劍問蒼天 - 第114章 脫困 - 清風書屋

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.