On the day he returned to Subei from the Northern Desert, Jiang Huaiqing felt an indescribable sense of unease.
He did not know where this feeling came from, nor did he know why. He could not figure it out, so he thought it was because he was homesick.
Very few people knew about his movements. This time, only He Chengyu, who had been covering for him, knew about his return.
It was already late at night when he arrived. In order not to attract attention, the He Residence did not make any big movements. Jiang Huaiqing and the Hidden Dragon Guards escorting him entered the He Residence in the dark.
"Brother Chengyu?" When Jiang Huaiqing entered his courtyard, he saw an unexpected person.
"Sorry, I cannot hold a welcome banquet for you. Huaiqing, you have worked hard." He Chengyu took two steps forward, as if he wanted to get closer to Jiang Huaiqing, but for some reason, he stopped halfway.
"There is no need for such trouble." Jiang Huaiqing stood in the same spot. "I have troubled Official He for this period of time."
"Huaiqing, why are you so distant from me?" He Chengyu's fingers that were hanging in his sleeves curled up.
Jiang Huaiqing did not know what to say. They had not seen each other for almost a year. Whether it was He Chengyu or him, they had changed a lot. The man standing in front of him had an imposing aura. Even in the Northern Desert, he had heard a lot of news about He Chengyu.
After taking power in Subei, He Chengyu reorganized the government and reformed the old system. In the shortest time possible, he turned Subei back on the right path. Under his leadership, Subei had begun to flourish.
Before they arrived at the He Residence, Jiang Huaiqing had observed the lives of the people in Subei. Compared to when they had just arrived, it was completely different. Now, the people in Subei lived and worked in peace. They did not have to worry about being attacked by outsiders. They could live their own lives. Everyone had a happy smile on their faces. Everywhere was full of vitality.
The man standing in front of him was the one who brought about this change in Subei.
Jiang Huaiqing had always known that He Chengyu was very outstanding, but he had never expected him to achieve so much in such a short time. Little did he know that half of the reason why He Chengyu could achieve so much was because of him.
The two of them looked at each other. It seemed like something had changed, but it also seemed like nothing had changed.
He Chengyu struggled to suppress the feelings in his heart. In the end, he was defeated under Jiang Huaiqing's gaze. He strode forward quickly, not giving Jiang Huaiqing a chance to react, and directly pulled her into his arms.
Let him be selfish this time.
He Chengyu thought.
"Huaiqing, it's good that you came back safely."
A hug dispelled the estrangement between the two of them. Jiang Huaiqing's eyes were hot, and he reached out to hug her. "I'm back."
"I miss you, Huaiqing."
He Chengyu's voice was lower than usual. Jiang Huaiqing wanted to see his expression, but he was held in the man's arms and couldn't move, so he had to give up.
"I miss you too." After being hugged for a while, Jiang Huaiqing whispered.
He Chengyu was the first person he met who was so compatible with him. They were like-minded, knowledgeable, and had a pleasant conversation. If not for this, Jiang Huaiqing wouldn't have gone with He Chengyu just to help him out.
He Chengyu's existence filled the gap between Jiang Huaiqing and Jiang Huaiqing after the death of his teacher. He Chengyu was a close friend to Jiang Huaiqing, an older brother, or perhaps, there were other feelings that the master hadn't discovered yet.
"Can you tell me about the Northern Desert?" After a quarter of an hour, He Chengyu restrained himself and let go of her.
Jiang Huaiqing was still a little reluctant. He hugged He Chengyu's waist and rubbed his shoulder. Back in Da Huan, he didn't need to be the flawless Mr. Yufeng anymore. He was just him, Jiang Huaiqing, a young man who had just entered the officialdom. He didn't need to be perfect.
He Chengyu barely stopped himself from hugging Jiang Huaiqing again. The joy and excitement in his heart were much more than Jiang Huaiqing's. In this year, not only did his feelings for Jiang Huaiqing not disappear because they couldn't see each other, but it also deepened his feelings.
"It's late. Let's go inside first." He Chengyu's voice was slightly hoarse.
"That's right. It's not good to stand outside all the time. We haven't seen each other for so long. I have a lot to say to you."
The two entered the house. The person who played Jiang Huaiqing had already left. Jiang Huaiqing looked around. The furnishings in the house were the same as when he left.
"Just tell me if there's anything you want." He Chengyu followed behind him. "The decorations here are the same as when you left. If there's anything you don't like, just tell me directly."
"Everything is to my liking. It's already so late. Brother Chengyu, why don't you go and rest first?" After entering the house, Jiang Huaiqing realized that it was already late. He was too excited to sleep because he returned to Da Huan, but He Chengyu was not necessarily not sleepy.
"It's okay. I'm usually busy with work until late. Besides, we haven't seen each other for a long time. I also want to talk to you more."
Since He Chengyu said so, Jiang Huaiqing didn't refuse anymore. He picked some things that could be said to He Chengyu.
After going deep into the Northern Desert, Jiang Huaiqing realized how different the Northern Desert was from Da Huan.
"At first, I wasn't used to the lifestyle of the Northern Desert people. I thought that it would be best if I could come back as soon as possible. Later, I got used to it and felt that it was okay. I had too many things to think about and didn't have the energy to think about other things. Only when the situation stabilized could I breathe a sigh of relief. At that time, I really missed the days in Da Huan …"
"Sometimes, when I encountered something interesting, I always wanted to share it with Brother Chengyu. Unfortunately, at that time, I couldn't even write a letter to Da Huan. There couldn't be any mistakes. I could only silently remember it in my heart. Maybe one day, I could travel the Northern Desert with Brother Chengyu."
He Chengyu's heart softened. He knew that Jiang Huaiqing didn't have that kind of feelings for him at the moment. However, this didn't stop him from being happy about it.
He was a special person in Jiang Huaiqing's heart.
This knowledge made He Chengyu's heart boil. He told himself over and over again that he couldn't scare Jiang Huaiqing. He had to do it step by step.
Most of the time, it was Jiang Huaiqing talking and He Chengyu listening. Unknowingly, the outside of the window gradually brightened. The candles burned to the bottom and Jiang Huaiqing stopped talking.
"It's daybreak."
After daybreak, everything returned to normal. Jiang Huaiqing slowly appeared in front of everyone after "recovering from a serious illness." He was still living in the He Manor. He also saw how busy He Chengyu was.
A few days later, the imperial court sent a message telling them to prepare to return to the capital.
Jiang Huaiqing didn't have many things on hand. He Chengyu handed over to the other officials and the two of them stepped on the road back to the capital together.
With He Chengyu, Jiang Huaiqing didn't find the journey boring. These days, he learned from He Chengyu about what happened in Da Huan in the past year and the various changes in the imperial court.
"We're here."
He Chengyu's voice pulled Jiang Huaiqing back from his thoughts. Jiang Huaiqing lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside. The streets were bustling with people. Compared to when they left, it seemed more prosperous.
"What are you thinking about? Why are you so lost in thought?"
"Nothing. I just feel a bit unaccustomed to suddenly returning to the capital from the Northern Desert." Jiang Huaiqing lowered the curtain and sat up straight.
"What's there to be unaccustomed to?" He Chengyu smiled and poured him a cup of tea. He handed it to him. "This time, His Majesty will probably let you stay in the capital. For many years to come, you will live here. No matter what happens in the Northern Desert, this is the place where we should work together."
"Brother Chengyu is right." Jiang Huaiqing took the tea and took a sip. "I haven't seen you for a year. Brother Chengyu's tea skills have improved."
"It's good that you didn't disappoint me."
The carriage passed through the bustling streets and quiet alleys. It stopped in front of a secluded courtyard.
A servant who had already received the news was waiting in front of the courtyard. When he saw the carriage coming, he hurried forward. "Sirs, it must have been a tiring journey. Hot water and food have been prepared inside. Sirs, are you …"
"Wash up first." He Chengyu, who loved cleanliness, couldn't stand the dust from the journey. After speaking, he helped Jiang Huaiqing who was getting off the carriage. "Where's Huaiqing?"
"I'm also going to wash up first." Along the way, the food was arranged by He Chengyu. It wasn't meal time now, so Jiang Huaiqing wasn't hungry.
The servant respectfully led Jiang Huaiqing and He Chengyu inside. This courtyard was where they had temporarily stayed to avoid the endless stream of matchmakers. This time, after asking Jiang Huaiqing's opinion, they finally decided to stay here first.
Their rooms were close to each other. When they reached his room, Jiang Huaiqing bid farewell to He Chengyu and entered his own room.
The servant quickly prepared the hot water. Jiang Huaiqing took off his clothes and soaked in the hot water. He sighed softly.
The hot water washed away his tiredness. Jiang Huaiqing soaked for a while and reluctantly got out of the bathtub. He changed into a clean set of clothes and went out.
He Chengyu had already tidied himself up and stood outside. When he saw Jiang Huaiqing coming out, he walked over. "Huaiqing, do you want to rest at home or go out for a walk?"
"I'll rest for today. I have to go to the palace later."
He had to go to the palace and personally report to the Emperor about the Northern Desert.
Jiang Huaiqing had made a great contribution to the Northern Desert. He went to the palace and brought back countless rewards. He Chengyu accompanied him to pack up these things.
"In the future, I'll have to rely on Huaiqing to take care of me."
"Brother Chengyu, what are you talking about? There's no need to be so polite between you and me."
After returning to the capital, they didn't have a new position for the time being. After reporting what they had done last year, they had a long break.
He Chengyu received a letter from home saying that his sister had found a good husband and had given birth to a son this year. He was now an uncle and asked if he had time to go home.
He Chengyu had promised to celebrate the New Year with Jiang Huaiqing. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
Jiang Huaiqing didn't know about this because he had an appointment with He Chengyu to buy something. When he didn't see He Chengyu go out, he thought that he was delayed by something and went to find him. He didn't expect to hear the housekeeper talking to an unfamiliar servant in the courtyard.
"Sir doesn't want to go back. You can reply to the He family and say that Sir is busy this year."
"We shouldn't interfere in Sir's matters, but this time, there's a new member in the family. Sir should go back and see his own nephew. Previously, when Miss got married, Sir was in Subei and couldn't go back. Master, Madam, and the other young masters and young ladies were all very regretful. This time …"
"I know what you mean, but we can't change Sir's decision."
Jiang Huaiqing was surprised to hear this news. He recalled that He Chengyu had promised to spend the New Year with him. He felt that He Chengyu might have his own reasons for not wanting to leave.
After thinking about it, he walked over and asked, "What happened?"
The housekeeper knew Jiang Huaiqing's position in He Chengyu's heart, and also knew why He Chengyu didn't want to go back. He originally wanted to change the topic, but who would have thought that the other person couldn't hold back and blurted out the truth in a few sentences.
After confirming his suspicions, Jiang Huaiqing said, "I'll tell Brother Chengyu about this. Don't be in a hurry to reply to the He family. This is an important matter, so we should go back and take a look."
"Thank you, Sir Jiang." The servant was overjoyed.
Seeing He Chengyu, Jiang Huaiqing said bluntly, "Brother Chengyu, did something happen at home?"
"It's nothing important." He Chengyu didn't want Jiang Huaiqing to know.
"I know. Your family sent a letter asking you to go back, so you should go back. Looking at the time, you haven't been back for more than two years. You should go back and take a look. You're free this year, otherwise, who knows when you'll have time next time." Jiang Huaiqing advised.
"I've already promised you. How can a gentleman break his promise?" He Chengyu wasn't moved.
"You and I both have matters to attend to. Even if we can't be together this time, there will be many opportunities in the future. If you can't reunite with your family because of me, I will feel uneasy."
"But …" He Chengyu seemed to be moved.
"Besides, don't you want to go back and see your nephew? You haven't seen him since he was born, right? " Seeing that He Chengyu's expression was becoming more and more relaxed, Jiang Huaiqing wanted to continue his persuasion. Unexpectedly, the other party suddenly spoke.
"How about Huaiqing come with me?" He Chengyu seemed to think this method was feasible. He continued, "This way, I won't fail to live up to my promise to Huaiqing."
Jiang Huaiqing, "Ah?"
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