The night remained deep, the air moist from the recent rain, as if every breath carried a sticky dampness. The chirping of insects in the forest was still clear, and occasionally, the low growl of a distant beast could be heard. The wind intertwined with the rustling of leaves, as if performing a natural nocturne. Lin Ningshuang sat leaning against a tree trunk, her body weary but her vigilance preventing her from easily falling asleep. Her fingers still lightly rested on the hilt of her dagger; even in sleep, she would not fully relax. However, the exhaustion from days of travel made her body crave rest, her eyelids growing heavy until they finally closed amidst the nocturnal symphony, her breathing steady as she gradually drifted into slumber.
It was unclear how much time had passed when a faint gasp abruptly woke her.
Her fingers instantly tightened around the dagger's hilt, her eyes opening to the still, serene moonlight, the night breeze gently brushing the strands of hair on her forehead. She shifted her neck slightly, and the sound became clearer.
"...Mmm..."
It was Ji Jin's voice, weak and tinged with pain. Her cold gaze swept over him, noticing that he had sat up, his arm clutching the wound area, his brow furrowed as if trapped in an uneasy dream, his breathing rapid and filled with anguish. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, his face pale under the moonlight, as if he were battling an invisible foe in his dreams.
Lin Ningshuang did not rise immediately but instead narrowed her eyes, observing him for a moment. She knew that he had not properly tended to his wound earlier; not only had it not healed, but it had also begun to get worse. Her gaze fell on his arm, where the gauze was soaked with blood, the dark red stain stark under the moonlight.
She sighed softly, muttering to herself, 'This man, so decisive when killing the snake, yet he doesn't even have the basic wound medicine. How incongruous. And that huge backpack—what for?' After this internal critique, she stood up, her steps light on the ground, making no sound, like a cat prowling through the night.
When she reached his side, she didn't speak but simply took out a prepared medicine bottle from her bag and gently tossed it beside him. The bottle landed softly on the moss with a faint "thud," breaking the night's silence.
Ji Jin was startled, then opened his eyes, his gaze tired and confused as he saw the medicine bottle. His eyes, under the moonlight, seemed dazed, as if he had just woken from a dream and wasn't fully conscious. He murmured, "Sorry, did I wake you?"
Lin Ningshuang didn't respond, only giving him a cold glance, her eyes tinged with a hint of helplessness. "Your wound has reopened."
Ji Jin looked down at his bandaged arm and noticed the blood seeping through. He sighed softly, as if unsurprised, but made no move to worsen the injury. He smiled gently and whispered, "Thank you."
He unscrewed the bottle cap, poured the medicinal powder into his palm, and carefully sprinkled it on the wound. As the powder touched his skin, a cool sensation spread, bringing a slight comfort that seemed to alleviate the sharp pain. However, he soon realized that the heat in his body hadn't subsided with the night breeze; instead, it felt stifled, as if trapped in the damp air.
After tending to the wound, Ji Jin cautiously moved his arm, confirming that the bleeding had stopped, before looking up at her with a gentle gaze, his voice low. "It should be fine now."
Lin Ningshuang stood nearby, her eyes calm as she watched him. Noticing the fine sweat around his forehead, she frowned slightly. After a moment of silence, she rummaged through her bag again, pulled out a small porcelain bottle, walked over to him, and placed it by his hand, her voice still cool. "Fever medicine."
Ji Jin was momentarily stunned, looking down at the small bottle, a soft smile appearing in his eyes. He murmured, "You even prepared this?"
Lin Ningshuang didn't respond, only glanced at him as if to ensure he wouldn't refuse.
Ji Jin didn't push himself. He opened the bottle, poured the medicine drink into his mouth, and washed it down with water from his flask. The bitterness made him frown slightly, but as the medicine took effect, he finally felt the persistent heat in his body gradually subside.
Lin Ningshuang glanced at him but said nothing, simply turning to return to her original spot. Her back remained aloof, as if this small act of care didn't linger in her heart for long. Her steps were light and steady, as if each one followed the rhythm of time, without hesitation.
But Ji Jin's gaze lingered on her retreating figure, the warmth in his eyes still present. He whispered, "Thank you, really."
Lin Ningshuang's steps paused slightly, but she didn't turn back, continuing to walk to her original spot, as if her pause was unintentional, or perhaps as if she had never responded at all. Her figure, under the moonlight, appeared especially cold, as if she were one with the rainforest yet always maintaining a certain distance.
中文版
夜色依旧深沉,空气中带着雨后的湿润,仿佛每一口呼吸都能感受到水汽的黏腻.林间的虫鸣依旧清晰,偶尔能听到远处传来一阵野兽的低吼,风声与树叶沙沙的响动交织在一起,仿佛在演奏一曲自然的夜曲.蔺凝霜靠着树干坐着,身体虽然疲惫,但她的警惕心却让她不敢轻易入睡.她的手指仍旧轻轻搭在匕首的刀柄上,哪怕睡着,也不会完全放松.然而,几天的奔波劳累让她的身体本能地渴望休息,眼皮渐渐沉重,最终在各种噪音的夜色中合上,呼吸平稳,渐渐沉入梦乡.
不知过了多久,一阵微弱的喘息声让她陡然惊醒.
她的手指瞬间扣紧了刀柄,睁开眼,月色依旧静谧,夜风微微拂动她额前的碎发.稍微动了一下脖子,听到了那声音愈发清晰.
"...唔..."
那是嵇瑾的声音,微弱且带着痛意.她的目光冷淡地扫向他,只见他已经坐起,手臂紧紧抓住纱布包裹的地方,眉头紧蹙,似是陷入了某种不安的梦境,呼吸变得急促,带着几分痛苦.他的额头上渗出了细密的汗珠,脸色在月光下显得苍白,仿佛在梦中与某种无形的敌人搏斗.
蔺凝霜没有立刻起身,而是眯着眼睛盯了片刻.她知道,之前他并没有好好处理伤口,伤口处不但没有完全愈合,反而开始有了新的裂开.她的目光落在他手臂上,纱布已经被血迹浸透,暗红色的血迹在月光下显得格外刺眼.
她轻轻叹了口气,心中暗自腹诽:'这人,杀蛇的动作干净利落,却连基本的伤药都不带,怎么想怎么违和.还背那么大个包,是装饰用的?'心里吐槽了一句后,她站起身来,脚步轻微地踏在地面上,没有发出丝毫声响,仿佛一只夜行的猫.
走到他身旁时,她没有说话,只是直接从包中取出早已准备好的药瓶,轻轻丢到他的身边.药瓶落在柔软的苔藓上,发出轻微的"咚"声,打破了夜的沉寂.
嵇瑾一愣,随即睁开眼,看见药瓶的时候,眼中带着一丝疲惫与茫然.他的眼神在月光下显得有些迷离,仿佛刚从梦中惊醒,尚未完全清醒.他低声道:"抱歉,吵到你了."
蔺凝霜没有回答,只是冷淡地看了他一眼,目光带着一丝无奈:"伤口裂开了."
嵇瑾垂眸看了看自己被纱布包裹的手臂,发现果真有些血迹渗透出来.他轻轻叹了口气,仿佛并不意外,但也没有继续让伤口恶化.他温柔地笑了笑,低声道:"谢谢."
他拧开瓶盖,将药粉倒在掌心,小心地撒在伤口处.药粉接触到皮肤的瞬间,带来一阵凉意,隐隐带着一丝舒适感,似乎缓解了伤口的剧烈疼痛.但他很快察觉到,身体的燥热并未因为夜晚的微风而减弱,反而有种被闷在潮湿空气中的沉重感.
嵇瑾处理好伤口,小心活动了一下手臂,确认没有再流血后,才轻轻抬头看向她,眼神温和,声音低沉:"这样应该没事了."
蔺凝霜站在一旁,目光平静地看着他.注意到他额角渗出的细汗,微微皱了皱眉.她沉默片刻,又从包里翻出一个小瓷瓶,走到他身旁,将瓶子放在他的手边,声音依旧冷淡:"退烧药."
嵇瑾愣了一下,低头看着那小巧的瓷瓶,眼神中浮现一丝柔和的笑意.他轻轻地道:"连这个也准备了?"
蔺凝霜没接话,只是看了他一眼,像是确认他不会拒绝.
嵇瑾没有逞强,拧开瓷瓶,将药倒入口中,用随身的水囊送服.药苦得让他微微蹙眉,但药效渐渐渗透进身体,他终于感觉到那股持续的热意被缓缓压制了些许.
蔺凝霜看了他一眼,没有说话,只是轻轻转身,准备回到原位.她的背影依旧冷淡,仿佛这场小小的关怀并不在她的心头停留太久.她的步伐轻盈而稳健,仿佛每一步都踩在时间的节拍上,没有丝毫犹豫.
但嵇瑾的目光落在她背影上,眼底的温柔依旧未曾散去.他低声说道:"谢谢你,真的."
蔺凝霜的步伐略顿了一下,但很快,她没有回头,继续走向原本的地方,仿佛是无意间的回应,又仿佛从未回应过.她的身影在月光下显得格外清冷,仿佛与这片雨林融为一体,却又始终保持着某种距离.