Xi Linxuan thought and nodded. “Right.” At the door, he instructed her, “If any neighbors drop by, say I’m outside. Don’t let them in.”
Weilin waved him back, thinking it’d be better to blow out the lamp to avoid awkwardness if someone unexpectedly entered.
With the lamp out and Xi Linxuan guarding the door, Weilin discreetly removed her robe and wiped herself with a towel, feeling her sweat unbearable. After cleaning her front, she struggled to reach her back. Suddenly, a hand took the towel, almost making her scream.
Oh, who else could it be but Xi Linxuan?
The towel gently wiped her back. Though Xi Linxuan’s hand didn’t touch her skin, Weilin’s face grew hot; she unconsciously clutched her robe to her front.
“Chenbi!” Xi Linxuan’s voice was low.
“Yes? What?” she was nervous.
“You…”
“Yes?”
“How many days has it been since you last bathed?” Xi Linxuan asked.
Wei Linxia’s tense emotions were dissolved by Xi Linxuan’s one sentence, replaced by a small flame flickering on her head, silently lashing at him. Upon their reunion, he broached the subject without tenderness.
Gritting her teeth, Wei Linxia said, “What do you mean ‘hmm’? Can’t you see I’m counting on my fingers? So many days and back and forth trips?”
She seemed to hear Xi Linxuan laugh.
“What are you laughing at? It’s your fault for living so far away, making me search everywhere,” she added.
As they entered the grasslands, they met people from the small settlement where Xi Linxuan was originally placed. The few remaining residents shared that their settlement had been infected by an unknown disease years ago, resulting in nearly everyone dying within half a year. When they inquired about someone surnamed Qiu, the men scratched their heads, stating he seemed to be gone too. At that moment, Wei Linxia’s vision darkened, and she felt a surge in her chest, nearly spitting out blood.
Despite the guards’ reluctance to speak, Wei Linxia insisted on searching the entire grassland for him, determined to find even a grave hidden in the wild grass, believing Xi Linxuan would leave her something and not disappear silently.
