259 Up the Mountain

“Zhao Zhan, it rained last night. Would the pathways on the mountain be easy to walk on?”

“There are a lot of dead branches on the road, so there’s enough traction. Also, I’ll carry you,” Zhao Zhan said as he squatted down, grabbed Yue Jiaojiao’s hands, held them in his hands, and rubbed them. “Your hands are a little cold. If you don’t want to go, I’ll prepare a warm bath for you. I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

Yue Jiaojiao couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll go up the mountain with you. It just so happens that Chengfeng can’t hold himself back from staying at home any longer.”

Chengfeng — who heard his name — immediately stood up. He wagged his tail and looked at the two with his bright golden eyes.

“Wait for me, I’ll go back to my room to get something.”

Zhao Zhan got up and went back to his room to get the cloak. He then came out again, holding Yue Jiaojiao’s hand with one hand and waiting for her to steady herself. He draped the cloak over her back and tied the straps properly. After some thought, he went back to his room and took out a fluffy white animal skin hat to put on her head. “This is for if the wind picks up later.”

“Anyway, with you here, I don’t think I’ll be in any danger even if there’s a murderer hanging around.”

Even though his lover often used such straightforward and explicit words to praise him, Zhao Zhan still felt his face heat up. He could only pretend to be calm as he squeezed her fingers. “Let’s go.”

Every time he walked side by side with Yue Jiaojiao, Zhao Zhan would slow down his movements to match her pace.

Chengfeng followed behind the two, happily running in circles.

Madam Qin was helping Doctor Sun process the medicinal herbs. She looked at the back of the two people going up the mountain with a face of relief.

After walking up the mountain for a while, Yue Jiaojiao’s legs were so sore that she couldn’t walk any further.

Zhao Zhan estimated that she was about to get tired, and before Yue Jiaojiao could say anything, he had already skilfully squatted down in front of her and carried her on his back.

“Zhao Zhan, this road doesn’t seem to lead to the cave.”

Most of the leaves in the mountains had fallen, and the tree trunks were bare and it was the same everywhere. For a moment, Yue Jiaojiao couldn’t tell where they were going. “Where are we going?”

“To the place where I caught fish today.”

The mountain path was muddy, and Zhao Zhan made his way in with uneven steps.

His breathing was even, and he didn’t show any signs of fatigue even after carrying Yue Jiaojiao for almost two hours.

The sun was already setting in the West and the shadows of the tree branches in the forest cast on the ground. A cool breeze blew past and burrowed into people’s necks. Yue Jiaojiao shifted her body up and buried her head in the pit of Zhao Zhan’s neck. She said in a muffled voice, “Zhao Zhan, you’ve been walking for a long time.”

“We’ll be there soon.”

Zhao Zhan subconsciously quickened his pace. Not far away, Chengfeng, who had just returned from his fun, wagged his tail and followed the couple.

The daytime in winter was always short.

The sunlight was getting dimmer. Just as the last ray of orange light was about to disappear, Zhao Zhan stopped in his tracks and heaved a sigh of relief. “Jiaojiao, we’ve arrived.”

As he spoke, he squatted down and put down the delicate person on his back. “Are your legs numb?”

Yue Jiaojiao didn’t hear the content of his words clearly and only stared at the scene in front of her in a daze.

The water’s surface reflected a mesmerizing beauty under the fiery red setting sun on the horizon. On both sides of the river bank, rows of lanterns were placed.

Zhao Zhan had already walked over and squatted by the river. He used the lighter in his arms to light up one light after another until all the lanterns were lit and the setting sun dimmed as if all of this had been planned in advance.

There were only the dazzling red lanterns in front of Jiaojiao’s sight. The temperature of the flames was so high that it made her heart warm.

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