Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

The bluestone road in Qingfeng Town was slightly cool from the morning dew. Liu Yunshu slowly got off the carriage, holding onto the shaft.

The hem of her plain white dress was stained with dust from her journey, but it couldn't hide the faint weariness in her eyes.

She raised her hand and gently pressed it against her lower abdomen, which remained flat.

However, the faint, persistent pain had dissipated because of the pregnancy-preserving pills.

Only a faint warmth remained, spreading out almost imperceptibly.

She followed the aroma of rice wafting through the air and walked to a porridge shop on the street corner.

A cloth banner held up by a bamboo pole reads "Zhang's Congee Shop," and wisps of white steam rise from behind the stove.

The owner was bending over, stirring a large pot of porridge. The aroma of rice mixed with the sweetness of red dates made one's stomach rumble softly.

"Miss, what would you like?"

The boss looked up and saw her beautiful face and gentle demeanor, and his tone softened unconsciously.

"There's freshly cooked red date and millet porridge, as well as white rice porridge, served with pickled cucumbers and pickled radishes—it's so refreshing!"

Liu Yunshu nodded and sat down at a wooden table at the back. "A bowl of red date and millet porridge, and a dish of pickled cucumbers."

The porridge was served quickly, steaming from the white porcelain bowl, the sweetness of the red dates and the smoothness of the rice filling the air.

She held the warm bowl, the coolness on her fingertips gradually dissipating, and began to sip the water slowly.

Xiao Ba squatted on the table, inhaling the delicious aroma of food in the air with great relish.

While no one was looking, he secretly ate the pickled cucumbers from the plate.

"Big Brother, where are we going next?"

"Where to?"

Liu Yunshu paused in her scooping of porridge, her gaze falling on the red date floating in the bowl, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"Naturally, we should first get some money, then find a quiet place to give birth to this child."

She pursed her lips, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper, "After all... people have to 'lose' something before they learn to cherish it, don't they?"

Xiao Ba feigned sudden realization, "Big Brother, how do we get the money? Should we rob the rich to help the poor?"

"Robbing the rich to help the poor..." Liu Yunshu glanced at it with a smile, "That's a good phrase, it sounds nice to me."

She rested her chin on her hand, her gaze leisurely sweeping over the pedestrians on the street, when suddenly her eyes narrowed.

Across the street, in front of a silk shop, a fat, rich young man was arrogantly berating the shop owner.

The man was dressed in a brocade robe, and the jade pendant at his waist was of excellent quality.

However, because the color of the satin handed to him by the waiter was not to his liking, he started cursing at the shopkeeper.

The boss bowed and apologized repeatedly, but the man wouldn't let it go.

He kicked over the basket next to him, and the silk fabrics scattered all over the ground, attracting the attention of passersby.

"Let's choose him."

Liu Yunshu put down the bowl, a sly smile curving her lips, and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table.

Xiao Ba's eyes lit up, and he quickly put the last piece of cucumber into his mouth.

After paying for the porridge, she slowly walked out of the shop, pretending to pass by the silk shop, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the man's waist.

The bulging money bag clearly contained a lot of silver.

She casually picked up a pebble, flicked it with her fingertip, and took advantage of the young man bending down to pick up the fallen jade pendant.

With a light tap of her toes, Liu Yunshu's figure brushed past the other person like a gentle breeze. With a slight flick of her fingers, the money pouch silently fell into her palm.

The whole sequence of movements was so fast it was just a blur; the rich kid was completely unaware and was still yelling at the waiter:

"You blind fool! Go and get me a few more bolts of the finest brocade. If you still don't live up to my temper, believe me, I'll smash up this lousy shop!"

Liu Yunshu clutched the still-warm money pouch, blended into the crowd, and walked away unhurriedly, turning into a quiet alley.

Seeing that she had succeeded, Xiao Ba jumped up excitedly: "Big Sister is amazing! Now we won't have to worry about money!"

She opened the money pouch and saw that it contained more than a dozen ingots of silver. She couldn't help but whistle softly, "Not bad."

She used the money to buy a carriage and some daily necessities, then cracked her whip and randomly chose a direction to drive off.

The wheels rolled over the country dirt road, raising a fine cloud of dust, and the hustle and bustle of Qingfeng Town was gradually left behind.

Liu Yunshu held the reins and drove the carriage, her long hair gently lifted by the wind.

Little Eight, perched on the cart shaft, would occasionally peek out, chattering away as he watched the passing rice paddies and villages.

"Big Brother, are we going into the mountains? I heard there are lots of wild fruits there, and you might even see rabbits!"

Liu Yunshu smiled gently, reined in her horse, and looked at the distant, rolling green mountains: "The mountains are quiet, perfect for hiding away."

She knew perfectly well that while the marketplace was convenient, it also made it easy to expose their whereabouts, and Xiao Luochen and Xiao Hanxing would find them sooner or later.

The carriage wound its way up the mountain road, and the further in it went, the denser the vegetation became.

Occasionally, a few birds would take flight from the woods, their clear calls filling the air with the scent of plants and damp earth.

Liu Yunshu drove into a mountain valley and came to a view of an abandoned wooden house. Although the roof was a bit broken, it was still relatively intact.

There was a small courtyard in front of the house, with thick moss growing in the corner of the wall. It was a bit desolate, but also exceptionally secluded.

"This is fine."

She jumped out of the car and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

A thin layer of dust had accumulated inside the room, and some dry firewood was piled up in the corner.

Little Hachi dashed inside first, circled around, and came back with some spider webs on its paws.

"Sir, this place has been uninhabited for a long time. A little tidying up will make it suitable for everyone!"

"Sit down and rest, Dad. You're pregnant, I'll take care of things!"

As it spoke, it flew into the house, and in no time, the entire house was completely transformed.

It also spent its own money to buy a lot of daily necessities, which it arranged neatly.

"Big Brother, come in and take a look!" Little Eight pounced on the door, patting the door frame with its paws, looking very proud.

As Liu Yunshu entered the house, a faint, fresh scent of grass and trees wafted towards her, replacing the previous musty smell.

"Thank you for your hard work." She patted Xiao Ba's head, her eyes filled with warmth.

Little Hachi happily wagged its tail:

"I'm so happy to be of help! Oh, and there's a spring behind the house with really sweet water. It'll make cooking and laundry so much easier!"

From then on, Liu Yunshu temporarily settled down in this mountain valley.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Liu Family Manor.

"What did you say?! Yun Shu is missing?!"

In the main hall, the sandalwood table reverberated as it was slammed down.

Master Liu, his beard and hair bristling, pointed at Xiao Hanxing kneeling below, his voice trembling with rage:

"I entrusted my daughter to your care, and this is how you protect her?!"

"Hanxing, what exactly happened? How come Yunshu has disappeared?"

Madam Liu looked at Xiao Hanxing with tears in her eyes, her hands tightly clutching her handkerchief.

Xiao Hanxing knelt on the ground, his dark robes stained with dust and dark bloodstains.

His usually straight back was now slightly hunched, and his eyes were bloodshot and filled with regret: "Uncle, Aunt, it's my fault for being incompetent."

His voice was terribly hoarse, and every word he spoke was heavy.

"Yun Shu... is pregnant. Due to an accident, she became entangled with Luo Chen... The father of this child... is still uncertain."

Madam Liu swayed, tears streaming down her face, and stumbled to Xiao Hanxing, her fingers gripping his sleeve tightly.

"What did you say? Pregnant? And involved with... His Majesty?"

She could hardly believe that her daughter, whom she had doted on since childhood, had suffered such a fate.

Uncle, Aunt.

Xiao Luochen, who had been silent all along, stepped forward and bowed deeply to the Liu family, his posture solemn.

"This matter originated from me, and has nothing to do with Yun Shu, let alone my brother."

When he looked up, the pain in his eyes was clearly visible, and his voice was as deep as a still pool:

"That day, Yun Shu blocked a palm strike from the Demonic Sect to save her brother, and was poisoned by a strange poison. This poison looks like a poison from the Western Regions, but in reality, it requires... the union of Yin and Yang to be completely cured."

Every word he uttered felt like a knife cutting into my heart.

"I tried calming powder, ice water, and even ice-heart grass, but I still couldn't stop the drug from taking effect... Seeing her losing consciousness and suffering terribly, I..."

He pressed his hand to his chest, where a dull, aching pain was throbbing.

"I cannot watch her die, nor can I let her take her own life because her innocence is tarnished. Uncle and Aunt, I overstepped my bounds; I ruined Yunshu's reputation. I will bear all the blame."

"This...this..." Master Liu and Madam Liu exchanged a glance, both speechless with shock.

Master Liu took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Luochen, and said with a complex and solemn expression, "Your Majesty is too kind. It is already a great blessing that Yun Shu survived."

He straightened up, the white hair at his temples particularly noticeable in the light. "Your Majesty's life-saving grace, I, Liu, will forever remember. However..."

He changed the subject, looking at Xiao Hanxing with a mixture of helplessness and anxiety in his eyes.

"Hanxing and Yunshu's engagement has long been announced to the world. Now Yunshu is pregnant, yet she has left alone, without anyone to rely on, and the safety of her unborn child is uncertain... How can we, as parents, live in peace?"

Madam Liu was already sobbing uncontrollably, leaning against Master Liu's side, her clothes soaked with tears.

"Yun Shu... that child... has a strong personality. Now that she's gone through all this, hiding away all by herself, how scared and how hard it must be for her..."

She turned to Xiao Luochen and Xiao Hanxing, her eyes full of pleading.

"Your Majesty, Hanxing, I beg you... you must find Yunshu. She cannot be harmed, and the child cannot be harmed either!"

Xiao Luochen's gaze was deep and his tone was resolute: "Auntie, rest assured, even if I have to search the whole world, I will definitely find Yun Shu."

Xiao Hanxing suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse but stubborn: "Uncle and Aunt, it is my duty to find Yun Shu."

He crawled two steps on his knees, his forehead touching the ground.

"It's my fault for not protecting her properly, causing her so much suffering. This time, when I go to find her, I will make sure she is safe. If she doesn't want to see me... I will stay far away and watch over her until she forgives me."

Master Liu looked at the two people in front of him.

One was the emperor, willing to bow down and admit his mistakes for his daughter.

One is her fiancé, who is determined to stay by her side.

But her daughter is now missing, and the parentage of the child in her womb is even more of a tangled mess.

He sighed heavily, waved his hand, his expression weary yet resolute:

"That's enough. There's no point in saying more now. You two should set off immediately and find Yun Shu as soon as possible."

"Remember, whether she wants to come back or not, you must keep her safe and never let her suffer any more injustice."

"yes!"

They responded at the same time, their eyes met for a moment, and then looked away.

As dawn broke outside the hall, a search for a missing person began.