Childhood Warmth Memories

Qi Dou said, "Go."

Seeing that everyone had left, Shi Yan, along with Fu Rong, bowed to Qi Dou and the other person before leaving as well.

When Li Xingyi looked back into the hall, it was already empty.

Qi Dou said, "Presumably, the Empress Dowager took the opportunity to go back. She prefers peace and quiet, so you don't need to worry about it."

Li Xingyi said, "Hmm, I wonder how Your Majesty knew I was there?"

Qi Dou laughed and said, "Because I am watching you every moment."

"..."

Li Xingyi said, "If Your Majesty doesn't want to talk about it, then don't."

Upon seeing this, Qi Dou immediately said, "It's because the Empress Dowager is there. I rushed over as soon as I found out. However, what I said earlier is true."

Li Xingyi was stunned for a moment. Her heartbeat started to get louder and louder, and she felt a strange sense of familiarity at that moment.

Qi Dou felt it would be a shame not to do something in the current atmosphere.

Qi Dou gently embraced Li Xingyi and kissed her. Li Xingyi seemed to be getting used to Qi Dou's kiss. She was somewhat immersed in the moment and slowly closed her eyes.

She slowly opened her eyes after separating from Qi Dou.

Qi Dou asked softly, "Have you... fallen for me?"

Li Xingyi didn't hear clearly and asked, "What?"

Seeing this, Qi Dou was somewhat disappointed and said, "...Never mind, I'll be going now. You should rest."

Li Xingyi replied calmly, "Yes, Your Majesty."

After Qi Dou left, Li Xingyi placed her hand on her heart and carefully felt it, but she did not feel the same sensation as before, which puzzled her.

What was that just now? Why does it feel so familiar?

After Li Yanzhang helped Ji Xi walk, he felt that walking like this was too slow. He said, "Ji Xi, how about I carry you on my back? How long will it take to get to your house if we walk like this!"

Ji Xi thought for a moment and said, "As long as you can carry it, I'm fine."

Upon hearing this, Li Yanzhang realized that Li Yanzhang was implying he was too weak to carry her. He immediately bent down and said, "Come on, get on, I'll definitely carry you steadily!"

Upon seeing this, Ji Xi leaned over, and Li Yanzhang immediately felt a weight on his back, but he managed to hold on.

Ji Xi asked, "How is it? Can you carry it?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yanzhang immediately picked him up and carried him, saying as he walked, "See! I can carry you!"

Ji Xi said, "Please don't drop me, or my injuries will get worse."

Li Yanzhang got angry when he heard this: "What are you talking about? How could I possibly drop you? Don't worry, I will definitely take you home safely."

Ji Xi wrapped his arms around his neck and rested his head on his shoulder, saying, "Alright then, carry me home. I'll take a nap first. Remember to wake me when we get there."

Li Yanzhang stopped when he heard this. He thought of the storybooks that said if someone was injured and said they wanted to sleep for a while, they were probably going to die!

He quickly said, "Ji Xi! You're not allowed to sleep! We still have to guard the palace together! Talk to me, okay? I'll listen to you from now on, okay? Don't sleep!"

But Li Yanzhang didn't hear a reply, and he started to panic. He used his light-footed skills to run on the rooftop towards Ji Xi's house, hoping that Ji Xi's parents could see him one last time.

On the way, Li Yanzhang continued talking to Ji Xi, ignoring Ji Xi's injuries. The journey was still a bit bumpy. Finally, he heard a familiar voice: "What are you doing? I just wanted to sleep for a while. Why are you rushing around like you're running for your life?! Don't you even consider my injuries!"

Li Yanzhang immediately said, "Ji Xi, is that you speaking? I knew you weren't dead."

Ji Xi was initially confused, but upon hearing the second half of the sentence, he angrily punched Li Yanzhang and said, "Who died! You're the one who died! If it wasn't me speaking, who else could it be but a ghost?!"

Li Yanzhang said, "Ouch! Hit me gently, I didn't mean to."

Ji Xi said angrily, "Serves you right! Tell me! What makes you think I'm dead?"

Li Yanzhang said somewhat aggrievedly, "Isn't that what they say in the storybooks? If someone gets injured and says they need to sleep for a while, they're probably dead."

Ji Xi angrily smacked him on the head: "I told you to read less storybooks, but you wouldn't listen! You actually believed the plots in those stories! Do you know how much it hurts when the board hits you! I finally managed to get some sleep and the pain subsided, but you were running around on the roof, making my wound hurt even more from all the jolting!"

Li Yanzhang said apologetically, "Haha, sorry, I'll go down now."

After saying that, he carried Ji Xi on his back and jumped off the roof. Li Yanzhang walked steadily on the ground.

Seeing this, Ji Xi said, "That's more like it, but I can't sleep. Talk to me for a bit."

Actually, Ji Xi wasn't having trouble sleeping; he just didn't want Li Yanzhang to worry. If he talked to Li Yanzhang, Li Yanzhang would know he was alright, so he preferred to stay awake and feel the pain rather than fall asleep and worry Li Yanzhang. Besides, chatting might actually help him distract himself and reduce the pain.

Li Yanzhang asked in confusion, "Can't sleep? But didn't you say you wouldn't feel the pain when you were asleep? Why can't you sleep again?"

Ji Xi said irritably, "Why so much nonsense? Are we going to talk or not? If not, I'm going to sleep."

Li Yanzhang thought for a moment and said, "Then... why don't you just go to sleep?"

Ji Xi turned his head and said, "Can't sleep! Weren't you quite talkative before you got injured? Why can't you say anything this time?"

Li Yanzhang could only explain it to himself.

I'm doing this for your own good.

Suddenly, Li Yanzhang seemed to remember something and said, "Then tell me why you pleaded for those palace servants at Yonghe Palace."

Ji Xi said, "Well, it's like this. When I was a child, I met a palace maid when I entered the palace. Her family was very poor, so she had no choice but to enter the palace to make a living. Fortunately, she succeeded in entering the palace, but she had to send her monthly salary to her family to help them out."

Li Yanzhang asked in confusion, "Then what about her?"

Ji Xi said, "The palace takes care of the servants' meals. She was alright. Once I got lost, and she showed me the way. After that, I would see that older sister every time. I thought it was a coincidence and that's how we got to know each other. She didn't know what I liked to eat. She just thought that I was a child and would like to eat candied hawthorn. So every time I saw her, she would give me candied hawthorn to eat."

Li Yanzhang asked suspiciously, "Doesn't she know your identity? And how does she know when you'll enter the palace?"

Ji Xi explained, "She never asked about my identity. As for the candied hawthorns, she studied how to make them after she bought them. She basically made them herself and then gave them to me whenever she saw me. Once, out of curiosity, I asked her why she was so nice to me."

Li Yanzhang asked curiously, "What did she say?"

Ji Xi said, "She said that she used to have a younger brother, but he died young. She said that if that brother were still alive, he would be about the same age as me back then, and she would consider me her brother."

Li Yanzhang laughed after hearing this, "Then aren't you just a shadow of her brother?"

Ji Xi rolled her eyes at him and continued, "I asked her if I was her brother's shadow. She said she only saw me as a brother, not his shadow. I am who I am, not anyone else, so I called her big sister."

Li Yanzhang asked, "Then what does this have to do with your plea for leniency?"

Ji Xi said sadly, "Because she was a concubine's maid. The concubine would beat and scold them at the slightest dissatisfaction. Sometimes she would cry and tell me all this. Later, when a concubine lost something, she attacked them. In the end, when she still couldn't find the thing, she beat each of them several times. She was beaten to death like that. I... never ate the candied hawthorns she made again."

Li Yanzhang sensed Ji Xi's sadness in her last words; perhaps to him, she was already like an older sister.

Li Yanzhang suddenly felt a drop of water on his shoulder. He was about to turn around when Ji Xi pressed his head down. Li Yanzhang only heard him say, "Don't turn around, look ahead."

Li Yanzhang didn't know how to comfort Ji Xi at this moment, but he felt more secure carrying Ji Xi on his back. He cooperated and said, "We can go home soon, little brother."

He called out to his younger brother softly and quietly, perhaps to comfort Ji Xi, or perhaps to fulfill the palace maid's dream.

Upon hearing this, Ji Xi seemed to cry even harder. Li Yanzhang could only hear Ji Xi's indistinct voice, "Sister... Sister."