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After sending Pei Guanjing back to his room and having him sit on the bed, Ye Chen was about to leave when he was suddenly grabbed by the hand.
Pei Guanjing looked at him with reluctance, gently shaking Ye Chen's hand as he said, "A Chen, won't you stay and chat with me for a while?"
Ye Chen frowned slightly, forcefully pulling his hand away and curling his lip. "You were just making such a racket; Dad is probably awake. You just had me stay with you, aren't you afraid he'll hit you?"
Pei Guanjing chuckled softly. "My father-in-law has already left. The situation at the front is urgent; the troops from Lan Prefecture have arrived. The spies who colluded with Linzhou City have been identified, so he doesn't have time to waste here."
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen's expression froze for a moment, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. He immediately turned around and hurried out to find Liu Jin. Bursting into the room, he scanned the area but found no sign of Liu Jin.
Ye Chen sighed softly; it seemed his father was anxious and had left in such a hurry.
Returning to Pei Guanjing's room, Ye Chen was about to sit down and have a proper conversation when he noticed Pei Guanjing staring intently at him, lips pressed together in silence.
Pei Guanjing’s mouth curved slightly, seemingly devoid of emotion, but Ye Chen knew this was how he expressed happiness.
The place where his father was staying belonged to the personal guards; they were alone here together. Did his father not worry about his safety? How could he let him be alone with Pei Guanjing?
Recalling how Pei Guanjing and Lou Yu had reluctantly killed Wang Xiangzi to quell the anger within the army, Ye Chen's resentment had diminished considerably over the past two years. Perhaps it was because his heart had grown cold that he now felt there was a slight justification for their actions.
With a bitter smile, Ye Chen raised his hand to pour himself a glass of water, moving slowly and taking a small sip. The cup he used was the same one Pei Guanjing had been using.
Noticing the faint scent of pinewood lingering on his lips, Ye Chen lifted his gaze directly towards Pei Guanjing, just about to speak: "You—"
But Pei Guanjing suddenly interrupted him. Sitting up straight with anticipation, he asked, "A Chen, when do you think we should get married?"
Ye Chen was taken aback by the interruption; his thoughts scattered as he remembered this important point.
Indeed, their wedding date had arrived. According to Tianqi law, he could marry now—provided that Tianqi still existed.
With warlords rising across the land today, if his father were victorious this time, then the troops from Linzhou City would pose no threat. He would ultimately become a pawn in this power struggle. As the link between King Huai'an and the Regent, he truly was the best medium—a unique token of alliance.
For a moment, the two sat across from each other at the table in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Pei Guanjing's fingers lightly tapped on the table, his gaze occasionally darting toward Ye Chen.
Pei Guanjing dreaded this calm demeanor of Ye Chen, feeling as if he was drifting further away. He found himself rambling about their past experiences. Recalling the days they spent together in the Military Camp of Lan Prefecture, he remembered the awkwardness, the arguments, and the cold wars, yet most of those days were filled with joy as he cherished having Ye Chen by his side, accompanying him in treating patients, identifying herbs, and seeking his guidance.
But what could he do? Those days were long gone and would never return.
Ye Chen, observing Pei Guanjing's unusual insistence on marriage, felt a pang of discomfort in his heart. The memories they shared over the years suddenly felt bittersweet for reasons he couldn't quite grasp.
Seeing that Ye Chen remained unresponsive, Pei Guanjing's expression turned anxious as he hurriedly asked, "A Chen, do you not want this?"
Ye Chen suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on Pei Guanjing with a resolute tone. "I only ask you this: Are you willing to live like we are now, finding a small village and spending our lives peacefully together?"
Pei Guanjing fell silent.
He lowered his head, furrowing his brow. This was something he had thought about before; as long as he could live a peaceful life with Ye Chen, that would be enough.
Yet humans are strange creatures. Once they have tasted power and experienced its benefits from a high position, it becomes difficult to let go easily.
Moreover, he couldn't shake off the lingering concern about Lou Yu's covetousness toward Ye Chen. That young upstart had now become a significant threat to them.
In today's world, aside from the alliance between the Regent and King Huai'an, Lou Yu from Cangzhou was the most capable contender for the throne.
Thus, in this chaotic era, it seemed there would be no place for him and Ye Chen to find peace. Even if he were to seize the world, would there still be a secure place for them?
However, his silence had completely extinguished Ye Chen's hope.
Ye Chen said nothing more; he turned away slowly and left the room with heavy footsteps.
Pei Guanjing quietly stared at the cup of water that Ye Chen had drunk from, remaining silent for a long time.
The moonlight shone brightly in the cup but was tainted with crimson; dark shadows swirled within it like a reflection teetering on the brink of collapse.
The next day, Ye Chen prepared a meal and brewed medicine for Pei Guanjing as usual, placing it in front of him before turning to leave.
After two years of not doing manual labor, he was initially a bit clumsy, but he quickly regained the familiar feeling, just like when he was in Sun Family Village. He couldn't help but wonder how his old friends were doing now, and whether Sun Mao still had snot hanging from his nose as before.
This was Ye Chen's third winter in Chongzhou.
Just like the first year he arrived, the snow here was thick, accumulating to nearly half a foot on the rooftops. From a distance, the entire mountain range was blanketed in white, with no end to the road in sight.
Inside the house, a stove was burning—this was the most common sight for country folk during winter.
Pei Guanjing changed his own wound dressings. After Ye Chen gently placed the ointment in front of him, he quickly turned to leave. From his back, it was clear that he was still angry and did not want to engage with Pei Guanjing.
King Huai'an had not informed when he would come to take Ye Chen away. With the heavy snow falling and the roads blocked, it would likely take them quite some time to arrive.
Pei Guanjing opened the window, and the biting cold wind rushed in with swirling snowflakes, hitting his face hard. Yet he seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed intently on Ye Chen's room across from him.
Inside, the candle flickered gently, casting Ye Chen's shadow. It appeared that he had not yet fallen asleep. But soon after, the flickering flame slowly extinguished, and Ye Chen's figure vanished from beside the bed.
Pei Guanjing closed the window and slowly walked over to sit by the fire. For the first time, he truly felt that even though Ye Chen was so close, their hearts seemed worlds apart. This feeling of being near yet distant must be what they call "a world apart within reach."
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