Originally, their plan was to stay in the desert for a maximum of ten days, regardless of whether or not they found the Yi Clan ruins. If they unfortunately failed, they would first return to the main camp of the Beiyuan Army, rest, regroup, and then return to the desert with additional manpower and strategies.
Haste makes waste, and patience is the most crucial virtue for a treasure hunt.
Therefore, the food and water they brought were only enough for about ten days.
Today is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month—Laba Festival. The full moon is in seven days. If they could successfully meet up with Wu Yuanchang and his group, or find their way back on their own, they would have no problem returning to the Beiyuan Army’s main camp before the fifteenth.
Unfortunately, none of the three had a good sense of direction. Even the incredibly sharp-minded Zhao Mian was at a loss facing the endless sea of sand, where everywhere looked more or less the same.
They didn’t find a fourth person or a second camel by the time the sun went down. Walking on the sand at night was difficult, so they found a naturally weathered rock cave and decided to spend the night there.
After nightfall, a sudden chill swept through the desert. The campfire they built blazed inside the cave, illuminating and warming their small space.
But the three of them were still terribly cold.
How cold was it? Even Wei Zhenfeng, who grew up in the north and had traveled all over the country, said the desert night was too cold for him. He couldn’t take it and wanted to go back to Shengjing.
The camels they had brought mainly carried food and water. Zhou Huairang rummaged through everything and only found one black overcoat, which he recognized as Shen Buqi’s. Besides that, there was nothing else for warmth.
“Should we just shave the camels?” Zhou Huairang suggested.
“Have you asked the camels for their opinion?” Zhao Mian thought for a moment, and made a difficult choice. ““The three of us huddle together. We can warm each other with our body heat.”
His master, who had guarded the northern borders for years, had considerable experience with surviving the cold and had told him that in situations like this, human body temperature was the most effective tool.
Zhou Huairang was so shocked he became incoherent: “Ah, Your Highness, this… this is too embarrassing…”
The most intimate thing he had ever done with His Highness was holding hands while walking to school at the age of five. Now, to suddenly have to huddle together with him to sleep… What virtue or ability did he possess to deserve this? He wasn’t worthy!
Zhao Mian remained calm, “We’re about to lose our lives, and you’re still being shy with me?”
Zhou Huairang was full of fear and trepidation, “This subject wouldn’t dare! This subject will listen to Your Highness in everything!”
Wei Zhenfeng agreed with Zhao Mian’s suggestion. For three grown men traveling outdoors, enduring the bitter cold and huddling together at night was perfectly normal. When he was on campaign, he often ate and slept with his soldiers. There was just one thing he needed to be a little careful about.
While Zhou Huairang was busy keeping the campfire going, Wei Zhenfeng pulled Zhao Mian aside. “Let’s have Zhou Huairang sit in the middle.”
“Why?” Zhao Mian asked.
Wei Zhenfeng answered honestly, “Because if I squeeze in with you, I might get a reaction, and I’d be embarrassed if someone else saw.”
“…”
Zhao Mian wouldn’t miss any opportunity put down the royalty of another country. He glanced down at Wei Zhenfeng’s lower body. “You can’t even control your own lower half. How will you achieve great things in the future?”
They were suffering in the desert, and he himself was haggard from not being used to the environment. His clothes were not particularly attractive either. Wei Zhenfeng, in this environment, still had the mind to think about these things while looking at him. He truly couldn’t overcome his lustful nature.
Wei Zhenfeng just laughed. “It’s easy for you to say. Just try not to get hard on the fifteenth.”
Zhao Mian retorted coldly, “You think I can’t? You just wait and see.”
Wei Zhenfeng’s expression was indescribable, “So, you’re even going to compete with me in this kind of thing?”
Zhou Huairang originally thought that he could just find a corner to curl up in and act like he didn’t exist. But without any warning, he suddenly found himself in the main spot of the trio.
On his left was the free-spirited Prince of Beiyuan, and on his right was the noble and dignified Crown Prince of Nanjing. As a mere study companion, he was sandwiched between two incredibly handsome young men. He stared wide-eyed in a daze, afraid to move or even breathe loudly, wishing he could just sink into the ground.
The three young men, all the same age, sat side by side against the hard rock wall, covered by the same dark overcoat. In front of them was the brightest flame in the darkness, but for some reason, Zhou Huairang had the strange feeling that his own head was brighter than the campfire.
Leaving aside the harsh climate, the desert night scenery was a true “marvel of the human world”.
The yellow sand was like snow. The wind carried the waves of sand, making the camel bells chime with an ethereal, distant sound, scattering across the starry sky.
The stars in the desert were brighter than those in Nanjing and Dongling. Looking out of the cave, the starlight and moonlight made the stars feel so close you could reach out and pluck them, bringing the Milky Way into your embrace.
However, the young men had no mind to appreciate such a beautiful sight, each lost in his own thoughts.
Wei Zhenfeng was distracted. They had to find a way back as soon as possible, before the fifteenth. Otherwise, on this sandy land, without even a single tree, how could the delicate Crown Prince bear it?
Oh, right. When they got back, he needed to have a doctor check Zhao Mian to confirm that he was currently “just one person.” Ji Chong had said last time that one couldn’t have relations while pregnant, right?
…This was going to be difficult.
Zhao Mian’s face was as still as water. He had put himself in danger multiple times to find the Western Xia treasure.
Gu Ruzhang had better have left behind an immense fortune. If it turned out to be just a ruse to sow discord among the three countries, he would be furious.
Zhou Huairang, on the other hand, was completely rigid, trembling as he clutched Shen Buqi’s coat.
Sigh. If only Old Shen were here. Sleeping with four people would be so much better than being sandwiched between the Crown Prince and the Young Prince. Huddling together now was fine, but what if they actually had to spend the night of the full moon here? Could they still huddle like this? Even if he knocked himself out, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t wake up mid-way.
Save me, someone please save me… Please turn him into a camel. He would willingly carry His Highness through this vast sea of sand—the Young Prince was optional.
The three huddled together in the overcoat by the bonfire. Luckily, no one suffered from hypothermia, and they passed the long, cold night relatively peacefully.
The next day, as soon as the sky grew light, they continued their search for people and a way out, finding a place to spend the night before sunset and huddling around a fire again.
Two days passed, and they found nothing, not even an oasis. With their food and water dwindling, the three of them were more or less anxious.
Zhou Huairang was the most anxious. He had gotten so much darker from the sun. Unlike the Young Prince, who had the special ability to return to his original complexion after a good night’s sleep, Zhou Huairang was now as dark as Li Er had been. He felt that the Crown Prince was acting a lot colder towards him.
The only thing that was somewhat comforting was that the Crown Prince’s stomach seemed to realize that it wouldn’t be able to eat Shen Buqi’s cooking anytime soon and that being picky would only lead to death. With the Crown Prince’s strong will to survive, his stomach finally embraced the flatbread.
Zhao Mian took the canteen and flatbread from Wei Zhenfeng. “You guys aren’t eating? It’s pretty good.”
Wei Zhenfeng said absentmindedly: “I stole a bite already.”
Zhou Huairang shook his head. “This subject is not hungry, this subject will watch Your Highness eat.”
Zhou Huairang watched Zhao Mian take one bite after another of the flatbread, washing it down with warm water, and was suddenly overcome with sadness. “Your Highness, our food will run out eventually. What will we do then?”
Zhao Mian’s eating slowed. “Then I’ll eat less.”
Zhou Huairang quickly said, “That’s not what I meant. I once read an account in a book about a sea voyage where a group of people got lost at sea. After their food ran out, they had no choice but to eat their deceased companions to survive.” At this, tears welled up in Zhou Huairang’s eyes, but his voice was resolute, with a sense of
resignation to death. “Your Highness, if we truly reach a dead end, you can eat me…”
Zhao Mian was speechless.
“The Young Prince can have a little, too. If the young prince dies of hunger, no one can help you with the curse.”
Wei Zhenfeng said, “…Thanks.”
Seeing that Zhou Huairang didn’t seem to be joking, Zhao Mian hesitated for a moment between being moved and scolding him, then chose the latter. “What’s wrong with you, Zhou Huairang? You can’t just say things like that!”
Wei Zhenfeng observed Zhou Huairang for a moment and concluded, “I think he’s about to have a breakdown.”
Having been lost in the desert for so long, a person with a weaker mind would have despaired long ago. Zhou Huairang being able to hold on until now at least puts him at a passing grade.
Zhou Huairang sobbed. “Your Highness, I’m useless. I’m too stupid to get you out of this danger. If you had met Old Shen or Old Marquis back then, they definitely could have protected you. Why did you have to meet me?” The more Zhou Huairang spoke, the more heartbroken he became, tears streaming down his face. “I’m a jinx. I always bring bad luck to the people around me. You shouldn’t have brought me to the desert. Wahhh, I’m so sorry, Your Highness…”
Zhao Mian had known Zhou Huairang for over a decade, and this was the first time he had seen him cry so sadly. Hearing Zhou Huairang constantly say “Your Highness” and how every sentence revolved around him, Zhao Mian knew that Zhou Huairang’s breakdown wasn’t about himself, but about Zhao Mian.
His naive, sweet childhood friend, who was always optimistic and cheerful in the face of trouble, would only get angry, upset, or break down crying over his best friend—his Crown Prince.
Zhao Mian’s heart felt as if it had been gently touched by a soft feather. He was suddenly grateful that his father had insisted on making Zhou Huairang his royal companion, despite the Prime Minister’s objections.
His father had once said that friendship was something that love and family could never replace. His father was the Emperor, he had the Prime Minister, two children, and loyal subjects who would do anything for him, but he had no friends.
But Zhao Mian did.
He reached out and placed a hand on Zhou Huairang’s back. “You’re not a jinx. I am.”
Zhou Huairang, his face buried in his hands, sobbed, “No, no, I’m the jinx…”
Zhao Mian comforted him. “On that day in Chongzhou, the one chosen by Wan Huameng to marry the young prince was me, not you. So, I’m unluckier than you are.”
Wei Zhenfeng felt a little stung. “I don’t have a problem with your deep friendship, but can you please not use marrying me as a way to measure who’s unluckier?”
As Zhao Mian patted his back, Zhou Huairang gradually calmed down. Afterward, he felt extremely ashamed of his emotional outburst.
His Highness and the Young Prince were of noble birth, and they had remained calm despite being trapped in the desert for so long. They could endure hardship and handle difficulties. Yet he, a mere royal companion, had lost his composure first and needed the Crown Prince to comfort him. He deserved to die.
Zhou Huairang wanted to find a place to face the wall and reflect on his mistakes, so he told Zhao Mian he needed to go relieve himself. He also wasn’t lying; he really had to go and had been holding it in for a long time.
“Can you go alone?” Wei Zhenfeng asked. “Do you want me and your Crown Prince to go with you?”
Zhou Huairang was so embarrassed he didn’t know where to look. “No need.”
Zhao Mian instructed him, “Don’t go too far.”
Wei Zhenfeng watched Zhou Huairang’s retreating figure and sighed with emotion. “Xiao Rang is truly loyal to you.”
Zhao Mian’s lips curved slightly. “Naturally.”
Half-jokingly, Wei Zhenfeng added, “If you can’t bring yourself to eat him, you can eat me.”
Zhao Mian’s expression changed, and he said sternly, “Wei Zhenfeng, are you also losing your mind?”
Wei Zhenfeng said matter-of-factly, “Zhao Mian, do you know that there are some insects that eat their mates in order to reproduce?”
“So? What’s your point?”
Wei Zhenfeng looked at him, was silent for a while, and then lowered his eyes and smiled. “Nothing.” He stood up, patted the sand off himself, and said, “I’m going to see why Zhou Huairang isn’t back yet.”
“I hate insects,” Zhao Mian said suddenly. “No one needs to be eaten, not even our camels. I can lead us out of here.”
Even at a time like this, Wei Zhenfeng still laughed at him. “You really know how to brag, Your Highness. I’ll be waiting.”
After Wei Zhenfeng left, Zhao Mian was left alone, petting the camel and still thinking about what Wei Zhenfeng had said. He had a feeling there was a hidden meaning behind his words.
He noticed the saddlebags on the camel’s back and, on a whim, opened the one that held the dry rations.
He hadn’t really paid attention to the food, only knowing that it was enough for the three of them to eat for five or six days. It had been the third day since the sandstorm, but the remaining food was still substantial, enough for at least another four or five days.
This meant that one person had barely eaten anything in the last three days.
Zhao Mian remembered how Wei Zhenfeng had always claimed he had already stolen some bites. A ripple of emotion spread through his heart, like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
…Damn it.
A rush of footsteps came from behind him. Zhao Mian whirled around, ready to give Wei Zhenfeng a piece of his mind. But as he looked at the young man running towards him, he was inexplicably unable to scold him.
His eyes widened slightly. “You…”
“Zhao Mian,” Wei Zhenfeng said, cutting him off with a slight gasp. “We found it.”
The good news came so suddenly that Zhao Mian was stunned, not immediately understanding what Wei Zhenfeng meant.
Then, his hand was taken.
Not respectfully held like a subordinate helping him, nor aggressively grabbed like when Wei Zhenfeng was angry, but…actually holding his hand.
His hand was held in Wei Zhenfeng’s palm. He could clearly feel the warmth of the other’s hand, just like when he and Zhou Huairang held hands walking to school at age five.
He had grown up, and he and Zhou Huairang no longer held hands like that—what two grown men would?
But why was eighteen-year-old Wei Zhenfeng holding his hand so naturally and casually? There was no lust or ambiguity in the young man’s action. It was as if he had a sudden impulse to hold his hand, and he just did it.
While Zhao Mian was dazed, Wei Zhenfeng had already run ahead of him. As he looked back in the scorching sun, something suddenly shifted, scattering the light on the young man’s face. “Why are you just standing there? Let’s go.”
Zhao Mian came back to his senses and heard the rustling of the wind. He suddenly realized that it was the wind that was moving.
His body was pulled forward by Wei Zhenfeng. Wei Zhenfeng held his hand, leading him over the yellow sand and up the dunes, and then he saw a sight he had never seen before.