The sun had already risen, its rays streaming through the high window, forming a bright beam where tiny dust particles danced and drifted in the air. A faint scratching sound emerged, so quiet one might mistake it for mice rustling through grass. The child leaned against a wall, eyes closed as if asleep. Yet behind her back, a hand moved slowly, holding a small stone, meticulously grinding against the earthen wall.
The sun rose and gradually set, the clamor outside fading as the cold night enveloped the bustling imperial capital. The patrolling jailers made two rounds before yawning and retreating. The moon climbed to its zenith, the night deepening, until a dull thud sounded—a large chunk of earthen brick fell into the grass.
"Yan Xun…"
A faint voice whispered, crisp in the deathly silence of the prison. The child pressed her eye to the hole, peering into the adjacent cell. A boy in a white fur coat sat with legs stretched out casually amidst the filthy, dry straw, leaning against the opposite wall, eyes closed as if sleeping.
"Yan Xun," Chu Qiao lowered her voice, calling out cautiously.
The boy's lashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes, glancing around in confusion. Suddenly spotting the child's clear gaze, his face lit up with joy. He scrambled over, grinning at the hole. "You're really clever, little one."
"Fool!" Chu Qiao hissed urgently. "Keep your voice down. Don't let anyone hear."
"Oh," the boy mimicked her, scanning the surroundings before turning back with a silly grin, revealing a set of white teeth. "Don't be afraid, little one. My father will surely send someone to rescue us. These scoundrels wouldn't dare harm us."
"Hmm." Chu Qiao nodded faintly, offering no reply.
Yan Xun frowned. "Hey, you don't believe me?"
"How could I dare?" Chu Qiao stuck out her tongue and pouted. "But your father is coming for you. I don't have such influential relatives."
Yan Xun chuckled, his eyes sparkling like stars in the sky. "Don't worry, I won't abandon you. From now on, you can stay with me. I'll protect you."
A wave of warmth surged through the eight-year-old child. She smiled brightly and nodded. "Then you have to treat me to delicious food when we get out. I'm starving."
"No problem," the boy agreed readily. "You can have whatever you want. Just name it, and I'll get it for you."
At some point, heavy snow began to fall outside. Snowflakes drifted in through the high window, carrying a biting wind that swept chillingly into the icy cell. Just as Chu Qiao was about to speak, a shiver ran through her, and she trembled. Yan Xun noticed and leaned closer, seeing the child's thin clothing, pale face, and lips turning purple from the cold. He grew anxious.
"Little one, are you cold?"
"It's alright."
"You're wearing so little—you must be freezing."
The boy suddenly stood up, quickly removing his large fur coat. He crouched, trying to push it through the hole, but the coat was too thick—not even a sleeve could fit. Chu Qiao hurriedly pushed his clothes back. "Stop messing around. If we're caught, it'll be trouble.""What could they possibly do if they find out?" Yan Xun snorted coldly. "Once I get out of here, I won't spare any of these people."
"Save those tough words for when you actually manage to survive and escape," the child retorted mockingly, tilting her head up with a disdainful expression.
Yan Xun was taken aback for a moment before letting out an indignant snort. "Just you wait and see."
The prison cell grew increasingly cold and gloomy as night deepened. Leaning against the opening in the wall, Yan Xun suddenly said, "Girl, stretch your hand over here."
"Huh?" Chu Qiao was startled. "What did you say?"
"Your hand," Yan Xun gestured while speaking. "Just stretch your hand over here."
The child frowned. "What do you want?"
"Stop asking questions," Yan Xun called out impatiently. "Just do as I say."
Chu Qiao muttered something under her breath before extending her slender arm, reaching a small hand that had turned blue from the cold through the opening. She waved it vaguely in the air and asked softly, "What do you want?"
The icy little hand was immediately grasped by someone. The young man's hand was slightly larger, holding hers while continuously blowing warm breath onto it. His eyes were bright, but his movements were somewhat clumsy. As he breathed warmth onto her hand, he asked, "Is that better? Are you feeling warmer now?"
The night was bleak, the cold moon shining like frost. Outside, the snow fell more heavily, drifting in thick flurries through the skylight and covering the frigid prison cell. The child sitting against the wall suddenly felt dazed, her large misty eyes growing slightly sore. She nodded vigorously, then abruptly remembered the person opposite couldn't see her, so she responded with a nasal "Mm-hmm."
"Heh heh," Yan Xun chuckled happily. "Girl, what's your name? I heard the fourth young master of the Zhuge family call you Xing'er - is that your real name?"
"No," the child replied quietly. A continuous warmth, soft as lake water, flowed from her arm as her blood circulation gradually improved. Leaning against the wall, she said softly, "My name is Chu Qiao."
"Chu?" Yan Xun frowned, his movements unconsciously stopping. "Aren't you the child of former Ministry of Personnel official Jing Yidian? Why would you have the surname Chu?"
"Don't ask," the child's voice was low but carried a rare seriousness. "Yan Xun, no one knows this name. I'm only telling you. Remember it, but don't speak of it to others."
Yan Xun was momentarily stunned before understanding dawned on him. He thought it might be some family secret that wouldn't reflect well if revealed, and suddenly felt a surge of happy satisfaction, thinking that since she trusted him with such a secret, she must consider him one of her own. He quickly patted his chest in assurance. "Okay, don't worry. I'd die before telling anyone."
"Then what should I call you?" the young man then asked with a frown. "Can I call you Xiao Qiao?"
"No," Chu Qiao immediately thought of the famous beauty from the Three Kingdoms period and objected with a frown. "Don't call me that."
"Why?" Yan Xun asked, puzzled. "Then can I call you A Chu?"
"Hmm..." Chu Qiao thought carefully for a moment before nodding. "Alright, you can call me that."
Yan Xun smiled happily. "A Chu!"
"Mm."
"A Chu!"
"I heard you."
"A Chu! A Chu!"
"Are you quite finished?"
"A Chu A Chu A Chu!"
...
"A Chu, your other hand."The child obediently withdrew the already warmed hand and extended the other. Yan Xun, holding the child's arm, blew two warm breaths onto it, only to realize his own hands had turned cold as well. Without hesitation, he pulled open the front of his robe and tucked the child's hand inside against his chest.
"Ah!" Chu Qiao exclaimed softly, instinctively trying to pull back.
"Haha," Yan Xun chuckled deeply, holding her hand firmly without letting go. "What a great advantage you've taken! I bet you're secretly delighted inside."
"What a character!" Chu Qiao snorted, her small palm pressed tightly against the youth's chest. The night was so quiet she could even feel Yan Xun's heartbeat—strong and steady, beat after beat. The youth was lean, but years of horseback riding and martial training had built him a sturdy frame, with well-defined muscles across his chest.
Holding the child's hand, the youth sat down against the wall and spoke in a gentle, measured tone: "A Chu, once this matter is settled, come back to Yanbei with me. If there's anything you're worried about leaving behind, I'll have people take care of it for you. The world is so chaotic—where can a small child like you go? If you encounter bad people, you'll likely be bullied. Don't think you're fierce—you just haven't met truly evil men. If you do come across them, and I'm not there to protect you, you'll surely suffer."
Chu Qiao leaned against the wall, dry straw beneath her feet and swirling snowflakes ahead. Her eyes seemed to gaze into the far distance, yet appeared confined to what was immediately before her. Where did she want to go? Perhaps even she herself didn't know.
Hearing no response from Chu Qiao, Yan Xun continued: "I don't know why either, but I just want to help you. When I first saw you at the hunting grounds, I thought this child was quite interesting—so tiny yet so fierce. I couldn't bring myself to strike you. In all my years in the capital, it was the first time I lost to that bastard Zhao Che. Just thinking about it frustrates me."
The night watch drum suddenly sounded three beats, drifting over from the distant streets. The youth's voice grew somewhat ethereal, faint and distant: "A Chu, Yanbei is very beautiful and rarely sees war. In summer, green pasture stretches everywhere. My father, eldest brother, third brother, and I often rode to the Huolei Plains to hunt wild horses. I was still young then, only seven or eight, too small to ride a full-grown horse. My eldest brother would give me the foals of hunted horse kings to ride. I used to get very angry, thinking he looked down on me. But later I gradually understood—he was just afraid I might get hurt. My third brother had the worst temper and always fought with me. When he got mad, he'd lift me high and shout about throwing me to my death. Then my second sister would rush over and whip him, and they'd start fighting. Though Third Brother was strong, he couldn't even defeat Second Sister. I used to despise him for it, but now I think maybe he just didn't want to fight back against her."
"When winter comes, Yanbei gets snow for over a month. We'd go to the Shuobei Plateau, where there's Huihui Mountain—tall and steep, with many hot springs. My mother was from Biantang and couldn't stand the northern cold. Her health wasn't good, so she spent half the year living in the hot spring palace. We'd often sneak out of school behind Father's back to visit her, only to find upon arrival that Father had already arrived at the palace ahead of us."The moonlight was clear and bright, casting a silvery glow all around. The young man's face suddenly softened with a gentleness Chu Qiao had never seen before.
"A Chu, our Yanbei isn't like the capital here, where fathers and sons, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives can all become enemies. There are no hidden arrows and schemes everywhere, no obsession with power and profit, no decadent singing and dancing while common people starve to death. On our Yanbei land, there's rarely war, no refugees, everyone has enough to eat, and even slaves can live according to their own will. A Chu, come back to Yanbei with me. There, you can live a better life. With me protecting you, no one will ever bully you again, no one will ever point arrows at you again. I'll take you to hunt wild horses on the Fire Thunder Plains, I'll take you to Huihui Mountain to see my mother. She's a very gentle person, you'll definitely like her."
The air was so quiet, only the young man's slightly deep voice speaking softly. The thinly-clothed child suddenly felt very warm. She lifted her face, as if she could also see the Yanbei that Yan Xun described - the lush green pastures, the snow-white crystalline Huihui Mountain, the galloping herds of wild horses, hearing the cheerful laughter of young men and the carefree sound of the wind.
The corners of her mouth slowly lifted in a faint smile, then she nodded firmly and said softly: "Alright, let's go to Yanbei."
The night was long, in the cold, damp imperial capital prison. Two small children sat leaning against the wall separating their cells, their hands reaching through the barrier to clasp tightly together.
Let's go to Yanbei. We will definitely escape.
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