On the second half of their trip, Feng Mohan almost covered his face the whole time.
He would look diagonally up the sky or let his eyes stray on the roadside.
He was still a half-grown boy. Was it really good to be a half-grown boy?
Especially when these sorts of pictures were his favorites. However, he couldn't look!
Imperial Uncle's eyes could kill!
Gosh…What…Torture!
The three people entered the courtyard, and the door closed.
A figure appeared around a corner outside, leaning crookedly against the pillar with his hands folded.
"So this is where you live."
Then he could only squat here to look for opportunities.
It wasn't easy to stumble upon something interesting. He was too reluctant to give up.
Inside the study in the inner yard of the courtyard.
Feng Qingbai was packing up some official documents and correspondence as well as some bits and pieces of articles he needed to bring.
Wei Zi showed up, "Master, should we take care of that person outside?"
"No need."
"In case he's an assassin…"
"Have you ever seen such a stupid assassin?"
"…" Wei Zi backed off.
From Xuzhou back to Xinghua Village, the fastest journey would take ten days or so.
In order to be more comfortable on the road, Feng Qingbai prepared two carriages.
Separate sitting.
Feng Mohan, Wei Hong, Wei Zi, and Wei Bai boarded the second carriage.
It was his first time outside, but he was overjoyed that he would finally get to see the legendary Xinghua Village.
Nevertheless, when he heard that he must sit with the hidden guards, and on hard seats at that, Feng Mohan wilted.
He was utterly wounded.
He felt that in addition to being petty, Imperial Uncle also could hold grudges.
This time. he looked at Liu Yusheng with puppily countless times, but she wasn't able to save him.
"It will be more comfortable to sit here. Why don't you let him come? He's just recuperating," Liu Yusheng was helpless.
Although the interior of the second carriage wasn't too simple, it wasn't high-class enough compared to the one they were riding in.
Both the Uncle and Nephew have always been riding the same carriage, so Liu Yusheng felt that she robbed the boy.
Feng Qingbai wrapped his arm around the girl and leaned on the comfortable cushion. "You can't spoil him. Once you indulge him, he'd take flight to the sky. A little bit of suffering can make him more sensible."
That boy could climb to the top once you give him a pole.
It has only been a few days of work, but after knowing his soft spot, he could hide behind the girl and play with him.
"But…"
"If you worry about him, you might as well worry about me."
"Worry about you for what?"
Feng Qingbai sighed lightly and lowered his head to block the young girl's mouth. "Take advantage of this time to compensate me more."
"…"
Once they returned, there would be more eyes everywhere.
He hoped to make up some portions on the way, first.
Feng Mohan was thus left behind by Liu Yusheng.
It was noon when the carriage passed through Yunzhou City. Liu Yusheng went to Yunzhou Academy to visit his elder brother Liu Zhixia.
She brought him the books and ink she bought in Xuzhou.
Yunzhou Academy was the number one school in Yunzhou City.
It was located at the foot of Qing Mountain on the outskirts of the city.
When Liu Zhixia heard that someone was visiting, he knew it was someone from his family.
He was discussing his studies with his teacher, but upon hearing the news, he hurriedly ran to the entrance of the academy.
When he came out, he had vaguely guessed that the one who came should be Nannan. Only she was occasionally running outside because of the partnership with Qian Wanjin.
He, however, never expected that the one accompanying Nannan this time wasn't Qian Wanjin, but another strange man.
The two were standing side by side under eaves of the entrance of the academy, talking and laughing.
The way the man gazed at Nannan immediately made him wary.
And the way Nannan looked back at the man almost made Liu Zhixia collapse.
Liu Zhixia charged forward and pulled the girl to his side. His eyes sharply stared at the man standing with a light smile, "Nannan, who is he?"
The young girl's head tilted, smiling wryly, "Look, I told you that Big Brother can't recognize you."
"Nannan?" Liu Zhixia frowned, still staring intently at the man opposite him.
"Zhixia," the man smiled, "The red hair tie."
"…" In the next instant, Liu Zhixia's eyes widened. "You… A-Axiu?!"
The man nodded.
Liu Zhixia felt dizzy. "What's going on? You're really Axiu?"
The man was standing with a tall, jaded stature, distinct and handsome, elegant and majestic. His dark purple brocade robe set off his calmness and nobility even more.
His entire body spoke out of the ordinary.
Liu Zhixia couldn't connect this man in front of her with the Axiu of his childhood.
What was Axiu like at that time?
His messy bangs almost hid half of his face. He wore black and grey robes, reticent, silent, and always quietly followed Nannan.
From when he disappeared to when he was found later, to having half of his face ruined, and turned into an idiot.
He was nowhere like what he looked now.
Except … those eyes.
But in the past, a smile wouldn't emerge from those eyes when looking at other people except Nannan.
"I'm going back to Xinghua Village with Nannan." The man kept smiling gently, unimpressed by his surprise. "I'm afraid you don't have time to go back. Why don't you go have a drink with me and catch up?"
Liu Zhixia easily snapped out of his shock, looked deeply at Feng Qingbai and nodded. "It's time to catch up."
He left without saying good-bye in the first place, causing Nannan to nurse her hurt secretly for a long time. Now he was saying that he was back – it wasn't that easy for him to let go of his past.
When he recalled the way Nannan looked at Feng Qingbai just now, Liu Zhixia not only had a headache, but also a stomachache!
There were many small food stores and small restaurants outside the academy.
They were where students usually frequent and spend.
Because the academy was some distance from the city, access wasn't convenient, so the business of these small stores was still good.
Liu Zhixia chose a small restaurant that looked relatively clean and took the two of them to the table.
The shopkeeper smilingly came to entertain, sent a jar of wine, a few plates of small dishes and didn't come to bother.
Classes at the academy weren't over yet at this hour, so there were only a few tables with customers. It was clean and suitable for catching up.
He poured a cup of wine for himself, looked at Liu Yusheng, and then said, "Come on, what happened? How did you meet? And what's your status now? Are you going back to visit Xinghua Village and then leave to maintain old acquaintanceship with our family, or do you have other plans?"
Liu Zhixia didn't favor talking crap and spoke straight to the point.
He hoped that Feng Qingbai chose the former. Since he didn't appear or contact them for so many years, it would be enough to just be old acquaintances with each other.
He shouldn't come out and provoke their Nannan again.
Feng Qingbai picked up a cup of wine and took a sip. The wine was spicy and of poor quality. "I came back for a visit and will leave. I can't stay for long."
Instead of breathing a sigh of relief, Liu Zhixia's heart dangled up. He had a hunch that the man hadn't finished speaking.
"Then what?"
"I have a nephew who's seriously ill, and I want Shengsheng to take care of him for a while. I will come to take him back when the time comes."
"That's it?" Liu Zhixia did not believe.
Feng Qingbai laughed, "What else do you think I want?"
It was a trap, so Liu Zhixia didn't answer, "I hope that's the case. As for that nephew of yours, although Nannan is a good doctor, she isn't god. She can't cure everyone, so you have to have a measure in mind."
It would be good if she could cure him, but if she couldn't, he shouldn't pin the blame on Nannan's head.