Cangshu Bai's hometown was a small place named Bishui Town. Under the jurisdiction of Song City, it was considered a prosperous town, and because it was situated not far from Mount Biyun, the public order was fairly good.
Orphaned with no other relatives, Cangshu Bai had met Boss Hu, who appreciated his talent as a physician. It was then that he left his homeland with Boss Hu, who ran a medical clinic, to make a living elsewhere.
Unexpectedly, while living in a foreign land all by himself, he met Mu Ran. Only then did he find a connection and someone to care for, eventually building a little family of his own.
Fortunately, heavy snow had not blocked their path during the journey. After traveling by carriage for nearly half a month, they finally arrived safely in Bishui Town. The carriage pulled up in front of a small house that had been vacant for a long time, drawing curious glances from passersby.
A young man with a cold and aloof aura stepped down from the carriage first. He then reached out a hand, gently helping a woman with delicate and exquisite features alight from the carriage.
The two behaved intimately and looked perfectly matched; at a glance, anyone could tell they were husband and wife.
Cangshu Bai pushed open the front gates, revealing an elegant and tranquil courtyard with dark grey tiles. A few stalks of winter bamboo were planted in the yard, the stone table and stools were neat and clean, and plain gauze lanterns hung under the eaves, devoid of any flashy extravagance.
Mu Ran stepped into the courtyard first, looking around curiously. Her eyes curved into a smile as she softly said, "It's so quiet and elegant here. So this is the kind of environment Jinzhi grew up in."
Cangshu Bai watched her lively figure as she drifted over to the stone table beneath the tree.
She lightly trailed her hand over the stone table and turned back with a smile. "When you were little, did you sit here to read and eat snacks?"
The corners of Cangshu Bai's lips lifted slightly. "Yes. Sometimes, I would also learn to write here. But when I was young, my grip on the brush was always wrong, so my father would often lecture me. Being punished to practice my handwriting for an hour or two was a common occurrence."
"No wonder your handwriting is so beautiful now." Mu Ran imagined what Cangshu Bai must have looked like as a child, her eyes sparkling brightly. "Jinzhi does everything perfectly now, but to think you also had things you weren't good at when you were little. You must have looked so cute frowning in frustration."
Cangshu Bai slowly approached her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. His embrace was light, yet it carried a trace of clingy dependence, as if he never wanted to let go. He rested his chin lightly on her shoulder, his warm breath softly fanning the side of her neck.
His normally tense shoulders completely relaxed, and even the usual coldness in his eyes faded away. He shed all his sharpness and vigilance, resembling a wanderer who had finally found his way home. Leaning quietly against her, he looked entirely defenseless and uncharacteristically relaxed.
Mu Ran allowed him to hold her. She turned her head to look at him, her finger lightly tapping the space between his brows. "When Jinzhi was little, did you often frown here?"
He replied, "I would, whenever I was disobedient and got punished."
Yet, Mu Ran still found it hard to imagine him being disobedient. After all, his image in her heart was simply too perfect.
Cangshu Bai said, "I am sorry."
Mu Ran grasped his hands that were wrapped around her waist and relaxed her body against him. "Why are you suddenly apologizing to me?"
"It is not a good season to travel, yet I made you trek a long distance with me, enduring the snow and extreme cold, only to bring you to a place that is completely unfamiliar to you," he murmured softly. "I am sorry. I made you suffer."
But Mu Ran replied, "I do not consider this suffering. It is a good thing that you hold your family so dearly in your heart. I imagine they must have treated you incredibly well when you were little, loving you, protecting you, and doting on you with all their hearts. That must be why you remember them so fondly to this day and cannot bear to let them go."
She chuckled softly. "Knowing that there were people who loved and cherished you so deeply... just thinking about that makes me happy. I do not feel wronged in the slightest."
Cangshu Bai buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck, the tip of his nose gently brushing against her delicate skin. His breathing grew slightly heavier, and his usually calm and unwavering aura now carried an almost imperceptible softness.
Mu Ran quietly let him hold her for quite a while. After a long time, she remarked curiously, "You haven't been back for two years, yet this courtyard isn't dirty at all. I don't see any weeds around, and there isn't much dust either."
Cangshu Bai explained, "Before I left, I bought a cleansing talisman and attached it to the door."
"That's wonderful," Mu Ran said. "I was just thinking that since we arrived home today, we might have to stay up until midnight cleaning the house."
Cangshu Bai loved the word "home" coming from her lips. No matter where they were, as long as she was by his side and said the word "home," his heart would feel an extraordinary sense of peace.
Suddenly, Mu Ran was swept up into his arms. She instinctively wrapped her arms around the young man's neck and looked up at his face.
Cangshu Bai lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of her lips. "You've had a tiring journey these past few days. The room is clean, so go lie down and get some rest."
Mu Ran did not object. She leaned comfortably against his chest and, as he carried her, curiously observed everything in the courtyard.
Beneath his feet was a path paved with bluestone slabs. On either side, the sparse shadows of winter bamboo slanted across the ground. A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, and fragmented sunlight filtered through the foliage, casting a mottled, tender glow over the two of them.
Passing through the moon gate, they arrived at the wing rooms of the inner courtyard. Two pots of plain-hearted orchids were planted in front of the door, exuding a faint, elegant fragrance.
Cangshu Bai walked with light, steady steps up the stairs. When he pushed the door open, a clean and refreshing aura greeted them. The windows were bright and the furniture spotless. The bed was made with soft, plain-colored bedding, and the desk was impeccably neat. Even the air carried the faint, warm scent of sunlight, feeling tranquil and welcoming.
"This is my room," he said. "It still looks exactly as it did when I left home."
He set Mu Ran down on the edge of the bed.
Crouching before her, he gently grasped her ankle and considerately removed her shoes and socks. "If you don't like the arrangement of the room, just tell me, and I will reorganize it."
Mu Ran watched as he stood back up.
He leaned in close, untying her fur cloak and helping her out of her thick, emerald-green quilted jacket. "Once you have rested for a few days, we will go up the mountain to pay our respects to my parents."
Perhaps finding her unblinking stare and obedient demeanor utterly adorable, he couldn't resist cupping her face and showering her with a few soft, lingering kisses.
After removing her outer garments, Cangshu Bai tucked her into the warm blankets. He sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers gently brushing against her cheek, his gaze growing ever more tender.
This courtyard had once been drenched in blood. He was the one who had painstakingly restored it to its original state bit by bit. Yet, even though the house looked exactly as it used to, his loved ones were gone, and it had lost the warmth of a home.
Two years ago, after drifting through storms of blood and carnage for so long, he had never imagined that he would return with a wife.
Now, she was lying on the very wooden bed he had slept in since childhood. Because of her presence, everything in this cold, desolate room seemed to finally possess a trace of warmth.
Mu Ran grasped his hand. "You've been traveling for just as long. Aren't you going to rest with me?"
He replied, "I'm going to unpack our luggage."
But Mu Ran refused to let go of his hand. "I want to rest with you. We can unpack everything together later."
She then offered a reason he simply could not refuse: "Jinzhi, I can't fall asleep without you."
Cangshu Bai's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice trembling slightly. "Alright. I will stay with you."
