Chu Lingzhi smiled bitterly. "No, I chose it myself."
Nangong Yehen laughed elegantly. "Hoping to become a divine doctor?"
"When I was little, lingzhi was a precious medicinal herb. My grandfather loved and treasured it. After I arrived at Chu Jianjue's house, I gave myself this name."
"I remember you were called Yaya back then. Both names are rustic, but Lingzhi rolls off the tongue quite nicely." Nangong Yehen turned the roasting wild rabbit with practiced ease.
Chu Lingzhi frowned, disagreeing with him. "Is the name Lingzhi really that rustic? Your name is the rustic one—hard to pronounce too."
Nangong Yehen smiled enigmatically, a hint of teasing in his tone. "Our two rustic names are now linked together. Seems like we should be linked together too."
*Smack—*
Suddenly, a sharp slap rang out in the silent mountain forest.
Nangong Yehen was startled, furrowing his brow as he gazed deeply at Chu Lingzhi. "What are you doing?"
Why slap herself so hard?
Self-harm?
"Killing a mosquito." Chu Lingzhi stared straight at the rabbit before her, not looking at him, her tone light and casual.
"You don't need to slap that hard to kill a mosquito." Nangong Yehen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Her face now bore five finger marks.
Not from the force of the slap, but because her hand was covered in black soot. When she hit the mosquito, the soot left prints on her face, turning it into a mess.
Seeing her like this, Nangong Yehen couldn't help but laugh.
Hearing his refreshing laughter, Chu Lingzhi looked up, puzzled. "What are you laughing at?"
"Your face is like charcoal." Nangong Yehen's eyes sparkled. "I like seeing you like this."
The wild rabbit was roasted, without any seasoning, eaten in its pure flavor. Chu Lingzhi gave this dish a fun name: hand-torn rabbit meat.
She didn't eat much, only half, and gave the rest to Nangong Yehen.
After eating, they went to the stream to wash their hands.
Chu Lingzhi wanted to gather some useful medicinal herbs to take back.
Some folk herbs weren't always available even in big city pharmacies.
"Come here." Nangong Yehen, crouched by the stream, suddenly beckoned to Chu Lingzhi with his finger.
"What for?" Chu Lingzhi was confused but obediently approached and crouched down in front of him.
Nangong Yehen wet his palm and gently wiped her face.
"Little kitten." Nangong Yehen smiled.
His movements were exceptionally gentle, and Chu Lingzhi's heart stirred again.
She didn't look up at him, afraid to meet his eyes.
But she could feel his warm, affectionate gaze.
His kindness toward her felt like that of lovers.
"Master Nangong."
"Hmm." A low voice rumbled from his throat.
"Why are you so good to me?" she asked.
"You're the mother of my child. If I'm not good to you, who should I be good to?" Nangong Yehen rinsed his hands again and continued washing her face.
Chu Lingzhi mustered the courage to look at him. "If I weren't the mother of your child, would you not be good to me?"
Nangong Yehen smiled faintly. "Have you ever seen me be good to another woman?"
"..." That, how would she know?
When they met, there were no other women around him.
There was Ouyang Ruobing, but his attitude toward her was truly heartbreaking.
Nangong Yehen cupped her now-clean face, curling his lips. "Don't you like me being good to you?"
Chu Lingzhi met his gaze. "It's not that I don't like it; it's that I'm not used to it."
"I'll help you get used to it..." Before he could finish, the man's eyes turned cold, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her into a run.