"It can't be found."
Huo Mingchen took a deep breath and said the cruelest words: "I've searched everywhere I could. This place is so vast, you can't find anyone who wants to hide."
"No, I don't believe it!"
Cheng Shanshan's body trembled uncontrollably.
Then, with tears welling up in her eyes, she said, "My mother won't abandon me!" After saying that, she still tried to rush out.
Seeing her like this, Huo Mingchen simply pulled her into his arms: "Aunt Bai left because she didn't want to be a burden to you. If something happens to you in this out-of-control state, then all her efforts will have been in vain."
"..."
Cheng Shanshan stared wide-eyed.
Her mind was filled with Bai's recent words: "Does my mother see me as a burden? Does she want me to leave with someone else? Does she think that's good for me?"
"Why should she make her own decisions? Why should she be able to die for me whenever she wants, or leave me whenever she wants?"
"Why didn't she ask if this was what I wanted?!"
Huo Mingchen couldn't answer her questions, so he could only hold her tighter: "Don't worry, I will help you find Aunt Bai, but you must calm down before that."
"Let me go!"
Cheng Shanshan reached the breaking point, repeatedly punching Huo Mingchen's chest: "I need to find my mother, she'll get into trouble if she's out there alone!"
She finally had a mother in this lifetime, and finally experienced the long-lost warmth. No matter how hard or tiring life was, she was willing to endure it.
All she needs is a relative!
With her mother around, she felt truly alive in this chaotic world, instead of giving up the struggle...
Why!
Why do this!
Huo Mingchen neither dodged nor blocked her punches, his voice remaining as gentle as ever: "The fact that Aunt Bai was able to leave on her own means that she is stronger than you think."
These words made Cheng Shanshan quickly wipe away her tears, but her eyes were still red: "So, my mother will be alright, right?"
"right."
A single word: resolute.
It was like a reassurance to her.
At this moment, she knew she had to quickly adjust her mindset in order to find the Bai family more quickly.
After thinking it over carefully, she asked Huo Mingchen again, "Did my mother go east?"
"That's probably it. After all, Aunt Bai decided to leave because she saw everyone else had left and thought you would suffer if you stayed for her sake, so she left first." Huo Mingchen explained the reason to him in detail, his tone completely devoid of the coldness he showed to others, instead revealing an indescribable gentleness.
Cheng Shanshan took a deep breath: "Okay, let's go east then." After saying that, she didn't linger and immediately set off on the road heading east.
After two days of continuous searching and traveling, her body was clearly exhausted. Seeing this, Huo Mingchen forcibly pressed her to the ground to rest: "You can't walk anymore, otherwise you'll collapse before we even find Aunt Bai. Wouldn't Aunt Bai be heartbroken if she saw that?"
Cheng Shanshan didn't speak or resist.
He just looked down at the fire in front of him, looking like a puppet.
After a long silence, she suddenly looked up, her expression returning to its usual radiance: "Brother Huo is right, I need to take good care of myself."
Huo Mingchen took out a corn pancake: "Then eat something. This was made for you by Aunt Bai."
Cheng Shanshan took the corn pancake and couldn't help but sigh: "So, my mother had made preparations long ago, and even made me some dry food for the journey."
"Um."
Huo Mingchen responded.
Worried that Cheng Shanshan might get thirsty after eating, they handed her a bag of water.
After Cheng Shanshan finished eating, she drank all the water in the bag in one go. This time, she looked at Huo Mingchen and said, "Okay, Brother Huo, I'm fine now. You don't need to worry about me. Go and do your thing."
Huo Mingchen's company these past two days has given her support, but she also knows that all good things must come to an end.
Huo Mingchen looked at him and said, "Aren't you starting to think you're going to discard me after I've served my purpose?"
"...cough cough."
Cheng Shanshan blushed slightly: "Brother Huo is not a donkey, but my... benefactor."
Huo Mingchen raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Just an important person?"
"..."
Cheng Shanshan was speechless.
However, Huo Mingchen didn't seem to expect her to answer, and continued, "You're heading east, and I happen to be heading this way, so don't overthink it. I'm just going that way."
That's really great.
Cheng Shanshan leaned against a large tree, gazing at the gloomy sky, and then murmured in a very soft voice, "Mother, wait for me." After saying that, she closed her eyes and gradually drifted off to sleep.
Seeing that Cheng Shanshan's brows were still furrowed even in her sleep, Huo Mingchen couldn't help but reach out and smooth them out: "Since Aunt Bai has promised you to me as her wife, I will definitely protect you."
The night was quiet and cool as water.
A breeze swept by, carrying a hint of sweetness in the air...
When Cheng Shanshan woke up, the sun was already shining brightly.
Huo Mingchen handed her the freshly grilled fish: "You really know how to time things; the fish just woke up perfectly."
Cheng Shanshan looked at the fish, which was roasted to a golden brown, and was full of surprise: "You can actually catch fish?" During the flood, the only food people had was fish that came down from upstream.
Hundreds of villagers would soak in it every day to catch all sorts of fish, from big fish to small fish, and eventually even shrimp were caught to extinction.
Huo Mingchen handed her the stick with the fish stuck in it: "You always say I'm an all-rounder, catching a fish is obviously very easy for me."
"Brother Huo is awesome!"
Cheng Shanshan took a bite, and her eyes crinkled with satisfaction as she smiled.
Seeing that she was gradually regaining her usual demeanor, Huo Mingchen couldn't help but smile slightly: "After we finish eating, let's continue on our way. If we hurry, we should be able to catch up with those people in two days."
"good."
Cheng Shanshan nodded.
The two of them set off very quickly.
They chased and searched all the way until they finally saw Bai Jingquan's team ahead.
However, their arrival was clearly unwelcome, especially when Cheng Xiulan saw them, she was so angry that she gritted her teeth: "Hey, why aren't you two hiding in the cave? What are you doing following us, a bunch of stray dogs?"
"Mother, please stop talking."
Cheng Wan'er immediately reached out and tugged at Cheng Xiulan's sleeve, then turned her gaze to Huo Mingchen, her expression full of shyness and reserve.
Cheng Shanshan ignored them and quickly searched the group. After finding nothing, she found Bai Jingquan and asked, "Magistrate, have you seen my mother, Bai Shi?"
"The Bai family?"
Bai Jingquan glanced around.
Then he had Wang Chao bring him the list he had written: "This person is not in it."
"..."
Cheng Shanshan clenched her fists.
Just as she was about to continue speaking, she suddenly heard someone behind her shout, "Isn't this the young lady of the Chu family!"
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