"Are you from the Ouyang family?"
In the cramped tent, four people sat upright in a circle. Zhuge Yue looked the child up and down, taking in the luxurious silk garments, and spoke in a low voice.
The child seemed utterly terrified, trembling like a frightened little rabbit. Chubby and unsteady, he wobbled as he sat on the ground, tucking his head in fear. He stole timid glances at Zhuge Yue from the corner of his eyes, then extended a small hand to tug at Zhuge Yue's sleeve, whimpering pitifully, "Daddy..."
"I'm not your father!"
With a sharp slap, the child's hand was knocked away. The child's lips trembled, as if on the verge of tears again, but he struggled to hold them back.
Chu Qiao frowned and turned to look at the other child, speaking sternly, "Xingxing, did you bring him here?"
Little Xingxing appeared very young, but her large eyes sparkled with cleverness. At the question, she stole a glance at Chu Qiao, then lowered her head without a word.
"If you don't speak up, I'll send both of you out right now."
Xingxing quickly looked up, blinking her big eyes, and asked in a childish voice, "If I tell you, will you only send me out alone?"
This question caught Chu Qiao off guard, and her frown softened slightly. "Xingxing, don't you know bringing him here will cause trouble?"
"I... I know," the little girl pouted, her small brow furrowed tightly as she spoke helplessly. "I can't take him back to my family's tent. Daddy would tell Steward Lin."
"So you brought him to me instead?"
The little girl nodded dejectedly. "Mm-hmm."
"Do you know each other?"
"We're good friends!" Xingxing lifted her head, her paint-smeared little face serious as she puffed out her small chest and declared righteously, "We've been playing together the whole journey!"
"Daddy..."The other child tried again to tug at Zhuge Yue's sleeve, pouting in grievance." "Mo'er is so hungry."
After Zhuge Yue glared at him, the child turned to Xingxing for help with pleading eyes—though his expression showed mostly hunger-induced discomfort and confusion from being bullied, with no real understanding of the word "friend."
"Just wait a little longer!" Xingxing patted the child's shoulder, her gaze clear and bright.
Both Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao were suddenly taken aback. This servant's daughter, simply because she had played with someone along the way, dared to take such great risks to save him. The word "friend" spoken from her lips carried such conviction that it commanded respect from the two adults facing her, leaving them unable to utter a word of objection.
Such selfless devotion had likely long gone extinct in the adult world.
Chu Qiao's expression softened as she asked in a low voice, "Where did you find him? Where have you been hiding all day?"Seeing Chu Qiao's expression soften, Little Star grew bolder and said quite proudly, "When all those soldiers came last night, I got scared and hid in the grassy meadow behind. Then I saw an uncle—I recognized him, he's the uncle from Mo'er's family, with a big bird tattoo on his back. I've seen him before. He was covered in blood, lying in the grass, holding Mo'er tightly in his arms. He wasn't breathing anymore, but he still clung to Mo'er desperately. Mo'er was so frightened he wanted to cry but didn't dare, his face pale as a sheet, so I pulled him out. After the soldiers left, I took him home."
"Home?" Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but Mother wouldn't let us inside, and as soon as Father saw Mo'er, he panicked and wanted to report it. I knew that if the soldiers found out, Mo'er would be killed just like his uncle, so I grabbed him and ran away. We've been hiding in the grassy meadow all day today."
Mo'er sat on the ground, head drooping, pouting listlessly, seemingly unaware that the three others were talking about him. The child was exhausted—he'd been hiding for so long, pursued relentlessly before, hungry and thirsty. Now this stern "father" figure was intimidating, so he had no interest in listening to their conversation. Drowsy and disoriented, he was about to fall asleep.
"Then why did you bring him to us?"
"I... I..." Little Star frowned, mustering her courage before whispering, "Sister is very kind, and this... this uncle is very fierce and powerful..."
"Uncle?" Zhuge Yue immediately glared and swatted Little Star's head. "Kid, watch what you call me!"
Chu Qiao shot Zhuge Yue a glare—she knew exactly why. Last night, when those people stormed the outer camp, they'd clashed with Zhuge Yue, even demanding he kneel. But Zhuge Yue was not one to endure such humiliation; with a couple of swift moves, he'd knocked down two guards who charged at him. Fortunately, the Liu family's steward was shrewd enough to recognize that they were merely ordinary travelers accompanying the group, introduced by Chief Escort Yu. Their origins were unclear, but they carried an air of nobility. Since the incident had nothing to do with them, the Liu family didn't want trouble and let it go.
Last night, the Wang, Jia, and Ouyang families were all wiped out, with only this young master narrowly escaping. No doubt, a servant from the Ouyang family had protected him and fled desperately, only to die along the way before even leaving the camp. By chance, this little girl found him and hid him. The Liu family assumed the child had been rescued and pursued outward, never imagining he was boldly hiding right in the outer camp. Little Star's parents knew their daughter had saved the boy but didn't dare report it.
Chu Qiao sighed and said, "Star, do you know how dangerous what you did is?"
"I know," the little girl replied glumly. Her young mind probably couldn't grasp why her wealthy friend had fallen into such plight overnight. Scratching her head, she said, "But what else could I do?"
Indeed, what else could she do? Betray her friend?
"So you brought him to us and taught him to call us 'Mom and Dad' to gain our sympathy, is that it?"The little girl hung her head even lower, as if aware that her actions were somewhat shameful. Chu Qiao let out a long sigh, reached out to pull Little Xingxing into her embrace, and murmured, "What a good child."
Just then, with a soft thud, the child's head tilted sideways—she had fallen asleep right there. She slumped into Zhuge Yue's arms, her head resting on his lap, drool trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her small belly rose and fell rhythmically, accompanied by faint snores as she slept soundly.
"Wake up! Who said you could sleep here? Get up, you—"
The child opened her eyes reluctantly, only to be met with Zhuge Yue's furious expression. Rubbing her eyes pitifully, she whimpered in a small, aggrieved voice, "I'm starving.".."
At that moment, a clamor of footsteps erupted outside. The two children instantly started like frightened birds, leaping to their feet. Little Xingxing, like a mother hen, immediately wrapped her arms around the trembling Mo'er. After glancing around frantically and finding nowhere to hide, they scurried behind Chu Qiao, clutching her clothes and crouching down.
Even though they only held onto her clothes, Chu Qiao could keenly feel their terror and panic. It reminded her of many years ago, when she had carried Xiao Qi, whose hand was severed, and the child had trembled uncontrollably, asking, "Sister Yue'er, is Xiao Qi going to die?"
Back then, she had assured her, saying no, promising that nothing would ever happen to her again. Yet, less than an hour after those words were spoken, that child was thrown into the icy lake, never to be seen again.
The footsteps passed by the tent without stopping, continuing inward. Clearly, they weren't here for them.
"Sister, I need to go back."
Xingxing said timidly, "I'm afraid my father might say something reckless. I have to go check on him."
Chu Qiao looked at Xingxing, then down at the young master of the Ouyang family, who was gazing at her with pleading eyes. Suddenly, she made a decision and bent to whisper to the child, "If you want to eat, go beg him."
The child froze, then fearfully glanced toward Zhuge Yue. Seeing the hostility in Zhuge Yue's eyes, his fear intensified. Trembling, he took two hesitant steps forward, then fell to his knees with a thud, sobbing uncontrollably. His words were incoherent, but the sharp, clear sound of his forehead hitting the ground echoed through the tent. The foolish child kept kowtowing, his cries growing clearer as he wailed, "Please, I beg you... I beg you..."
Even a four-year-old child probably understood the dire situation he was in.
His family destroyed, pursued by enemies—no matter how young he was, he likely sensed the bleakness of his future.
At first, Zhuge Yue maintained a stern frown, ignoring him. But gradually, his expression softened. Almost roughly, he yanked the child up from the ground and glared at him angrily.
Terrified, the child pursed his lips and cried out, "Daddy..."
"Don't call me Daddy!" Zhuge Yue roared. No sooner had he spoken than the child looked on the verge of another outburst. Zhuge Yue sighed in resignation and relented, "If you stop calling me that... then... you can stay."Xingxing was clever and immediately overjoyed. She quickly stepped forward and said, "Mo'er, call him uncle! Call him uncle and you can stay here!"
"Un... uncle..."
The child didn't seem to understand what an uncle was, but he followed the instruction. Seeing Zhuge Yue's expression soften slightly, he suddenly cried out and rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Zhuge Yue's neck. Sobbing, he said, "Uncle... the adults... killed... father and mother... set fire... want to kill Mo'er... blood... sob... dead people..."
With just that one address, he had taken Zhuge Yue as family, crying and complaining to him. In his voice, there was no trace of deep-seated hatred—perhaps he didn't yet understand what hatred meant. He was simply afraid, sad, and disliked and resented what had happened. Yet these seemingly mild emotions would inevitably change, take root, sprout, and grow into a lush tree over time, one whose branches would be laden with the seeds of revenge.
Just like Yan Xun today.
For now, the enemies he remembered were merely "adults"—he didn't know their identities, backgrounds, statuses, or even their surnames or names. He only knew that those who had killed his parents and family weren't children but a group of adults. And now, these adults were hunting him down, not allowing him to eat, sleep, or return home. They wanted to eradicate every last trace, to eliminate him completely.
This time, Zhuge Yue didn't push the child away. The little one's body trembled with sobs as he clung tightly to Zhuge Yue's neck, as if he were a close relative.
Xingxing's eyes reddened, and she said, "Sister, I'm leaving. I'll come back tomorrow."
Just as the child was about to go, Chu Qiao suddenly grabbed her, turned around, and handed her a small dagger. She said earnestly, "Xingxing, be careful. If anything happens, come find me."
The child immediately broke into a big smile. She waved to Mo'er, then cautiously glanced at Zhuge Yue before walking out.
The wind outside was cold, and the child's small figure bounced away. Chu Qiao stood up and blocked the doorway, watching as the child, even after going far, turned back to wave at her. In the darkness, she couldn't see the child's face but could sense that she seemed to be speaking to her. Yet the wind was so strong that she couldn't make out the words. She could only lift her head and gaze at the dark sky, where the stars were scattered, each one mapping out the trajectory of a person's fate.
Everything felt like a cycle. Watching this departing child, she seemed to see herself.
As time passed, something within her heart crumbled. The wind howled across the wilderness, and she suddenly felt very cold.
"Does it feel familiar?"
A calm voice sounded behind her. Chu Qiao turned to see the child still nestled in Zhuge Yue's arms, his small shoulders trembling as if he were still crying. Zhuge Yue looked at her, his gaze sharp. Time seemed to rewind swiftly in their eyes, everything returning to the beginning, when they too had been this young, yet seemed to have borne even more.
Chu Qiao smiled faintly. "What a strong, good child."
"Mm," Zhuge Yue nodded, then said, "I've seen one even stronger than her.""Whoosh!" A fierce wind swept across the ground, stirring up clouds of yellow dust. The wilderness was eerily quiet, with no night-flying birds in the sky—only a dark cloud drifting from afar.
"Uncle, I'm hungry."
The child had cried himself weary, his grimy little face streaked with tear tracks that left pale, shiny lines, creating a rather comical sight. Without any reservation, he broke the silence, sucking on his fingers as he righteously protested to the relative he had just acknowledged.
"Mo'er is starving."
Alright, setting aside those melancholic reflections and memories for now, Zhuge Yue looked down at this little runt who barely reached his knees, feeling a headache coming on. Frowning, he asked, "You're hungry? What do you want to eat?"
"Hmm..." The child furrowed his brow, thinking hard before asking, "Do you have abalone soup?"
Zhuge Yue's face darkened. "No!"
Not even that? The child pressed on, "Do you have golden roasted squab?"
Zhuge Yue's expression grew even more displeased. "No."
"Do you have steamed shark fin?"
"...No..."
"You don't even have that?" The child frowned discontentedly, eyeing this newly recognized relative with suspicion as he began to doubt the man's financial capabilities. "Then... then you must at least have golden roasted suckling pig, right? Uncle, Mo'er doesn't eat vegetarian..."
Zhuge Yue's face was practically black. The child, however, knew how to read the room, so he immediately sighed and reluctantly conceded, "Then... then... I guess braised meat will do. But... it has to be venison. I don't like braised pork. Beef is... acceptable."
Damn!
Zhuge Yue flew into a rage, grabbing the child and snarling, "You little brat! Are you messing with me?"
"Wah..." The child burst into tears instantly, sobbing pitifully as he whined, "Fine, pork will do then. Uncle, you're so poor!"
This was likely the first person in the world—the very first—to ever call Zhuge Yue poor to his face.
Watching them, Chu Qiao suddenly felt her mood lift. She lowered the curtain, bent over with laughter as she walked inside, and picked up a bowl of plain congee from the side. "You haven't eaten all day. Have some congee first."
The child reluctantly took the bowl, then cautiously stuck out his little tongue to give it a tentative lick, as if suspecting the congee might be poisoned.
But after one sip, he froze momentarily before lifting the bowl and devouring its contents in large gulps.
"Sister, this congee is delicious!" The child beamed, clearly delighted.
Chu Qiao sighed. Delicious? This congee was cooked by Zhuge Yue—how could it possibly be delicious? The child was just hungry, that was all.
"Hey! Kid, don't call her 'sister.'"
Zhuge Yue stood nearby, his face dark as he spoke sternly.
"Huh?"
The child glanced at him but paid no further attention, continuing to drink his congee.
"Sister, it's really delicious."
"I told you not to call her 'sister.'"
The child frowned, annoyed by the man interrupting his meal. "Then what should I call her? 'Mother'?"
"What 'mother'?" Zhuge Yue grew irritated, getting into a petty argument with a four-year-old. "Just don't call her that!"
"Then what should I call her?"
"Call her... call her Xing'er..."
"Star?"
"It's Xing'er..."
"No," the child decisively shook his head, displaying a strong personality. "Mo'er can't remember that. I'll get confused."
"You little brat!"
...
This child was truly clever. They both began to wonder if they were being played...When traveling far from home, one often has to adapt to changing circumstances.
For instance, in the evening, they spread a blanket on the ground—Chu Qiao lay on one side, Zhuge Yue on the other, with the little one nestled right in between. Although Zhuge Yue was separated from them by a large trunk, the situation still felt somewhat ambiguous. Before lying down, the child smiled contentedly and said something utterly shocking.
"Daddy said he and Mommy have things to do at night, so they haven't let Mo'er sleep with them for a long time."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Zhuge Yue, who was drinking water, choked violently and burst into a fit of coughing.
Chu Qiao's face flushed bright red. She tapped the child's head lightly and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep."
"Mm!" The child knew she wasn't really angry, grinned up at her, burrowed under the covers, and happily closed his eyes.
The wind howled fiercely outside, making the tent flap noisily.
Suddenly, a cold draft blew in. Chu Qiao wasn't asleep; with a suddenly appearing child being pursued, there were many things to plan for.
Feeling the child kick off his blanket, Chu Qiao reached out to pull it back over him.
But as her hand extended, it brushed against a slender finger. In an instant, as if shocked by electricity, Chu Qiao jerked her hand back. Her fingertips felt icy, but her face grew warm.
Zhuge Yue seemed equally startled. He reached around the trunk to tuck the child in properly. The air in the tent grew strangely tense—no one spoke, only the sound of slightly heavy breathing could be heard, occasionally punctuated by the child's soft smacking of lips.
Life truly is a wondrous thing.
"Still awake?" Zhuge Yue's voice was low but clear, indicating he hadn't been sleeping either.
"Yes," Chu Qiao nodded softly. "A little worried."
The wind grew stronger, roaring like a wild beast. Chu Qiao worried it might rain tomorrow.
"Sleep now," Zhuge Yue said slowly, then turned over and fell silent. Chu Qiao thought he had drifted off, but then his voice came again—low, mellow, and gentle, yet firm and reassuring: "I'm here."
The wind outside was fierce, but suddenly, the narrow tent felt incredibly warm.
As long as the tent stood, no gale could blow through.
Later that night, a fast horse galloped into the camp, bringing news that Fourth Master Feng was in Xianyang.
At that time, Yan Xun was asleep but restless. Before the scout even entered the camp, he jolted awake from his dream. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead—he had dreamed of the child from the Ouyang family. Along the journey, he had often seen that chubby child smiling, and several times, the child had curiously tried to approach him.
But in the dream, he saw the child covered in blood, staring at him with a knife in hand, eyes blazing red.
Then, the child suddenly raised the knife—not to strike him, but to plunge it fiercely into Chu Qiao's heart, who sat beside him. The child, face smeared with blood, gazed at him with gloomy eyes, his smile like that of a demon crawling up from hell, snarling viciously: "I will destroy you, destroy everything you have!"
"A Chu!"Yan Xun was drenched in sweat, his white robe soaked through. His breathing was rapid as the nightmare from earlier replayed incessantly in his mind.
"Uproot the weeds, destroy them completely..."
As if trapped in a half-dream state, Yan Xun kept muttering these words. Suddenly, he lifted his head and shouted, "Someone!"
"Young Master!"
"Find that child from the Ouyang family immediately! Spare no cost—I want to see his corpse before dawn!"
The servant hesitated briefly, but in an instant replied with a voice cold as ice, "As you command!"
"Young Master!"
Just then, another attendant rushed in, knelt on the ground, and reported solemnly, "Fourth Master Feng's messenger has arrived."
"Feng Mian?" Yan Xun slowly furrowed his brow and said in a low voice, "It's about time."
Striding off the bed, he threw on his robe in one swift motion. Yan Xun's expression shifted, shedding all traces of agitation as he once again became the calm and wise King of Yanbei. In a deep voice, he declared, "Let's go see what good news Xianyang has brought us."
————Divider————
Because today's update was late, there will be another chapter at 8 PM as Dong'er's apology gift.
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