In a desolate stretch along the official road where few tread, a carriage moved slowly, its wheels creaking in solitude. Inside, a woman cradled a sleeping child, her movements gentle as she drew a small blanket from her bundle to cover him. Yet, as she did, the child stirred, blinking awake after a moment of confusion, his voice soft and sticky with sleep, "Mother, haven't we arrived home yet?"
"We're almost there, we'll be entering the city soon," replied Liu Yunzi, smoothing away the hair sticking to the child's forehead with a light laugh. "Isn't grandmother's house nice? Why the rush to return early, Ziming?"
"I miss father," Ziming wriggled out from under the blanket and Liu Yunzi's embrace, sitting beside her, his mood somber. "Father's always so busy, he doesn't spend time with us or let us stay at home. It's been so long since I've seen him."
Liu Yunzi caressed his head, her gaze filled with tenderness, yet she remained silent.
Ziming, head bowed, eyes fixed on the longevity lock hanging from his neck, murmured, "It feels as though father has become a different person."
"How could that be," Liu Yunzi, lowering her eyes, spoke softly, "Your father has always loved us in his heart."
"Mhm," the child nodded vigorously.
Liu Yunzi smiled, though worry shadowed her eyes. As she was about to speak, Ziming tugged at her sleeve, "Mother, I..."
Abruptly, the sound of a horse neighing cut through the air, the carriage coming to a sudden stop. From outside came the coachman's shout, "Madam, be careful!" followed by the thud of heavy objects and the clashing of metal, a chaotic uproar enveloping the carriage.
Liu Yunzi, holding her child tight, yanked aside the curtain to look out. From nowhere, a ragged, disheveled mob appeared, armed mostly with firewood knives or wooden sticks, rushing forward ferociously. The coachman, attempting to stand and block them, was quickly subdued and pinned to the ground by several assailants, leaving the carriage unprotected from the oncoming throng.
"Hold on tight," Liu Yunzi whispered to Ziming, clutching him to her chest as she leapt from the carriage, swiftly turning to shield him. They fell hard to the ground, her body taking the brunt of the impact. She tried to rise immediately, pain shooting through her ankle, rendering her unable to stand.
"Mother..." The child's voice trembled, panic-stricken as he tried to lift her.
"It's alright, don't be afraid," Liu Yunzi reassured, gripping Ziming's hand. She turned to see several individuals rushing into the carriage, frantically stuffing items from a torn bag into their arms, one of them clutching a small blanket and refusing to let go.
Those unable to squeeze inside halted, scanning the surroundings until a crisp ringing sound drew their attention to two figures partially hidden behind the carriage. The longevity lock hanging from the child, crafted from pure silver, shone brightly, its small bell ringing softly.
One of them fixated on the lock, lunging forward to snatch it.
The child screamed in terror.
"Please, don't touch him!" Liu Yunzi shielded the child completely, offering her gold hairpin instead. "Take this."
The attacker paused, meeting her fearless gaze, then scrutinized the disheveled woman more closely. Abruptly, his expression changed, and he turned to shout something indistinct.
Only then did Liu Yunzi notice a woman among them, dressed in worn but relatively tidy clothes, armed with a sword. At the shout, the woman, momentarily taken aback, knocked out the coachman who had grabbed at her leg with the scabbard of her sword and stepped forward decisively.
Uncertain whether it was a stroke of fortune or calamity, Liu Yunzi watched as the woman leaned in for a closer look, about to speak when the woman sharply declared, "It's her!"
With gritted teeth, the woman drew her sword, raising it for a ruthless strike, her stance suggesting she intended to cut down Liu Yunzi, the blade gleaming menacingly.
Liu Yunzi held her child close, turning her head away and closing her eyes as a fierce whistling sound passed by.
A piercing gust of wind whistled past, narrowly missing their ears. The woman, shaken by the force, stumbled back two steps, clutching her bleeding hand. She glanced at Liu Yunzi, who was now bewilderedly opening her eyes, then looked off into the distance.
The vast wilderness stretched under a clear blue sky, a lone path winding through it, where two young men stood tall and elegant. The man in blue retracted his hand, a smile playing on his lips, "Not bad, the angle was just right."
Following his gaze, the woman saw a blood-stained branch on the ground. It was clear to anyone that this was the work of someone with exceptional skill. She picked up her sword and shouted, "Let's go!" The group hastily dispersed, retreating as quickly as they had arrived.
"Follow them, let's find out more," the man in white spoke.
They pursued on horseback, and as they passed by Liu Yunzi, she unexpectedly reached out to stop them, pleading, "Please, wait! Let them go!"
Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu simultaneously reined in their horses, turning to look at her.
"It's just a faint, nothing serious. He'll wake up soon," Su Shiyu said as he released the coachman's wrist and stood up.
Liu Yunzi thanked him repeatedly while readjusting her hair with a golden hairpin.
Ziming, having recovered from the shock, clung to Chu Mingyun's side, looking up at him with sparkling eyes, "Big brother, you're so amazing! Those bad guys ran away as soon as they saw you!"
Chu Mingyun, hands clasped, looked towards Su Shiyu with a casual smile. Ziming continued to grumble, "I hate this road; it's so long and full of bad people."
"Oh?" Chu Mingyun looked down at him, "What do you mean by 'long'?"
"We usually take a different route from grandma's house, but that mountain path was blocked off, like they were trying to catch someone. So, my mother and I had to take a long detour home," Ziming explained.
Chu Mingyun raised an eyebrow slightly, intrigued.
Liu Yunzi called out to Ziming, who swiftly ran back to her side. Having regained her composure, she respectfully addressed them, expressing her gratitude for their life-saving assistance. "My surname is Liu," she declared solemnly. "I'm deeply thankful to you two gentlemen for saving my life."
"Thank you, big brothers!" Ziming echoed her thanks.
Su Shiyu glanced at the child and offered a faint smile. "It was nothing," he said. However, he expressed his confusion, "I'm curious, though, why would Mrs. Liu plead on behalf of those bandits?"
Liu Yunzi sighed, "They were not bandits but displaced people from the rebellion, seeking food and clothing. They are pitiful enough without being pursued to the death."
Su Shiyu frowned slightly but nodded in understanding. Chu Mingyun, intrigued, inquired if she was heading towards Shouchun.
"Yes," she replied.
"And how is Shouchun faring now?" he asked.
Liu Yunzi paused before responding, "It has settled down." She looked up at them, wondering, "Why do you ask about Shouchun?"
Su Shiyu smiled, "My companion and I are also on our way there. If Mrs. Liu doesn't mind, we could travel together."
Liu Yunzi hesitated, which prompted Ziming to tug at her, suggesting they join the gentlemen for added protection against potential threats.
Liu Yunzi gently held his hand, calming him.
"If it's troublesome, forget it," Chu Mingyun interjected, draping an arm around Su Shiyu. "I wasn't keen on intervening earlier; it was his idea to help. It's easier to travel alone, without extra burdens."
Su Shiyu removed his arm, offering Liu Yunzi a choice, "I merely suggested it out of goodwill. The decision is yours to make."
Liu Yunzi chuckled and asked, "I just have a doubt. It's clear that both of you gentlemen are of noble standing, so why didn't you travel by carriage or sedan, nor do I see any attendants with you? And why head to Shouchun, a place that has just experienced a rebellion and is fraught with danger?"
Before Su Shiyu could respond, he suddenly felt a tight embrace around his waist as Chu Mingyun rested his chin on his shoulder, "Naturally, it's because..." He looked at Liu Yunzi, his eyebrows curving into a smile, his voice soft and slow, "we're eloping."
Liu Yunzi was stunned, and it took her a moment to regain her composure, staring at them in disbelief, "You, you mean you two..."
Su Shiyu turned his head to glance at Chu Mingyun, whose eyes were smiling, then turned back to meet Liu Yunzi's shocked gaze. After a moment of silence, he nodded solemnly, "Indeed."
Struck as if by lightning, it took Liu Yunzi a long while to take a deep breath and calm down somewhat, "That, well, ...no wonder."
"Can't accept it?" Chu Mingyun asked, his expression teasing.
"No, why not? It's just very rare," Liu Yunzi laughed, "Since that's the case, then I must trouble the two gentlemen to see me off."
A short while later, the coachman awoke, and their party continued towards Shouchun, the main city of Huainan. Despite the city having recently been through turmoil, the soldiers guarding it did not scrutinize them too closely and let them pass. Upon entering the city, Liu Yunzi thanked them and said her farewells. Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu strolled casually through the city and unexpectedly found that what had been described in reports as a deserted city now housed many residents. Apart from a few burnt walls and ruins, the city could almost be considered bustling.
At noon, every inn and eatery was packed with patrons. They casually picked an inn, and upon hearing they were looking for a stay, the innkeeper hesitated before asking, "Are the two of you planning to stay just for one night?"
"We intend to stay here for some time," Su Shiyu said.
"But we've just had a battle here, and chaos could erupt at any moment. Staying long might not be safe," the innkeeper warned.
"Uncertain when rebellion might break out again," Chu Mingyun chuckled softly, "then why do you stay in Shouchun to do business? Why not go somewhere else for a while?"
The innkeeper smiled, "After all, my roots are here. Unless absolutely necessary, no one wants to leave."
Chu Mingyun glanced back at the crowded patrons, many of whom were curiously staring at them, and leisurely continued, "With so many guests here, why would you urge us to leave? What's the reasoning?"
"Where would I get such an idea? I would, of course, wish for you to stay longer. How could I urge you to leave?" the innkeeper hastily replied, then turned to Su Shiyu, "If I may ask out of curiosity, what do you two do?"
Su Shiyu smiled softly and gently replied, "Both of us are in business."
The innkeeper nodded repeatedly, not prying further.
After wandering the streets for the afternoon, they returned to their room. It was now deeply into the night, with a bright moon hanging high.
Chu Mingyun casually threw his robe on the table and turned to Su Shiyu, who was standing by the window, "Shiyu, any thoughts?"
"Can't really say yet," Su Shiyu turned, his gaze briefly sweeping over before settling back on the robe on the table.
Chu Mingyun picked up the robe, tidied it, and placed it beside the bed before walking over to him, "What do you mean?"
Su Shiyu chuckled softly, retracting his gaze to look out the window again. Under the vast sky, the city was filled with thousands of homes, their lights shining like stars, stretching far into the distance, "It just feels odd."
"Hmm?" Chu Mingyun tilted his head to look at him.
"Although it's been nearly a month since the rebellion turmoil, the number of inhabitants in the city remains unexpectedly high," Su Shiyu said.
"But there's more that doesn't add up," Chu Mingyun whispered. "So far, except for Madam Liu, I haven't seen a single woman in this city. The inns are full of men eating. Could it be that the women are all hiding at home and not going out?"
Su Shiyu sighed, turned his head to look at Chu Mingyun, and met his gaze. His eyes gradually showed affection, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. "What do you think?"
Chu Mingyun, his voice very soft and with a hint of laughter, drew him closer, slowly moving in.
Su Shiyu raised his hand to embrace him back but suddenly paused, his expression complex and indescribable. "...It's so quiet."
"Hmm?" Chu Mingyun frowned in confusion.
"This inn is so quiet," Su Shiyu turned around, listening carefully, not a sound to be heard in his ears.
Chu Mingyun released him, and they looked at each other before pushing open the door. The lamps were lit in the rooms, casting overlapping shadows on the corridor. They stopped silently in front of the neighboring door, but could not sense any sign of people inside.
Chu Mingyun's brow furrowed as he pushed open the door. The lamp shone bright, but the room was empty.
Feeling a tremor in their hearts, they looked at each other again, and began to push open every door of the inn, one by one, finding them all empty. The entire vast inn was brightly lit, yet only they were present.
Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu stood side by side in the corridor, looking around at all the wide-open doors, seeing through them in one glance, into silence.
The night wind entered through the window, and the lamplight was faint, flickering as if it would extinguish at any moment.