The mountains and rivers are quiet and broad

21. Journey to the Fog Mountains (4)

Like a thunderclap on the ground, Xu Qingfeng's soft call shook Chen Ke's heart.

This is the first time Chen Ke heard Xu Qingfeng call him the prince, and even heard anxiety, worry, dependence on and pursuit of him in those trembling words.Chen Ke couldn't react for a while, and responded in a low voice: "Yes, yes."

But Xu Qingfeng failed to respond to Chen Ke's expectation. When Grandpa Quan approached with a candle, Chen Ke still met Xu Qingfeng's confused eyes.

"Xu Qingfeng..." Chen Ke hesitated, and called out tentatively. After a while, Xu Qingfeng's eyes moved, and his eyes were no longer dull. They gradually fell on Chen Ke's face. Tears rolled in his eyes, as if they were about to burst out.

Chen Ke couldn't tell whether it was more disappointment or more peace of mind. He lowered his head and said nothing, but Xu Qingfeng threw himself into Chen Ke's arms. Chen Ke could feel the clothes on his chest soaked with tears, and Xu Qingfeng's slightly trembling body.

Gently hugging Xu Qingfeng, Chen Ke patted him on the back, and asked him in a soft voice: "What's wrong?"

Seeing this, Eunuch Quan retreated silently.

Four candles were lit in the room to dispel the darkness. Xu Qingfeng raised his head, grasping Chen Ke's clothes tightly with both hands, the warm candlelight fell on his tear-stained face, his eyes were glistening, and his voice trembled. It seems to be complaining: "You, keep going..."

Xu Qingfeng sobbed from time to time while talking, "Go straight, don't wait for me, I call you, you still, go..."

This is probably the content of the nightmare, Chen Ke heaved a sigh of relief, still regretting the clear and crisp call, he thought that Xu Qingfeng's mind had suddenly recovered.

"I'm here, I didn't leave." Wiping Xu Qingfeng's tears, Xu Qingfeng calmed down after a few words of reassurance, but still grabbed Chen Ke's clothes and did not let go.

The night in the north in April was still a bit cold. Chen Ke came here wearing only a thin coat. At this time, he relaxed his emotions, and felt a slight chill creeping up his skin, causing a shiver.Xu Qingfeng didn't notice it, he was still immersed in the emotions in his dream.

Helpless, Chen Ke had no choice but to lean on the head of the bed, put his arms around Xu Qingfeng, and pulled the quilt over the two of them.

Xu Qingfeng finally let go of Chen Ke's clothes, stretched out his arms to hug Chen Ke, curled up in Chen Ke's arms, and slowly fell asleep again.

This time, it was safe and dreamless, and the night finally passed.

In the morning, Chen Ke woke up first. The soreness in his back and the numbness of his arms made him uncomfortable. Then he realized that he sat with his arms around Xu Qingfeng for the rest of the night.

Xu Qingfeng was still sleeping peacefully, and his peaceful sleeping face had long since lost the panic of last night. Chen Ke got out of bed carefully, and the whole father-in-law outside the door seemed to have been waiting all night.

Eunuch Quan didn't say anything, maybe he had nothing to say, or maybe he didn't dare to say it, but Chen Ke only needed Eunuch Quan to shut up and do things well.

After Xu Qingfeng woke up, he seemed to have completely forgotten what happened last night. When he was about to go on the road after breakfast, he asked Grandpa Quan for candy.

Because Xu Qingfeng ate a lot of sweets, Chen Ke restricted Xu Qingfeng's intake of sweets from yesterday. Eunuch Quan gave Xu Qingfeng a pine nut candy. When Xu Qingfeng asked for it again, Eunuch Quan looked at Chen Ke in embarrassment.

"come over……"

Xu Qingfeng looked at Eunuch Quan, then at Chen Ke, and walked slowly to Chen Ke's side, probably unable to understand why there was still a large bag of candy yesterday, but today there is only one.

After yesterday, Chen Keshen felt that Xu Qingfeng's situation could not be rushed, and he had to proceed step by step.

After waking up in the morning, Chen Ke ordered everyone to treat Xu Qingfeng as a normal person, and at the same time take care of him like a child.

"sugar……"

"You've eaten too much recently." Chen Ke said lightly.

Xu Qingfeng couldn't understand, his expression was full of confusion.

"If you eat too much, your teeth will hurt." Chen Ke further explained.

Sure enough, upon hearing the word "pain", Xu Qingfeng showed a fearful reaction, and quickly shook his head, "Don't...it hurts, I don't like it." But there was only one sentence that could not restrain Xu Qingfeng's obsession with sugar, "But, Tang Tian ah."

"It hurts if you eat too much." Chen Ke said, but Xu Qingfeng still couldn't understand, so Chen Ke changed his method and tried to discuss with Xu Qingfeng: "Three pills a day?"

Xu Qingfeng was silent for a while, but shook his head alertly, "Six..."

"Four..."

"Four." Xu Qingfeng reluctantly accepted.

Chen Ke then called for Eunuch Quan and gave Xu Qingfeng four candies, "Four. There will be no more after eating."

Xu Qingfeng got the pine nut candy he had been longing for, but no matter what Chen Ke said, after a while, the four candies were gone.

"Sugar." Xu Qingfeng begged for it again, but Chen Ke became cruel and ignored him, sitting aside and looking out the car window.

Seeing that Chen Ke didn't respond, Xu Qingfeng went to find Eunuch Quan again. Eunuch Quan naturally coaxed him with good words, but he still didn't give what he shouldn't have.

Xu Qingfeng really hit a snag this time. He threw down the curtain, nestled in the cushion sullenly, turned his back on Chen Ke, and didn't live with him, as if he was angry.

This sulking look is also novel, and Chen Ke even thinks it's a little cute.

Chen Ke couldn't help but want to tease him.

"Xu San..."

But Xu Qingfeng ignored him.

"Xu Qingfeng..."

Xu Qingfeng still sat still, turning a deaf ear.

Chen Ke turned around, opened a low cabinet, took out a few books from it, and handed them to Xu Qingfeng, "Look..."

Xu Qingfeng couldn't control his curiosity, and turned his head to see some picture books.

Chen Ke specially ordered Quan Gonggong to find an interesting picture book yesterday, and asked for interesting pictures with text descriptions.

There are not many such picture books, but Eunuch Quan still found two, all of which were about mountain gods and ghosts. There was originally a book about a young lady scholar, but Chen Ke picked it out.

Xu Qingfeng took it immediately, and turned over page by page with great interest, not looking at the words on the top, only looking at the clumsy paintings.But Xu Qingfeng not only didn't feel rough, but relished it.

At the beginning, he just looked at the pictures and looked at them repeatedly, and Chen Ke found that Xu Qingfeng's attention was very long-lasting, and he was able to stay quietly for half a day with just the picture album.

Later, it was boring to just look at the pictures, so Chen Ke read the words in the margins of the pictures to Xu Qingfeng.

It's not that Chen Ke's ability to tell stories is so good, it's just that Xu Qingfeng can always listen quietly and ask some questions from time to time. Chen Ke patiently answers along with his train of thought, and the time between questions and answers is enjoyable.

After that, he left Linzhou, passed through three cities—Pengcheng, Ningcheng, and Mingcheng, and passed through Yuhua Town and Youming County. It took half a month's journey to pass, and Chuzhou was not far ahead.

Every time he went to a place, Chen Ke sent his father-in-law to the market or to shop in the bookstore, and he always brought back some interesting things, sometimes snacks, sometimes gadgets, or picture books.

What is amazing is that Xu Qingfeng has grown rapidly in these ten days.

"Brother, when can I go to the market?" Xu Qingfeng lifted a corner of the curtain and looked out. The carriage was walking on the streets of Youming Town, and happened to catch up with the market, which made Xu Qingfeng very curious .

And the "brother" that Xu Qingfeng said—Chen Ke sat quietly, not being moved by the bustle outside, and replied after hearing the words: "When we arrive at Wushan, I will ask Grandpa Quan to take you out for a walk."

"How long will it take to reach Wushan?" Xu Qingfeng probed to ask Eunuch Quan outside the carriage.

"Respond to Mr. Xu, and we will be there tomorrow." Eunuch Quan replied respectfully. Seeing that Xu Qingfeng was still looking around curiously, he glanced at Chen Ke's face. Xu Qingfeng stretched his head back and drew the curtain, for fear that the outside could see the inside.

Xu Qingfeng obediently returned to the carriage and sat down. He was tall and upright, sitting upright, and his slightly youthful appearance reminded Chen Ke of the words "My son is unparalleled in the world".

Now Xu Qingfeng's mind is no longer the three-year-old child at the beginning, but a ten-year-old boy.

It's just that such a rapid growth makes Chen Ke more and more worried, even afraid of the day when Xu Qingfeng wakes up completely-whether all feelings will become mistakes when he was unconscious?

"Are you hungry?"

"Not hungry, brother."

Calling Chen Ke "brother" happened when he was in Ningcheng.

Their journey was slow that day, and they feared that they would not be able to reach the post house at night, so they went into the city and found an inn to stay.

There were not many people in the inn, and the whole father-in-law took over the inn after spending a lot of money on management. The innkeeper and the proprietress were honest people.

The owner of the inn has an old man, only four years old, just at the age when he can run vigorously on the ground. He accidentally bumped into Chen Ke who was going downstairs.

At that time, the innkeeper turned pale, but the little boy was very stubborn and didn't cry out for pain. He rubbed his forehead by himself, looked up, and met Chen Ke's eyes.

The child was not afraid either, with big eyes blinking. It was rare for Chen Ke to meet a child who was not frightened by him, and he felt a little novel.

The two stared at each other, the people around were holding their breaths nervously, the innkeeper was fighting with each other, and was about to kneel down, but the child spoke first: "Brother, are you alright?"

Hearing that everyone around gasped, the innkeeper immediately knelt down, and the cold-faced prince was not easy to provoke, this kid, bear!

Before Chen Ke could speak, Xu Qingfeng stepped forward, took Chen Ke by his arm, and said unhappily, "He's not your brother!"

Chen Ke was startled, couldn't help laughing, and asked, "Whose is that?"

It was rare for Xu Qingfeng to see Chen Ke smiling without any scruples, and his eyes were fixed on Chen Ke's face.

Suddenly there was silence.

On the contrary, Chen Ke lightly smiled, eased the atmosphere, and later teased Xu Qingfeng a few times: "Who is your brother?"

Xu Qingfeng was very embarrassed at first, but later became more calm because of the change in his mind, but it was Chen Ke who was getting more and more worried.

"Brother!" Xu Qingfeng suddenly shouted excitedly, "Look! Chuzhou is here!"

Following the curtain that Xu Qingfeng opened, Chen Ke saw that the gate of Chuzhou was getting closer.

——When you arrive in Chuzhou, the Wushan Mountain is not far away.