When Chu Qingmeng turned her head, she saw that Mo Liujin had also woken up. She asked him, "Do you want to eat something too, or do you need some water?"
Mo Liujin rasped, "Water."
"Oh." Chu Qingmeng picked up the bottled water and fed him a little. "Drink just a little. Both you and your son's fevers have broken; have some food in a bit." Right then, the compressed biscuit porridge in the box began to bubble, and Chu Qingmeng set it aside to cool. At that moment, Mo Liufang, who had gone out to fetch water, returned with a group of men.
"Father! Liuchen and the others are back!" Mo Liufang's voice could not hide his joy. Mo Chenfeng and Mo Liujin already tried to sit up.
The moment Chu Qingmeng saw this group of people, her mind went blank. A group of ancients?! She had fallen into a tomb and come out only to time-travel?! Realizing that she had actually time-traveled, Chu Qingmeng's face instantly went pale. She had previously thought these people were just eccentric, and had never imagined anything like time-travel. Staggering back two steps, Chu Qingmeng suddenly ran toward the cave opening that had previously collapsed. Mo Liujin saw the face of the woman, who had just been illuminated by the firelight, turn completely pale, and as she rushed past him, he grabbed her by the arm.
"Let go of me!" Chu Qingmeng cried out in panic. "Mo Liujin! Let me go! I have to go back!"
"Qingmeng! Qingmeng! Calm down!" Mo Liujin grasped Chu Qingmeng and shook her, trying to make her calm down.
"I want to go back!" Chu Qingmeng wailed. "Mo Liujin, I want to go back! Where did it all go wrong?! I want to go back! I want to go back!!!"
Seeing that Chu Qingmeng was beyond reason, sobbing so hard she could barely catch her breath while clinging to him, Mo Liujin had no choice but to strike her unconscious with a chop of his hand.
Once she passed out, Chu Qingmeng stayed unconscious for a full three days. Seeing the others looking at him with accusing expressions, Mo Liujin made his five hundred and thirty-second vow: "I really didn't use much force. I held back, and at most she should have only slept for two hours. Didn't the physician look at her? She's just exhausted."
Indeed, from the time she fell into the tomb until Mo Liujin knocked her out, Chu Qingmeng had not rested properly for four or five days. The physician checked her pulse and said that her heavy emotions, combined with a lack of rest, were why she had slept for so long.
Meanwhile, Chu Qingmeng, lying in the inner chamber, had already opened her eyes. Looking at the antique room before her, she let out a deep sigh. *"It wasn't a dream after all."* Her heart was filled with profound disappointment. She had thought all of this was just a dream, but reality had dealt her a harsh slap in the face.
Hearing her sigh, the others hurriedly entered the inner chamber.
"Qingmeng Sister, you're awake?" Mo Wushuang looked at the newly awakened Chu Qingmeng with excitement.
"Qingmeng, would you like some water?" Mo Liufang sat down by the bedside with a cup of water.
Mo Liujin gazed at the disappointed woman, his eyes flashing with deep heartache.
"Thank you." Chu Qingmeng took the cup and drank it all in one gulp. "Could I have a bit more?" Mo Wushuang picked up the kettle and poured her another cup. Finally, after drinking three cups, Chu Qingmeng felt that her throat was not so dry anymore.
"Qingmeng, you're awake?" Hearing the servant's report, Mo Chenfeng also hurried over.
Chu Qingmeng nodded. "Uncle, how are your injuries?"
"They are fine." Mo Chenfeng looked at Chu Qingmeng with a somewhat hesitant expression. "Qingmeng, I must set off for the Capital tomorrow. Will you travel with us, or shall I have Liufang and Liujin stay behind to wait until you've rested a few days before heading to the Capital?"
Her mind currently a blank, Chu Qingmeng had no idea what she ought to do right now. "Let's go to the Capital together. There's no need to split up."
A trace of joy bloomed on Mo Wushuang's face. "Qingmeng Sister, once we reach the Capital, I will show you around. By then, how about you share a courtyard with me?"
Chu Qingmeng stiffly forced a smile. "Alright, I'm just afraid you'll find me annoying by then."
"How could that be?! I would never find Qingmeng Sister annoying!" With that, she sat down by the bedside and hooked her arm through Chu Qingmeng's. "Don't be sad. Tomorrow the two of us will ride in the same carriage, and I'll prepare lots of delicious food."
Upon hearing that Chu Qingmeng agreed to travel to the Capital together, Mo Liufang and Mo Liujin also showed expressions of delight. The only difference was that Mo Liuteng and Mo Liuchen treated Chu Qingmeng with the same fondness they showed Mo Wushuang.
The next morning, early.
The fresh, crisp air mingled with the dampness of the morning dew made one feel refreshed and exhilarated. After taking a few deep breaths, Chu Qingmeng found the air here truly fresh, completely unlike the polluted air of modern times. Chu Qingmeng had already changed her attire; dressed in a ruqun, she appeared even more dignified and elegant than before. The maid who styled her hair and applied her makeup was very skilled, and after her grooming, Chu Qingmeng radiated a cold, aloof aura, resembling an icy beauty.
All along the journey, Mo Wushuang tried to make Qingmeng laugh, and before long, Chu Qingmeng was chatting and laughing with her. Time passed quickly amidst their giggles and chatter. For this return to the Capital, Mo Chenfeng had made thorough preparations. Along the way, Secret Guards scouted ahead, eliminating who knows how many waves of assassins, until finally, on the seventeenth day, the entire group laid eyes on the city walls of the Capital.
At that moment, a group of people was already waiting inside the Rong Prince Mansion.