The armies of Da Liang withdrew from the Southern Territory, but the people of Da Liang searched for someone, practically turning the entire forbidden area upside down, scouring the Southern Territory, yet there was no sign.
They had been staying at the post station for several days, and the envoy for marriage had no choice but to wait.
Inside the room.
Ye Luan lay on the bed, gazing at the snow outside through the small window, her heart sinking slightly.
When Xiao Chi Zhan entered with the medicine bowl, he saw her troubled expression.
"Luan Luan."
He walked over gently, bowed his head, and kissed her forehead.
Seeing him, Ye Luan immediately came back to her senses and asked anxiously, "Any news?"
Xiao Chi Zhan sat by the bed, holding the medicine and feeding it to her.
"Still searching, no trace."
They had been dredging the Wang Chuan River for days, but hadn't seen a single figure. The water was turbid, yet bottomless. Tens of thousands of soldiers had gone down to search, but there wasn't even a clue.
Ye Luan knew he was upset and comforted him, "As long as the remains are not found, there is still hope of survival."
"Mmm, drink your medicine."
He personally fed her spoonful by spoonful.
Ye Luan said, "Below the cliff is a rushing river and sea. If Li Qiong Yu knows how to swim, he should have been carried by the current to an unknown destination. You can follow the tracks of animals along the riverbank to search."
"Mmm," Xiao Chi Zhan said, "Does your wound still hurt?"
Ye Luan had been recovering for several days and was much better.
She impatiently drank spoonful by spoonful, directly snatched the bowl, and downed the medicine in one gulp.
"There, done."
Xiao Chi Zhan had been busy for several consecutive days, his eyes filled with exhaustion and bloodshot.
Ye Luan saw how tired he was and said, "Come up and rest for a while."
Xiao Chi Zhan put down the bowl, took off his outer robe, and got onto the bed, embracing her.
She was wearing only a plain gauze robe, as thin as cicada wings. Held in his arms, she pressed tightly against his body.
Ye Luan listened to his heartbeat, feeling inexplicably at ease.
Outside the window, the snow was melting, and the cool moonlight shone into the room, where the lamplight was warm.
In the dimly lit tent, the air was filled with the faint medicinal scent from her body.
Xiao Chi Zhan smelled the fragrance of her hair, lowered his eyelids, and looked at her clean little face. He couldn't help but reach out, lift her chin, and lean down, their lips and teeth entwined.
They hadn't seen each other for a long time. After returning, she was injured, he was busy with military affairs, and he had been looking for the whereabouts of those few people, all while taking care of her, almost without a moment's rest.
Now, finally having a moment of peace, he couldn't resist wanting to be close to her.
Ye Luan missed him dearly too, wanting only to be tightly pressed against him. She reached out, hugged his neck, and passionately kissed him.
"Luan Luan, we'll get married when we get back."
Ye Luan tilted her head to kiss him, looking at his alluring red pupils, and nodded, "Mmm."
Xiao Chi Zhan bit her lip, his voice ringing in her ear, low and hoarse.
"You saved him on purpose that day."
Hearing his words, Ye Luan's heart skipped a beat, and she retorted, "How could that be? I was afraid you would die."
Xiao Chi Zhan looked up, cupped her cheeks, and his expression turned serious.
Ye Luan pursed her lips slightly, "I didn't want to see you both suffer losses."
"Moreover, he is the Emperor of Northern Qi. If he dies at the hands of Da Liang, the border will never have peace. The two countries have similar national strengths. If war truly breaks out, it's unknown how many years it will last. With constant warfare, displaced civilians, ruined homes, and the collapse of the nation, there will be disasters everywhere, and the world will never have peace."
Xiao Chi Zhan kissed her eyes, his voice chilling.
'So what? He must die.'
Ye Luan remained silent. She knew that as long as Tantai Ye and Li Qiong Yu did not return, the truce would only be a piece of waste paper.
"What are you thinking about? You're putting pressure on your wound."
Seeing her lean her head to the side, Xiao Chi Zhan immediately picked her up and held her gently in his arms.
Ye Luan had been burdened by those matters for a long time, and now she didn't want to mention them. She lay quietly in his arms, stroking the Qiongqi on his back.
For some reason, she quite liked it now, and no longer felt the dislike or fear she had at the beginning.
"You scoundrel, what are you doing?"
Suddenly, she grabbed his mischievous hand.
Xiao Chi Zhan said, "Let me check on your wound."
"Is my wound on my leg?"
"Isn't that tracing upwards from below?"
Ye Luan looked at his unabashed expression, her mouth twitching, and she directly flung his hand away, "Behave yourself."
Xiao Chi Zhan lowered his head and kissed her, "See? You're getting excited."
His long, slender fingers, like bamboo shoots, were slightly pale as he dangled them at her.
Ye Luan blushed, slapped his hand away, and refused to look at him.
Xiao Chi Zhan pecked her lips, his voice hoarse, "I'll help you."
"Don't fool around, you're injured."
"I won't touch you, I have this."
Suddenly, he got up and took out a box of items from the cabinet by the bed.
Ye Luan sat up curiously, opened it, and looked.
"What is this?"
Xiao Chi Zhan got onto the bed and held her in his arms, "Jade dildo, vibrating beads."
Ye Luan had never seen pork, but she had seen pigs run. Upon hearing the names, she instantly understood. The item in her hand was like a hot potato, and she put it down.
"You... you're shameless."
Xiao Chi Zhan looked at her and chuckled, 'Shy?'
"Where did you get it?"
"Don't blame me, someone gave it to me. The Western Regions produce these things abundantly."
Ye Luan slapped his hand away, "Behave yourself and put it back. I don't need it."
Xiao Chi Zhan hugged her from behind and swayed her, "Try it, just take a look."
"Try your head, you madman."
"Hmph, take it back and play with it slowly after we're married."
Hearing his words, Ye Luan's mouth twitched, and she glared at him unhappily.
"Quickly put it away."
Xiao Chi Zhan slowly put the item back.
Ye Luan lifted the tent curtain, glanced out the window, put on his robe from the rack, and walked towards the window.
But before she could take two steps, he swept her up in his arms.
"I want to see the snow."
She heard that it never snowed in the Southern Territory, and it hadn't snowed in hundreds of years. She was truly curious why such heavy snow had suddenly fallen.
"It's cold, and you're injured."
The conditions at this post station were as they were. There was a stove burning on the ground, so it was warm inside, but cold outside.
Ye Luan pecked him on the cheek, "I want to see."
Xiao Chi Zhan couldn't resist her coaxing. He held her and sat on the soft couch by the window, layered it with several thick blankets, put on her cotton socks, moved the stove closer, and then opened the window.
Sitting on the soft couch, she could see the snowscape outside with just a glance.
The sky was filled with heavy, swirling snow. The branches were covered in white, revealing red plum buds, and everything was white.
Xiao Chi Zhan got onto the soft couch, held her in his arms, and handed her a cup of hot tea.
"Have some."
Held by him, a continuous stream of warmth flowed from him.
Ye Luan didn't feel cold at all. Her clear black and white eyes were fixed on the scenery outside.
"Such heavy snow is truly rare."
Seeing that she wasn't listening, Xiao Chi Zhan put down the tea cup, leaned forward, and covered her lips, kissing her fiercely and passionately.
Ye Luan's heart leaped, and she hugged his waist, burrowing into his embrace with all her might.