"Ah, you have it? Good, good, good. Wait for me, I'm going to brush my teeth. You absolutely cannot eat before I do, understand?"
Meng Jingwei entered the tent and after rummaging through Qing Muyue's pockets, found the toothbrush, toothpaste, and mineral water.
Meng Jingwei had these things too, but the water in the box was prepared for a day, and she had drunk it all on the way up the mountain yesterday.
Who knew that a heavy rain would trap them on the mountain?
After quickly brushing her teeth, she sat beside Qing Muyue. As she was about to drink the porridge with a spoon, she noticed there was only one pot and two spoons. Frowning, she looked at Qing Muyue. "How about you eat first? You have germophobia, I'm afraid you won't be able to eat after I do."
Meng Jingwei knew herself well and understood that the porridge was not easy to make; Qing Muyue had boiled it down the mountain and brought it up.
It wouldn't be fair to him if she ate the porridge first.
"You still have some conscience."
A faint smile spread across Qing Muyue's handsome face. As the wind blew, his bangs lifted slightly, making him look even more handsome and captivating.
He took the spoon and ate a few bites, then simply said, "It doesn't taste good, it's all yours."
He handed the pot to Meng Jingwei.
Meng Jingwei looked at the pot of porridge that was still more than half full, her willow-like eyebrows knitting. "Is it really that bad?"
She picked up a spoonful and tasted it. "It tastes good, just like the food at home. I think..."
Meng Jingwei couldn't help but be stunned and looked up at Qing Muyue. "So, you're the one who makes the porridge at home?"
Although Meng Jingwei could also cook, she had to admit that the porridge she had drunk at Nightfall Apartment these past few days tasted exceptionally good.
Even the porridge this morning was full of color, aroma, and taste.
Meng Jingwei knew he had brought ingredients, but she never expected that Qing Muyue would actually know how to cook, and that he personally made breakfast at home every day.
She clearly remembered that on some mornings, Qing Muyue ate an American breakfast, yet he still made her a bowl of porridge.
"Why are you so good to me?"
Meng Jingwei tilted her head, her gaze not unkind as she sized up Qing Muyue. "You don't have any ulterior motives towards me, do you?"
The phrase 'wolf-hearted and dog-lunged' described Meng Jingwei perfectly.
But in Meng Jingwei's eyes, 'offering kindness without reason is either a thief or a traitor.'
The man cast a cold glance at her, said nothing, and entered the tent.
Seeing him remain silent, Meng Jingwei felt inexplicably guilty. Had he gotten angry?
She obediently finished the hard-won breakfast, then used the remaining mineral water from brushing her teeth to wash the pot before entering the tent. She put the small pot into a plastic bag and stuffed it into Qing Muyue's backpack.
Seeing the man sleeping on his side, silent, Meng Jingwei leaned over, propped herself on his back, and patted his shoulder. "Hey, don't be so petty, I was just joking with you."
"You go first, I'm going to sleep,"
Qing Muyue said lazily, his eyes closed.
"How can that be? We are comrades now, we must advance and retreat together."
Meng Jingwei shook her head and directly refused.
"Hey, Qing Muyue is talking to you."
"Can't you hear him?"
"You're not asleep, why aren't you responding when I talk to you?"
"Go, go, stop sleeping. We came up the mountain for charity, not for you to sleep. Get up quickly."
"Hey, Qing Muyue, if you don't get up, believe me, I'll bite you!"
...
She had said a lot of effort, but Qing Muyue hadn't replied a single word.
Meng Jingwei was utterly helpless. Seeing that he truly seemed to be asleep, she boldly leaned over and, on an impulse, pinched his nose.
She thought to herself: Let's see how long you can pretend to sleep and hold your breath.
However, as she pinched his nose, Qing Muyue breathed through his mouth.
She then reached out her right hand and covered his mouth, wanting to see how long he could hold out.
As time ticked by, Qing Muyue showed no reaction. But suddenly, the man turned over, his arm bumping into Meng Jingwei. Without a point of support, she instinctively leaned forward, falling directly onto Qing Muyue, holding him.
The pose was particularly intimate.
She looked at him, and he looked at her.
Their eyes met. In the confined space, everything felt awkward, yet tinged with a hint of intimacy.
Qing Muyue, having had his mouth and nose covered just now, found the little woman's slightly cool, mischievous teasing inexplicably pleasing.
It was as if every woman around him was pretentious and affected, putting on the airs of a pampered socialite, which made them lose their genuine feel.
But Meng Jingwei was not only playful and cute, but also possessed a realness that belonged to her personality, making him thoroughly enjoy the time spent with her.
She always made him feel... relaxed.
Qing Muyue casually looped his arm around her waist and raised an eyebrow, as dark as ink. "What are you doing? Impatient to throw yourself into my arms. Hmm?"
The trailing end of the word 'hmm' made it even more captivating.
That damn devilish charm.
"Throw myself into your arms? What the hell are you talking about? I've been talking to you for ages, can't you hear me?"
After talking to him for so long, Meng Jingwei's patience had run out. Her accumulated anger left her with no mood for 'romance.'
She wished she could strangle him.
She slapped Qing Muyue on the shoulder, her voice filled with anger. "Get up and let's get going. I don't want to be sleeping on the mountain tonight."
With that, she began to pack their things.
Qing Muyue, his mood slightly improved, had no choice but to get up and pack, continuing their journey up the mountain.
Finally, they reached Liangchuan County before noon.
Although it was a county town, it did not possess the prosperity of a typical county.
The entire county was sparsely populated, with houses clustered together in groups of two or three. They were simple wooden structures or houses built from mud bricks and stone, with roofs covered by antique tiles, very basic.
The place they were in was Yuliang Town, Liangchuan County.
The town had no market, no small shops. Most people lived a self-sufficient lifestyle.
People wore simple, plain clothes, many even patched and mended.
As the two appeared, children swarmed over, surrounding them.
Meng Jingwei couldn't understand the local dialect, but she knew that the children, covered in mud, had innocent smiles and were running towards them with cheers, welcoming their arrival.
"Qing Muyue, you have a lot of snacks in your pocket, hurry up and give them something to eat."
Even though the children's hair was messy and their cheeks were smudged with mud, their innocence and cuteness, their pure and clear eyes, made Meng Jingwei very fond of them.
She took down Qing Muyue's backpack and rummaged through it, finding some snacks to give to the children. "Little darlings, these snacks are for you, everyone gets one, don't snatch!"
The moment Meng Jingwei took out the snacks, the children's eyes lit up, and they rushed towards her, their chirping voices like cheerful sparrows.
Qing Muyue stood to the side, watching her happily distribute snacks to the children, a strange emotion stirring in his heart.