Protect Her

From her calculation, by the time that she appeared again, Mo Li should have forgotten about this promise.

"Good! Good!" Mo Li nodded.. However, this smile didn't last too long. He froze. "We need to leave this place now."

"Why?"

"The rain is not that strong. I believe Sun Fengmian's people will start hunting us."

Li Yue shivered. Would she really go that far? Of course, the answer was quite obvious. Now that Mo Li had lost the protection of the people guarding him, Sun Fengmian would naturally act and try to kill him as soon as possible. Or at least before Mo Li's people found him. After a while, the two started walking after making sure to put out the fire and bury the ashes. They couldn't leave any marks that they had been camping here.

The two started walking. The plan was simple, they were planning to stay as far as possible from the river. Mo Li concluded that the first place they would try to look for him was the river as they would think Mo Li needed water to survive. Or some might even conclude that Mo Li jumped off the falls with Li Yue.

After an hour of walking, the two finally arrived at a cave. "I believe, if we keep this up, we will soon find some villages around here." He sat next to Li Yue. "What's wrong with you? Why are you so pale?" Mo Li eyed her feet. They had decided to create makeshift slippers out of thick leaves, thus, their feet were already protected. So why would Li Yue be so pale? Suddenly an idea came to his mind. He put his palm on her forehead.

"You are burning hot!" Mo Li exclaimed. Who would have thought that Li Yue would be this weak? However, when he thought about it, Li Yue really seemed malnourished. She was too skinny. Like a brittle piece of doll, Li Yue looked really fragile. His gaze turned alert as he held her in his arms. She frowned. 

They need fire.

As if on cue, Li Yue gave him a match and a knife. The frowned on his face deepened. Where did she get the knife? Then she handed him a cracker and a small bottle of water. Without saying anything, Li Yue closed her eyes, exhaustion apparent in her pale face. 

This…

Mo Li didn't think that Li Yue would hide something like this in her body. However, he did not have the time to think about it. After looking for a comfortable place to put her down, Mo Li gathered some firewood and started a fire. Then he used the cap of the water bottle to give her some water.

Hours passed.

Li Yue's fever slowly subsided. However this didn't last long. After a few more minutes, her temperature would increase once again. Mo Li looked at the current Li Yue. Despite her hot temperature, she was shivering as she curled into a ball. Her long lashes would move occasionally, her lips would quiver from time to time. Despite being cold himself, Mo Li already gave her his shirt to keep her from trembling. It was futile. Li Yue kept on trembling.

Should he hug her?

Mo Li stared at Li Yue's face for a few seconds before he nodded to himself. They already promised to stay away from each other after this anyway. Keeping her warm should not be enough to change that promise. Without waiting for another minute, Mo Li lay down next to her and envelop her in a hug. He used his arm to support her head, his other arm was hugging her waist. This should do it. He thought to himself. 

This should keep this little rat from dying.

Slowly, the sun left the sky. Soon, the sound of howling and growling filled the forest. It was followed by the occasional sound of thunder. Once again, the pitter patter of the rain started. This time it was obviously stronger than before. A cold gust of wind would sometimes enter the cave, howling like a wolf looking for its mate. 

However, Mo Li didn't close his eyes. He continued observing Li Yue's breathing that was now calm. Finally it stabilized. She should be fine now. Meaning, he could now stop hugging her. He frowned. Why did the thought of leaving her alone seem to make him a little irritated? Wasn't this just like the feeling that he felt when Li Yue said she was his sister? Why was he mad? Most importantly, why was he mad at his own self?

That didn't make sense at all.

However, now that he thought about it, Li Yue was currently restoring her sick body. Leaving her like this, in this condition, was extremely ruthless. He couldn't do that. After all, he was not a ruthless person. 

Mo Li tried to convince himself that Li Yue needed to spend the night in his arms or she would become sick again. At the end, he still failed, he knew that something inside him was changing. And that something was caused by Li Yue's presence. Sadly for him, he could not continue to feel like this. He couldn't allow people to know that this woman… this unknown woman was making him vulnerable.

A sigh left his lips. This was truly… complicated. All he could do now was leave her alone after they got out of this forest. Or his enemies will surely come for her. He tightened his arms around her waist as he inhaled her scent. After this storm, it would be easier for them to leave this damnable place. And once they leave… Mo Li will… He gulped. For some reason, just the thought about it is making him angry. In fact, all this is making him angry!

A weak woman like Li Yue wouldn't be able to survive in his world. That was not the thing that made him angry. It was the fact that he was too weak to protect her. Against his enemies… Mo Li was useless!

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