By the time the two of them returned to Liuxiang Tavern after a long day, the lights in Chen Xin and Liang Shuyi's rooms had already been turned off. After a quick wash, Tang Chen leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes. Well, he couldn't sleep again today.
Wang Yanzhou didn't know whether it was accidental or intentional, but after sleeping for a while, he got up in the dark and tiptoed to Tang Chen's door. Seeing that the lights were still on and there was still movement, he sighed helplessly and knocked on the door gently: "Are you still awake?"
When Tang Chen heard Wang Yanzhou knocking on the door, he rolled forward and sat up straight. He casually grabbed his clothes and put them on before responding, "...Come in. I haven't slept yet."
Wang Yanzhou couldn't help but feel a little worried when she saw Tang Chen's energetic appearance. Ever since the incident with Black Crow, she hadn't been able to sleep well. If staying up late became a habit, what would happen? "Why, you just got back and you're already using your bed?"
Tang Chen smiled and shook his head: "No, I'm just used to Shuyi sleeping with me, and I can't sleep without her."
Wang Yanzhou knew she was using Liang Shuyi as an excuse, and she didn't want to expose it because she was afraid she would worry. But if she continued like this, she was afraid she would collapse before she found him. "...Don't worry too much, it's bad for your health. You've been sleeping less and less lately."
Tang Chen sighed. She tried very hard to fall asleep, but the moment she closed her eyes, the dead pigeon from Black Crow kept circling before her eyes, as if urging her to find its owner quickly. "Alas, I tried very hard to stop thinking about things, but I just couldn't fall asleep."
Wang Yanzhou looked at the time and thought that the sound of the zither was not loud, so he suggested: "It's not too late now, I will play a piece for you, okay?"
"Um."
Under the hypnotic influence of Wang Yanzhou's melodious and incomprehensible piano music, Tang Chen slowly closed his eyes. The piano music was the only thing in his mind. Not long after, he fell asleep. After making sure that Tang Chen was asleep, Wang Yanzhou stopped what he was doing and carefully put the piano away.
Tang Chen felt as if she had slept for a long time, but when she opened her eyes, the room was still pitch black. Wang Yanzhou was lying beside her, fully clothed, sound asleep. Tang Chen was afraid of waking him up, and she didn't dare to roll around in bed like she usually did when she couldn't sleep. So she quietly got up, put on some clothes, and went out.
The sky outside was gloomy, with no stars or moonlight. Tang Chen, relying on her years of experience and memory, soon reached the kitchen. After scraping together a plate of snacks, Tang Chen carried the food and went up to the roof. When she burped contentedly and was about to go back to rest, the lights in the house came on, but Wang Yanzhou was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey, where did this guy go in the middle of the night?"
As Tang Chen finished speaking, Wang Yanzhou, who was reading a book and waiting for someone, coughed twice in embarrassment: "Ahem."
"You scared me to death in the middle of the night!"
Wang Yanzhou reached out to wipe the sesame seeds off Tang Chen's chin and smiled: "Going out for a midnight snack again?"
Tang Chen touched his slightly bulging belly and nodded happily: "Oh! You are dressed like this, are you going out? It's not even daybreak yet?"
"I have some things to deal with, don't worry about me, just go to bed obediently," Wang Yanzhou said, putting down the book in his hand, stretching, then picking up Tang Chen and throwing him back on the bed.
Tang Chen sat cross-legged on the bed and said with some ill intention: "Why don't I go with you? I can't sleep now."
Wang Yanzhou held his forehead and shook his head, then pushed Tang Chen onto the bed: "...You only slept for an hour or two today, are you trying to cultivate immortality?"
After Tang Chen looked away, he stuck out his tongue at Wang Yanzhou: "Lululu."
Wang Yanzhou lowered his head and said to Tang Chen face to face, "Even if you don't want to sleep, you have to lie down obediently, otherwise I will hit you."
Tang Chen pushed Wang Yanzhou with his hand and closed his eyes impatiently: "I know, I know. Don't turn off the lights when you leave."
"Um."
Wang Yanzhou's footsteps gradually faded. Tang Chen slowly opened her eyes and looked at the gauze curtain above her head. Tears welled up in her eyes for some reason. She admitted that she had been under a lot of pressure recently, but she was not only worried about Hei Ya, but also for herself.
…Black Crow led Xihe downstream along the riverbank. After a few days, they finally spotted human habitation. Under the gaze of the crowd, two ragged, vagrant strangers, emitting a strange smell, hurried into the bank.
After receiving the silver, the two homeless men walked into the most expensive local restaurant in front of everyone's astonishment. The owner saw the two beggars running into his restaurant. Just as he was about to tell the waiter to chase them away, a large bag of silver was placed on the counter.
Black Crow knew he looked incredibly disgusting, and he didn't want to be misunderstood. Seeing the shopkeeper looking at the money bag, wanting to take it but not daring to, he couldn't help but feel anxious. Weren't they bothered by the stench? "Shopkeeper, please prepare some porridge and side dishes in the two upper rooms. And with the remaining money, please prepare two simple sets of clothes and shoes for us."
The shopkeeper looked at the money bag, then at the two beggars in front of him, and took the money bag into his arms, urging: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and boil some water. Please come upstairs, sir!"
After leaving the inn, the two, now free of their dusty clothes, became the focus of everyone's attention once again. They were just down-and-out beggars, but in the blink of an eye, they looked like decent people. Putting aside other things, even though the two were dressed in ordinary clothes, and even though the woman was wearing men's clothing, their looks and temperament stood out from the crowd. It was a pity, seeing the man holding the woman's hand while she had such a dull look in her eyes, that although she was beautiful, she was blind.
Xihe couldn't see, so naturally she didn't know how complicated the looks in other people's eyes were when they looked at her. Because she couldn't see, she was actually very happy and carefree during the whole journey.
Walking on the street, Xihe tilted his head slightly, listening to the hawking sounds, chatting, and the complex footsteps coming from his ears, and couldn't help but sigh: "Xinzhai, there are so many sounds here that I have never heard of!"
Black Crow took her for a slow, swaying stroll to help digest the food while taking in the surroundings: "You'll hear it more often in the future, and maybe you'll start to miss the quiet times of the past."
After thinking for a moment, Xihe shook his head and said, "Probably not for the time being. By the way, where are we going?"
Black Crow looked up at the sky and smiled, "I don't know if it's a coincidence, but this place seems to be my hometown."
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