Situ Jing’er slept remarkably well that night. Living in the palace, she always liked to curl up against her father-emperor or mother-empress to sleep, because she’d had trouble falling asleep since childhood—only when held in someone’s arms could she truly rest well.
Out here on her own, she couldn’t count how many nights she’d already spent sleepless.
By the time the sky had grown fully bright, Situ Jing’er finally woke. The instant she came to, she looked toward the base of the tree, and seeing the four great poisonous beasts and the great foolish bear all obediently keeping watch below, she finally relaxed.
“Little girl, you’re awake!” Meng Duo’er said with a smile, handing over a water flask.
Only then did Situ Jing’er remember that Meng Duo’er had served as her pillow all night. She scratched at her tousled bangs, laughing bashfully. “Thanks for the trouble last night.”
“Drink up,” Meng Duo’er said. She had grown quite fond of Situ Jing’er—she couldn’t quite say why, she just liked her regardless.
In truth, affection between women, much like affection between men and women, could sometimes be an unexplainable dislike for someone, and other times an unexplainable fondness at first sight.
As Situ Jing’er drank, she glanced over at Miss Xiao the Ninth. “Why hasn’t she woken up yet? Nothing’s happened to her, has it?”
“Don’t worry, she’s still alive. Jun Buli probably just hit her too hard,” Meng Duo’er said.
“That bastard, actually raising his hand against a woman too,” Situ Jing’er said with disdain.
Though Meng Duo’er wasn’t much older than Yelu Qianqian, to Situ Jing’er she could still pass as something of an elder. She affectionately ruffled Situ Jing’er’s bangs and asked, “Little girl, you snuck out on your own—your father-emperor and mother-empress don’t know, do they?”
“Ugh, Sister Duo’er, don’t call me little girl. I’m not small!” Situ Jing’er protested earnestly.
Meng Duo’er burst out laughing. “You’re not small? Then who is?”
“I really am not small! When I go out with my mother-empress, people who don’t know us mistake us for sisters!” Situ Jing’er explained.
“Haha, that’s because your mother-empress is young…” Meng Duo’er trailed off, laughing too hard to finish.
Situ Jing’er couldn’t be bothered to argue further. She pressed her lips together and said to Zizhu below, “Grandpa Zizhu, would you mind moving aside? I want to come down.”
“Come down then, I’m not blocking your way,” Zizhu said.
Situ Jing’er wasn’t as terrified as she had been before, though she was still afraid—of course, she’d never admit it.
“Actually, Grandpa Zizhu, could you check on that sister over there? Press on her philtrum. She’s been unconscious for so many days now, it’s dangerous,” Situ Jing’er added.
Zizhu thought to itself that this little girl’s heart was genuinely kind—unlike Jun Buli and Baili Weisheng, who each seemed more scheming and cold than the last.
Zizhu not only moved aside, but had the other poisonous beasts retreat as well. The great foolish bear, however, refused to budge, sprawled flat on all fours in the shade of the tree, even its pointed snout pressed against the ground.
Nanzhao was too hot, especially during the day, and the great foolish bear would rather never move again than leave the shade.
“Foolish bear, get up!” the Nine-Tailed White Fox kicked it. The great foolish bear whimpered pitifully but only shifted position slightly.
“Get up! Go lie on the ice!” the Henggong Fish came to kick it too—they all wanted to see what Situ Jing’er would do with Miss Xiao the Ninth.
The ice was cool, but offered no shade at all, completely exposed to the sun. The great foolish bear looked up at Situ Jing’er pitifully, actually sticking its tongue out at her with a “hehe,” looking exactly like a dog!
Situ Jing’er watched timidly, having no idea what was going on, and said cautiously, “Great Bear, could you shift over a bit? I’ll just be down here a moment, then I’ll be done, all right?”
Who would have thought that no sooner had she said this than the Henggong Fish flew up from the side, suddenly ramming into Situ Jing’er from behind, knocking her right off her feet!
And directly below—was the great foolish bear!
“Ahh—” Situ Jing’er’s scream was loud enough to echo through the entire mountain forest.
At that moment, Jun Buli, who had just woken up, sat bolt upright from the grass, traces of last night’s blood still unwashed at the corners of his lips, and cried out in alarm, “That’s Situ Jing’er!”
Consort Li, in truth, had already woken up some time ago. She’d wanted to linger with him a while longer, but had no choice now but to sit up lazily, saying with displeasure, “Screeching like that so early in the morning.”
“Something’s happened!” Jun Buli said, hurriedly rising.
Consort Li grabbed his arm. “Your Majesty, rest a while longer. With the poisonous beasts there, what could possibly happen to her?”
Jun Buli ignored her and was about to leave, but Consort Li gripped even tighter. “Your Majesty, what about me!”
“Head straight forward, turn right at the third crossing, and you’ll be back at the tents,” Jun Buli said coldly, shaking her off without ceremony.
“Your Majesty, if something happens to me, you…” Consort Li left the rest unsaid, but it was enough to make Jun Buli stop in his tracks.
Seeing him pause, Consort Li seized the moment, hurrying to catch up and grabbing his arm, cooing, “Your Majesty, it’s on your way to take me back to the tents anyway. I promise to behave and not cause you any trouble.”
Jun Buli said nothing, pulling his arm free—only to instead wrap it around her shoulders, carrying her as he leapt out of the forest, heading for the tents.
Once he’d settled Consort Li and had the Shadow Guard watch over her, Jun Buli finally rushed toward the mountain.
Meanwhile, on the mountain, Situ Jing’er had fallen right onto the great foolish bear’s furry back, too frightened to move, letting the bear carry her as it rose to its feet.
She pressed her lips together, on the verge of tears, casting a pleading look up at Meng Duo’er in the tree. Meng Duo’er, however, could only keep laughing—seeing this overconfident little girl reduced to such terror was, admittedly, rather entertaining.
“Hehe, little girl, don’t be scared. Only three people can normally sit on this bear’s back—you’re the fourth. If it’s willing to carry you, that means it thinks highly of you!” Zizhu said with a laugh.
“Put—put me down…” Situ Jing’er forced the words out through gritted teeth. If this kept up, she really would cry!
Just then, though, Miss Xiao the Ninth, who had been lying flat on the ground, actually moved, slowly rolling over.
This movement from Miss Xiao the Ninth left everyone stunned, and they all turned to look at once.
Meng Duo’er immediately leapt down from the tree and walked over.
Miss Xiao the Ninth was still hazy with grogginess. Situ Jing’er, growing anxious, pleaded, “That’s enough, Grandpa Zizhu, please have it put me down quickly!”
Before Zizhu could even respond, the great foolish bear carried Situ Jing’er over toward Miss Xiao the Ninth and crouched down, letting her slide off its back!
Throughout the whole process, Situ Jing’er didn’t dare move. Only once the bear had walked away did she scramble up, nearly in tears, and threw herself against Meng Duo’er for comfort.
At that moment, Miss Xiao the Ninth groggily opened her eyes. Strangely, though, she stared at Meng Duo’er and Situ Jing’er for a long while without showing any fear or panic at all—instead appearing unusually calm!
Could this woman not even realize she’d been kidnapped? What was going on?
As Miss Xiao the Ninth stared at Meng Duo’er and Situ Jing’er, the two of them couldn’t just let themselves be watched like this. Meng Duo’er was about to act, but Situ Jing’er beat her to it, carefully helping Miss Xiao the Ninth sit up. “Are you all right? Does it still hurt?”