Chapter 42: I Think I Smell Blood

Jiang Yaoyao was awakened by the chirping of birds.

As she opened her eyes, the cave she had entered last night came into view once again—only this time, it appeared much clearer.

Even the spider weaving its web above was visible in perfect detail.

She turned her little head, and suddenly, the strikingly handsome face of the man beside her came into view.

Caught off guard, Jiang Yaoyao froze for a moment.

Everything from last night felt like a dream.

She still wasn’t mentally prepared to wake up snuggled so intimately against Pei Heng.

A blush slowly crept up her cheeks, and her thick, curled lashes trembled lightly. She instinctively tried to inch backward—only to realize belatedly that she had been clinging to him like an octopus the entire night.

Her memories of the dream were hazy,

But it didn’t take much effort to recall how she had wrapped her arms and legs around him, even slipping her little leg between his… and resting her head right on his chest.

Ah!

Jiang Yaoyao’s face burned red with embarrassment.

Thankfully, Pei Heng was exceptionally composed and well-mannered. He didn’t seem to mind her bold behavior from the night before. Instead, he gently freed her leg and asked in a low voice:

“Are you hungry? I picked some fruit outside.”

“Once we’ve eaten, we can head out.”

Last night had been strangely peaceful—so peaceful that Jiang Yaoyao started doubting the original storyline from the book.

Had things changed again?

She obediently nodded and accepted the apples and pears Pei Heng had picked.

The apples and pears growing wild in the mountains were completely different from the ones sold in supermarkets.

The apples were green, speckled with brown patches, and when she bit into one, it burst with a sweet and sour juiciness.

The pears were tiny—barely bigger than plums. They had almost no flavor but were packed with moisture.

She sat quietly on the small bed of straw, her fair and delicate fingers holding the wild fruit as she took small, neat bites.

Her eating posture was both refined and adorable.

Pei Heng sat beside her, watching his little fairy with a faint smile in his eyes.

“Does it taste good?”

The little beauty nodded obediently, her dark lashes fluttering as she looked up at him.

“Pei Heng… Did you not eat any? Are there only a few fruits?”

Pei Heng shook his head and simply smiled at her. “I already ate.”

“But I was worried you might not be used to this kind of fruit and would feel uncomfortable.”

The little beauty’s eyes sparkled like stars. She blinked at him, her smile soft and sweet.

“Not at all! I think it’s really interesting!”

Pei Heng chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle her fluffy, silky hair.

“Good.”

After filling their stomachs, the two of them prepared to leave the cave.

According to Pei Heng, his men would be arriving soon, and they’d be able to leave safely.

Jiang Yaoyao was back to her usual energetic self, clutching Pei Heng’s sleeve as she followed him out.

“Careful.”

The cave entrance was rugged and uneven. Without hesitation, the man reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

Jiang Yaoyao’s ears turned red, but she tried her best to act unfazed.

“Thank you, Mr. Pei.”

She had never been in a relationship before—let alone had such close physical contact with a man.

Even though her steps were still light and cheerful, only she knew how that single touch had set her entire body tingling.

The skin on her waist felt strangely warm and sensitive, as if a magnifying glass had been placed over her blood vessels—making every pulse of blood flow distinctly perceptible.

Jiang Yaoyao peeked at his thick, dark lashes and thought in quiet embarrassment:

If Pei Heng kept holding her waist for just a little longer, she might actually melt from the heat.

Fortunately, once they made it past the jagged rocks at the cave’s entrance, Pei Heng politely withdrew his hand.

Jiang Yaoyao took a deep breath and scrambled to fill the silence.

“It smells kind of weird out here.”

The man seemed not to have heard her clearly and turned his head slightly. “What?”

The little beauty standing beside him had cheeks as radiant as the morning glow. Her soft voice carried a hint of doubt as she spoke to him with great seriousness:

“I think I smell something strange here… It smells like blood…”

Her delicate brows furrowed as she carefully scanned her surroundings. The area was empty—aside from the mist drifting through the mountains and the sound of birds chirping, there was no one else around.

Yet the faint but distinct scent of blood brushed past the tip of her nose, its presence undeniable.

Jiang Yaoyao bit her rosy lips and turned toward the east, taking a small step forward.

“Mr. Pei, I think it’s coming from that direction. Do you smell it?”

The man’s pitch-black eyes remained calm, his deep voice steady.

“Do you?”

He let out a light chuckle, his refined features composed and his manner elegant.

“Perhaps the heavy scent of the earth in the mountains made you mistake it for something else.”

The little beauty pressed her lips together, still feeling uneasy. She glanced in that direction again, her voice lowering as she hesitantly replied:

“Is that so? But I still feel like this scent… isn’t quite right…”

“Mr. Pei, do you think it could be the driver? Could he have fallen down as well?”

“No.”

His long, slender fingers rested lightly on her shoulder. With just a little pressure, he turned her gently back in the other direction.

“He’s safe. He’s already in the hospital.”

“Yaoyao, you’re just too nervous, which is why you’re imagining things.”

His handsome face loomed closer, his deep and magnetic voice slowly explaining:

“The humidity in the morning is heavy, which enhances the scent of the soil. Especially in a remote, uninhabited place like this—fallen birds and decayed branches mix into the earth, and the morning mist lifts those scents into the air, making it easy to mistake them for something else.”

“There’s no one here, Yaoyao.”

A faint smile played at the edges of his strikingly beautiful features as he reached out to ruffle her soft hair.

“If someone were here, we would’ve been rescued long ago. We wouldn’t have had to sleep on that bed of straw.”

His reasoning was logical and sound. The fair-skinned, delicate little beauty nodded obediently, convinced by his words.

“You’re right.”

Her delicate brows relaxed, and as she lifted her gaze, she caught sight of a group of figures approaching from the corner of her eye.

“Mr. Pei, they’re here!”

Leading the group was Pei Heng’s assistant—a familiar face Jiang Yaoyao recognized instantly.

Behind him, a large group of private bodyguards followed, rushing toward them in an imposing formation.

“Sir!”

“Sir, are you all right?”

“Apologies, sir! We arrived late.”

The tall and elegant man stood against the golden morning light, the soft glow outlining him in a halo, making him appear even more like an otherworldly deity.

“I’m fine. Bring me my coat.”

He took his cashmere coat and draped it over Jiang Yaoyao’s shoulders before glancing eastward for the briefest of moments, his dark eyes unreadable.

The assistant caught the silent message and subtly moved to hide among the crowd of bodyguards.

With his deep, magnetic voice, the man spoke again.

“Yaoyao, it’s time to go.”