Upon hearing this, everyone happily loaded their mountain goods onto the carriage, squeezing it to the brim. Tong Chen went up to adjust it, took out a hemp rope to tie the baskets tightly, leaving a single-covered basket on top with a cushion of bulrush. He then came down and walked in front of Cheng Mo, bowing and saluting, "Young Master Cheng, my young lady is entrusted to your care on this journey. If you can accompany her back in a few days, please light a smoke as a signal. I will come to welcome her back. If there are any inconveniences, please leave a message at the water pavilion. I will send someone down every day to wait for news of the young lady's return to the mountain."
"Brother Chen, based on your caring heart, even I am willing to call you Brother Chen. We've already sworn brotherhood with Qiao Er. How can you keep demeaning yourself with such humility? You've forgotten that we are sworn brothers. How can you continue to demean yourself as a humble person?" Cheng Mo saw Tong Chen's genuine protection for Xiangbei, treating her sincerely regardless of status. He wanted to reciprocate the same sincerity.
"Young Master Cheng, I can't allow that. Your status is noble, and I'm just a rough mountain man. The sworn brotherhood was established under the influence of alcohol and recklessness. Please don't mock me. Just call me Tong Chen."
"Alright, Tong Chen. Regardless of the title, if you sincerely care for Xiangbei, I will always consider you as a brother. Today, you lead everyone back, and in a few days, I will personally accompany Xiangbei back here."
Tong Hu gazed at the blue figure for a long time, enchanted and melancholic. Perhaps only such a heroic and noble air could be worthy of this lively and clever young lady? When Tong Chen bid farewell and turned back, he patted his brother's shoulder. Children who grew up together could not help but understand the secrets hidden in each other's hearts.
The carriage carried nearly two thousand kilograms, navigating the rugged mountain road. Cheng Mo carefully inspected it several times and stopped North, who was about to board the carriage. "We'll ride horses ahead, and a carriage will come later when we return to the water pavilion. It might be dangerous with such a heavy load."
"Oh? Let's go quickly, then. Brother Cheng can wait here."
"He can catch up slowly. Let's go. Can you ride a horse?"
"Oh? No, I can't. What should I do?" North forgot that his limited attempts at horseback riding were at the riding school, where the coach led him in circles with a long rope.
"I'll teach you."
Thinking about Cheng Mo's swaying carriage, North didn't say much. Recalling the coach's instructions, he leaned against the horse's head, stepped on the stirrup, jumped up, and sat on the horse: beautiful! Perfect! North praised himself inwardly with a sense of satisfaction. Cheng Mo mounted his horse gracefully and started. Lowering his head, he whispered in North's ear, "Getting on a horse so beautifully doesn't look like someone who hasn't ridden before."
The warm breath tickled North's ear, making it itchy. North, pressing his shoulder, turned to face Cheng Mo. "Does being able to get on a horse mean knowing how to ride it?" As he turned, Cheng Mo's soft lips glided across his cheek, stopping at the corner of his mouth. The well-defined nose, which pressed against him a moment earlier, invisibly brushed against him. The deeply set eyes, less than two centimeters away, hidden beneath long, thick lashes, sparkled with a playful and faintly mocking bright light, gradually darkening. Instinctively, North leaned back, attempting to evade this potentially lethal charm but forgot he was high on the horse. Losing balance for a moment, his hands waved in the air trying to maintain equilibrium. Cheng Mo's hand reached from behind, encircling his waist, pulling North back tightly, nestled against his chest. Everything around them stood still, as if even the wind and intersecting spacetime had paused, leaving only two hearts beating intensely.
Amidst the chaos of each other's confusion and nowhere to hide, Cheng Mo urged the horse forward, not uttering another word but tightening the arm around North's waist, never letting go. North nestled his head in Cheng Mo's warm embrace, his ear against the broad chest where vibrations resonated like the beating of war drums, and the whirlpool of energy in his mind spun frantically, as if about to surge forth in the next moment. When they reached the water pavilion, North dismounted silently, sitting on the wooden platform in the pavilion until three carriages were led out from the estate. She spoke softly, "I'll still take the carriage, more accustomed to it."
"Yes, sure, I'll accompany you."
With two carriages headed to the mountain for the pick-up, Cheng Mo turned to help North onto the first one heading to the town. North closed her eyes as if dozing off the entire time, only opening them when the carriage stopped. She raised the curtain and looked outside, "Brother Ziqiu!"
Qiao Ziqiu paused in his conversation with the coachman, smiling as he reached out to support the blue-clad girl jumping out of the carriage. "Is it her? Seems pretty good, really, really very good!" As he gazed, a gentle and watery smile gradually spread from his heart to his eyes, up to his eyebrows.