Er Zhu cast furtive glances around as he listened intently, afraid he might miss a word from the River God.
"Three hundred meters to the east!"
The River God within Er Zhu sensed his plea and provided guidance moments later.
"Sister Mei, let's go that way!"
Er Zhu nodded slightly, grabbed Li Mei's hand, and headed east.
The wind howled past Li Mei's ears. She looked at Er Zhu with a bewildered expression, wanting to ask but not knowing what to say.
Rumble!
As Li Mei was lost in thought, a deafening peal of thunder startled her awake.
Li Mei looked up and realized that the once clear sky had, at some point, become covered in dark clouds!
The clouds seemed very low, as if one could touch them by simply looking up.
The clouds rumbled intermittently, as if it were about to rain!
"It's going to rain? Why don't we come back tomorrow!"
Seeing the darkening sky, Er Zhu pulled Li Mei and started to head down the mountain.
He had already earned enough to cover the debt, so there was no need to make Li Mei get rained on for money. Coming back tomorrow would be just the same.
"Let's not, we've already come this far, let's just hurry!"
Just as Er Zhu took a few steps forward, Li Mei pulled him back.
"Alright, then let's go quickly."
Seeing Li Mei's curious gaze fixed eastward, Er Zhu didn't hesitate, took Li Mei's hand again, and headed east.
After a short walk, Er Zhu spotted a large clearing.
"The green grass plant in front of you is Cistanche deserticola, and the Chinese medicine resembling a lotus seed not far away is Fritillary bulb. These are all very rare medicinal herbs!"
"The rest are common medicinal herbs..."
Er Zhu surveyed the various plants in the clearing as he listened to the River God's earnest instructions in his mind.
Drip... drip...
Just as Er Zhu was about to nod, a few raindrops fell on him.
Seeing that it was about to rain, Li Mei didn't bother asking questions and immediately squatted down to start picking herbs.
Although she didn't know what these things were, Er Zhu must have had a reason for bringing her here. Taking them all back would surely be the right thing to do!
Seeing Li Mei already in action, Er Zhu didn't delay. He took out his hoe and joined in.
Whoosh...
But before they had even collected half of what they intended, the sky seemed to have been ripped open, and a torrential downpour erupted instantly!
In a flash, both Li Mei and Er Zhu were drenched to the bone.
"Sister Mei, I'll take you to shelter from the rain first!"
Seeing Li Mei completely soaked, Er Zhu forgot about the herbs and pulled her towards a nearby cave.
By the time Li Mei realized it, she was already inside the cave.
Due to the rapid rush, Li Mei was panting heavily, her chest rising and falling with each breath.
Her clothes, now wet, clung tightly to her curvaceous figure.
The black lace trim showing through her white chiffon blouse was incredibly alluring!
Just as Er Zhu was about to wipe the rain off Li Mei, he saw such a fiery sight.
Er Zhu froze, staring blankly at Li Mei beside him, his heart pounding rapidly!
Li Mei naturally felt Er Zhu's covetous gaze. She shyly lowered her head, her hands slowly crossing over her chest.
The atmosphere in the space grew increasingly intimate!
Er Zhu took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions within him, and turned his head away.
He wanted to say something, but no words came to mind.
"Ow!"
Just then, Er Zhu heard Li Mei's cry. He glanced over and saw that Li Mei had slipped!
Without a second thought, Er Zhu lunged to catch Li Mei, but with too much force, he ended up falling onto her, tumbling to the ground together.
As Li Mei tried to get up, she suddenly saw Er Zhu's face appear before her eyes. She could even feel his labored breathing!
Er Zhu gazed at Li Mei affectionately, his lips parting as if to speak, but he was suddenly jolted by a chilling sensation.
Er Zhu quickly averted his gaze and stood up abruptly. Feeling the space beside her empty, Li Mei also came back to her senses.
Good heavens, what was she doing just now!
Not anticipating the strong embrace, Li Mei opened her eyes, a look of confusion in them.
"Sister Mei, I'll go find some firewood to warm you up."
Just as Li Mei was about to look at Er Zhu, she suddenly heard his calm voice.
Hearing this, the gates in Li Mei's heart immediately closed again.
All of that was just her wishful thinking.
Perhaps in Er Zhu's heart, she would always be just his Sister Mei!
"Okay!"
Li Mei's eyes darkened, and she nodded slightly before walking deeper into the cave.
Watching Li Mei leave, Er Zhu let out a sigh of relief as if a great burden had been lifted.
"Thankfully, I stopped. It was just a moment ago!"
Outside, the rain continued to pour. Er Zhu found some firewood inside the cave and started a bonfire.
Li Mei warmed herself by the fire inside the cave, while Er Zhu stood at the entrance, gazing out at the downpour.
Occasionally, Li Mei caught a glimpse of Er Zhu's back, her eyes growing distant.
Could she truly only be his Sister Mei?
Er Zhu seemed to sense someone watching him. He glanced at Li Mei from the corner of his eye, a wry smile appearing on his lips.
He admitted he had feelings for Li Mei, but now was not the time to break the unspoken barrier.
Because he had not yet avenged his great wrong!
Furthermore, if he were to be with her, would Brother Wang agree?
Thinking of his savior, Er Zhu couldn't help but raise his head and look towards the sky.
The rain that had come so quickly also stopped just as fast. Soon, the sun shone upon the land, and the air was filled with a fresh scent.
"I'll go collect those medicinal herbs. You wait here, Sister Mei."
Before Li Mei could react, Er Zhu uttered these words and ran towards the clearing.
Li Mei looked at Er Zhu deeply, a flicker of loneliness in her eyes.
Forget it, perhaps it was all just an illusion.
How could a simpleton understand so much?
Li Mei sat idly in the cave when she suddenly heard roars approaching from a distance.
What was that?
Li Mei recognized the roars, and they were getting closer. Frowning, she stood up.
Hmph! Hmph!
Just as Li Mei took a few steps, she suddenly saw a large, grayish beast charging at her in a frenzy.
"Er Zhu! Er Zhu!"
Li Mei's face turned pale with fear. She dodged while shouting for help.
Er Zhu, who was collecting herbs, heard Li Mei's voice and, without minding the uncollected medicinal herbs, rushed back towards the cave.
But when he saw a wild boar, more than two meters long, madly chasing Li Mei, his hands clenched into fists.
"You're asking for death!"
With a loud roar, Er Zhu shot towards the wild boar like an arrow loosed from a bow.
At this moment, the wild boar was less than a meter away from Li Mei!
"Ah!"
Overwhelmed by terror, Li Mei's legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the ground.
She curled up in a ball, her eyes wide with fear, screaming loudly.
Hmph! Hmph!
Seeing Li Mei fall, the wild boar became even more excited. It let out two roars to the sky and charged at Li Mei at full speed!