"Let's rest here tonight," Qin Moyuan said, looking around. His face was a little pale. He was still recovering from serious injuries, and it was already remarkable that he could walk this far.
Li Yueshu nodded and took out repellent from her spatial dimension to drive away mosquitoes and insects. Seeing this, Qin Moyuan tacitly went to find a spot to sleep for the night.
After preparing for sleep, Li Yueshu took out dinner from her spatial dimension. Looking at the steaming dishes in front of him, Qin Moyuan's expression twitched uncontrollably. Although he already knew she could conjure many strange things out of thin air, this was still too mysterious and bizarre in the eyes of the world. Was she that confident in his resilience?
Qin Moyuan looked at her deeply, a slight smile curling his lips. He was the only one in this world who knew her secret, so wasn't he the most special person to her? With this thought, Qin Moyuan found the food in his mouth even more delicious.
Seeing that he had never asked her anything, Li Yueshu was actually curious. A normal person would have endless questions in such a situation, but Qin Moyuan hadn't mentioned a word. He was indeed a man of great forbearance!
Li Yueshu swallowed her food and looked at the person beside her. "Have you decided where we're going tomorrow?" Qin Moyuan seemed very experienced in finding his way; he had led the way all afternoon.
Qin Moyuan looked up at the sky and said, "When the stars come out tonight, we can determine our direction for tomorrow by looking at the Big Dipper. That way, we'll know where to go."
Li Yueshu nodded and said nothing more. She knew that the Big Dipper could be used to tell direction, but she hadn't expected there to be so many stars in the night sky. Li Yueshu tilted her head back to look at the starry sky and couldn't help but twitch her lips. "Can you tell where the Big Dipper is?"
Qin Moyuan nodded and pointed in a certain direction. "Yunsu is north of Tongmu County. As long as we weren't swept too far by the river, heading in that direction should be correct."
Li Yueshu followed his gaze, but after looking for a long time, she still couldn't find the Big Dipper. She just thought the starry sky was quite beautiful. Qin Moyuan noticed her speechless expression and, guessing what she was thinking, a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. "What are you looking at?"
Li Yueshu's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she replied expressionlessly, "Looking at the scenery, don't you think this night sky is beautiful?" Qin Moyuan looked up. The twinkling stars were like gems adorning the dark curtain. The faint starlight cast a glow on the leaves.
"It is indeed beautiful," Qin Moyuan suddenly asked, "Have you ever seen the starry sky over the grasslands?" Li Yueshu froze and turned to look at him, confused. But Qin Moyuan continued to gaze at the sky, as if recalling the beauty of such a scene, his lips curving slightly. "On grassland nights, the starlight seems to come alive. At a glance, it feels like heaven and earth have become one. That sight is even more beautiful than this."
Li Yueshu looked at the sky, and her mind could almost imagine such a scene. She had never actually seen a sky full of stars, and this was probably the first time she had truly appreciated so many stars hanging in the sky. This kind of beauty could indeed only be truly experienced firsthand. In a beautiful environment, people also tend to relax more easily.
Li Yueshu propped herself up with her hands behind her, comfortably admiring the beautiful scenery. "If I have the chance, I'd really like to see it for myself." She wasn't someone who liked to travel, but in this moment, this sentiment arose and she spoke it casually. Qin Moyuan, however, took it to heart.
He turned to look at her profile beside him. The starlight reflected in her dark eyes, and the firelight from the bonfire flickered across her enchanting face. Accompanied by the chirping of insects and birds, the night seemed even more beautiful tonight.
"A Shu..." he called out subconsciously, his voice lingering and gentle, as if hiding some emotion. Li Yueshu turned her head, her face still lit with the joy of appreciating the scenery. "What is it?" Qin Moyuan opened his mouth, as if something was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't utter a single word.
After a long pause, he withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "If there's an opportunity, I can take you to see the grasslands. Whether it's day or night, the scenery there is beautiful." Li Yueshu looked at him, tilting her head in confusion. "As a prince who grew up in the palace, how have you seen the scenery of the grasslands?"
Qin Moyuan's lips stiffened, and a flash of an unusual look crossed his eyes. After a moment of silence, he said slowly, "I went to war at the age of ten and stayed on the border grasslands for seven years." Li Yueshu's expression froze, and her relaxed body tensed. Ten years old... in modern times, that was a child still in elementary school! In the dim night, Qin Moyuan's expression was hard to discern, but a low, heavy aura emanated from him.
At this moment, Li Yueshu felt a sense of shared suffering towards him. After a period of silence, she slowly said, "When I was ten, I also killed someone." Regardless of which world, there was no absolute brightness. Some people were born pampered darlings, while others had to fight with all their might just to survive. She and Qin Moyuan were clearly the latter.
Qin Moyuan turned to look at her, his eyes seemingly filled with a myriad of shifting lights. But Li Yueshu had already raised her head to look at the sky again, enjoying the beauty of the countless stars.
...
The night passed without incident. The next morning, when they woke up, the sky was already bright. Li Yueshu groggily opened her eyes to see the sun high in the sky. On a tree branch above her head, a piece of clothing was hanging. The dazzling sunlight shone down, and the clothing conveniently blocked the light from her face.
Seeing the familiar clothing, Li Yueshu blinked slightly and instinctively looked around, but couldn't see the person. Just as she was searching, a figure walked over from not far away.
"Awake?" Qin Moyuan was holding a few fruits. "I went to check in the direction we discussed last night and found a river about two kilometers away. If we follow the river, we should meet people soon." As he approached, he handed her the fruits. "I picked them just now, and they've already been washed."
Li Yueshu was still a bit dazed and reached out to take them. Before she could say anything, Qin Moyuan, after handing her the fruits, suddenly leaped up and took down the clothing from the branch. He had to admit, his posture was quite dashing.
Li Yueshu asked out of the blue, "Is it too late for me to learn to cultivate internal energy now?" She also wanted to fly.
Qin Moyuan, who was dusting off his clothes, paused upon hearing this, then put the clothes on. "If A Shu wants to learn, I can teach you anytime." Both of their clothes had several tears and were somewhat dirty, and several pieces of Qin Moyuan's inner garment were ripped. But at this moment, watching him meticulously adjust his clothes, Li Yueshu felt as if he were putting on a grand formal gown, exuding a sense of noble elegance. She quickly averted her gaze. "Then perhaps not. I'm afraid I don't have the time." Seeing her evasive eyes, Qin Moyuan couldn't help but touch his face, a smile appearing in his eyes.