Chu Li stopped and turned around, only to see Qing Xia bringing out a pile of white fur from the dark cave. The petite woman half-knelt on the ground and with a shake of her hands revealed a fully formed garment made of fur. Chu Li looked carefully and recognized this as the animal hide he had personally skinned the night before. He frowned and asked in a deep voice, “When did you make this?”
“Last night.” Qing Xia kept her head down, very seriously spreading out all the clothes completely. Then she raised her head with a trace of small pride, smiling as she said, “I made it while you were sleeping. This is my first time making them, so I don’t know if they’re any good. Try them on and see. It’s too cold outside—we won’t be able to withstand going out like this.”
Chu Li bent down to pick up a fur coat, finding the style quite strange. Frowning, he tugged at it repeatedly and said, “How do you put this thing on?”
“Let me do it.” Qing Xia sprang to her feet. Her figure wasn’t tall—she only reached Chu Li’s chest. She had to stand slightly on her tiptoes to reach Chu Li’s neck. The woman nimbly unfastened the armor at his neck, then went around behind him, slowly removing the heavy, uninsulating cold iron with a clang as it hit the ground. She picked up the fur coat—these were all made by Qing Xia according to modern clothing styles, using grass rope to string several pieces of hide together with sleeves attached. Though they looked unsightly and were crudely made, they were very warm.
A large piece of hide with a hole cut in the middle was pulled over the head, tied at the waist to make a vest, then sleeves were put on to complete the upper body. Qing Xia then squatted down and bound several pieces of fur to Chu Li’s legs, serving as pants. She kept her head down, her black long hair hanging down from her cheeks as her slender small hands wrapped around Chu Li’s legs, circling round and round to tie the straps properly for him.
The air was so quiet that even Da Huang sensibly kept its mouth shut, not even letting out a single hum. Suddenly Qing Xia raised her head. Her thin little face had a faint, fresh gentleness. She looked up at Chu Li with her neck tilted and asked, “Your boots will get cold too, right? Are your boots big enough? Could you fit a piece of hide inside them?”
Chu Li was immediately stunned. Usually so quick with words, he suddenly didn’t know what to say. Seeing that he didn’t answer, Qing Xia lowered her head on her own and reached out to press the tip of Chu Li’s boot with her fingers. How could an emperor’s boots not fit properly? Qing Xia muttered quietly to herself, “Probably can’t fit anything inside.”
After thinking for a moment, she grabbed Chu Li’s leg and said, “Lift your foot.”
Chu Li obediently lifted his foot. Qing Xia picked up a large piece of fur, fur side inward, and wrapped Chu Li’s foot along with his entire lower leg, then bound it round and round with grass rope.
Chu Li looked down at Qing Xia’s thin back, sharp cheeks, and small shoulders, thinking of all the things between them—those endless probing and caution. He suddenly felt like a complete idiot. Qing Xia’s bright gaze, stubborn expression, warm smile, and that undisguisable joy when he saw her riding toward him across the sandy wasteland rippled through his heart like waves.
Suddenly, all the suspicion, doubt, and traces of wariness in his heart collapsed with a thunderous crash.
After binding both feet, Qing Xia smiled and stood up, proudly looking at Chu Li whom she had bound up like a dumpling. She couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh, her smiling face brilliant as a flower, instantly dazzling Chu Li’s eyes.
“Chu Li, you look just like a bear.” Qing Xia smiled proudly, her eyes curved in crescents. Then she turned to dress herself. However, at that moment, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and immediately grasped her pale, cold little hand tightly.
Time seemed to stop at that moment. Scorching heat transmitted from that hand, almost burning Qing Xia’s nerves. She stood there dazed, her expression frozen. Yet the man behind her made no other movement—he simply held her hand tightly, so tightly, as if he wanted to squeeze it into his own flesh and blood.
“Qing Xia,” the low voice slowly sounded, like ice cutting across water, carrying the warmth of ice and snow beginning to melt. The man spoke word by word in a deep voice: “Qing Xia, I’m sorry.”
She really wasn’t someone who liked to cry, but at this moment, her eyes suddenly reddened. The barriers in her heart crumbled with a thunderous roar, and all those past grievances, that unwillingness, those inexplicable wrongs flowed out like a departed flood. The strength in his hand was so great it even hurt her, but she didn’t say a word—she just stood there with her back to him, standing stiffly. Though it had only been a little over two years, she felt as if she had been waiting a lifetime for these words. A tear suddenly fell, silently dropping with a whoosh, tracing a crystal arc through the air.
“Chu Li,” Qing Xia spoke softly, her voice quiet but firm: “I am not Zhuang Qingxia.”
“You are!” Chu Li said stubbornly. “In my heart, you always will be.”
Though Zhuang Qingxia had died, disappeared, was gone—she was my concubine, my woman. Qing Xia, if you’re not her, then what capacity should I use to face you? And what capacity would you use to face me?
The one I’ve known has always been Zhuang Qingxia. Even if I’m mistaken, don’t remind me.
Do you know? When you personally admitted you weren’t her, you already no longer belonged to me. Now in this place cut off from the world, can you let me temporarily forget those cold realities?
Cold wind passed between the two of them like an icy blade.
Slowly putting on the thick fur clothes, Qing Xia slowly stood up. The white fur wrapped around her entire person, making her look delicate and petite, as holy and pure as an otherworldly spirit.
Chu Li looked her up and down, then suddenly frowned and said in a deep voice, “Why didn’t you wrap your feet?”
Qing Xia was immediately startled but said calmly, “It’s fine. My boots are thick—I’m not afraid.”
Chu Li’s sword-like brows locked tightly. He stepped forward, grabbed Qing Xia’s waist, pressed her down to sit, then lifted her leg to remove her boot.
“Don’t! Ah!” Qing Xia suddenly cried out. With Chu Li’s movement, her brows knitted tightly as if she were enduring great pain.
Chu Li was greatly alarmed. He saw that where his hand was gripping was exactly where a wound was located. Above that wound was an even larger one—clearly torn by a wild beast, even viciously pulled at, nearly tearing off a piece of flesh. Qing Xia’s lower leg and foot had already swollen from the cold. Her boots were soft-soled single boots that couldn’t withstand such snowy conditions. At this moment, her feet had almost no feeling left, and if they were wrapped up further, there would be no way for her to walk at all.
Fury surged like raging tides. Chu Li immediately tore off the hide from his own legs to wrap around Qing Xia’s legs. Though he was furious, his movements weren’t rough—instead, he was extremely careful not to touch Qing Xia’s wounds, being very gentle.
Qing Xia hurriedly tried to stop him, saying, “I’m fine. I’ll recover properly once we get out. We should focus on finding an escape route.”
Chu Li remained silent as if he couldn’t hear her. After wrapping both her legs, he suddenly half-crouched in front of her and said, “Get on!”
Qing Xia was immediately stunned and frowned, saying, “What are you trying to do?”
“Stop talking nonsense.” Chu Li said coldly, then grabbed both her hands and actually lifted her onto his back in one motion. He stood up abruptly, kicked the neck-craning, spectator Da Huang in the rear, and snorted coldly, “Lead the way!”
“Chu Li! Put me down!” Qing Xia angrily pounded his shoulders, but the man showed no reaction whatsoever. He only glared at the little white beast ahead that had turned back to stare at him maliciously, sharply raising an eyebrow and shouting, “Stop pretending! Lead the way!”
“Whimper, whimper.” The palm-sized little beast called Da Huang pouted, very aggrievedly rubbing its eyes with its tiny front paws and wiggling its rear as it walked toward the cave exit.
They walked for about half a morning. The further they went, the lower the temperature became. The cold wind raged mercilessly—almost every step required enduring tremendous suffering. Without the fur clothes Qing Xia had made, both of them might have already frozen to death. Qing Xia buried her head against Chu Li’s neck, her entire circulatory system nearly frozen. If she, carried on Chu Li’s back, was suffering like this, then Chu Li’s situation could be imagined.
Chu Li wore a large white fur hat. His facial lines were firm as if carved by a blade, his eyes calm and steady, lips pressed tightly together. He carried Qing Xia step by step forward without any expression of pain or slackening.
Qing Xia raised her head and saw nothing but confusion ahead, with layers of snow waves howling and dancing in midair. She suddenly felt a trace of alertness. Leaning close to Chu Li’s ear, she shouted loudly, “Chu Li! Put me down!”
Chu Li remained unmovable as a mountain, as if he couldn’t hear her speaking at all. Qing Xia became annoyed and suddenly reached out to grab Chu Li’s ear viciously, shouting loudly, “Bastard! Put me down!”
Chu Li raised an eyebrow and immediately became furious. He, the Great Emperor of Southern Chu, couldn’t be toyed with in such a childish manner. He reached out to brush away Qing Xia’s hand and said in a deep voice, “What do you want to do?”
Qing Xia took the opportunity to jump down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she suddenly felt piercing pain and her body involuntarily swayed to one side. Chu Li, quick with his hands and eyes, supported her shoulder and said angrily, “What exactly are you making a fuss about! You think I want to carry you!”
Hearing this, Qing Xia’s anger flared up. She said petulantly, “Who asked you to carry me! Get up!” Enduring the pain, she walked forward several steps, grabbed Da Huang from the ground, and vigorously poked its head saying, “Are you pig-brained or what? It’s so cold here—do you want to freeze us to death?”
Da Huang’s large bright green eyes were misty with tears. It aggrievedly held its head with both front paws as if afraid Qing Xia would hit it. Its pitiful appearance seemed to say: “You two are fighting—what does that have to do with me?”