Chapter 296
“I killed them.”
The girl’s expression was blank as she spoke those four words.
Her eyes held little emotion, and she merely gazed silently at Chen An. She was observing the little boy’s reaction.
However, his response was somewhat beyond her expectations. He showed neither nervousness nor fear, nor did he look at her like she was crazy. He simply blinked his clear black and white eyes and let out a drawn-out “Oh.”
Mu Sanniang moved her lips and asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid of what?” Chen An retorted.
Mu Sanniang lowered her head, her voice barely audible. “Aren’t you afraid that one day I might get upset and kill you too?”
Her tone was chilling and seemed genuine. Yet, the boy did not distance himself from her. Instead, he leaned his head closer again. As he spoke, a hint of warmth accompanied his breath.
“It’s alright.”
Mu Sanniang was stunned. She couldn’t understand. “Why?”
She noticed that a surprisingly beautiful smile suddenly appeared on the handsome little boy’s face. Mu Sanniang hadn’t studied much and couldn’t find any flowery words to describe it. She only thought it was beautiful, and that was all there was to it.
Chen An explained softly, “If it weren’t for Mu Sanniang, I should have died long ago.” “Since that’s the case, then this life of mine naturally belongs to Mu Sanniang.”
His words were spoken lightly and casually. The logic behind them was also straightforward, even blunt. Mu Sanniang fell silent. After a moment, she shook her head. “Life is the most precious thing. There’s no reason to look down on it like this.”
Hearing her words, the smile on the boy’s lips grew more pronounced. He said, “How can there be no reason like that? This is a lesson Mu Sanniang taught me.”
Mu Sanniang pursed her lips, knowing he was teasing her about trading people for biscuits before. She didn’t laugh along but simply closed her eyes, seemingly having lost interest in continuing the conversation. Chen An also fell silent. Their physical positions didn’t change much; they remained as they were at the beginning, holding each other tightly, using each other’s bodies for warmth.
It was unclear how much time had passed until the sky began to show a hint of dawn. A hoarse voice slowly spoke. Although Chen An hadn’t asked and didn’t care about these things, Mu Sanniang began to speak.
“They had nothing to eat, they were so hungry, they dug up tree roots, gnawed on bark, tried everything, but nothing worked…”
“They had to come eat me, but I didn’t want to die, I wanted to live too…”
Her voice was intermittent, devoid of any discernible emotion, as if she were recounting an event that had nothing to do with her. Chen An didn’t speak but only tightened his hold on her slightly. Feeling his movement, her voice paused, then continued, “I won’t eat you. As long as you’re obedient, I will definitely take good care of you.”
Then, Chen An felt a cold little hand slowly placed on his chest. He looked down and saw that Mu Sanniang had opened her eyes at some point. Her pale blue eyes were looking at him. She pursed her lips. “You promised we would be family. So you can never leave me, abandon me, or betray me.” Chen An’s response was quick. It was a single short word.
“Okay.” He then added, “In this life, Mu Sanniang and I will only have death as a separation, never a parting.”
The two children, with a combined age not even reaching twenty, uttered vows of forever and a lifetime as if they were commonplace.
Mu Sanniang shook her head, her delicate brows furrowed. She corrected him earnestly, “Not parting, and never death either.” She looked at the boy before her, her tone casual, but her words carried a hint of coldness. “If you run away, or go against our agreement, I will definitely kill you.” “No matter how far, no matter how long.” “I will find you.” This was Mu Sanniang’s promise.
Seeing her fierce expression, Chen An couldn’t help but think, anyway, I’m tied to you for this life, why should I be afraid of these threats? He let out a soft hum, then his eyes flickered, and he tentatively called out, “Sister?”
Mu Sanniang looked at him and placed her hand on his head. Then, mimicking the actions her mother had done for her years ago, she gently stroked his hair. She corrected him, “Good boy, you should call me Mom.”
…
…
This year was undoubtedly a year of endless calamities for Da Zhou. Countless refugees fleeing from the north died on the road south. Bare bones lay exposed in the wilderness, and a thousand miles were silent. To successfully reach the city walls was already incredibly fortunate and remarkable. Yet, in the end, all one could beg for was a bowl of watery congee.
As noon approached, the persistent snowfall outside the city finally weakened compared to other times. The tall, heavy city gate slowly creaked open with a grating sound. A well-armed group of men was ready behind the gate. They escorted an elaborately decorated carriage towards a makeshift shed outside the city.
Ragged refugees stood up one by one. Most had been huddled near the city walls, and hearing the commotion, they turned their gazes toward the gate. Through the opening, they could vaguely see bustling activity and bright, well-dressed people inside. But in such heavy snow, how could the streets inside the city possibly be as warm and lively as they imagined? It was merely a dying man’s wishful fantasy. The wall between them seemed to divide two entirely different worlds.
Thin and emaciated figures began to shuffle towards the shed, their expressions numb, their steps faltering. Having come this far, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, they would not give up. And the shed, where congee was distributed at a fixed time each day, was undoubtedly their last lifeline.
Among these figures were two inconspicuous little individuals. The short-haired girl walked stubbornly ahead, leading a little boy who was even shorter than her. By walking in front, she could block most of the wind and snow from hitting the boy behind her. Chen An felt it was unnecessary; after all, the snow wasn’t only coming from the front. Whether she blocked it or not, it didn’t make much difference. However, since she insisted, he let her do as she pleased.
The two stood in the middle of the line, and malicious gazes were cast upon them from time to time. Whenever this happened, Mu Sanniang’s expression would sharpen, and she would stare back coldly. She was like a small wolf protecting its food, her body tense, vigilantly scanning her surroundings. Suddenly remembering something, she turned her head and whispered to Chen An, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you.”
After saying this, Mu Sanniang seemed to feel that her words lacked conviction, so she hesitated for a moment and added, “I’m very powerful.” Chen An nodded, interlocking his fingers with hers. Then, he gave an encouraging smile.
“Don’t be afraid.” It was unclear who he was saying this to.
(End of this chapter)
