“…” Lin forcefully supported her body and sat up on the stone floor. Her numb legs resembled a block of soft tofu, failing to get her up from the ground. It was as if someone had removed all their muscles and bones from them.
At that instant, an outstretched hand covered in metallic armor appeared in her view.
“Don’t be silent when you need help. No matter what race someone is, they can’t survive as a lone individual.”
“I can do it alone.” Refused Lin coldly. She would rather struggle in pain than grab the outstretched hand of a stranger.
It was not just a matter of self-esteem, but rather the values she had upheld till this day. She simply did not want others to be a hindrance to herself, nor would she allow herself to become one to others.
“Plop!” As she overexerted her body, Lin fell towards the stone slope once again. As the ground incessantly grew in her vision and she was inches away from planting her face on the ground in an extremely embarrassing posture, someone grabbed her collar and forcefully pulled her out from the brink of humiliation.
“My dear missy, we’re currently in an emergency. Is it really that difficult to put away your willfulness and temper for now? You shouldn’t really pick this moment to be grumpy.” After saying that, Ji Bai ignored Lin’s struggles and pulled her into his grasp.
“Eeeh?!” Lin was shocked and momentarily at a loss as she felt the solid chainmail on her back.
Even for someone like her who was seemingly unconcerned about everything, such skin contact already crossed a line. Although she was a vampire in body, her mind was, in a sense, that of a young and chaste maiden with extremely pure thoughts. She had not even touched the hand of the opposite sex before! As someone who had been on her own in this world, she was still a blank state when it came to matters between a man and a woman, despite having heard about them before. The lack of contact with people was the sole reason to blame for the inexperience and inarticulateness she revealed in her interpersonal relationships, although that was something she had already grown accustomed to. 1
For a moment, her thoughts went into overdrive, causing her brain to completely short circuit. Being at a loss, the demeanor of ease she wore in her everyday life had completely collapsed.
“Wa-” Just as her anxious voice reached the tip of her tongue, she suddenly felt her feet leaving the surface and her body losing balance.
“Stop moving if you don’t want to trouble me.” With one hand under her knees and the other wrapped around her waist, Ji Bai had executed a textbook princess carry. However, if one were to look at it through the lens of the pair’s relationship, this form of carrying was extremely unsightly.
However, under these urgent circumstances, the thick headed Ji Bai did not give these aspects any thoughts; He had even constricted his arms and narrowed the distance between their bodies after securing her in his arms.
Even though she had an eccentric temper, he could not help but admit that this young vampire lady had a soft body. Her skin was glossy and tender, resembling suet jade and giving off a rather satisfying sensation. It was not unpleasant in the least to carry her; Instead it made for quite the comfortable experience.
“Ugh…” Meanwhile, smoke was rising up from Lin’s brain which had completely shut-down. A sweet, ambiguous sound subconsciously left her mouth, as her eyes spun in circles, resembling a pair of mosquito coils.
‘The stockings on my thigh have already been torn off by the fierce battle earlier. In other words, is my naked skin touching this man in front of me right now?! （Even though he’s wearing gauntlets)’
Lin felt dizzy as she reached this conclusion, a blush of shame and indignation covering her exquisite face.
“We have no time to lose, let’s go.” Ji Bai could not care how complex Lin’s emotions were at the moment. He only knew that the two of them would die if they didn’t make a break for it right now.
However, when he took into consideration the complexion of the blushing girl which was turning into a shade deeper than the color of a fuji apple, Ji Bai began to wonder if she had caught a fever or a cold.
The objects in Lin’s vision incessantly sped past her following a gust of wind.
‘Uuuu…’
‘My s-skirt is torn and the wind is pouring in… How cold…’
Lin’s lips twitched momentarily. Forcefully suppressing the blood that was surging to her brain, she maintained her calmness.
‘Is this guy’s brain made out of wood? If the situation right now wasn’t urgent…’
Lin bit her lips as she raised her head and shot a complicated gaze at Ji Bai, who was meticulously running with her in his arms. She was forcefully enduring the urge to strangle this lecher to death before ending her own life.
“Hold on…” Lin forcefully lowered the pitch of her voice to make it sound abnormal.
“What’s wrong?”
“C-Can you change how you carry me? It’s pretty uncomfortable…”
“You sure ask for a lot.” Ji Bai’s complexion darkened.
‘She truly lives up to her name of Great Missy indeed. Even when she’s a hair’s breadth away from death, she is still choosy. Without scouting the path ahead and having pursuers behind us, it’d already be great if we could successfully find a way out.’
“Say, this posture is very strenuous. Can’t you carry me on your back instead?”
‘Don’t tell me he has zero self-awareness about this carrying posture?’
Said and thought Lin while forcefully holding back her humiliation. Naturally, her words had been a lie. She did not pose that question out of concern for the energy he expended by carrying her; Rather, it came from the extreme humiliation of being carried like a child. Especially more so when the person carrying her was a guy. She hoped to express to Ji Bai in a more tactful way that she was not fond of being carried in this manner. After all, any creature capable of intelligent thought would be able to tell the double entendre in her tone, right?
‘Oh, so she’s just concerned I’ll grow exhausted and is planning for the long term? Even though this vampire is a bit wilful, I guess she has a sense of foresight.’
Ji Bai nodded, his impression towards her growing somewhat more favorable.
“Relax, a human body is not as weak as you imagine. I can run for 4-5 kilometers without running out of breath. There’s no need for you to worry.”
“???” Lin was shocked.
‘How can he not understand when I’ve already laid my words out so clearly?’
‘This guy, he must be pretending not to understand me, right??’
“Of course, you can’t laze around either. There’s a torch tied around my waist. Take it. The road before us is too dark and I can’t see the path.”
“Alright…” With the situation being as it was now, the hopeless Lin could only heave a sigh. Relinquishing her plans, she swore a silent oath to shower 10 times and lather herself up with 3 layers of shower gel after returning home.
Harboring these pessimistic ideas in her heart, she freed her hands and extended them towards Ji Bai’s waist.
*Rustling…*
“I got it.”
“Why did you pull out my sword?”
*Rustling…*
*Found it.”
“That’s a parchment.”
“There.”
“That’s a thermometer.”
“Are you Doraemon?” Lin tilted her head expressionlessly.
“I didn’t know you’re quite the comedian.” Ji Bai’s complexion darkened. Her inappropriate jokes made him suspect that the vampire before him had an extremely optimistic attitude, which was unexpected given their current situation.
Lin resentfully placed the thermometer back into Ji Bai’s pocket before continuing her rummaging.
“I got…”
“Stop, don’t pull! That’s my belt!” Said Ji Bai angrily.
“…”
“What are you in a daze for? Continue searching. The path ahead is completely pitch-black.”
Lin continued to incessantly probe around with her hands in the darkness.
As she touched and rummaged, Lin managed to grab onto an indescribable object that felt rather warm.
‘This should be it, right?’
Just when she was ruminating, she felt a damp sensation on her hands.
Lin felt a little stumped, as she could not figure out what object this was.
“?? What’s the matter?” Ji Bai asked in bewilderment. He was extremely puzzled to sense that Lin had stopped in her tracks.
“…What object is that??”
“My hot water flask.”