Time Traveling: the Only Beloved Husband

In his dream, Xia Rong found himself sleeping in a peach blossom forest, basking in the warm sun. But soon, the scene shifted abruptly. Somehow, he felt as if he was being dragged into a dark cave. He slept uneasily in his dream, wanting to move but feeling paralyzed, unable to open his eyes but able to hear the faint sound of rain outside the cave.

In the cave, he could feel the warmth of his body gradually dissipating, and he began to feel cold all over. Just as the cold reached a certain point, Xia Rong suddenly woke up from his bed.

As he woke up, Xia Rong felt the absence of warmth in his blanket. Still groggy from sleep, he remembered that today was the day his husband was supposed to leave, and all drowsiness vanished instantly. Realizing his husband was no longer in the room, Xia Rong hastily put on indoor shoes over his nightclothes and rushed out.

Outside the room, He Xin and He Miao, who were waiting, heard the commotion inside. Knowing their master was awake, they pushed the door open, ready to assist him in getting up. Seeing Xia Rong’s disheveled appearance and anxious expression, they couldn’t help but worry. They hurriedly approached him, one on each side, and spoke cautiously, “Master, Young Master has already left. Before leaving, he instructed us to let you sleep until you wake up naturally, without disturbing you.”

Although Xia Rong had already guessed this, he was still stunned to hear their confirmation. Has his husband really left? Why hadn’t he been woken up? After a moment, Xia Rong lowered his head and asked, “When did my husband leave? Did he say anything before leaving?”

“At the hour of the Rabbit, the Young Master left. Before leaving, he instructed us to take good care of you, and to inform you that he will return as soon as possible,” He Xin replied respectfully.

After hearing this, Xia Rong waved his hand, signaling for the two of them to leave. At this moment, he just wanted to be alone for a while. After they bowed and left, Xia Rong walked back to the bed and noticed a note beside the pillow. He must have been too flustered earlier to notice it.

Carefully opening the note, he found familiar handwriting. It was not much, but the words were deeply touching. It read, “Reluctant to part, unwilling to part. Thinking of you like flowing water, I will return as promised. Take care of yourself, do not worry.” Reading these few lines, Xia Rong couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. Silent tears streamed down his face, some landing on the paper. He quickly wiped away the tears with his hand, afraid of ruining the note left by his husband.

He rolled up the note and placed it back in the hidden compartment of the bedside table. Then, he buried himself in the blanket that still carried his husband’s scent, feeling the pain inside. He Xin and He Miao waited outside the door, but after a while of no sound from inside, they grew increasingly worried. They feared Xia Rong might be overwhelmed with sadness. Despite their master’s instructions, they decided to push the door open and enter.

Seeing Xia Rong almost buried in the bed, He Miao’s heart ached. Softening her tone, she gently persuaded, “Master, please don’t be so sad. If the Young Master knew you were like this, he would be even more distressed.” He Xin nodded in agreement beside her.

After crying out his emotions, Xia Rong didn’t want He Xin and He Miao to worry about him. He composed himself and let them help him change and freshen up. By the time they finished, breakfast was already set up in the hall, filled with his favorite dishes: crystal shrimp dumplings, soup dumplings, osmanthus lotus root powder, sugar steamed cheesecake, a table full of his favorites.

Normally, seeing such a spread would have whetted his appetite. But today, despite being surrounded by his favorite foods, he lacked the mood. He managed to eat only one shrimp dumpling and a half-bowl of cheesecake before feeling too full to continue.

He Xin was familiar with this situation and took out a blank notebook. Standing in front of Xia Rong, she recorded what he had just eaten. Seeing Xia Rong’s confusion, she explained, “Before Young Master left, he instructed us to record your daily intake carefully. He said if you don’t eat enough during any meal, we would be punished upon his return.”

Xia Rong was dumbfounded by this approach. He looked at He Xin and He Miao, who seemed resigned to the prospect of punishment upon their master’s return. He wasn’t foolish; he knew this was his husband’s way of ensuring he ate properly while he was away. Reluctantly, he ate a bit more, fearing the consequences if his husband returned to find he hadn’t eaten well.

Sighing, he finished the bowl of cheesecake and ate a bit more of the osmanthus lotus root powder before finally giving up. Seeing their master eat properly, He Xin and He Miao breathed a sigh of relief.

After breakfast, Xia Rong took his usual walk in the courtyard before returning to his room and picking up a book on solving cases that he hadn’t finished reading. Although he used to enjoy it, today he sat on the soft couch for a while without turning a single page. He couldn’t focus, staring at the words on the page for a long time. He recognized every word, but they didn’t seem to make sense when strung together. Eventually, he gave up on the book and fell asleep on the couch.

—

On the other hand, Shen Xiangyan spent three days traveling by carriage and another four days by water before finally disembarking. He then traveled by carriage for more than ten towns to the south. Although it was tiring, he gained a lot.

He discovered many things that could be used as spices in this dynasty, such as the leaves of the quail plant. After special processing, they would become a unique fragrance. Since the locals only knew about the flowers’ use, they overlooked the value of the leaves. He bought some flowers as a cover and also purchased a large quantity of leaves at a low price, establishing long-term purchasing conditions with them. There were many similar situations along the way. Overall, Shen Xiangyan made a great profit on this journey.

The more places he visited, the stronger Shen Xiangyan’s longing for his young master became. He touched the area over his heart, where Xia Rong had personally embroidered a purse for him. Inside the purse was a talisman that Xia Rong had begged for him. Since leaving the Shen family, this action had become a habit for him. Whenever he missed Xia Rong, he would touch his chest, as if it was the only way to ease his longing.

Sitting in the carriage, Shen Xiangyan opened the intricately carved wooden box in his hand. Inside, there was a thick layer of delicate silk, upon which lay an oval-shaped piece of warm jade, which appeared to be exceptionally pure. This type of warm jade was extremely rare and had the effect of nourishing and invigorating the body when worn for long periods. Running his fingers gently over the box, Shen Xiangyan knew that this jade pendant, given to Xia Rong who suffered from coldness, was the perfect gift and would greatly benefit his health.

Not only this jade pendant, but along the way, Shen Xiangyan had bought various interesting items from each place they visited. By now, he had filled two large boxes with these gifts for Xia Rong. Just the thought of his husband’s expression upon receiving these gifts filled him with uncontrollable joy.

Watching the scenery swiftly pass by outside the carriage, with only one more city left to visit, Shen Xiangyan heard that there was a special sandalwood with a unique fragrance. He had never heard of this type of sandalwood even in his previous world, and as someone who had studied fragrances for many years, any unfamiliar spice held great allure for him. Therefore, he was determined to visit and experience it firsthand.

—

Meanwhile, Xia Rong sat on the bamboo couch, watching the cherry blossoms bloom and fall. As a gust of wind blew through, the branches swayed gently, and petals fluttered down. Xia Rong wasn’t saddened by the falling flowers; instead, he had his eye on the cherry fruit. Though the unripe cherries were tart, they were perfect for making preserves at this time. Additionally, cherries had the effect of quenching thirst and were beneficial to the body, making them a rare treat.

The thought of preserving some cherries these days and being able to enjoy them with his husband’s return filled Xia Rong with joy.

Just as he was indulging in these pleasant thoughts, He Xin came to report, “Master, there is a lady outside who wishes to visit you. She said that if you see this, you’ll know who she is.” With that, He Xin handed Xia Rong a silver hairpin adorned with a flower.

Xia Rong took the silver hairpin and stood up immediately. “Has she been welcomed in? I’ll go over right now.”

This silver hairpin was the birthday gift he had given to Gu Chen all those years ago. Gu Chen was his best friend before marriage, partly due to their shared birth date, but mostly because Gu Chen had taken care of him a lot before his marriage. Otherwise, life in the Xia residence after his father’s passing would have been much more difficult.

However, they hadn’t seen each other since Gu Chen got married two years ago. So, when Gu Chen came to visit the mansion, Xia Rong couldn’t wait to see him.