"Oh my goodness, it’s turned so itchy now," she tried to reach for the bite, but it was at an awkward spot low down on her shoulder blade where she couldn’t reach.
She looked at Bai Li, with big desperate eyes.
"Do you want me to itch it?" he asked, trying not to smile.
"No!" she cried. "Definitely not. Oh my god," she wriggled helplessly.
"Come here," he said. "I promise I won’t itch it but let me try something."
In desperation she sat beside him. He put his arm over her shoulder and gently rubbed the swollen area through her riding top. She sat meekly and let him help her.
"Thank you, Bai Li... for everything..."
"Don’t thank me," he said. "I’m sorry I was late; I should have protected you. I regret waiting too long."
"What do you mean?" she asked sleepily.
"Someone shot that nest onto you. I killed him, but I was a step too late."
"Li Fengfeng," she mumbled.
"Why do you say that?"
"She told me to go there. I’m sorry I seem to be such... a bother to you."
"How could you be a bother to me. Don’t you recall I tried to make you my wife? What bother could there be between us?"
She didn’t reply and he looked down to see that she was fast asleep.
He picked the sleeping girl up, cradling her in his arms as he moved to rest against the cave wall where he could keep one eye on the entrance.
He gently brushed the hair from her face, letting her long tresses wrap around her for extra warmth.
In the peaceful firelight, he could finally enjoy looking at her beautiful sleeping face.
Just before dawn, Bai Li gently woke the sleeping girl.
"Mei Meili, Mei Meili," he said softly.
She half-opened her eyes. She was completely exhausted.
"Not yet Bail Li," she begged. "Let me sleep a little more."
"Search parties will be out. They’ll arrive soon. Let me get you prepared?"
"Mmhm," she agreed, drifting back to sleep.
Bai Li sighed, shaking his head in fond exasperation.
He set about making sure she looked perfect, wiping clean the site of the bite, redoing the intricate ties and bows of her loosened top.
Now for her hair, he thought. This was a bit beyond him. He tried running his fingers through it, but it had become knotted and there were leaves and dirt in it.
He scratched his head at the problem.
Bai Li fetched one of the branches he had brought into the cave for the fire. He whittled away until he had fashioned a rudimentary comb.
Happily, it served its purpose perfectly, dragging the rubble from her hair and leaving it straight and glossy. He took the hairpin from his own top knot and used it to pin Mei Meili’s hair up in a bun. Then he carved himself a hairpin from the same wood and replaced the one from his top knot.
Finally, satisfied with his work, he pulled her veil from his sleeve and carefully hooked it over her ears.
He carried her over to a patch of moss near the cave entrance but not too far from the fire and moved away to sit alone outside the cave.
That was the best he could do for her, he reflected.
Her brothers would be mad with worry. Likely they would have been out all-night searching, so they could expect them soon.
He was on-target with his prediction. Just before first light he heard the distant sound of a dog barking and men’s voices.
Tricky emerged first, then her Third and Fourth Brothers came crashing through the undergrowth on their horses, burning brands in hand to light the way.
Tricky sprinted up to his prone mistress where she lay sleeping and licked her all over her face.
"Tricky!" she cried with delight, sitting up to hug him.
Her Third Brother leapt off his horse and ran to his sister. He picked her up and buried his face in her neck, leaving it there for long minutes.
"Gege, gege," Meili crooned into his hair. "Don’t be sad. I’m okay."
She stroked his back softly.
Finally, he raised his head, wiping his eyes roughly with his shoulder. He stared fiercely at her.
"Meimei, what happened? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I’m fine ge," she assured him. "Someone shot a nest onto me and Tufei and we were stung by murder hornets. I don’t know where he is," her voice cracked with concern.
"Over here meimei," her Fourth Brother sang out.
She looked across to see that Fourth had Tufei tethered to his horse, and she smiled gratefully at her fourth brother.
"It was excruciatingly painful, ge. I passed out for a while. Then it was intensely itchy, but I do feel a bit better now. Bai Li was there. He shot the man and looked after me all night."
Third placed her on her feet carefully, like she was made of china and might break with the slightest bump.
He and his Fourth Brother strode across to where Bai Li still stood just outside the cave’s entrance. Both brothers dropped to their knees and kowtowed to the commander.
"Thank you for saving our sister, Commander Bai," said Third formally. "We are in your debt. We owe you a life."
"Nonsense Mei Renjun, Mei Renbing," said Bai Li. "Get up, both of you."
They rose to their feet.
"We’re incredibly grateful Commander Bai," said Third seriously.
Bai Li drew the men aside, speaking in serious hushed tones.
Fourth Brother came over to Meili to sit with her.
"What are they talking about ge?" she said. "Why can’t we all hear?"
"These are topics for men, meimei. Seeing as the Li family’s implicated, they’re serious topics."
She held her fourth brother’s hand, very glad to have her family around her again.
"Can you come with me to check on Tufei?" she asked him, not willing to let him go yet. She was still very shaken by her ordeal.
"Of course, meimei," he said fondly, brushing the hair from her face.
He lifted her up and carried her over to her horse.