Longing for my love to return

The driver's enthusiasm made Wen Ya feel a little annoyed, but fortunately, Si Mucheng was there to keep the atmosphere from cooling down.

The driver seemed to like Si Mucheng a lot. Before getting out of the car, he handed him a business card and said, "You're here for tourism, right? If you need a car, just call me and I'll give you a charter rate."

Si Mucheng naturally accepted everything and sincerely thanked him.

After getting out of the car, Si Mucheng watched the Didi car leave, waving goodbye even after it had gone quite a distance.

Wen Ya was impressed. She glanced at him and said in an ambiguous tone, "You're really amazing."

Si Mucheng seized the opportunity: "What's so great about it?"

Wen Ya said calmly, "A flirtatious butterfly."

Si Mucheng paused for a moment, then immediately understood what she meant, but still smiled and said, "When you're out in the world, having more friends means having more options."

Wen Ya remained noncommittal.

The two walked for a while before finally seeing the ancient bridge. Like a crescent moon, it spanned the river, its piers covered in moss, telling tales of its long history. The gently flowing river lapped against the banks, where willows provided shade, creating a picturesque scene.

As she climbed the steps, Wen Ya stood on the stone bridge, gazing into the river. Suddenly sensing something, she frowned.

Seeing that her expression was unusual, Si Mucheng quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Wen Ya hesitated and shook her head: "It's hard to say, but there seems to be something in the river, probably some kind of magical artifact. I only sensed a faint magical power. This might be the reason why Shen Guixiang has not been discovered."

Si Mucheng stared intently into the river for a long time, but couldn't make out anything. After a while, he asked Wen Ya, "So, what about now?"

Wen Ya pondered for a moment: "Let's go find someone."

According to Shen Guixiang, her home is in Shenzi Village, which is not far from Yucheng, because she said it only took her half a day to get to Yucheng.

“However, it’s uncertain whether Shenzi Village has changed its name. In the past, most villages were named according to their local dialects and were basically passed down orally. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, some villages and counties changed their names to be more formal, so there will be slight differences.” Si Mucheng rested his chin on his hand, thinking about the possible situations.

After thinking for a while, she glanced at Shen Guixiang floating to the side and, though she had little hope, asked, "Do you still remember the way home?"

As expected, Shen Guixiang simply shook her head in confusion, but quickly added, "However, I come from the east."

This is far too little information.

Si Mucheng thought for a moment, then saw low houses not far away, with shops lining the street and people sitting scattered in front of them. He strolled over casually and began to display his flirtatious nature once again.

This time it took him a while, and the news he brought back was not satisfactory.

"I asked several people, but none of them knew much about it. However, I did ask an old woman who said there was a small county town to the east, and further east was the provincial capital. But the county town had many towns and villages, and she had never heard of Shenzi Village." Si Mucheng looked troubled.

Wen Ya made a quick decision: "Then let's go find it. What's the name of that county?"

Shouping County.

Seeing that Wen Ya was about to leave, with the air of heading straight to the county town, Si Mucheng quickly stopped her: "Don't rush. We've come all this way, let's stay in Yucheng for the night. We haven't even had lunch yet."

Reminded by him, Wen Ya belatedly realized what was happening and her stomach growled.

Si Mucheng laughed: "Let's go, let's try some local specialties from Yucheng. I heard the donkey meat soup is pretty good."

So that night, they stayed in Yucheng.

Since they had most of the day free, Si Mucheng certainly wouldn't stay still, so he dragged Wen Ya out for a stroll.

At night, the ancient capital of Henan province shines even brighter with its vibrant atmosphere.

In front of the ancient city gate, many girls were taking night photos with their makeup and hair done. Si Mucheng watched with interest for a while, then smiled at Wen Ya and said, "This is very interesting. Shall we take one too?"

Wen Ya: ?

"No, I'm not interested."

"It's so beautiful!" Si Mucheng quickly grabbed Wen Ya's hand. "Try it on! Come on, let's go take a look!"

There was a Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) and makeup shop not far away. Si Mucheng was tall and strong, and he dragged Wen Ya into the shop.

Wen Ya could exorcise ghosts and drive away spirits, and she would fight any evil spirit she encountered, but she had never felt as desperate as she did now. Almost three or four hands pressed her in front of the makeup mirror, about to start applying makeup to her. Four words flashed through her mind: "Outrageous!"

"Wait!" Wen Ya finally freed one of her hands and said to Si Mucheng, who was watching the commotion from the side, "You come too."

Si Mucheng tilted his head: "Okay."

Wen Ya looked at him, and a wicked thought suddenly came to her: "I'll pick out some clothes and a style for you."

"Okay, I'll pick one for you too."

Wen Ya thought that if she couldn't resist, she would drag someone down with her and perish together!

An hour and a half later, they walked out of the makeup shop.

Wen Ya wore a black, belted horse-face dress, her long hair tied up neatly. Already tall, her appearance was further enhanced by the makeup and styling, making her look even more dashing. The woman beside her wore a light blue Tang-style high-waisted dress, her hair styled in a high bun, the full bun resembling a bow atop her head, looking quite playful and cute. However, this cuteness seemed somewhat out of place on someone who was 1.9 meters tall.

But Si Mucheng wasn't a normal person. He was extremely satisfied with his outfit. When he saw people turning around to look at him while he was walking down the street, he would wink at them with his right eye in a coquettish way.

Wen Ya was really careless. She originally wanted to annoy Si Mucheng, but she didn't expect to stumble into his comfort zone. Thinking this, her face became even more icy.

Suddenly, a chicken shadow darted past, flapping its wings and flying to Wen Ya's side amidst the surprised gazes of the crowd.

"Xiao Feng!" Si Mucheng exclaimed in surprise, "You arrived so quickly!"

Wen Xiaofeng turned her head and looked at her superior, Mu Cheng. After a moment of silence, she took two steps back as if she could not bear it.

The people around were amazed, partly by Wen Xiaofeng's brightly colored feathers, and partly by how intelligent the chicken seemed.

Si Mucheng and Wen Ya were already attracting a lot of attention walking down the street, but now there was a strange chicken. This made some amateur photographers, who usually come to capture people for photos, restless and eager to take pictures of them.

Si Mucheng, of course, accepted all comers, but Wen Ya's patience was almost exhausted. Si Mucheng, however, smiled and advised her, "Look, we've spent time, paid money, and even lost face. It would be a waste not to remember this."

Seeing his expectant look, Wen Ya could only take a deep breath and say, "Just one picture."

"OK!"

So she agreed to take the photo. The photographer, a girl, smiled at Wen Ya with envy and said, "Baby, you're so handsome, like a female knight-errant."

Si Mucheng said with great pride, "I picked it, and it's perfect, isn't it!"

“Yes,” the photographer couldn’t help but laugh, “you are also very good, quite human.”

Si Mucheng made a delicate gesture with his fingers: "Isn't it cute?"

"So cute! It's a good thing you're fair-skinned, otherwise you wouldn't be able to pull off this color."

Si Mucheng became even more proud: "That's right~"

The photographer couldn't stop laughing and said to Wen Ya, "Baby, your boyfriend is so funny."

Wen Ya frowned, about to retort, when Si Mucheng quickly said, "Hurry up and take the picture, otherwise we won't be able to take any more if you make her angry."

The photographer, seemingly understanding something, smiled and nodded, then began to instruct: "Baby, you stand here, arms crossed, yes. Handsome, you stand next to her, shoulder to shoulder, a little coquettish. That's right, just like that, baby, your gaze can be a little colder, yes, yes, yes."

Just as I was about to press the shutter, Wen Xiaofeng flapped its wings and flew onto Wen Ya's shoulder.

"Eh!" The photographer was a little flustered.

Wen Ya smiled faintly: "It's alright, let's just shoot like this."

“Oh, oh,” the photographer raised his camera and laughed again, “It would be even cooler if it were an eagle, but it’s interesting as it is.”

Thus, a fresh photo of Wen Ya carrying Wen Xiaofeng on her left shoulder and Si Mucheng clinging to her right shoulder like an ostrich was born.

Si Mucheng was very satisfied and immediately exchanged contact information with the photographer, obtaining the photo. It was a hot day, and Wen Ya couldn't help but tug at her collar, asking, "Satisfied?"

Si Mucheng held up his phone to show her the photo he had just taken, which he had already changed to his lock screen wallpaper: "It's really good. This girl is quite skilled. She doesn't need any editing, and she got the lighting just right."

Wen Ya gave him a thumbs-up in admiration and walked straight ahead, saying, "Let's go back then."

"No, wait," Si Mucheng followed, "Let's wander around a bit more, it's a rare treat."

Indeed, such scenery is a rare sight in one's lifetime. Wen Ya suddenly felt much calmer, and her pace slowed. For so many years, her life had been monotonous, but that was all due to her responsibilities. But now, someone was showing her scenery she had never noticed before, as if this road now had someone to talk to.

The two strolled along the street. Si Mucheng glanced at Wen Ya and suddenly asked, "Master, do you think the person Shen Guixiang is looking for will still remember 'her'?"

He didn't say it explicitly, but Wen Ya instantly understood what he meant.

Historically, being too affectionate in a woman has not been considered a virtue. Indeed, Zhong Weinian may have been sincere at the beginning, but Shen Guixiang died. The living don't stop living for the dead, and Zhong Weinian would naturally continue living according to the natural course of life. This would inevitably include marriage and having children.

"Tell me, is it better to hold onto hope in a daze, or to burst the bubble and face reality? 'She' has waited for sixty years. If she were to see Zhong Weinian surrounded by children and grandchildren, it would be cruel for 'her,' wouldn't it?" Si Mucheng gazed into the distance, his playful smile gone, his profile now showing a hint of coldness.

Wen Ya paused for a few seconds: "That's all her business. Her obsession is Zhong Weinian, so no matter what bitter the reality is, she has to swallow it."

"So, why didn't Zhong Weinian show up? Did he lie to 'her'? That shouldn't be the case, it's too strange." Si Mucheng shook his head, and the headdress on his wig swayed along with him. "I'm afraid it's another story of a heartless man. Sigh, it's too tragic. She lost her life for a scumbag, and even after she died, she waited bitterly for so many years. It's really not worth it."

"Don't make wild guesses before you know the truth," Wen Ya said calmly. "You don't know the facts either, do you?"

Si Mucheng turned to look at Wen Ya, blinked twice, and suddenly laughed: "You're right."