Chapter 17
The two hurried back home.
As soon as Shen Ahheng stepped into the door, he peeked out through the crack and confirmed that there were no suspicious figures. Then he inserted the bolt with a "bang", moving as fast as a cat with its tail stepped on.
"Hurry, hurry, gather all your things!" Shen Aheng rushed into the backyard in a hurry and began to help him pack in a hurry.
Ashina Yu didn't have many belongings to begin with. Most of them were old things left by her master, such as a worn wooden comb, an old cloth belt, and a few half-worn clothes. In order not to arouse suspicion, she packed all the men's belongings together and stuffed them in her bag.
Ashina Yu carefully wrapped the worn clothes in soft cloth and put it into the cloth bag she handed over. Her fingers touched the coarse cloth handkerchief she had just bought that day. Her fingertips paused slightly, a hint of warmth flashed across her eyes, and then she regained her composure and continued to organize other things.
Shen Aheng was in a state of anxiety, and the more anxious she was, the more confused she became. She messed up Ashina Yu's newly folded clothes, and several medical books fell to the ground with a clatter as she bumped into them.
Shen Aheng pursed his lips awkwardly, raised his eyes and secretly glanced at Ashina Yu, only to see that he didn't look angry at all. He just bent down gently and picked up the fallen medical books one by one, and then patiently folded the messed clothes again. His movements were gentle and with a quiet tenderness.
Seeing him rearranging the things, Shen Aheng felt a little embarrassed to disturb his mess again, so he had to put down his hands and stand aside to watch him do it.
After a long time of trouble, I finally managed to pack up everything.
Shen Ah Heng immediately pulled him towards the back mountain. His heart was beating fast along the way, and his feet were as fast as the wind.
After searching for a long time, I finally found a cave half-covered by vines in a valley.
"Here it is, it looks good."
Shen Ah Heng immediately made the decision, reached out to push aside the tangled vines, and looked inside.
The light in the cave was a little dim, and one could vaguely see some dead branches and rotten leaves piled on the ground. The ground was covered with fine sand and gravel, and the air was filled with a damp smell.
But the size is acceptable, barely enough for one person to live in.
Shen Aheng felt quite satisfied, and just as she was about to step in to take a look, Ashina Yu gently pulled her arm, nodded slightly, and motioned him to go in first.
Shen Ahheng just nodded in confusion, and then she saw his figure suddenly flash, like a gray phantom, and he had already entered the cave, so fast that she couldn't even follow him with her eyes.
Shen Aheng was so scared that he uttered an "Ah", then patted his chest again, and couldn't help muttering: "Why are you running so fast? You scared me."
Ever since Shen Ah Heng learned that he had extraordinary skills, he seemed to no longer deliberately pretend.
There was no response from Ashina Yu over there. Only his subtle footsteps could be heard from inside the cave, along with a rustling sound as if something was being moved.
Not long after, his voice came from inside, still with the awkward Central Plains dialect, but very clear: "No, it's okay, come in."
Shen Ah Heng was relieved and hurried into the cave. She saw him standing in the middle of the cave, holding a thick branch that had just been broken off. He carefully checked the surroundings to confirm that there were no traces of wild animals and no other people were hiding. Then he nodded to her, indicating that it was safe.
Shen Aheng came over and helped him clean up the dead branches and leaves in the cave. While cleaning, he looked around: "It's still a little damp here. I'm sorry to bother you."
Ashina Yu did not slip his hand, but silently took the broken stones from her hand. After clearing a flat area, he took out a clean piece of coarse cloth from the cloth bag and spread it on the ground, then spread the hay on it, and the simple "bed" was ready.
He gently placed the cloth bag containing all his belongings in the corner, patted the straw mat, then looked at her and gently told her in his awkward Central Plains dialect: "Don't worry, I'm here, everything is fine."
At some point, moonlight shone through the gaps in the vines at the entrance of the cave, falling on his face, making his eyes look especially calm.
Shen Ah Heng's heart was relieved a little, but he felt a little uneasy. He squatted down to help him pat the straw mat softer and warned him: "You will stay here temporarily for the next few days. Don't run around. No matter how strict the government's investigation is, they won't turn this whole mountain upside down."
Ashina Yu nodded and stretched out her hand to help her brush off the grass debris on her shoulders. Her hand paused in mid-air, then she picked up a branch next to her and swept the ground next to the straw mat, as if she wanted to tidy up the surroundings.
Shen Aheng looked at his slightly clumsy but extremely serious appearance, and couldn't help but smile: "Okay, okay, don't be busy, I have to go down the mountain quickly. If someone from the government comes up to inspect, I have to deal with it."
Just as he turned to leave, Ashina Yu suddenly spoke, his voice more urgent than before: "You haven't eaten your dinner yet."
Shen Ah Heng then remembered that he had eaten some snacks while walking around the town during the day, and after all the trouble he had just made, his stomach was already empty.
She wanted to pretend to be hungry but her stomach started to growl unceremoniously, and the sound was particularly clear in the quiet cave.
“…”
Shen Aheng's cheeks were hot, and he was about to pretend that he didn't hear it, but he caught a glimpse of Ashina Yu's mouth corners quietly curved, and there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his eyes.
This time, Shen Ah Heng's defense was completely broken. He glared at him fiercely and said, "What are you laughing at? Don't laugh!"
Seeing that Ashina Yu quickly pursed her lips, but still looked like she was trying to hold back a laugh, Shen Aheng gritted his teeth and said, "Dare to laugh at this leader, I punish you by making me cook! After you finish cooking, go back to the cave and don't run around!"
The smile in Ashina Yu's eyes became more obvious, but he nodded obediently, picked up the small bamboo basket at the entrance of the cave, and the rice and vegetables she had brought for him when she was packing up just now. He gestured to her to "go" and said in a clumsy Central Plains dialect: "Okay, cook, let's go."
Shen Aheng followed Ashina Yu down the mountain towards home, still muttering, "If you make fun of me again next time, I will punish you to cook two more meals." But for some reason, the unhappiness that had accumulated in his heart just now disappeared in an instant.
After returning home, Ashina Yu walked into the kitchen as if he was familiar with the place. After a while, he brought out two bowls of steaming chicken and vegetable porridge, a plate of fried crucian carp, and a small dish of fresh, crispy and tender pickled cucumbers.
Shen Ah Heng was drooling at the sight, and gulped down half a bowl before he felt his empty stomach was filled and at ease.
After the meal, Ashina Yu quietly cleaned up the dishes and took them to the sink to wash them.
He wiped the dishes gently and carefully, as if he was protecting some precious treasure.
After washing the dishes, he wiped his hands with a clean cloth, and instead of walking towards Shen Aheng immediately, he turned around and walked around the house.
First, he walked to the hall door and reached out to try the latch, then walked to the window and carefully checked whether the window frame was loose. Then he walked around the yard and glanced at the corner where the sundries were piled up to confirm that there were no abnormal signs. Then he returned to the house and walked in front of Shen Aheng.
His eyes were serious and focused as he stared into hers. He spoke each word with great effort, trying to make the Central Plains language clearer: "Tonight, I'm not here. You'll be alone. Be careful. Wait until everything is okay, I'll come out."
There was deep concern and reluctance in his words.
After saying this, he looked at her deeply, then turned and walked towards the mountain.
Shen Ah Heng's words of trying to keep him stuck in her throat, unable to swallow. Looking at his gradually receding back, his thin and upright gray figure seemed a little lonely in the moonlight, a strong sense of reluctance suddenly surged in her heart, as if something important was leaving her.
Shen Ah Heng bit his lower lip tightly, forcing himself to look away.
at night.
Shen Ahheng lay on the kang, staring at the beams, like a caught rabbit.
She used to be heartless, but she was famous for falling asleep as soon as she touched the pillow. She could wait until she woke up to deal with the biggest problems. But tonight, the kang was still the same kang, and the quilt was still the same soft quilt. Shen Ahheng tossed and turned for most of the hour, but not only did she not feel sleepy at all, she became more and more awake.
Even the chirping of insects outside the yard could be heard clearly.
Shen Ahheng looked at the spider slowly weaving its web on the dusty beams, sighed softly, and couldn't help talking to himself.
It's really strange. In the past, after her master left, she slept very soundly when she slept alone. How come that guy has only been here for less than two months, and tonight when he is not here, she feels like she has lost her soul and is not used to it.
As I was daydreaming, my mind drifted to the cave in the back mountain.
I don’t know what Ashina Yu is doing now, whether he can sleep in that damp cave, and whether he is scared being alone at night.
That guy was so good at martial arts, he must not be afraid of the dark. But then he remembered that he had not recovered yet and was still weak. The cave was damp and cold at night, so it was definitely not as comfortable as home.
But what if I catch a cold again and develop a chronic illness?
Shen Aheng couldn't help but slapped his forehead and cursed inwardly. He was not a three-year-old child who could serve her comfortably, let alone take care of himself. What's more, tomorrow morning, after he went down the mountain, she would give him a thick blanket and boil a pot of ginger soup to drive away the cold, then he would be fine!
Having said that, she couldn't help but wonder if he would feel uncomfortable with the straw mat.
Shen Aheng couldn't help but start to regret. If she had known earlier, she would not have been lazy and would have given him more grass.
It wasn't until the moon outside the window slowly moved that Shen Aheng fell asleep in a daze.
The next day.
At daybreak, Shen Ah Heng suddenly woke up as if he had been stabbed, and his sleepiness disappeared without a trace.
In the past, he could stay up until noon, but today he jumped up from the kang quickly, put on his clothes, rinsed his mouth, wiped his face, and ran out, peeking through the crack in the door like a little thief, his eyes wide open, for fear of seeing the government officials.
As he stretched his neck to watch, he suddenly heard a clear and simple voice in Central Plains dialect behind him: "Officials, officials, they haven't come yet."
Shen Aheng was frightened and turned around suddenly. Just as he was about to shout "There's a thief", he saw Ashina Yu standing there without knowing when.
He was wearing a plain grey robe, his black hair was tied into a simple bun, with a few strands of hair hanging in front of his forehead, making his eyebrows and eyes look even more elegant.
The misty light of the early morning fell on him, as if giving him a soft halo.
He just stood there quietly, still holding the small bamboo basket from yesterday. When he saw her looking at him, the corners of his lips curved up slightly, his eyes were calm and gentle, and his voice was slightly hoarse, but it reached her ears clearly: "Awake, awake?"
Shen Ah Heng was stunned for a long time before he stammered, "When did you come here? You walked like a ghost, without making any sound!"
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