jdhmnovel Chapter 296 Be prepared
Chapter 296 Be prepared
Three days later, on an open space by the sea, hundreds of workers were busy at work. Some were planing wood, some were measuring, and some were drawing. The division of labor was clear, and everyone was doing their job.
Xuan Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. Ever since he learned that Xin Moyan was adrift in the Minghai Sea, the frost between his brows had never melted.
"Xuanyuan, your brother and sister-in-law have arrived."
Hua Buyu, draped in a fiery red fox fur coat, smiled maliciously. She then rubbed her hands together and breathed warm air into them. The weather in Yelan was really cold; luckily, she had plenty of clothes here.
Xuan Yuan gave her a sinister look, then turned around and saw Ye Wumian helping Yao Ruoyu walk slowly towards him. The bells were still ringing, but this time he wasn't barefoot; he was wearing a pair of dark red short boots with gold dragon patterns.
"What are you here for?"
Ye Wumian had a smile on his face, no longer as domineering and wicked as before, but instead showing a hint of pride in being a new husband.
"Come and see how the ship is coming along! What do you think? Are the skilled craftsmen of my faction satisfied?"
Xuan Yuan neither acknowledged him nor indulged him.
"Hmph! Too slow. If Junjing Pavilion weren't short-handed, I wouldn't have let your people join."
"What you're saying is unacceptable. After all, Xiao Yan'er is my sister-in-law, and I'm very worried about her too! Besides, Ruoyu also cares about Xiao Yan'er, so I specially brought her here to see how things are progressing."
Yao Ruoyu looked apologetic. She opened her mouth, unsure of how to address this brother-in-law who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
“Young Master Xuan, I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me, Yan’er wouldn’t have been taken to the Dark Sea.”
"Ruoyu, you should call him Imperial Uncle."
"Hua Buyu, are you looking for a beating?"
Hua Buyu stuck out her tongue and pretended to run over to supervise the work.
Seeing his worried expression, Ye Wumian stopped joking and gradually put away his cynical attitude.
"Don't worry, I've gathered all the skilled craftsmen in the entire Nightfall. The materials used are the finest and most durable Yi wood, black iron, and cold silk. If you need anything else, you can choose from the entire national treasury."
Xuan Yuan pursed his lips, his brows seeming to furrow even more, and after a long while, he finally uttered a sentence.
"Can't it go any faster?"
Ye Wumian was taken aback, and reached out to pat his shoulder. "Didn't those people say that even if they work day and night, it will take at least a month and a half to build the ship that Yuan Qi's national advisor mentioned? It's a very time-consuming job."
"I can't wait, and neither can Yan'er."
Xuan Yuan looked back at the busy scene in the distance. If they had to wait a month and a half to set off, Yan'er would have already arrived in the Ancient Cang Kingdom. If they were to drift at sea for another few months, then Yan'er... wouldn't Yan'er have to wait for a long time? How scared she must be!
In just a few days, Xuan Yuan seemed to have become much more dejected, his face was haggard, and he was no longer as spirited as he was in Yuanqi.
Seeing this, Ye Wumian couldn't help but feel annoyed. If he had known things would turn out this way, he shouldn't have threatened Xiao Yan'er so much back then. She wouldn't have been so desperate to escape the palace, and all this trouble wouldn't have happened.
"Ayuan."
"..."
Xuan Yuan ignored him, thinking to himself that he would have to go see Xie Cangming again later to see if they could set off as soon as possible.
“…A-Yuan, if you ignore me, I won’t return this to you.”
He instinctively turned around, and suddenly a jade pendant appeared in front of him.
"This jade..."
Xuan Yuan took it, his gaze intense, as if trying to discern something from the black jade, as if he saw a bright, smiling face.
"You even stole Yan'er's jade? What else did you take from her? Why didn't you return it to me before?"
Coming to his senses, Xuan Yuan suddenly raised his eyes, and the terrifying look in his eyes made Ye Wumian's heart tremble.
"I took this. When I saw you give even Consort Xuan's jade pendant to her, I knew Xiao Yan'er's place in your heart. I just wanted to tease her, but who knew you would enter the palace so quickly, and Xiao Yan'er even got lost..."
Xuan Yuan lowered his eyes, a strange red tinge appearing at the corners. His fingertips gently traced the patterns on the jade, his mind filled with memories of his time with Yan'er in Yuanqi, his clever and adorable Yan'er...
He was enveloped in grief and indignation, which frightened Ye Wumian so much that he took a step back while holding Yao Ruoyu. He swallowed nervously, not knowing that his younger brother was so infatuated. If Xiao Yan'er could never be found, wouldn't A Yuan's life be over soon?
blah blah blah...
Thinking of this, Ye Wumian almost slapped himself. Xiao Yan'er will definitely be found!
Meanwhile, his older brother was also plunged into despair and longing. Under the double blow, Xin Moling drowned his sorrows in alcohol for several days until Hua Buyu burst into the room, grabbed his collar, and spat wildly, finally waking him up with a scolding.
Immediately afterwards, he and Xuan Yuan took turns guarding the coast day and night, hoping that the giant ship could be completed as soon as possible.
Hua Buyu was not idle either. As for the departure date, how far the journey would be and how long it would take, it was still unknown. In any case, it wouldn't cost her money, so she was busy shopping everywhere every day, preparing enough for half a year's worth of everything, from food and clothing to vegetables, fruits, meat, tea, rice, oil, and salt, for fear of missing anything and running out of supplies on the ship.
On the other side, Xuan Yuan also instructed Feng Qingyang to prepare all the miraculous medicines he had ever made since he became a doctor, including himself, the divine doctor.
Of course, even if Xuan Yuan didn't allow Feng Qingyang to accompany him, Xie Cangming wouldn't accept it either. After all, the unknown risks at sea are too great, and having someone who knows medicine is always a good thing.
“Xuanyuan, I’ll say it again, Yan Yan is my only family in this world, and I’m determined to go with you.”
Hua Buyu stood with her hands on her hips, her chest heaving with anger.
"Didn't you hear what Xie Cangming said? The sea is too risky. Whether we can reach Gu Cang safely is still unknown. Stay silent and wait here obediently. If something unexpected happens, all the assets under my name will be yours. You know the distribution and stock of those industries."
"I do not want!"
Hua Buyu roared, then squatted down, grabbed his leg, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Xuanyuan, please don't leave me, okay? Before I met Yan Yan, you were not only my boss, but I also considered you a good friend. After meeting Yan Yan, I liked her the most, and you were second in my heart. Now that Yan Yan's fate is unknown, I must go with you to find her. Even if I die, I will die with you!"
Xuan Yuan was stunned. This was the first time he had seen Hua Buyu express her true feelings so earnestly.
"And... what about Yun Zhaoyao?"
Hua Buyu staggered for a moment, and her tears disappeared in an instant.
She smeared her face haphazardly and said dejectedly, "They were getting sentimental! Why bring him up of all people?"