Chapter 51 Youth
Luo Jin had never seen Shui Yingchen at the age of fifteen, but he certainly had an impression of it. Seeing himself become a different person was somewhat of a psychological burden.
"Okay, stop looking. It's time to set off." Luo Jin turned the mirror upside down and pulled Shui Yingchen, "The carriage is waiting at the door, and the documents have been processed. Don't dilly-dally."
"Okay." Shui Yingchen took the sword and yawned.
Luo Jin looked back at him and saw that the circles around his eyes were gray and black. His skin was originally a little pale, making the dark circles look even more serious.
"Didn't sleep well?"
"Yeah, I keep having nightmares."
Shui Yingchen yawned again, "Let's go."
...
Shui Yingchen's injury wasn't urgent, but Xiao Lian and the children couldn't wait. Luo Jin wasn't idle along the way. She kept changing horses and drivers and traveling overnight. She could use the carriages and horses in Dongyuan at will. If she sent a message to the post station in advance, they would be prepared for her, but it wouldn't work outside Dongyuan.
"Is it that urgent?" Shui Yingchen sighed helplessly in the carriage.
"Sorry, I know you don't sleep well. You may not be able to sleep well even if you lie in bed. In the carriage, you might..." Luo Jin said apologetically, "This journey is hard on you, but those children... several are already in critical condition. If we find Si Tuan earlier, we may be able to save one or two more children."
Shui Yingchen yawned and nodded, "I know."
That night, they rested in the carriage. The road was bumpy. Shortly after Luo Jin fell asleep, she woke up. Shui Yingchen’s eyes were closed, while his breathing was even. He seemed to sleep soundly. Luo Jin thought to herself that it was indeed the function of the Red Emperor Gu. Her previous hypnosis was useless. But it was also strange that she was carrying the Red Emperor Gu, but still woke up constantly because of the bumps. She didn't notice that Shui Yingchen woke up at night. Shui Yingchen opened his eyes only after daybreak. He looked out the window and said in surprise, "I didn't have a nightmare. I slept better in the carriage than in the inn."
He thought, "If I can't sleep in the future, I'll take a carriage."
Luo Jin: "..."
Five days later, they finally left Dongyuan and came to Hanyuan.
After entering the city, the driver and the horse were tired. This wasn't Dongyuan. They couldn't order the people at the post station to do things. They have to find a place to hire a driver and change horses.
As soon as she entered the city, Luo Jin found something strange. She saw that the person on the wanted poster on the wall seemed to look a bit like herself.
"Go and have a look. Are they looking for me?" Luo Jin whispered to Shui Yingchen.
Shui Yingchen had excellent eyesight. He glanced in that direction and nodded, "You are indeed wanted."
Luo Jin frowned, "We have been traveling day and night to get to Hanyuan. How come the Empress Dowager issued a wanted order so quickly? This isn't scientific..."
"Scientific?" Shui Yingchen halted for a moment. Then said, "Is it possible that she sent the portrait by carrier pigeon?"
"But why does she want to arrest me?" Luo Jin pondered for a while and suddenly stared at Shui Yingchen, "She likes you, so she regards me as a rival in love, so she wants to arrest me! It's all your fault!"
Shui Yingchen: "..."
He speechlessly replied: "Is it possible that it is because of the Red Emperor Gu? As far as I know, although this Empress Dowager Su is a lunatic, she doesn't seem to be that idle."
He paused, "She is so confident and proud, it’s impossible for her to regard you as a rival in love."
Luo Jin had a feeling that the last sentence wasn't a good thing.
"Don't you know how to disguise yourself? Help me change my appearance!" Luo Jin said.
Shui Yingchen nodded, "I'll go buy some materials, you wait in the carriage."
Luo Jin was quite surprised to see Shui Yingchen get off the carriage. Was he that easy to talk to?
After a long time, Shui Yingchen came back carrying a big bag in his hand and got on the carriage with a cat in the other.
"Do you need so many things?" Luo Jin was stunned by the size of the bag. If he didn't know, he would think Shui Yingchen packed a quilt. And also that cat...
"Not really, I bought some other things on the way... I suddenly realized that I'm quite rich." Shui Yingchen looked at the cat in his arms, "Aren't you going to find Si Tuan? This cat's leg is lame, let him help heal it."
"..."
Si Tuan was famous all over the world. Countless people were willing to pay a huge fortune to ask him to heal them, but didn't have the chance to see him.
Did Shui Yingchen think he was a veterinarian?
Luo Jin had to admit that Shui Yingchen was indeed a rich man. His seldom-visited property in Dongyuan was ridiculously luxurious, but that was the tip of the iceberg of his wealth.
Ten years ago, Shui Yingchen wouldn't be so rich. When a fifteen-year-old boy suddenly found that he had a large sum of wealth, it was normal for him to run out to buy things.
Luo Jin looked at the bundle that Shui Yingchen had untied.
She was silent.
There were all kinds of things in the bundle, including masks, spinning tops, windmills, clay dolls, wine glasses, nine-linked rings... There were all kinds of things, and some items of unknown purpose that she had never seen before.
When she thought how the other party was now a 15-year-old boy, it all made sense.
"Okay, let's get started." Shui Yingchen rummaged through the bundle for a while, found the tools for disguise, and stuffed the cat into Luo Jin's arms, "Help me hold it."
The cat meowed in dissatisfaction and reluctantly laid in Luo Jin's arms and hummed.
"..."
Shui Yingchen fiddled around for a while and looked up at Luo Jin, "It's time to start, don't move."
"En."
Shui Yingchen gently brushed the paste in his hand onto Luo Jin's face with a brush, which was slightly cool. He leaned close, staring at her face intently. She could even see a dark pupil in his dark gray eyes.
After a while, Shui Yingchen suddenly reached out and pinched her face.
"What are you doing?" Luo Jin instinctively shrank back.
"See if it's tight..." Shui Yingchen lowered his head and took out a mirror, "Look for yourself?"
Luo Jin took the mirror and looked at the person in the mirror.
Now her face was completely different from before. It had become very... ugly. Shui Yingchen casually piled some things on her face, making her face rounder. The skin was bumpy, as if acne had grown too vigorously.
She didn't care about these, as long as she wasn't recognized. No one would want to capture her after leaving Hanyuan Country and she won't have to pretend deliberately at that time.
"I..." Shui Yingchen stared at Luo Jin in contemplation, "I seem to have seen you somewhere..."
Luo Jin's heart tightened. She pretended to say casually: "Really? My appearance is quite common."
"Really?" Shui Yingchen frowned slightly, "Speaking of which, I have always wanted to know who beat me so badly and pushed me off the cliff. Logically speaking, with my martial arts, no one can hurt me, unless..."
"Unless what?" Luo Jin's heartbeat accelerated. Did he infer that someone used insects to trigger his inner fear? Then she, who possessed the Red Emperor Gu, was obviously the biggest suspect.
"Could it be that someone used seduction and sneak attack me when I was least prepared? Could it be that I have grown into a lustful person ten years later?" Shui Yingchen's expression was a little complicated, seemingly find it difficult to accept.
Luo Jin: "..."
Continuing on the road, Luo Jin occasionally opened the window to look at the scenery outside the carriage. It was spring in Dongyuan, while in Hanyuan, it was still winter. Passersby were wearing thick cotton-padded jackets. The further north they went, the more snowy and icy it was. It was even colder than the winter in Dongyuan.
Shui Yingchen wasn't afraid of the cold. He didn’t feel cold even in the spring clothes he wore when he came here. However, Luo Jin's hands and feet were already cold. The carriage was stopped to buy a flowery cotton-padded jacket and a thick cotton hat.
"Yeyuan is even colder than Hanyuan." Shui Yingchen kindly reminded, "You'd better wear a few more layers."
"..."
Luo Jin had wrapped herself up like a little cotton ball.
"You have learned martial arts, right? Practicing martial arts can drive away the cold." Shui Yingchen reminded.
Luo Jin thought this was a good idea. It could not only increase her skills, but also keep herself from being cold. It would take another ten days to reach Yeyuan. There was nothing to do on the road, so she might as well practice martial arts.
She concentrated her energy and began to practice. Gradually, she felt the coldness on her body disappear and her hands and feet also warmed up.
Ten days later, they finally left Hanyuan and came to Yeyuan.
Yeyuan was located in the northernmost part of the continent. Here the days were short, the nights were long. The climate was extremely cold. The road was covered with snow, and the weather was cold and freezing.
"Are you sure Si Tuan found such a place to live in seclusion?" Although Shui Yingchen had extremely high skills, he still felt a little cold after entering Yeyuan and took a large cloak and wrapped himself up.
"En."
"Why do you want to go into the city? Isn't he living in seclusion?"
"The great hermit hides in the city. Do you think he lives in the mountains and old forests?"
This was the Xue City of Yeyuan, which was much more prosperous than other places. There were endless people on the streets. The shouts of the vendors around made it feel lively.
Luo Jin finally took off her disguise and felt a chill on her face. She covered her face with her gloved hands and asked passers-by, "Where does Mr. Ah Si, who writes storybooks, live?"
After asking several passers-by, she finally found out.
"Ah Si?"
"It's Si Tuan. He doesn't practice medicine anymore. He writes storybooks instead."
"..."
Ah Si lived in an ordinary house in the west of the city. When Luo Jin and Shui Yingchen arrived, they saw a girl knocking on the door frantically, "Si Tuan, open the door! I know you're in there! Don't pretend you're not at home, I know you're at home! Si Tuan!"
A lazy voice came from the door, "I told you that you recognized the wrong person. Girl, you should leave. I'm a storybook writer."
The girl insisted, "If you don't treat my younger brother, I will tell everyone that Si Tuan is Ah Si, and get everyone to bother you!"
Shui Yingchen couldn't help but smile, "It seemed that someone arrived earlier than us. Perfect. Let's knock on the door together!"
He appeared delighted and ran to the door and knocked, "Si Tuan! Come out!"
He had great strength. With a casual knock, the wooden door was pushed by this powerful force, fell off the hinges, and flew far away.
Helpless, Luo Jin got out of the carriage holding the cat. She didn't want to admit that she came with this guy.
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