[To Become a River of Stars] Dong Xiange - Chapter 56

With Shiliu now a burden, they switched to a carriage and took to the main road. Naturally, their speed couldn’t compare to riding on horseback.

But there was an advantage: the carriage was spacious, allowing Shiliu to bring all her treasures aboard. She happily nestled among her toys, rolling around in bliss, practically bubbling with joy.

Jin Zhan had already mastered the art of not looking, not listening, and not asking questions. However, given the gravity of Li Xuanci’s situation, as a dutiful guard, he cautiously asked whether they should assign someone specifically to protect Shiliu.

Li Xuanci didn’t offer much explanation, simply replying, “I’ll keep an eye on her,” before lifting the hem of his robe and boarding the carriage.

As he lifted the carriage curtain, a sliver of light briefly streamed inside, spilling over Shiliu’s peach-like face. Dazzled by the brightness, she clumsily raised a hand to shield her eyes.

Her loosely tied hair, tousled from playing among the toys, had mostly come undone, cascading over the fur blanket spread across the carriage floor like a soft, flowing waterfall.

“In the past, I did not bind my hair; my silken tresses draped over my shoulders. Gently resting on my lover’s knees, how could I not evoke tenderness?”

Li Xuanci had been trained since childhood in both literary and martial arts, excelling in every discipline. Yet, for no reason, this folk ballad surfaced in his mind.

Unfortunately, the fool before him harbored no such tender thoughts in her heart. To her, the “treasures” surrounding her were likely more important than any person.

Watching Shiliu cover her eyes with one hand while clutching a sugar figurine with the other, Li Xuanci grew increasingly convinced that her mind contained nothing but food and play.

A mischievous impulse, born from who knows where, stirred within him. Li Xuanci shifted slightly, deliberately blocking the curtain with his body to prevent it from falling. The light streaming in from outside grew even harsher, shining directly on Shiliu’s face and forcing her to keep her eyes shut.

As he observed her face scrunched up like a steamed bun, an inexplicable, faint sense of amusement rose within him. He derived no small amount of pleasure from this pointless, mischievous prank.

The next moment, a small foot lightly brushed against his boot.

Shiliu had been carried directly from the room onto the carriage by Li Xuanci, so she wasn’t even wearing shoes—only white cotton socks, now curled obediently beside his boots.

Whether intentional or not, her movement caused her sock-clad foot to rub against him, a faint, almost imperceptible touch. The thin, soft cotton grinded against his sturdy boot, so firm that her sock loosened slightly, revealing a glimpse of her delicate ankle bone.

Li Xuanci stared at that slender, solitary ankle bone. Part of him wanted to step on it, to trap her so she couldn’t escape anywhere. Another part, for no reason, wanted to grip it with his thumb and forefinger and bite down hard.

But in the end, he did nothing. He simply let the curtain fall, enveloping the interior in sudden darkness, and sat down, silently watching as a revitalized Shiliu enthusiastically wreaked havoc among her toys.

The carriage traveled the entire day, only arriving at a town to rest by evening. They found a clean place to stay, though it was rather simple, and the food was nothing exceptional.

Shiliu sat at the same table as Li Xuanci, while Jin Zhan sat at another. Having snacked all day in the carriage, Shiliu had long since spoiled her appetite, so she dawdled, unwilling to eat.

Li Xuanci would never stoop to feeding anyone. The first time Shiliu pouted, he simply said, “If you’re hungry, you’ll bear it yourself.” He neither coaxed her to eat nor forced her.

The result was that, not long after nightfall, Shiliu approached him with pleading eyes, clutching her sunken stomach and whispering, “Shiliu is hungry. Shiliu wants candy.”

In truth, she had already eaten a lot of candy, but such things weren’t filling. Aside from adding a little padding to her frame, they were utterly useless, leaving her stomach empty and rumbling like a drum.

Amidst those light drumbeats, Li Xuanci calmly flipped through the booklet in his hand. Only after finishing the page did he deliver his verdict under Shiliu’s hopeful gaze: “No. Bear it yourself.”

Even at her cleverest, Shiliu had never deprived herself when it came to food, let alone now when she was half out of her wits, driven purely by instinct. She would resort to any mischief to get something to eat.

But the more she acted up, the more Li Xuanci ignored her. Even when Shiliu was on the verge of throwing a tantrum on the floor, rolling around like a piglet in mud, he didn’t spare her a second glance.

In the end, exhausted and out of options, Shiliu could only obediently admit her mistake, promising to eat properly every day. Only then did Li Xuanci finally stand up.

The night wind carried a slight chill, sweeping the watery moonlight as it whistled through the narrow alley. Lanterns hanging under the eaves of the shops on either side swayed, casting their light and stretching two shadows across the bluestone pavement.

One shadow was long, the other short. The short one trailed behind, while the long one led the way. One moved quickly, the other slowly. Just as a gap began to form between them, the short shadow would hop and skip to catch up. The long shadow’s pace never seemed to change, yet the two shadows never completely separated.

Shiliu, curious, lowered her head and stepped along the faint shadows. Suddenly, she bumped into Li Xuanci’s back, smacking her nose hard enough to bring tears to her eyes.

But Li Xuanci was gazing into the distance, his eyes narrowed as he assessed something.

Shiliu followed his line of sight and saw a residence.

Vermilion gates with bronze knockers, tall buildings with blue-gray tiles, and towering walls—clearly the home of a wealthy family.

Unfortunately, it was adorned with white mourning decorations. Through the open gate, a white canopy was visible in the main hall, inside which knelt a slender figure dressed entirely in plain white. Outside the gate stood many young men, their faces sorrowful yet silently guarding the entrance. The one at the forefront held a simple hemp belt, a corner of which was torn.

Li Xuanci stared at the scene, his gaze growing increasingly profound. They had chosen to rest in this town precisely because the woman they were tracking had previously been sighted here. Now, encountering such a peculiar situation demanded investigation.