Li Zhichen nodded upon hearing this. Although she was immersed in the joy of easily earning health points without having to complete any tasks, she also knew that Qi Lixiao was thin - skinned.
She didn't want to force him in such a situation, so she said with a beaming smile, "Okay, then you'll call me when we get home. You can't miss a single time!"
Qi Lixiao looked at the bright and charming girl in front of him. His heart fluttered, and even the tips of his ears turned slightly red. After a long while, he gently nodded and said, "Okay."
On the side, Shang Hongbo's smile gradually stiffened. He watched the two lovebirds flirting and felt extremely annoyed. For a moment, he didn't know whether to stay or leave, so he could only say awkwardly with a smile, "You two must be newlyweds. You're really affectionate!"
Li Zhichen just smiled and didn't explain much.
After saying goodbye to Shang Hongbo, Li Zhichen carried Qi Lixiao back onto the flat - cart.
The harvest from this trip was truly abundant. On the way out of the market, Li Zhichen felt that even the oncoming wind was sweet.
However, Li Zhichen didn't rush back to the dilapidated temple. Instead, she parked the flat - cart beside a quiet field not far from the city gate.
Since Qi Lixiao had finally agreed to go out, Li Zhichen wanted to let him soak up more sunshine.
The cold wind blew through the bare tree trunks, making a rustling sound. The gentle sunlight shone on the two of them, and Li Zhichen squinted her eyes contentedly.
Just then, two playing children ran over from not far away. One was tall and the other was short. It seemed that the elder brother was leading the younger brother.
The road was slippery in winter, and the two chased each other, running and jumping.
Carelessly, the younger child fell. He pouted, and his cries instantly echoed across the wilderness.
The elder child was flustered for a moment. He tried to console his brother helplessly, but he couldn't stop his tears.
Li Zhichen frowned. Just as she was about to help the child up, a middle - aged man rushed over from behind.
He reached out and picked up the child in his arms. While comforting him, he gave the elder child a hard glare.
Seeing this, the elder child buried his head like a child who had done something wrong and said nothing.
Qi Lixiao stared at them for a while and was in a daze for a moment. Somehow, he remembered some old events.
When Qi Lixiao was about the same age as this child, he was very clingy to King Qi. Every time he finished reciting his books, he would run to the outside of the mansion and squat on the threshold, eagerly waiting for King Qi to return from court. He did this without fail.
Thinking back now, that should have been the most harmonious period in the relationship between father and son.
Later, Qi Lixiao's mother suddenly passed away. Less than half a year later, King Qi married Lady Qin as his second wife.
Before long, Lady Qin gave birth to a younger brother. Since then, the father - son relationship began to drift apart and become increasingly estranged.
At the age of eight or nine, boys are naughty and lively. In order to discipline his two sons, King Qi began to let them learn archery and horsemanship.
However, the difference was that Qi Lixiao's horsemanship was taught by the riding and archery master in the military camp, while Qi Sanlang's was taught by King Qi himself.
Every time Qi Lixiao passed by the back garden after school, he could always see King Qi smiling and praising Qi Sanlang for his intelligence.
Such kind and gentle words, King Qi had never said to Qi Lixiao.
Teenagers always have an unyielding spirit. Qi Lixiao thought that as long as he did things better, his father would look at him more.
So from that day on, Qi Lixiao began to immerse himself in the school and the horse - field day and night. Whether it was reading or horsemanship, he put in a hundred times more effort than ordinary people.
Even the riding master was a bit puzzled. He wondered what Qi Lixiao, a noble young master, was aiming for. He trained so desperately.
It took Qi Lixiao a whole year to go from struggling to mount a horse at first to becoming extremely proficient in archery and horsemanship.
During the palace banquet at the beginning of the year, Qi Lixiao showed off his horsemanship in the horse - field and dazzled everyone. He was appreciated by the emperor, who praised King Qi for his good way of teaching his son.
Qi Lixiao couldn't remember what others said later.
He only remembered that King Qi was very happy that day. He even rarely showed a smile to Qi Lixiao and said that he would give his saddle to Qi Lixiao.
On the way back from the palace banquet, Qi Lixiao was so excited that he felt dizzy. That day happened to be his birthday, so he plucked up his courage and begged King Qi to buy him a steamer of sweet osmanthus cakes.
However, Qi Lixiao didn't expect that all the joy ended after they returned to the mansion.
Coincidentally, Qi Sanlang broke his leg that day and cried non - stop. In order to comfort Qi Sanlang, King Qi gave him both the saddle and the osmanthus cakes.
Qi Lixiao stood outside the door blankly. He watched the happy family of three, feeling like an outsider.
It turned out that the things he had tried so hard to obtain, Qi Sanlang could get just by crying.
At that moment, Qi Lixiao finally understood that it wasn't that he wasn't good enough.
Even if he did things perfectly, he could never overcome King Qi's partiality.
Since then, Qi Lixiao talked less and less. He no longer acted coquettishly with King Qi and gradually learned to be calm.
Until he was fourteen years old, Qi Lixiao did something extremely rebellious.
He lied that he was going on a study tour, but actually secretly joined the army behind King Qi's back.
The battlefield was bitter and cold, but Qi Lixiao felt that those days were some of the few carefree moments in his life.
For a whole three years, Qi Lixiao was promoted very quickly. From an unknown soldier to a well - known young general, he never relied on King Qi at all.
It wasn't until he was rewarded in the palace later that the fact that Qi Lixiao had joined the army couldn't be hidden anymore.
King Qi personally went to the military camp and tied Qi Lixiao back to the mansion. He used the family law to beat him thirty strokes and confined Qi Lixiao at home.
It was also from that time that the relationship between father and son completely fell apart...
Li Zhichen knew that Qi Lixiao was thinking about the unpleasant past again when she saw him silent.
She slowly reached out her hand, touched the withered peach tree branches beside them, and comforted him softly, "The past is unreachable, but the future is still to come. Look at this peach tree. Even if it withers in winter, it will always bloom when spring comes."
Qi Lixiao came back to his senses and said with a self - deprecating smile, "It's not even the New Year yet. Spring is still far away."
Li Zhichen snorted and concentrated to silently activate her ability.
The withered branches suddenly trembled for a moment. The next second, several peach buds popped out one by one. Under the bright sun, they even blossomed one after another!
Qi Lixiao stared blankly at this scene. He saw the bright red petals wrapping the tender yellow stamens, with a fragrant smell and boundless vitality.
Li Zhichen broke off a flower branch and smilingly put this first sign of spring into Qi Lixiao's hand.
"Our future will surely be as bright and splendid as this flower!"
Qi Lixiao carefully tightened his grip on the flower in his hand. A barely perceptible emotion flashed in his deep and persistent eyes.
After a long while, he curved his lips, showing a clean and refreshing smile like the spring breeze.
"Zhichen, thank you."
Li Zhichen was stunned and couldn't come back to her senses for a long time.
In her impression, this seemed to be the first time Qi Lixiao had laughed whole - heartedly. He was so good - looking that it was hard to look away...
Seeing Li Zhichen staring at him all the time, Qi Lixiao was a bit confused. "Is there something on my face?"
Only then did Li Zhichen realize that she had stared at Qi Lixiao for too long. She suddenly coughed and pointed into the distance, changing the topic, "Do you want to eat osmanthus cakes?"
Qi Lixiao was in a daze for a moment, then shook his head with a smile.
"That's something kids like."
Different from when he was young, although Qi Lixiao still liked sweet food, he wouldn't take the initiative to eat it anymore because he had already passed the age when he most looked forward to osmanthus cakes.
Similarly, the time when he most needed and craved his father's company had also passed.
Li Zhichen raised her eyebrows. She thought Qi Lixiao wanted to eat but was too embarrassed to say so, so she said loudly, "Can't people who aren't kids eat sweet food? You wait here. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, without waiting for Qi Lixiao's reaction, she strode towards the pastry stall in the distance.
Qi Lixiao lay on the flat - cart and quietly watched Li Zhichen's figure disappear into the alley. He only felt that a boat had suddenly sailed into his long - silent heart lake.