91 A Meadow of Dandelions

Due to a bit of teasing gone wrong, their party of six hadn't set out from the boat until mid-afternoon. As they got on their journey to Paoxiao's village, Nastasia had difficulty in looking at the others. It wasn't because she was being overly self-conscious either.

Well, not entirely.

Any time she glanced at Paoxiao his face would flush redder than a monkey's bottom and his eyes would dart about in a panic. Standing next to him, as he dragged the cart along the tough terrain, was an extremely awkward thing. It quickly decided her against engaging him in conversation though she was worried and wanted to strike up some idle banter to distract his mind from grief.

She couldn't even look at Hui Se Ying. Not that it mattered as she didn't even need to glance in his direction to feel his teasing smirk directed toward her. It was the first words out of his mouth, "had a fun battling between the sheets, eh," that brought about this strange and frightfully embarrassing atmosphere.

In the beginning, the other two were planning to play dumb, however after such a comment Lu Se Ying couldn't help but choke and sputter and Paoxiao's cheeks glowed so bright, it was blinding. As Hui Se Ying started to ask Nastasia how she liked their master's skills, Lu Se Ying kicked him over the deck with a satisfying splash below.

As she stubbornly trekked through the uneven pathways and forced her way through clinging underbrush the remembrance of that moment brought a satisfied smile to her lips. It helped to relieve her mood a bit each time she recalled his drowned rat appearance. Nastasia chuckled quietly to herself as she pressed on.

Li Yu Rong walked a step behind her. A deep frown marred his handsome features as he watched her struggle up the slowly ascending path. He had intended to have her ride in the cart again. After all, these past few days a lot has happened and, coupled with their amorous activities earlier, he didn't believe Asya wasn't exhausted.

Never-the-less, she insisted on making the journey with her own two legs. Since coming to this world and falling into Li Yu Rong's capable claws, she had been pampered and doted on to a ridiculous degree. Whatever was wanted or needed was brought to her and, due to her lack of knowledge and poor speech, she had only recently had been allowed to leave the Palace of the Four Gates.

This younger, remade body of hers still had the strength and energy of the active lifestyle she had from when she was young. Her weakening unused limbs were thrumming at the prospect of a good adventure, so how could she spend it lazing away in that wooden cart?

Being cooped up and treated like a delicate lady wasn't her style. She had tolerated it before due to being both ignorant to the ways of this world and her inability to communicate with others. Now that there was a chance to move about freely and explore, she wanted to take it.

What tired and aching body? What soft shoes and dragging skirt that got caught on everything, aggravating her tried and sore body? No matter what, she refused to lose this chance. Nastasia squared her shoulders and stiffened her spine, refusing to give in to her body's want for rest.

If the slightest amount of weakness was shown she was afraid that Li Yu Rong would force her to take it easy. However, the aforementioned man was already plotting to have her follow his wishes by tricking her into a short rest in the cart that morphed into an extended stay.

As the group came upon a meadow that stretched out a distance to the next closely grown together foliage, with tree trunks as wide as four grown men, Li Yu Rong put his plot on hold.

The meadow's even ground was easier to walk through and was dusted in seeded dandelions. Recalling a moment in her earlier childhood, when she had raced through such a field with her younger brother, Nastasia felt a sudden childish urge rise up in her. No longer leisurely walking through the grass and flowers, she ran forward and danced about. Kicking up dandelion seeds to fly around her.

Once the area around her was covered with gently floating white seeds, Nastasia paused to admire her handy work. Her smile waned a bit as she noticed that, with the exception of An Ying's indifferent bearing, the others had paused several steps behind. Each one watching her with various expressions of amusement.

Embarrassed, she quickly faced forward and straightened her pale pink top and fluttering blue skirt. The sash tied around her waist, keeping everything together, loosened. Even though it had come loose, she didn't attempt to fix it. Hoping that it wouldn't get any worse until she could find a moment alone, her steps became careful without any exaggerated movements.

A helpless smile softly clung to Li Yu Rong as he watched her trudge ahead carefully after her burst of childlike play. Coming up behind Asya, after signaling the other four to wait and cast their eyes aside, he fixed the loosened and slipping sash around her waist.

As he did so, he murmured softly. "It's better to fix it now than to walk as you are. You'll tire yourself out long before we come upon a good resting point." Although that was precisely his aim, to make her stay in the cart where she would be safest, he changed his mind for the moment. After seeing her blissful expression as she frolicked about, he couldn't bring himself to cut short her obvious enjoyment.

She walked about as she took in the scenery curiously while her body gave off the innocent air of a child thoroughly thrilled with the sense of adventure that came from exploring the unknown. Li Yu Rong found himself slowing their pace just to give her extra time to fully immerse herself in what she took an interest in, only to allow that same consideration for the next thing that caught her eye.

Even though it was rather dangerous to linger about the woods that surround Youyun Village, Li Yu Rong didn't fear lingering. Though the woods were a barrier that prevented the use of spirit or vital energy, their core strengths were well enough to see them through the dangers without incurring deep injuries.

True, though it may be, staying in one spot for a too lengthy amount of time was something that should be avoided. They could grab an hour or so here or there, but any longer than that risked attracting the attention of things that were better off avoided if it could be helped.

Keeping this in mind, as they came to a spot a few steps from the spacious meadow that took a few hours to surmount where Li Yu Rong called for everyone to rest, he said to Hui Se Ying. "You'll be the first one to stand guard. Make sure the time doesn't progress too much passed an hour."

Nodding, Hui Se Ying leaned against a tree trunk several times wider than his thick, but lean, muscular body. The others sought out spots nearby to settle in comfortably to rest, unknowing of how long it would be until they next found a suitable place.

It couldn't just be any old place, after all.

Though it wasn't widely known, within this forest crawling with beasts that were exempt from the energy negating barrier, there were safe havens that one could rest for a short moment of time. As they had found one such place, though they could probably walk on a bit longer, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it.

Night was slowly settling in as they came upon here. With night came an unnatural stillness that wasn't present in the day that was rife with the various sounds one would normally hear in nature. Nastasia was wrapped in a blanket held securely in Li Yu Rong's arms as he rested against the base of a tree.

The atmosphere of the night, like a predator waiting to pounce when the moment was right, stifled the air so heavily it was difficult to find peace. Despite this, after having Li Yu Rong's gentle fingers running through her hair and calming her nerves, she managed to fall into a light sleep.

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A/N:

I am so sorry about the long, long time without updates. My teacher suddenly announced that we needed to have at least 50% complete on a project that isn't due till the end of November or we'd be deducted major points. I had originally planned to start it at the beginning of November, so I hadn't worked on it at all. Luckily I had all the parts I needed already prepared or I would have been doomed since most of them needed to be ordered and would take some time to get here.

I managed to make it in time after pulling all-nighters this past week to get it done, so I'm good. This has taught me to never procrastinate on a project, even if the teacher gives double the time it should take to finish it. OTL