The two of them didn't know how long they slept. When Fu Chen woke up, he saw a faint light at the cave entrance and knew it was dawn.
He glanced down at the girl still sleeping soundly on his lap. It seemed she hadn't been sleeping well lately, more vigilant than he was.
His leg was starting to go numb. He carefully moved Jian Yi aside. The moment he moved, Jian Yi immediately startled awake. She was now like a frightened deer, alerted by the slightest sound.
"Brother, you're awake? We can't leave yet. They definitely haven't stopped looking for us. We need to endure here for a few days," Jian Yi said earnestly.
The little girl was clearly half-asleep, rubbing her eyes, yet she was still thinking about how to escape.
"I know, I just got up to stretch," Fu Chen replied.
"Brother, are you hungry? I still have some food," Jian Yi, worried Fu Chen might be hungry, quickly reached into her embrace and produced a small steamed bun.
"You keep it, I'm not hungry yet." Fu Chen's heart softened at the sight of the girl's sincere and adorable expression.
He began to regret even thinking of abandoning her. Such a sweet child, if truly sold, he couldn't imagine the abuse she would endure.
"Brother, I'm still so sleepy, I want to sleep a bit more." Jian Yi said, then lay down on the ground and continued to sleep.
"Sleep well, I'll watch over you," Fu Chen said.
He knew the little girl couldn't sleep soundly, constantly on edge, and hoped his words would allow her to rest peacefully.
Jian Yi did feel at ease. This time, she didn't half-wake herself, and fell into a deep sleep. It had been a very, very long time since she had slept so well.
Fu Chen walked to the cave entrance and peered outside, lying flat on the ground. It looked like dusk now. He carefully considered their predicament. He and the girl had just escaped the previous night, and those people were frantically searching for them. If caught, they would likely be beaten half to death.
Therefore, they absolutely could not be recaptured. The child was right; they had to hold on for these two days and escape when their pursuers were slightly less vigilant. The chances of success would be greater.
Fu Chen suddenly realized that he was now less capable than a child of four or five years old. She must be four or five, right? She looked even younger, but a three-year-old couldn't possibly have such thoughts; he didn't believe it.
Fu Chen moved around a bit, then walked back. He let Jian Yi rest her head on his lap and went back to sleep himself.
However, the environment here was truly harsh. He found it difficult to sleep this time. His body felt extremely uncomfortable, and he was restless. Since childhood, when had he ever endured such treatment?
But looking at the little girl sleeping so sweetly, he suppressed the restlessness in his heart and tried to sleep again. If he were to lose his temper now, he would truly be inferior to a little girl.
Jian Yi woke up from hunger and started crying. Fu Chen was startled awake by her crying, thinking something had happened.
"What's wrong?" Fu Chen asked anxiously.
Jian Yi cried, "I miss my mom and dad."
Fu Chen was relieved and pulled Jian Yi into his arms, saying, "It's okay, we'll escape here soon, and then you can go home."
"Brother, I'm hungry," Jian Yi said, wiping away her tears.
"Then let's eat." Fu Chen was also hungry; his stomach had been rumbling for a while.
They both ate chestnuts like before, and finally, each ate a small steamed bun. Not knowing how long it would take to escape, they didn't dare eat too much.