Chapter 45: How about… staying…
Hearing Qin Liu’s words, Liu Haoyu was taken aback.
He truly didn’t expect there would be a day he’d be stumped by his own words.
Liu Haoyu wanted to say something more, but his dry, almost smoking throat made speaking extremely difficult.
“It seems the monsters from the forest didn’t chase us,” Qin Liu handed a handkerchief to Liu Haoyu. “Rest here for a while, I’ll go get some water from the well nearby.”
“Okay…”
Liu Haoyu replied with a hoarse voice and nodded.
The well wasn’t far from where they were. Qin Liu, carrying a small bucket, trotted to the well, lowered the bucket, and then, with all her might, slowly pulled up the filled bucket.
Perhaps due to being imprisoned for a long time without much exercise, even this bucket full of water was a bit heavy for her.
She could only use all her strength, almost dragging it, to bring the bucket little by little to Liu Haoyu’s side.
“Drink.”
Liu Haoyu didn’t hesitate and plunged his head into the bucket, gulping down several mouthfuls before coming back to life.
He took a breath and then looked at Qin Liu’s white stockings, her “ice cream.”
Because a little water had spilled while carrying it, the stocking on her left foot was soaked, and now it had a slightly translucent look.
“Stare~”
Perhaps sensing Liu Haoyu’s gaze, Qin Liu said softly.
“Do you want me to take it off for you?”
“Ahem!”
This somewhat sarcastic voice immediately brought Liu Haoyu back to his senses. He coughed awkwardly and replied.
“If you want to give it, that’s fine too. I’ll reluctantly accept it.”
“Dream on!”
Qin Liu did not expect this man to have such a thick skin, able to seize such an opportunity.
She put her hands on her hips, adopting a grown-up’s demeanor, and said.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Much better.”
“Really now…”
Looking at the desperate Liu Haoyu, Qin Liu sighed a little helplessly.
“Why push yourself so hard?”
In response to Qin Liu’s question, Liu Haoyu thought for a moment and said.
“When we were in the illusion, I clearly saw your eyes.”
“That gaze, full of yearning for freedom, is something I will never forget.”
“At that moment, I thought, if I had the chance, I would definitely take you to see the outside world.”
“Even though the Black Book always said not to interfere too much, I couldn’t bear it.”
“So I took this opportunity to bring you out to see the outside world.”
By the end of his speech, Liu Haoyu had a faint smile on his face. His sincerity, emanating from the bottom of his heart, left Qin Liu momentarily speechless.
Qin Liu was actually a little confused about Liu Haoyu.
She could feel his emotions and understood that she had received a lot of help from him.
However, this feeling ultimately carried a sense of etherealness, as if what he cared about wasn’t her, but… another Qin Liu.
But now, his words made Qin Liu’s heart tremble slightly.
Looking at the man’s calm and gentle face, her lips parted slightly.
“How about… staying…”
“Who’s there?”
Before Qin Liu could finish, two dim yellow lights shone over.
The two turned to see two militiamen with rifles and tin flashlights approaching.
And when they saw the man in peculiar clothing sitting on the ground, and the exquisitely beautiful girl, like a lady from a prominent family, they stood frozen in place.
“Who are you two?”
Facing their puzzled expressions, Liu Haoyu’s expression remained unchanged.
Since he was in a semi-corporeal state, being seen by others wasn’t strange.
But he had to admit that being spiritualized was indeed better, as it would save a lot of trouble.
After all, his attire was completely different from that of people in the 1980s.
After careful consideration, Liu Haoyu coughed twice and said in English.
“I was sold to this place from Old Singapore?”
“Ah?”
Clearly, the two less educated militiamen were utterly bewildered by Liu Haoyu’s British-accented “bird language.”
After looking at each other blankly for a while, one of the militiamen finally spoke.
“What is he saying?”
“I don’t know? It sounds like English?”
Qin Liu wanted to say something, but Liu Haoyu patted her back, signaling her to be quiet.
The two militiamen turned their backs and chattered a lot in their local dialect before turning back and gesturing at Liu Haoyu with their fingers.
“You, foreigner working?”
“…?”
At this moment, Liu Haoyu’s lips twitched.
He wasn’t speaking Japanese, was he?
Why did they come up with this way of asking?
Although he felt a bit speechless, Liu Haoyu nodded and continued to feign ignorance.
“Yes, yes.”
The militiamen understood this “yes,” so they continued.
“Shunzi, this really is a foreigner.”
“How did a foreigner end up here?”
“It seems the neighboring city had some sort of reform… reform and opening up?” Shunzi said thoughtfully. “This person must have come from there? But it’s so far from here… could he be a spy?”
“I think it’s possible, but we can’t understand what he’s saying. Shall we go ask the town mayor?”
“Alright, then I’ll take these two to the stable first. You go contact the town mayor.”
“Okay.”
The two militiamen divided their tasks. Shunzi stayed behind and gestured to the two, signaling them to follow.
Seeing this, Liu Haoyu pretended to understand and nodded, following behind him.
With Shunzi’s animated gestures, Liu Haoyu led Qin Liu into the stable. Shunzi locked the door from the outside and then left.
Naturally, there were no beds here, only a pile of straw.
Liu Haoyu didn’t mind and lay down on it directly.
He was indeed quite tired from running all the way.
“Aren’t you going to lie down?”
Seeing Qin Liu hadn’t moved, Liu Haoyu patted the spot next to him and said.
“Someone will probably come looking for us tomorrow, so just bear with it for now.”
Qin Liu touched the straw on the ground, her mouth twitching.
“Uwah… it smells like grass, and it’s even damp?”
“It’s good enough to have a place to sleep.”
Liu Haoyu placed the candle on a stone platform nearby.
Looking at the nonchalant Liu Haoyu, Qin Liu really couldn’t hold back anymore.
“I suddenly miss my warm bed… I can’t feel safe sleeping like this at all.”
Qin Liu was always particular about her bed, and having lived two lifetimes, she had never slept in such a shabby place.
Of course, if she were really asked to go back, she would never go.
But sleeping in a place like this…
“Stop being so willful, lie down quickly.”
Seeing that Liu Haoyu had already closed his eyes, Qin Liu thought for a moment and said.
“Alright… but you have to promise me one thing.”
“Go ahead.”
Liu Haoyu was always happy to fulfill Qin Liu’s requests.
Seeing Liu Haoyu nod, Qin Liu said.
“…Sleep with me in your arms.”
Hearing this request, Liu Haoyu was also stunned.
He had never expected Qin Liu to say this.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, he opened his arms and said.
“Then come here.”
Seeing that Liu Haoyu wasn’t speaking, Qin Liu was about to brush it off with a laugh, but she didn’t expect… he actually agreed.
This made her face flush a little, but she lay down anyway.
“Mmm, this way… at least it’s more comfortable than sleeping on the straw.”
Although Liu Haoyu couldn’t see Qin Liu’s face, he could see the blush spreading to her ears.
