Inviting the Moon to the Farmhouse

"Let's eat together later, Dai You."

"The bed is set up. Has Dai You come back yet?"

"It's getting dark, why isn't Uncle Dai back yet?"

The group sat quietly at the dining table, watching as darkness fell, but Dai You still hadn't returned.

Xia Lanyue grew increasingly anxious as she waited. Dai You was a sensible person; knowing everyone was waiting, he wouldn't want them to worry. Had he encountered danger? Or… had he left? Xia Lanyue suddenly felt afraid. What would she do if he left? He hadn't even had a chance to ask Dai Xiyue where she lived!… She shook her head, trying to calm herself down. Things hadn't come to that yet; she shouldn't always think the worst. But what if he was in danger? Then he might need help right now. Thinking of this, Xia Lanyue jumped up. "I'll go find him."

Wang Cui immediately grabbed her, "Where are you going to look? You don't know the way, what if I lose you again?!"

“I’ll go find them, you guys stay home,” Tian Guang said.

“Yes, yes, let your uncle and Tian Kuan go find it; they know the way,” Wang Cui comforted Xia Lanyue.

Tian Guang got up, went to the corner of the kitchen to get two torches, took out a tinderbox from his pocket to test the fire, and then walked outside with the torches.

Wang Cui pulled Xia Lanyue back, "Don't worry, this forest isn't very big, we can find it."

Xia Lanyue was not listening to anything now. She was eager to see Dai You as soon as possible, so she insisted on going together. She pulled Wang Cui's hand and said, "Aunt Wang, I'll go with Uncle Tian to search. There will be more people, and we'll find it faster."

After saying that, Xia Lanyue quickly caught up with Tian Guang. Afraid of wasting time, Tian Guang didn't refuse.

Xia Lanyue followed them into the woods; this was the first time she had left the village since arriving here.

The woods were very dark at night, making the torchlight appear extremely weak.

The three of them wandered through the woods, with Xia Lanyue walking in the middle.

The shadows of the branches and leaves beside her flickered in the firelight, and the rustling of the leaves in the breeze made her tense.

"Hey~" A voice came from not far away.

"Ah~!" Xia Lanyue screamed in response, startled by the unexpected sound.

Xia Lanyue realized she had lost her composure and quickly forced herself to calm down.

Tian Guang and Tian Kuan both looked at her, and seeing that she was alright, they turned their heads to stare in the direction from which the sound came.

"It sounds like Brother Dai's voice," Tian Kuan said, not entirely sure, as he held up his torch and peered ahead.

Xia Lanyue followed closely behind.

The dark figure opposite them was getting closer and clearer; it really was Dai You!

Xia Lanyue finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong with you, Brother Dai?" Tian Kuan complained.

"I'm sorry, Brother Kuan, Uncle Tian. I was gathering firewood in the woods and lost track of time. By the time I realized it, it was already dark and I couldn't find my way," Dai You explained to everyone.

"Alright, alright, it's good that you're alright. Hurry back, your family is waiting for you," Tian Guang patted Dai You on the shoulder, didn't say anything more, and turned to walk back.

Dai You took the torch from Tian Kuan, walked up to Xia Lanyue, and asked with concern in his eyes, "Ayue, why are you out here too?"

"I was just worried about you. You left without saying a word. I thought you..." Xia Lanyue hesitated, glancing at Tian Guang and the others out of the corner of her eye, before continuing.

Dai You lowered his head with a look of shame and said, "I'm sorry."

Seeing this, Xia Lanyue felt she shouldn't blame him. "I'm not blaming you... it's just... never mind, let's hurry up and go, Aunt Wang is waiting for us." After saying that, Xia Lanyue ran after Tian Guang.

That night, Xia Lanyue sat on her bed, gazing at the flickering flame on the candlestick, lost in thought.

"bang bang bang"

The knocking interrupted her thoughts. If she wasn't mistaken, it was Dai You who had come to deliver the medicine.

"Come in".

As she expected, it was Dai You.

Dai You came in carrying a bowl of medicine. He walked up to her and handed her the bowl. He seemed like a different person. His face was expressionless, and his coldness made him seem like a stranger to her.

Xia Lanyue originally had some questions she wanted to ask him, but seeing his expression, she felt she couldn't bring herself to speak. However, she was afraid that if she missed this opportunity, she would not be able to ask him properly. So, while he was drinking his medicine, she tentatively asked, "Dai You, did you really only go to chop wood this afternoon?"

"Yes, Miss."

"When do we get out of here?"

"Wait until you recover, Miss."

"I feel like I've almost recovered," Xia Lanyue said.

"That depends on what the doctor says."

The doctor said it would take her half a month to recover, but she couldn't wait that long.

"Zhang the doctor came today and said the recovery is going very well. I was thinking that tomorrow, the three of us—you, me, and A-Xiang—should go to town together. That should be fine, right?" Xia Lanyue said, explaining her plan.

"If it's just to get medicine, I can go myself. There's no need for you to make the trip, Miss." Xia Lanyue refused her offer.

"I want to go to town for a walk, not just to get medicine."

Dai You stared blankly at Xia Lanyue's smile without saying a word.

When Xia Lanyue received no reply, she understood that this was his silent rejection. She became angry, withdrew her smile, and put on a stern face.

If she didn't know the way, she would have gone by herself. Would she have needed to ask his opinion?

But why is this guy so rigid? Why did Dai Xiyue bring him out in the first place?!

Seeing that Dai You had no intention of compromising, Xia Lanyue resentfully shoved the empty bowl back into Dai You's hand, then lay down, pulled the blanket over her head, and didn't want to have any further communication with Dai You.

But she regretted it as soon as she lay down. She didn't mean to be angry with him. She still had questions for him. But now that things had developed, she didn't know how to end it. She just held onto the hope that Dai You would soften his heart, see her emotions, and back down a little.

Xia Lanyue pricked up her ears, listening intently to the sounds outside the blanket. However, after waiting for a long time, no sound came from outside the blanket. Dai You seemed to be standing still, not moving. Was he really hesitating? Xia Lanyue was secretly pleased.

Only when she heard the fading footsteps and the sound of the door opening did Xia Lanyue realize she had been overthinking things. She abruptly threw off the covers, sat up, and said the words she had been pondering for a long time to Dai You, "Hey."

Dai You stopped and turned his head slightly.

"If you are going to leave, you must take me with you."

Dai You had his back to her and didn't speak, so Xia Lanyue couldn't see his expression. "When I get home, I'll definitely reward you with a lot of money, not just money, but also... um, what do you want?" Xia Lanyue asked.

Dai You still had his back to her, and lowered his head. "Don't worry, Miss. I will definitely take you home. As for the reward, you have already given me enough. I dare not ask for more."

Seeing that Xia Lanyue did not speak, Dai You turned to face her and said, "If Miss has no further instructions, I will leave now."

"Mm," Xia Lanyue nodded.

Dai You turned and left.

In the instant he turned away, Xia Lanyue caught a fleeting glimpse of sadness in his eyes!

She didn't understand what it meant, but Dai You's words reassured her. Suddenly, she realized she hadn't asked Dai Xiyue where she lived, and she slapped her forehead in frustration before hurriedly getting up and chasing after her.

The kitchen door was already tightly shut. She tiptoed to the door and whispered, "Dai You... Dai You..."

She dared not speak loudly, for fear of disturbing Mr. and Mrs. Tian Guang in the main house.

After a long while, a deep voice came from inside, "What is it?"

"Come out here for a moment, I have something to ask you."

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, I'm tired."

Rejected once again, Xia Lanyue cursed at the man with her face, then sighed and said helplessly, "Fine."