The convoy moved slowly along the wide road, the carriages swaying back and forth with the hooves of the strong horses. Shi Lan carefully examined Wang Liu's almost transparent, pale face and tentatively asked, "I wonder what ailment you suffer from, sir?"

Wang Liu picked up a teacup from the table, frowning in displeasure. "A-Lan claims to be my friend, so why is she being so distant?"

Shi Lan frowned at him. Was this the time to be agonizing over this?

Wang Liu, however, remained adamant, staring intently at her without uttering a word.

Helpless, Shi Lan could only purse her lips and change her words: "I wonder what illness A-Min is suffering from, and why he is coughing so incessantly?"

Wang Liu then took a satisfied sip of tea and said, "It's nothing serious, just a chronic ailment."

Shi Lan had read some medical books before, and after thinking for a moment, she asked, "Has Amin sought medical treatment?"

Wang Liu smiled and said, "Of course I've seen it, but most of them involve drinking bitter medicine soup, and the effects are almost the same."

Shi Lan nodded, meaning it was basically useless.

Come to think of it, medical technology at that time was so backward that even a viral cold could kill someone. If Wang Liu's illness were in another world, it might be cured with a few IV drips and intramuscular injections, but here, even drinking medicine all day might not be effective.

Shi Lan gently placed her two hands on Wang Liu's wrists, and only then did she realize how low Wang Liu's body temperature was.

In the sweltering summer heat, the air was thick with intense dryness. If it weren't for the slight movement of the carriage curtains, which occasionally brought out a gentle breeze, Shi Lan felt she would have fainted from the heat.

Wang Liu's skin, however, was as cold as jade, icy to the bone. Because of taking his pulse, Shi Lan unconsciously moved closer. Almost instantly, she felt the surrounding air become much cooler, only her sweaty temples felt a little cold.

Shi Lan looked up at him.

Wang Liu lowered his head and looked into her eyes.

Shi Lan saw her own reflection in his dark pupils, and in the reflection she could vaguely see a handsome face that seemed to have feelings but no intention of caring.

Shi Lan turned her head somewhat awkwardly and looked down at his large, unnaturally white hands with distinct knuckles.

Wang Liu pursed his lips, and after a long while, he said, "How is it?"

Shi Lan was stunned for a moment, then quickly refocused her mind and examined the area carefully. She then used her spiritual power to probe it, and after a while, she said with some concern, "This is not good. Amin's body needs to rest. This kind of travel and exertion will affect his lifespan."

Wang Liu chuckled softly, "What's the use of growing old and gray if you can only be confined to a small patch of sky? Only by reading can you understand things, and only by walking can you distinguish right from wrong. Do you agree, A-Lan?"

Shi Lan couldn't deny that for Wang Liu, what he saw in the book might be more important than life itself, but for others, being alive was more important than anything else. Everyone has different pursuits and different ways of choosing to live, so she didn't comment on it.

Wang Liu didn't get an answer, nor did he press the matter; he simply sipped his tea contentedly.

After finishing his drink, he held the teacup up to Shi Lan, looked at Shi Lan with a pout, and then boiled water and brewed tea for him.

The carriage swayed as it arrived at the edge of a city under the jurisdiction of the Xiang family. A guard approached the carriage and asked in a low voice, "Would you like to settle here, young master?"

Wang Liu shook his head. Before he could speak, he saw the city gates open wide, and a group of elegantly dressed young men and women rushed in.

Xiang San squeezed through the crowd, bowed to the carriage, and said, "Young Master Wang is brave and valiant, doing what we dare not do. We admire him."

Wang Liu's expression remained calm, his eyes half-closed as he looked out of the car at the flushed, excited crowd, without saying a word.

Only Shi Lan, sitting beside him, could see the mockery in his eyes.

Xiang San waited for a moment, and seeing that there was no sound from inside the carriage, he couldn't help but recall the small matter of insisting on not going to Yancheng to help three days ago. He quickly smiled and said, "If you don't mind, sir, please come into the city for a few drinks. This place belongs to the border of Yi Kingdom. We are willing to defend it, but we don't know how to do it. Please teach me, sir!"

Wang Liu's fingers caressed the teacup, his posture as steady as a rock, showing no intention of getting up, clearly indicating that he did not believe in Wang Liu's so-called steadfastness.

Shi Lan glanced quickly around the crowd, and when she found no one she was looking for, she raised an eyebrow.

Wang Liu noticed her expression and said calmly, "Does A-Lan want to go into the city to take a look?"

Shi Lan smiled and said, "I'll do as Amin says."

Almost immediately, a deep voice came from inside the carriage, "Ran."

Xiang San immediately beamed with joy. He quickly pushed aside the other young men surrounding him who dared not speak because of the past incident and said, "Respectfully invite the young master of the Wang family."

The driver flicked the whip, and the carriage swayed slowly again, heading towards the city gate. The guards raised their whips and lashed the horses, raising clouds of yellow dust.

A gentle breeze stirred, and dust rushed straight towards the nobles dressed in thin gauze and light brocade. The nobles all half-closed their eyes as they watched the procession depart, but not one of them covered their face or tried to avoid it.

Night fell as colorful lights hung from the branches and leaves, and melodious music accompanied by graceful chanting echoed through the night sky.

Shi Lan sat behind the table, casually eating her food.

Half a zhang away, a vicious gaze pierced through the other envious and jealous eyes, following them like a shadow.

Shi Lan swallowed the delicious honey-roasted venison in her mouth, looked up, and unsurprisingly saw those eyes that were once infinitely charming, but now only filled with jealousy and anger.

Shi Lan smiled slightly, turned to Wang Liu and said that the dried meat was good, and told him to try it.

Wang Liu smiled at Shi Lan and also picked up a piece of dried meat and put it in his mouth.

Noticing the intense gaze behind her, Shi Lan smiled, raised her glass towards the direction of the gaze, and then took a savoring sip.

Those eyes immediately filled with boundless madness and resentment.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!