Chapter 62

A series of rough, panting breaths burst forth from his chest in an orderly fashion.

Beads of sweat, the size of soybeans, fell onto the sand, leaving a mark that soon evaporated and disappeared due to the high temperature.

Qingyun, carrying her luggage on her shoulder, trudged through the sand, her steps uneven. "If I can't handle this, I can at least run away!" After a night of deep thought, she made a startling decision: to run. But she wasn't stupid enough to run anywhere else; the vast desert was the perfect place.

The system jokingly remarked that Qingyun was truly fearless, daring to spend the night alone in the desert and even planning to stay for several days.

【What do you know? If they find us, just say you got lost and can't find your way back, then fake an illness and say you're not suited for marriage, and you'll get married!】

The system was speechless. [What if you die in the desert? You might as well just catch a cold.]

"Superficial!" Qingyun cursed inwardly. "If I run away from Muyun City, I'll be a fugitive, a capital offense. I'm not stupid, I just have nowhere to go. Why don't you give me some kind of supernatural space or something, the kind where people can live? How come other systems are so capable of that! You're a piece of trash."

[Damn it! Host, why are you swearing? You can't make personal attacks!]

"I'm talking about you," she said, tucking the bundle on her back slightly. "Sorry, you're not human, so this isn't a personal attack." She added that she'd hide for as long as she could, making those people anxious and searching for her for a while, showing them her determination.

Moreover, Qingyun has never been one to play with his life like a rubber band, so how could he be completely unprepared? He used his points to exchange for some camping gear in the mall, and then came the main event: a pistol. He had begged the system for a long time to get it, and it was time-limited, meaning he could only have it during his time living in the desert. Although it cost a lot of money, at least he had something to defend himself. With truth in hand, he was invincible.

The weather was cool in Muyun City, but in this desert, it was still quite hot under the blazing sun. Finding a sheltered, rocky spot, I abruptly threw my pack on the ground, then lay down like a clown, gazing absently at the blue sky. [It's been so long since I've rested like this.]

System: [You weren't invited here for a vacation!]

Qingyun: ...

He changed his lying position, cursing the damn artificial intelligence in his heart for actually learning the capitalists' ways.

After resting for a while, they started packing up their things. They propped up a small pot with three wooden sticks, and used several thick pieces of cloth as windbreaks. Qingyun was meticulous and made it into the shape of a tent. After it was all set up, they took out a sleeping bag from their space, along with a quilt from their own home. Although the sleeping bag was already very warm, it made them feel cozy and cozy. It was also a good idea to put it at the tent entrance to block the wind.

After finishing all that, I had some free time. I lay on my small bed, trying not to think about anything, and drowsiness gradually crept in. When I woke up again, it was already dark. I took some wood from my spatial storage and lit it to cook instant noodles for dinner. [There was a time when eating instant noodles was considered a treat.]

The system replied, "[Host, you do use seasonings regularly, you know. Ancient people didn't have MSG; their food was mostly salty or other complex flavors.]"

Hearing what the other person said, I felt that it made sense. After all, star anise and other such things are not considered edible. They seem to be used for medicine or something. I had read a popular science article about them once in modern times.

[It's so nice that no one's around. I can sneak in some modern food, otherwise my mouth would taste like bird food.] I slurped the instant noodles into the bowl and felt a wonderful taste well up inside me, instantly making me feel refreshed.

The sand dunes were in an uproar because Qingyun was not around. It wasn't because she had disappeared, but because a large number of mature trees had suddenly withered. They had investigated various causes but couldn't find the reason. Several days later, everyone seemed to realize that they hadn't seen that figure for a long time.

In the past, Qingyun was always on the go. Although most of him stayed in the forest farm, there were times when he would be nowhere to be seen for several days in a row.

“This time is different. She used to come here to take a look even when she was busy with other things, but now she hasn’t been seen for several days.” Mu Helian stood up and stared at the people present.

Seeing this, Liu Er simply waved his hand, indicating that she should sit down first. "We can't stop moving around just because we're away from Qingyun. Tell everyone to go and look again, and see if there's a problem with the well."

"If there was a problem with the well, would you still be alive now?" Mu Helian was quite dissatisfied with Liu Er's attitude. She was nervous because she noticed Qingyun's abnormality. She was really afraid that this person would do something stupid.

The man scoffed at this, clearly annoyed. "Whose orders are we supposed to follow here?!"

Having said that, he told Mu Helian to leave first, saying, "Women don't understand!"

Mu Helian narrowed her eyes, scanning the people present. Her gaze sent chills down their spines. "A bunch of useless trash," she finally spoke after a long pause. Then, ignoring Liu Er's shouts, she left without looking back.

"Come here." Mu Helian held the whip in her hand, her aura imposing without being angry. She casually beckoned someone over and said, "Call everyone in the forest this year and ask them if they have seen any suspicious people entering the forest."

After everyone left, they found a young woman and asked her to keep an eye on the workers to see if anyone was sneaking around, to prevent anyone from poisoning the water. Trees don't decay overnight; if the problem truly originated at the source, they probably wouldn't be standing here now. The priority now is to ensure the new saplings don't suffer the same fate.

"Those mature trees no longer need careful watering; their roots have already penetrated very deep. If there's any problem, it can only be because someone is doing it on purpose. Make sure the people on duty thoroughly inspect them these next few days!" After giving the order, she rushed off to the command post. Qingyun had said that an excessive amount of the daily supply of medicinal liquid could also cause seedlings to die, so this couldn't be taken lightly and had to be kept under close watch!

"Have you found her?!" A stern question made the young maid kneeling in the hall tremble with fear, her voice trembling with apprehension. "No...no, the eunuch said that Miss Qingyun did not leave the city, but...but we can't find her in the city either."

Upon hearing the reply, something slammed across the table, followed by the sound of porcelain shattering. The maid was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes, but she desperately held them back. She had never seen Song Chaoyun lose his temper like this before, and she was afraid that her master might take out his anger on her.

Song Chaoyun forced herself to calm down. She thought Qingyun shouldn't do that. Even with such a big change in the family, she had never seen her think of belittling herself. She shouldn't be like that this time... But when she thought of this, she remembered the other party's resolute expression that day, and she became uncertain again.

"Tell people to go look again," she said again after calming down.

Song Chaohua put down her teacup and slowly said, "It's unlikely she was kidnapped; it seems more like she hid herself?"

Upon seeing this, Song Chaoyun, who had just sat down, frowned. In her memory, Qingyun was not the type to run away at the last minute. Before she could speak, Song Chaohua continued, "Could it be that she really has no feelings for Song Junwu at all?"

Putting that aside, Song Chaoyun pondered for a moment, wondering where she might be hiding. But when she thought of the only possible answer, she broke out in a cold sweat and muttered to herself that maybe she would do it.

"Regardless of her feelings for whom she is, don't you and I understand what Father means?" Song Chaoyun sent someone to summon Song Junwu. If her guess was correct, then they should go and find her immediately.

The two people almost immediately uttered two words upon meeting: desert.

She couldn't leave the city, so she could only go in this direction.

Song Junwu had a somber face. He had thought about it during the past few days, but he didn't want to come to such a conclusion.

"Since she was exiled here, my understanding of her seems to have changed." I used to be able to guess Qingyun's thoughts, but now that she has been exiled here, she seems to have changed completely. I don't know if she deliberately hid it in the past or if she has changed her personality due to the changes.

Song Chaoyun sighed softly, but based on her interactions with Mu Yuncheng over the years, going to the desert to disappear was actually in line with Qingyun's current style.

"The important thing is to find the person," Song Junwu said calmly, standing to the side.

Song Chaoyun frowned upon hearing this, "How are we supposed to find it in such a big place?"

The man narrowed his eyes slightly and after a long while, he finally spoke, "She won't go too far; she values ​​her life very much." After saying that, he got up to go out. Who was familiar with this desert area of ​​several miles around? Apart from Song Junwu, there was no one else. Clearly, he wanted to go and bring her back himself.

Just then, a voice called out to him from behind. The two looked at each other and Song Chaoyun nodded heavily, his eyes firm. "You only need to take care of this matter. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Having been together for so many years, the unspoken understanding between them is something they both know without words.

The room fell silent, save for the rustling of the maids sweeping. The woman in the high seat seemed to lose all her strength, slumping into her chair. Seeing this, Liu Yue quickly stepped forward to support her, saying with concern, "Your Highness, why must you do this? It's none of your business. Have you forgotten that the Emperor reprimanded you for this?" Lord Song is handsome and a favorite of the Emperor. Although his family background isn't impressive, surely it's not something to be ashamed of.

"If Father really loves him, why has he kept him in such a place all these years?" Song Chaoyun clutched his chest, seemingly unable to catch his breath. Seeing this, Liu Yue didn't have time to complain and hurriedly brought over the prepared medicine, her face full of worry.

In the past, Liu Ruo suppressed Song Junwu in Muyun City, preventing him from becoming too powerful. But now that Liu Ruo has retired, he has effectively handed over the power of desertification control to Qingyun. She just doesn't understand her father's intention in doing so. The military force under Song Junwu's control is indeed worthy of fear. Moreover, in the end, leaving him here is to prevent him from rebelling. But if the two of them were to marry, wouldn't it be easier for him to harbor rebellious intentions?