Ning Beichen took some bottled water from the car and began to process the two desert cottontails.
In a few moments, Ning Beichen had skillfully prepared the rabbits.
Then he started a fire to roast them.
The crackling sound of burning firewood, accompanied by the aroma of roasted meat, soon permeated the surroundings, causing even Ayadair to swallow her saliva involuntarily.
It wasn't that Ning Beichen's cooking skills were particularly good, but rather that in this environment, it gave people a very appetizing feeling.
Ning Beichen opened his box and took out some seasonings, such as cumin powder.
His box contained not only weapons but also seasonings, which was to prevent him from having to eat bland food when stranded in the wild. This was considered one of his life experiences.
Soon, the rabbits were roasted. Ning Beichen used a knife to cut off a rabbit leg for her.
Ayadair could no longer resist the temptation. She took the rabbit leg without caring that it was hot and began to eat it. The more she ate, the more delicious it became, and she completely abandoned her princess demeanor.
"That's right. Princess is just a title, just like I call you 'young lady,' 'little sister,' or 'beauty,' and you call me 'sir' or 'handsome guy.' It's the same principle."
"If you acknowledge it, then the title of princess is like shackles, locking yourself up. If you don't acknowledge it, the title is just a pile of dung that can be thrown away at any time."
Ning Beichen said to her.
Although Ning Beichen's words were not pleasant to hear, the truth in them resonated with Ayadair. She stood up, kicked off her shoes, and giggled at Ning Beichen.
"Okay, then I am not a princess anymore. I am just an ordinary girl."
Then Ning Beichen watched her run barefoot on the sand like a wild child.
Such wild child behavior would be very rare for ordinary people, but for a princess of royalty, it was simply impossible.
From the moment they could remember, they had to undergo training in royal etiquette. Whether eating, walking, or doing anything, everything was governed by rules.
Rather than calling them royal princes and princesses, it was more fitting to say they were the faces of the royal family.
Ning Beichen could understand Ayadair because he had seen many princesses like her.
In Ning Beichen's eyes, Princess Ayadair was considered fortunate.
He had seen some princesses who lived even more miserably, serving as puppets in royal families to exchange for benefits. They couldn't even choose what to eat or wear, making them worse off than children from ordinary poor families.
Ning Beichen smiled faintly as he watched the happy Ayadair.
Ayadair's liberation was only temporary. Once she left this place, real problems would follow. If she couldn't bear them, she would either resign herself to fate, be crushed by them, or make a desperate gamble.
However, Ning Beichen did not say anything discouraging to her at this moment.
She didn't want to marry that prince. To be honest, Ning Beichen had many ways to prevent it. He could even use his identity as the Dark King to utter a single sentence to that royal family from afar, and the prince would not dare to harbor any intentions towards her.
However, Ning Beichen was not that bored. Their relationship had not reached that point. If it were Liu Yilin, Ning Beichen might have considered it.
"Ning Beichen, have you ever seen a princess dance?"
Ayadair ran up to Ning Beichen barefoot and said.
"No, are you going to dance for me?"
Ning Beichen asked her with a smile.
"Yes, do you want to see?"
Ayadair said excitedly.
"Yes."
Ning Beichen nodded.
Of course, he had seen princesses dance. Not only had he seen them, but he had also danced with princesses. They hadn't just danced on the ground, but also on beds, and not just one princess. Ning Beichen simply didn't want to dampen her spirits.
Ayadair began to dance in front of Ning Beichen. However, it must be said that Ayadair's dancing was among the better ones Ning Beichen had seen.
Her body was as supple as boneless, and her dance was as graceful as a startled swan. If Ayadair were not a princess, Ning Beichen believed she would definitely be a world-class dancer.
"Hahaha..."
"Ning Beichen, tonight is the happiest night of my life."
Ayadair, tired from dancing, sat down on the sand and said to Ning Beichen with a silly smile.
"Young lady, life is long. Stop talking like an old person. Back in my day, I was famous in the martial world, feared by everyone, and known as the 'Iron-Bodied Loyal Heart, Water-Drifter'..."
Ayadair burst into laughter at Ning Beichen's serious yet nonsensical words, gasping for breath.
"How old are you to be calling yourself 'old man' and 'Iron-Bodied Loyal Heart, Water-Drifter'? Do you really think I don't understand the culture of your Eastern ancient country?"
Just as the two of them were laughing and playing in the desert, the local hotel had descended into chaos.
Ayadair's entourage and bodyguards were going crazy.
Ayadair had been missing for over eight hours. She was nowhere to be found in her room or in the hotel. No one knew where she had gone.
Not only were Ayadair's people in a frenzy, but Gu Dong's people were also as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
The princess had disappeared from the hotel they had arranged. If things were traced back, they would not escape responsibility.
If Ayadair were just an ordinary person, it would be fine. But she was a princess, and a princess who was about to get engaged to the Crown Prince of Gu Dong. Her importance was self-evident.
Yet, she had now mysteriously disappeared. After reviewing the surveillance footage, they discovered that Ning Beichen and a bearded man had left the hotel.
After a series of analyses by professionals,
they determined that the bearded man was indeed the missing Princess Ayadair.
Clearly, she had disguised herself to evade all her bodyguards and escorts and secretly left the hotel with the man beside her.
Upon learning this result, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
At least Ayadair had left the hotel willingly, and was not kidnapped or anything of that sort.
At first,
everyone thought Ayadair had just snuck out to play and would return soon.
However, several hours passed, and by around nine o'clock in the evening, Ayadair had still not returned to the hotel. Those who went out to look for her had also not found any trace of her.
Then everyone started to panic, grow anxious, and fall into disarray.
They began a city-wide search for Ayadair, dispatching all personnel and checking every vehicle entering or leaving the city, but Ayadair could not be found.
Little did they know that Ayadair had dared to venture into the desert.