Koi Fubao: Being loved by everyone on the road to escape from famine

Chapter 209 A different world

Xiao Zhixue's heart moved, thinking that An Ying'er might be able to unlock the secret of this map, so she handed the map to her, "Take a look, do you know where this is?"

An Ying'er looked at it carefully for a long time, and finally shook her head, "I don't know where this place is either."

Xiao Zhixue thought to herself that it seemed that she had to discuss this matter with Fan Yanmu. Perhaps he could find some clues from this topographic map.

She signaled An Ying'er to continue resting, and she put the map and the silver hairpin into the space she carried with her.

After a sleepless night, Xiao Zhixue finally couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up again, it was already noon and the sunlight shone through the window, filling the entire room.

In order not to disturb Xiao Zhixue's rest, An Ying'er deliberately lightened her footsteps when she left in the early morning, as silent as a cat.

At this time, Xiao Zhixue was the only one left in the room. She took advantage of An Ying'er's absence and quickly entered her own space.

First, she came to the orchard, picked a bright red apple, washed it and took a decisive bite. The crisp and sweet taste instantly exploded in her mouth. It was full and satisfying.

After eating an apple, Xiao Zhixue felt full. She then picked up the cloth bag and began to process the ashes she had collected earlier. She poured some of them into a container to prepare corpse powder, and the rest into another container. She carefully added a few drops of special venom and began the process of preparing bone-dissolving powder.

Time passed quietly in the busyness, and soon the corpse-dissolving powder was refined. Xiao Zhixue carefully divided it into several small porcelain bottles for future use.

The preparation of Bone-Dissolving Powder is more complicated and takes more time. During this period, Xiao Zhixue did not stop and picked some fresh fruits.

When the last fruit fell into the cloth bag, the bone-dissolving powder was completed.

Xiao Zhixue left the space with a bag full of fruit in her hand, satisfied.

She stretched, moving her body which was a little stiff from sitting for a long time, then jumped lightly from the bed, ready to start a new day.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Fan Yanmu standing outside. The slight sound of the door hinge turning attracted his attention. Their eyes met, and Fan Yanmu asked with concern: "Why don't you sleep a little longer?"

There was tenderness and care in his voice, as if it could dispel all fatigue.

He originally thought that it would take some time for Xiao Zhixue to wake up from her deep sleep, but he never expected that she would lift the curtain of morning light so quickly and appear in his sight, as if it was a clever arrangement of fate that brought their meeting forward a moment.

Xiao Zhixue was originally feeling anxious, wanting to break through the morning light to look for the always mysterious Fan Yanmu, but the moment she stepped out of the door, she unexpectedly met the figure who was already waiting outside.

A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she quickly invited him in a gentle voice: "It's windy and chilly outside, come in and warm yourself up first. I have something I want to discuss with you in detail."

Upon hearing this, Fan Yanmu curled up his lips into a gentle smile. In the sunshine, he walked into the house with steady and calm steps, bringing in a fresh breath from the outside world.

The two of them sat around the table. The rustic wooden table reflected the mottled light and shadow outside the window, and the atmosphere seemed particularly warm and quiet.

Xiao Zhixue's hand gently stroked the table, and then she took out an exquisite wooden box from her sleeve. It was a gift from Gu Tingxuan to her under the stars the night before. The surface of the box was carved with delicate patterns, revealing an unspoken solemnity.

"Look what secrets are hidden in this."

There was a hint of curiosity and anticipation in her words.

Fan Yanmu's eyes fell on the wooden box, but he was not in a hurry to uncover its secrets. Instead, he looked at Xiao Zhixue with a playful look, with a hint of teasing between his eyebrows: "This was given to you by Gu Tingxuan himself. Do you really want me, an outsider, to find out what it is?"

His heart couldn't help but feel ripples. Perhaps the wooden box contained some emotional promise, a signal of competition that he didn't want to face.

Recalling what happened after returning to the old house last night, Fan Yanmu's mood was like fallen leaves blown away by the autumn wind, difficult to calm down.

Gu Tingxuan's mysterious behavior and his instruction to Xiao Zhixue to open the wooden box after returning to the old house shrouded his heart like a fog, causing the doubts in his heart to grow like weeds.

If the box really contains Gu Tingxuan's token of love, then he will have another powerful opponent in this complicated emotional chess game.

Now, Xiao Zhixue took the initiative to ask him to open the wooden box. This sudden turn of events made Fan Yanmu feel surprised and happy, with mixed emotions.

Xiao Zhixue caught the hesitation in Fan Yanmu's eyes and immediately understood what he was worried about. She smiled lightly and said with unquestionable certainty: "Once you open it, you will know that the things in this box are definitely not the kind of emotional sustenance you imagined."

There was a sense of confidence in her tone, as if everything was under control.

Upon hearing this, Fan Yanmu raised his eyebrows slightly, and with a hint of curiosity and caution, he slowly opened the lid of the wooden box.

A seemingly ordinary silver hairpin lies quietly in the box. It has no gorgeous decorations, but only the luster accumulated over the years, making it difficult to detect the secret at first glance.

"There is a hidden world inside this silver hairpin."

Xiao Zhixue reminded softly, with a gleam of exploration in her eyes.

Fan Yanmu twisted the silver hairpin as she was told, and saw a neatly folded piece of paper quietly slipping out from a tiny gap.

He quickly unfolded the paper and with his sharp eyes, he quickly recognized that it was the outline of a topographic map. Although the lines were simple, it contained a mystery.

“It seems to depict a certain terrain, but for the moment, I really can’t tell which land it is.”

There was a hint of confusion in his voice, but he couldn't hide his desire to find out the truth.

Xiao Zhixue supported her chin with her hands, her eyes full of trust and expectation in Fan Yanmu's ability to interpret, as if the whole world had quieted down at this moment, just waiting for him to reveal the secret.

Fan Yanmu stared at the topographic map, his eyes wandering over every detail, and finally, the answer emerged in his mind like a spring.

"This map should depict the topography of the Eastern Chu State."

There was a certainty in his voice, as if he had completely figured out the secret of this picture.

Xiao Zhixue was surprised when she heard this. Her eyes widened in confusion. "Why did Gu Tingxuan give me the topographic map of East Chu? Logically speaking, shouldn't such an important thing be handed directly to you, the prince of the Marquis' Mansion?"

As an ordinary citizen, such a picture does not seem to mean much to her.

As the crown prince who is responsible for leading troops in battle, Fan Yanmu is naturally much more sensitive to military maps than ordinary people.

Gu Tingxuan's action undoubtedly cast a huge question mark in his heart, and the intention behind it was unpredictable.