Although Mu Ruoyan did not step into Lin Zhihao's courtyard again, she promised that she would send someone to take good care of Lin Zhihao so that Lin Xihe could rest assured.
Lin Xihe returned alone, and as soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Gu Qinghuai standing there quietly.
Her expression was complicated, but she offered no explanation, simply saying in a low voice, "Tomorrow, we'll return to Dahao."
Gu Qinghuai looked at her, hesitated, and finally just nodded silently.
The next morning, there was no sign of the carriage outside the courtyard.
A young man with an unfamiliar face, leading two sturdy horses and carrying a bundle, walked straight up to Lin Xihe and respectfully handed her the bundle, which Mu Ruoyan had prepared for her.
Lin Xihe held back her tears and bid a reluctant farewell to Lin Zhihao.
She knew in her heart that she had to leave as soon as possible. Mu Ruoyan was so reluctant to let her go, and so forceful. It was already a rare privilege that she was allowed to leave. She could not miss this precious opportunity.
Although there were two horses, Lin Xihe was not good at riding, so in the end the two of them only rode one away.
They traveled non-stop, heading straight for Qingjiang.
Surprisingly, the entire process went without any danger, almost unbelievably smoothly.
Three days later, they successfully entered the territory of Da Hao.
After returning to Dahao, in order to avoid being noticed, the two disguised themselves, spent some money, and infiltrated a merchant caravan.
They carefully concealed their presence within the caravan, moving slowly forward with the group.
Half a month later, when they were still five days away from the capital, Gu Qinghuai and Lin Xihe quietly left the caravan and eventually arrived in Yunxiu City.
"This is the house I bought before."
Gu Qinghuai walked smoothly to the stone lion at the entrance, reached under its belly, and soon found the key to open the door.
He led Lin Xihe into a courtyard with three entrances and three exits. The courtyard was quiet and peaceful, exuding an ancient atmosphere.
Why is it so clean?
Lin Xihe was full of doubts. Normally, a house that has been uninhabited for a long time should be covered in dust.
“The nanny who took care of me when I was a child lives next door. She left the capital a long time ago and lives here. No one will pay attention to her, so we are safe here,” Gu Qinghuai explained patiently.
Lin Xihe nodded slightly. The emperor of Dahao had already laid an ambush. If they were to return quietly, they would be walking into a trap. If they wanted to return to the capital, they had to do so with great fanfare.
Before that, Gu Qinghuai needed to contact the court officials who were on good terms with him and make thorough preparations in advance.
Lin Xihe strolled slowly, carefully examining the courtyard. She thought that this old woman must be a diligent and meticulous person. Although there were no signs of life here, every place was spotless.
Gu Qinghuai then climbed over the wall to the next house, found the old woman, and asked her son to buy a lot of vegetables, as well as writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, and send them over.
In the room, Gu Qinghuai sat at the table, with plain white Xuan paper spread out in front of him. His brush was dipped in thick ink, and he was writing a letter with complete concentration.
Seeing him busy, Lin Xihe quietly got up, left the house, and went straight to the kitchen.
She had lived alone for a period of time, so cooking was not difficult for her.
In her view, cooking a simple home-cooked meal for each other in this unfamiliar place could soothe the fatigue of the journey.
Gu Qinghuai was engrossed in the letter, and after a while, Lin Xihe did not return.
He put down his brush, got up, and went out to look for it.
Hearing the noise, Gu Qinghuai silently walked to the kitchen.
Lin Xihe, who was chopping vegetables, heard the noise, looked up and saw him, and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you here? Have you finished writing the letter?"
"I haven't seen you yet, and I felt uneasy, so I came out to check. Let me start a fire."
Looking at the busy Lin Xihe in front of him, Gu Qinghuai felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
The pent-up repression and pain that had been building up in his heart for so long seemed to be quietly drawn away at this moment, making him cherish the tranquility of the moment.
His gaze remained fixed on Lin Xihe, and a thought even flashed through his mind: living a peaceful life like this seems quite nice.
But reality is like a cold sword, instantly shattering this beautiful fantasy.
How could the emperor let him off so easily? He couldn't pretend that the blood feud with the Lin family had never happened.
"You haven't tried my cooking before, have you? Don't get your hopes up too high. I can only cook the vegetables properly." Lin Xihe held up a kitchen knife, looked up and smiled, her eyes crinkling with a playful expression. Then she lowered her head and began to carefully chop the vegetables in her hands.
"It's alright, you don't actually need to cook yourself. Granny said she'll do it," Gu Qinghuai said softly, his tone full of doting affection.
"I'll be staying here for half a month, so cooking can help pass the time."
"Okay, from now on, just call me when you're cooking, and I'll help you start the fire. Otherwise, I'll feel embarrassed to eat too much and enjoy your cooking for nothing."
Gu Qinghuai's smile deepened. His heart and eyes were filled with Lin Xihe, and he wished he could be with her every minute and every second, unwilling to be separated for even a moment.
This day marked a long and hard-won period of peace for the two of them after a long period of hard work.
The aroma of food filled the kitchen, warming the entire space. They sat around the table, enjoying this comforting meal, savoring a brief moment of peace and happiness.
After dinner, the gentle glow of the setting sun spilled into the courtyard, draping the entire space in a warm yellow veil.
Lin Xihe and Gu Qinghuai strolled slowly in the courtyard to digest their food and relieve their fatigue.
The two walked side by side, their footsteps echoing softly on the stone path.
Unwittingly, Lin Xihe's gaze was drawn to a tall apricot tree in the backyard.
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