Chapter 311: Chapter 254: The Item Still Hasn’t Been Found

"I thought I made myself clear." Xing Yuan looked at her, his eyes filled with deep affection.

Zhen’er felt her heart skip a beat and hastily changed the subject, "Let’s leave here quickly. Along the way, we don’t know if we’ll encounter ambushes, nor are we sure whether they’re after you or me. It’s best to depart swiftly!"

Xing Yuan sighed helplessly. Deep down, he understood that her attitude had softened somewhat. However, Xiao Chengyi had hurt her so deeply that she’d become this way.

He decided to take it slow, determined to one day make her marry him willingly.

"Okay, let’s get on the horses first and find an inn to grab something to eat." Xing Yuan said softly.

Seeing Xing Yuan drop the subject, Zhen’er quietly took a breath of relief. They both mounted their horses and rode away swiftly.

The journey was unexpectedly smooth, without any more pursuits. After fifteen days of travel, they finally arrived at Zhen’er’s hometown.

Since her father’s passing and her resolute decision to join the army, her home had become almost bare.

The simple layout was hastily arranged when she and Xing Yuan returned back then.

The house had only a few bedding items, devoid of any decent furnishings.

Therefore, if there were things hidden, they’d certainly be obvious at a glance.

However, after she and Xing Yuan thoroughly searched for half the day, they still found nothing.

Previously, they had searched many times and had become accustomed to it, so not finding anything this time didn’t cause much anxiety.

"I was thinking, if the item is truly important, perhaps it might be buried somewhere." At night, lying in bed, Xing Yuan said to Zhen’er. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"I believe you might be right. There’s no rush; we’ll search slowly. The more anxious you are, the harder it often is to find something." Zhen’er replied.

Xing Yuan thought to himself, the method his father mentioned about Yin-Yang Replenishment was indeed nonsense.

When he was in the Capital City, he had tried such things many times with no progress.

But with Zhen’er, when things came naturally, he could actually break through a layer of power. It gave him quite a pleasant surprise.

Unconsciously, his hand reached towards Zhen’er’s chest, about to undo her top buttons, but Zhen’er grabbed his hand, "I’m tired."

These past few days of rough living had indeed left them utterly exhausted, too tired even for intimacy.

Before, they engaged in such affairs nearly every day. Though Zhen’er sometimes found it hard to handle Xing Yuan’s persistent needs, she still tried her best to accommodate, since she too derived real pleasure from it.

Not doing anything for these past ten days was a first for them, so she understood his longing, yet her stamina simply couldn’t match his, and she genuinely felt tired at this moment.

Still, she silently thought that if he insisted, she would go along with it, as they were quite in tune with each other in bed.

However, upon hearing her mention her tiredness, he didn’t insist. Instead, he gently said, "Take off your clothes before sleeping; otherwise, you might not sleep comfortably."

Zhen’er glanced at him, puzzled; this wasn’t like his usual self, so she couldn’t help but ask, "Don’t you want to?"

Xing Yuan was initially stunned, then pulled her into a tight embrace, "How could I not want to? But aren’t you tired?

Even if I were to be a brute, I wouldn’t force you. Sleep well! I truly want to spend my life with you and not just for this moment."

Zhen’er slightly furrowed her brows, feeling a bit annoyed, "I thought I was clear with you."

Xing Yuan looked deeply at her, "Didn’t you say that we could part once you were fed up?

You’re not fed up yet. Besides, how could you be the type shackled by convention? Even if we were married, would that stop you from leaving when you’re tired of it?

Since you’ve said this, at least for now, you won’t look for another man. Why not give it a try? Maybe we’ll never grow tired of each other?

I won’t force you to have children, as I’m not the kind of person who would be responsible for a child’s life. Isn’t it nice with just the two of us?"

"Why do you insist on getting married? Isn’t this freedom more comfortable?" Zhen’er asked with a frown.

Xing Yuan said earnestly, "I’ve never been married. If I remain unmarried my whole life, I’d feel regret. Since I’ve found the right person, why not marry?"

Zhen’er pressed her fingers against her brow, feeling increasingly irritated, "Let’s sleep!"

"Alright then!"

Without forcing her, Xing Yuan just held her tightly, speaking softly.

His body’s reaction was clearly evident, yet he restrained himself, holding her and closing his eyes as if truly ready to sleep.

But his actions left Zhen’er feeling restless and annoyed. Finally, she pushed him away, "Don’t hold me; it’s hot."

Xing Yuan couldn’t help but smile wryly, thinking all his patience in this life was reserved for this woman in front of him.

He lowered his voice, "Sleep now! It’s very cold nowadays, and your body hasn’t warmed up yet. No need to get anxious; take your time to think, I won’t pressure you."

Yet the issue wasn’t about pressure but that his embrace made it hard for her to sleep.

Zhen’er turned around, her back facing him, her thoughts a whirl, not able to calm herself for a long time.

While Xing Yuan held her, he sensed her resistance and unease, making him feel somewhat disappointed as well. Yet he restrained himself, hoping to give her enough time and space to accept everything.

Suddenly, Zhen’er turned around, catching Xing Yuan off guard. She rose on tiptoe and sealed his lips with her soft ones.

At the same time, her hands eagerly tore at his clothes.

Seeing her so proactive was rare. Xing Yuan was stunned at first, but then he reacted, flipping her over and pinning her down, his kisses turning passionate and fierce.

Their passion burned brightly at that moment, as if the entire world had vanished, leaving only the two of them.

After a night of tender entanglement that lasted almost till dawn, with the first ray of morning sunlight, Zhen’er woke, only to find Xing Yuan not beside her.

She called out softly and quickly got a response—it turned out he was making breakfast.

In this small courtyard, he often took over the kitchen, and over time, his culinary skills improved.

Soon, Xing Yuan had prepared a meal and brought it to the table. Watching everything in front of her, Zhen’er couldn’t help but think of the phrase "peaceful times".

After the meal, they carried the task of finding clues and started digging in the courtyard, hoping to uncover something valuable.

However, after half a day’s digging, they found nothing and eventually had to give up.

"The main issue is we don’t even know if what we’re looking for really exists," Xing Yuan said softly, his brows slightly furrowed.

If her father left nothing behind, wouldn’t their efforts have been in vain?

"I’m not entirely sure, but I have a feeling my father definitely left some clues. It’s just that whatever it is, it must be very well hidden."

Zhen’er’s eyes were resolute. She was convinced her father should have left the method for making Heaven-shattering Thunder.

After all, it was taught by his master, and her father wouldn’t let such an important skill be lost.

"Let’s do this: after eating, we’ll go through each item and see if there are places we’ve missed. Try even the seemingly absurd places before concluding," Xing Yuan suggested.

Zhen’er agreed. They shouldn’t prematurely decide any place was unlikely without checking; only if they found nothing should they resign themselves.

"Alright, let’s eat first."

After the meal, they started searching from the bedroom. They carefully checked the walls, not missing a single tiny crevice;

They examined the kang bed and even turned the bedding upside down.

Then they went to the kitchen, thoroughly searching every corner.

One place they hadn’t considered was the inside of the stove.

Initially, they thought it was just a place for lighting fires, and even if there were things inside, they’d be burned to ashes, so they didn’t dismantle it to check.

But now, with no other options, they unanimously decided to dismantle the stove.