A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

"Drive them away?" Gu Xixi shook her head and smiled, her eyes full of sincerity.

"That is the path you were meant to take, and it is also my blessing to you."

Having said all she could, Gu Xixi stood up. "You can eat slowly. I'll go check on Jinglan."

Mu Nanzhao watched her figure disappear outside the curtain in silence.

"How can you be so sure that we'll never go our separate ways?" "What if I could stay for you?"

Such words would only linger in his mind briefly.

Because reason tells him that it's best not to utter promises that are uncertain about the future and cannot be guaranteed to be kept.

Gu Xixi was worried about He Jinglan, so she stood at the door and listened intently, hesitating whether to wake her up and get something to eat or let her continue sleeping.

Just as they were caught in a dilemma, the door suddenly opened from the inside.

He Jinglan stood there, her eyes clear and her hair neatly tied up, clearly indicating that she hadn't gone to sleep yet.

"Xixi? What are you doing loitering outside my door in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Gu Xixi sighed helplessly, "Shouldn't I be asking you that? The lights were off in your room, I thought you were already asleep."

She stepped forward and looked at you. "Look at your dark circles. You've been able to stay awake since last night?"

When He Jinglan was exposed, she didn't try to hide it and laughed, "I just turned off the lights and sat quietly in the dark, thinking about some things."

Gu Xixi looked at her and asked, "Have you thought this through?"

He Jinglan nodded, her smile serene. "Yes, I've thought it all through."

She abruptly changed the subject, asking, "I'm so hungry! Is there anything to eat? Oh, and something to drink too!"

“Yes…” Gu Xixi drawled out the word affectionately.

"I was worried you'd faint from hunger, so I was planning to wake you up to eat something before you went back to sleep."

She shook her hand and walked towards the kitchen, saying, "Go inside and wait, I'll bring it inside for you to eat."

Inside the kitchen, Mu Nanzhao had already washed all the cooking utensils that Gu Xixi had used.

Faced with Gu Xixi's incredulous expression, he said calmly, "I've seen Aunt Zhang do these things before. Although this is my first time doing them, I should be able to do them better than the average person."

Gu Xixi thought to herself: How immodest of you!

But when she turned her gaze to the gleaming iron pot and the spotless stove, she couldn't help but admire them.

Before Gu Xixi left, this place was still covered with bits and pieces of batter stains, a truly pitiful sight.

She had been wondering how long it would take to clean up tonight.

As it turned out, Mu Nanzhao finished it in just a short while.

Gu Xixi said sincerely, "Thank you. Now I can go back to sleep after having dinner with Jinglan."

Mu Nanzhao walked towards the door, his back to her, and said, "No need to thank me. I ate the food you cooked, so it's only right that I do this to clean up the mess."

After Mu Nanzhao left, Gu Xixi heard He Jinglan talking to him in the courtyard.

"I'm going home tomorrow morning. Is there anything you want to say?"

The brief calm before the big battle has kept things relatively safe for the next few days.

He Jinglan brought several shadow guards with her to the Northwest, but she left them all in the nearest town.

If she needs to return to the capital, now is the best time.

Therefore, Mu Nanzhao did not object. "It's better to go back sooner. A major battle is imminent. Once a full-scale war breaks out, we don't know when we'll be able to leave again."

He Jinglan smiled and said, "Are you worried about Xixi's safety?"

“She has me. As long as she agrees to come with me, I will take her back to Huachidu Village.”

She paused, then said, "But before we leave, could you do me a favor?"

The egg pancake is still warm when it's placed in the bowl. Just boil some water on a small stove and make a pot of hot honey water.

Gu Xixi fanned the stove while listening to the sounds outside.

After a while, Mu Nanzhao said knowingly, "You want to visit Meng Chengping?"

He Jinglan nodded, "He took good care of me during my time in the Northwest."

"He's injured right now, so I should visit him before I leave."

Her tone was clear, completely devoid of the anger or confusion she had shown before.

Mu Nanzhao said, "It's not so easy for a woman to join the army."

He Jinglan chuckled, "I know you have a way."

"Don't worry, I'll only say a few words and won't linger. Just go in before dawn and come out before daybreak."

After a moment, Mu Nanzhao agreed, "Alright, I'll figure something out. Just don't oversleep."

As Mu Nanzhao's footsteps led to the other end of the courtyard, He Jinglan called out crisply, "Thank you!"

Gu Xixi carried the tray out and glanced around. Mu Nanzhao should have gone back to his room.

He Jinglan raised her chin and whispered, "Come on, let's go inside and talk!"

She was really hungry, so she sat down and, without saying a word, grabbed the egg pancake and started eating.

Gu Xixi poured the honey water into a bowl and stirred it gently with a small spoon.

He Jinglan ate the first pancake in big bites, and her hunger was finally relieved.

Just as she was feeling thirsty, Gu Xixi handed her some honey water.

"Knowing you like osmanthus, I steeped a few dried osmanthus flowers in it, and now it's warm, just the right temperature to drink."

He Jinglan looked at Gu Xixi with emotion, pretending to shed tears, "Xixi, how can you be so good to me! You always seem to understand what I'm thinking and what I want!"

Gu Xixi chuckled and sighed, "Hurry up and drink, or I'm afraid another one will faint."

"Again?" He Jinglan was puzzled for a moment, looked at the window, and then burst out laughing.

"You're saying Mu Nanzhao fainted from hunger? When did that happen?"

"No wonder you cooked in the middle of the night. Was he begging you to feed him because he was so weak?"

Gu Xixi put her index finger to her lips, "Shh..."

“You know he’s very strong-willed. Just pretend you didn’t hear it. I saw it, but I’ll forget about it after a good night’s sleep.”

He Jinglan naturally knew Mu Nanzhao's temperament.

She covered her mouth and laughed a few more times before finally stopping, saying, "I was wondering why someone as particular about cleanliness as him would go out in his undershirt."

"I guess he was so hungry in the middle of the night that he sneaked into the kitchen to find something to eat, but he accidentally fainted from hunger and you happened to see him."

After Gu Xixi finished laughing, she asked, "I heard you tell him that you're leaving tomorrow morning?"

"Yes." He Jinglan turned to Gu Xixi and took her hands in hers.

"This time I have no reason to delay."

"Xixi, things will get even more dangerous here in a few days than we have before. You should come with my convoy."

Gu Xixi hesitated, "This..."

In terms of her mission, she has already accomplished everything, and even exceeded her target by setting up a village for family members.

He Jinglan continued to persuade her, "I'm leaving because I'm really worried about leaving you here alone."

“If a real fight breaks out, Mu Nanzhao will be lucky to even be able to take care of himself, so I still want to personally take you home.”

Gu Xixi pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, we've been out for so long, if we don't go back soon, Aunt Zhang will beat us up."

He Jinglan was delighted, "That's better!"

Gu Xixi noticed that her expression was very different from that during the day, and tentatively asked, "Have you thought about General Meng as well?"