The green mountains and clear waters, the fresh air, and the beautiful scenery stretched endlessly. The mountains rolled on, covered in lush greenery.
At the foot of the mountain, a young woman stood in a stream. She had rolled up her pants, revealing her fair legs. She was busy weaving a basket out of vines. A few small fish and shrimp inside it wriggled happily.
"Not bad. Today's catch is decent. I'll pick some wild vegetables later. That should cover today's meal," thought Pearl Su as she worked.
"I remember seeing some nice-looking nightshades under a tree by the road earlier. They looked tender and fresh. In this hot weather, eating them should help cool down."
Thinking about it, Pearl Su cheerfully packed up the fish basket and started walking back.
As she walked, the path was quiet. Only the occasional chirping of insects could be heard. This silence made Pearl Su feel a little sad.
She was originally from the 2S Star, a technologically advanced interstellar civilization, and had ended up in this strange world due to an accident.
When she first arrived, she had appeared right in the middle of these remote mountains and forests. The bizarre situation had left her stunned.
Luckily, she stayed calm and was fortunate enough to find a village. She quickly realized the clothing here was completely different from hers. Thankfully, she was wearing plain long sleeves and pants that didn't stand out. She managed to ask a few questions in her panic and figured out a little about where she had landed.
According to a local, this place was called the Eastern Ling Kingdom, a country she had never heard of. Apparently, it was ruled by an emperor. No one seemed to know his name, but it was clear this society still operated under a monarchy.
She didn't dare ask more, afraid she would be exposed as someone strange. So she fled. Because of this, she still knew very little about this world.
Now, her future was uncertain, and she had no way to return. She could only take things one step at a time.
When she reached the tree by the road, she looked at the patch of thriving, tender nightshades. Pearl Su took a deep breath. At least there were still some familiar things here that she could recognize and rely on to survive. Without that, she might have starved to death already.
She pushed away her earlier gloom and quickly picked all the tender nightshade leaves.
Once she was done, she headed toward her living place, which was quite a distance away. The place she lived in was originally an abandoned house. After cleaning it up, it was just about livable. It was far from any village or gathering of people. It was a hidden, remote place where no one would discover her.
"Hmm? Is that someone lying there?" As she got close to the house, Pearl Su mumbled in surprise.
She walked closer and was stunned. "This guy is way too handsome!"
His face was like white jade. His eyebrows were long and defined. He had a straight nose and well-shaped lips. He looked like he had walked out of a painting. But his brows were slightly furrowed, showing a hint of pain and coldness.
"Judging by his clothes, the fabric is smooth and shiny, with intricate dark patterns embroidered on it. His long black hair is tied up with a beautiful jade hairpiece. This guy must be rich!" Pearl Su gasped in admiration.
Then she noticed that his clothes were torn and there was blood on his chest. He was injured!
"Don't bother with random men lying on the roadside." That thought suddenly popped into her mind.
"But should she save him or not?" Pearl Su stared at his handsome face, mumbling. She felt torn, struggling with the decision.
"Should I save him or not?!"
"Should I save him or not?!"
"Should I save him or not?!"
She asked herself again and again. Ugh! She felt so conflicted! Because he was just too good-looking, too tempting. She really wanted to save him, but deep down, something warned her not to.
Fine! After struggling so much, she finally gave in to her weakness. She admitted it. Pearl Su was shallow. She judged people by their looks!
She had to save him! She couldn't bear to see such a perfect beauty wither away like that.
"But this spirit herb is really heavy! Mmm, these muscles feel solid and springy... He must have a great body."
Pearl Su used all her strength, half carrying and half dragging the man, while taking advantage of the moment by touching him a bit as she pulled him into the house.
"Ugh... This is exhausting!" she panted.
After placing him on the bed, Pearl Su let out a long breath and hurried back outside to collect the fish and vegetables she had thrown by the roadside earlier. Only then did she finally wipe the sweat off her forehead.
She returned to the bedside and looked closely at his handsome, refined face. She admired him and thought, "Damn! How can someone look this good? He's a total knockout."
Her eyes moved to his body. Seeing the blood seeping through his torn clothes, she muttered to herself, "Was this a revenge attack or an assassination?"
As she thought about it, her hands moved to open his clothing, revealing his strong, pale chest. A dark, gruesome wound slashed across it. It looked very serious. Judging from the color and appearance, it must have been poisoned too.
Fortunately, she knew a bit about medicine. Maybe she could save him.
In the early morning, sunlight shone gently through the mist, bringing a cool breeze. Pearl Su pushed the door open and walked in.
Sensing movement, the man on the bed opened his eyes and turned to look at her. His gaze was guarded, and a sharp aura surrounded him, as if he were ready to strike.
"Oh! You're awake. You've been unconscious for three days." Pearl Su spoke softly. Her voice was tender and pleasant to hear.
She completely ignored his alert attitude. After all, she only saved him. She hadn't done anything wrong. Looking into his eyes, she continued, "Since you're awake, you should have some breakfast." After saying that, she turned and left.
Today's meal was egg and vegetable porridge, simple and nutritious. Luckily, there was still a bit left. Otherwise, she would've had to cook again. She packed the porridge and walked back to the room.
Hearing the sound, the man turned to look at her again. This time, his sharp expression had faded, replaced by calmness.
"Can you move on your own?" Pearl Su asked.
The man just looked at her.
She didn't mind and raised the bowl in her hand. "If you can move, help yourself."
The man seemed to understand. He looked at her and, with a low, hoarse yet pleasant voice, said, "Not yet."
Hearing his voice, Pearl Su's eyes lit up with joy. This man was perfect.
"Okay, fine." She had expected this, so she sat down by the bed, scooped a spoonful of porridge, and held it up to his mouth.
The man glanced at the spoon, then opened his mouth and obediently ate. Very quickly, the bowl was empty.
He seemed unsatisfied and looked at Pearl Su with his deep, attractive eyes, clearly asking, "Is there more?"
Pearl Su understood right away and felt a little awkward. The porridge was actually her leftover breakfast, and there wasn't much of it. It really wasn't enough for a grown man.
Trying to brush off the awkwardness, Pearl Su placed her fingers on his wrist. She checked his pulse every morning to see how he was recovering. Today was no exception.
The man looked at her hand on his wrist. It was fair and clean, soft and small compared to his large hand. He shifted his gaze from her hand to her face.
Her face was also small, probably just the size of his palm, but it looked soft and full. Her skin was pale with a hint of pink, like a lotus blooming in the lake. Her nose was round and pretty, and her clear eyes showed intelligence. Her head was slightly lowered, and a few strands of hair fell along her cheeks, adding a playful charm. Her lips were rosy and full...