Originally, Zhou Shengsheng wanted Ming Siran and Jiang Zhiyu to ride in the same carriage, but both parties refused outright, insisting on sitting with Zhou Shengsheng instead. Unable to resolve the situation, and under Li Rong’s peculiar gaze, the three of them ended up sharing the same carriage.
Ah Pang wasn’t awake all the time; most days, he spent his time hiding in Zhou Shengsheng’s hair, sleeping.
The first time Ming Siran saw him, he was so startled that he nearly exposed himself.
This incident naturally led to new questions in his mind: Who exactly was Zhou Shengsheng?
And why could he hear her thoughts?
[Ah Pang, is there still a chance to salvage this plot?] Zhou Shengsheng lowered her head, pretending to sleep, while secretly chatting with Ah Pang.
The chubby little red panda yawned. [Shengsheng, don’t worry. The rules aren’t that strict. The book only says that the female lead must survive in the mountains while carrying Ming Siran on her back. The story focuses more on life at the foot of the mountain.]
[So, for now, we can’t return to the Yong Kingdom. We have to stay in that town at the foot of the mountain for a while? What’s the criterion for this part of the plot?]
Ah Pang paused before replying: [The female lead pawns the heirloom left by her uncle to save Ming Siran.]
[As long as Jiang Zhiyu pawns the heirloom, this part of the plot will be considered complete.]
Zhou Shengsheng couldn’t help but sigh.
Right now, not only has Jiang Zhiyu lost her memory, but Ming Siran’s injuries are also mostly healed.
Moreover, Li Rong has already joined them. Unless the entire group is penniless, this situation is just absurd.
With her eyes closed, she naturally didn’t notice the series of emotions—shock, disbelief, and finally calm—that flickered across Ming Siran’s face as he sat opposite her.
Jiang Zhiyu, who couldn’t sleep, noticed it though. She pursed her lips and hesitantly asked, “Xiao Ming… do you need to use the restroom?”
The nickname “Xiao Ming” was something Zhou Shengsheng had privately given Ming Siran. Jiang Zhiyu, being straightforward, had no qualms about using it in front of him.
Since Ming Siran could hear Zhou Shengsheng’s thoughts, he was well aware of the nickname.
However, hearing it from Jiang Zhiyu’s mouth made him uncomfortable, and he frowned. “Don’t call me that. And no, I don’t need to go.”
Jiang Zhiyu let out a long “Oh…” but internally vowed to call him that again next time.
Zhou Shengsheng, pretending to sleep, felt her eyelid twitch.
Maybe it’s better not to open my eyes. If Ming Siran asks where the nickname came from, how am I supposed to explain that I’m the one who came up with it?
The next morning, when Zhou Shengsheng opened her eyes and found herself facing a bare chest, her brain short-circuited.
Had she traveled through time again? Why was there a man here?
“Mmm… don’t move, Shengsheng. Let’s sleep a little longer…” A hoarse, morning voice came from above her head.
Not only that, she could also feel someone’s face buried against her back, their breath warm and steady.
Once her mind fully woke up, she closed her eyes, unwilling to accept reality.
Why was it that in novels, scenes like this—where the male and female leads wake up in a passionate embrace—would be scrutinized a thousand times, but here she was, stuck in the middle of it?
Last night, the three of them had been sleeping with plenty of space between them, perfectly proper.
But now? Zhou Shengsheng was being held tightly in Ming Siran’s arms, her waist gripped so firmly she couldn’t move. Meanwhile, Jiang Zhiyu, who should have been in her place, was wrapped around her like an octopus.
Do you know what separates the female lead from the male lead?
Conspiracy, family background, status, or unspeakable secrets?
No, it’s Zhou Shengsheng.
She tried to move, only to be held even tighter by the two of them.
[Can this novel even recover? A story with no passion will lose its readers, author, do you know that?]
In a specially made bird’s nest nearby, a fluffy little bird, clearly well taken care of by its owner, heard this lament in its sleep. It disdainfully flapped its wings before going back to sleep.
---I really want to pet that bird~---
Qingming Town was a small place. So small that if someone’s wife scolded their child at night, the whole town would know by the next day.
Originally, they had only planned to rest there, stock up on water and food, but after Ming Siran put on a poker face and told Li Rong that his wounds were hurting, the loyal Li Rong immediately decided they would stay for two days until His Majesty recovered before continuing their journey.
After personally leading his horse into the small inn’s stable, Li Rong wiped away two nonexistent tears from the corners of his eyes.
Back when His Majesty was on the battlefield, even when his clothes were soaked in blood, he never uttered a word of complaint. Now, he was saying it hurt. If His Majesty said it hurt, it must be excruciating.
It must be unbearable, bone-shattering, hellish pain.
---I really want to eat some oranges~---
“Shengsheng, peel another one for me,” Ming Siran lounged on the bed, addressing Zhou Shengsheng, whose face had turned a shade darker.
He was naturally handsome, and after losing his memory, the heavy aura of a warrior that once surrounded him had faded. Today, he had swapped his usual black robes for a bright blue brocade outfit, making him look like a carefree young nobleman on a leisurely trip. No wonder Zhou Shengsheng’s attitude toward him had softened recently.
After all, the current Ming Siran was almost a completely different person from before.
Seeing this, Jiang Zhiyu also spoke up: “You’ve already had two! It’s my turn now!” Her tone was pleading, but her eyes were fixed greedily on the pomegranate in Zhou Shengsheng’s hand.
Zhou Shengsheng looked at the floor littered with fruit peels and the bed strewn with snacks and novels, her face growing even darker.
Back when she served Duan Fusheng, he was extremely particular about cleanliness, which had forced Zhou Shengsheng to maintain a strict level of tidiness in everything she did.
But now? She had only stepped out for a moment, and these two troublemakers had turned the place into a mess!
“Both of you! Get up!” she hissed through clenched teeth.
Her expression and tone made it clear that she was furious.
Instinctively, the two of them—one lying down and one sitting—jumped up as if their tails were on fire when they saw her rage.
After scolding and lecturing them, Zhou Shengsheng began tidying up while muttering nonstop, resembling a seventy-year-old mother exasperated with her unruly children.
Both Ming Siran and the amnesiac Jiang Zhiyu were unfamiliar with this kind of care—a mix of frustration and subtle indulgence.
Ming Siran, from a young age, had received rigorous elite education, even though his father never intended for him to become emperor. If the servants caught him slacking off, they would plead with him to work harder, even threatening to die for his sake.
So, this silent indulgence from Zhou Shengsheng was something he was experiencing for the first time.
So this is what it feels like to be managed by one’s wife. No wonder those advisors who complained about being henpecked would suddenly lose all their grievances and smile like fools whenever they saw their wives.
If the little bird, oblivious to the world and sleeping soundly, heard this, it would undoubtedly scoff and declare that birds don’t eat such strange things.
As for Jiang Zhiyu, a disadvantaged illegitimate daughter, this kind of care was even more foreign to her.
“I’m just destined to serve others! I was only gone for a moment, and you turned the place into this mess! Are you pigs? Even pigs wouldn’t sleep in such a mess!”
With that, Zhou Shengsheng shot them a sharp look. “You’re in the way here. Go find somewhere else to be! Don’t disturb me while I clean!” She then physically pushed the two of them, who were still standing awkwardly and listening to her lecture, out of the room.
As she turned to close the door, she noticed the little bird sitting obediently by its nest, having neatly eaten all the fruit she had left and even arranging the seeds in a tidy pile. Zhou Shengsheng couldn’t help but feel a surge of appreciation.
“You’re so well-behaved…”
She walked over, grabbed the resting bird, and planted several kisses on it.
Awakened by the sudden affection, the bird’s eyes subtly changed.
