In Search of Love Chapter 3
Su Xiaopei calmed herself and looked around her once more.
All things have logic to it, so there must be a scientific and reasonable explanation to her current situation.
Perhaps a dreamscape? A hallucination?
But her sense of touch was vivid, her hearing was normal, and the goosebumps rising on her skin did indeed exist; she could even distinctly smell the plants and soil coming from the woods. The air around her, by the way, was quite refreshing and clean. Well, she digressed. Anyhow, everything just seemed too real, the details were perfect without any flaws.
Su Xiaopei could not convince herself otherwise.
She had confirmed that her perception was functioning normally and well. This was most likely not a dream nor was she hallucinating.
Then just what exactly was going on?
The man and woman not far from her were still talking.
Su Xiaopei worked to regulate her breathing and keep her panic in check while she also kept her ears open. The two spoke in a dry, formal, and textbook-like manner, and their accent was bizarre. Thankfully, Su Xiaopei managed to understand most of it.
It turned out that the man had found this woman as he was passing through the mountain. She had been abducted over a month ago and had finally managed to escape after waiting for the right opportunity while enduring humiliation. But the woods were secluded and the mountain strategically located. She had been too flustered to find her way out so she was very fortunate to cross paths with this kind man who then rescued her. He even promised to send her back home once morning came.
When Su Xiaopei heard this, her frown tightened even more. Great, so these mountains even had bandits here?
She took a look at this troubled woman. She still appeared to be frightened in the way she curled up her body and remained vigilant. But her attire was neat and her overall appearance seemed to be faring better than herself.
Su Xiaopei shifted her body a little on the tree and looked down at the ground. The tree was very tall so if she were to fall off, she would very likely break an arm or leg, right? The tree limb she was lying on didn’t seem very thick and sturdy, and she was quite some distance from the tree trunk. With her skills, it was impossible for her to crawl over there and even if she did, she had no idea how to safely maneuver her way down the tree.
In addition, her feet were cold from the lack of socks or shoes, and even more embarrassing, she wasn’t wearing any undergarments beneath her bedclothes.
Su Xiaopei looked again at the troubled woman sitting in front of the campfire. She sighed in her heart. Didn’t she herself look more like a person abducted by bandits?
So what should she do now?”
She couldn’t just remain sprawled up here and hope to wake from this ‘dream’, or perhaps, wait for death? Her limbs were stiff and her body shivering from the cold; she felt she wouldn’t be able to remain sprawled like this for long.
Must she experience what it feels like to fall to her death?
Would she wake up after falling and dying?
Su Xiaopei closed her eyes in an attempt to clear her thoughts. The mountain woods were painted with darkness and the only living people were the ones before her. She must seize this opportunity.
She still hadn’t finished organizing her thoughts when she suddenly heard the young man’s voice, “Miss?”
An inquiry.
His voice was very close- right under her location, as a matter of fact.
Su Xiaopei opened her eyes abruptly to see that the man who had originally been in front of the bonfire had, at some unknown point in time, come to stand beneath her tree and was looking up at her.
She hadn’t heard his approaching footsteps.
And Miss? Was that supposed to be called into question? Of course she was one. Anyone with eyes could tell she was a female.
She unconsciously looked in the direction of the bonfire and saw that the troubled woman was also looking her way with a surprised expression. She most likely hadn’t expected to find a person on top of a tree over here.
Fine, compared to the woman over there, she was dressed a bit strangely and her hairstyle was a bit unordinary- she had short hair.
“Miss.” The young man spoke up again and this time, there was certainty in his tone. He then asked, “Why is Miss here like so?”
Why here like so?
This question was surely difficult and profound*. It was also one with scientific research value.
[TL/N: As in the question could go either way depending on the context. It can simply be ‘why are you here’ on that tree, or it can be ‘why are you in this situation/like this’ in the more abstract sense. In any case, Xiaopei has an answer to neither of those questions. hahaha]
Su Xiaopei frowned and felt flustered. What should she say? She knew she needed to say something. No matter whether this was a dream, or that she was hallucinating or even if she truly crossed worlds, the two people here were the only ones who could help her within this old, mountain forest.
She certainly didn’t want to fall to her death and neither did she want to die sprawled here.
How should she call him? Oh, right.
“Warrior.” Su Xiaopei opened her mouth to speak but her voice was hoarse. She cleared her throat and spoke again. “Warrior.”
This was really awkward. Couldn’t she just change it to ‘Mister’?
The man nodded his head, indicating he heard but remained silent. He was waiting for her to continue.
Su Xiaopei looked closely at him, whose face bore light from the bonfire; he seemed like an upright person.
Su Xiaopei pressed her lips together and readied herself to pronounce the word ‘humble’. But using the words ‘this humble one’ was even more awkward than saying ‘Warrior’. She struggled with ‘humble’ for a long period of time without much success until she finally gritted her teeth and said, “Please come to the rescue, Warrior.”
