She fell asleep and dreamed of things from long ago.
That happened when they moved.
With such a large family, moving to such a distant place was truly difficult, but it was a last resort.
That afternoon, the family carriage slowly made its way to Cicheng, arriving only after the sun had completely set.
Cicheng is the closest city to the capital, and also the most prosperous place outside of the capital.
I've heard that the prefect here is extremely capable, governing Cicheng in an orderly manner. Some people have even praised him, saying, "Without Prefect Qin, where would Cicheng be today?"
This means that without the governance of Prefect Qin, how could Cicheng be so peaceful and prosperous today? It is clear that he was indeed very beloved by the people.
Yes, the Prefect of Cicheng was surnamed Qin, and he was the younger brother of Prime Minister Qin.
As they traveled this far, darkness fell, and they had no choice but to find a place to stay. When Prefect Qin heard of this, he immediately arranged lodging for them and came to greet them personally.
A handsome young man was also with him.
Cai Yueshi hid behind her father, staring at him with a charming gaze, which made him look at her as well. When their eyes met, they were both taken aback.
It was the other person who broke the awkward silence first, with a gentle smile, "My name is Qin Ci, courtesy name Huaiyan. I greet you, young lady."
Cai Yueshi gave a soft "hmm" and had no choice but to step out from behind her father and give a greeting, "Cai Yueshi, courtesy name Qinling, greets young master."
Perhaps the elders had something to say, so they asked Qin Huaiyan to show them around Cicheng, accompanied by his younger brother Cai Fengyin.
Cai Fengyin was always very outgoing, and in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had already put his arm around Qin Huaiyan's shoulder and was calling him brother.
Cai Fengyin hooked his arm around Qin Huaiyan's shoulder on his left, while Cai Yueshi, standing to his right, frowned as she watched. She said in a low voice, "Xunzhi, walk properly. You've made Young Master Qin unsteady on his feet."
At this point, Cai Fengyin was still relatively obedient to her. Upon hearing her say that, he withdrew his hand and said, "Oh..."
Qin Huaiyan was finally freed from his arm and could catch her breath. Her flushed face gradually calmed down.
"Thank you, young lady," he said with a gentle smile.
Perhaps it was the moonlight, but Cai Yueshi suddenly felt a little hot. Her gaze was fixed on the ground, not on him. "My younger brother is unruly and has caused you, young master, to suffer."
“You flatter me, Miss. I greatly admire Brother Cai’s frankness and straightforwardness,” he said gently.
Upon hearing this, Cai Fengyin realized that the person was praising his good nature, and immediately beamed with joy as he walked around Qin Huaiyan and squeezed between the two.
"Sister, even Young Master Qin said I have a good temper, so you don't need to undermine me anymore, right?"
Seeing his grinning face, Cai Yueshi pursed her lips and remained silent. However, the distance between them still stirred a slight ripple in her heart.
According to the arrangement of the Prefect of Qin, the collateral branches of the Cai family stayed at the inn, while the direct descendants stayed at the Prefect's residence.
Coincidentally, Cai Yueshi's room was right next to Qin Huaiyan's, while Cai Fengyin lived in another courtyard.
He escorted her to her room. "Now that you've arrived, please rest well. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow. I'll take my leave now."
After saying that, he turned to leave. Cai Yueshi felt a pang of reluctance for no reason, and she subconsciously called out to him, "Young Master Qin."
"Hmm?" Qin Huaiyan stopped and turned around to look at her with a puzzled expression. "Is there something you need, Miss?"
"..." Cai Yueshi was speechless for a moment. There was nothing wrong; she just wanted to call him. Cai Yueshi lowered her head. "I...can I call you Huaiyan?"
Qin Huaiyan was taken aback, then smiled gently. He moved closer to her, "If you like it, of course you can."
“Hmm…you can also call me Qinling.” Under his gentle gaze, Cai Yueshi’s face actually felt a little hot. She suppressed the excitement in her heart and whispered, “Then go to sleep early…Huaiyan.”
Qin Huaiyan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll leave after Qinling goes inside."
Cai Yueshi didn't say anything more, turned around and went into the house, then closed the door and leaned tightly against it.
Holding that position, Cai Yueshi waited for quite a while, but heard no sound from outside. Somewhat disappointed, she stood up, only to hear a gentle voice enter her ear—
"Qinling, go to sleep early, I'm leaving."
Cai Yueshi's heart suddenly started pounding, as if something inside her had collapsed.
The next day they were to leave, and Prefect Qin personally came to see them off. Seeing him all alone, without the figure from yesterday by his side, Cai Yueshi felt a strange feeling in her heart.
It felt like a sense of loss, and also like a bittersweet feeling.
...
"Knock knock knock—"
A light tap woke Cai Yueshi from her reverie. She hadn't expected to fall asleep. Feeling a little tired, she rubbed her temples. "Li'er, what's wrong?"
The knocking sound just now was from Pear. She lifted the curtain and poked her head in. "Miss, it's getting dark. Should we continue on our way?"
"Where are we?" Cai Yueshi asked.
"Replying to Miss, we have just arrived in Cicheng."
“Okay.” Cai Yueshi sat up straight. “Let’s stop here. Let’s rest for the night and leave tomorrow.”
With Li'er's help, she got off the carriage, intending to find an inn to stay the night. However, she was stopped by several soldiers with knives after taking only a few steps.
"Miss Qinling, my master invites you."
Before Cai Yueshi could react, Li'er blocked her way. She spread her arms to shield her behind her, saying, "Who are you? And who is your master? Why should he invite my young lady and she have to go?"
"Please rest assured, young lady. My master is the Prefect of Cicheng. He only sent us here to invite you to rest at the Prefect's residence and to ensure your safety."
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