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墨書 Inktalez
"Just lie down and don't get up."
Arsen sat at the bedside holding a bowl of dark medicine, saying to Alin, "This is the medicine Amu prepared for you. He said you would wake up at this time and told me to feed it to you." His voice was no longer as hoarse as it had been a few days ago; instead, it carried a hint of teasing clarity.
Alin felt dizzy, his body weak and limp, his limbs exhausted. He struggled to lift his hand to make a few gestures: How long have I been asleep? Is your throat better? Where did Amu go?
As Arsen blew on the medicine to cool it down before feeding it to him, he said, "You've been asleep for two days. At first, I was really scared, but Amu said this means you've expelled all the residual toxins and your body needs rest. He told you to sleep well.
My throat is fine now; I just need to be careful with my diet. By the way, Amu went to get more medicine for you and should be back soon. Are you feeling unwell? Drink this medicine first; I've already instructed the waiter to prepare some plain porridge for you, which will be brought over shortly."
After several days of deep sleep without food or water, Alin found the taste of the medicine extremely bitter. However, seeing Arsen, who usually wasn't one to act childishly, taking such care of him made him feel deeply moved.
He couldn't speak yet and could only express his gratitude through actions. He swallowed with more effort than before, leaving Arsen wide-eyed: "Alin, are you hungry?"
At those words, Alin spat out some medicine and shot an annoyed look at Arsen, his face clearly saying three words: clueless fool!
Arsen chuckled awkwardly and continued to feed him the medicine. "You really have recovered well; you're even glaring at me now. Unlike before when you were like a clay Buddha statue—calm and gentle enough but just felt... distant."
Alin nearly spat out the medicine again upon hearing that. This silly boy—how could he compare someone to a Buddha statue? Was that a compliment or an insult?
"What do you mean by distant?" Just then, Amu returned with several bags of medicine. Seeing Alin awake didn't surprise him much; he approached and checked Alin's pulse, nodding as he said, "You're recovering well. A few more doses of medicine should do the trick."
Alin smiled lightly; even an ordinary face carried a touch of gentle ease. He gestured to ask: Aren't we supposed to be on our way? Is it okay to stay here?
Amu observed all his movements and only spoke after Alin finished the medicine: "Just focus on getting better; there's no need to worry about anything else. Arsen and I can handle it."
This meant those people still hadn't let go of him!
Alin smiled wryly and shook his head, gesturing that he had caused trouble for them.
"What are you talking about!" Arsen was the first to jump in, "If anyone is causing trouble, it's you not treating us like brothers. Didn't we say that we share both good and bad times? Why are you being so distant and trying to separate us?"
After saying this, he sulked and sat down on the bench, turning his head away in frustration.
Alin looked at his childish behavior and couldn't help but smile. This smile was one of comfort, gratitude, and happiness: It's my fault; I won't say that again in the future.
Arsen huffed but didn't respond, though half of his body had already turned toward Alin.
Alin chuckled and shook his arm, gesturing: Don't be angry; once I'm better, I'll buy you some candied hawthorn sticks.
"Who wants candied hawthorn sticks? I only bought one last time because I felt sorry for that old man selling them. It wasn't even good."
Arsen jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, afraid that others would think of him as just a child.
Alin smiled gently, as if looking at a child who didn't understand: Alright, whatever you say goes; can we agree not to be angry anymore?
"Hmph, just this once; it won't happen again," Arsen said, extending his pinky finger.
Alin shook his head with a face full of indulgence and hooked pinkies with him, sealing the promise: It's a deal!
Amu, who had been silent all along, also smiled at this but quickly returned to his usual calm demeanor: "Right now, our situation is difficult. Alin, you've just recovered from the poison; your body is still weak. You shouldn't move around too much and should rest in bed as much as possible."
"Arsen, your throat has healed. Although it won't attract attention, the three of us are still outsiders. In this small town, if anyone starts asking questions, we'll definitely be discovered. So let's avoid going out unless necessary. If you need any daily supplies, just let me know; I'll find a way."
After he finished speaking, the three fell silent.
Arsen nodded understandingly: "Got it. I'll stay indoors as much as possible; I won't even go to the bathroom."
As soon as the words were spoken, the other two burst into laughter, "You really are a naive one!"
Alin's smile gradually faded, and a look of worry crossed his brow: If Prince An continues to be relentless, I fear I will never escape death. I am not afraid of dying; I am only afraid of implicating you.
"No matter how powerful Prince An is, he won't know that we managed to escape from Penglai all the way to Heavenly Universe Kingdom," Amu reassured him. "Don't worry; when soldiers come, we will fight them off, and when water comes, we will block it. There will always be a way."
Arsen nodded repeatedly, "That's right! If they come again, we'll fight back. After all, killing one is breaking even, and killing two is a profit."
Alin looked at them gratefully: Meeting you both is the greatest blessing of my life.
The three of them held hands tightly together, as if they were brothers united by blood.
This small town was not particularly prosperous; it had only a few streets. However, the main street was quite lively, bustling with many vendors, albeit somewhat chaotic.
The shops along the street had been around for decades. They lacked the grandeur of more opulent establishments but had an air of simplicity. Watching the shopkeepers chat with their regular customers and feeling the little moments shared among ordinary people truly inspired trust.
However, this clearly did not affect Jiang Wei, who wandered around casually. Dressed in white and waving a Folding Fan, he looked exceptionally handsome. His amber eyes always carried a smile reminiscent of sandalwood, causing many women on the street to glance his way.
Jiang Wei stopped in front of a Rouge Stand. The vendor was a girl around eighteen or nineteen years old. Upon seeing such a handsome young man approach, her face flushed with two rosy spots before she could even speak. "W-What would you like to buy, sir?"
"I haven't decided what I want yet; could you introduce me to some options?" Jiang Wei swayed his fan gently, his smiling eyes filled with sweetness like heavy honey. His voice was so soft it seemed to drip with tenderness, stirring something within her heart.
Upon hearing such a gentle voice, the girl felt her heart race and her breath quicken. "If you don't mind, sir, please allow me to explain in detail."
Saying this, she trembled slightly as she picked up a not-so-exquisite blue-and-white porcelain bottle from the stand and opened the red cloth cover on top. "Please take a look at this jar of Snowflake Cream. This is my family's secret recipe; although the ingredients are not precious, it is very effective for women to maintain their delicate beauty. All the women in town come to my family's business."
Jiang Wei simply waved his Folding Fan, smiling without saying a word.
The girl thought he didn't believe her and explained anxiously, "It's true! If you don't believe me, you can ask around. Everyone in the town knows about the Su Family Rouge Workshop; they are absolutely honest..."
Jiang Wei saw her about to burst into tears from anxiety and smiled, waving his hand. "What you said is very good."
Turning around, he called out loudly, "Friends behind me, why hide? Why not come out and meet?"
Night Star, dressed in dark attire and wearing thick-soled Azure Dragon Cloud Chasing Boots, walked with firm steps. His expression was stern, and his gaze was resolute. "You're very clever!"
"Thank you for the compliment, my friend." Jiang Wei remained cheerful as he turned back and handed a gold ingot to the girl, who was at a loss for how to react. "Please help me wrap this up."
"All of it?" The girl held the gold ingot in surprise, her mouth agape as she stammered.
Jiang Wei's smile widened a bit more. "Is that not enough?"
"Enough, it's enough!" The girl said, glancing at the two exceptionally outstanding men with contrasting styles. She quickly wrapped up everything at her stall and placed it in front of Jiang Wei. Blushing, she wanted to say something but turned and ran away swiftly.
"You've always known I was following you!" Night Star looked at him and stated affirmatively.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and the merchants at the stalls focused their attention on the two tall and handsome men. However, the two remained unfazed, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings.
Jiang Wei nodded leisurely as he looked at him. "You've also always known that I knew you were following me."
The two stood in the middle of the street—one in flowing white robes, strikingly handsome; the other in dark garb, tall and resolute—creating a unique scene on this street.
Night Star looked at Jiang Wei and after a moment smiled. "Are you interested in having a drink together?"
"It would be my honor!" Jiang Wei exclaimed as he opened his Folding Fan with a flourish, smiling like a sly fox.
They casually found a nearby Tavern. It was quite simple but clean and tidy. The owner was an old madam with white hair who welcomed them to take a seat.
The Old Man, with a twirling goat beard, said, "If you two want to drink, you must try the liquor brewed by me, Liu the Old Man. Everyone within a hundred miles knows that my liquor paired with the oil-splashed noodles made by my wife is simply delicious!"
Jiang Wei was amused by the exaggerated words and couldn't help but feel curious. He looked at Night Star for confirmation and said, "Since it sounds so good, why don't we give it a try?"
Night Star nodded, "Sounds good."
"Great! Wife, bring a jar of liquor and two bowls of oil-splashed noodles."
Seeing business coming in, the Old Man was all smiles. He sized up the two of them and cheerfully added, "Drinking my liquor and eating my noodles means you must also try the Cloud Hen I stew. The taste is renowned for miles around. I just happened to kill one today; it's very fresh. How about I stew one for you two?"
His twirling goat beard was both amusing and infuriating.
This time, without waiting for Jiang Wei to speak, Night Star placed a gold ingot on the table. "Get whatever else you want; just bring the liquor over."
The Old Man was taken aback, his eyes widening at the sight of gold. Trembling, he picked it up and bit into it, excitedly unsure whether to cry or laugh. "Wife, come here quickly!"
The Old Matron thought something was wrong and hurried over. Seeing the situation, she slapped the Old Man's arm with annoyance. "You old fool! I thought something happened to you. Stop embarrassing yourself here and go cook."
With that, she smiled at the guests and said, "Please wait a moment; the liquor will be here shortly."
The Old Matron, being older and slower in movement, struggled with the heavy jar of liquor. Just as she slipped and was about to fall without having time to scream, Night Star and Jiang Wei reacted swiftly—one caught her while the other grabbed the jar—working together seamlessly.
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