Chapter 279: Did you think about…?

Huang Caixing gripped the knife tightly as she watched Lin Xiao’s figure disappear into the rain. Without him nearby, the surrounding environment suddenly felt terrifying.

Minutes crawled by, and Huang Caixing found herself praying for Lin Xiao to return quickly.

Ten minutes later, when Lin Xiao finally returned to the cave with an armful of firewood, Huang Caixing jumped up with a start. She dashed out of the cave and threw herself into his arms.

“Big Brother Lin, you’re finally back!” Huang Caixing sniffled, rubbing her small face against his chest.

“What’s wrong?”

“This place is so scary,” she said, lifting her head to pout. “I kept thinking, what if a ghost suddenly appeared?”

Lin Xiao flicked her forehead lightly with his finger and took the knife from her. “There’s no such thing as ghosts. You’re scaring yourself. Now, go back into the cave.”

Huang Caixing huffed in protest but reluctantly returned to the cave.

Lin Xiao set the firewood down in a corner and used the knife to cut smaller branches. He quickly built a simple wooden shelter at the cave entrance to block the rain and dug two trenches to redirect the water away.

After finishing these preparations, Lin Xiao dug a pit in the ground, placed kindling inside, and used the windproof lighter to ignite a small fire.

As the flames flickered to life, Huang Caixing cheered and bounded over to Lin Xiao. With a loud smack, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

The warm glow of the fire dispelled the darkness and, with it, Huang Caixing’s fears.

Even Yuan Yu, half-conscious with fever, opened her eyes slightly to glance at the fire before drifting back to sleep.

Lin Xiao removed his jacket and hung it on a makeshift rack by the fire. He turned to Huang Caixing.

“You should take off your wet clothes, too,” he said.

“Ah?”

Huang Caixing, who had been sneaking glances at Lin Xiao’s strong, muscular frame, blinked in surprise. Her cheeks turned bright red.

“Don’t worry, I won’t peek,” Lin Xiao said, closing his eyes. “If you don’t dry your clothes, you’ll catch a cold.”

“I… I understand,” Huang Caixing stammered.

Although she deeply admired and adored Lin Xiao, the idea of undressing in front of him was mortifying. She hesitated for a long moment before slowly taking off her shirt. Once she’d started, she decided to go all the way and removed her wet pants as well.

Her slender neck, delicate waist, and long legs created a breathtaking silhouette under the flickering firelight, exuding a captivating beauty.

Stealing a glance at Lin Xiao to make sure his eyes were still closed, Huang Caixing tiptoed to the fire, hung her clothes on the rack, and quickly darted back into the cave.

“Caixing, help Little Yu take off her wet clothes too,” Lin Xiao said without opening his eyes, fully aware of her movements.

“Got it,” Huang Caixing replied.

She worked quickly, stripping Yuan Yu of her damp clothes.

In her sleep, Yuan Yu instinctively curled up into a ball, her arms hugging her chest and her head tucked down. Her small frame shivered as if trying to preserve warmth.

Although Yuan Yu’s clothes were off, Huang Caixing hesitated, unsure of what to do next.

“Big Brother Lin, YuYu is so cold. What should we do now?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“Move her closer to the fire.”

Huang Caixing struggled to lift Yuan Yu. She had barely taken two steps when her foot slipped, and she fell uncontrollably toward the fire.

“Ah!”

Huang Caixing let out an involuntary cry of alarm.

Hearing her scream, Lin Xiao’s eyes snapped open. He turned swiftly and extended his arms, catching both Huang Caixing and Yuan Yu.

With the two girls nearly falling completely into his embrace, even Lin Xiao, with his typically unshakable composure, couldn’t help but feel a ripple of emotion. For a moment, he struggled to maintain his usual self-control.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to focus and pushed the rising tension aside.

In a low voice, he asked, “Are you alright?”

Still shaken, Huang Caixing instinctively clung to Lin Xiao’s waist, her chest pressed against his. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. When she did, her face flushed bright red.

“I-I’m fine…” she stammered, unable to lift her head as her voice faltered.

“If you’re fine, you can stand up now.”

Huang Caixing silently pulled herself out of Lin Xiao’s arms. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground, her chin practically touching her chest in embarrassment.

Lin Xiao couldn’t help but find her reaction amusing.

At that moment, Yuan Yu, still cradled in Lin Xiao’s arms, let out a soft groan and slowly opened her eyes.

Her fever had dulled her senses, and she stared blankly at Lin Xiao’s face for a moment before glancing down at her own body. It took her a while to process the situation.

When she finally realized she was completely undressed and was held by Lin Xiao, a wave of shame overtook her. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Although her face was already red and burning from the fever, the redness of her glistening earlobes betrayed her embarrassment.

Lin Xiao was naturally calmer than the two girls, though even he felt a tinge of awkwardness.

He spread out the raincoat, gently laid Yuan Yu on it, and wrapped her up before placing her by the fire.

Once she was set down, Yuan Yu immediately crossed her arms over her chest.

“Little Yu, how are you feeling now? Be honest,” Lin Xiao asked as he touched her forehead.

Though consumed by shyness, Yuan Yu answered truthfully, “My head feels dizzy, my throat is dry, my body is cold, and I don’t have any strength.”

“Hang in there. We’ll head down the mountain at dawn,” Lin Xiao said gently, his tone soft with concern as he gazed at her frail state.

“Mm…” Yuan Yu murmured, her voice weak but obedient.

Huang Caixing, noticing that Lin Xiao hadn’t teased her earlier, gradually overcame her embarrassment. She walked over to sit beside Lin Xiao, tilting her head to rest it on his shoulder.

“Big Brother Lin,” she called softly.

“Yes?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to call you.”

Lin Xiao turned his head, exasperated, only to meet Huang Caixing’s gaze. The firelight reflected in her eyes, making them shimmer like water, irresistibly enchanting.

After a moment of silence, Huang Caixing spoke again. “Big Brother Lin…”

“What is it?”

“Hehe, I just wanted to call you again,” she said with a playful grin, her pearly white teeth shining in the flickering light. “Big Brother Lin, be honest with me. Just now, when you were looking at YuYu, did you think about…”

She trailed off, her large, sparkling eyes gleaming with teasing mischief as she looked at Lin Xiao expectantly.