Chapter 23: Has a Worm Taken Up Residence in Your Brain?

Standing high above, gazing into the distance, the sky was shrouded with dark clouds and scattered, delicate snowflakes drifted down. The vast sea of forest stretched endlessly, a world painted in white. Patches of woodland merged into one another, nearly all hidden beneath a thick cover of snow.

On the surface, there was no sign of life. Lu Hu felt weary and overwhelmed: the howling mountain wind whipped up loose snow, rampaging across the open land and erasing all traces behind. When he glanced back from his horse, the hoofprints they’d left were soon filled and vanished under the falling snow.

For a stranger venturing into these lands, it would be easy to lose all sense of direction. Even the sun was smothered by clouds, making orientation impossible. Luckily, they had a little local guide with them.

Riding ahead, Yana Li led the way, calm and confident—a true child of these lands. After passing through a sparse grove of low trees, they entered a dense, ancient forest, where the wind diminished considerably. The snow on the ground was thinner here, much of it caught in the thick branches overhead.

No longer did the wind rush in to fill their mouths and choke their words as it had on the open plain. At last, after a long and stifling journey, Lu Hu found a chance to open his mouth: “Oh, my feet are numb! Poor me, come make me feel better, darling.”

“What are you babbling about? Speak properly, I can’t understand a word,” Yana Li scolded him, her delicate brows creased.

“The wind’s been so strong, it’s nearly frozen my toes off. Come here, sweetheart, give me a kiss, I really need your comfort.” Lu Hu sidled closer shamelessly.

“Oh, please, you’re disgusting! Just look at yourself—your nose is running and you don’t even bother to wipe it. Are you still a baby? So embarrassing!” With a sidelong glance at An Shizhu catching up behind them, Yana Li turned away in disdain, her words a veiled rebuke.

An Shizhu quickly wiped his upper lip with his sleeve, knowing the remark was meant for him. Lu Hu, though his handsome face was tinged red from the cold, remained neat and tidy, carrying himself with a proud and spirited air—unlike An Shizhu, who was a mess.

Lu Hu rode closer and wrapped an arm around Yana Li, peppering kisses on her soft, rosy cheek. The sight was almost too much for An Shizhu, who lowered his head and wiped his mouth again, his sleeve already shining from overuse.

“My little darling, living in this godforsaken place, how do you get by? It must be so hard for you,” Lu Hu whispered, pressing his chilled face against her pure one.

“There’s plenty of wild game and delicacies here—the days are good,” Yana Li replied, enjoying the attention as Lu Hu’s lips brushed her ear.

“We’ve been riding half the day and haven’t seen a single house. How far are we from where our old man—uh, I mean, my father and the others—are staying?”

“Not far now. But are you sure you want to go back? My father and brother might just break your legs,” she teased.

“They can break them if they want. As long as someone’s willing to take care of me for life.”

“Go on, go find someone else to spoil you. Don’t stick to me,” Yana Li snapped, pushing him away.

“Why are you so hard to handle? Who else but you would put up with me?” Lu Hu smiled, but inside he felt a pang of anxiety.

“I can’t afford to keep you. If you insist on clinging to me, I’ll beat you three times a day,” Yana Li threatened, though now that she was sure there was no one else around, her words were fierce but her actions honest—