"You asked me to tie a rope for you," Shen Yan said, conjuring a hemp rope from her palm. "I'm fulfilling your request. Your hand."
Mu Anxiao glanced down at Shen Yan's hands as she expertly manipulated the rope, and chuckled dryly. "Perhaps not necessary." She then met Shen Yan's gaze.
"Three chances. If you don't extend your hand, don't blame me for being impolite," Shen Yan stated coldly.
Mu Anxiao pursed her lips and reluctantly offered her hands. "Be gentle, please."
Shen Yan remained silent. She pushed aside Mu Anxiao's left hand and tied the rope around her right, then said, "Let's go."
"You're too harsh. I'm still human. Wouldn't it be better," Mu Anxiao looked at her left hand, "to let me hold onto your clothes? This leash doesn't look good."
"It's better than me tying it around your neck," Shen Yan replied, taking the lead by tugging on the rope.
Mu Anxiao pouted, looking up at Shen Yan's retreating back and grumbling, "Such a callous man, completely lacking in chivalry. I truly worry if you'll ever find a wife." With that, she turned her mouth down and followed.
Shen Yan deliberately pulled the rope, causing Mu Anxiao to lurch forward. "Shen Yan, you did that on purpose!" she exclaimed. After regaining her balance, she let out a sigh of relief.
"What's wrong?" Shen Yan asked, turning her head with feigned ignorance.
Mu Anxiao looked at Shen Yan's pretense of not knowing anything and recalled her earlier mumbled words. Shaking her head, she said, "Nothing. I'm eating. I won't disturb you." She then took out the unfinished dry rations from her satchel and continued eating.
Shen Yan remained silent, continuing to pull the rope forward.
"I'm so thirsty," Mu Anxiao said, her lips dry and cracked.
Throughout their journey, Mu Anxiao had been either eating or drinking. Just after finishing her dry rations, she was thirsty again. Hearing her voice, Shen Yan felt a touch of exasperation. She stopped and turned to face the dejected Mu Anxiao, whose eyes were blankly fixed on her own. Shen Yan pointed to a nearby puddle. "Go drink."
Mu Anxiao let out a surprised "Eh?" and followed Shen Yan's finger to the muddy water in the puddle. She chuckled nervously. "Shen Yan, are you kidding me? If I drank that water, I'd either get diarrhea or die."
"You won't die. Drink it."
"Don't you have a waterskin?" Mu Anxiao pointed to the leather waterskin hanging at Shen Yan's side.
Shen Yan deliberately touched her waterskin and tilted her head. "Don't you have one too?" She cast a pointed glance at the waterskin hanging in front of Mu Anxiao.
"I..." Mu Anxiao's mouth drooped. "I drank it all. I'm terribly thirsty. Please, spare me a sip," she pleaded, clasping her hands together.
Shen Yan looked at the rope pulled taut by Mu Anxiao. "You're really quite troublesome."
"May good deeds bring you peace," Mu Anxiao deliberately lifted her chin, feigning patheticness.
Shen Yan said nothing, but stared at Mu Anxiao for a moment. While wrapping the rope around her hand, she walked in front of Mu Anxiao. Glancing at the waterskin hanging in front of her, she said, "Give me your waterskin." She extended her hand.
Mu Anxiao blinked in surprise. "No need."
"I'll pour it for you," Shen Yan said.
Mu Anxiao took a half-step back, with a seemingly evasive, silly smile. "I don't need to drink from yours. Just pour it out for me."
"Alright, go ahead," Shen Yan stepped aside.
Mu Anxiao was bewildered. "What for?"
"The water in the mud puddle is water, and the water in my waterskin is also water. It's all the same to drink. I'll wait for you. Go ahead," Shen Yan said, tilting her head.
"You're something else," Mu Anxiao said indignantly.
Shen Yan narrowed her eyes. "How dare you be angry? If I'm not mistaken, you haven't drunk a single drop from your waterskin. You're drinking mine purely to hoard your own water."