Li Jinglong stared at Hongjun in a daze. Little Hongjun, who was wearing a single layer of clothing, looked at him quietly with confusion in his eyes.
"Quickly go back." Li Jinglong immediately went forward and pulled him back. "Don't catch a cold."
"Who came?" Little Hongjun asked.
"My father." In a short moment, Li Jinglong had determined the situation of this night and answered.
Previously, the Li and Kong Xuan celebrated the New Year together. Father Li and Kong Xuan drank together, which was reasonable. Little Hongjun did not have any doubts. On New Year's Eve, there were still many children outside.
"Go back and sleep." Li Jinglong hugged Hongjun and sent him back to his room. Little Hongjun kept struggling and said, "I can't sleep!"
Li Jinglong heard the sound of firecrackers from afar and said, "Shh, the Nian beast is coming."
"I haven't seen it yet. What does the Nian beast look like?"
Li Jinglong suddenly had an idea and said, "Let's go, I'll take you outside to play."
Li Jinglong first took little Hongjun back to his house. His father was already asleep, so Li Jinglong found the clothes from two years ago and had Hongjun change into them. He led him out and went to the stable. He stole a horse, jumped on it, and dragged Hongjun up.
"I haven't ridden a horse before!"
Hongjun hugged Li Jinglong from behind. Li Jinglong smiled and said, "I also haven't learned for long!"
Hongjun: "… …"
Li Jinglong took him to the front of Ximing Temple and opened the door. The monks in the temple were preparing to pray for the New Year and welcome the Chang 'an people who came to worship. The two of them sneaked into the backyard and arrived at a wooden ladder. This wooden ladder was used by the monks to hang the golden prayer banner. It had not been removed yet, so Li Jinglong and little Hongjun climbed to the top of the temple and looked to the east. In the dark night, Chang' an was still brightly lit.
"Look." The young Li Jinglong pointed at Chang 'an City.
"Wow." Little Hongjun sat on the golden banner on the roof. Li Jinglong took advantage of the fact that he wasn't paying attention and gently kissed him on the cheek.
Hongjun: "…"
At this time, Hongjun still thought that the nine-year-old Li Jinglong in front of him was still the Li Jinglong of the past. For a moment, he couldn't help but lean forward and kiss his lips.
Li Jinglong's face immediately flushed red. Little Hongjun's lips parted with a smile.
"I'm moving soon," Little Hongjun said seriously. "Do you believe that we'll meet again in the future?"
"Yes." Li Jinglong answered almost without hesitation, "I'll wait for you. I know you'll definitely return to Chang 'an."
Little Hongjun was suddenly shaken. He stared blankly at Li Jinglong.
"Maybe I won't come back again." Hongjun's heart was in turmoil. Suddenly, he said, "That demon will eat me one day. When that time comes …"
Li Jinglong: "It won't."
"… This is my life." Hongjun hugged his knees and looked at Chang 'an in a daze. He said, "The evil energy of heaven and earth should be attracted by the demon seed and turn me into a demon. If it's taken away by Xie Yu, it'll be even more dangerous. Jinglong, promise me, if I become Tianma … "
"I said, it won't," Li Jinglong said seriously. Hongjun was stunned. He turned to look at Li Jinglong.
"Don't be afraid. No matter when, no matter where, I won't let the demon come out. Wait for me, Hongjun. I'll learn magic well. One day … "
When Hongjun heard Li Jinglong say "Hongjun", he suddenly realized something. How did he know that his name was Hongjun? And at this moment, the nine year old Li Jinglong pressed down on the seven year old Hongjun's shoulder and lowered his head to kiss him.
Hongjun's dream rapidly shook. With a gust of wind, heaven and earth expanded to infinity. Hongjun and Li Jinglong's bodies continued to grow.
Hongjun opened his eyes and woke up in Li Jinglong's arms. Li Jinglong frowned deeply and lowered his head to look at Hongjun.
In the Lanling Amber, the moment Hongjun woke up from his dream, he found that the person beside him had changed. He subconsciously leaned back and looked at Li Jinglong in surprise.
Li Jinglong looked at his surprised gaze and muttered, "We … we knew each other before? Hongjun, what happened? I … I actually forgot about you? "
Hongjun slowly shook his head and said nothing. Li Jinglong said, "Is that your past? Hongjun! Tell me! "
Hongjun pushed Li Jinglong away. Li Jinglong said urgently, "Hongjun!"
Outside the Lanling Amber, in the early summer night, the fragrance of magnolia floated in the breeze.
Lu Xu's heart was filled with all kinds of feelings. On the balcony on the second floor of the pub, the western market was closed. The evening drum beat one after another. Mo Rigen was squatting on the balcony like a wolf looking at the sunset.
He heard the footsteps. Without asking, he knew that Lu Xu had come.
"Did you help Hongjun enter his dream?" Mo Rigen asked. "I was about to wake you up."
Lu Xu said, "Yes." Since the quarrel that day, he rarely spoke to Mo Rigen. He immediately went to the railing and leaned on it, looking into the distance with Mo Rigen.
"What did you see?" Mo Rigen asked again.
Lu Xu replied, "What does it have to do with you?"
"I just thought of him as my younger brother," Mo Rigen said to himself.
Lu Xu wanted to laugh at Mo Rigen, but he gave up the idea. After a long silence, he finally answered, "I saw a child who was very lonely when he was young …" Lu Xu said in a daze. He looked at the market under the sunset and then stared at Mo Rigen's figure squatting on the roof.
When he saw Hong Jun and Li Jinglong when they were young, a different feeling suddenly welled up in his heart. It was half envy, and half melancholy. In the past, he had been even more lonely than Hong Jun. When he had just grown up, he had been sent to Shazhou County and handed over to the Garrison General … At that time, he was just a dusty idiot who was bullied everywhere he went.
"How did you live when you were young?" Mo Rigen suddenly asked when he heard Lu Xu talk about Hongjun's childhood.
Lu Xu did not answer, but he remembered the snowy night outside the city. His eyes were wide open as he saw Mo Rigen's palm glowing and pressing it on his forehead.
"Hey, idiot, where do you think you're going?"
"This idiot can't do anything else, but he can run pretty fast."
"Have you ever thought about where you're going?"
In his blurred world, there was only a vast expanse of whiteness. He always ran in this expanse of whiteness. There was no end to the world and he could not reach the end.
But he still ran, as if there was someone waiting for him in this boundless world. Since that person did not come, why not go by himself? But he ran all over Hexi without stopping. He did not even know what he was looking for.
Mo Rigen turned his head and suddenly said to Lu Xu, "I'm sorry, Lu Xu."
Lu Xu frowned and then raised his eyebrows, indicating that he should speak.
"I didn't understand at first." Mo Rigen said, "I … I'm not like you. I thought I … but I … it's all my fault. Don't be angry …"
Lu Xu: "???"
Mo Rigen thought about it and said, "I thought the Grey Wolf and the White Deer were both … but …"
"If you have something to say, then just say it," Lu Xu said impatiently.
Mo Rigen thought for a moment. He did not turn around. With his back facing Lu Xu, he said, "Hongjun is right. If we can't be … well, let's be brothers."
"We've always been good brothers," Lu Xu said. "You're thinking too much, stupid wolf!"
Mo Rigen turned sideways and gestured with his fingers. He said awkwardly, "I mean … you and me."
Lu Xu: "…"
Seeing that Lu Xu was silent, Mo Rigen quickly explained, "Previously, I thought that the Grey Wolf and the White Deer should be husband and wife, so … so … please don't blame me for being presumptuous …" He did not dare to look Lu Xu in the eye and turned his head away. He muttered to himself, "It's all my fault …"
"Of course," Lu Xu said. "I've never liked you."
Mo Rigen heard this and sighed. "That's good. Lu Xu, I don't have any improper thoughts about you."
Lu Xu mocked, "That's ridiculous."
Mo Rigen scratched his head. Just as he was about to say something, Lu Xu turned and walked away. Mo Rigen was stunned. He turned his head and wanted to chase after Lu Xu, but Lu Xu's figure had already disappeared in front of the stairs. However, at this moment, Mo Rigen felt a sense of melancholy and guilt. It was as if he had hurt Lu Xu.
The sound of conversation came from downstairs. The evening drums had stopped and Hongjun was the first to leave the tavern.
"Don't ask," Hongjun said. "I won't tell you!"
Li Jinglong followed behind him. Lu Xu came down like a gust of wind and asked, "Are they leaving?"
Lu Xu carried Hongjun's luggage and threw it to him. Hongjun caught it and put it on the saddle. Li Jinglong looked around and said to Lu Xu, "No need to inform them. We'll leave the city now."
"Be careful," Lu Xu said to Hongjun.
Hongjun nodded and mounted his horse. Mo Rigen stood on the eaves of the second floor and whistled downstairs. Li Jinglong said, "I'll leave Chang 'an to you guys. Ride!"
Mo Rigen waved his sword. Hongjun was in front and Li Jinglong was behind him.
The Carp Demon ran out with a spatula in his hand and shouted, "You guys haven't eaten dinner yet!"
"You're always like this." Li Jinglong urged his horse to chase after him and shouted, "Can you not run?"
Hongjun slowed down and turned to look at Li Jinglong. "If you promise me you won't ask, I won't run."
Li Jinglong gave in and said, "Fine, I won't ask. Unless you tell me, I won't ask again."
Only then did Hongjun slow down his horse. At this moment, Chang 'an had already started a curfew and the whole city was under martial law. However, there was no arrest warrant for Li Jinglong. Perhaps under Yang Guozhong's persuasion, Li Longji still had a trick up his sleeve. Once Li Jinglong was convicted of deceiving the Emperor, he would not be able to change his words.
Li Jinglong walked towards the east side of the city. He showed his waist token and used the Flower of Departed Souls to make the city guards sneeze. Then he opened the gate and went out of the city with Hongjun. When they reached the wilderness, they gradually slowed down. Hongjun was in front and Li Jinglong was behind. The two rode one in front and one behind.
From time to time Hongjun looked back at Li Jinglong. He could not help but think of the snowy night when they left Dunhuang.
At that time, the moon was bright in the sky and the lush green fields on the side of the road rustled. After Li Jinglong left the city, he did not chase after them. Hongjun stopped in front and waited for him. Li Jinglong, on the other hand, stopped his horse and did not move.
"What's wrong with you?" Hongjun asked from afar.
"What do you think?" Li Jinglong said.
Hongjun did not say anything and said, "Let's go."
Li Jinglong's eyes were full of anger. Hongjun knew that he was angry, but he still had his own persistence. He was afraid that if Li Jinglong knew about some things, it would only add to his troubles.
"I don't want to say …"
"Don't say it." Li Jinglong replied, "I promised you that I wouldn't ask."
"Then let's go." Hongjun turned his horse around and said.
The two of them rode for a short while. Hongjun was already a little sleepy. It was not easy to be caught out of the city at night, but it was still a little tiring to travel through the night. Li Jinglong also did not keep abreast of him.
"Let's find a place to rest for the night." Hongjun said again, "I'm sleepy."
Li Jinglong still did not speak. Hongjun said, "What do you think of the village in front of us?"
Hongjun looked at Li Jinglong pitifully. He wanted to apologize, but he did not know how to say it.
"Say it, I won't tell you anything." Li Jinglong said, "Aren't you the same? Have you ever thought about my feelings? "
Hongjun said, "That's not the same."
Li Jinglong: "How is it not the same?"
Hongjun: "You said that you won't ask anymore."
Li Jinglong: "I didn't ask. We're talking about another matter, aren't we?"
The two of them looked at each other. Li Jinglong's brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was still angry. Hongjun pulled his hand and said, "Don't be angry."
Hongjun did not know how to coax people, so he could only tell the truth. Li Jinglong said, "Then what do you want to do?"
Hongjun looked at his expression and asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Li Jinglong said, "When there's no one around, be intimate with me."
Hongjun nodded and said, "Okay."
After running for a while, Li Jinglong got closer. Hongjun turned to look at him. Li Jinglong's expression softened slightly. Hongjun said, "There's no one here."
Li Jinglong replied, "We can't do it in the wilderness."
After running for a while, they stopped in front of a village. There was a pier behind the village. As dawn approached, there were many people gathered at the pier.
"Why don't we ride horses?" Hongjun asked, "Isn't it faster to go along the Hangu Road?"
Li Jinglong said, "If we go to Hangu Pass, An Lushan and Yang Guozhong's eyes and ears are everywhere. It's easy to be discovered."
Li Jinglong motioned for Hongjun to wait first while he talked with the captain in front of the cargo ship. At this time, the ships in the Wei River and Yellow River area did not carry passengers, only cargo. Li Jinglong looked around and bought some things. He used some money to call Hongjun over to lead the horses onto the ship and told him not to say too much.
After receiving the money, the captain took them to the stern of the ship and said, "Our water route is not as fast as the land route, but it's also stable. Officials, please take a rest first. If you need anything, just give me instructions. You two can walk along the cabin. It's the innermost part."
It was Hongjun's first time on a ship, so he was immediately filled with curiosity. This ship could carry a lot of cargo. It was a modified version of the previous dynasty's Emperor Yang's dragon boat. After the Sui Family changed hands, the Li Family wanted to burn Emperor Yang's hundreds of boats. They were stopped by Wei Zheng and changed into a cargo ship to transport goods. During the construction, the craftsmen from all over the country gathered together. It was also made of top quality wood. After some repairs, it unexpectedly did not rot even after more than a hundred years. It could still travel along the Yellow River.
The large ship was divided into six levels. It was filled with grain, wine, porcelain, and other things that were not suitable for the bumpy road. The aft cabin had a spacious large room with six windows on the wall. Leaning against the wall, there was a large bed separated by a screen. The outside was covered with a blanket. There was also a table and an incense burner. Presumably, it was for the imperial court's supervisors when they occasionally boarded the ship to transport goods.
"This room is very …" Hongjun had just entered. Before he could finish his sentence, he was hugged and kissed by Li Jinglong.
"Let me see first!" Hongjun hurriedly said. Li Jinglong let him go. Hongjun went to the bed and opened the windows one by one. He saw that the sky was just beginning to brighten and the goods were still being loaded downstairs. There was a screen on the window. After it was pulled down, a cool breeze blew in.
Li Jinglong turned around and locked the door. He took off his outer robe and untied his martial sleeves. He got onto the bed and unexpectedly could not wait for a moment. He pressed Hongjun down and whispered, "Quick, I missed you so much."
Hongjun, "…"
Li Jinglong hugged Hongjun and said, "I'm still angry. How are you going to coax me?"
Hongjun laughed. He covered Li Jinglong's face with one hand and took the initiative to kiss him. Li Jinglong's voice came to an abrupt stop. His eyes widened and his breathing suddenly became rapid. Hongjun focused on kissing his lips. His movements were very clumsy. Li Jinglong could not help but feel hot blood rush up. He felt dizzy and leaned down. He pressed Hongjun onto the bed and lowered his head to kiss him.