Tao Tao's eyes widened, tears welled up in her eyes, and she asked, "They gave up... why?"

Yi An shook his head and said, "Maybe they found Xun Yan's body and mistook her for you."

Afraid that Tao Tao would be sad because of Xun Yan's matter, he added: "A Tao, Xun Yan's matter is not your fault, don't blame yourself."

Tao Tao clutched the quilt tightly with both hands and cried, "We grew up together, and they actually mistook me for someone else..."

Yi An reached out to wipe away her tears, frowned and said regretfully: "Perhaps, they don't care about you, Tao, don't be sad, I will always be with you, I will not leave you."

Tao Tao sobbed for a while and said, "I'm hungry."

Yi An stood up with a smile and said, "Okay, let's eat."

The moment he turned around, the sadness in Tao Tao's eyes disappeared instantly.

Are you kidding me? How could Yinyin and the others not care about me? How could they give up looking for me?

From Yi An's words, she was almost certain that they had not given up looking for her. Perhaps Xun Yan was still alive!

Tao Tao finally felt a little happy in her heart, but she had to pretend to be completely hopeless on the surface.

During the meal, Tao Tao's eyes were red and she didn't say a word. Yi An saw that she was still sad about what happened outside, so he comforted her softly. Tao Tao listened and said weakly: "I don't blame them, I just feel sad."

Yi An said: "A Tao, they are not worth your sadness. I will always love you and will never be like them."

Tao Tao stared at him with tearful eyes, as if trying to discern the truth from his words. After a long while, she choked up and said, "I don't know who to believe now."

Yi An understood and said, "I know, Tao, you've been through a lot of stress. Don't worry." As he spoke, he took Tao Tao's hand. Tao Tao did not refuse him, and the smile on her face became even wider.

Late at night, there was no sound outside the window except the chirping of birds. Tao Tao was shocked. They were still in the mountains!

Yi An was not by her side at this time. After watching her fall asleep, he went back to the study. This was what Tao Tao was most grateful for.

It was pitch black all around. She hugged her knees and buried her head in them. After a while, she raised her head and screamed a few times, then started crying again. Her cry was sobbing and pitiful.

As she expected, the door opened and Yi An ran in from outside, wearing only a thin shirt.

He turned on the light, Tao Tao raised her tear-stained face, her shoulders trembling, and looked at him helplessly.

Yi An ran to her side, and Tao Tao spoke first: "I just had a dream... I dreamed that they didn't recognize me anymore, they didn't want me anymore, I was so scared..."

Seeing her crying so sadly, Yi An's brows trembled slightly. He held her hand and said, "Don't be afraid. It doesn't matter if they don't want you. As long as I want you, that's all."

"you want me?"

"Yes, I want you."

Tao Tao pursed her lips and said, "I don't believe it. My parents abandoned me, and so did my friends. You will be the same!"

Yi An held her in his arms and said softly, "No, I'm different from them."

Tao Tao did not reject him. Instead, she rubbed her chest against his and looked at the ground expressionlessly.

With a smile in his eyes, he said, "Don't be sad for other people anymore, okay?"

Tao Tao gently pushed him and said softly, "Will you also admit that I am wrong?"

Yi An looked at her with distressed eyes and said, "I won't, never."

Tao Tao seemed to be moved. She blinked her eyes, lowered her head, and said, "I don't dare to sleep alone. I'm scared. Can you stay with me?"

After hearing this, Yi An couldn't care about anything else. His breathing quickened for a few breaths, then returned to normal. He said, "Of course, Tao, I will always be with you."

Tao Tao nodded, took his hand and got into the quilt. Yi An straightened the quilt for her and asked, "Do you want to blow out the lights?"

Tao Tao said: "Just blow it."

Yi An did as he was told and sat back on the bed, saying softly, "Go to sleep. I'll leave after you fall asleep."

"What if I have another nightmare?" Tao Tao asked.

Yi An said: "I will take the trouble to come to you."

After receiving this reply, Tao Tao took the initiative to hold his hand.

Yian stroked the back of her hand and looked at her sideways body.

The room was filled with a soothing aroma. Moonlight shone through the window onto the gauze curtains, casting distorted shadows.

Tao Tao was still wondering when he would untie the chain, when she heard the sound of humming again, softly and slowly, like a lullaby.

-

Seeing Xunyan coming out of the house, Xiao Ai, who was holding the medicine, hurried forward and said, "Miss Xunyan, your injury is not healed yet, try not to be exposed to the cold wind."

Xun Yan said, "I'm sorry...Xiao Ai, can I meet Master Zhong?"

Xiao Ai nodded, helped her into the house, and said, "Of course, you drink the medicine first, I'll go call the owner of the manor."

Xunyan said: "Thank you."

Xiao Ai left quickly. Xun Yan looked at the medicine in the bowl. There were a few candied fruits on the small plate next to it. Because the medicine was very bitter, the mouth would feel astringent for a long time after drinking it.

Last time, after she finished drinking, she didn't show anything, just frowned slightly. Zhong Ziyi saw it and asked Xiao Ai to get some candied fruit.

She could feel that Zhong Ziyi was a genuinely good man. Thanks to him for having people take good care of her these days, otherwise, given her physical condition, it would have been impossible for her to recover so quickly.

Xunyan swallowed the medicine in one gulp and put a candied fruit in his mouth, thinking about how to thank him later.

Just as she was thinking, the door was pushed open, and Zhong Ziyi, who was dressed in a green shirt, smiled at her gently and said, "Miss Xunyan, what do you want to see me about?"

Xunyan stood up and Zhong Ziyi waved his hand and asked her to sit down.

"I, I want to ask you, sir, has the letter been sent?"

Zhong Ziyi nodded and said, "It has been sent out."

Xun Yan lowered his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. He caught a glimpse of Zhong Ziyi out of the corner of his eye. He was looking at him with gentle eyes.

Xun Yan's heart trembled, and he said gratefully: "Thank you for taking care of me these days. My injury has almost healed now. I don't know how to repay you. If you have any requests, just tell me, and I will do my best to fulfill them."

Zhong Ziyi smiled and said, "Miss Xunyan, there is no need to do this. I am just doing good things within my ability."

Xun Yan shook his head and said, "No, Master, you saved me, I should repay you."

She raised her head and said, "If you don't want to tell me, you can let Xiao Ai tell me."

Zhong Ziyi pursed his lips in thought, and there was a moment of silence between the two. Xun Yan put her hands on her knees and pinched her skirt nervously.

After a while, Zhong Ziyi smiled and said, "Then...Miss Xunyan, please accompany me to Qinglong City."

Without waiting for Xunyan to answer, he said first: "Consider it as a reward to me."

Xun Yan was stunned, her eyes wide open, looking at him helplessly.

Zhong Ziyi looked at the table and asked, "Is this medicine bitter?"

Xun Yan was still thinking about going to Qinglong City. When she heard this, she subconsciously answered, "It's bitter." She reacted and waved her hands again, saying in panic, "It's not bitter... It's not bitter."

Zhong Ziyi smiled and took out something wrapped in oil paper from his sleeve, saying, "There are candied fruits of different flavors inside. It's easy to get tired of eating the same thing all the time."

Seeing Xun Yan was embarrassed and refused to take it, he put it on the table and said with a smile: "But you can't eat too much, otherwise your teeth will not be able to bear it."

Xun Yan finally reacted and said, "Thank you, Master Zhong. May I ask what we are going to do in Qinglong City?"

"Yes." Zhong Ziyi nodded, "I'm going to meet some of my classmates."

-

The matter was of great importance, so Zhong Ziyi quickly made arrangements and was about to leave for Qinglong City in the afternoon.

He looked at the carriage and asked, "Miss Xunyan, do you suggest taking the same carriage with me?"

Xun Yan came back to his senses and waved his hand, "No... I don't mind."

Zhong Ziyi said: "Because the journey is not short, I am worried that your body will feel uncomfortable on the road."

Xun Yan hurriedly said, "Thank you, sir. I don't mind."

Zhong Ziyi nodded, asked them to put the things on, gave some instructions to the people behind, and then took Xunyan and Xiaoai into the carriage.

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