Jin Yue sat by the fire, knees drawn to his chest, the embers reflecting faintly in his wide eyes. The forest was silent now, but his heart wasn't.
It was still racing.
Across from him, Li Feng leaned against a tree, long legs stretched out, arms folded over his chest. His eyes were closed, but Jin Yue knew better than to believe he was asleep.
Li Feng was always aware.
Still. Watchful. Dangerous in a way that didn't need to be loud.
Jin Yue hugged his knees tighter, trying to slow his thoughts.
The memory of the serpent attack flashed through his mind again—those gaping jaws, the sound of earth tearing apart… and Li Feng, moving like wind through grass.
Clean. Ruthless. Unshaken.
It had taken seconds, and then it was over. But the echo lingered.
Jin Yue glanced at Li Feng again.
He hadn't spoken since the fight. Hadn't even offered reassurance. Not that Jin Yue expected any. Li Feng didn't seem like the type to offer comfort.
"…You've done this before," Jin Yue said quietly, more to himself than to him.
Li Feng's eyes opened, steady and calm.
Jin Yue hesitated. "That kind of calm… it doesn't come from nowhere."
A moment passed before Li Feng answered. "It comes from necessity."
Jin Yue blinked. "Necessity?"
Li Feng didn't elaborate. He turned his gaze toward the trees, where moonlight touched the edges of the leaves.
The silence returned, but this time it felt heavier. Not cold. Just… distant.
Jin Yue looked down. "You saved me."
Li Feng didn't respond.
"You didn't have to," Jin Yue added, voice quieter now. "But you did."
Another beat of silence passed. Then, Li Feng finally said, "You were in the way."
Jin Yue looked up in surprise, but Li Feng's expression gave nothing away.
He wasn't mocking. He wasn't being cruel. He was simply stating a fact — or pretending to.
Still, the corners of Jin Yue's mouth lifted. Just slightly. "Right… of course."
He shifted to lie on his side, head resting on his arm, still watching the fire.
He didn't know if he should feel safe with Li Feng or afraid.
But he knew one thing for certain:
He wanted to understand him.
And maybe, in time, Li Feng would let me.