It's much easier going down the mountain than going up.
The long stone steps meandered down all the way, and the two people took breaks as they went down. When they went up the mountain, they didn't care about the scenery they enjoyed. Now they were enjoying it.
It was just that Qi Ying was obviously absent-minded. After leaving the monastery, her brows and eyes had always been slightly frowning.
Ji Rang pulled her aside and sat down, unscrewed a box of yogurt and handed it over, making her laugh: "Little idiot, why are you so superstitious? Did you not study politics well?"
She lowered her head and drank the yogurt. Thinking back to the words of the monk just now, the more she thought about it, the sadder she became.
The general's feats of defending his family and the country in his last life have become a murder in this life. He guarded the people of the country, gave his life, and finally was even asked to bear the consequences.
The little girl suddenly jumped into his arms.
Ji Rang wasn't prepared, so he subconsciously hugged her, almost toppling over.
He felt the sadness of the young girl, so he put away the usual quips, and asked her in a low voice: "Yingying, what's the matter?"
She put her arms around his neck, buried her small head in his heart, sobbed softly, and said in a crying voice after a long time, "In the future… don't fight, don't do dangerous things and live in peace. Let's go down, okay?"
She was sorry for him.
Ji Rang felt sore and angry.
That smelly monk, what saying "died young" to scare his baby!
He patted her on the back, coaxing her softly, and his voice was so soft that water dripped out: "Okay, I promise you, I promise you everything you say."
She raised her head, her eyes were red, and she stretched out a little finger and said in a soft voice, "Promise."
His callused fingers hooked her delicate little finger, and whispered, "Well, I promise."
She finally laughed.
Going down the mountain, the students on the picnic began to clean up the trash and prepare to leave. Qi Ying met Yue Li and the others. She was eating a bowl of instant noodles and happily greeted her: "Yingying, where have you been? What did you do?"
Qi Ying said: "We climbed to the top of the mountain and went to Hexi Temple to make a wish."
Yue Li exclaimed: "Wow, that's so high up. It must have taken a few hours to climb. It should be only you who climbed it?"
Qi Ying nodded proudly, thought about it, and said, "Wishing there was really good."
A temple with a monk must be very spiritual.
Yue Li's eyes lighted: "Then I will come next time on vacation! I want to make a wish to perform well in the college entrance examination!"
The teacher who led the team not far away shouted: "Put away all the garbage, take care of the ecological environment, don't litter, and prepare to go down the mountain to gather."
The spring outing ended with this noise.
The bus first brought the students back to school.
Classes will continue tomorrow. The head teachers of each class were in the bus saying: "You had fun and got into trouble. There will be a college entrance examination in less than three months. It's nothing to do with you, but you will do this year's college entrance examination questions to see how big the gap is!"
After climbing the mountain for a day, everyone was tired, and languidly slumped in their seats, letting the teacher talk.
The car was swaying, and the sunlight through the window in the afternoon made people drowsy. Although Ji Rang had good physical strength, it took a lot of effort to climb the top of the mountain, so he fell asleep with his head resting on the cushion.
He had a dream.
The dream was filled with fire, he seemed to have become a general, riding on a black maned horse, and ordered a black soldier behind to release arrows.
Those arrows were all lit on fire, and they swept across the bandit village and fell into the front like meteors from the sky. They were fighting and roaring constantly. The lieutenant reported by his side: "General, the bandit village gate is broken!"
He tightened the reins, held a long sword to his side, and said in a deep voice, "Kill."
The sound of horse hooves resounded through the valley, and he rushed to the front, blood splashing wherever he went. The mountain bandits resisted stubbornly, but couldn't stand the imperial cavalry trampling, and quickly retreated.
He didn't know when, but snow started falling from the sky.
In the white snow, he saw the little girl curled up under the snow at a glance.
She was disheveled and panicked, but her eyes were bright, soft and pitiful, like the fawns he met during hunting. A mountain bandit next to her grabbed her long hair, frantically holding a knife to her throat and about to cut it off. He held the long sword in his hand and threw it forward. The mountain bandit was pierced by the sword and nailed to the wall.
The blood from his wound sprayed her face.
The red blood and white skin dangled in front of his eyes.
She was frightened, but she did not cry or scream. She sat on the ground blankly, pulling her fingers on the clothes so they couldn't fall off her body, clutching her chest, her shoulders like snow, and her long hair like a waterfall, staring blankly.
He immediately thought she looked so good.
He rode his horse closer, and she raised her head a little, her big wet eyes unblinking.
He looked at her for a while, and originally wanted to say: The mountain bandit has been slain, don't be afraid, go down the mountain with peace of mind, but he didn't know how to say it, and it became: "Do you have a place?"
She shook her head, her face pale.
He leaned over and reached for her.
The little girl hesitated a little, stood up slowly against the wall, and walked up to him obediently.
He bent down, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and picked her up on the horse.
The little girl exclaimed, she whispered: "Ah…"
He almost laughed, pressed his lips, rode his horse to the wall, and pulled out the long sword, then he turned the horse's head and walked back.
His deputy rushed over from a distance: "General Ji, the culprits are already punished! Huh…" Looking at the little girl in his arms, "This is…"
He glanced at the lieutenant indifferently, took off his cloak, wrapped all the little girl in his arms, and said quietly: "Burn the camp, and go down the mountain."
The snow had become denser and denser, covering the top of the mountain.
He smelled the sweet scent of the little girl in his arms, like the white plum in the mountains behind him.
He asked her in a low voice, "What's your name?"
"Qi Ying." The little girl turned her head slightly, showing a well-behaved side face, "General, my name is Qi Ying."
…
Ji Rang woke up from his dream with a start.
The action was too big, and Qu Dazhuang next to him was shocked, so he came over and asked, "What's wrong, brother? Did you have a nightmare?"
He took a few breaths, shook his head, and leaned back.
When he closed his eyes, he could still see the picture of his baby almost being hacked to death by the culprit in the blizzard.
Fuck.
Blame the smelly monk.
What a shitty dream!
The bus drove back to school. After getting off the bus, the students returned home one after another. Ji Rang was so frightened by the dream just now that he called Qi Ying when he got off the bus and ran to look for her.
She was waiting obediently at the school gate with her schoolbag that had been emptied and only a bottle of drink was left. She was wearing a bright yellow spring shirt. She was so bright and well-behaved. He was relieved with just a glimpse of her.
That's right.
He walked over and carried her schoolbag with a clear smile: "Go, let brother take you home."
The little girl gave him a shy look, and obediently followed him to the bus stop.
…
With the arrival of spring, the pot of hawthorn flowers Qi Ying sent him also sprouted.
The big guy who had never raised flowers was afraid of ruining them. So, he had to watch them a hundred times a day. He also paid attention to the plant growing buds, flowers sprouting, and growing bigger. He learnt how to become a qualified flower grower every day.
As April approached, the weather in Haicheng was beginning to get hot.
At dinner in the evening, Yu Cheng said to Qi Ying: "Yingying, remember to ask the teacher for leave when you go to school tomorrow."
Qi Ying's hand paused, and suddenly she realized something, and her fingers imperceptibly shook slightly.
Yu Cheng also said to himself: "It takes more than seven hours to fly back and forth to Yancheng. Please ask for two days off."
Qi Ying lowered her eyes and nodded obediently: "Okay."
When she arrived at school the next day, she took the leave slip and went to Liu Qinghua to sign. Liu Qinghua looked at it and asked, "Is there a personal reason? Is there anything so important that you need to ask for two days' leave? Now the study time is very tight, you should try to ask for as few leave as possible."
Qi Ying pursed her lips and said softly: "Tomorrow is my parents' memorial day, I want to return to Yancheng."
Liu Qinghua didn't expect this to be the case, and immediately said: "Oh, okay, go, pay attention to safety on the road."
She approved the request for leave.
When school got over in the afternoon, Qi Ying went to Ji Rang.
The back door of the Class 9 classroom was always very noisy. Qu Dazhuang saw her from a distance and shouted: "Brother, your little fairy came to pick you up from school."
An empty bottle flew over.
"Your shouting is fine!"
This scene was the same every day, Qi Ying smiled, and when Ji Rang came out carrying his schoolbag, she waved to Qu Dazhuang and the others: "Goodbye."
Qu Dazhuang covered his heart and quietly said to Liu Haiyang: "The little fairy is so sweet; I seem to be in love."
Liu Haiyang: "Do you want to be skinned alive by our brother?"
Stepping out of the teaching building, Qi Ying said softly to the teenager beside her: "I have asked for leave. I won't come to school tomorrow."
Ji Rang frowned: "What's wrong? Are you sick?"
He raised his hand to touch her forehead.
Qi Ying smiled and avoided his hand, her voice soft: "No, I'm going back to Yancheng with my uncle. Tomorrow is my father and mother's memorial day, I must go back to worship."
Ji Rang was teasing her hand, but he put it down a bit stiffly, and said in a low voice, "I see."
The two said nothing, until the bus stop, when the bus gradually came, Qi Ying waved to him, smiled and said, "I'm leaving."
There was a smile in the little girl's eyes, but there was also something else.
He couldn't hold back, stretched out his hand to hold her, and pulled her to him.
Qi Ying asked him in a low voice, "What's the matter?"
His throat was tight, and his heart was a little bit painful. He rubbed her cheeks with his fingertips. It took him a long time to whisper: "Is there something you want to tell me?"
She nodded.
It felt so good that it hurt.
The door opened and students got on the bus one after another.
Qi Ying bent her eyes and smiled at him: "I really want to go."
He also smiled and let go.
She waved and turned around with her schoolbag on her back.
After two steps, Ji Rang suddenly caught her in his arms.
The door closed and the bus drove away. She froze and did not move. Ji Rang pulled her schoolbag belt and whispered: "Yingying, turn around."
She hung her head and did not move.
He released his hand and walked around in front of her, holding her small face in his palm, forcing her to look up.
And saw her red eyes.
He knew it.
The little girl pressed her lips and held her tears, which broke his heart.
He lowered his body and asked him softly, "Are you sad?"
She shook her head, lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Ji Rang took out his mobile phone and booked a flight to Feiyan City for the next day.
He took her finger, put it to his mouth and kissed it, softly coaxing her: "Don't be sad, I'll be with you."