Follow Me to the Capital

Zhao Yuyan looked at the island that was gradually disappearing into the distance. Her heart was feeling lighter in that instant. She hugged Yu Ling tightly and turned to face the sea.

“Yuling, live well. From today onwards, we will start afresh.”

Zhao Yuyan retracted her gaze and leaned gently against Yu Ling. Yu Ling felt her mother’s weight and leaned towards her with a smile. Mother and daughter snuggled up to each other and embraced the morning sun.

When the ship’s movements became more stable, Zhuang Zhuang went to look for Xiaoyi. However, Xiaoguo reminded him to come back before they reached their destination. Once they disembark, they would have arrived at the fishing village. They would not be going in the same direction as Xiaoyi from then on.

Xiaoguo was afraid that Zhuang Zhuang would get caught in the crowd and be separated from her. Although Jiang Danhe was here with them, it was better for her to keep the boy within her sight.

Zhao Yuyan was talking to Yu Ling about something. The mother and daughter were leaning against each other very intimately. Xiaoguo was bored and thought of Jiang Danhe, so she sneaked over to the sail. It was the same spot as the last time. She wondered if Jiang Danhe could read her mind. If he was on the other side of the sail at this moment, then they would be truly telepathic.

Feeling excited, Xiaoguo quietly squatted down and looked over.

However, she was immediately disappointed. She did not see the person she was hoping to see. There were only a few ministers chatting with each other.

Xiaoguo looked away in disappointment and was about to leave when she felt someone poking the back of her head.

She was stunned for a moment before joy took over. If she wasn’t wrong, it should be Jiang Danhe…

“It’s really you!”

Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe happily, looking full of herself. Jiang Danhe almost laughed out loud.

“Silly girl.” Jiang Danhe touched her face and said with a smile, “Don’t you know to look up?”

“Hehe, then how did you know I would be here?”

Xiaoguo snickered sheepishly.

Jiang Danhe was amused when he heard that. He said, “We can read each other’s minds.”

“Show-off.” Xiaoguo looked at him and asked, “Have you been waiting here for me?”

“Yes, I’ve been here since I got on the ship.”

Xiaoguo pursed her lips and smiled to herself.

“Did you see Zhuang Zhuang walk over?”

“I saw him. He was seated beside Xiaoyi and playing with him.”

“I was afraid that he would get separated from me during disembarkment, so I didn’t let him go over your side. Instead, I made him follow me on this side.”

“It’s fine. I’ll keep an eye on him. I’ll bring him to you before the ship arrives at the dock.”

Xiaoguo nodded, then she looked hesitant. Pretending to be casual, she said, “Will you leave right away after getting off the ship?”

Jiang Danhe knew what she was going to say, but he had no choice. He nodded. “We’ve been out longer than expected. Once we get off the ship, there will be troops waiting for us. We’ll leave immediately upon arrival.”

Xiaoguo nodded unhappily. “Oh.”

Seeing this, Jiang Danhe raised his hand and rubbed her head. “Weren’t you planning to stay in the fishing village for a few more days? I’ll leave a carriage at the village chief’s house. You can go back whenever you want.”

Xiaoguo nodded, still looking unhappy. She suddenly felt that it wouldn’t be so bad if Jiang Danhe was always at home.

She had not lived with a man other than her father. Initially, she was not used to it, so she subconsciously resisted it. But now, it didn’t seem as difficult to accept as she had imagined when the other party was Jiang Danhe.

“Come to the capital with me.”

Xiaoguo looked up at him in disbelief. “What?”

“Come to the capital with me.”

Jiang Danhe was very serious. He had wanted to bring her to the capital for a long time.

Xiaoguo’s heart was tempted for a moment, but she shook her head. “Forget it. I’ll wait for you to come back. There are too many animals in the house. I’m worried about them.”

Jiang Danhe was about to say something when he saw the expression on her face. He stopped and said, “Then I’ll try my best to go back every month.”

Xiaoguo smiled and nodded.

“Is it time to harvest the crops at home?”

“Yes, it’s about time. We’ll be able to harvest them in another half a month.”

Jiang Danhe quickly did some calculations. Half a month was enough. “Then I’ll send the emperor back to the capital before returning. I’ll do the harvesting when I return.”

“No need for that. We only have a small plot. Brother and I can finish harvesting in half a day.”

Firstly, Xiaoguo felt that there was no need for three people to work on that small plot of land. Secondly, she didn’t want him to rush to and from the capital. If he had to come home right after he returned to the capital, how could his body take it?

Jiang Danhe nodded superficially, but Xiaoguo could tell what he was thinking.

“Don’t come back. We might be harvesting the crops in just a few days’ time. After you return to the capital, take a good rest. You can come back at a later date. It would be too hard on you to spend so much time on the road.”

Jiang Danhe nodded. He loved to see her nag at him, so he continued to act hesitant.

Seeing him like this, Xiaoguo immediately started nagging again. “Although you’re still young, traveling will still take a toll on your body. Although youth is your asset, you shouldn’t do this. You’ll realize it when you’re old. By then, it’ll be too late for regrets. The illnesses you accumulated when you were young will all come to you when you’re old…”

Xiaoguo’s throat was almost smoking from all the talking, but Jiang Danhe was still smiling. She was so angry that she stepped across the sail and slapped him.

“Stop smiling cheekily. Are you listening?”

“I heard you!” Jiang Danhe covered his shoulders and immediately said seriously, “I swear!”

Xiaoguo’s expression finally relaxed. Then, she rubbed his shoulders sympathetically.

Seeing this, Jiang Danhe instantly weakened. He squatted down so that she could reach him.

Although the lovey-dovey scene between the two of them was concealed, someone still saw it.

To be honest, the ship was only so big. No matter how hidden they were, it was impossible to miss them. After all, it would be more shocking if no one saw the two life-sized humans.

Li Shouji and Shao Zhan were among those who were watching them. Although they had witnessed the entire process, they quickly looked away in disdain.

How should one put it? Although they seemed disgusted, their eyes betrayed them. They could not shift their gazes away from the couple.

Everyone enjoyed good gossip, but Li Shouji was more inclined towards it than anyone else.

Shao Zhan was staring at the couple in a daze because they made him think of Xiaoyi’s mother. Back then, they were just as loving. But now, he could only watch on enviously.

Li Shouji’s reason was even simpler. He was just watching out of curiosity as a bachelor. Jiang Danhe and Xiaoguo’s voices were very soft, but he could occasionally hear bits of their conversation. However, the more he listened, the more puzzled he became. What was so beautiful about such a meaningless conversation?

Seeing the smiles on their faces from time to time, he trembled in horror. It was really scary. Then, he quickly lost interest because it was too boring.

When the two of them spoke, they could laugh about anything. It was really crazy. If one didn’t know better, it would look like two airheads were conversing with each other.

If Xiaoguo and Jiang Danhe knew what Li Shouji was thinking, they would definitely snort. “What do you know about romance?”

Before the boat docked, Jiang Danhe brought Zhuang Zhuang over. The little guy’s eyes were still red. It was obvious that he had just cried.

As soon as he saw Xiaoguo, he immediately pounced on her and hugged her leg. He then started to cry.

Xiaoguo comforted him gently, telling him that it would be just a short separation. She also told him to keep in contact by writing letters. That finally managed to calm him down.

At this moment, Jiang Danhe held onto the railing and asked Xiaoguo to hold on to him, in case the ride became too bumpy while the ship was trying to dock.

After the ship stopped, someone came to put down the platform. A row of carriages was parked neatly by the shore. There was also a group of horses and soldiers waiting at the same spot.

Xiaoguo looked at Jiang Danhe reluctantly. The other party caught her eyes immediately. His eyes were filled with reluctance and comfort.

At this moment, neither of them had expected a short separation to be so unbearable. It was not as easy as they had thought. In reality, neither of them could do it with ease.