Liu Qing sat on his horse, but his attention was fixed on the carriage, where he could faintly hear the voices of the people inside…
Thinking of his earlier embarrassment, he hesitated for a moment before riding his horse closer. But the first words he heard made his face change instantly!
What kind of wild woman would compare his feelings to such a disgusting thing?! And Liu Piaorou's subsequent silence only made him more nervous…
Perhaps hearing the approaching sound of hooves, the three people in the carriage stopped talking, making Liu Qing feel extremely cautious and apprehensive throughout the journey.
The border town of Qi was quite far from the capital, taking about a month to travel. Qin Qing only found out this by asking Xiao Lian, and couldn't help but feel regretful.
How could Peony get there with the children? Even if they took a carriage, Ah Niu was still asleep and couldn't withstand such a journey...
But it was too late for regrets now. She glanced at the scenery outside and figured that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Peony would take the official road. After all, Qi was not a peaceful country, and the official road would be safer.
Just then, a slightly scorching heat wafted over her, and Qin Qing subconsciously wiped her forehead, only then realizing that it was early summer and the temperature was steadily rising. And, upon closer inspection, it hadn't rained once since she arrived in Biancheng…
As night fell, the group of over twenty people stopped to rest by the bushes. Qin Qing sat with Xiao Lian, looking at the naan bread in her hand, but her mind was on her hot pot, the steaming rice, and the beef and chicken legs in the refrigerator. She sighed silently…
Liu Qing, who was some distance away, finished eating the steamed bun in his hand and quickly noticed the unusual situation on Qin Qing's side. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he walked over with the steamed bun in his hand.
"Auntie, have some of this! You're getting on in years, how can you digest such hard naan bread?"
The man's gentle, worried voice reached Qin Qing's ears, but Qin Qing instantly got goosebumps. She looked up at Liu Qing with numb eyes, then at the steamed bun he handed her, and inwardly spat at it.
You unfilial son! You think you can bribe me with a steamed bun? Bah!
The next second, she smiled, deliberately lowered her voice, and excitedly took the steamed bun.
"Thank you, young master!"
As soon as she finished speaking, seeing that Liu Qing was about to continue the conversation, she immediately got up and walked towards Liu Piaorou, leaving Liu Qing standing awkwardly in place, his face gradually turning ashen.
While everyone else was fast asleep, Qin Qing couldn't fall asleep at all. The temperature had been fine a few days ago, but today it was already noticeably irritating!
Looking at Xiaolian sleeping soundly beside her, she felt genuine admiration, and then got up and walked to the small hillside not far away to enjoy the breeze.
Just then, a rustling sound came from afar. She looked up and vaguely sensed a figure quietly slipping into the bushes. She didn't want to cause trouble for herself, but a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Remember to kidnap her to the dungeon. Make sure to instruct your men that small gains are fine, but they absolutely cannot go too far. Liu Piaorou may seem weak, but she is extremely stubborn! If someone dies, you will all be in deep trouble!"
The man's ruthless and despicable words instantly made Qin Qing's eyes widen. She subconsciously slowed her breathing and listened intently to their conversation. However, after the man finished speaking, the other man chuckled, quickly agreed, and turned to leave...
As the dark figure disappeared into the night, Qin Qing had a bad feeling. The man who had just spoken turned around and was seen by Qin Qing!
Isn't this her heartless and unfilial son?
Judging from his plan just now, could he be plotting something again? But why did he kidnap Liu Piaorou? And who was that dark figure who just left?
With a question in her mind, she looked at Liu Qing, who was standing motionless in place. The sight of him made her gasp and tense up instantly.
The moon peeked through the slowly moving dark clouds, its faint light illuminating Liu Qing's profile. A strange smile played on his lips, his eyes filled with gloom. His gaunt figure stood amidst the grass, appearing utterly terrifying…
Hiding at the foot of the hill, Qin Qing couldn't help but feel frightened. She bit her lip slightly, her pale face betraying her inner tension. She had never known Liu Qing could be so terrifying! Perhaps it was because Liu Qing's exaggerated reaction when she pretended to be a ghost had left her with the impression that he was cowardly…
A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a slight chill, which brought Qin Qing back to her senses. The heat had completely disappeared, leaving only an extremely cold feeling.
When she looked up again, Liu Qing's figure had disappeared, and only the trampled grass on the ground proved that what had just happened was not what she had imagined.
When she finally calmed down and returned to the team, she couldn't fall asleep anymore. Liu Qing's eerie smile kept flashing through her mind, making her scalp tingle and causing her to lose all interest in pretending to be a ghost to scare people.
The next day, Qin Qing boarded the carriage with dark circles under her eyes, a stark contrast to the radiant Xiao Lian beside her!
"Did you not sleep well last night, ma'am? Why don't you sleep with me in the carriage tonight? That's how it is in Qi in the summer; the mosquitoes at night are always a nuisance."
Upon hearing this, Qin Qing's drowsy mind cleared up slightly. Before she could respond, she heard a concerned voice coming from the carriage curtain.
"Why don't you sleep in the carriage, Auntie? The journey is long, and it wouldn't be good if you got sick."
Hearing the voice so close by, Qin Qing quickly turned her face away, instinctively grabbing a soft cloth from her bosom to cover her face, and whispered, "No need..."
This action caught Liu Qing's attention. He looked at Qin Qing with a puzzled expression and said in a low voice.
"It's strange, I've known the old lady for several days, but I've never seen what she looks like."
Liu Piaorou also noticed this and asked in confusion. Qin Qing's heart tightened, and he could only chuckle.
"It's summer, and I'm allergic to pollen, but I'm used to it!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Piaorou didn't say anything, but Liu Qing seemed to remember something, and his expression became unpredictable.
Time flies...
Four days later, under the scorching sun, a group of people, dressed in rags, slowly made their way along the official road. Among them, a dark-skinned woman led a girl with a face covered in dust, panting as they walked.
Not far behind them, two small figures followed closely, their faces growing increasingly pale, clearly exhausted.
As noon approached, the sun grew increasingly scorching, and they had been following this group of refugees all day!
Having not eaten for a long time, the water bottle on her body was already empty. The little girl next to her licked her dry lips and looked up at the woman beside her.
"Auntie, how much longer do we have to walk? Yueyue is thirsty."
Upon hearing this, the dark-skinned woman lowered her head and sighed helplessly.
"Sweetie, just bear with it a little longer, we... cough cough!"
Before she could finish speaking, the dryness in her throat made her cough violently, and black stars suddenly appeared before her eyes.
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