Early the next morning, accompanied by a loud cock-crow, Ji Hanyue slowly woke up.
"Hiss... although my head still hurts a bit, at least I can move."
Ji Hanyue intended to touch her still groggy and feverish head, but she felt a cool towel on her forehead and was momentarily stunned.
She looked at Xu Fan, who was sleeping soundly by the side of the kàng, and an unnatural blush of shyness appeared on her pretty Face. "Was this Little Brat... taking care of me yesterday?"
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she couldn't help but lean closer to Xu Fan's Face to take a closer look.
Through the hazy light outside the window, Ji Hanyue clearly saw a faint glint of moisture hanging from the corner of Xu Fan's mouth, and her own lips curled into a beautiful, gleeful arc.
"You're clearly the one who drools while sleeping, okay?"
Ji Hanyue felt inexplicably happy, but just as she was about to pull her gaze away from Xu Fan's Face...
Suddenly, Xu Fan's body jolted, and he opened his eyes as if sensing something.
And so, he saw Ji Hanyue staring at him and smiling sneakily.
Xu Fan:???
He widened his eyes in confusion.
Crap, did I pick up an idiot?
Seeing Xu Fan's strange expression, Ji Hanyue's Face darkened. She immediately knew the Little Brat had probably misunderstood. She couldn't help but think, "You brat, why did you have to wake up right at this moment instead of earlier or later?"
However, the strict royal upbringing she had received for years allowed her to immediately regain control of her expression. She said weakly to Xu Fan, "This humble girl... is named Hanyue. Thank you for saving me yesterday, Young Master."
Being away from home, she naturally wouldn't easily tell others her real name.
Xu Fan breathed a sigh of relief and gave Ji Hanyue a friendly smile, revealing a row of white, even teeth. "I'm Xu Fan. Also, pretty sister, there's really no need to be so polite."
"It's good that you're awake. I'll go get you some food."
Pretty sister?
Ji Hanyue was stunned by the form of address. Watching Xu Fan's small retreating figure, her expression became quite colorful.
This Little Brat was surprisingly blunt with his address, but for some reason, it didn't sound unpleasant.
Ji Hanyue struggled to sit up in bed. Looking at the sparse snowflakes falling outside the window, her expression turned somewhat lonely.
Her thoughts drifted to that bloody snowy night not long ago and her current situation of being all alone; she had no idea where she should go from here.
This made her feel an unprecedented sense of loneliness and desolation, and she couldn't help but curl herself into a ball like a little hedgehog.
Father Emperor, if you were still here, what would you want your daughter to do?
But now, your daughter has nothing left... Just as her gaze grew vacant, she suddenly heard a faint sound of arguing from outside. Listening closely, it sounded like parents lecturing a child.
She snapped out of it, her expression surprised, and she quietly peeked out the window.
Through the window, she clearly saw an old woman wearing a cotton jacket full of patches standing in front of the dilapidated main house, saying something to Xu Fan with a dissatisfied expression.
But Xu Fan just lowered his head, clutching several yellowish-brown coarse grain Mantou, without saying a word.
Although Ji Hanyue was the Eldest Princess, she wasn't some naive girl who had lived in the palace all her life without knowing the world. Seeing this scene, she immediately understood.
This family was worried about the extra food she would consume.
Soon, Xu Fan returned with four coarse grain Mantou.
Seeing the nonchalant look on Little Xu Fan's Face, Ji Hanyue felt a pang in her heart. She beckoned for him to come over.
Little Xu Fan blinked and obediently approached.
Ji Hanyue weighed her words, looking at Little Xu Fan with a sincere expression. "Xu Fan, I am very grateful for everything you've done for me. However, it's currently a harvestless winter, and staying here will only burden your family. So, I plan to..."
Xu Fan blinked and added, "Eat Mantou?"
"Mhm... Huh?"
Ji Hanyue nodded subconsciously, but after realizing what Xu Fan had just said, she was instantly stunned and waved her hands hurriedly. "No... I plan to leave here today so I won't cause you any trouble."
This was Ji Hanyue's first time living under someone else's roof, so her speech was inevitably a bit stiff. "But don't worry, I will definitely repay your family's kindness in saving my life in the future."
However, Xu Fan only smiled upon hearing this. He placed two large, round, yellowish-brown Mantou into Ji Hanyue's hands and looked earnestly at her pale but breathtakingly beautiful profile. "Your illness hasn't recovered yet."
Hearing this, Ji Hanyue suddenly felt a soft spot in her heart tremble slightly.
She turned her Face away, not daring to look at Xu Fan. Her low voice carried a faint tremor. "It... it's fine. I'm a Cultivator; this illness will get better soon."
But Ji Hanyue was actually lying.
It was true she was a Cultivator, but because she hadn't been diligent in her cultivation before, she had only barely stepped through the door. Her Physique was not much different from a Mortal's.
Furthermore, she had left in a hurry and brought nothing with her, and it was freezing and snowy outside. In this situation, on her own, she would likely die in some neglected corner before her illness even improved.
Looking at Ji Hanyue's slightly trembling body, Xu Fan, who had the experience of six lifetimes of conquests, immediately saw through the hidden confusion and anxiety in her heart. He was somewhat caught between laughter and tears.
Truly a case of suffering for the sake of saving Face.
After thinking for a moment, Xu Fan conveniently stuffed another warm, large Mantou into her arms and said warmly, "Sister Hanyue, since you're a Cultivator, you should replenish your nutrition even more."
"As for leaving, there's no rush. You can wait until this winter passes."
Ji Hanyue felt the extra warmth in her arms, and her expression suddenly became stunned.
She looked at Xu Fan, only to see that he had already taken his last remaining Mantou and sat on the threshold, munching on it with relish while watching the snow falling outside.
Seeing Xu Fan eating with such gusto, Ji Hanyue's stomach also let out a soft protest.
She pursed her lips but didn't refuse again. Instead, she took a light bite of the Mantou, which still carried the lingering warmth from Xu Fan's body.
It wasn't delicious; the texture was somewhat dry and coarse, and in terms of flavor, it could even be called unpleasant.
However, at this moment, Ji Hanyue didn't feel that way.
Without any hint of disdain, she sat on the bed eating while staring intently at Xu Fan on the threshold, her eyes deep and unreadable, as if she were lost in thought.
Xu Fan, catching this scene out of the corner of his eye, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Ji Hanyue wasn't as stubborn as Nangong Liuli, who wouldn't turn back until she hit a wall; at least she was willing to listen to advice.
Thinking about some things from his past lives, Xu Fan couldn't help but sigh softly.
He didn't know what the System was thinking; in this life, he had actually started as a Mortal youth, something that had never happened in his previous six lives.
Starting as a youth in a poor family, with Cultivate Aptitude so bad it was Heaven-Defyingly awful, made Xu Fan—who was used to taking the initiative to conquer his Ex-Girlfriends—a bit distressed.
"But fortunately, there's no time limit in this life, so everything can be done slowly..."
Xu Fan gave a light chuckle. After finishing his Mantou, he clapped his hands and walked out of the room, intending to continue with his farm work.
However...
What Xu Fan didn't know was that inside the room, a pair of cool, beautiful eyes, as clear as autumn waters, were gazing intently at his figure. Her gaze hadn't shifted from him even for a second from beginning to end.
It seemed like curiosity, like inquiry, and even more like a touch of some inexplicable, indescribable emotion, making it difficult for one's mind to find peace for a long time...