From that day on, the atmosphere in the cabin became particularly heavy.
Chu Qingluan began to become silent and often stared out the window in a daze, or hugged the two children, caressing their little faces lovingly over and over again.
At night, she would occasionally wake up, muttering things like "Father" and "No".
Every time at this time, Chu Hong would silently stay by her side, comfort her, and cover her with a blanket, but he would always leave before she woke up.
During the day, Chu Hong took better care of her and the children. He cooked nourishing soups in various ways, helped the two children to sleep, and personally carved a lot of wood sculptures and toys, including rattles, for the two children.
He has been guarding this stolen time in the most clumsy way.
Soon, ten days passed in a flash.
On this day, the child was just one month old, and it was also the time for Chu Qingluan to come out of confinement.
Early in the morning, before daybreak, she took the initiative to change the two children into the red bellybands newly made by Aunt Li, and wrapped them in thick cotton cloaks.
Chu Hong had already cleaned the hut thoroughly. Before leaving, he looked back reluctantly at the hut where he had lived for several months. Every corner of the hut was filled with traces of the two of them getting along together.
In the yard, there is a lounge chair that he made for Chu Qingluan. He made it specially for her because he was afraid that Chu Qingluan would have back pain after sitting for a long time. There are also a few withered grape vines wrapped around the swing frame, which were planted by him in the summer.
But now, it’s too late to wait for the grapes to ripen.
There was also a chipped coarse porcelain bowl on the windowsill. It was accidentally broken when he fed his child for the first time. At that time, Chu Qingluan smiled and said, "May you be safe every year." Later, he was reluctant to throw it away.
Chu Hong looked at all this deeply, and his heart seemed to be blocked by something, making him feel suffocated and anxious.
Every inch of land and every object here carries his memories and hides his cautious thoughts.
"Chu Hong, it's time to go!" Chu Qingluan's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Chu Hong took a deep breath, suppressed the reluctance in his heart, turned to look at Chu Qingluan, and forced a smile, "I'm here."
He carried his bag, holding the baby boy in his arms, and said, "I've already said goodbye to Aunt Li and the old doctor."
Chu Qingluan was slightly stunned.
She didn't expect Chu Hong to be so thoughtful.
On the way out of the village, Aunt Li was already waiting there, carrying a large bag of dry food and two bottles of goat milk.
Aunt Li's eyes were red as she warned, "Be careful on the road, don't take the official road..."
The old doctor also came at this time and handed a bag of herbs to Chu Qingluan: "This is a prescription for calming the mind. Don't worry too much."
Finally, he looked at Chu Hong meaningfully and said, "Sir... take care."
Chu Hong's eyes flashed, and he saluted the old doctor solemnly and said goodbye.
The two had a bumpy journey and finally arrived in Mo City before sunset.
The city was more prosperous than they had imagined, but there were several times more soldiers patrolling the streets than usual, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it made people feel breathless.
Chu Hong silently carried his bag and held his child, looking at the streets, shops and pedestrians seemingly casually, but in fact he was instinctively alert, taking in the surrounding environment.
Chu Qingluan found a relatively quiet inn and booked a room upstairs. The waiter led them in and brought them hot water and a simple meal.
In the room, the candlelight flickered. The child had fallen asleep after drinking warm goat milk and was carefully placed on the inside of the bed.
Chu Hong was carefully checking whether the doors, windows and latches were closed. His profile was clearly outlined in the candlelight.
His eyes were full of concentration and wisdom, and Chu Qingluan vaguely felt that the Chu Hong before he lost his memory had returned.
"Chu Hong."
"Sit down, I have something to tell you."
Chu Hong paused after hearing this, turned around and sat down at the table, his eyes filled with just the right amount of doubt.
Only the hand hidden under the sleeve had its knuckles slightly curled up, showing a hint of tension.
Chu Qingluan looked straight into his eyes and said word by word:
"Chu Hong, there are some things I must tell you now."
"Actually, you and I are not ordinary villagers." Chu Qingluan locked her eyes with him. "You are the wise prince of Great Chu, Chu Hong, and I am the crown princess of Great Chu, Chu Qingluan."
When she said this, her eyes were fixed on Chu Hong's face, carefully observing his reaction.
Chu Hong's face showed great shock and confusion, his pupils shrank slightly, as if he could not digest such horrifying news.
His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Chu Qingluan continued, "Before, I was ordered to go to Daqin to discuss a marriage between our two countries, and you were ordered to escort me back. Unexpectedly, we were ambushed by elite assassins on the way. Our people fought desperately, but in the end, you and I fell into the Canglan River. We luckily survived and ended up here."
She paused and looked into Chu Hong's eyes: "I'm sorry for making you suffer these days."
Chu Qingluan felt sorry from the bottom of her heart.
Chu Hong was silent for a moment, as if digesting the news.
After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with confusion: "So, we are members of the royal family?"
"yes!"
"The situation in Beijing is currently unclear, and the identity of the ambushers is unknown, but their goal is clearly to take my life and disrupt the peace talks between the two countries."
Her tone grew heavier. "Therefore, we must return to Beijing secretly as soon as possible to expose the conspiracy and prevent anyone from seizing the opportunity to start a war. Otherwise, the people of both countries will suffer."
"So, the journey ahead will probably be very dangerous. You and I have special identities, and we have no tokens to keep. Gaining the trust of local officials or even military commanders will be a difficult task. If we're not careful, we'll be caught in a trap. Not to mention... there's a child..."
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