The sun rose soon after.
Bo Xi slowly opened her eyes. Even though the curtains were drawn, the room was already brightly lit. The light felt harsh, almost blinding.
She frowned slightly.
The block of ice she had placed near the window had already melted into a shallow pool of water. The air was still heavy and hot.
Han Fei was still asleep beside her.
Bo Xi looked at the light again and felt something was wrong. The sun seemed to have risen earlier than it should have. The brightness was far too strong for this hour.
A bad feeling quietly rose in her heart.
Carefully, she got up without waking Han Fei. After changing her clothes, she quietly left the room.
When she stepped into the main room, she saw that everyone was already there.
Father Han, Mother Han, Han Wei, and the others were sitting together, each holding a fan and fanning themselves quickly. Even this early in the morning, sweat had already appeared on their foreheads.
"This weather is really trying to kill us," Father Han said while fanning faster than before. When he saw Bo Xi, he looked slightly relieved. "You're awake?"
"Yes, Father," Bo Xi replied calmly.
"It started getting hot in the middle of the night," Father Han continued with a sigh. "None of us could sleep after that."
Then he slowly stood up and walked toward the kitchen.
"Sister-in-law… is Fei okay?" Han Wei asked cautiously when he noticed that Han Fei had not come out.
"He's still sleeping," Bo Xi said while picking up a wooden bucket. "He must have been very tired yesterday. We also woke up in the middle of the night because of the heat."
She walked toward the well as she spoke.
The sunlight outside felt unusually sharp, and the ground already seemed warm under her feet. The day had only just begun, yet the heat already felt unbearable.
Bo Xi quickly washed up and took a bucket of water inside.
"The weather is unusual," Bo Xi said as she entered the room with the bucket. "I think we should start storing water. I will fill the large drum inside the house and change the water regularly. For daily use, we can still use the water from the well."
"Yes, that is for the best," Mother Han said with a tired sigh. "Thankfully, the snow this year was heavy, so the wells should still have plenty of water for now."
Bo Xi placed the bucket down and hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"Mother, I have decided something. We may have to leave in about a month. I received a letter from my relatives… they have even sent escorts to come and take me back."
Mother Han's expression stiffened slightly.
"Well… we will see when the time comes," she said slowly, clearly reluctant to make a decision so soon.
"Please think about it carefully," Bo Xi replied calmly. She did not continue pressing the matter, but her tone was firm.
Just then, Father Han walked in carrying two small plates.
On them were sliced cucumber, a boiled egg, and a few pieces of watermelon.
"Here, eat this first," Father Han said, handing one plate to Bo Xi. "Fei still hasn't woken up yet."
"He might just be tired, Father," Bo Xi said softly as she took the second plate. "I will take this to him. Have you all eaten?"
"We already have," Father Han replied, then shook his head helplessly as Bo Xi immediately turned and walked toward the room.
"Look at her," Father Han said with a faint smile as he sat down. "Worried I will scold Fei'er."
Bo Xi carried the plate inside and placed it carefully on the dressing table. Then she gently woke Han Fei.
"It's so hot…" Han Fei murmured the moment he opened his eyes.
Although Han Fei was actually stronger than most people because he practiced qi, in Bo Xi's eyes, he was still someone fragile, someone she needed to protect.
She dipped a handkerchief in cool water and gently wiped the sweat from his face.
Bo Xi then gave him the plate of food as she held one too.
Han Fei didn't have much of an appetite, but when he remembered that he was pregnant, he forced himself to eat slowly.
"The temperature is increasing day by day," Han Fei said quietly, looking toward the window with worry in his eyes.
"Don't worry," Bo Xi replied gently. "Before the well dries up, we will already be on the road."
She took the empty plate from his hands and placed it aside.
Han Fei nodded, but the slight frown between his brows didn't disappear.
After resting for a while, he stood up and changed his clothes. Soon, both of them walked out of the room together.
"Brother, is my nephew okay?" Han Fei asked when he saw Han Wei sitting in the main room, fanning the small child carefully.
"He is fine," Han Wei replied, still fanning him slowly. "It's just too hot."
Everyone sat together for a while, talking quietly. Their conversations all revolved around the strange weather, the food situation, and what might happen next.
Lunch that day was simple, just cold noodles.
No one really had the appetite to eat much in such heat.
While they were still sitting there, the Village Chief suddenly entered.
Bo Xi didn't want to talk to her at all, so Mother Han stepped forward instead.
The Village Chief spoke about storing food and water and told everyone to prepare in advance. As she spoke, her eyes occasionally glanced toward Bo Xi, clearly wanting to say something to her directly.
But Bo Xi didn't respond even once.
In the end, the Village Chief could only leave, looking a little reluctant.
Mother Han also didn't mention that Bo Xi planned to leave in a month.
The days passed slowly, but the temperature kept rising.
The villagers had even organized themselves to take turns watering the crops, but many plants had already started to wilt. The water level in the well was also dropping faster than anyone expected.
Even Bo Xi was surprised at how quickly the water was disappearing.
After thinking about it for several days, Mother Han finally made her decision.
She chose to stay in the village.
Bo Xi didn't argue. Instead, she decided that before leaving, she would leave enough food, water, and a few taels of silver for them.
The day Mother Han made her decision, Father Han and she had a huge argument, but in the end, the matter was settled quietly.
Not long after that, the escorts sent by the Empress finally arrived.
They were dressed in ordinary clothes and did not reveal their identities. For now, they were staying in the city, buying horses, food, and large amounts of water in preparation for the journey.
The day of departure was getting closer.
The journey was far; they had to cross five provinces to reach their destination.