"Alright," Fulong said without suspicion, leaping off his horse and immediately following into the dense forest.
Chu Qianli then giggled, carrying the food onto the carriage.
Prince Xiaoyao's carriage was definitely the most comfortable carriage anyone had ever seen.
It was personally designed by Chu Qianli, featuring not only a sofa but also chairs and a table.
At night, the sofa could be unfolded to become a single bed.
It was absolutely comfortable for resting.
This was the design concept of a 21st-century RV. Since there was no need to set up a bathroom or kitchen, the space inside was still quite spacious.
"Wuya, try the food I made."
She placed the self-heating rice on the table and looked at him with a smile, "Look, it's all made by my own hands."
"You can cook?" But Feng Wuya found it hard to believe.
However, the food packed in the boxes looked a bit strange, and it didn't seem like his cook's work.
"Look, this is preserved meat steamed rice, this is braised beef, this is Kung Pao chicken... Hmm, this chicken is a bit spicy, not suitable for you, I'll keep it for myself."
"And preserved vegetable braised pork, mushroom slippery chicken, shredded pork with garlic sauce... This shredded pork is also very spicy, you shouldn't eat it, I'll save it for Tie Xin later."
"All made by you?" This looked a bit too extravagant.
They were on a journey now, not as comfortable as they were in the prince's mansion.
Moreover, the convoy had only stopped for a short while, and it would take time to start cooking, how could the food be ready so quickly?
And so many dishes?
"It was all prepared in advance... Ah, forget it, forget it, I think I won't be able to hide this from you sooner or later."
After all, they had to travel together, and they would often be in each other's company.
It was difficult to bear the burden of keeping secrets.
"Look." She raised her wrist, dangling the chain on it.
Feng Wuya's expression turned serious, "You're not going to tell me that this chain is the Qiankun Chain, are you?"
"You know about the Qiankun Chain too?" Chu Qianli said proudly, "You're the third person to know."
"Hmm?" The third person?
"Yes, the third person." Chu Qianli lowered her head, looked at her chain, and smiled, "The first person was Fulong, the second..."
She suddenly paused.
Who was the second person?
Why could she clearly state the second person?
Although Feng Yexuan seemed to know the secret of the Qiankun Chain last time, she hadn't said anything, and he hadn't asked.
How was she so sure he knew?
Could it be that she had actually told him the secret of the Qiankun Chain before?
Chu Qianli felt her head was getting muddled.
Many things seemed to be vaguely coming back to her, but when she tried to think about them seriously, she couldn't recall anything.
When she thought again, her head started to hurt.
"Mmm..." She cradled her head.
Feng Wuya's expression changed slightly, and he quickly said, "Don't force yourself, otherwise, the soul-capturing technique will harm your mind!"
She understood that the "mind" Feng Wuya was referring to was actually her nerves.
If she continued to force herself to think and resist the soul-capturing technique, her nerves would be damaged.
Chu Qianli closed her eyes and tried to regulate her breathing.
Unexpectedly, when she stopped thinking, her head finally stopped hurting.
"A'li, let's eat, don't think about it anymore." Feng Wuya was truly afraid she would hurt herself.
"Okay." Chu Qianli raised her hand and wiped her forehead.
Her hand was covered in cold sweat.
Indeed, she couldn't keep thinking, her head hurt too much!
"You sent Fulong to the dense forest to chase Long Ziyue with another purpose?" Feng Wuya changed the subject.
This girl's gossip heart immediately ignited.
As expected, she stopped thinking about things that gave her a headache.
"You noticed too?" She smiled playfully and shoved one of the food boxes into his hand.
While serving him food, she asked, "What do you think of Fulong and Ziyue?"
"You're trying to play matchmaker again." Feng Wuya glanced at her, somewhat helplessly, "How do you know what they are thinking?"
"Of course I know!"
What was there that she didn't know?
"Ziyue admitted it herself, but she's worried that their identities are too different, and there are two different countries between them, so she fears there will be no outcome in the future."
The marriage of a princess was always decided by the emperor or her elders; it was not something she could freely choose.
"But I don't want to see her sacrifice her lifelong happiness for royal power. If she marries a man she doesn't love, where will her happiness come from?"
There were very few political marriages that were truly happy.
"Then, what about Fulong?" Feng Wuya stared at her face.
Chu Qianli smiled, "So you're worried about that!"
"Why shouldn't I be worried? This matter requires mutual affection."
"Of course Fulong likes Ziyue, how could I not see it? When Ziyue was seriously injured and on the verge of death, didn't you see how worried Fulong was?"
Fulong had stayed by Ziyue's side day and night during those days, never leaving her.
Only when he saw Ziyue was safe did he agree to rest.
Such deep affection and loyalty, only a blind person wouldn't see it.
Feng Wuya's thin lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he swallowed his words.
"You, you should mind your own business less," he said gently, "Some things are not always as you see them."
"Ziyue is my friend, and this is not meddling."
However, seeing Feng Wuya's disapproving gaze, Chu Qianli could only pout her small lips and smile at him again, "Alright, I'll only help this much. The rest, let them develop on their own, okay?"
At noon, they only rested for half an hour.
Long Ziyue returned alone about the time it took for an incense stick to burn after Fulong entered the forest.
Fulong returned not long after, carrying a wild chicken.
He even had the mood to catch a wild chicken; one could only wonder how their conversation had gone.
Chu Qianli had paid attention to Long Ziyue's expression; she didn't seem very happy.
She wanted to ask, but she remembered her promise to Feng Wuya not to interfere too much, so she held back and didn't ask.
That night, they arrived at an inn. After a simple tidy-up, they settled in temporarily.
They were quite far from the imperial city now, at a small inn in a town.
There was still some distance to the next major city.
This inn was somewhat dilapidated. Although it was still guarded, it was in a state of severe disrepair due to long neglect.
Unexpectedly, after leaving the imperial city for only a day, they had arrived in such a desolate place.
This showed that any talk of a peaceful and prosperous era was only one-sided.
There were many poor and backward places under the imperial court.
After Chu Qianli prepared some personal items for Feng Wuya, she went to the backyard alone. She originally intended to see where Fulong was patrolling, but unexpectedly, she saw Long Ziyue sitting alone under a tree, drinking.
From a distance, her figure looked quite lonely and desolate.
Chu Qianli quickened her pace and walked over, frowning, "Why are you drinking alone? Are you in a bad mood?"
Long Ziyue looked at the wine bottle in her hand and curved her lips into a smile, "A'li, I told him today. But the person he likes is not me."