Mu Qi: "Go further away."
"Why? I can help you."
Yun Shulian reached out to grab the fish with Mu Qi, but Mu Qi moved away.
"It's too fishy."
"Oh." Yun Shulian sat back down dejectedly.
Was Mu Qi still angry?
Although Mu Qi had spoken very little yesterday, and his expression had been unreadable except when passionate, Yun Shulian felt that the current Mu Qi was different from yesterday's.
Thinking this, Yun Shulian followed her inner impulse and walked behind Mu Qi, squatting down and leaning against his back.
Mu Qi's action of gutting the fish paused again: "What's wrong?" Enveloped by Yun Shulian's sweet scent from behind, Mu Qi couldn't help but soften from the inside out.
"It's nothing, you continue." Yun Shulian nuzzled closer to Mu Qi's back.
This time, Mu Qi was completely stunned, clearly not expecting Yun Shulian to say that.
Then Mu Qi continued to gut the fish, but his movements were incredibly gentle.
It was just a fish, but Mu Qi spent half an hour meticulously cleaning the carp.
"You can get up now, we can eat it when it's roasted."
"Huh?" Yun Shulian's eyes fluttered open drowsily, and she nuzzled against Mu Qi's back.
Yun Shulian hadn't slept well last night, and now, lying on Mu Qi's back, she felt so safe she was about to fall asleep.
Fortunately, Mu Qi woke her up in time.
Feeling the soft pressure on his back, Mu Qi gripped the fish in his hand tighter and tighter.
Mu Qi took a deep breath: "The fish is cleaned." Su Dan Fiction Network
"Oh." Yun Shulian responded groggily to Mu Qi, then leaned her head back on Mu Qi's back without moving.
The weight on his back felt light, but Mu Qi dared not make any sudden movements.
A little later, as the sun grew more intense, Yun Shulian felt the glare and slowly woke up.
"Mu Qi?"
"Mmm?"
"How long did I sleep?" Yun Shulian immediately got up from Mu Qi.
As Yun Shulian moved in a hurry, the chain in her hand dropped to the ground. She quickly bent down to pick it up, gripping it tightly in her hand again.
"About an hour." Mu Qi slowly rotated his neck and then slowly stood up.
Seeing this, Yun Shulian felt a pang of guilt: "You should just wake me up next time!" Yun Shulian went to help Mu Qi.
Mu Qi: "You didn't sleep well last night."
"Even if I didn't sleep well, you should still wake me up!" Yun Shulian frowned.
"Give me the fish." Yun Shulian wound the chain around her arm and reached out to take the fish from Mu Qi again.
Mu Qi dodged: "Too fishy."
Yun Shulian's hand withdrew. Just as Mu Qi thought she had given up, Yun Shulian suddenly grabbed Mu Qi's other hand.
Yun Shulian rubbed her palms and the back of Mu Qi's hands repeatedly: "This way my hands will be fishy too."
Mu Qi: "..."
Yun Shulian smiled triumphantly, her eyes crinkling, which was incredibly captivating in Mu Qi's eyes.
Mu Qi helplessly allowed Yun Shulian to take the fish from him, then casually threw it on the ground.
The fish: "..." It was ultimately unworthy.
Then Yun Shulian helped Mu Qi walk under a large banyan tree.
Although Mu Qi had repeatedly said Yun Shulian didn't need to help him, Yun Shulian was uncharacteristically firm.
After Mu Qi sat down, Yun Shulian picked up the fish and prepared to skewer it onto the makeshift spit Mu Qi had prepared.
However, as she tried to thread it through, Yun Shulian found it wasn't as simple as she had imagined.
Yun Shulian felt she was using all her strength, but she couldn't get the fish onto the wooden stick.
Just as Yun Shulian was focused on struggling with it, the fish and the stick were suddenly taken by Mu Qi. He then easily threaded it through.
"Mu Qi, why are you here? Doesn't your leg hurt?" Seeing Mu Qi do so much and now still having to do this, Yun Shulian felt even more apologetic.
Mu Qi: "It doesn't hurt."
Although Mu Qi said this, Yun Shulian was still worried.
She took the cut wooden stick from Mu Qi's hand and placed it on the frame, then forcefully led Mu Qi back to the banyan tree.
"Mu Qi, does it feel numb?" At Yun Shulian's insistence, Mu Qi sat on a stone, leaning against the large banyan tree, while Yun Shulian squatted beside him, placing her hand on his leg.
Mu Qi: "No."
"I knew it would be numb." Yun Shulian then skillfully placed her fingers on Mu Qi's long legs, massaging a few acupoints that could accelerate blood circulation.
Was this what it felt like to be cared for by a child? It made her very happy.
Although there were many people who wanted to "care" for Mu Qi usually, Mu Qi found it extremely annoying.
With him, Yun Shulian was the exception to all exceptions.
She could make him live, and she could make him die. She could let him see brilliant colors, and she could make his heart turn to only black and white.
"Are we done?" Yun Shulian looked up, her gaze meeting Mu Qi's.
His respected and admired phoenix eyes were captivating.
"Mu Qi?" Accompanied by the clinking sound of chains, Yun Shulian cupped Mu Qi's cheeks in her hands, looking intently into those eyes.
A pair of crescent-shaped eyes seemed to be filled with starlight.
"Mmm." Mu Qi snapped back to attention, his eyes flickering briefly before returning to their usual inscrutable state.
Yun Shulian stared at Mu Qi for a few more seconds. Seeing that the "blatant" affection was no longer visible, she dejectedly lowered her head.
These eyes, with the same look as just now, Yun Shulian felt she had seen before.
When was it?
Mu Qi lifted Yun Shulian's chin, looking at her.
"I'm fine." Yun Shulian brushed away Mu Qi's hand.
Yes, she remembered.
It was when Mu Qi first found her. Back then, Mu Qi had looked at her with the same gaze.
Full of love, without reservation.
But as she repeatedly pushed Mu Qi away with all her might, the love in his eyes gradually disappeared whenever he looked at her.
Eventually, the most she saw in those phoenix eyes was obsession and madness.
So it was all because of the mistakes she had made in her past life.
How could she make Mu Qi openly and unreservedly reveal that look again?
That look made her feel incredibly safe, and she wanted to see it more.
Suddenly, Mu Qi's hand firmly grasped hers.
Yun Shulian snapped back to reality to find that she had unconsciously touched the corner of Mu Qi's eye.
Mu Qi's brows were tightly furrowed, his phoenix eyes filled with inquiry.
"Mu Qi, can you look at me with that same expression again?"