Chapter 217: Farewell

Chapter 217: Farewell

Cheng Ge stood in place, looking at the crimson official robes kneeling before him, a lump formed in his throat.

The earlier teasing of Lin Nanshu vanished instantly, a hot surge of emotion welled up in his chest, stinging his eyes.

He took a deep breath of the frigid air, suppressed the surging feelings, straightened his robes, and returned a deep, solemn bow to them all.

A thousand words, all contained in this silent gesture.

After rising, without further hesitation, he turned resolutely and boarded the carriage.

The wheels rolled; this time the convoy finally set off, leaving the capital city gates.

The wheels rolled, rolling over the gaps in the bluestone road, emitting a steady, heavy sound, heralding the true start of the journey.

Inside the slightly jolting carriage, Cheng Ge raised his hand unconsciously, his fingertips touching the warm, smooth ink-jade token in his bosom.

In the other sleeve, he hid the chilling Xuan iron wooden box.

One warm, one cold, mirroring his complex mood at the moment.

The carriage slowly accelerated, about to completely leave the city gate area.

As if by some impulse, Cheng Ge leaned forward, raised his hand, and lifted the thick velvet curtain on the side of the carriage.

He poked his head out slightly and waved vigorously at Lin Nanshu and the other colleagues behind him.

The cold wind immediately rushed into the carriage, stinging his face.

His gaze swept over the crowd below the city wall, then inadvertently lifted upward, glancing at the towering gate tower.

With just one look, Cheng Ge's expression froze, a hint of doubt appearing.

Behind the cold battlements, several figures were standing.

Though the snow and wind had stopped, the wind was fiercer at the high tower, making their robes rustle loudly.

From this distance, Cheng Ge couldn't see clearly, only felt that the outlines of the figures seemed oddly familiar.

Especially one in a dazzling, eye-catching scarlet, against the gray sky and dark city wall.

It was like a splash of thick ink and heavy color on the snow, and Cheng Ge could guess who it was blindfolded.

Those figures seemed to be looking in the direction of his departing carriage, as if they had come specifically to see him off.

Cheng Ge hesitated for a moment, thinking that seeing him off despite the wind and snow was still a gesture of affection.

He raised his hand and waved vigorously twice at the tower.

From afar, he vaguely saw those figures seem to lean forward slightly because of his gesture.

The scarlet figure clearly raised its arm and waved back twice at him.

Even from that distance, Cheng Ge could almost see the usual cynical smile on Yun Xunyu's face.

Cheng Ge withdrew his gaze, looked no more, and gently lowered the thick velvet curtain.

The carriage became quiet again, leaving only the sound of wheels rolling forward.

————

On the city tower, the cold wind billowed the dragon banners, rustling loudly.

Zhou Mingqi, in black casual clothes and a dark cloak, stood tall and straight like a pine.

No emotion showed on his face, as if he were just casually gazing at the capital's snowy scenery.

Until the carriage completely disappeared at the end of the official road, turning into a blurry black dot in the field of vision.

Finally, even the black dot was gone, he slowly withdrew his gaze, said nothing, and turned to walk down the tower.

The usual flirtatious frivolity on Yun Xunyu's face vanished the moment Cheng Ge let down the curtain.

His phoenix eyes, usually brimming with warmth and smiles, now held an almost ice-cold sharpness.

He took one last look at the empty official road, and his scarlet figure, like a burning flame, silently disappeared on the other side of the battlement.

Only Crown Prince Zhou Zhan and the heir Zhou Yinyun remained stubbornly standing by the cold city wall.

Zhou Zhan frowned deeply, his hands clasped behind his back, balled into fists, his lips pressed into a hard line.

His gaze fixed on the spot where the carriage had disappeared; the Crown Prince's usual restraint had given way to a silent stubbornness at this moment.

Zhou Yinyun's eyes were even red-rimmed, his fingers tightly gripping the cold stone of the battlement.

The cold wind tousled his hair, but he didn't seem to notice, still stubbornly staring into the distance.

The wind and snow picked up again; Wu Zhongzi and the others still knelt in the vast expanse of snow, the pure white snow covering their shoulders.

———

Inside the carriage, the thick velvet curtain shut out the wind and noise outside, leaving only the rhythmic rumble of wheels on the official road.

A small red clay charcoal stove burned brightly, with a simple clay pot on it, its spout continuously puffing white steam.

Cheng Ge sat cross-legged on a low couch covered in thick fur, his body swaying slightly with the carriage.

He rested his hands on his knees, his brows slightly knit, his gaze fixed intently on the bubbling clay pot, his expression unusually serious and stern.

But just as the liquid was about to boil over at the critical moment—

He suddenly reached out, lifted the clay pot off the small charcoal stove, and steadily poured its contents into the white porcelain teacup beside it.

His previous deep, stern expression vanished instantly; he let out a sigh of relief and muttered to himself: "Geez, almost over-steeped it."

The liquid in the cup was a warm light brown color, with a thin, glistening layer of milk skin on the surface.

In an instant, the rich aroma of milk and the mellow fragrance of tea perfectly blending, steaming and spreading through the carriage.

Cheng Ge held the teacup, gently blew on it, and eagerly took a small sip.

The smooth, mellow liquid slid down his throat; the sweetness of the milk perfectly balanced the slight astringency of the tea.

He squinted his eyes happily, feeling the warmth spread from his throat to his stomach.

"Hmm..." he let out a satisfied sigh, "Delicious."

He held the teacup, half-leaning against the couch, and took small sips, reaching for a piece of preserved fruit and popping it into his mouth.

"The sound of phoenix flutes stirs, the jade lantern turns, your whisper sways the tassels at my temples——"

His feet, clad in four layers of cotton socks, bobbed lightly in the air, eyes half-closed as he listened to the wind and wheels outside the carriage.

In that moment of utter relaxation—

"Rustle… rustle…"

From beneath the low couch came an abrupt and subtle scraping sound, as if something was gently squirming.

Cheng Ge's humming stopped short, his hand froze mid-motion, and the candied fruit in his hand hung frozen in midair.

He frowned, his sharp gaze instantly swept toward the shadowy area under the couch.

The carriage jolted onward, and the rustling sounded again.

Then a familiar tuft of yellow fur emerged from beneath the edge of the couch.

Next, half of a drooping dog ear peeked out timidly, giving an extremely guilty little twitch.

Cheng Ge: "…………"

He stared at that all-too-familiar half ear, stayed silent for a good three or four seconds.

A deep sense of helplessness surged through him, shattering his mood.

Because this trip was on official business, bringing a dog was really not appropriate.

So he had planned to leave Dahuang behind as the watchdog at home.

But man proposes, and some lowlife had gone and tattled to Dahuang.

Dahuang immediately knew that Cheng Ge was going out for fun without him, and threw a fit.

That night, he ran to Cheng Ge's door and barked wildly. Though they didn't share a language, Cheng Ge knew the dog was cussing him out royally.

To soothe him, Cheng Ge even went all out, preparing two large basins of meaty bones.

He also spent a whole day talking sense into him, barely managed to brainwash him into going along with it.

But who knew this wretched creature had learned to be two-faced and stab him in the back?!

It seemed the meat bones were gobbled up without hesitation, and the leash couldn't hold back his doggy heart, yearning for adventure and the open road.

He had somehow snuck aboard using some trick, hidden himself under the couch, and only now gave himself away after holding out for so long!

Cheng Ge pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the veins at his temples throb angrily.

He glared at that half ear, lowered his voice, and growled through clenched teeth: "…Come out."

The squirming under the couch stopped—

Then that half ear zipped back in, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Every little bit helps keep the love alive——"