For Xiao Che, this night was even longer than three sleepless nights spent reviewing memorials in the imperial study.
As the first hint of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, he sprang up almost instantly from the kang (heated brick bed) that had tormented his soul, his movements so swift it was as if a tiger was chasing him.
He had dark circles under his eyes comparable to those of a panda in a palace, his face was haggard, his eyes were unfocused, and he exuded a philosophical aura of "Who am I, where am I, and why am I going through all this?"
Lin Wanwan slept quite well. After all, she was a modern-day corporate slave who had experienced the torment of the 996 work culture. She had endured dozens of hours of hard-seat travel on a green-skinned train during her university years, so this situation was nothing to her.
Looking at Xiao Che's miserable state after being ravaged all night, she suppressed a laugh and handed him a water pouch.
"Your Majesty, would you like to rinse your mouth?"
Xiao Che mechanically took the water bag, walked outside, looked at the shockingly crude open-air well in the courtyard, and fell silent.
In the end, he made a resolute decision, like a warrior cutting off his own arm, and completed his first time washing in a non-golden basin or jade vessel.
"Let's go."
This was the first thing he said this morning. His voice was hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.
He didn't want to stay in this godforsaken place called "Howling Wolves" for another second.
The two didn't even have breakfast before hastily hitching up their carriage and escaping the post station that had caused them so much "culture shock," and embarking on their journey north again.
However, they soon discovered that the hardships of sleeping in the dormitory the previous night were merely an appetizer in this northern survival challenge.
After the carriage left the post station, the official road became increasingly desolate. On both sides of the road, the rolling loess slopes were gradually replaced by an endless expanse of Gobi Desert. Between heaven and earth, there was only a vast expanse of desolation, and apart from the occasional eagle soaring by and a few clumps of tenacious camel thorn, there was no other sign of life to be seen.
They were like traveling through a vast but monotonous painting, with no village in sight and no shop in sight.
At first, Xiao Che felt a sense of relief at surviving the ordeal and enjoyed the "quiet" space that was just the two of them in the carriage. But as time went by, the sun rose higher and higher, the carriage became hot and stuffy, and their provisions and water were quickly running out.
In the afternoon, when Lin Wanwan unscrewed the last water pouch and only poured out a few drops of water, a serious problem was placed before the two emperors and empresses who had "run away from home".
They got lost.
Moreover, they ran out of food and water.
"Gurgle..."
A very clear sound came from inside Xiao Che's stomach.
For the first time, his noble dragon body protested against him with a cry of "hunger."
Xiao Che's face instantly turned red.
As the supreme ruler, he was used to the finest food and the most exquisite dishes. He had never experienced the feeling of his stomach being completely empty, as if countless tiny hands were scratching at it.
Lin Wanwan, seeing his embarrassed state, was much calmer than him. She lifted the carriage curtain and carefully observed the surrounding environment. Her sharp eyes, honed in palace intrigue, were now flashing with the wisdom of wilderness survival.
"Stop the car," she said to the driver.
The carriage stopped, and Lin Wanwan jumped down.
"Where are you going?" Xiao Che asked somewhat uneasily.
"Looking for something to eat," Lin Wanwan replied simply.
To Xiao Che's astonishment, he saw the once-reigning empress, now acting like an experienced hunter, rolling up her sleeves and beginning to search the Gobi Desert.
Xiao Che sat in the car, watching her petite figure traverse the wilderness, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He, the dignified ruler of a nation, now had to rely on his empress to forage for food in the wilderness.
If this gets out, will Xiao Che still have any face left?
However, the increasingly intense hunger in his stomach ruthlessly reminded him that pride is worthless in the face of survival.
While Xiao Che was engaged in a fierce internal struggle, Lin Wanwan had already made her progress.
With the meager outdoor adventure knowledge she had learned during her company's team building activities years ago, along with some plant identification skills she had read about in books, she actually managed to find an edible plant root in a patch of sand.
Then, her luck seemed to turn around. Behind a bush, she spotted a plump wild rabbit dozing off!
At that moment, Lin Wanwan felt like she was possessed by Bear Grylls!
She didn't make a sound, but quietly picked up a stone and, with all her might, threw it accurately.
With a muffled thud, the wild rabbit, still drooling in its sleep, didn't even have time to utter a sound before gloriously sacrificing its life for the Emperor and Empress's lunch.
When Lin Wanwan returned to the carriage carrying the still slightly twitching rabbit, Xiao Che and the coachman were dumbfounded.
They looked at the petite woman before them, her face still dusty, yet carrying a "weapon" in her hand, with eyes filled with awe.
"Wan...wanwan, you..." Xiao Che stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Lin Wanwan proudly waved the rabbit in her hand and laughed, "How about it? Tonight, we'll have an extra treat!"
Next, Lin Wanwan began to give instructions methodically. She told the driver to gather dry shrubs for firewood, while she herself skillfully... well, not really skillfully, but at least bravely, dealt with the rabbit.
Xiao Che stood aside, watching Lin Wanwan frantically skin and gut the rabbit. The bloody scene made his stomach churn.
However, when he saw Lin Wanwan's focused and serious profile, and the fine beads of sweat on her forehead, the discomfort he felt was instantly replaced by an indescribable complex emotion.
There was heartache, there was guilt, but more than anything, there was an unprecedented feeling of being deeply moved.
He, the emperor who once demanded that even steamed buns be tested for poison and complained about the uncleanliness of the bowls and chopsticks in inns, was now quietly watching his empress working hard for their survival.
He slowly walked forward and took the rabbit, which had been almost completely processed, from Lin Wanwan's hands.
"I'll do it." His voice was a little hoarse.
Lin Wanwan looked at him in surprise.
Xiao Che, the emperor who never lifted a finger, was now clumsily imitating her, skewering rabbits on sticks and placing them over the burning campfire to slowly roast them.
The firelight illuminated his handsome face and his eyes, which had lost all imperial majesty and were now filled with gentleness and focus.
There was no royal chef, no seasonings, not even salt.
As the rabbit meat was roasted over the flames, it quickly released a primal meaty aroma.
However, due to poor technique and failure to control the heat properly, the rabbit's skin quickly became charred black.
However, in Xiao Che's eyes, this rabbit, roasted like a piece of charcoal, was more tempting than any of the delicacies in the imperial kitchen.
When the rabbit meat was finally cooked, Xiao Che did not wait for others to serve him as usual.
He took the initiative to use his dagger to tear off the rabbit leg that looked the most tender and cleanest, carefully blew on it, and then handed it to Lin Wanwan.
"You eat first," he said.
Lin Wanwan looked at the rabbit leg he handed her, then at his face, which was blackened by the smoke, and her eyes suddenly felt hot.
At this moment, he was not the emperor on high, and she was not the empress who needed to be careful with her words and actions.
They were just an ordinary couple who supported each other through thick and thin in their difficult times.
She took the rabbit leg and took a bite.
It had no taste, and even tasted somewhat burnt and bitter.
But she felt that it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life.
Seeing that she had eaten, Xiao Che tore off another charred rabbit leg and began to gnaw on it without hesitation.
The way he wolfed down his food showed no trace of imperial demeanor.
As he gnawed on the charred rabbit leg, he mumbled something to Lin Wanwan:
"Mmm...it smells so good! Much better than...better than the roast meat from the imperial kitchen!"
Looking at his insincere act of putting on a brave face, Lin Wanwan couldn't help but laugh.
She secretly glanced at the top of his head.
Sure enough, against the backdrop of the sky dyed red by the setting sun, a pixelated figure was hugging a black stick, looking miserable, and gnawing on it.
Beside him, a line of large, glowing green characters floated out with perfect clarity—
[I'm starving.gif]
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