"What ulterior motives could I possibly have?"
Bai Youan smiled softly and grabbed Song Qingchao, "Don't run."
Song Qingchao's clothes were hooked by him, but she stubbornly refused to follow. "What exactly do you want?"
"I'm not doing anything," Bai Youan said with extreme innocence, yet he still pulled her out.
"Let go!"
With a surge of strength, Song Qingchao broke free and scrambled back into the carriage.
Outside the carriage, Bai Youan raised his eyebrows leisurely before also climbing in.
He blocked the doorway, a mischievous grin on his face as he looked at Song Qingchao, "Don't be sulky."
Song Qingchao turned her head away, "I can't be bothered with you."
Bai Youan let out a soft "Ah," and languidly, patiently, began to sort the herbs and bandages in his hands. "Yesterday, I didn't mean it that way. Zhe'er's condition is not something you can control, it was my wording that misled you."
Song Qingchao gave a stiff acknowledgment and slowly slid the sheer gauze from her shoulders.
The thin fabric cascaded down with her movement.
Her long, dark, smooth hair fell from her smooth back, brushing against the floor of the carriage.
She stood there, more beautiful than an ink painting.
Bai Youan sat up straight beside her.
His eyesight was poor, so he had to lean closer to see.
Song Qingchao was angled towards him, revealing half of her fair shoulder.
Her gentle movements spread across her shoulder bit by bit.
His heated breath softly wafted beside her, blowing into the hollow of her neck, warming her entire being.
"Bai Youan."
"Mm?" Bai Youan responded softly, his voice muffled and gentle.
"We have a tough battle ahead." Song Qingchao stared at the tips of her hair, illuminated by the light.
Bai Youan replied with another "Mm," this time more composed than the first.
He wrapped the gauze around her wound in circles, then pulled her outer cloak up to cover her.
Song Qingchao clutched her collar, watching Bai Youan's unhurried movements. "Aren't you worried?"
"We'll face the soldiers with a wall, and the water with earth; there will always be a way."
Song Qingchao looked out the window again, her eyes no longer clear.
"There will always be a way?"
Perhaps people are naturally fearful of things they haven't experienced.
She hadn't experienced it, but just hearing Feng Shaocheng's description made it sound like purgatory on earth.
"Don't be afraid."
Song Qingchao couldn't help but smile, leaning casually against the window like him. "Why do you always say not to be afraid?"
Bai Youan stopped what he was doing, thought for a moment, and then suddenly chuckled, his eyes soft.
"Because I am here, and I can protect you."
He turned his head towards Song Qingchao's direction. The sunlight fell on his partially closed eyelashes, resembling melting spring snow, clear and pure, without a trace of coldness.
Song Qingchao also smiled, "Alright, then let's cherish these leisurely days."
Though called leisurely, they were anything but.
People in the convoy kept developing fevers, vomiting, and some were already experiencing convulsions and comas.
But Song Qingchao and the others were helpless. The medicinal formula hadn't been researched yet, and they needed to test it.
So Song Qingchao took on the task of caring for the sick, while Liu Zhe'er gathered wild vegetables to improve everyone's meals.
They didn't ask Song Qingmu to do anything.
After his residual poison was cleared, his body would need two to three years to recover, and his constitution was at its weakest. Song Qingchao dared not let him take risks.
The infected people cried out daily to stop and rest.
But Shou Hou insisted they couldn't stop, they had to keep moving.
Only by reaching a town would they have a chance to survive.
Song Qingchao and Bai Youan both understood that this was the best solution for everyone at this stage.
However, their understanding did not extend to everyone else.
Some were tired from walking, tormented by illness, their families scattered, and even reaching the northern desert offered no guarantee of survival.
When night fell and it was time to sleep, the situation finally erupted.
Song Qingchao had been sensing this strange atmosphere for some days.
At first, she thought it was Liu Mu still harboring wicked intentions.
But after a few probes, she was certain it wasn't because of Liu Mu.
Liu Mu had gone mad.
She spent all day clutching a blanket, treating it as Liu Fubao, and even tried to feed it the rationed food.
When she couldn't feed it, she would cry and fuss.
Shou Hou tried to manage her at first, but eventually, he gave up. As long as she was alive and didn't fall behind, it was enough.
Therefore, Song Qingchao had not been sleeping soundly for the past few days.
She always felt that something was about to happen.
When it finally happened, she was unsure whether she felt joy or sorrow beforehand.
Listening to the howling sounds from outside and the constant cracking of whips against flesh, she felt as if they were striking her directly.
The raging fire burned until midnight, even the moon seemed ashamed and retreated.
Everyone was held down by the soldiers.
They were forced to witness a "slaughter."
In truth, Shou Hou did not intend to kill them.
But in their state of exhaustion, both physical and mental, that beating was enough to claim lives.
She could not intervene, no matter what position she stood from.
She couldn't say that these people were right to try and escape, nor could she say that Shou Hou, who wanted to protect everyone, was wrong.
From everyone's perspective, no one was wrong in this matter.
All she could do was cover Liu Zhe'er's eyes.
Song Qingchao looked up at Bai Youan sitting on a tree branch.
In his white robe and embroidered boots, his expression was languid.
He rested one arm on his raised leg, the firelight casting a red glow on him. As he looked down, his eyes were filled with a fractured beauty.
This was not the first time Song Qingchao had seen him with such an expression.
His eyes were full of stories, as if he had seen all things in the world and penetrated a hundred human hearts.
He always appeared carefree and unrestrained,
Seemingly indifferent to everything, yet in reality, caring about everything.
What kind of scarred past must one have experienced to become like this,
So powerful yet so gentle...
"Bai Youan, don't be afraid."