Escape after crossing

Jiang Ziluo nodded in agreement, saying, "That's true. The situation has changed and we can't let our guard down. Although the journey is difficult, as long as we can return to our territory safely, we can have a good rest."

She understood that the current situation was different from when they came here, and she had to remain vigilant. So the two of them continued to move forward, ignoring the fatigue and hardship.

During the day, they endured the scorching sun, their clothes soaked with sweat; at night, the moonlight sprinkled on their bodies, illuminating the road ahead. They slept in the open air all the way, just to get out of the border of Lingxi as soon as possible.

In the process, they supported and encouraged each other, and their trust in each other grew stronger. At noon one day, they arrived at a deserted forest.

Jiang Ziluo suggested taking a short break, and Leng Chenming agreed. They found a shaded area and sat on the ground. Jiang Ziluo took out a water bag from his bag and handed it to Leng Chenming.

"Drink some water."

Leng Chenming took the water bag and drank it in big gulps. After drinking the water, Leng Chenming looked at Jiang Ziluo, "How long will it take to reach the border?"

"At the current speed, we should be there in about two days." Jiang Ziluo estimated the distance.

Leng Chenming nodded and leaned against the tree to rest his eyes. Jiang Ziluo took out some dry food and ate it silently. Suddenly, she heard a slight sound and immediately became alert.

She signaled Leng Chenming to keep quiet, then walked cautiously towards the direction of the sound.

When she got closer, she found that it was a wounded fawn. Its leg was injured and bleeding. Jiang Ziluo couldn't bear it and decided to rescue the fawn. She took out herbs from her bag and bandaged the fawn's wound.

Seeing this, Leng Chenming also came forward to help. With the joint efforts of the two, the deer's wound was treated. Jiang Ziluo gently stroked the deer's head and said, "Little guy, get well soon." The deer blinked, as if it understood what she said.

When the fawn had recovered some strength, Jiang Ziluo released it back into the forest. "Let's continue on our journey." She turned around and said to Leng Chenming. The two of them set out on their journey again, feeling a little warmer in their hearts.

But the way back was not so smooth. In the evening, the sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds, lightning and thunder. Seeing that a heavy rain was about to pour down, Jiang Ziluo and Leng Chenming had to find a place to shelter from the rain.

They searched everywhere and finally found a cave. They hurried into the cave and waited for the rain to stop. However, the rain showed no sign of stopping.

Jiang Ziluo looked at the rain outside the cave and couldn't help but worry, "It's raining so hard, I'm afraid we'll have to spend the night here."

Leng Chenming nodded, "It seems that this is the only way. Fortunately, we found this cave, otherwise it would be even more troublesome."

The cave was pitch black. Jiang Ziluo took out a tinderbox and lit a bonfire. The flames jumped, bringing a hint of warmth and light.

The two of them sat around the fire. Jiang Ziluo originally planned to eat the dry food and then have a good night's rest. After all, they had been trekking hard these days and their bodies were already exhausted.

However, when she thought back to the past ten days or so, they had hardly enjoyed a hearty meal, she couldn't help but feel a desire for delicious food.

So Jiang Ziluo decided to show off her cooking skills. She closed her eyes and concentrated, then took out various ingredients from the space she carried with her: fresh vegetables, tender meat, and a box of wontons.

Then, like a magic trick, she took out a whole set of pots and pans as well as oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and other condiments. Leng Chenming stared at it all with wide eyes, silently marveling in his heart.

Jiang Ziluo picked up the kitchen knife skillfully and started cutting the vegetables quickly. His technique was as natural and smooth as flowing water. Then he put the cut vegetables and meat into the pot and stir-fried them. The aroma filled the air.

After a while, a delicious dish was served. Finally, she cooked a bowl of steaming wontons, which made people salivate.

The only drawback was that since not enough food was prepared beforehand, there were no staple foods such as steamed buns in the refrigerator.

With no other options, they could only eat this rare delicacy with the only dry food they had. Even so, every bite made them feel satisfied.

After the meal, Jiang Ziluo quickly cleaned up the dishes and put all the items that should not appear in this world back into the space.

At this time, it was late at night, and the bonfire was jumping, illuminating the surroundings. Leng Chenming looked at Jiang Ziluo silently, with an indescribable emotion in his heart.

He found himself increasingly attracted to the woman in front of him. Her strength, intelligence, and kindness deeply touched the softest part of his heart. Jiang Ziluo also felt Leng Chenming's gaze, but she didn't say much. She just smiled and continued to chat with him around the fire.

In this quiet night, their words intertwined, as if they had forgotten the troubles and worries of the world.

"Thank you, today's dinner is delicious." Leng Chenming said softly.

Jiang Ziluo smiled and said, "You're welcome. We've been through so much, there's no need to be so polite."

As the night deepened, Jiang Ziluo leaned against the stone wall and fell asleep soon. Leng Chenming looked at her quietly, his eyes full of tenderness. He gently stretched out his hand, wanting to touch Jiang Ziluo's cheek, but stopped at the last moment.

He sighed, withdrew his hand, and closed his eyes. In this silent cave, the breathing sounds of the two people intertwined, forming a wonderful atmosphere.

Leng Chenming looked at her sleeping face, and a different kind of emotion surged in his heart. He sat quietly beside her, guarding her.

The next morning, sunlight shone through the cave. Jiang Ziluo woke up slowly and saw Leng Chenming standing by, and his heart was warmed.

"You're awake." Leng Chenming said with a smile.

"Yeah." Jiang Ziluo nodded, stood up and stretched his muscles.

"The rain outside has stopped, we can continue on our way." Leng Chenming stood up.

Jiang Ziluo packed his luggage and walked out of the cave with Leng Chenming.

The scenery along the way was still beautiful, but the mood of the two people was different. After spending last night together, the relationship between them seemed to have become more subtle.

Jiang Ziluo felt the breeze on his face, but they were in a hurry to get on the road and did not have any extra time to appreciate the scenery along the way.

Just as they were about to take a detour and return to Lengli Country, they unexpectedly encountered a group of Lingxi soldiers! What was even more coincidental was that the leading soldier had seen Leng Chenming before.

After the rain last night, Leng Chenming took off his disguise. Since he didn't dress up today, he didn't expect that it was this small oversight that put the two of them in extreme danger.

The soldiers of Lingxi State came to receive food and grass today. They have been collecting food and grass in this way for the past month. However, this food and grass is far from enough to meet the needs.

Faced with such a predicament, the general of Lingxi State had no choice but to lead his soldiers to hunt in the nearby hills, hoping to barely maintain the livelihood of the entire camp and prevent them from starving.

However, despite their efforts to hunt for food, facing the large population, these harvests were still just a drop in the bucket and could not be sustained for long.