Even if his teeth were pried open, it would be of no use.
Seeing this, Xue Xingyue slightly furrowed her brows. There was one more method she hadn't tried. She placed the medicine into her mouth, lowered her head, and approached his bruised lips.
When Ji Wuran woke up, he saw a pile of extinguished embers from a fire. He glanced towards the cave entrance, and the sky was already gradually lighting up. He looked around and found no one, not even any living creature.
His gaze dimmed as he looked into the distance, not moving for a long time.
Suddenly, there was some movement at the cave entrance. Ji Wuran's eyes chilled, and he casually reached for a nearby stone, watching the entrance vigilantly.
The morning light poured in through the parted bushes at the cave entrance, and a slender figure appeared there.
Ji Wuran narrowed his eyes. "You're awake?"
A clear voice reached him, and Ji Wuran's heart relaxed slightly.
Xue Xingyue placed the wild rabbit she had caught on the ground and said, "How do you feel?"
Ji Wuran looked at the clear eyes on her beautiful face as she looked at him, and his heart stirred slightly. "Much better. Thank you, Your Highness."
Xue Xingyue pointed at the wild rabbit and said, "I only managed to catch this after hunting all morning."
Ji Wuran looked at the plump rabbit on the ground and couldn't help but wonder if Princess Xingyue often did such things when they were in Zhenwu Guan.
By the time he came to his senses, the aroma of roasted wild rabbit had already reached his taste buds.
His stomach was empty, and at this moment, he couldn't help but want to eat something.
Xue Xingyue tore off some rabbit meat from the roasted rabbit and handed it to Ji Wuran, saying, "Eat!"
Ji Wuran blinked slightly, took it, and said, "Your Highness, have you often done this before?"
Xue Xingyue paused for a moment, suddenly recalling the days in Zhenwu Guan. Thinking about it, those days were the most carefree.
Eating meat heartily and drinking heartily. Since returning to the capital, she had given up much, much.
But she didn't regret it. Her imperial brother had done so much for her, and she should repay him.
She looked at Ji Wuran and smiled, saying, "Do you think I don't seem like a princess at all?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Wuran chuckled softly and said, "I simply feel that this is what a true princess should be like."
Xue Xingyue looked at him and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Ji Wuran picked up a piece of rabbit meat and took a bite. The sizzling, oily rabbit meat was fragrant even as it entered his mouth. "I just feel that this is what a truly happy princess would be like."
Xue Xingyue smiled and said, "In this life, where is there so much happiness?"
Hearing this, Ji Wuran suddenly looked at her and said, "Your Highness, knowing that it wouldn't make you happy, why didn't you refuse?"
Xue Xingyue naturally knew what Ji Wuran was referring to. Her gaze turned slightly cold, and she said, "Young Marquis Ji, you have overstepped."
Ji Wuran smiled indifferently and said, "Even if I have overstepped, Your Highness can still punish me now, can't you?"
"Young Marquis Ji, although I cannot punish you, I can kill you," Xue Xingyue said calmly, her gaze as cold as frost.
Ji Wuran was unconcerned. "If Your Highness wanted to kill me, you had countless opportunities before I lost consciousness, but Your Highness did not do so. This indicates that Your Highness would never kill me."
Xue Xingyue said, "Young Marquis Ji is truly confident."
Ji Wuran shook his head. "It's not my confidence, but I know Your Highness is kind-hearted and would never kill someone who is now unarmed."
"Eat quickly, and let's leave here after you're done," Xue Xingyue said.
Ji Wuran said no more, eating the rabbit meat in his hand while contemplating some matters.
After eating the rabbit meat, Xue Xingyue threaded the remaining meat with a straw rope and tied it to her waist. This was how they used to do it when marching.
But seeing Ji Wuran's slightly surprised expression, Xue Xingyue felt for the first time that she didn't seem like a woman.
"Let's go!" Xue Xingyue was the first to walk out of the cave.
Ji Wuran followed closely behind. He found that his injuries didn't seem to hurt as much, clearly indicating that Princess Xingyue had helped him detoxify.
Upon leaving the cave, Xue Xingyue realized she didn't know which way to go. In her haste yesterday, she had forgotten to mark the cave. Looking at the trees before her, she became momentarily troubled.
Ji Wuran walked up to her and asked, "Your Highness, which way should we go?"
Xue Xingyue raised her eyebrows and looked at Ji Wuran. "Yesterday you said there was a cave here. Don't you know the way?"
Ji Wuran was almost amused and exasperated. "Your Highness, I just happened to spot this cave. If I knew how to get out, I wouldn't be asking Your Highness."
Seeing this, Xue Xingyue shook her head. "I don't know how to get out either."
She truly didn't. She had a secret unknown to others: she couldn't tell directions.
Therefore, she always brought Feng Wu with her when she went out, especially to unfamiliar places.
Asking her to lead the way now was an exceedingly difficult task.
Seeing Xue Xingyue's troubled expression, Ji Wuran knew that Xue Xingyue didn't remember the path. He pointed in a direction and said, "Your Highness, why don't we just head east?"
Xue Xingyue nodded.
Waiting here was worse than going out and trying our luck.
"I'll lead the way," Xue Xingyue said and walked forward.
Ji Wuran watched the figure, narrowed his eyes, and followed.
Around evening, Xue Xingyue and Ji Wuran emerged from the forest and saw a small village.
They exchanged glances and walked towards the village. Before entering, Xue Xingyue stopped.
Seeing this, Ji Wuran asked, "Your Highness, why aren't we going any further?"
Xue Xingyue said, "With our current attire, it's hard not to arouse suspicion."
Ji Wuran looked at their clothes and nodded. "That's easily fixed."
Ji Wuran surveyed the small village and saw clothes drying in a yard. He said, "Your Highness, please wait for me a moment."
After Ji Wuran left, he quickly returned, holding two sets of clothes. He handed one set of women's clothes to Xue Xingyue. "Your Highness, please change."
Xue Xingyue looked around and turned into the jungle. Ji Wuran changed his clothes by himself, with his back turned. He heard the rustling of clothes changing in the woods and could even imagine how she was changing.
But he soon cast this thought aside. "All done," Xue Xingyue's voice came.
Ji Wuran turned around and saw Xue Xingyue in plain coarse cloth. Even in such ordinary commoner's clothes, she couldn't hide her innate grace.
Ji Wuran saw a mud puddle, dipped his hand in it, and smeared some on his face. "Your Highness, you'll probably have to do the same."
Xue Xingyue did not refuse. They often did this when they were marching.