Xiao Yuan finally sat down.
Not because his injuries were particularly serious, but because Su Muchen’s expression was simply too terrible.
That usually indifferent face was now drawn taut. The dark shadows beneath his eyes were obvious, and his lips were paler than usual. Clearly, he was someone who had stayed awake all night, yet he could still slam the medical kit down as though he were about to interrogate a criminal.
Xiao Yuan looked at him and, for a moment, said nothing.
Su Muchen pulled his right hand over and lowered his head to examine the wound.
The cut was not deep, but after being exposed to the cold wind all night and coming into contact with snow water and blood, its edges had turned somewhat pale. Under normal circumstances, such a minor injury hardly counted as an injury to Xiao Yuan.
But in Su Muchen’s eyes, it was another matter entirely.
“This is what you call a minor injury?”
Su Muchen raised his eyes to look at him.
Xiao Yuan was silent for a breath.
He had originally intended to say, “It’s nothing.”
But just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered that Su Muchen had once told him that among the three phrases patients said that were probably the most annoying, “It’s nothing” was one of them.
So he changed his answer.
“It’s lighter than the previous few times.”
Su Muchen: “……”
He took a deep breath.
“You actually have the nerve to say that?”
Xiao Yuan wisely shut his mouth.
Standing nearby, Xiao could not help turning his head away, the corners of his lips barely suppressing a smile.
Su Muchen looked over coldly.
“Very funny?”
Xiao immediately wiped the expression from his face.
“No.”
Only then did Xiao Yuan look at him.
They had not seen each other for several days, yet he keenly noticed that something between these two seemed different.
It was neither estrangement nor simple trust.
Rather, it was something closer and more complicated, as though a layer of fog that had originally separated them had been brushed aside slightly, revealing beneath it threads that were somehow entangled with each other as well.
The feeling was vague and unclear, but enough to stir a subtle emotion within him.
It simply was not the time to ask about it now.
Su Muchen cleaned the wound for him, disinfected it, applied medicine, and then covered it with a dressing.
His movements were very practiced.
Only, his touch was slightly heavier than usual.
Xiao Yuan endured it without saying it hurt.
But Su Muchen seemed to know he was enduring it and said coldly, “If it hurts, say so. Don’t pretend.”
Xiao Yuan looked at his lowered eyelashes, then said, “It hurts.”
Su Muchen’s fingers paused.
The man had answered too readily and too honestly, leaving him momentarily unsure how to respond.
He raised his head and glanced at Xiao Yuan, only to see the other man staring at him. His expression remained calm, but there was a little more emotion in his eyes that was difficult to read.
For some reason, Su Muchen felt as though he were looking at an innocent wolfhound.
He secretly marveled: No, where did that cold and ruthless persona of yours go?
After a moment, he lowered his head and continued bandaging him. His voice remained cold, but was slightly softer than before.
“Since you know it hurts, next time don’t leave the wound untreated.”
Xiao Yuan said, “All right.”
“Don’t agree so quickly.” Su Muchen raised his eyes. “You said that last time too.”
Xiao Yuan was rendered speechless.
Beside them, Xiao coughed lightly, desperately trying not to laugh.
Xiao Yuan glanced at him.
The look was faint, yet carried a trace of warning.
It was enough for Xiao to calmly turn around and go pour some water.
After finishing the bandage on his right hand, Su Muchen made Xiao Yuan remove his outer robe and examined his shoulder, waist, abdomen, and old injuries.
This time, Xiao Yuan was quite cooperative.
Most of the blood on him was not his own. There was only a scrape along his shoulder, while the old wound around his waist and abdomen had reddened somewhat from traveling through the night, but had not actually reopened.
Only after Su Muchen finished examining him did his expression improve slightly.
“Not bad.”
Xiao Yuan said, “I told you, it’s only a minor injury.”
Su Muchen looked at him.
“Say one more word and I’ll classify you as a high-risk, noncompliant patient.”
Xiao Yuan: “……”
Although he did not know exactly what consequences this classification carried, his instincts told him it was nothing good.
So he shut up again.
Su Muchen put away the medical kit and suddenly asked, “Have you eaten a proper meal these past few days?”
Xiao Yuan’s movement stopped.
That pause was already enough of an answer.
Su Muchen’s eyes immediately darkened.
“How long?”
Xiao Yuan said, “I ate dry rations on the road.”
“I asked about a proper meal.”
Xiao Yuan fell silent.
Xiao returned carrying water and calmly delivered the finishing blow.
“Judging from his complexion, he probably hasn’t eaten properly for at least two days.”
Su Muchen: “……”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
Xiao smiled.
“Patient report.”
Those four words sounded strangely familiar.
Xiao Yuan suddenly thought of Chi Banyue.
It seemed that everyone around him had learned to use Su Muchen’s own words against him.
Su Muchen closed the medical kit and stood up.
“Sit here. Don’t move.”
Xiao Yuan asked, “Where are you going?”
“To cook.”
Xiao Yuan froze.
Su Muchen did not look at him. He simply walked toward the back kitchen.
“You’re not suitable for anything too oily or hard right now. Drink some porridge first, with a little egg and vegetables. We’ll talk about the intelligence after you eat.”
Xiao Yuan watched his back and said nothing for a moment.
The back kitchen of the Returning Dust Studio was very small.
It had originally only been used for making simple tea and hot meals for whoever guarded the shop. In recent days, however, Su Muchen had cleaned it up very thoroughly. The pots, bowls, food containers, and simple induction cooker were all arranged neatly. Inside the refrigerator were eggs, leafy vegetables, minced meat, and a prepared base of plain rice porridge.
Xiao followed him, intending to help, but Su Muchen disdainfully drove him back out.
“Go watch him. Don’t let him touch anything.”
Xiao turned back toward Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan looked at him expressionlessly.
Xiao smiled.
“Your Highness heard him. Please don’t touch anything.”
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes and looked at his freshly bandaged right hand, then at the various unfamiliar objects on the table.
He indeed did not touch them.
Ever since he had broken the thing Su Muchen called a “phone,” he had been particularly careful to avoid breaking anything else.
A moment later, the sounds of water and chopping came from the kitchen.
Very soft.
Yet in the Returning Dust Studio on this early morning, they were exceptionally clear.
Xiao Yuan sat beside the counter, draped in the clean jacket Su Muchen had just thrown to him, and suddenly felt that this place and Black Pine Ridge were like two completely different worlds.
On one side were snow, blood, grain carts, fire oil, secret letters, and prisoners kept alive.
On the other was the morning after the rain, the faint clinking of pots and bowls, and a man who had stayed awake all night yet was still cooking porridge for him with a cold expression.
He tightened his grip around the cup of warm water in his hand, the heat slowly seeping into his palm.
Only then did he realize that he was truly hungry.
And very tired.
It was just that along the way, he had never had the time to notice.
Listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen, he slowly closed his eyes and rested.
◆◇◆◇◆
Su Muchen cooked vegetable and minced-meat porridge.
The porridge base had already been cooked until soft. After reheating it, he added finely chopped vegetables, a small amount of minced meat, and beaten egg, then added a little salt.
The flavor was mild, but the heat was plentiful.
When he brought it out, Xiao Yuan happened to open his eyes, then lowered his gaze toward the sealed leather pouch.
Su Muchen placed the bowl in front of him.
“Eat first.”
Xiao Yuan raised his eyes.
“The intelligence is urgent.”
“If you die, the intelligence will be useless too.” Su Muchen stuffed the spoon into his hand. “Eat.”
Xiao Yuan looked at the bowl of hot porridge.
The white grains of rice had cooked until they blossomed open. Chopped vegetables floated on top, the egg was soft, and steam brushed against his face, carrying a faint savory fragrance.
This food was neither precious nor elaborate.
It could not compare with any dish served in the imperial palace.
But after several consecutive days of snow, dry rations, and cold water, it almost felt unreal.
Xiao Yuan picked up the spoon and slowly took a bite.
As the hot porridge slid into his stomach, even the ache in his chest caused by the tension of the cold night and killing intent seemed to be gently soothed.
Su Muchen stood beside him, watching.
“Is it hot?”
Xiao Yuan shook his head.
“Is it good?”
Xiao Yuan nodded.
“Then finish it.”
Xiao Yuan nodded again.
Xiao sat across from them and silently glanced at the two.
He suddenly felt somewhat superfluous.
But he did not leave, because he also needed to hear the intelligence.
So he could only make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
Xiao Yuan did not eat quickly, but he ate very seriously.
Su Muchen had originally intended only to watch him and make sure he did not try to get away with eating too little. Later, when he saw him actually taking one bite after another, his expression gradually relaxed.
He turned around, poured more warm water, and brought out a small dish of steamed egg and a little stir-fried vegetables.
Xiao Yuan looked at the extra food on the table.
“There’s more?”
“You haven’t eaten properly for several days. You can’t eat too much at once,” Su Muchen said. “This is already very restrained.”
Xiao Yuan said quietly, “Thank you.”
Su Muchen paused.
He did not look at him, only lowering his head to arrange the dishes.
“Just taking care of a patient and customer.”
Xiao lowered his head and drank his tea, pretending he had heard nothing.
After Xiao Yuan had eaten most of the bowl of porridge, Su Muchen finally sat down.
“Go ahead.”
Xiao Yuan put down the spoon and pushed the leather pouch across the table.
“What I found at Black Pine Ridge.”
Su Muchen opened the leather pouch.
Inside were several copies of account books wrapped in oiled paper, several secret letters, and a small fragment of sealing wax.
Xiao Yuan had not brought all the originals. The true originals were still in Dasheng, where his guards and Xia Lanshi were keeping them. What he had brought were the most crucial copies and transcriptions.
Su Muchen first examined the account-book copies.
Warehouse Jia, Warehouse Yi, Western Warehouse, Liang, Sheng, Northern Route, Eastern Transport.
When he saw the character “Sheng,” his fingers paused.
Xiao also leaned closer for a look, his expression darkening slightly.
Xiao Yuan noticed their reaction.
“You found something too?”
Su Muchen did not answer immediately.
He turned the laptop beside him around and opened the “Sheng Family Investigation” file.
Xiao Yuan could not understand all the characters and modern formatting, but he could recognize the character “Sheng” appearing repeatedly throughout it.
Su Muchen pointed to several entries and briefly explained.
“What I found on my side is that the Sheng family had dealings involving old objects with the Returning Dust Studio at least three generations ago. At first, it looked like cooperation. Later, they began asking about the origins of Returning Dust, and eventually they even asked about the Door.”
Xiao Yuan’s eyes darkened.
“The Door?”
“My grandfather’s old accounts say that the Sheng family asked three times about the origins of Returning Dust. It was no longer a request for goods. They were seeking the Door.” Su Muchen opened the photograph he had taken and showed it to him. “Also, the Sheng family is suspected of possessing a fragmentary book that doesn’t belong to the modern era. It contains fragments concerning Returning Dust, the Su family, and the Door.”
Xiao Yuan looked at the handwriting in the photograph.
Although some of the characters differed from those used in Dasheng, he could understand the general meaning.
The Sheng family asked three times about the origins of Returning Dust.
They were seeking the Door.
The coldness in Xiao Yuan’s eyes deepened bit by bit.
“So Sheng Chengxiu doesn’t merely know that the Returning Dust Studio has unusual goods.”
“Right,” Su Muchen said. “He most likely knows that there is a ‘route,’ but may not know that it is the Door, nor where the Door leads.”
Xiao added, “From what we can see right now, he is still probing. If he knew the Door’s exact location or how to use it, he wouldn’t be going around in so many circles.”
Xiao Yuan looked at Xiao.
“You know about the Sheng family?”
Xiao said, “I know part of it.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
He had known from the beginning that Xiao was not simple.
From the first time they met, this man could handle gold, modern objects, bloodstains, and the rules of the Door. When necessary, he could even pass through the Door to save people.
He was not like a shopkeeper.
He was more like another lock guarding the shadow of the Returning Dust Studio.
Only this time, the layer of fog surrounding Xiao seemed to have thinned somewhat.
Su Muchen glanced at Xiao and calmly dropped a sentence.
“His real name is Su Jinye. He comes from the bloodline of the Su family’s branch that guards the Door. According to the genealogy, he’s my distant cousin.”
Xiao Yuan’s expression paused slightly.
He looked at Xiao.
Xiao smiled, though he was clearly somewhat uncomfortable.
“Your Highness, shall we get reacquainted?”
Xiao Yuan was silent for a moment.
“No wonder.”
Xiao raised an eyebrow.
“No wonder what?”
“No wonder you’re so controlling.”
Xiao: “……”
Su Muchen almost failed to hold back his laughter.
Xiao sighed softly.
“I suddenly feel like revealing my identity was a bit of a loss.”
Xiao Yuan looked at Su Muchen.
“You trust him?”
Su Muchen froze.
The question was extremely direct.
Xiao also fell silent.
Su Muchen was quiet for a moment before saying, “Not completely.”
Xiao was not surprised.
Su Muchen continued, “But a little more than yesterday.”
Xiao smiled.
“That counts as progress.”
Su Muchen looked at him.
“If you don’t tell me the truth, that progress will go backward.”
Xiao immediately shut his mouth.
Xiao Yuan watched the interaction between the two of them, and the tightness somewhere deep in his heart eased slightly. He did not know if it was because he now knew that Xiao and Su Muchen were actually members of the same Su family.
At least, Su Muchen was not completely alone in this world.
There was a collateral branch of the Su family watching over him.
Even if this person had many secrets, and even if he might not be someone Xiao Yuan could completely trust, at least he could block Sheng’s hand when it reached for Su Muchen.
That was good.
It just was not enough.
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes and looked at the secret letter on the table.
“Black Pine Ridge also traced it to the Sheng connection.”
He pushed over the letter bearing the words “Sheng connection.”
Su Muchen opened it.
—If Qingshi succeeds, return the grain to Depot A; if Qingshi fails, abandon Black Pine and take the Sheng route.
When he saw the words “Sheng route,” his gaze darkened completely.
Xiao saw it too.
For a moment, none of the three spoke.
The modern-day Sheng family had been watching Returning Dust Hall for three generations.
The grain case in northern Dasheng had the Sheng connection in it.
These two matters might not be directly connected, but they could no longer be treated as coincidences.
Su Muchen asked quietly, “Who is the Sheng on your side?”
Xiao Yuan said, “The most suspicious for now is Sheng Yuanli, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and a member of the Crown Prince’s faction. The person who delivered the letter to Black Pine Ridge met a middle-aged man in a blue fox-fur coat. The hidden pattern on his carriage and horses was similar to the half-open peony pattern of the Sheng residence. He should be one of their people.”
Su Muchen quickly added a new entry to the document.
Suspected Sheng connection in Dasheng: Sheng Yuanli, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Crown Prince’s faction.
Source: Black Pine Ridge ledgers and tracking report.
Unconfirmed; requires further verification.
After finishing, he paused.
“Could Sheng Yuanli and Sheng Chengxiu simply share the same surname by coincidence?”
Xiao Yuan said, “It’s possible.”
Xiao said, “But we can’t treat it as a coincidence now.”
Su Muchen nodded.
“So we’ll investigate them separately first, without directly combining the conclusions.”
Xiao Yuan watched him write the line, “Cannot directly determine that the Sheng families in the two worlds share the same origin.” A faint trace of approval appeared in his eyes.
“You’re very cautious.”
Su Muchen did not even raise his head.
“If you’re not cautious, you die easily.”
Xiao Yuan: “……”
Those words were too blunt.
So blunt that his heart sank slightly.
After finishing writing, Su Muchen looked up at him.
“What else?”
Xiao Yuan was silent for a moment before taking out another letter.
This letter had been kept separately.
Su Muchen took it. When he saw the sentence written on it, his expression instantly turned cold.
—If Prince Su appears with a strange medicine, investigate the Medical Sect; if you encounter a physician surnamed Su, do not kill him. Capture him first.
Xiao’s expression changed as well.
He reached out to take the letter, but Su Muchen pressed it down.
“I’ll finish reading it.”
Su Muchen read that sentence once more.
Do not kill him. Capture him first.
That familiar coldness rose in his stomach once again.
Sheng Chengxiu wanted Returning Dust Hall. He wanted him.
The people on the Dasheng side had also begun treating him as a target that could be captured, interrogated, and exploited because of the line of “Physician Su of the Returning Dust Medical Sect.”
He had not even truly stepped into Dasheng yet.
And already, the malice of two worlds was simultaneously fixed upon him.
Seeing his expression, Xiao Yuan’s voice lowered.
“I won’t let them touch you.”
Su Muchen looked up at him.
Xiao Yuan’s gaze was deep, without the slightest trace of jest.
If those words had come from someone else, they might have sounded like comfort.
But coming from Xiao Yuan, they sounded more like a promise.
Even like an oath.
Su Muchen’s heart tightened.
He shifted his gaze away and placed the letter back on the table.
“That isn’t the main point right now.”
Xiao raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure?”
Su Muchen looked at him.
“The main point is that they’ve already begun believing that the Returning Dust Medical Sect and Physician Su exist. That means you succeeded in establishing my identity in Dasheng, but it also means the risk has increased.”
Xiao Yuan did not deny it.
Su Muchen looked toward him.
“You deliberately built up Physician Su’s reputation.”
It was not a question.
Xiao Yuan did not pretend not to understand either.
“Yes.”
Xiao looked toward Xiao Yuan, his eyes shifting slightly.
Su Muchen frowned.
“Why?”
Xiao Yuan looked at him. Only after a moment did he say, “Because if one day you come to Dasheng, you cannot be a nobody.”
Su Muchen froze.
Xiao Yuan’s voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear.
“You saved Linzhou, saved Hanchuan, and saved Qingshi Village. Those achievements should not all be credited to me, nor should they be hidden by the sect.”
He looked toward the secret letter.
“They’ll watch you because of Physician Su’s name. That’s the risk. But if you step into Dasheng someday, the name Physician Su will protect you as well. The people of the northern border will remember you. The army will remember you. Xialan Shi, Chi Banyue, Qin Feng, Zhao Ping—everyone who survived because of your methods will know that you’re not a demon, not a spy, and not some heretical outsider of unknown origin. You are Physician Su of the Returning Dust Medical Sect. You are someone personally acknowledged by me, Xiao Yuan.”
When the final sentence fell, the room fell silent for a moment.
Su Muchen suddenly did not know what to say.
He had been prepared to question him.
Prepared to say that this was too risky.
Prepared to say that he did not need a reputation.
Prepared to say that he had merely provided plans and should not be pushed to the forefront.
But Xiao Yuan’s words were like an extremely fine thread, crossing over all that reason and risk, gently tightening around the softest place in his heart.
From childhood until now, it seemed that very few people had ever considered giving him a “status.”
His father had casually chosen his name for him.
His relatives had never appeared.
After his grandfather left, he became the inheritor of debts, the owner of a rundown shop, and a target watched by the Sheng family.
Yet in another world, Xiao Yuan was slowly laying out an identity for him.
Not for the sake of exploiting him.
At least, not solely for that purpose.
But because he wanted that when Su Muchen truly crossed through the door someday, he would not have to stand in Dasheng like a rootless shadow.
Xiao looked at Xiao Yuan, then at Su Muchen, and for once, did not interrupt.
Su Muchen was silent for a long time before finally saying in a low voice, “…I never said I would definitely go.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
“I know.”
Su Muchen raised his eyes.
Xiao Yuan said, “So I’m just preparing in advance.”
Su Muchen: “……”
He suddenly felt that this sentence sounded very familiar.
Because he himself was exactly this kind of person.
Something might never happen, but the contingency plan had to be written first, supplies had to be prepared first, and an escape route had to be considered first.
It turned out Xiao Yuan had learned too.
And he had learned thoroughly.
Su Muchen turned his eyes away, the tips of his ears slightly warm.
“Next time you do something like this, at least tell me beforehand.”
Xiao Yuan said, “Okay.”
Su Muchen looked at him.
“You agreed very quickly again.”
Xiao Yuan thought for a moment.
“Because I’ll remember this time.”
Su Muchen was rendered speechless for a moment.
◆◇◆◇◆
The exchange of information continued until dawn had completely broken.
Su Muchen organized everything the modern side had uncovered about the Sheng family’s past into a presentation-style document, dividing it into three categories: what could currently be confirmed, what could only be inferred, and what still required verification.
What could be confirmed:
The Sheng family’s ancestors had once conducted transactions with Returning Dust Hall.
The Sheng family had been asking about the origins of Returning Dust for at least three generations.
His grandfather had once warned his descendants, “Be cautious.”
The Sheng family was suspected of possessing fragments of an unusual book.
Sheng Chengxiu was currently approaching Returning Dust Hall through debts, cultural associations, and monitoring of financial flows.
What could only be inferred:
The Sheng family knew there was a “route,” but might not know that it was a door.
Sheng Chengxiu might be searching for Returning Dust guest registers.
Whether the modern Sheng family was connected to the Sheng faction in Dasheng was unknown.
Still requiring verification:
The contents of the fragments of the unusual book.
The extent of what Sheng Chengxiu had uncovered.
The specific methods by which the Sheng family had manipulated Su Muchen’s father’s debts.
Whether Sheng Yuanli of Dasheng was the mastermind behind the Sheng connection.
Xiao Yuan looked at the classifications and, after a long while, said, “This method is very good.”
Su Muchen said, “Basic modern literacy.”
Xiao added from the side, “Muchen’s basic literacy is a little more terrifying than that of ordinary modern people.”
Su Muchen looked at him.
“Cousin?”
Xiao immediately drank his tea.
Xiao Yuan carefully read through the entire document.
There were some terms he was unfamiliar with, so Su Muchen explained them one by one. Occasionally, halfway through an explanation, Xiao Yuan would ask a follow-up question, and his questions were remarkably precise. Su Muchen had no choice but to stop and break down certain aspects of modern corporations, debts, and legal procedures into terms that someone from Dasheng could understand.
Xiao sat beside them listening, and suddenly found the scene somewhat strange.
A modern owner of a rundown shop.
An ancient prince.
A gatekeeper.
Three people gathered around an old wooden table, discussing a hidden Sheng connection that might span two worlds.
Outside was the early morning in Yunjing City, where it had just rained.
Behind the door lingered the chill of a snowy night in the northern border.
Returning Dust Hall was like a tiny box, yet it contained the tightening net of two worlds.
After finishing with the Sheng family, Xiao Yuan once again went through the letters and ledger clues recovered from the main stronghold of Black Pine Ridge, explaining each item to Su Muchen.
Su Muchen took notes as he asked,
“Did all the gray-clothed men bite poison?”
“Everyone we’ve captured so far did.”
“That means they were trained under the same system. They weren’t hired temporarily.”
“Mm.”
“The letters mention the Sheng connection, but there’s no complete seal?”
“There was a carriage bearing a half-open peony pattern. It’s suspected to be the pattern used at Sheng Yuanli’s residence.”
“Suspected means it can’t be used as evidence.”
“So we’re still keeping the line open.”
“Has the Black Pine Ridge granary been sealed?”
“Yes. The original ledgers remain untouched. We made transcribed copies.”
“Good.”
Su Muchen suddenly stopped writing there.
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
“What is it?”
Su Muchen raised his head, his expression serious.
“If you want to preserve evidence on your side, you’d better establish a standardized format. Record the location, time, discoverer, condition of the item, whether it has been moved, who has handled it, and how it was sealed and stored.”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze shifted slightly.
“Like an autopsy record?”
“More or less.” Su Muchen said, “But the scope is broader. What you’re dealing with now is the Crown Prince, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Transport Office. These people are best at shifting blame. The more complete the chain of evidence, the harder it will be for them to dump everything on the bandits and local officials.”
Xiao Yuan was silent for a moment before saying, “Write one for me.”
Su Muchen was already typing.
“I’m writing it now.”
Xiao watched him work through the night while constantly scolding him for not resting, his expression somewhat complicated.
But he did not interrupt.
Because he knew that for Su Muchen, this was not him forcing himself.
This was the way he could truly participate in the battle.
Not by crossing the door and picking up a knife.
But by using the knowledge he was familiar with to sharpen Xiao Yuan’s knife.
◆◇◆◇◆
After finishing the first draft of the “Evidence Preservation and Recording Format,” Su Muchen was finally forced by Xiao to take a cup of soy milk.
“Drink.”
Su Muchen frowned.
“I’m not hungry.”
Xiao smiled.
“Cousin caring about his younger cousin.”
Su Muchen: “……”
That sentence really was throwing a stone at his own feet.
He reluctantly drank half a cup.
Xiao Yuan watched him and suddenly said, “You haven’t slept either.”
Su Muchen’s movements stopped.
“My situation is different.”
Xiao Yuan said blandly, “How is it different?”
Su Muchen: “……”
Xiao chuckled quietly.
Good.
Someone was finally helping him keep Su Muchen in check.
Su Muchen finished the soy milk with a cold expression.
“I’ll sleep later.”
Xiao Yuan asked, “How long?”
Su Muchen looked up.
Why did that sound so familiar?
He was silent for a moment before answering stiffly, “At least four hours.”
Xiao immediately chimed in, “I can testify.”
Su Muchen: “……”
He felt that there were more and more people around him, and they were becoming increasingly annoying.
Xiao Yuan looked at him, a very faint smile in his eyes.
But the smile quickly faded.
He took another letter from inside his robes.
The envelope was very clean, without any military markings. Only a few words had been written on it in neat, elegant characters.
—For Young Master Xiao’s personal attention.
Xiao had originally been lowering his head to arrange the teacups, but his movements suddenly stopped.
Su Muchen saw it too.
“For you?”
Xiao looked at the letter, his expression becoming complicated in an instant.
Xiao Yuan said, “Xialan Shi asked me to give it to you.”
Xiao did not immediately take it.
Su Muchen keenly noticed his hesitation and raised an eyebrow slightly.
“What, afraid to accept it?”
Xiao glanced at him.
“Muchen.”
Su Muchen said expressionlessly, “Cousin, the letter.”
Xiao: “……”
He could only reach out and take it.
When the envelope fell into his palm, it was clearly very light, yet it felt as though it had burned him.
Xiao lowered his eyes to those words.
For Young Master Xiao’s personal attention.
Not Su Jinye.
Not the Gatekeeper.
Nor the black-clothed man of unknown origin.
It was Xiao.
Xialan Shi knew that he used this name, so he had written the letter to him under this name.
Xiao’s fingers tightened slightly.
Su Muchen watched him clearly from the side and suddenly found it rather interesting.
Xiao Yuan was watching Xiao as well.
He remembered the expression Xialan Shi had worn when handing him the letter.
At the time, the wind and snow in Qingshi Village had yet to stop. Xialan Shi had been sitting inside the carriage, his face still pale, when he handed the letter to him.
“Please trouble Your Highness to deliver this to Young Master Xiao.”
Xiao Yuan had asked him, “What is it about?”
Xialan Shi lowered his eyes, a faint smile on his lips.
“To ask after the benefactor who saved my life.”
His words had been very calm.
But Xiao Yuan could tell that the letter was definitely more than a simple greeting.
They had known each other for many years, and Xiao Yuan understood that every action of Xialan Shi carried multiple purposes.
A test, a trap, or probing from the sidelines.
Only Xialan Shi did not make it explicit, so he did not expose him either.
At this moment, Xiao held the letter and remained silent for a long time.
Su Muchen said, “Not going to read it?”
Xiao raised his eyes.
“Young Master, are you free right now?”
“Not free,” Su Muchen said. “But I can steal a moment from my busy schedule to watch my cousin get nervous.”
Xiao: “……”
Xiao Yuan lowered his head and drank some water, the corner of his lips twitching very slightly.
In the end, Xiao still opened the letter.
The handwriting on the paper was elegant, the strokes gentle yet possessing a quiet strength.
Su Muchen did not lean over to look.
Neither did Xiao Yuan.
This was a letter to Xiao, not intelligence.
Xiao lowered his eyes and read.
The letter did not directly ask whether he was the person who had saved him when he was young.
Nor did it ask about the details of that night when he had been poisoned and Xiao had crossed the door to save him.
Xialan Shi had written with great restraint.
Yet every sentence hinted at things that only someone who knew the truth would know.
“Thank you for saving me previously. I was unable to thank you in person, and I feel deeply ashamed.
“Physician Su once said that when it comes to saving a life, one should not merely remember the debt of gratitude, but also remember its cause.
“I, Huaiyu, am unworthy and weakened by illness, yet I am not someone who fails to understand the importance of things.
“Young Master has saved me several times. If I were to dismiss it all with the word ‘coincidence,’ it would be far too callous.
“The peace-lock remains, and the red cord has not broken. I do not remember all the events of my childhood, yet I still remember, amid the snow, the faint fragrance of cold plum burning with wood.
“If Young Master does not wish to make it clear, Huaiyu will not press you.
“It is merely that receiving another’s kindness without knowing the benefactor’s name is ultimately unsettling.
“If this letter is fortunate enough to reach you, even a single word in reply would be enough.
“Signed: Huaiyu.”
After reading it, Xiao remained silent for a long, long time.
The letter was held in his hand, its edges slightly bent.
Su Muchen looked at him.
Although he did not know what was written in the letter, he could roughly guess some of it.
There were not many people who could make Xiao remain this silent.
Xialan Shi was clearly one of them.
Xiao Yuan set down his cup.
“He hopes to receive a reply.”
Xiao did not raise his head.
“How is his health?”
Xiao Yuan said, “Better than when he was poisoned. He has had fewer fevers lately, but he’s still weak. Chi Banyue is keeping an eye on him and making sure he rests.”
Xiao gave a soft hum.
Su Muchen suddenly spoke.
“You can reply.”
Xiao looked at him.
Su Muchen said, “It’s not like he’s asking you to write out all your secrets. It’s just a letter telling him you’re safe.”
Xiao was silent for a moment.
“The Door may not allow it.”
Su Muchen glanced at the door to the back room.
“If you write, ‘Take your medicine properly and stop staying up so late,’ it won’t allow that either?”
Xiao: “……”
Xiao Yuan said blandly, “Xialan Shi should listen to that.”
Su Muchen nodded.
“Then write it.”
Xiao looked at the two of them, suddenly feeling as though they were jointly forcing him into a corner.
He lowered his head and looked at the letter paper.
After a long while, he finally said softly, “Let me think about it.”
That was no longer a refusal.
Su Muchen did not press him further.
Neither did Xiao Yuan.
Some threads could not be pulled too quickly.
They both understood that.
◆◇◆◇◆
Before Xiao Yuan left, Su Muchen packed several organized documents into a waterproof bag.
Evidence Preservation and Recording Format.
Summary of the modern-side investigation into the Sheng family.
Revised risk assessment for the Returning Dust Medical Sect.
Preliminary emergency support plan for the military grain route.
There was also a small package of supplementary medicines and several bags of high-calorie food prepared by the modern side.
When Su Muchen handed the things to him, he deliberately placed the bags of high-calorie food on top.
“Eat.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
Su Muchen said, “They’re not for you to collect.”
Xiao Yuan nodded.
“Okay.”
“At least twice a day.”
“Okay.”
“Xialan Shi’s portion is labeled separately. Don’t mix them up.”
“Okay.”
Su Muchen frowned.
“Do you only know how to say okay?”
Xiao Yuan looked at him, a faint trace of amusement in his eyes.
“I remember everything you say.”
Su Muchen froze.
The tips of his ears once again heated uncontrollably.
He immediately turned around to take another package, his tone stiff.
“This is for Zhao Ping and the wounded soldiers at the Northern Watchpost. Drink the rehydration solution slowly. Don’t skimp on the hemostatic supplies. And there’s burn ointment too. Give it to the person who rushed into the fire.”
Xiao Yuan took it.
“Old Chen.”
“Mm?”
“His name is Old Chen.”
Su Muchen nodded and wrote down the name.
“Old Chen. Burns. Watch for infection.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him as he lowered his head to record the name, and suddenly felt an inexplicable quietness in his heart.
He wanted Dasheng to remember Su Muchen.
And Su Muchen was also using his own way to remember the people of Dasheng.
Not as numbers.
Not as classifications of casualties.
But as names.
Zhao Ping.
Old Chen.
Xialan Shi.
Chi Banyue.
Qin Feng.
To Su Muchen, those people were gradually changing from distant figures on paper into real, living individuals.
That was good, and it was also dangerous.
Because once people became real, it was no longer possible to easily let them go.
The white light outside the door brightened again.
It was time for Xiao Yuan to leave.
Su Muchen handed him the last bag and said quietly, “Don’t go several days without eating again.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
“I’ll come back to eat.”
Su Muchen’s heart suddenly leaped.
He raised his eyes and glared at him.
“Who… who said I’d cook for you every time?”
Xiao Yuan said, “I can pay a consulting fee and a meal fee.”
Su Muchen: “……”
Xiao finally could not hold back and laughed aloud from the side.
Su Muchen turned around and gave him a cold look.
Xiao raised his teacup.
“I didn’t hear anything.”
Xiao Yuan gripped the package and walked toward the door.
Before stepping into the white light, he turned back and glanced at him.
“Su Muchen.”
“Mm?”
“Sleep for four shichen.”
Su Muchen: “……”
He knew it.
This man had learned bad habits.
A hint of amusement flashed through Xiao Yuan’s eyes.
“I’ll ask Xiao.”
Xiao smiled from the side.
“Rest assured, Your Highness.”
Su Muchen: “……”
When had these two gotten on the same side?
The white light swallowed Xiao Yuan’s figure once again.
After the door closed, Returning Dust Hall remained quiet for a while.
Su Muchen stood where he was. After a moment, he finally muttered, “So annoying.”
Xiao looked at him.
“Muchen, go to sleep.”
Su Muchen glanced at him.
Xiao was still holding Xialan Shi’s letter in his hand.
He had kept the letter paper very carefully.
Su Muchen was silent for a moment and did not tease him again.
He simply said, “If you’re going to reply, there’s paper on the table.”
Xiao froze.
Su Muchen had already turned and headed upstairs.
“And don’t write too much like a riddle. A patient won’t understand it and will end up staying up late trying to guess and overthinking things.”
Xiao watched his retreating back and suddenly let out a quiet laugh.
“Got it.”
He lowered his head and looked at the letter in his palm.
After a long while, Xiao sat down behind the counter and pulled out a clean sheet of letter paper.
The tip of his pen hovered for a long time.
In the end, he wrote only the first sentence.
—Young Master Huaiyu, I have received your letter.
When he finished writing those words, his fingertips paused slightly.
The person’s face inadvertently surfaced in his mind, filling his heart with complicated emotions.
Yet he did not know what he should write next.
There was so, so much he wanted to say.
But… so little he could actually say.
Outside the window, the sky gradually brightened.
The wind, snow, and rain on both sides of the Door had temporarily stopped.
And some threads that had originally been able to hide only within the fog finally began, little by little, to reach toward each other.