Feng Jiu’er genuinely could not understand it. Simply because she had saved Mu Mu, he had truly fixed his heart upon her?

But how could a person’s feelings simply appear just like that?

Two people who originally had no real connection — just because he had been poisoned and she had saved him, this fellow had decided to offer himself to her?

If she were a breathtaking beauty, that might have been understandable. But she was not — right now she was a hideous-looking thing!

Why was Mu Mu so single-mindedly set on this? Could it be that the people of ancient times developed feelings so casually?

She turned her head and looked at Mu Mu, her gaze complicated.

“What is it? That look — it makes me feel as though you are suspicious of something.” Mu Mu looked back at her.

Their eyes met, and there was not the faintest trace of guilt in his — only open, unguarded sincerity.

It was precisely that transparent honesty that made Feng Jiu’er even more puzzled. “Actually — you say you like me. What exactly do you like about me?”

“If it were not genuine feeling, do you think I approach you with some ulterior motive?”

Mu Mu’s words were not something Jiu’er had not considered, but — what possible motive could there be in drawing close to someone like her, with no power or influence to speak of?

She sat on the ground, knees drawn up, chin resting on them, gazing out at the darkness of the night that had settled over everything, lost in thought.

It was already evening. Yet another night.

In truth, she had only been at the Longwu Court for two or three short days — yet the sheer volume of things that had happened could fill baskets.

Was her luck truly that poor?

“What are you thinking about? Are you hungry?” Mu Mu stood up and walked toward her.

Feng Jiu’er shot him a glare. “Do not come any closer. Whatever you have to say — say it from over there!”

Mu Mu paused his steps, but was relentless in pressing forward, walking right up to her. “Afraid of me?”

She said nothing. A smile crept into the depths of Mu Mu’s eyes. “If I wanted to force you — in a place like this, surrounded by sheer cliffs on all sides, do you think you could escape?”

Feng Jiu’er rolled her eyes at him. Could this person possibly be any more blunt?

“I know — asking you to accept someone you have known for fewer than three days is a bit of a tall order…”

“Good that you know.” Feng Jiu’er could not help but roll her eyes at him again.

Mu Mu simply kept the smile hidden in his eyes and said nothing.

He turned and walked to the mouth of the cave, gazing out at the night beyond, and said lightly, “Only a true master could reach a place like this. Those people should not be able to get here for the time being.”

“I will go find something to eat and bring it back. Wait here for me — do not wander off.”

“Even if I wanted to run, I would first need to actually be able to run.”

Still, looking at the pitch-black interior of the cave, Feng Jiu’er felt a prickle of unease. “You — you will not be gone too long, will you? What if you… go and never come back?”

Being left alone in a cave like this — standing at the entrance, one could still catch a sliver of moonlight, but walking a little deeper inside, where one could not see one’s own hand in front of one’s face, it was truly frightening.

“Unless I fall off the cliff and cannot return.” Mu Mu said.

Feng Jiu’er snorted. “Lunatic.”

Mu Mu glanced back at her — not the least bit bothered — with just a faint curl at the corner of his lips. Then, with a light tap of his foot, he vanished from sight in an instant.

“Be careful!” Feng Jiu’er could not help but dash after him, but standing on the boulder at the cave entrance, all she could see was the deep, dark night stretching endlessly before her.

Beyond that, nothing remained — only the howling rush of wind sweeping past.

This was the middle of a cliff face, and the wind was fierce. The moment she stepped outside, her robes were immediately whipped upward by the gusts.

She instinctively retreated a step back inside the cave, terrified that one careless moment might send her swept away by the wind.

She was not afraid of Mu Mu failing to return. But she was genuinely worried — all around here was nothing but sheer cliff faces. She sat in a corner for what felt like an eternity. Finally, from outside came the faintest sound of movement…