The rolling sound of a wooden wheel entered their ears. From their peripheral, a silhouette of a fine carriage came. Jiang Liu reacted quickly in impulse. Shouting 'hide' in panic and swiftly covered Wei Yi Yi with his frame.
Attracted to the sudden sound, Wei Yi Yi intensely followed the carriage with her gaze. Passing the rocky road, the carriage jolted and the curtain flapped open. There, a man with a feature deeply engraved in her memories, sat solemnly.
"Si Song?" Wei Yi Yi called out in a haze.
Seeing a figure she's so familiar with, Wei Yi Yi was unable to tear her gaze.
The carriage wheels kept rolling to the direction of the southern gate. The wind turn stagnant and the curtain no longer sway.
"Si Song!" Wei Yi Yi called out more resolute this time. There was no mistaking it. It was one of her 'brothers'. From childhood till the very last memories of her last life, it was them that she remembers. Their figures never left her, not even once.
Even from afar; even from the crowd; or even with a small glimpse, Wei Yi Yi would be able to spot them. Her eye has always been searching for them from the start.
"Who are you calling for, Big sister? Don't shout here! We'll get into trouble." Jiang Liu grab Wei Yi Yi's wrist the gain her attention. As the surrounding turn noisy, Jiang Chen rubbed his eyes open, feeling the small vibration from his aunt.
Wei Yi Yi momentarily look at Jiang Liu and then at the carriage that's turning farther away. Her emotion stir--- almost crying, she felt a fang of desperation. Struggling out from Jiang Liu's hold, she harshly shoves Jiang Chen into him.
Everyone was stunned silly. And even before they could react, with a quick turn, Wei Yi Yi lifted her skirt and run after the carriage.
"Wait! Please wait! Si Song!!!" Jiang Chen heard his aunt shouting the name of an unknown man. She grabbed the few hairpins in her hair and throws it harshly to the ground.
"It's me! Si Song! Don't leave! I'm here! It's me! It's me!"
With all her might, Wei Yi Yi chases a carriage pulled by a running horse. Shouting repeatedly, her voice slowly turned hoarse in Jiang Liu's ears. She stumble a few times, and when she felt like her delicate embroidered shoes were a hindrance, without much thoughts, she run barefooted.
The situation turned graver as they looked on. They chased after Wei Yi Yi who still shouting other man's name. It turned into a long chase with one chasing a carriage and the rest chasing a wild woman.
At that moment, Tang Mei was both thankful and resentful about the empress' daily run. Thankfully, she has the stamina to chase after the empress. Annoyingly, the empress also has the stamina to keep running! Tang Mei was able to shorten their distance, however, Jiang Liu, who's carrying Jiang Chen, was left huffing at the back.
When the carriage reached the gates, it stopped for an inspection but the person inside did not step down. Wei Yi Yi chased harder, scaring both Tang Mei and Jiang Liu. Their heart jolted and they too, chased after more resolute.
That's a gate leading outside!
"Si Song! Nooo! Don't leave yet! Take me with you!"
Wei Yi Yi was just a head, Tang Mei grit her teeth and jumped her. The sudden impact from Wei Yi Yi's back turned her balance into a mess. As she was not able to brace for it, she fall head first to the ground and together with Tang Mei, they rolled a few times.
Jiang Liu who's running a few steps behind heaved a sigh of relief. The guards were busy and did not catch on their ruckus.
A servant and a mistress were locked in their struggle. Wei Yi Yi wanted to get up but Tang Mei hold her down. Jiang Liu put down Jiang Chen and quickens his pace. Without care for proper customs or statuses, he throws the empress over his back.
"No! No! I-I want to go home!" He felt Wei Yi Yi struggle, kicking her feet into air and punching his back. He flinched with the pain but he did not let go and carried her away from the gate. She kept calling for 'Si Song' in a cycle that seems endless. But then, like a sudden burst of anger, her voice turned sharper, complaining and wronged. Wei Yi Yi shouted, "Si Song, how could you leave me here?! I want to home! Si Song! Come back! Come back and take me home, Si Song!"
What followed is burst of cries and sobbing from Wei Yi Yi.
"Auntie!" Hearing his aunt crying for the first time, Jiang Chen, with his small steps tried to come to her side. The sounds she makes are like small needles prickling his heart.
Jiang Liu stopped and put down the crying Wei Yi Yi. She collapsed to the ground on a heap of crying. Her sight was terrible and awful. Her silky black hair was all over her face and sticking to her tears. Her silk satin robes were wrinkled and disheveled. She has no shoes and she's full of small bruises from the fall.
"Aunt, Aunt, what's wrong? Don't cry." Jiang Chen swiftly sat beside her. With his sleeves, he wiped away her tears but Wei Yi Yi kept crying miserably. In the end, unable to handle extreme emotions, Jiang Chen also started crying.
Not knowing neither what to do nor what to say, Jiang Liu removed his outer robes and wrapped it around Wei Yi Yi, hiding her disheartened state. Wei Yi Yi ceased her crying a little bit and looked at Jiang Liu. "Don't speak of another man's name. Don't cry for him too. Empress, the emperor has eyes and ears everywhere inside the imperial palace. Please take heed and stop crying."