"That bastard!"

Just as the Emperor had expected, Yan Shengping was extremely angry when he discovered that Yan Yi had once again slipped away.

Only the heavens knew how he felt when he heard the manservants in the residence screaming, "Oh my God, the young master ran away again!"

He wanted to chase after that kid and beat him to death to let him know the power of the elderly.

The young master ran away again!

Ye ran away again!

Ran away again!

Ran away!

Ran away!

His mind was filled with this deadly sentence.

How did that kid run away?

He had sent so many people to guard his courtyard so that it was impregnable. How could that bastard still run away?!

How could he let this brat slip away with such strict defenses? Did he, Yan Shengping, not care about face?!

His head was throbbing with pain, and he couldn't help but complain to his old servant who had served him for many years. "Tell me, why does he like to run away so much?" Yan Shengping said angrily, "Is he short of food or clothing in this family?

Why does he have to run away and cause trouble? He doesn't care about grandfather who is lonely and weak in this residence! "He blew his beard and glared.

The old steward looked at the table that the old Marquis had slapped and pondered the words' old, weak, and sick 'in his heart for a while. He muttered to himself, but he had a smile on his face as he said to the old Marquis Yan, "He's a young man after all. He likes to go out and see the world. We can't stop him even if we wanted to."

"The young master is smart, nothing will happen to him outside. You don't have to worry too much." In the end, he sincerely added a word of flattery.

"That's right. That kid is so shrewd. I don't know who he learned it from."

The old Marquis Yan loosened his frown. He seemed to have thought of something, and his face was full of pride. He muttered a few words to himself, but he couldn't remember his previous anger.

The steward was used to his temperament and didn't find it strange. It was said that the older a person got, the more like a child he became. From his point of view, this sentence was correct.

Yan Shengping was the outstanding one among the children.

***

It was a rare good day, and the sunlight fell down. Inadvertently, the entire courtyard was enveloped in a brilliant radiance, reflecting the long and moving flowers. Because it was autumn, they were not very luxuriant, but their charm did not diminish.

The unfinished branches stretched lazily. They did not appear messy, but there was a sense of wildness to them.

The wind swept past the flowers, bringing with it a burst of cold fragrance. It also blew the sleeves of the woman who had been sleeping on the recliner for some unknown reason.

Perhaps because she was afraid of the cold, the woman unconsciously snuggled her body into the soft and thick fur coat even in her sleep. Her bright and white face contrasted with the snow-white fox fur coat, showing the beauty of the woman's appearance.

One hand was still pressing down on half a page of the book, while the other half was being blown by the wind, making the empty courtyard seem more lively.

"Miss …" Bai Lan was about to wake her up with the medicine in her hands when she saw that Si Yue had already fallen into a deep sleep. She immediately fell silent.

She placed the freshly brewed medicine on the stone table next to the rocking chair. Her movements were very light. For someone who practiced martial arts, it was not difficult for them to not be noticed.

These days, Si Yue had not been sleeping well at night. She would often wake up in the middle of the night for no reason and then lose her desire to sleep. These days, she had become much more haggard. Bai Lan could not help but worry.

Bai Lan glanced at Si Yue. Seeing that she was sleeping soundly, she thought that she might need to sleep a little longer. She decided to go into the room and get a blanket to cover her.

She had always been afraid of the cold, and her body was weak. It was not good for her to be exposed to the wind outside.

Si Yue was awoken by the smell of bitter medicine. As soon as she moved, the book on her lap that had been half-flipped through slipped from her body.

It fell to the ground with a thud, causing her to wake up abruptly.

She rubbed her hands that had been resting on the side of her face for a long time. Then, she bent down to pick up the book that had fallen and casually dusted it off.

She glanced at the bowl of black soup on the table and considered it for a moment. Then, she calmly picked it up.

…

When Bai Lan returned with the blanket, she saw that the person who had been sleeping soundly on the rocking chair had picked up the book and was reading it carefully.

She glanced at the empty bowl and a certain someone's shoulders tensed up as he followed her gaze.

"Where did you secretly pour the medicine this time?" She asked calmly as she pointed at the empty bowl.

There was a thin layer of leftover medicine at the bottom of the white bowl.

Upon hearing her words, Si Yue froze. "I really can't hide it from you." Si Yue felt helpless.

"How did you find out this time?" She asked curiously as she looked at Bai Lan with wide eyes.

"Miss … you're holding the book upside down."

Seeing that Si Yue was bent on finding out where she had slipped up, Bai Lan could only point at the book that she had placed back on her lap. "Moreover, you've always been afraid of bitterness. When did you have the ability to read so calmly after drinking the medicine?

Every time, you're in a hurry to ask me for candied fruits. "

"Pfft." A soft laugh came from not far away.

Si Yue didn't turn around when she heard it. She just stared blankly as Bai Lan took the empty bowl away and went to get a new one without looking back.

"How old are you?

You're still afraid of drinking medicine? "Yan Yi strolled over and looked at her with crossed arms.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with unmistakable mockery.

"Me? I'm just a few years older than Young Master Yan."

She looked serious and refused to say anything about drinking the medicine. Then, as if no one was around, she flipped the book back and continued reading.

He looked at her earlobes. Mm, they weren't red at all.

In the past few days, their relationship had improved a lot. If they didn't stand on different sides, he felt that he could become very good friends with Si Yue.

She wasn't the kind of person who was greedy for glory and wealth like other people said. She also wasn't as cold and distant as she was when they first met.

Perhaps it was because she was far away from the people and things in the capital, but she looked a lot more carefree. Compared to before, she acted more freely.

She was like a bird that had been released from its cage and regained its so-called freedom. Although she was restrained at first, she couldn't hide the wilfulness in her nature and inadvertently revealed it through the small details.

"You're very thick-skinned."

He found a place to sit down and casually picked up a small and exquisite pastry from the plate.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and thought to herself, 'If we're comparing whose skin is thicker?'

"How can you be so stingy? I helped you arrange a good residence in Yan City.

You want to bicker with me over such a small amount of food. "

He seemed to understand the meaning behind Si Yue's expression. He slowly wiped the pastry off his hands as he spoke.

"Young Master Yan, please help yourself."

Yan Yi saw that she didn't want to talk to him and felt a rare sense of interest.

Coincidentally, Bai Lan brought the medicine over again. He took the medicine from Bai Lan's hands and waved it in front of her.

The medicine was still warm, and the hot air turned into a white mist in the cold air. He looked at her through the white mist, and his long and narrow almond-shaped eyes had a mischievous smile. He had always been straightforward, and even his mischievous thoughts were clearly revealed for her to see at a glance.

Seeing that he was the one who brought the bitter medicine, she pretended not to see it and pretended to read a book.

"Do you want me to feed you personally?"

He saw Si Yue's appearance and raised his eyebrows. His beautiful face showed a bit of a man's heroic spirit and sharpness. "Actually, it's not impossible …" He was about to strike up a conversation.

She didn't wait for him to finish speaking and quickly snatched the bowl from his hands as if she was impatient with his pestering. She lowered her head and poured the medicine into her mouth.

Yan Yi saw her eyes unconsciously narrow from the bitterness and her cheeks puffed up as she swallowed.

She's even more childish.

He thought.

If he hadn't found someone to check on her, Yan Yi wouldn't have known that she was older than him by a few years.

She really didn't look like a young girl and people always mistook her for a young girl. It wasn't because she deliberately pretended to be innocent and young, but because of the habit in her actions.

"Bai Lan." She hurriedly called after she finished drinking.

Bai Lan understood tacitly and silently walked forward to hand her the candied fruit.

Yan Yi watched from the side as her expression gradually relaxed. Her laziness made him laugh. "Why are you so afraid of bitterness?"

"I wasn't this afraid of bitterness in the past," she explained. "Maybe it's because I drank too much medicine that I became more and more afraid."

Perhaps it was because she tasted the sweetness that made her feel better. She leisurely lay back on the bamboo chair and lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her foot. Then she raised it slightly and swayed along with the chair.

Si Yue seemed to be sleepy again and yawned delicately. The sunlight dyed the edges of her thick eyelashes with a faint halo. Her eyelids slowly drooped, like a butterfly that suddenly stopped flapping its wings.

He hid his fingers in his sleeves and unconsciously rubbed his fingertips twice.

***

In this season, the further north they went, the colder it became. A casual breath would emit white fog.

Not far away, the sound of galloping horses mixed with the footsteps of many people could be heard. It was an army.

The biting cold wind blew the flag high up, making it flutter loudly. As they went closer to the north, it became more and more desolate. The wild wind blew the yellow sand on their faces. Even the veteran soldiers who were used to the harsh environment couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

The general leading the army stood tall and straight. He wore silver-white armor that shone with a cold light under the scarlet sun. No one dared to underestimate him.

His face was calm, and he wasn't affected by the unbearable weather at all.

"How far are we?" The man tilted his head, revealing a handsome face.

His usual gentle expression had completely disappeared, revealing a rare cold expression. This was Xiao Shijing.

"Two hundred miles to Lianwei City," the person who looked like a deputy general answered.