Chapter 44: Not to mention people

Or, these are actually just a few simple letters home.

As long as you open the letter, everything will become clear.

After hesitating for a while, Chu Ran finally chose not to open the letters, but put them back into the box.

Li Fu didn't come back until the evening. By that time, Chu Ran had already moved back all the things that were drying in the yard.

Even so, as soon as Li Fu entered the room, he was able to keenly notice that his bookcase had been moved.

Chu Ran came back a little later than Li Fu. When he entered the room, he saw Li Fu squatting beside the bookcase, looking through the things inside.

Noticing someone coming in, Li Fu stood up and looked at Chu Ran.

Chu Ran pretended nothing had happened, smiled at Li Fu, then sat down on the stool, poured himself a glass of water, and took a sip as if nothing had happened.

Li Fu hesitated for a while and walked towards the table.

"Would you like to drink?" Chu Ran raised his eyebrows and asked him.

Li Fu nodded, and Chu Ran poured him a cup and pushed it in front of him.

But Li Fu didn't pick it up. Instead, he looked at Chu Ran and asked, "What did you do today?"

Chu Ran said in a nonchalant tone: "I didn't do anything. I just dried our clothes and bedding. Oh, and your books, too."

Li Fu hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Have you seen the letters below?"

"I saw it." Chu Ran said, "But I didn't open it, so I don't know what's written inside."

"Um."

Li Fu seemed relieved, and he slowly picked up the cup with both hands.

He was worried that Chu Ran would ask him about Yunzhou, but Chu Ran didn't ask.

"You drink, I'll go sweep the yard, it's a bit dirty."

Chu Ran stood up and walked to the yard. He picked up the broom placed in the corner and started sweeping in the semi-dark sky.

After sweeping the floor, Chu Ran simply washed up and climbed into bed.

"Asleep."

After Chu Ran finished speaking, he turned over, turned his back to Li Fu, and closed his eyes.

Li Fu stood in the room, looking at Chu Ran's back as he turned over, and pursed his lips subconsciously.

He felt that Chu Ran was a little strange tonight, as if he was not in a good mood. In the past, Chu Ran always had a lot to talk to him and never went to bed so early.

The next day, Chu Ran went out early in the morning.

In the afternoon, he returned at a normal time, but after returning, Chu Ran would always find work for himself, either cleaning the room or doing laundry. This continued for several days, and eventually there was nothing to do, so Chu Ran, looking for something to do, tore off all the window paper in the room and replaced it with new ones.

Originally, Li Fu didn't talk much on weekdays, and it was all Chu Ran who took the initiative to bring up topics. Now Chu Ran was only concerned with his work and didn't talk much, so the two of them had even less to talk about.

This went on for a few days. When Chu Ran was about to go out and tear off the window paper in another house, as if he was determined to replace all the old windows in all the rooms with new ones, Li Fu took the initiative to speak for the first time and called his name.

"Chu Ran."

Chu Ran stopped, turned his back to Li Fu, and involuntarily tightened the roll of paper in his hand.

"What's wrong with you?" Li Fu's puzzled voice came from behind Chu Ran.

After a while, Chu Ran turned around, still smiling, "Nothing, why are you asking me this suddenly?"

Li Fu was silent for a while, then said, "You haven't talked to me at night recently."

Chu Ran smiled and said, "There's nothing much to say. I've already said everything I need to say, right?"

"Is that so?"

"yes."

"Then don't go and paste window paper today. It's a bit cold outside tonight and you will freeze."

"No." Chu Ran said in a relaxed tone: "I'm not such a fragile person, how could I get sick so easily."

"Don't go." Li Fu said.

"It's okay. The paste is already cooked. It would be a waste if it's not cooked. Don't worry about me. It'll be fine."

Chu Ran didn't listen, and walked out with a basin of paste in his left hand and a roll of window paper in his right hand.

Recently, when Li Dingning was with Chu Ran, she always pouted her lips, which looked like an oil bottle could be hung on them, and she looked very unhappy.

Li Dingning's expression was so obvious, but Chu Ran didn't notice it at all.

Chu Ran was halfway through telling Li Dingning a story when Li Dingning slowly frowned and pursed his lips.

"Okay, stop talking." Li Dingning said.

"oh."

Li Dingning told him not to talk anymore, and Chu Ran actually stopped talking. He didn't even ask Li Dingning why he didn't want him to talk anymore.

Li Dingning was not that angry at first, but Chu Ran's behavior made Li Dingning unable to bear it anymore. He complained to Chu Ran: "Your stories are not as interesting as before recently."

Chu Ran said puzzledly, "No?"

"Of course not." Li Dingning said, "When you told stories before, you were very lively, your face was full of joy, your voice was sometimes high and sometimes low, and you could even imitate the voices of the people inside. But now, hum, you always have a droopy face. What's the matter? I didn't scold you, why do you have a droopy face?"

Chu Ran raised his hands, and with a bewildered look, he lifted his face upwards, and said in disbelief, "No."

Li Dingning added: "If you don't believe it, you can look at your own face in the mirror and see if it is really like this."

Chu Ran: ...

"Hmph, if you don't want to talk, then don't talk. What are you talking about? It's meaningless. I don't want to listen."

Li Dingning stood up and left unhappily.

In fact, Chu Ran really didn't want to tell him a story, nor did he deliberately look gloomy. He just... just couldn't muster the energy to do anything recently.

He probably knew why he was like this.

After living with Li Fu for nearly a year, he had gotten used to it. Suddenly, he realized that Li Fu might leave him and the palace one day. Chu Ran felt that it was normal for him to not be able to accept it for a while.

After all, in the entire palace, Li Fu is one of Chu Ran's closest and most trusted people.

Even if it is a cat or a dog, you will develop feelings for it after raising it for a long time, let alone a human.