Chapter 2

The mercury-like mist swirled and rolled, making his brain buzz with a loud rumble. However, this time, Jiang Xingchen did not feel the previous shock. With the occurrence of soul crossing, the appearance of strange mist in his mind was not something he could not accept. At this moment, he even felt a faint sense of anticipation, and all his attention was focused on the mist.

Shortly after he fixed his gaze on the mist, the warm current in his stomach surged into his mind, and the mist suddenly emitted a series of ripples.

Then, a method of controlling breathing abruptly appeared in Jiang Xingchen's consciousness. There were no words, but it was clearly etched in his mind, extremely bizarre.

Before he could think of anything, Jiang Xingchen was drawn by an invisible force and involuntarily began to breathe according to this method.

"Exhale, exhale, inhale... exhale, inhale, exhale... exhale, exhale, inhale, inhale..." The length and sequence of the breaths were very special and complex, but Jiang Xingchen, being guided, did not find it difficult at all. Instead, he felt unusually comfortable. The heaviness in his head, which had persisted since the crossing, gradually cleared, and his body rapidly recovered. Unconsciously, he became deeply immersed in it...

However, he forgot that a little girl was waiting for his answer.

"Brother! Is Mei'er really a slave?" The little girl asked with a tense look, staring at Jiang Xingchen. She did not expect to hear the word "of course."

It felt like a heavy hammer, shattering her previous resolve. Sadness,委屈, fear, and other negative emotions suddenly welled up, making the thirteen-year-old girl unable to maintain her composure. Tears streamed down her face.

"Brother! You..." The little girl still held out a glimmer of hope, preparing to ask again, hoping it was just a joke or a lie from her brother.

However, when she saw Jiang Xingchen's vacant gaze and expressionless face, the words on the tip of her tongue could not be spoken.

"Brother! I'll start the fire, and you should rest early!" Mei'er forced back her sobs, biting her lower lip, and spoke in a low voice. She bent down to take a ceramic brazier from under the bed.

At this moment, Mei'er did not know Jiang Xingchen's condition and did not notice his peculiar breathing. Filled with sadness and grievance, she had no mind to notice any difference from his usual behavior, thinking he had become cold and indifferent again.

The brazier was placed in the center of the room. Mei'er put a dozen pieces of charcoal in it and struck a flint against a tuft of fluff, the soft clacking sounds making the room feel oppressively quiet.

The sparks ignited the fluff, which in turn lit the charcoal. The temperature in the room gradually rose, becoming warm.

Mei'er straightened up and glanced back at Jiang Xingchen, who was still sitting by the bed. The scene of eating the cake flashed through her mind. That short moment was the happiest of her years!

"I'm going to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow!" Mei'er said again, almost to herself, then picked up a bundle of dry grass from under the bed, walked to the corner by the bed, and laid it on the cold ground, facing the inside, and slowly lay down...

After a long time, the charcoal in the brazier gradually went out, leaving only a faint glow.

The wind outside howled, whistling through the large gaps in the window, causing the temperature in the room to drop rapidly.

Jiang Xingchen, who had been sitting by the bed, suddenly moved, his breathing becoming disordered. His expression changed, and his eyes became active.

He shook his head slightly and exhaled. The invisible force guiding his mind suddenly disappeared, and he could no longer continue his breathing. He then woke up, and the swirling mist also vanished.

"This mist really works. The breathing method it released is excellent. Just by breathing, one can adjust the body..." Now he felt completely relaxed, and the previous soreness and heaviness in his body were gone.

"Except for the hunger! The warm current in my stomach made the mist reappear, which must be the energy from food... Hey! Where's the little girl?"

Not seeing Mei'er, Jiang Xingchen was startled and immediately stood up, scanning the room.

Soon, with the help of the faint light from the charcoal, he found the small, huddled figure in the corner, feeling a great sense of relief.

"Why is she sleeping on the ground!" Jiang Xingchen frowned slightly and walked over.

"Brother! I promised Uncle to take good care of you..." The huddled Mei'er suddenly murmured, and Jiang Xingchen, who had already approached her, paused and slowly squatted down.

"Even if we lose the territory and noble status, brother, don't be sad! Mei'er can already earn money. Although now I can only make you eat black flour cakes, in the future, I can definitely make you eat white flour cakes... no, we'll eat rice and meat! We'll buy ten pounds of meat every day!"

"We won't live in the dirty and messy civilian area anymore. We'll buy a big house around the Imperial Academy or in the noble district, a courtyard of a thousand square meters. We'll buy the most expensive oil lamps and keep them lit in the bedroom all night so that brother won't be afraid of the dark! Hehe..."

"Was I afraid of the dark before?" Listening to Mei'er's laughter in her sleep, Jiang Xingchen felt a lump in his throat and wanted to cry. He quickly rubbed his forehead and thought.

"In the future, when we go out, we'll ride in a beautiful carriage and watch the most famous dance troupe in Hongyuan City..."

"Right! We'll also buy beautiful clothes. In summer, we'll wear the best silk, and in winter, the softest animal fur. Mei'er won't wear shoes with holes anymore, it's so cold... Also, I'll redeem my jade pendant..."

After a pause, Mei'er suddenly raised her arm and said loudly, "From now on, brother is not allowed to say that Mei'er is a slave! Otherwise, I won't take care of you!"

After saying this, Mei'er fell silent again.

Jiang Xingchen remained squatting, his heart filled with even more pity for the little girl. From Mei'er's sleep talk, he also gained a lot of information. He now knew he was in Hongyuan City, where the units of measurement were similar to Earth's, and there were distinct seasons. Most importantly, combining this with the glimpse of ancient architecture outside, he had a rough idea of Hongyuan City.

"Whoo~" A gust of wind whistled through the gaps in the window, and Jiang Xingchen shivered.

Mei'er, huddled in the corner, curled up even tighter, almost forming a ball. Even so, she could not resist the cold, and her trembling body made the dry grass beneath her rustle.

Jiang Xingchen felt a pang of pain and reached out to pick up the huddled Mei'er.

Mei'er, who had been dreaming and feeling cold, was not deeply asleep. When Jiang Xingchen picked her up, she woke up.

"Brother!" She mumbled, immediately becoming alert, her mouth almost dropping open in surprise. She then struggled to get down.

"Don't move!" Jiang Xingchen said in a low voice, walking to the bed and grabbing the thin, patched blanket, wrapping her in it. He said sternly, "Who told you to sleep on the ground!"

Mei'er seemed to still be in shock, and after a while, she said weakly, "Brother took fake medicine and is injured... and there's only one bed... I'll go back to the ground!"

"Stay still! I'm fine now!" Jiang Xingchen said with a stern face, standing up and walking to the charcoal pile.

Mei'er tightened the blanket around her, her lips twitching, and a smile flashed across her face, as if she had forgotten the sadness she felt when she heard the word "of course."

"Brother, Uncle Huang's family is not well-off either. We shouldn't use too much of their charcoal!" Mei'er said as Jiang Xingchen was about to take more charcoal.

Jiang Xingchen stopped and turned around. In the dim light, he could see the bright eyes of the little girl, which seemed to be misty.

After hesitating, Jiang Xingchen let go and sighed, "This little girl!"

Just as he was about to turn back, Mei'er said, "It's the last night. Using a few more pieces won't matter, it's so cold!"

"Uh!" Jiang Xingchen stiffened, feeling a headache, and said in a deep voice, "Little girl, are you playing with me?"

Mei'er, lying on the bed, let out a light laugh, pulled the blanket up, and stuck out her tongue.

Jiang Xingchen took a dozen pieces of charcoal, walked to the center of the room, and placed them in the brazier. He then sat by the bed and said, "You sleep inside, I'll sleep outside!"

"Okay!" The little girl obediently responded, taking off her shoes with exposed toes and throwing them on the ground. She then moved to the inside, by the wall, and lay down.

Seeing Mei'er lying down, Jiang Xingchen also took off his shoes and lay down.

The old wooden bed was not large, only enough for one person. Although both were relatively thin, when they lay down, half of Jiang Xingchen's body was still exposed outside the bed.

"Brother! The blanket is for you, it's cold outside!" The little girl moved, covering Jiang Xingchen with the blanket.

"I'm not cold, you keep it, be a good girl!" Jiang Xingchen shook his head, sat up, and covered the blanket back over the little girl.

"No! You must cover yourself, or I won't either..." The little girl also sat up, looking at him stubbornly, and after a pause, said, "Be a good girl!"

Hearing the words "be a good girl," Jiang Xingchen's lips twitched, and he was speechless.

"How about this!" After a moment's thought, Jiang Xingchen turned and sat inside the bed, leaning against the wall and the bed frame. He said, "Sit in my lap, and we'll cover the blanket horizontally, so both of us can be covered!"

"Ah!" The little girl was taken aback, a blush appearing on her face, and she lowered her head slightly.

"What are you thinking? I'm your brother!" Jiang Xingchen gently tapped Mei'er's head.

"Now you treat me like a sister, but before you ignored me and even wanted to sell me! Humph, if you sell me, see who will take care of you in the future!" The little girl covered her head, puffed her cheeks, and said angrily.

"Hey! Why do you have so much to say? I already said I won't sell you! Come over quickly!" Jiang Xingchen raised his hand to tap her head again.

"Humph! Then tell me, am I really a slave?" Mei'er slapped away his hand and asked loudly.

"Of course not! Didn't I already tell you that?"

"You clearly said 'of course' before, you're lying to me!"

"Uh!" Jiang Xingchen was taken aback, remembering the previous situation. He couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had been distracted by the mist in his mind, no wonder the little girl misunderstood.

"I was going to say 'of course not,' but my mind was a bit dizzy at the time, and I didn't finish!" Jiang Xingchen explained.

"Really, you're not lying to me!" The little girl's eyes brightened, and she smiled happily.

"Um-hum!" Jiang Xingchen nodded vigorously.

The little girl's eyes immediately formed a crescent, and her lips curled up, revealing a flower-like smile. She turned and sat on Jiang Xingchen's lap.

"Hey! Be gentle, you're trying to sit me to death, I'm just getting better!" Jiang Xingchen exaggerated loudly.

"Hehe!" The little girl giggled, picked up the blanket, and covered both of them, asking, "Is brother really better? You were still dizzy just now!"

"Really better!" Jiang Xingchen grabbed the edges of the blanket, pulled it back, and tightly wrapped both of them.

The charcoal burned brightly, crackling and driving away the cold and darkness, making their faces glow red.

"Does your hand still hurt?" Jiang Xingchen asked.

Mei'er's body stiffened, her eyes misted over, but her smile became even brighter. She slowly leaned back, curling into his embrace.

"So warm!" Mei'er thought, emitting a cat-like purr, slowly closing her eyes and murmuring, "It doesn't hurt anymore!"

The little girl was dirty and smelly, but for some reason, Jiang Xingchen didn't mind at all. Perhaps the loneliness after crossing over made him instinctively seek a support, or perhaps the little girl's plight stirred his compassion, or perhaps her strong smile opened his closed heart. In the short time they had been together, he had truly come to see Mei'er as family, and the warmth in his embrace was all that remained...

"Brother has changed a lot!" Mei'er suddenly said softly, as if in a dream.

Jiang Xingchen's heart tightened, and he asked, "Changed?"

"Um-hum!" Mei'er nodded, "Compared to before, it's like you're a different person. I even suspect that the fake medicine that activated the Yuan Spring burned your brain!"

"At least there's the fake medicine!" Jiang Xingchen secretly sighed with relief and asked, "Do you think it's better or worse?"

"Of course it's better!" Mei'er suddenly turned her head, her face fierce, her eyes wide, and said loudly, "You're not allowed to change back, or I won't talk to you anymore!"

"Ah!" Jiang Xingchen was startled by Mei'er's sudden action, staring at her fierce face for a moment, and then smiled gently. He reached out his right hand from under the blanket, gently wiping a small smudge from her face, and said, "Did I really make you dislike me so much before?"

Mei'er's face flushed when Jiang Xingchen touched her, and her fierce demeanor