Don't panic if your home is confiscated or you are exiled, just empty the warehouse and stock u

The young man pulled Jiang Xuxu along, and walked through several narrow alleys as if they were familiar with the route, and finally arrived at a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city that had long been abandoned.

The temple gate was crooked and covered with cobwebs, and several broken statues looked particularly eerie in the twilight.

But the boy seemed to be very familiar with this place. He groped his way to a pile of relatively dry straw in the corner.

"We're here. We can rest here for a while." The boy carefully placed the remaining steamed buns on a relatively clean piece of rag. "My name is Ayan. What's your name?"

“My name is Xiao Ba.

"Jiang Xuxu used the nickname without hesitation, and her vigilance made her conceal her true identity temporarily.

She looked around. The dilapidated temple was filled with a musty smell, which was a far cry from the incense in the Yale Palace.

She wrinkled her nose and subconsciously wrapped her ill-fitting palace maid's clothes tightly around her body, feeling a little cold.

Although A Yan couldn't see, he seemed to be able to feel her embarrassment.

He groped around and pulled out a worn but thick blanket from the depths of the straw pile, shaking off the dust.

"It's cold at night, so I'll cover you with this. The straw is thicker, so it can keep out the cold."

Jiang Xuxu took the blanket. It felt rough, far inferior to the brocade quilts in the palace, but she had no time to care about that at the moment. "Thank you."

She imitated the boy's groping, clumsily spread the blanket on the straw, and wrapped herself in it, leaving only her little face exposed.

The two of them shared the steamed buns quietly.

Jiang Xuxu was very hungry, but he took small bites of the food quickly.

Ayan ate slowly and leisurely, his movements still showing an elegance ingrained in his bones, which was out of place in this dilapidated temple.

Jiang Xuxu couldn't help but be curious, "You can't see, so how do you know the way? And where is the blanket?"

A Yan smiled slightly, and tilted his ear as if to listen to the sound of the wind passing through the broken window: "I'm used to it, listening with my ears, smelling with my nose, and touching with my hands.

I am familiar with every brick and pillar in this temple. The sound of footsteps, the wind, the chirping of birds, even the changing smells in the air, can tell me the direction.

As for the blanket, I hid it and I remember its location."

He paused, his tone slightly smug, "Besides, I have very good ears. When those two bad guys approached just now, I could hear their heavy breathing and the sound of their footsteps through the wall."

"Wow!" Jiang Xuxu exclaimed sincerely, looking at him with sparkling eyes, "Brother Ayan is really amazing, even more amazing than the guards in my palace!"

She almost let the cat out of the bag and quickly took a bite of the steamed bun to cover it up.

In the next few days, Jiang Xuxu lived a life he had never imagined.

During the day, Ayan would take her to crowded street corners or alleys behind restaurants in the city and teach her how to lower her head and beg in a pitiful voice.

Jiang Xuxu felt extremely ashamed at first. How could a princess do such a thing?

But seeing Ayan's calm and composed look, and thinking of her own predicament of being penniless and having nowhere to go, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and study.

She learned quickly, even taking advantage of her delicate appearance without any instruction. She blinked her big eyes and made her voice softer:

"Kind uncle and aunt, please give me something to eat..."

The effect is actually better than A Yan's. I can always get a few more copper coins or half a pancake.

Whenever this happened, Ayan would listen quietly with a slight smile on his face.

After the kindhearted person walked away, he would fumble to take the food or copper coins handed to him by Jiang Xuxu, carefully put them away, and then whispered: "Xiao Ba is really smart, but next time don't get too close to the carriage, it's too dangerous."

Returning to the dilapidated temple at night is when Jiang Xuxu feels most relaxed.

A Yan would distribute the begged food carefully, always giving the better-looking and warmer parts to Jiang Xuxu first.

He would also grope in the corner and use broken clay pots he picked up to make a small fire to dispel the coldness in the temple.

The dancing flames illuminated his handsome profile, and his long eyelashes cast a faint shadow under his eyes. Even though his clothes were tattered, it was difficult to conceal his calm temperament.

Jiang Xuxu sat by the fire wrapped in a blanket, watching Ayan concentrating on stirring the fire with a small branch, the flames dancing in his unfocused eyes.

She couldn't help but ask, "Brother Ayan, you weren't a beggar before, were you? The way you talk and walk is very similar to those scholars I know."

A Yan paused slightly while stirring the fire and was silent for a moment.

The only sound in the dilapidated temple was the crackling of burning firewood.

After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice much deeper.

After spending the past few days together, he has temporarily let go of his previous guard.

"Well, my family... was originally a family of officials."

He fumbled around and pulled out a small cloth bag wrapped in several layers of oil paper from his bosom, then opened it with great care.

Inside was a broken jade pendant with only half left. The edge was smooth, obviously broken by someone, and there were dark traces of blood on the broken part.

The jade of the jade pendant is warm and smooth, and the carving is fine. Even if only half of it is left, it can be seen that it is of great value.

"This is a family jade pendant my father gave me... a family heirloom." A Yan's fingers gently stroked the broken jade surface, as if he was caressing a past that he couldn't bear to look back on.

"Five years ago... a treacherous official framed my father, accusing him of collaborating with the enemy. Overnight, our home was raided and he was thrown into prison... My mother tried to escape with my sister and me, but on the way... we were pursued..."

His voice choked, his fingers tightly gripping the half jade pendant, his knuckles turning white.

Jiang Xuxu's heart tightened, and she couldn't help but move closer to A Yan, and her small hand gently covered his hand that was tightly holding the jade pendant.

She could feel the slight tremor.

"What happened next?" she asked in a low voice.

"Later... my sister and I got separated. I was thrown off a cliff. I luckily survived, but I couldn't see anymore. When I woke up, I was among the refugees."

A Yan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "Over the years, I've wandered here. This jade pendant is the only thing left from my family. I've kept it, thinking... thinking that one day, if I could find my sister, or... or if I had the chance, I would definitely redress the injustice done to my father and my family."

But how easy is it for a blind, powerless teenager to overturn the verdict?

"Brother Ayan..." Jiang Xuxu felt sad and painful, and was filled with righteous indignation.

She thought of what her father taught her: "distinguishing loyalty from treachery" and "governing the country and maintaining peace."

She squeezed A Yan's hand vigorously, her face tense. "Bad guys will definitely get their comeuppance! I...I will definitely help you in the future! Help you find your sister and redress your father's innocence!"

A Yan felt the strength coming from the warm and soft little hand on the back of his hand, and the ice in his heart seemed to crack.

He forced a bitter smile, gently shook the little hand back, and then quickly let go.

"Thank you, Xiao Ba. Brother Yan is very happy that you have this kind heart."