Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 273: Beneath the Abyss, Heart Towards Light

Without the protection of the magic weapon, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were thrown into the unfamiliar modern society like a kite with a broken string. Without the passage to come and go freely and all the connections with the Tang Dynasty, they became lonely souls floating in the vast sea of people.

"Taotao, don't be afraid, I will always be by your side." Hu Bugui held Wu Tao in his arms and comforted her softly. He could feel Wu Tao's trembling, and her fear entangled his heart like a vine, making him feel distressed.

Everything in the modern world is too unfamiliar to them. There are tall buildings, busy traffic, and people rushing around with indifference on their faces. They seem to be travelers forgotten by the times, unable to find their place.

"Taotao, look, that's a mobile phone. You can use it to talk to people far away..." Hu Bugui pointed at the dazzling array of electronic products in the window, trying to arouse Wu Tao's interest. However, Wu Tao just glanced at it indifferently, without a trace of emotion in her eyes.

"Bugui, tell me, what is the meaning of our existence?" Wu Tao's voice was low, as if it came from a distant time and space, "We can't go back, and we can't change anything..."

Hu Bugui's heart sank suddenly. He knew that Wu Tao was in deep self-doubt. He held her hand tightly, trying to pass on his strength to her: "Taotao, don't forget, we still have each other..."

However, before he could finish his words, Wu Tao suddenly shook his hand away. She turned her back to him, her body trembling slightly, and a hint of despair in her voice: "Bugui, you don't understand..."

"Bugui, you don't understand..." Wu Tao's voice trembled, like a wisp of smoke blown away by the wind, full of confusion and helplessness. She turned around, tears flashing in her eyes, reflecting this strange and cold world, and also reflecting the fear and anxiety deep in her heart.

"I am like a duckweed abandoned by fate. I have lost my roots, my direction, and the meaning of my existence..." Wu Tao's voice became lower and lower, as if he was talking to Hu Bugui, or as if he was just talking to himself.

Hu Bugui looked at Wu Tao's painful expression, and felt as if his heart was being stabbed by a knife. He wanted to say something, wanted to do something, but found that he was powerless. He could not change the fact that he had lost the magic weapon, nor could he eliminate the pain in Wu Tao's heart.

"Taotao, don't be like this, we still have each other, we will face it together..." Hu Bugui's voice was a little hoarse, he hugged Wu Tao in his arms, trying to warm her cold heart with his body temperature.

"Bugui, do you understand?" Wu Tao pushed Hu Bugui away, his eyes full of despair, "You are not me, you will never be able to experience this feeling... In modern society, I am nothing, no identity, no status, no value..."

Wu Tao's words were like sharp needles, piercing Hu Bugui's heart. Wasn't he the same? He was once a prince admired by everyone, shouldering the responsibility of protecting his country, but now, he is just an ordinary person, unable to perform his duties and protect his people...

"Taotao, don't be like this, it will be fine..." Hu Bugui wanted to comfort Wu Tao, but found that his voice was so weak.

"Get better? How can we get better?" Wu Tao smiled bitterly, "We can't go back, and we can't change anything..."

The two were silent, and the air was filled with a sense of depression and despair. They loved each other, but because of this sudden change, they fell into deep confusion and pain.

"If... we had never met in the beginning..." Wu Tao's voice was so low that it was inaudible, but it was like a thunderclap that exploded in Hu Bugui's ears. He raised his head suddenly and looked at Wu Tao in disbelief...

"Taotao, what do you want to say?" Hu Bugui's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were full of hurt and disbelief.

"Nothing..." Wu Tao turned away, not looking at Hu Bugui's eyes, and said in a cold tone, "I was just... thinking, if we hadn't met, maybe everything would be different now..."

"Different? How is it different?!" Hu Bugui grabbed Wu Tao's shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Without you, what's the meaning of my life?!"

"Meaning? Hu Bugui, wake up!" Wu Tao shook off Hu Bugui's hand with all her strength. Her eyes were red, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears flow down. "We can't go back! We can never go back again! Do you understand?"

Hu Bugui was stunned. He looked at the woman he loved so much, but it was as if he was meeting her for the first time. Her eyes were full of strangeness and alienation, and her tone was filled with undisguised fatigue and despair.

"Taotao..." Hu Bugui wanted to explain something, but found that he had no idea where to start.

"Enough, I'm tired." Wu Tao drooped his shoulders weakly, turned and walked towards the depths of the cave, leaving Hu Bugui standing there alone, his back looking lonely and desolate.

In the following days, the atmosphere between the two became extremely depressing. The once sweet words now turned into sharp quarrels; the once warm hugs now turned into cold silence. They were like two injured hedgehogs, longing for warmth from each other but afraid of being hurt again, so they could only wrap themselves in sharp thorns, hurting and torturing each other.

At night, the cave was completely silent, with only the occasional crackling of burning firewood being particularly clear. Wu Tao tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She got up and walked to the cave entrance, looking up at the starry sky, feeling confused and helpless.

"What are you thinking about?" Hu Bugui's low voice came from behind, breaking the tranquility of the night.

Wu Tao didn't look back, but asked calmly: "Do you think we can still go back?"

Hu Bugui was silent. He did not answer Wu Tao's question because he himself did not know the answer. The magic weapon for traveling through time and space had been destroyed. They were trapped in this strange time and space, as if they had been abandoned by the whole world.

"Taotao..." Hu Bugui walked to Wu Tao, gently held her hand, and said with a hint of pleading in his tone, "Don't be like this, we will find a way, we..."

"Solution? What solution?" Wu Tao shook off Hu Bugui's hand, his tone full of sarcasm, "What other solution can we have? We have nothing now and can't do anything..."

"No, we still have each other!" Hu Bugui hugged Wu Tao in his arms and said firmly, "Taotao, believe me, we will find the way back, and we will definitely return to the place that belongs to us!"

Wu Tao didn't say anything, just quietly leaned in Hu Bugui's arms, letting her tears soak his clothes. She hoped that what Hu Bugui said was true, and that they could really go back to the past, but the reality was like a huge rock, weighing heavily on her heart, making it difficult for her to breathe...

Suddenly, Wu Tao had a flash of inspiration in her mind. She pushed Hu Bugui away, and a strange light flashed in her eyes...

"Wait, Hu Bugui!" Wu Tao suddenly grabbed Hu Bugui's arm and said hurriedly, "I seem to... remember something..."

Hu Bugui looked at her suspiciously, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes, "What's the matter?"

"I... I seem to... have some talent in historical research..." Wu Tao's voice trembled a little, as if he had grasped the last straw.

"Historical research?" Hu Bugui was even more confused.

"Yes! I took history as a minor in college, and... and I am particularly interested in the history of the Tang Dynasty. My graduation thesis is about the economic development of the Tang Dynasty..." Wu Tao became more and more excited as he spoke, as if a ray of light suddenly appeared in the darkness.

"You mean... you know a lot about the era we are in now?" Hu Bugui seemed to realize something, with excitement flashing in his eyes.

"No... not completely..." Wu Tao took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "But I can try. I can try to use what I have learned to find our value here..."

Hu Bugui held Wu Tao's hands tightly, his eyes full of determination and hope, "Okay! Let's work together! Taotao, I believe in you!"

In the following days, Wu Tao began to focus on studying the history and culture of the Tang Dynasty. She read the books collected by Hu Bugui, visited local elders, and pieced together the fragments of history bit by bit. Hu Bugui used his keen observation and leadership skills to help Wu Tao collect information and solve problems.

As her research deepened, Wu Tao was surprised to find that her historical knowledge, which seemed useless in the modern world, became a valuable asset in the Tang Dynasty. She was able to accurately predict the direction of some historical events, analyze the trends of social and economic development at that time, and even put forward some constructive opinions.

While learning modern knowledge, Hu Bugui discovered his potential in management and leadership. He began to try to use modern management concepts to govern the fiefdom, and achieved remarkable results. He found that although the times were different, the essence of many management concepts was the same.

"Taotao, look!" One day, Hu Bugui ran to Wu Tao excitedly with a few drawings in his hand. "This is a new city planning map I designed based on the planning concepts of modern cities you mentioned. What do you think?"

Wu Tao took the blueprint and looked at it carefully. She found that although Hu Bugui's design was still a little immature, it was full of novelty and vitality, and was completely different from traditional urban planning...