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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Xiaohan was calculating under the oil lamp, but there wasn't much to count, as the remaining money was simply too little. It didn't take much thought to see that it was barely enough.
Scattered bits of silver and copper coins lay haphazardly on the table; this was all that remained of their family's fortune.
"With this little money, it's not even enough for a few months' expenses," Ye Xiaohan poked at the coins, wishing that if she counted them again, maybe a bit more silver would appear. She could count all night if it meant finding more.
She had originally planned to send Liu Yang to a better private school once their shop was settled, but with this amount of money, even an ordinary school was out of reach.
Food expenses couldn't be cut down either; there were two children at home, both in their growing years, needing sufficient nutrition.
Moreover, Ye Xiaohan didn't agree with skimping on basic living expenses. Other things could be managed, but they couldn't go without food, right? Eating plain rice alone wouldn't suffice; they needed some dishes to go with it.
If they couldn't even enjoy their meals, wouldn't life be too bleak?
"Perhaps I should think of other ways to squeeze out some funds?" Ye Xiaohan murmured to herself as she rechecked the accounts.
Suddenly, she heard the soft sound of a window being pushed open. Turning her head at the noise, she felt the light dim before a tall figure stepped into the room.
"Liu Bei?" Ye Xiaohan exclaimed in surprise at the sight of Gu Bei dressed in dark night clothes. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
Ye Xiaohan already knew about Gu Bei's background and his true name. However, since she had known him as Liu Bei from the moment she opened her eyes in this era and had lived with him as Liu Bei ever since, it was hard for her to change how she addressed him now that she knew the truth.
Gu Bei pulled down his black face mask and looked at her. "I heard from Gu Da. Are you alright?"
"How would Gu Da know?" Ye Xiaohan thought for a moment before realizing. "It must be Liu Yang's big mouth! I told him not to go out; he's always talking too much!"
Hearing this, Gu Bei looked somewhat downcast. "With my current identity, I can't protect you all. Even if I know what's going on, I can't do anything for you."
Seeing him getting lost in his thoughts again, Ye Xiaohan quickly said, "You're overthinking it again. You're good at everything else; you just keep taking responsibility upon yourself. You're not Jesus; can you really bear the burden of saving the world?"
"What did you say?" Gu Bei didn't catch her words clearly.
She waved her hand dramatically and said, "You don't need to worry about these things; I can handle them easily on my own. But you—this is a crucial time for you. You must stay alert and not let anyone catch your weakness!"
"Ah!" Ye Xiaohan suddenly remembered, "Is it okay for you to come out like this? Didn't we agree to minimize our meetings to avoid being seen? If something comes up, just ask Gu Da for help."
But you broke that promise so quickly? Ye Xiaohan glanced around and wanted to open the window to check the situation outside. "No one is following us, right? I used to watch TV shows where experts would quietly follow behind without being noticed."
Gu Bei pressed down on the window. "If someone is really following you, opening the window would just let them know where the target is, making it easier for them to spy."
"That's true," Ye Xiaohan said as she released her grip and confirmed again, "So you really aren't being followed, right?"
Gu Bei nodded. "I checked before I came out and even took a few detours on the way to make sure no one was around."
"That's good," Ye Xiaohan exaggeratedly patted her chest and said, "If those big shots had their eyes on us, we might get secretly killed! It's terrifying; I'm almost scared to death."
Though she spoke of fear, her face showed no signs of it. Instead, she appeared completely relaxed and even smiled, as if none of this was a big deal and didn't need to be taken seriously.
Gu Bei wondered if he was infected by her optimism; his previous worries had dissipated significantly. Just looking at her made him feel that things weren't as bad as they seemed.
For the sake of that smile, he had to pull himself together.
In his heart, Gu Bei silently resolved that since he could no longer hide his identity and had to reappear in front of the world as the Flying Dragon General, he had gained clarity.
He could not afford to remain despondent; he needed to struggle out of the past where he had lost everything.
Ye Xiaohan pointed at a chair. "Sit down; since you're here, there's no rush to leave."
"Okay." Gu Bei casually found a chair and sat down beside her. He glanced at the cluttered table and asked, "Is there enough money at home? I can have Gu Da bring some over in a couple of days."
Ye Xiaohan tidied up her things and replied, "No need; I have enough here. You should keep it for yourself; you'll need it later for dealing with those connections."
Having money can move mountains; it's always good to be prepared.
"Even if those officials won't take it, there are plenty of other places where it can be used. As the saying goes, it's easy to meet the King of Hell, but hard to deal with the ghosts. Sometimes, it's those dark alleys that lead to trouble."
Ye Xiaohan pouted. Ever since her brief stint in prison, she had come to understand this all too well.
Although the guards held a certain status, the power they wielded was very real. If the prisoners wanted a more comfortable life, they had to curry favor with them.
Gu Bei watched her lively expressions, each movement radiating vibrant energy that drew him in without him realizing it.
"So what are your plans after this? I still have people who can be of use. If things get tough, just come find me." It was a last resort, but even being threatened was better than watching them suffer in front of him.
Ye Xiaohan flashed him a proud smile. "You don't need to worry about that; I've already thought of a perfect solution. Buying this shop for seven hundred taels is definitely not a loss."
She was so confident that Gu Bei didn't doubt her at all and simply believed her words. "You always have so many ideas, Xiao Han. Sometimes I feel like you're different from us."
Oh? Did he catch on to something because she wasn't careful enough in front of the family?
Ye Xiaohan was startled. What if he found out she wasn't the original Ye Xiaohan and wasn't even from this era? She couldn't imagine the chaos that would ensue.
"What makes me different?" she chuckled, trying to keep her laughter from sounding too forced. "I'm just like you all—ordinary people, common folk."
Then she remembered Gu Bei's status and added, "Oh, I forgot; you're not. So we are indeed a bit different."
Gu Bei hesitated for a moment and said, "It's not about status; it's more...," he struggled to find the right adjective and finally summarized simply: "It's just very special."
"Special in a good way or special in a bad way?" Ye Xiaohan leaned forward slightly, locking her gaze onto his eyes.
When people lie, their bodies often react subconsciously; these reactions are hard to control. By observing these involuntary responses, one can gauge the truthfulness of the person before them.
Gu Bei was startled by her sudden closeness; they were so near that he could see himself reflected in Ye Xiaohan's eyes.
Under her focused gaze, Gu Bei felt an unexpected sense of panic rise within him. After reaching adulthood, such feelings had become rare; he could hardly remember the last time it happened.
However, despite the unusual sensation, Gu Bei strangely did not want to escape. Suppressing this inexplicable emotion, he nodded honestly, "It's particularly good."
Ye Xiaohan let out a sigh of relief and sat back down. "Is that so? Since it's good, then it doesn't matter."
As long as his identity wasn't exposed and he wouldn't be burned at the stake, everything else was manageable.
"Mm." With her distance, Gu Bei's heartbeat gradually calmed down, yet he felt a hint of loss. Even he was puzzled, unable to understand why his previously stable emotions would suddenly become so tumultuous.
The two exchanged stories about their daily lives. Gu Bei had been alone in the dilapidated General's residence for so long that sometimes he wouldn’t even speak a word to anyone, let alone have any interesting experiences.
Fearing that he might be bored, Ye Xiaohan shared amusing anecdotes from her home.
"Once, Qi found a dog hole in the yard and insisted on crawling through it. But the hole was too small; she got stuck halfway, hahaha."
Ye Xiaohan couldn't help but laugh first. "It was so funny at the time! She was flailing around, unable to get out. It took some time for someone to dig through the wall. During lunch that day, Liu Yang deliberately made trouble by teasing her with bowls and chopsticks like she was a dog."
The funniest part was that Qi didn’t mind at all; she happily ate on the grass as if she were enjoying herself, almost wagging her tail.
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