tiancheng's side, that was enough. She didn't want to end up in such a terrible state herself.
"I'll take you out of here. Let's find a way to get back to the wooden cabin first. Although it has collapsed, we can salvage some supplies, and then we'll immediately leave Black Wind Mountain. We can't stay here for the time being."
"Okay, that's exactly what I was thinking. If we continue to stay here, I'm afraid I'll break down before you do. I really can't get used to this place. I always feel a sense of eerie gloom here. The outside looks sunny and bright, but it's all fake. In reality, it's a truly terrifying place."
This was Hou Mingzhu's subconscious feeling. Others might find it strange, as the place looked so lush and green. Black Wind Mountain was no longer the devilish place it once was; it had evolved to the point where it even felt like a tourist resort.
"It seems that after spending a long time by my side, your discernment ability has become stronger. It is indeed strange here. Yesterday, during the rain, the rain contained a lot of dense black energy."
After spending time with Ye Tiancheng, Hou Mingzhu could indeed understand many professional terms. If she couldn't understand, Ye Tiancheng wouldn't choose to preach to the deaf.
"I do know a bit about that. Ouyang Xunuo angered me before. Since we became enemies, I've been trying to investigate him. I discovered that he's been abroad recently, and his travel plans are very secretive. I don't know what he's been doing secretly, but I can be sure it's nothing good."
Ye Tiancheng was quite surprised by this. He never expected Hou Mingzhu to be so vigilant and secretly investigate without telling him. It seemed Hou Mingzhu was still as calculating as ever, merely choosing not to show it in front of Ye Tiancheng at times.
"You're right to keep an eye on Ouyang Xunuo. I noticed last time that this person is truly bizarre. I beat him half to death, and like a tenacious cockroach, he could still find a place to come back to life. Last time, I should have done everything I could to scatter his soul, but he managed to escape."
Ye Tiancheng still regretted it when he thought about it. If he had dealt a severe blow to Ouyang Xunuo back then, there wouldn't be black energy appearing in these inexplicable places now. It indicated that the guy had a tendency to rise from the ashes, and who knew what unsavory schemes he was cooking up behind the scenes, possibly even making a comeback at any moment.
"It's alright. I'm already looking for people to hunt him down. No matter how powerful Ouyang Xunuo is, he's still human. Now, as soon as he shows the slightest trace of his whereabouts, I'll immediately blow him up, so he won't have the chance to cause trouble for me again."
As a woman, Ye Tiancheng felt that Hou Mingzhu was sometimes excessively domineering. Her fierce way of speaking, at times, made Ye Tiancheng feel a little scared. When he accidentally met her gaze and saw the viciousness in her eyes, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but tremble.
At such moments, Ye Tiancheng would recall one thing: Hou Mingzhu had once hired assassins to kill someone. That great fire still left him with lingering fear. The poor girl who lost her life didn't even have a chance to continue her young life.
Seeing the emotion in Ye Tiancheng's eyes, Hou Mingzhu quickly gave a faint smile.
"Don't be scared. I'm not like this towards the weak. I'm only this ruthless towards my enemies. You've changed a lot, and I've changed a lot too. I won't be as arrogant as before, thinking the whole world should listen to me, wanting to destroy anything that displeases me. I already regret it, and I've been atoning for it."
Ye Tiancheng had heard about this. The girl who was burned to death by Hou Mingzhu back then; now, Hou Mingzhu was responsible for all the affairs of that girl's family. Besides financial support, Hou Mingzhu also tried her best to play the role of a daughter emotionally. However, the grief of losing a daughter couldn't be compensated for in a short time. Everything had to be done gradually.
"I didn't mean anything else. I know your thoughts and respect all your decisions. People like Ouyang Xunuo indeed shouldn't be let off lightly."