Chapter 114 — Escape

Sprawled on the ground, Zhang Qingyue gasped for breath, his fingers clutching tightly at the tender green grass, faintly damp, beneath him. That sensation of running along the razor's edge between life and death truly left a man breathless. After a long while his heart finally began to ease, and he raised his head and looked to the side. Bilu lay right beside him, her once-fair face now lightly dusted with dirt. As though she had sensed his gaze, she too turned her head to look at him.

Slowly, the joy of survival after calamity rose on both their faces. Bilu's lips moved, and it seemed that waves of water shimmered in her bright eyes, glistening through the haze. With a cheer that was half a sob, a release after immeasurable pressure, she could think of nothing else at all—only that the sky was so very blue, the mountains so very high, the clear breeze blowing in gusts, the whole mountain dripping with green, the shadows of leaves dancing, the rustling of the forest like surging tides. This world, it seemed, was beautiful in every corner, enough to stir the heart.

"We—we're alive!" she cried joyfully to the green hills and the blue sky.

Zhang Qingyue laughed aloud beside her, watching her throw her arms wide and show the most beautiful smile in all the world.

With a crackle and pop, the flames devoured the firewood, giving off crisp sounds and spirals of light smoke. Bilu sat by the fire, watching as Zhang Qingyue, using a thick branch, finished dressing a wild rabbit he had just caught and skewered it over the flames to roast. As the fire seared it, the rabbit meat gradually turned golden brown, and beads of fat gathered into droplets and dripped down.

Beneath the mountain forest, a rich, savory fragrance spread on all sides. Having gone so hungry in the cave, Bilu could not help her mouth watering; she swallowed. Yet Zhang Qingyue was in no hurry—he checked how the meat was coming along, then habitually reached to feel at his waist, and suddenly his face went blank, then lit up with delight.

"What is it?" Bilu asked in surprise.

Beaming, Zhang Qingyue drew a small bundle from his waist. "I can't believe we lost all our dry rations, but these things are still here—I never even noticed them these past few days."

Bilu looked at the little bundle. Zhang Qingyue carefully opened it, revealing several small bottles and jars. Curious, she picked a few up and sniffed them, then froze, gazing at Zhang Qingyue, almost speechless. "This—is this salt and seasoning..."

Zhang Qingyue, all smiles, said, "That's right. I've carried them with me ever since I came down the mountain—just in case I had to spend a night in the wild, so I could cook something good. I never thought they'd come in handy today."

Bilu looked him up and down, at a loss for words for a moment, watching as he carefully sprinkled these things—five-spice or salt, she couldn't tell—over the rabbit meat, then slowly turned the branch to roast it, the fragrance in the air growing ever richer. Never had she seen a man of the righteous path who actually carried seasonings on his person. From the look of him, he seemed more like a cook than a disciple of some prestigious orthodox sect.

After a while, Zhang Qingyue leaned in and sniffed. "Done! Time to eat."

Bilu had long since grown impatient waiting at his side. The fragrance seemed to seep in everywhere, creeping through every pore of her body; one sniff and she felt as though she might float away, so light did she feel. As for her mouth—needless to say, if she hadn't been careful to hide it, she feared even the rumbling of her stomach would have been overheard by this fellow.

So when she heard Zhang Qingyue, in his great kindness, finally declare it done, and saw before her a golden, fragrant rabbit, she nearly drooled. She could not resist reaching out—but in her haste she forgot herself, and the moment her hand touched it she cried "Ah!" and snatched it back, burned.

Zhang Qingyue smiled. "No rush!" He lifted the branch from the fire and moved it up and down, letting the fat drip away, and once the meat had cooled a little, he carefully tore off a hind leg and handed it to Bilu. "Eat," he said with a smile.

Bilu at once reached out and took the rabbit meat. She was just about to take a bite when she suddenly noticed Zhang Qingyue watching her with a gentle smile. Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves of the forest, sprinkling down in dappled flecks, a few of them falling on his face—so bright and open.

For some reason her face suddenly flushed. She turned her head away, her back to Zhang Qingyue, and only then began to eat. Zhang Qingyue was taken aback, but thought nothing of it; he himself was long since starving, and tearing off the other hind leg, he bit into it ravenously.

Halfway through, he suddenly noticed Bilu had turned and was watching him. "What is it?" he asked, mildly surprised. "Oh, right—is the meat good?"

A faint blush colored Bilu's face. A light breeze from deep in the forest gently lifted her soft long hair, brushing past her fair cheeks.

"It's delicious, um..."

Zhang Qingyue: "What is it?"

Bilu: "...I've finished it."

On her face was a faint tenderness, a trace of shyness, quiet and subtle. Zhang Qingyue's mouth fell slightly open; he was utterly entranced.

Bilu lowered her head a little, and between the two of them silence suddenly fell. After a long moment, Zhang Qingyue gave a start. "Ah!"

Sweat broke out on his brow, and he stammered, his words coming out all in pieces: "I—I wasn't looking—no, I mean, look at me... ah, no, ah, here, take it."

With that he shut his eyes and held out the rabbit leg, and for some reason did not dare open them.

But a long while passed and Bilu seemed not to stir. Zhang Qingyue summoned his courage and slowly opened his eyes. Bilu was watching him, her face wearing a look that was half smile and half not, yet her eyes were tender, with an indescribable softness and charm, and in a low voice tinged with a faint smile she said, "You're giving this to me to eat?"

Zhang Qingyue did not understand. He looked down at his hand and instantly turned crimson, wishing the earth would swallow him whole—for what he had held out to Bilu was the half-eaten rabbit leg in his right hand, while most of the rabbit meat he was clutching in his left, held at his side.

"No—no—that's not it..." Zhang Qingyue was mortified. Like lightning he snatched back the humiliating rabbit leg, then sheepishly held out the intact meat, mumbling, "I was—I was—I meant to..."

"I know." Bilu took the rabbit, tore off a piece of meat and put it in her mouth, chewing gently. "It's delicious. The best thing I've ever eaten in my whole life is this rabbit you've just roasted."

Zhang Qingyue's heart gave a leap. On Bili's lovely, pure-featured face he saw a look half smiling, half earnest as she spoke, and his heart stirred; not daring to look again, he opened his mouth and bit into the half-eaten rabbit leg, burying his head and eating with all his might.

It took no time at all for the two starving souls to make short work of that rabbit. The first full meal in many days was a true delight. Bili found a small mountain stream, and the two of them washed up at the water's edge, and before they knew it both were feeling drowsy. Small wonder: deep in that mountain belly their nerves had been strung taut the whole time, as though they walked always on the knife's edge between life and death, and now that they were out, with the whole body relaxed, the weariness came surging up.