Chapter 2, Stepping on the Moon with the Xiao (3)

She rubbed her eyes and immediately caught a whiff of an enticing food aroma. She hurriedly propped herself up, only to find Yuanbao sitting beside her, holding her hand with both small hands, while his eyes were glancing at a square table by the door, on which sat a large bowl of white rice, four dishes, and a soup, all steaming hot.

She raised her small hand, the palm stained with a few smudges of bright red, likely from the moment she collided with that young man. Gui'er secretly sighed, indeed, Yuanbao tugged at her, mumbling: "Mother, look, the uncle is bleeding..."

The white jade flute and the white jade ear studs are both striking ornaments for a man. Since he wears them openly and moves about freely, it is evident that he must be a person of significance. Generally speaking, as soon as those in the martial world see such distinctive items, they can immediately recognize his identity

Just as she was contemplating the beauty, the young man from the Xiaoyang Kingdom had already answered the beauty's question. He sighed, "Xiao Ying, it is not that I am dawdling, but rather that I truly cannot hurry."

If the ingot calls you brother, then wouldn't you have to call me aunt? I certainly do not want such a cheap deal

She is completely unaware of Han Jin's martial arts and strategies. Although he is her husband, he now feels little different from a stranger. ... This is truly unfortunate; as the saying goes, a couple should be of one mind. She indeed needs to find an opportunity to thoroughly understand him from top to bottom and inside out.

Even such simple melodies can reveal the exceptional skill of the performer, with a breath that is long and profound, and an extraordinary inner strength

Is it merely to confine her, while providing her with food and sleep?

The young man did not raise any objections to her practice of using saliva mixed with spices to stop the bleeding. In fact, ever since she began bandaging him, he had been quietly leaning against the wall, watching her with a curious gaze. The woman before him wore a mask, obscuring her features, but she had a pair of lively and clear eyes, and her ten fingers were very nimble, making no unnecessary movements, unlike someone who had only bandaged a pig's wounds.

"What is going on?" Yuanbao looked at her in confusion, "Mother suddenly fainted just now, and it was the uncle in the mask who brought you here. After that, the monster uncle brought the food over." He reached out and poked Gui'er on the face, "Mother, quickly take off the mask, Yuanbao wants to eat!"

In Gui'er’s not-so-distant memory, there are no recollections of the instrument known as the "xiao"; however, in that instant, she immediately understood—this is the sound of the xiao, and it is a xiao of superior quality

Although his voice is pleasant, his tone is always the same, making this "apology" sound insincere. Gui'er continued to stand there in a daze, but her mind was quickly calculating—if she were to flee with the ingot at this moment, what were her chances of success against such an unknown expert? ... If she pretended to be captured, what were the odds that the other party would ultimately kill her to silence her ...

It is settled then, Gui'er silently thought while biting her chopsticks. Once she finds a way to escape from here, she must have a good talk with him about the past days, her feelings, every little detail, every word and action; she wants to retrieve it all.

The beauty ceased to speak, her feet moved slightly. Before Gui'er could discern the technique he was using, she felt a flash of light before her eyes as the apricot-yellow hem of his garment swept past. Subsequently, her back collided with something cold and hard.

But before she had a chance to leave, a deep voice sounded not far behind her: "A Yao, why are you still here?"

The young man was momentarily taken aback, but soon burst into hearty laughter. However, this laughter aggravated his wound, causing him to grimace and draw in a sharp breath, making him hesitant to move again. He lowered his head to watch Gui'er use her small scissors to cut open his outer garment. After pondering for a moment, he no longer declined or resisted, and there was no sign of awkwardness in his demeanor; he simply asked with curiosity, "Sister, do you know how to bandage wounds?"

She felt an overwhelming sense of regret—some instinct warned her that once she encountered such a flamboyant person, unusual events were bound to occur. She had already begun to slowly back away, hoping to find an opportunity to slip away.

Clearly, it was an ordinary garment, and Mingming's stature and the materials of the clothing were not particularly tall, yet the aura and grace she exuded... In that moment, Gui'er could only think of one word—beauty.

Gui'er could not help but interject, and seizing the moment of the other party's astonishment, she reached out her hand to gently touch his left waist, where a large patch of blood had spread, quite striking to the eye

She immediately concluded that this beauty must have an impressive background

She opened her eyes and first saw the beam. The beam was not large and had no carvings. On the beam were purlins, on the purlins were bricks, and on top of the bricks were tiles—this was an ordinary dwelling

She had never seen him, but she had forgotten everything from the past. Perhaps in that forgotten history, they had met somewhere before, it is also possible...

He furrowed his brow and said softly, "Sister, I... have I seen you somewhere before?"

The young man known as "A Yao" responded with a "hm" and said, "Those people are more difficult to deal with than I had imagined"

She raised her head and looked around, realizing that she was lying on the innermost bed. The entire room, apart from the bed and the tables and chairs, also contained a cabinet and a soft couch, which held a few books; there was nothing else.

Wait a moment! She quickly reached out and pulled him back, "Where is this place? Where did the food come from?"

The hands of the beauty are also exquisite, with slender and long fingers, evenly proportioned joints. In her left hand, she holds a completely white jade flute, which hangs diagonally in front of her body, immediately appearing to be a valuable item.

She seems to be thinking of him more and more; hopefully, at this moment, he is also thinking of her

Gui'er placed the ingot on the ground, but the young man already smiled nonchalantly: "I'm not that old, just call me brother. Look, brother is in great shape, a little blood is nothing serious, hurry back with your mother, they are setting off fireworks by the lake!"

At the end of the alley stood a person wearing a apricot-yellow shirt, though their face was adorned with a colorful mask. At first glance, there was an illusion of extraordinary beauty, as if by merely standing there, everything around them instantly became a backdrop.

How many relatives have come?

Gui Er also did not know how to describe the *picture* book—if Han Jin's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, then the voice of that young man from the Xiaoyang Kingdom was as cheerful as sunlight, but now this voice... should be like the flowers under the moonlight, casting shadows in a deep valley—not particularly clear, yet carrying a slight hoarseness, but extremely magnetic. The tone is plain, yet not cold, imbued with a natural aloofness that makes one unable to resist the urge to catch a glimpse of the voice's owner... it should be like the flowers under the moonlight, casting shadows in a deep valley—not particularly clear, yet carrying a slight hoarseness, but extremely magnetic. The tone is plain, yet not cold, imbued with a natural aloofness that makes one unable to resist the urge to catch a glimpse of the voice's owner

After much effort, she cut open his clothing, revealing a long knife wound on his left side, with flesh exposed and blood soaking through several layers of fabric. Yet he was still able to walk and chat cheerfully, which made Gui'er admire him even more. At that moment, she had no medicine for the wound, so she cut strips of cloth from the young man's clothing to wipe away the blood. Then she took some spices from her pouch, crushed them, mixed them with saliva, and applied the mixture to his wound, carefully bandaging it up.

The festival of Yanzhou City, the nobles of Xiaoyang Kingdom, the highly skilled flute player, the appearance that must not be seen by outsiders... She vaguely felt that she had inadvertently caught a glimpse of some significant secret, and the ominous feeling tormented her to the point where she almost wanted to scratch the walls, wishing she could take the ingot and charge out immediately.

"It is not permissible; she has already seen your face. The situation is critical, and we cannot afford any negligence." The beauty paid no heed to A Yao's plea, slightly leaning forward and whispering to Gui Er, who had her back turned to him, and Yuan Bao, who was unaware of the situation: "Miss, we will not harm you, but you cannot leave at this moment." After a pause, he added, "I apologize."

That being said, the two individuals did not unveil her mask, or rather, they were not at all interested in her appearance

Yuanbao

A blush involuntarily appeared on her face ... ... couples. ... ... In this world, are there really couples who have traveled together for over ten days yet still sleep in separate rooms? It would surely be a source of ridicule if spoken of.

His meticulous care for her, his cultured demeanor, his gentle and considerate nature, his reliability and sense of humor, along with his good looks—such a man, no matter how many times one might forget, when they meet again, it is still very easy to... ? ... fall deeply once more?

She originally wanted to say, "Even as a ghost, I cannot let you go," but the beauty's acupoint technique was truly remarkable, and before she could finish her words, she completely fainted.

This expression seems vaguely familiar

She held the ingot motionless, seemingly stunned with fear

Is it lively during the wedding ceremony

Although she cannot recall how she interacted with her husband in the past, since they have reunited now, why not start anew

Gui'er paused her hand, raised her head, and then shook it uncertainly.

What swift footwork! What impressive lightness of skill!

Upon thinking of the Huixian Tower, she involuntarily thought of Han Jin. As she pondered, she became lost in thought—how is he doing now? After buying the colored lanterns, she could not find the two of them, mother and child. Would they be frightened? Would they be anxiously searching everywhere? Does he have a way to find them?

What does a yuanbao look like when it is born

This is good. Gui'er came to her senses, hurriedly tied the last knot, and bent down to pick up the ingot: "Since the young master's friend has arrived, I shall take my leave first..."

Thus, she could not help but turn her head to look.

That is a melodious sound

The dishes are very delicious, rivaling those of the master chefs at Huixian Tower

The little boy's recent sadness and sorrow stemmed entirely from that person giving him their mask, transforming into a deep well of tenderness and sympathy. What a kind yet changeable child he is

However, the little one in my arms unexpectedly shouted, "Uncle, are you bleeding?"

The young person's lips twitched

It is not that she suddenly became kind-hearted; rather, she inexplicably developed a certain fondness for this person's carefree nature. These words clearly indicate a reluctance to involve them in any trouble; this individual has good character and can be trusted

This is a very pleasant sound

Only then did Gui Er realize that she was still wearing the colorful mask from the Moonlight Festival on her face

... ...

Is he as happy as those young men in the village who have just become fathers

The beautiful woman's voice had little fluctuation: "Are you hurt?"

She got out of bed to check and found that the doors and windows in the room had all been reinforced with iron bars. If one were to force them open, it would undoubtedly make a noise. There were people moving outside the door, and it was evident that if someone truly intended to break in, both she and the books would certainly encounter trouble

Unfortunately, Gui'er is not a person of the rivers and lakes

Gui Er woke up again, this time awakened by hunger

Suddenly, I felt a numbness in my back, my limbs became weak, and everything before my eyes turned pitch black

That melodious voice softly said: "You cannot leave"

Such a strange feeling

"Mother, are you awake?" Upon hearing her voice, Yuanbao immediately jumped up and grinned, saying, "We can eat now, Yuanbao is so hungry..."

Light yet profoundly steady ... this is the sound of the xiao

Gui Er frowned slightly, the previous events still vivid in her mind—"Uncle Monster" as referred to by Yuan Bao, was likely that young man named A Yao

A Yao hurriedly shook his head: "Xiao Ying, they are just ordinary people. Moreover, this sister even helped me bandage my wound, so let's just let it go."

The young man also raised his head and joyfully said, "Ah, my friend has come to find me!"

Almost instinctively, she took a step back while holding the ingot and turned to leave.

However, since they have already been locked up, the despicable act of poisoning the food will no longer be carried out. Gui'er contemplated quietly in her heart, and after careful consideration, she called Yuanbao to sit down and eat together

Son, have they done anything to you

"This was just brought over by Uncle Monster. He also said that Mother will wake up soon, and he was really accurate in what he said." Yuanbao did not understand why she had such a serious expression, blinking her eyes, "Mother?"

Gui Er's gaze has always been sharp; with a single glance, she noticed that the beauty was wearing a white jade earring on her right ear. Although it was mostly concealed by her hair, it must be a valuable antique

Before losing consciousness, she tightly held her son and fiercely threatened, "Whoever dares to touch Yuanbao, I..."

Just as the young man was about to speak again, a voice suddenly came from the depths of the alley

Now changing her tune, it seems she is unwilling to acknowledge her status as an elder. Gui'er nodded: "I once treated an injury on a pig at home; that creature was particularly unruly, running around everywhere and ended up breaking its leg..."

Without turning back, she already knew that the one pressing against the acupoint on her back was indeed that white jade flute