Su Xiaoqi sensed something and, with a thought, appeared on the armchair by the window.
Shen Yun had searched the room three times and was on the verge of a breakdown.
If he couldn't find her, he didn't know what he would do.
But the moment he turned, he saw Su Xiaoqi in a lake-blue, cross-collared dress by the window.
She was leaning on the chair, resting her chin on her hand, looking at him with delicate features and an innocent expression.
"Nian… Niangzi?" Shen Yun suspected he was hallucinating. He squeezed his eyes shut, then looked again.
The sun was setting in the west, casting a faint light through the west-facing window.
Xiaoqi had different preferences than others; she said she simply liked the western sunlight.
Therefore, she had insisted on having a window opened here. In the morning, she read by the east-facing window, and in the afternoon, she could move to this west-facing window.
This way, she could bask in the sun all day.
Su Xiaoqi blinked her eyes and called out, "Xianggong, it's me."
"Niangzi, Su Xiaoqi…" Shen Yun's eyes welled up. He forcefully held back the tears that were about to fall, rushed forward, grabbed Su Xiaoqi, and held her tightly in his embrace.
His movements were both cautious and anxious.
For reasons unknown to Su Xiaoqi, she accurately perceived these two completely different emotions.
His actions were quick and agitated, yet his demeanor was exceedingly gentle, as if she were a rare treasure that could be crushed by the slightest misstep.
"Xianggong, what's wrong?" Su Xiaoqi asked, feigning ignorance.
"Where did you go?" After hugging her enough, Shen Yun gently placed her onto the armchair, knelt before her, and asked in a hoarse voice.
"I, I went out for a walk." Su Xiaoqi blinked, lowering her head somewhat unnaturally.
After all, she was lying.
Shen Yun noticed all her subtle movements and said calmly, "They all said you didn't go out…"
"I, perhaps they saw incorrectly."
Su Xiaoqi regretted her actions. She shouldn't have appeared here impulsively just because she saw Shen Yun so distressed over her.
She should have appeared by the rock garden in the courtyard and then walked in as if nothing had happened. Wouldn't that have been easier to explain?
But the moment she saw Shen Yun so distraught over her, she couldn't bear it. Without thinking clearly, she had emerged directly from her spatial realm.
Su Xiaoqi was still contemplating how she would convince Guo'er and Zicao, if Shen Yun were to call them in for a confrontation, that they had seen incorrectly.
She had actually gone out.
But before she could think further, Shen Yun stood up again, walked directly to an armchair, and pulled her into his embrace, murmuring:
"Okay, okay, they saw incorrectly. They must have seen incorrectly. No matter what, it's good that Niangzi is back."
It's good that she was back.
He didn't want to probe further, nor did he dare to.
He reached out and touched Su Xiaoqi's lower abdomen. Perhaps he could leave something behind within her before he left, giving her something to anchor her.
Su Xiaoqi was unaware of Shen Yun's thoughts. She was still wondering who she had encountered in her spatial realm.
At the same time, she squeezed the jade pendant she held in her embrace, unable to resist suspecting if this was the piece Su Yuru had been looking for.
In this world, some things happen by chance.
On the fourth day of the fifth lunar month, at the Shili Pavilion outside the capital, lined with willow trees. The weeping willows swayed gracefully in the wind.
Su Xiaoqi saw Shen Yun off on his journey south.
Originally, Su Xiaoqi had packed a carriage full of supplies for Shen Yun. Combined with Shen Yun's own carriage, there were two carriages in total.
However, at Shen Yun's strong insistence, they had significantly reduced the amount, managing to fill only a little more than half a carriage.
This barely allowed Shen Yun to squeeze in.
For this southern journey, with the changing times, Shen Yun did not bring many people, only Zhang Lei.
"It would have been great if Zhang Feng had returned, Xianggong could have brought him."
Zhang Feng was said to be the most dependable among the four, both in terms of intelligence and capability, surpassing Zhang Lei.
Su Xiaoqi was just thinking this when, as if summoned by her thoughts, Zhang Feng indeed appeared.
"Oh, Master, isn't that Zhang Feng riding over?" Zhang Yu exclaimed from outside the octagonal pavilion, looking towards the official road to the south.
Su Xiaoqi followed his gaze. Through the dust and sand, Zhang Feng, clad in grey, slowly ambled towards them on horseback.
Behind him followed two carriages, rocking and swaying as they traveled.
"Xianggong, Zhang Feng is back! Mother, younger sister, and Er Dan are here!" Su Xiaoqi exclaimed joyfully.
She had been rather regretful, feeling that Shen Yun was leaving too early and would miss seeing Madam Zhao and her younger sister from Mianzhou City.
She hadn't expected to coincidentally meet them upon their arrival while sending him off today.
This was surely fate, bringing them together for a meeting.
Shen Yun was also somewhat pleased.
Although he had received word that his mother and their group would be arriving in the capital soon, communication was inconvenient, and the news was not always up-to-date.
Meeting them now was a true surprise.
He and Su Xiaoqi simultaneously stepped forward to greet them.
Inside the carriage, Madam Zhao was drowsy from the jolting, feeling listless.
Shen Xiaomei and Shen Erdan had already fallen asleep.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and Madam Zhao's heart stirred as she asked, "Zhang Feng, have we arrived in the capital yet?"
Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi, hearing Madam Zhao's familiar voice from outside the carriage, exchanged a glance and simultaneously lifted the carriage curtain.
Madam Zhao's eyes were momentarily blinded by the light from outside.
Her vision blurred, and she saw two figures appear before her.
Then, a man's and a woman's voices rang out: "Mother, your son (daughter-in-law) is here to pick you up."
"Yun ge'er, Xiaoqi…" Madam Zhao's mouth formed an 'O' shape, disbelief evident in her expression.
But Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi had already extended their hands to her, helping her out of the carriage, one on each side.
She saw scenery completely different from Mianzhou City.
Rolling hills, lush trees, swaying willows, and people dressed elegantly all around, standing with their hands clasped, looking respectful.
"Mother, we have arrived in the capital. Your son is late," Shen Yun said, a touch of emotion in his voice.
Madam Zhao tightly grasped her son and daughter-in-law's hands, her eyes warming, and tears began to flow.
They had arrived. Finally, they had arrived.
Su Xiaoqi threw herself directly into Madam Zhao's embrace, hugging her.
The three of them exchanged heartfelt words, with Madam Zhao mainly recounting the hardships of their journey, while Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun mostly echoed her sentiments, occasionally offering comfort: "We're here, we're here, you won't have to suffer anymore."
As they spoke, the sleeping siblings in the carriage also woke up, looking hazily at the surroundings through the carriage curtain, which was hung with a copper hook.
Their gazes shifted from Madam Zhao to Su Xiaoqi, and then to Shen Yun.
After a moment, Shen Erdan was the first to react, lunging into Su Xiaoqi's embrace.
"Ah, Da Sao, Da Sao…"
"Silly boy, don't bother your Da Sao. You're too heavy; your Da Sao can't hold you." Shen Yun intercepted him midway, glaring at him.
"Ge, Ge, mm, I missed you so much." Shen Erdan, not dwelling on who would hold him, hugged Shen Yun's neck affectionately upon seeing him.
At this moment, Shen Xiaomei also alighted from the carriage with Zhang Yu's assistance.
Su Xiaoqi embraced her tightly, exclaiming with delight, "Xiaomei, you're here! You've become even more beautiful."
Shen Xiaomei's skin was now fair, her eyes bright, and her features delicate. As they were biological siblings, she bore some resemblance to Shen Yun's features.
The family, reunited unexpectedly, was overcome with emotion and exchanged many greetings.
However, in public, deep conversations were not possible.
Moreover, Shen Yun was in a hurry to depart.
Madam Zhao and her two children, upon hearing this, reluctantly held Shen Yun's hands, lamenting that he had to leave just as they arrived.
"This is an imperial decree; I have a mission to carry out," Shen Yun explained.
Upon hearing "Emperor," Madam Zhao felt a sense of awe and trepidation, no longer daring to say more.
Shen Yun then stated that while he was gone, Xiaoqi would take good care of them.
Su Xiaoqi nodded repeatedly, saying she had been looking forward to their arrival and would definitely take good care of them.
Madam Zhao, Shen Xiaomei, and Shen Erdan all believed this.
Their current good life was entirely due to Su Xiaoqi's benevolence.
As the group was experiencing the bittersweet emotions of parting, the neighing of horses was heard from ahead.
It was an ordinary-looking carriage approaching. The group stepped aside to let the carriage pass.
However, the carriage stopped before them and did not move on.
The carriage curtain shifted slightly, revealing a face as white as thin paper.