The old beggar and Qiao Zhuo begged for food together for three years, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were like father and son.
The accident happened the year Qiao Zhuo was found and returned to the palace.
That day was a relatively cool summer day. Qiao Zhuo and the old beggar both liked summer—although they were always smelly and dirty, and covered in sweat, it also meant they didn't have to suffer from the cold.
The two sat by the lake drinking water. The old beggar smiled and patted Qiao Zhuo's head: "Come on, let me wash your face."
Qiao Zhuo sat obediently by the lake, letting the old beggar wipe his face clean. The old beggar's strength was not gentle, and could even be described as somewhat brute force, but Qiao Zhuo felt very comfortable.
The old beggar wiped Qiao Zhuo's face clean, exclaimed "Oh!" and said chuckled, "You're still a good-looking child—you look like a child who was accidentally lost by a wealthy family."
Qiao Zhuo chuckled awkwardly, "I was kicked out."
The old beggar chuckled a few times, and was about to say something more when a procession that looked extremely intimidating arrived at the lakeside, seemingly a noble family on an outing.
The two exchanged a glance, then ran to the side of the road, afraid of blocking the way of these important people.
They had all seen many beggars who were beaten to death in the street for accidentally bumping into "important people".
However, accidents always happen unexpectedly—Qiao Zhuo was still young, and while he was running, he accidentally tripped and fell, unable to get up for a while. The procession of carriages and horses was about to trample over him when the old beggar turned around and saw it. He rushed over and pushed Qiao Zhuo towards the lakeside, but he himself couldn't dodge.
The nobleman who had been offended immediately ordered the old beggar to be beaten to death.
Qiao Zhu knelt on the ground, crying, and kowtowed to the nobleman inside the sedan chair, whose gender was unknown. The person ignored her, but a maid frowned and said, "Alright, he's just a child after all. Give that old geezer thirty strokes of the cane to teach him a lesson."
Qiao Zhuo had no concept of thirty strokes.
But the old beggar knew that thirty strokes of the cane could take half the life of an adult man, let alone his already ailing old bones.
The old beggar was being beaten with a smile. He didn't cry or shout. Occasionally, he would show a pained expression, but then immediately wink at Qiao Zhuo, so Qiao Zhuo genuinely believed that he was alright.
The old beggar left that night, lying at the foot of the Buddha statue, constantly crying out, "It's cold."
Qiao Zhuo cried as she hugged him, trying to make the old beggar feel better with her body heat.
The old beggar's last words to Qiao Zhuo were, "It's cold, but you'll feel better after a nap, remember? I'm going to sleep now. Once I'm asleep, I won't be cold anymore..."
It was a summer.
Qiao Zhuo still remembers that hot, sweaty summer.
He didn't know how long he had been kneeling before the old beggar's corpse, but soon the "benefactor" who had killed the old beggar arrived.
It was the same maid who had ordered the thirty strokes of the cane. Pointing to Qiao Zhuo's face, which the old beggar had washed clean, she exclaimed to her mistress with delight, "My lady, look! I didn't lie to you! He really does look about 80 percent like that person!"
Later, they were taken back to the palace for a blood test to confirm their kinship.
Later, he changed his name, was registered on the imperial genealogy, and was recognized as a member of his ancestral clan.
He acquired many, many fine silver charcoal briquettes, many fine clothes and garments, and could eat hundreds of different dishes every day.
However, he still misses the days when he and the old beggar would squat behind the Buddha statue and share a steamed bun.
I will always remember what the old beggar said, "It's cold, but a good night's sleep will make you feel better."
From then on, Qiao Zhuo developed a habit—when she was cold or sad, a good night's sleep would make her feel better.
...
Qiao Yu was the kindest person to the old beggar after he died.
He is also his biological brother.
The smell of medicine lingered in Qiao Xiuyu's dreams, haunting him relentlessly.
...
After taking a shower, Shang Shaoyan tiptoed into Qiao Xiuyu's room.
She hadn't seen Qiao Xiuyu in a long time, and she admitted that she missed him a little.
Shang Shaoyan sat by Qiao Xiuyu's bedside, carefully observing his eyebrows and eyes. Suddenly, she noticed that there were tears on Qiao Xiuyu's long eyelashes.
She felt a pang of heartache and gently lay down on the small couch beside the bed, then took Qiao Xiuyu's hand.
At this moment, Qiao Xiuyu mumbled in his sleep, "Just take a nap, and I'll be fine after a nap..."
The voice sounded somewhat hesitant and confused, as if trying to persuade someone.
Upon hearing this, Shang Shaoyan felt a sharp pain in her heart for some reason. She looked up at Qiao Xiuyu, and a few tears that had been hanging on her eyelashes rolled down and soaked into the pillow, staining it a deep red before disappearing.
Seeing that he was sleeping restlessly, Shang Shaoyan thought for a moment, gently patted his arm, and then said softly, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm here."
“An’an is here.”
These words seemed to work on Qiao Xiuyu. He immediately relaxed his brows, then curved his lips into a smile, grasped Shang Shaoyan's hand, and murmured, "An'an... An'an is here. It's good that you're here. An'an, don't sleep, An'an, don't sleep."
Shang Shaoyan didn't know why he told her not to sleep, but she still coaxed him, "Be good, An'an won't sleep. An'an will just watch Qilang like this."
...
When Qiao Xiuyu woke up, Shang Shaoyan was already asleep. She held Qiao Xiuyu's hand tightly, her brows furrowed, as if she was also troubled by many things in her dream.
Qiao Xiuyu had forgotten what he had dreamed about. He thought for a moment, then raised his hand to smooth out Shang Shaoyan's brows, which immediately woke Shang Shaoyan up.
She yawned, then smiled at her beloved husband before her: "Seventh Master, you're awake?"
Upon hearing the name "Qilang," Qiao Xiuyu blushed slightly and nodded gently, "I just woke up. Did I disturb you?"
Shang Shaoyan got up from the couch, climbed onto Qiao Xiuyu's bed, and then threw himself into his arms: "You didn't disturb me. But I want to hug you."
Qiao Xiuyu was stunned for a moment, then laughed and hugged the girl in his arms tighter: "Why do you want to hug me?"
Shang Shaoyan raised his face, thought about it seriously, and said, "I miss you. I miss you every day."
After saying this, Shang Shaoyan laughed first. Looking at Qiao Xiuyu's slightly flushed face, she thought he was too cute and couldn't help but lean in and kiss him on the cheek. Then she smiled with her eyes narrowed like a cat.
Qiao Xiuyu, contrary to her previous shyness, raised an eyebrow, leaned close to Shang Shaoyan's lips, and then gently bit them, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied.
He murmured, "If you're going to kiss, then kiss properly. What was that just now?"
Now it was Shang Shaoyan's turn to blush. She said coquettishly, with a mixture of shyness and anger, "How have you become so reckless?"
Qiao Xiuyu smiled and touched Shang Shaoyan's forehead with the tip of her nose: "Because it's you, I dare not be frivolous or negligent; but also because it's you, I want to be frivolous and negligent."
Shang Shaoyan had to admit that he was charmed by Qiao Xiuyu's words.
She smiled and touched her lips, her phoenix eyes brimming with tears: "Then..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qiao Xiuyu kissed him.
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