Repeatedly broken branches

Xingquan Town is close to Jiuguang Kingdom, so its customs, writing system, and language are similar to those of Jiuguang Kingdom. Men, women, and children all know a little bit of writing. Every month, Yin Fu'an sends the imperial tutors who teach the princes and princesses to teach the nearby residents. Therefore, these people do not have the unruly feeling of the countryside. In fact, it is quite good to know a little writing. However, some families work from sunrise to sunset and do not have time to learn these things.

After a good night's sleep, Xiao Mu changed into clean clothes. Ling had already ordered breakfast and was waiting for her in the living room downstairs. She had been in a hurry to choose a house last night, so she just picked a house near the lake, which was not bad. The scenery was beautiful. In the morning, while having breakfast in the living room, she could also enjoy the lake view. A thin layer of mist covered the lake, and fishermen were catching small fish and shrimp in the lake. The lake was shrouded in mist, and there were small boats. It was extremely beautiful.

After breakfast, Ling led Xiao Mu to the gate of the house. He said, "If you want to eat fish and shrimp for lunch, you can ask the fishermen to buy some. They will deliver them here and tell us how to cook them."

"But I can't cook." Xiao Mu was a little embarrassed. Although life wasn't easy before, the older sisters at the base took care of her. They were the ones who cooked, and she was only responsible for eating.

As if he had expected this, Ling smiled and said, "You can't, but I can. You just need to eat." He could have guessed it all. It was even more unbelievable that a princess of a country, and the emperor's most beloved princess, could cook.

Although his status was no lower than Xiao Mu's, he often traveled around and often ate and slept outdoors. He had learned to cook some simple dishes, and later he gradually learned to cook some exquisite and delicious dishes. The important thing is that no one has tasted his cooking yet. He himself is fine eating it, but he wonders if Xiao Mu will think it is not as good as what she eats in the palace.

Xiao Mu looked at him with admiration, "You can actually cook." Cooking is a plus for men; men who can cook are super charming and super handsome, okay?

Aya's face flushed red. "What's the big deal? I'll take care of all the meals from now on." He lowered his eyes, concealing the joy in them. He didn't like others seeing him happy. Perhaps, as others said, he was a monster.

Ling took Xiao Mu for a stroll through the streets of Xingquan Town. It wasn't a city, so there weren't many interesting things to do, but it was a very pleasant place to settle down. A large part of the reason was that it was a border town with limited resources, so having a small town that sold daily necessities was already quite good.

The people here don't seem very warm. Everyone seems to have something on their mind, with gloomy faces. Even the street vendors are like that. How can anyone buy their things? Over time, only the owner of the house has smiled slightly. No one else has smiled, which makes Xiao Mu also keep a cold face, as if she would be beaten if she smiled.

There aren't many food options here; most of the food consists of local snacks. Ling felt a little regretful because winter is the best time to visit, when everything is covered in snow and you can ride sleds and build snowmen. But now it's autumn, and everyone is busy with the harvest, so there's no time to go out and play.

"In that case, let's rest here for a few days and then go to Hisamitsu Country. Anyway... it's all the same wherever we are," Xiao Mu comforted her.

A shadow fell over Ling's eyes. If he acted like this, Xiao Mu might hate him.

On the way back, Ling walked alone, looking sullen and not saying a word. Xiao Mu thought he had been infected by the local people and didn't pay much attention.

Back at the house, Xiao Mu went upstairs. Granny Yang in the water room said she had boiled some water so they could take a bath today since they hadn't had a chance to bathe last night.

Grandma Yang brought out a large bath tub, filled it with water, and added bath soap. She said she made it herself with magnolia petals and soapberries, and it smelled wonderful. She also picked a basket of magnolia petals and sprinkled them into the tub.

After thanking Granny Yang, Xiao Mu closed the door, took off her clothes, and soaked in the bathtub. The fragrance of magnolia flowers surrounded her, and the steam rising from the hot water filled the entire room, creating a misty, fairyland-like atmosphere.

The hot water washed away the fatigue from last night's long journey and also washed away her worries. Her hair was completely soaked in the tub. She picked up a pile of magnolia petals, brought them close to her nose, and smelled them. They were so fragrant and refreshing.

Water droplets slid down her soft temples, carrying a faint magnolia fragrance.

Aya bought a whole basket of fish and shrimp that the fisherman had caught that day. He went straight into the kitchen and got busy, making steamed fish, some cumin-fried shrimp, a pot of boiled shrimp, and a plate of seasonal vegetables.

There were only these kinds of items, so it was done very quickly.

He strode upstairs, intending to call Xiao Mu down for dinner, and without thinking, he pushed open Xiao Mu's bedroom door.

Inside, smoke and mist filled the air. The girl's long, thick, jet-black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her smooth, fair back, wet with water, was partially visible, making her exceptionally alluring.

The girl screamed in fright, and Ling couldn't help but swallow hard. After a long pause, he quickly closed the door.

He just saw... Xiao Mu's back, so white, it looked so smooth... But if he saw it, he would have to take responsibility for her. He was willing, but he was afraid Xiao Mu wouldn't. What was he thinking?

His face instantly became burning hot.

Xiao Mu quickly climbed out of the bathtub, wrapped herself in a cotton towel, swiftly dried herself off, changed into a pink top, and opened the door.

Ling looked up and saw that Xiao Mu's face was still covered with water droplets, her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and water droplets were still dripping from the ends of her hair, wetting her thin clothes. Her chest was exposed, and her breasts were faintly visible. Her slender waist was accompanied by the faint fragrance of magnolia flowers, which made people's hearts tremble.

Damn.

Aya's face flushed red, and she quickly looked away, stammering, "I... the food is ready... I made it, fish, shrimp... um... come down and eat."

Xiao Mu was a little embarrassed. "Okay, sure." It was really embarrassing just now. How can friends, especially friends of the opposite sex, get along like this in the future? It will be extremely awkward to see each other again.

When she went downstairs, Ling had already served two bowls of rice and set out two sets of tableware. Looking at the dishes Ling had prepared, they looked ordinary, but they were very appetizing. She couldn't cook at all, but she didn't expect that Ling's dishes would be so appetizing.

Aya picked up a piece of fish for her and said, "This is meat from the belly, so there aren't many bones. And it's very fresh."

Xiao Mu silently ate the meat that Ling had put on her plate. Suddenly, she thought of Yu Yanjing. Every time they ate fish, he would always pick out all the fish bones. She didn't like eating fish because there were too many bones and she always got them stuck in her throat. But when Yu Yanjing was around, he would pick out the bones for her, and she would start to like eating fish.

But who is he picking fish bones for now?

"What's wrong? Is it not good?" Ling asked anxiously.

Xiao Mu shook her head. "No, it was delicious. It just reminded me of some past events." She gave a faint, bitter smile. Indeed, they were past events, past events without resolution. Recalling them always brought a lump to her throat.

Large tears dripped from the tip of her nose into the rice. Xiao Mu's eyes were slightly red. She thought Ling hadn't noticed her, but when she looked up, she met Ling's eyes, which were as deep as a pool.

Ling remained silent, staring intently at her. The past? Was it about her and Zhou Tingxi? She had heard that they had known each other for over ten years and were the golden couple of Jiuguang Kingdom. Even though Zhou Tingxi had killed her father, she still loved him as always.

So, she thought of Zhou Tingxi, who had already married someone else. Was she heartbroken?

Ling remained silent, deep in thought. So...they encountered an avalanche in the Southern Territory because they were searching for Zhou Tingxi? He loved her to such an extent that he accompanied her through danger to the Southern Territory to find her husband. So, was all of this just wishful thinking on his part?

Xiao Mu finished the meal with difficulty. Ling had cooked it very well, but she had no appetite. Why did her appetite disappear whenever she thought of Yu Yanjing? She also felt tightness in her chest and difficulty breathing. So, he had become a source of anxiety for her?

Xiao Mu returned to her room, preoccupied and oblivious to Ling's emotional state. Neither of them spoke, and they each went back to their own rooms.

Ling stood quietly by the window, gazing at the calm lake surface. Suddenly, a thought came to her: she wanted to jump into the lake and let the icy water soak her entire body, creating ripples all around her.

"Boom."

There seemed to be some movement outside the window. Xiao Mu opened the window and looked straight at the lake. The boy was quietly soaking in the water, his dark hair completely wet. Water droplets clung to his eyelashes and dripped down his face. His robes clung tightly to his body, and one could vaguely see that the boy was thin and lacked any fleshy curves.

Xiao Mu ran downstairs in a panic, rushed to the lakeside, and shouted towards the water, "Ling, what are you doing? Come up here! It's cold now, you'll get sick!"

As if he hadn't heard, Ling submerged his head in the water for a long, long time! He was enjoying the pleasure that suffocation brought him. He felt that the lake water wasn't cold enough, not cold enough, and he even wondered if a frozen lake would be even more exciting. That bone-chilling feeling was exactly what he wanted. He hadn't been this crazy in a long time. Even if the lake water was cold, he had no intention of backing down. He heard the girl's cries in his ears. Was she concerned, or was she afraid that he would freeze to death?

Perhaps she was afraid. After all, he had come all the way with her, and if he suddenly died, she would definitely be held responsible...

How long have they known each other? Is it even half as long as Zhou Tingxi's? No!

So how could she possibly be nervous or feel sorry for herself?

"Ling, come up here quickly!"

Faced with the icy lake water, Xiao Mu hesitated, because their relationship wasn't enough for her to take the risk. But Ling was her friend, and she couldn't pretend not to see her.

"Aya, what happened? Tell me! Why are you doing this to yourself?" she shouted hysterically at the lake.

A cold smile crept across Ling's lips. Would she... jump into the water to save him? He just wanted to wait a little longer, to wait for her to jump into the water to save him.

Xiao Mu looked around frantically, hoping that a passerby would come by, or even just a small boat on the lake, but nothing happened.

Her heart was in her throat.

If no one comes soon, she'll go down herself; it's better to die together than to stand idly by.

Ling sneered; he wasn't worth her risking her life to save him.

He swam to the shore by himself, walked over to Xiao Mu, shook the water off himself, and said with a half-smile, "Why are you in such a hurry? I just wanted to swim. You know I can swim!"

Xiao Mu's expression changed instantly. "Can't you tell me what's wrong first? I thought something had happened to you when you suddenly jumped into the lake. Why didn't you answer me when I called you? You could have just said you were going swimming. Is it really necessary to make others worry for no reason?" Fortunately, she was relieved that Ling was alright. Isn't that good?

"Then why didn't you save me?" Ling's tone was icy, each word piercing Xiao Mu's heart.

Xiao Mu's fingers tightened, her palms sweating. She said angrily, "Who told you to scare me like that? I can swim too, but I was scared too! I was thinking if no one came soon, I'd go down and pull you out! Who knew you'd climb out on your own!"

A hint of joy flashed in Aya's eyes. "Really?"

Xiao Mu nodded and answered truthfully, "I'm prepared to die with you. Although I'm terrified of death, I'm very loyal when my friends are in danger. If we're going to die, we'll die together!"

Ling quickly spoke up to stop her, saying, "Stop talking about death. We all need to live well. Don't keep talking about death. I don't like hearing it."

He had seen many life and death. When he was young, he lost his mother and was sad for a while, but when Consort Jing appeared, his heart was comforted and the pain of losing his mother gradually faded.

When he was eighteen, his father passed away. Before he could recover from the grief, he had to face the relentless pressure from his nine older brothers. None of them wanted him to live, but he insisted on living, and he wanted to live well.

Isn't dying simple?

When he was imprisoned in the dungeon, he was tortured by his brothers every day, but he still survived. Even though he was covered in wounds, he never gave up. He only wanted to kill them all one day and use their blood to appease the person who had been humiliated.

His elder brother trampled his face underfoot and came to the dungeon every day to insult him and whip him with a whip soaked in poison. Each lash tore his skin open, accompanied by a burning pain, but it wouldn't heal because of the poison. It wasn't a deadly poison, just one that hindered healing. As his elder brother whipped him, he would curse, "You monster, die! Why does Father favor you so much? Why!"

Does it hurt? Of course it hurts, but he turned all the pain into resentment and accumulated it in his heart, waiting for the day when he would trample his elder brother under his feet and let him taste what it feels like to be trampled underfoot, insulted, and whipped!

So, he killed his elder brother. The moment he snatched the sword and beheaded his brother, his brother's eyes were still looking at him with contempt. So he gouged out his eyeballs and crushed them under his feet.

His second brother drugged his food, filling his body with slow-acting poisons. His third brother had his legs broken, forced him to kneel before him, and demanded that he be called a monster and a cripple. When he refused, his eldest brother pierced his mouth with needles. His fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth brothers treated him like a plaything, taking turns whipping him and leaving him in the countryside to be gnawed on by wild dogs. He fought desperately and killed one of the wild dogs, but another one came. To survive, he picked up a stone and smashed it against the dog's head until its head was completely shattered before he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Death is not scary at all, so he desperately tried to survive, just to see those who had humiliated him fall one by one with their faces contorted in rage.