Consequently, Duanmu Gongyu led the expedition in a valiant, powerful, and domineering manner. The whole procession headed out of the city slowly.

On Yun Muxi’s side, she was under the protection of three people, including Dong Fangying. They rode all the way to the hillside of Mountain Yuling, in a carriage.

Duanmu Gongyu was so considerate that he actually sent three secret guards to escort Yun Muxi. The reason he did so, was that his secret guards were unknown to anyone, and no one knew what the secret guards by Duanmu Gongyu’s side, really looked like.

Sitting in the front seat of the carriage, Dong Fangying drove the carriage. The look on his face was cold and watchful. Xi Fangchi and Nan Fangjing followed behind them, secretly. Since all of them knew how important Yun Muxi was to Duanmu Gongyu, none of them dared to be even a little undisciplined.

Yun Muxi sat in the carriage, and leisurely read the Records of the Country of Mu Xia.

Though the carriage looked extremely ordinary from the outside and its style looked somewhat outmoded, nobody knew that it was just a disguise. As a matter of fact, the carriage was made from the best rosewood. However, Duanmu Gongyu had disguised the outside, making the carriage look like a simply ordinary carriage, which was made from the commonest wood.

When it came to the interior design of the carriage, it was pretty comfortable and luxurious. Layers of high-end soft material, which were made of silk, covered the walls inside the carriage. The ground was covered with a thick blanket made of sable. There was a pot of first-rate tea, several plates of delicate pastries, and a plate of fresh fruits on the low tea-table, which was made from the finest rosewood. A delicate and fresh fragrance permeated through the wagon.

It seemed that Duanmu Gongyu had good taste in selecting the fragrance. The fragrance inside the carriage smelled as good as that in the boutique, last time. A herbal fragrance also lingered around Duanmu Gongyu. Though these fresh fragrances were varied, they all smelled exquisite and refreshing, making people feel physically and mentally comfortable.

Though the carriage trundled along at a fast pace, Yun Muxi sat comfortably in the wagon. She read books, tasted the tea, and enjoyed unknown fruits there, in comfort. Feeling quite happy, she could not help humming a gentle and soft melody, the lyrics were as below:

Once and once upon a time

You and I had each other

Once and once upon a time

You left me and pursued your dreams in a distant place

The world outside was pretty amazing

Yet, you would feel helpless in the outside world

When you thought of the outside world as an amazing one

I would pray for you sincerely here

Every time when the sun went down

I would be always here, looking forward to your arrival

Though it rained in the sky

I would wait for you to come back home on my own

Once and once upon a time”

…

This was Yun Muxi’s favorite song. She liked the version sung by Mo Wenwei the most. She sang this song in a uniquely charming way, with her somewhat husky and melodious voice.

After Duanmu Gongyu went out of the city, he was separated from the main force and marched forward, with his secret guard, Bei Fangye, and two of his most efficient, personal bodyguards named Xing Ye and Lan Yun. They whipped the horses and rode swiftly at the hillside of the Mountain Yuling, together.

Seeing that Yun Muxi had not arrived yet, Duanmu Gongyu got down from the horse, placed his hands behind him, and stared at the direction, where she would soon show up, quietly.

Duanmu Gongyu stood by the pathway in a tall and straight manner. He had an indifferent look on his face. The look in his eyes was profound. After that, he closed his lips gently. He had a perfect and quiet stature, which was a feast for people’s eyes. Suddenly, he raised his bushy brows. A hint of gentleness came into in his eyes. The corners of his mouth curved up… Following his affectionate stare, a carriage, which was galloping in his direction, could be seen.

The carriage came closer and closer. It stopped right in front of Duanmu Gongyu, gradually. Yun Muxi’s sweet and melodious singing voice drifted out of the carriage.

Duanmu Gongyu smiled happily. It did not occur to him that this delicate woman could actually sing so beautifully. She was just like a piece of treasure, continuously surprising people.

Dong Fangying hopped off the carriage gently. Before he was about to bow to Duanmu Gongyu and greet him, Duanmu Gongyu lifted up his hands, and stopped him from uttering any sounds.

Yun Muxi did not realize that the carriage had come to a halt. She continued singing melodiously. Duanmu Gongyu heard Yun Muxi singing the song to the end, quietly.

After the song came to an end, her voice faded away gradually. It seemed that Duanmu Gongyu was yearning for more. It was not until he had been silent for quite some time that he suddenly came to his senses. After that, he walked to the carriage with big strides, pulled up the door curtain, and hopped onto the carriage.

A slim and tall figure appeared in front of Yun Muxi. She lifted up her head and saw Duanmu Gongyu hopping nimbly onto the carriage.

After Yun Muxi figured out who it was in front of her, the corner of her lips curved up. She said affectionately, “You are here! I did not expect that you would be here so quickly!”

Duanmu Gongyu chuckled as he said, “I have been waiting for you for a long time. Surprisingly, you sing very beautifully.” After he finished speaking, he lifted up his hands and stroked Yun Muxi’s delicate head gently. Affection filled his eyes.

“I sang it randomly for fun. This song comes from my side of the world, where a lot of melodious songs are available. There are many singers there, who sing very beautifully. Some even work as actors, whose main responsibility is to act out roles in films and TV shows. People in my world entertain themselves in this way.”

Duanmu Gongyu said to Yun Muxi in a gentle voice, “Let’s set out. We need to hurry on with our journey as quickly as we can. I need to arrive in the military camp ahead of the main force. Though I had been separated from the main force, if I arrived there later than them, they would suspect me. Thanks for your effort to accompany me.”

“Yes, I get it!” Yun Muxi smiled cutely and obediently.

As a matter of fact, if Duanmu Gongyu had ridden all the way to the military camp on a horse at a galloping pace, by himself for five to six days, he would have made it. However, since he needed to take care of Yun Muxi, he had prepared a carriage for her. They also needed to rest in the hotels at night. Consequently, they would march much slower. Even if they spurred the flying horse to full speed, it would take them about ten days to half a month, to get to the destination.

When it came to the expedition, which would take the army about half a month to get there, the main force would usually choose the closest routes to march over, by walking.

But, when it came to some of the routes chosen by the main force, the carriage could not get in. Instead, the carriage needed to detour frequently. Consequently, if they did not march along in a hurry, they might not be able to catch up with the main force. They were on a pretty tight schedule, and needed to save as much time as possible.

Duanmu Gongyu said to the secret guard outside the carriage coldly, “Xing Ye, let’s go.”

Xing Ye replied in a deep voice, “Yes. Prince.”

After that, both Xing Ye and Lan Yun hopped onto the carriage. They continued riding as they carried on.

The group of four, including Dong Fangying, Xi Fangchi, Nan Fangjing, and Bei Fangye, became the secret guards again, and were there to protect Yun Muxi and Duanmu Gongyu, in secret.

In the wagon, Duanmu Gongyu asked in a soft voice, “Are you comfortable riding in the carriage?”

Duanmu Gongyu had heard from Yun Muxi about her era, where no carriages were supposed to be available. She might have felt uncomfortable riding the carriage for the first time. Though Duanmu Gongyu had tried his best to furnish the interior environment of the carriage into a more comfortable one for Yun Muxi’s sake, he was still anxious that Yun Muxi would feel uncomfortable.

“Well, yes, I am. The environment here is comforting. I can sit here steadily without experiencing any bumps at all. Super comforting! Since you rode all the way here by horse, you should feel exhausted. Drink a cup of tea!” Yun Muxi poured a cup of tea for Duanmu Gongyu and handed it over to him.

Instead of taking it, Duanmu Gongyu lowered his head and drank the tea directly from the teacup held in Yun Muxi’s hands.

After he finished the tea, he could smell the soft fragrance wafting between his teeth. He stared at Yun Muxi’s black and deep eyes, and smiled gracefully.

Yun Muxi handed him a slice of fruit. Duanmu Gongyu took the fruit directly into his mouth without using his hands, eating it from Yun Muxi’s delicate hands. He took advantage of this opportunity to kiss on Yun Muxi’s slim fingertips gently, with his lips.

Following that, Yun Muxi leaned backward and rolled her eyes at Duanmu Gongyu. She rebuked him as she said, “What are you doing! You can finish the fruit on your own. I won’t bother with you anymore!”

Duanmu Gongyu chuckled as he said gently, “Sing one more song for me. I like to hear you sing!”

Feeling somewhat awkward, Yun Muxi replied reluctantly, “I am not that good at singing.”

It was true that Yun Muxi always tried her best to keep a low profile at any time. She rarely sang in front of strangers. She just hummed the songs to herself randomly, and did not consider her singing skills good. However, Duanmu Gongyu had praised her singing skills, which made her somewhat embarrassed.

Duanmu Gongyu replied honestly, “You really sing very well. I do like to hear you singing.” He had an expectant look on his face.

When she heard Duanmu Gongyu’s sincere praises, Yun Muxi was not reluctant anymore. She tilted her delicate head, rolled her black eyes, and searched around her own music library, in her head. After pondering for a while, she cleared her throat and started singing gently. The lyrics of the song she sung were as follows:

You came back to my side many years later

Sense of insecurity filled your weary eyes

You should stare at me and tell me

Do you still believe in the fairy tales or not

You ever told me that everybody was lonely

Everybody was fragile, longing for a touch

When your heart burns brightly forever

Never will you back out”

The older you become, the more lonely you will feel

The older you become, the more upset you will be

At that time, you will have no choice but to see your wings of dreams end up broken

You have to go back on your own words and ask yourself

Where were your innocent eyes

The older you become, the more lonely you will feel

The older you become, the more upset you will be

At that time, you will have no choice but to open your umbrella for protection

You will understand all of a sudden that the road to the future is not smooth at all

Could it be that the change was unavoidable

You came back to my side many years later

Senses of insecurity filled your weary eyes

You should stare at me and tell me

Do you still believe in the fairy tales or not

You ever told me that everybody was lonely

Everybody was fragile, longing for a touch

When your heart burns brightly forever

Never will you back out”

…

Yun Muxi’s voice was gentle, graceful, and touching. The lyrics of the songs were sincere and thought-provoking. Whether it was in ancient times or in current times, everybody would experience all the transformation and loneliness, which they had to put up with, once they grew up. Moreover, Duanmu Gongyu had gone through a vast transformation since his childhood.

The whole song pulled Duanmu Gongyu’s most fragile heartstrings directly. Never had he heard of such a song. A long period had passed, before he finally came to his senses. Tears brimmed in his eyes. The look in his eyes was one of disappointment and loneliness. Sorrow and sadness pervaded the whole wagon.

After Duanmu Gongyu’s mother had passed away, during the period, he had been crying out of sorrow. Ever since that, he did not cry anymore. It seemed that he had already used up all the tears, at that time. His eyes, which were dry originally, were now filled with tears. It was only due to his stubborn will power, that his tears did not fall.

Seeing Duanmu Gongyu behaving in this way, Yun Muxi realized that she had touched his sore points, unconsciously. Feeling sorry for him, she held his head in her arms and tried to comfort him. Duanmu Gongyu hid his face in Yun Muxi’s arms. Tears dropped from his eyes eventually.

Well, he was no more than twenty years old. In modern times, he would be a fresh boy in his youthful and beautiful days, who would be enjoying his college life. However, he had gone through too many issues in the past at his age, which he was not supposed to be responsible for.

As the saying goes, life in the House of the Imperial had been dull since ancient times. If he had not been born in such a family, he would have been much happier.

Feeling quite disturbed secretly, Yun Muxi felt very sorry for Duanmu Gongyu.

Duanmu Gongyu found comfort in Yun Muxi’s arms. Soon, he calmed down, lifted his head, and looked into Yun Muxi’s big and clear eyes. It seemed that he had many things to say to her.

Sensing that Duanmu Gongyu had become somewhat relaxed, Yun Muxi pulled him over, and asked him to sit down by her side. They sat together side by side. Yun Muxi avoided looking at Duanmu Gongyu deliberately. She knew that Duanmu Gongyu would not have liked to be seen crying. As the saying went, a man did not shed tears easily. Men in ancient times should be more and more chauvinistic.

Consequently, she tried her best to avoid looking at him, in order not to make him feel awkward.

Knowing Yun Muxi was doing so out of consideration for him, Duanmu Gongyu stretched out his hands and held Yun Muxi’s delicate hands, with their fingers interlaced. Yun Muxi did not refuse him.

All of a sudden, an inspiration came to Yun Muxi’s mind. She opened her mouth and sang directly without any accompaniment. The lyrics of the new song went as below:

“I planted a seed

And it finally bore fruits

Today is a big day

I will pick off the stars and give them to you as gifts

I will take the moon down and give it to you as a gift

I will make sun go up for you every day

I will transform myself into a burning candle to light you up

I will give my everything to you as long as you feel happy

You make every day of my future become far more meaningful

Though life is short, I will love you forever. Never will I leave you nor abandon you

You are the apple of my eyes

I can’t love you more

Your small blushing face heats my heart up

And it ignites the fire of my life, making it burn brightly”

…

A well-known hit song named Small Apple , warmed up the atmosphere in the whole wagon.

At first, when Duanmu Gongyu heard Yun Muxi singing this song, he was startled. After that, he was influenced by the cheerful tones and became happy. As the cheerful tune of the song pervaded throughout the carriage, the atmosphere became sweet and care free.

The laughing and cheering drifted out of the wagon along with Yun Muxi’s clear and melodious voice. Never had the secret guards and the personal bodyguards heard their Prince laughing so happily and gracefully. They could not help feeling startled. The atmosphere in the wagon affected them all, even those who had been cruel and merciless all the time. The corners of their lips curled up slightly, and became cheerful.

In the end, Yun Muxi felt so exhausted that she stopped singing. They laughed out loud involuntarily. The cheerful laughter echoed in the empty valley for what seemed like an eternity.