The carriage ride home took a rather slow pace. So much so that there were several times Harper doubted whether the carriage had actually stopped or not. However, every time she opened the curtain to check, she found that they were still moving, and it was just that they were moving so slow that she couldn't feel any bumps on the road. It shouldn't be that far, and they could probably reach the imperial capital in six days. That day also happened to be the first day of the Lunar New Year. But Matthew kept on asking the carter to slow down, leaving them with no choice but to spend the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday on their way home.
Although Owen was so worried about Francis' condition, he didn't dare to complain. After all, Matthew and Harper had planned to celebrate the Lunar New Year in the River City. But because of his sudden arrival, they had to spend it on the road. For that reason, Owen would never dare to have any complaint, even when the couple went off somewhere else on their own for an entire day on the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday.
That being said, seven days had gone after the Lunar New Year. Yet, they were still just halfway to the imperial capital. At the rate that they were travelling, Owen couldn't help but wonder if they would still be able to get back to the imperial capital.
The pace at which they were going was much too slow for Harper as well. They could only cover about thirty miles per day. If they continued travelling like this, it was highly likely that they wouldn't arrive at the imperial capital until next year.
"Darling, when are we going to reach the imperial capital at this pace?" Harper asked with a smile. And she thought, 'What the hell is he up to?'
"You're still weak. I'm afraid that the long ride home won't be good for your health. If we go fast, the carriage would keep shaking, and you might not be able to stand it," Matthew carefully said, without taking his eyes off of the book he was reading in his hand. Taking a quick glance at it, Harper found that it was a book about Go.
"Since when were you interested in reading such a book?" As far as Harper could remember, he had never picked up the Go book, let alone read it. Most of the books he usually read were about military strategies or state governance. She had no idea when he began to take a liking to the Go book.
Hearing this, Matthew looked up at Harper and then continued reading the book. 'How could I not read it?' he thought to himself. He had been quite proud of his superb Go skills, but he lost when he played Go with Zack for the first time. Upon the thought of the triumphant look on Zack's face, Matthew gritted his teeth with intense hatred. Once they reached the imperial capital, he would definitely have another Go game with him. By then, he must defeat him and make him kneel down and beg for mercy.
Seeing the look of bitterness and hatred in Matthew's eyes, Harper remembered that he started reading the Go book after he played Go with Zack some time ago. 'Is he planning to play Go with him again and get back at him?'
With this possibility in mind, Harper cast a glance at Matthew. As it turned out, Matthew didn't like to lose. But when he lost to her in the past, he didn't hold a grudge against her and didn't seem to be that affected even though she had a little chance of winning.
She never thought that even though Matthew was willing to admit defeat when he lost to her, there was no way he could afford to lose to his rival in love. He had to make a comeback no matter what.
"Darling, it's still a long way home. How about finding something to do to kill time?" Harper suggested with a smile on her face. To relieve the boredom, she wanted to do some recreational activity, such as playing Go.
"All right." As soon as he said those words, Matthew tossed the book aside and took her into his arms. Seemingly a bit surprised, she asked, "What are you doing?"
As he looked deep into her eyes, he flatly replied, "Didn't you say that we still have so far to go, so we should find a way to keep ourselves entertained? Well, I actually feel the same way, so I want to do something with you. We still haven't tried all the positions in the pictures last time. Why don't we give it a try today?"
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