Although they had avoided the fiercest heat of the day, the journey in the afternoon was still grueling.
The scorching sun beat down mercilessly, and even the air seemed to distort from the heat.
Yu Yangyang’s lips were pale. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and walked slowly, doing her best to regulate her breathing.
Because Yu Yangyang walked so slowly, the rest of the Yu family had no choice but to match her pace.
Yu Jin was extremely irritable.
“Yu Yangyang, you’re not doing this on purpose, are you?”
“Normally, you practically want to spend all twenty-four hours hanging off someone’s back. Why are you acting so strangely today?”
Sweat rolled down his face and disappeared beneath his collar. Yu Jin couldn’t even be bothered to wipe it away. He simply stared at Yu Yangyang suspiciously.
At those words, a trace of guilt flashed quickly through Yu Yangyang’s eyes.
She really did have some intention of slowing their progress. After all, she still had no idea how she should interact with the novel’s lucky female protagonist.
However, her body was so weak that whether she walked quickly or slowly was already beyond her control.
Before Yu Yangyang could say anything, Bai Lan scolded Yu Jin.
“Do you want to die? Is that how you talk to your sister?”
“Yangyang isn’t well. What’s wrong with her walking slowly?”
Yu Jin immediately shut his mouth, his neck stiff with frustration. His resentful eyes occasionally swept toward Yu Yangyang’s face.
It was all her fault.
She was a troublemaker.
Yu Yangyang didn’t feel guilty for long.
Although her weak body was holding everyone back, she had the System.
When all was said and done, she was absolutely beneficial to the Yu family and would bring them no harm.
Yu Yangyang was unbearably hot, tired, and irritable, so she simply turned her head to distract herself.
Looking around, she noticed that quite a few of the people who had rested at the foot of the mountain with them earlier had also set out again.
For example, there was the sharp-faced, greedy man from earlier, as well as the young couple traveling with their child and the old woman.
The sharp-faced man kept rolling his eyes around, occasionally glancing at the water barrel Yu Shanghua was carrying and the luggage on Yu Yan and Yu Jin’s backs.
He looked rather calculating.
Yu Yangyang composed herself and silently memorized the man’s appearance.
They would have to be especially wary of him in the days ahead.
The young couple also occasionally glanced toward the Yu family.
Perhaps noticing Yu Yangyang’s gaze, they quickly looked away, complicated expressions flashing across their faces.
After walking for roughly another hour, Yu Yangyang’s body finally couldn’t take it anymore.
She nearly collapsed headfirst onto the ground.
Bai Lan’s eyes reddened with concern.
“Let your brothers carry you.”
This time, Yu Yangyang didn’t refuse.
Yu Jin was the closest to her and was just about to put down his bundle and come carry her when Yu Yangyang obediently looked toward Yu Yan.
“Thank you, Big Brother.”
Yu Jin froze.
What was wrong with Yu Yangyang?
Why did he keep feeling as though she was deliberately ignoring him?
The thought seemed ridiculous, but at the same time, he didn’t really care.
He was more than happy to have less trouble.
Yu Jin snorted coldly and heavily swung his bundle onto his back to show his displeasure.
Unfortunately, nobody paid any attention because everyone’s focus was on Yu Yangyang.
Even the steady and distant Yu Yan, who rarely showed affection, crouched down gently and carried Yu Yangyang onto his back.
His voice was calm.
“You and I are siblings. There’s no need to thank me.”
This was the kind of treatment that had previously belonged only to Rongrong!
Had Big Brother been bewitched by Yu Yangyang too?
Bai Lan was the happiest of all.
What had troubled her most before was the estrangement between her children.
Now that her eldest son and youngest daughter were becoming close, Bai Lan was so happy that her face practically blossomed with smiles.
Only Yu Yangyang keenly sensed the deeper meaning behind Yu Yan’s words.
It was probably something along the lines of:
We are siblings. Helping each other is only natural. Nothing more.
Yu Yangyang lay on Yu Yan’s back and quietly asked,
“Big Brother, are you like this with Yu Rongrong too?”
Yu Yan paused.
Thinking of that bright and kind-hearted younger sister, a trace of warmth appeared in his eyes.
Then he remembered what Yu Yangyang used to be like.
After carefully considering how to answer without hurting the little girl’s feelings, he finally said,
“Perhaps things were different before. But from now on, you will both be treated the same.”
The young brother spoke very seriously.
But Yu Yangyang didn’t believe him.
Fortunately, although Big Brother was somewhat distant and didn’t have much affection for her, his temperament was steady and even-tempered.
At least he wouldn’t throw her away or beat her up.
With that in mind, Yu Yangyang decided to win him over first.
She tightened the arm wrapped around Yu Yan’s neck.
Her soft, gentle voice sounded beside his ear.
“But Yangyang treats Big Brother and Second Brother differently.”
Her soft voice seemed to strike directly at the deepest part of his heart.
She continued,
“Yangyang likes Big Brother the most.”
Yu Yan’s heart jolted.
Even his normally composed expression cracked slightly.
Although the Great Yue Dynasty had relatively open customs and men and women could interact normally, people were not particularly bold or forthright about expressing their feelings.
Even between siblings, Yu Yan was momentarily stunned by Yu Yangyang’s direct declaration.
More importantly, Yu Yan had never realized that this younger sister whom he had somewhat ignored—even disliked—actually admired and depended on him so much.
The cold distance in Yu Yan’s heart was shattered by a single sentence.
He began wondering whether he had been too indifferent to her.
After all, she was his biological younger sister.
Perhaps he really should spend more time with her and be more patient.
At least until Yangyang married, he shouldn’t let her feel hurt or neglected.
Yu Yangyang had no idea that her strategy had already begun to work.
Heaven above knew that she had only said those words casually.
Her plan had simply been to gradually influence him and win him over.
By this point, Yu Yangyang had already fallen asleep.
Her body was simply too weak. Nearly half of every day was spent sleeping.
As she drifted into a hazy slumber, Yu Yangyang was still thinking:
When will this awful body finally get better?
The Yu family wished they could travel all day and night.
The more ground they covered, the sooner they could catch up with the main group from Tupo Village.
But human beings had their limits.
As the sun moved westward and dusk began to descend, the Yu family hurried along until, just before the last rays of sunlight disappeared, they found a rocky area.
Large rocks were scattered everywhere, and many of them had naturally formed sheltered caves.
It wasn’t particularly far from the main road either, making it a decent place to rest.
The Yu family also discovered signs that people had stayed here before—a burned-out campfire, a broken bamboo container, and other traces.
It seemed refugees had previously rested here.
That meant the place was probably relatively safe.
Yu Yan woke Yu Yangyang.
Although his voice was still somewhat distant, there was now a hint of stiff but genuine concern hidden within it.
“Have some water before you go back to sleep.”
Yu Shanghua had just put down the water barrel when Bai Lan immediately nodded.
“Yes, she should drink some water.”
As she spoke, she pushed Yu Shanghua aside and quickly fetched some water for Yu Yangyang.
Yu Shanghua: “……”
Who was going to speak up for him?
Bai Lan filled a small bamboo tube with clean water.
This was Yu Yangyang’s personal bamboo tube.
She had always been fussy and particular about cleanliness, refusing to share bamboo tubes or bowls with others.
Yu Yangyang thought this habit of the original owner was actually quite convenient, so she naturally continued it.
Yu Yan took the bamboo tube from Bai Lan.
“I’ll do it.”