The two of them suddenly locked eyes. Seeing that he stopped talking, Wancan asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Minglang hesitated for a long while, then gently shook his head.
Wancan felt that he had been acting a bit strange these past two days, but he didn't think too much about it. His mind was now occupied by something far more significant, and he didn't know how to describe his feelings after hearing the news.
It was as if everything had suddenly been let go, yet at the same time, a huge void seemed to have opened up in his heart. The cold wind kept blowing in, suddenly reminding him of that night by the lake.
Shengjiu hadn't come for several days. It was said that he hadn't returned from the hunt yet. Wancan kept thinking if their feelings had faded away completely. He always felt that their relationship had become so insipid that it seemed a gentle gust of wind could shatter it.
The palace had been quiet for several days, and Wancan had been living in a daze. One night, however, someone suddenly broke into the palace.
Wancan thought it was Shengjiu who had returned, but to his surprise, it was Feng Yu.
His expression was not as relaxed as usual. "Wancan, your elder brother is about to give birth. I'm really worried. We have to advance our plan. The emperor is not in the palace at this moment. He won't have the time to care about you, let alone notice you. I'll take you out first."
Wancan was stunned for a long while and couldn't come to his senses.
"Brother is about to give birth!?"
Feng Yu nodded. "I guess he's already back in the clan by now. When your mermaid clan gives birth, it has to be delivered by the midwives of your mermaid clan and in the waters. I don't know what kind of gossips he's facing alone there. I have to go back and be with him."
Wancan nodded. "Okay."
Frowning, Feng Yu asked urgently, "Do you want to come with me now? I know it's a bit rushed and dangerous, but this is the only time I have. I don't know when I'll be back after I go back. If you don't come with me now, all our efforts may go to waste."
Wancan gritted his teeth. "I'll go with you."
Feng Yu grabbed his hand. "It's good that you still have your legs now. It'll be easier for us to escape. Cheng Mo got two tokens. We'll have an easier time getting out later."
Wancan nodded and started to get dressed.
After they got out, there was already a carriage waiting for them. Minglang helped him into the carriage. Since they definitely wouldn't reach their destination before dawn, he had prepared a wooden bucket in the carriage so that Wancan could soak in it after his fish tail appeared the next day.
Actually, the two tokens weren't really necessary. Minglang had always only served the emperor. He didn't need a token to enter or leave the palace at all.
They got out smoothly all the way, but for some reason, the smoother it was... the more uneasy Wancan felt, as if a stone had been placed in his heart.
Feng Yu looked very nervous all the way and didn't say a word. But when they were about to leave the city, they encountered trouble. The guards at the city gate didn't recognize Minglang at all and insisted that no one was allowed to leave the city at night.
Feng Yu didn't even have time to take out the token on his body. He rushed out directly and shouted, "Get out of the way, all of you today! If anyone dares to stop this carriage, I'll run over him!"
The two guards were stunned for a moment by his imposing manner. Frowning, Feng Yu shouted at Minglang, "Break through!"
Minglang drove the carriage so fast that before the two guards could come to their senses, the carriage had already hit them and rushed out of the city gate.
Wancan was frightened by his imposing manner for a moment. He shrank into a corner of the carriage, wrapped his cloak tightly around him, and didn't dare to say a word.
He had long guessed that with his elder brother's stubborn temper, only a tough person could handle him. He had secretly thought that this person must have some skills, but he didn't expect him to be so fierce.
Feng Yu might have also told Minglang about the seriousness of the matter. Minglang whipped the horse all the way. Not long after they left the city, Feng Yu poked his head out of the carriage and said to Minglang, "You can go back first. If you go any further, it will be dawn by the time you get back."
Minglang also knew that he couldn't take them all the way to their destination. He gradually stopped the carriage and then handed some of the things he had brought with him into the carriage.
"Sir Wancan, this is the dry food I prepared for you early on. It may not taste very good, but you can eat it if you're hungry."
Wancan lifted the curtain of the carriage and took the things.
"Minglang, thank you very much for taking care of me all this time. I know this matter will definitely implicate you, but since you've done it, you must have your own reasons. Thank you for helping me. If one day you leave here, you can come and find me."
Minglang's eyes suddenly lit up. He looked up at him and said, "Okay. If I ever leave here one day, I will definitely come and find you, Sir Wancan."
Wancan nodded.
Feng Yu couldn't help but urge beside them, "Minglang, to save time, you should go back quickly. We're about to leave too. After this period of time, if you need any help, you can contact me at any time."
Minglang replied, "Okay, I know."
Feng Yu didn't want to waste any more time. After giving the instructions, he drove the carriage away. Wancan looked back at the figure standing still in the distance. He couldn't describe his feelings.
From now on, this imperial palace might have nothing to do with him anymore.
Feng Yu was driving the carriage when he turned his head and said, "I think this Minglang really cares about you."
Wancan didn't catch the meaning in his words. He just nodded and replied, "He... is a good person, very kind."
Feng Yu hooked the corner of his lips and smiled. He didn't remind him any more. His love life was already in a mess. There was really no need to add more to it. If the two of them were really destined to be together, they would meet again one day without his reminder.
It was already noon the next day when they arrived at the place where Feng Yu lived. Since Feng Yu knew that Leng Yao would definitely leave something for him at home, he took the things and then took Wancan back to the waters.
Wancan also inexplicably became nervous. Suddenly, Feng Yu asked in a low voice, "Wancan, is there any danger when your mermaid clan gives birth?"
Wancan said nervously, "Actually, I don't know much about it. I haven't paid attention to such things before... But, there should be no great danger. Brother has already gone back, right? It should be safer than staying on land."
Feng Yu nodded. "Yes... it is safer than staying on land."
To ease the atmosphere, Feng Yu half-jokingly said, "If I can take you back, will your parents think more highly of me?"