Chapter 179: She was his to protect
They found the horses just where they had left them, tethered quietly beneath the trees, their dark coats shining under the moonlight. Deng Mi had already swung into his saddle. Wei Ling took up the rear guard, ever alert.
Zhao Yan helped Hua Jing up, his hands firm at her waist, careful and steady, as if afraid she would slip through his fingers.
She looked down at him from the saddle and offered the faintest of smiles. "I can ride alone, you know."
He didn’t answer. Instead, he mounted behind her, wrapping one arm securely around her waist, the other hand gently taking the reins. "Not tonight," he whispered into her ear.
They began their ride, the hooves of the horses thundering softly against the path, swallowed by the mist that coiled around the forest floor like forgotten spirits.
Wrapped in Zhao Yan’s arms, the tension that had coiled in Hua Jing’s spine began to melt. The wind against her cheeks was cool, tinged with the scent of pine and earth, and the warmth of his body behind her radiated like the sun she hadn’t seen all day.
Her fingers lightly touched the arm that held her so protectively. His heartbeat was steady. She leaned back just a little more, until her head could rest against his shoulder, her breath mingling with his.
"I thought I would die," she whispered into the silence.
Zhao Yan tightened his hold, pressing his cheek to her temple. "You didn’t."