Chapter 4.2

Xiao Youning was amused by her exaggerated expression and said slowly, “How could that be, an official’s name card can’t be falsified. Officials in the capital, no matter how, can’t be swindled by fugitives. They will definitely first investigate to understand thoroughly who they’re dealing with. Perhaps the one in black clothes is someone assigned to escort that Daoist priest to go somewhere far away?”

“That too, oh—” Yuan Guo’s mouth was wrapped around a steamed bun as she vaguely agreed.

They could hear the sound of a door opening and closing next door, presumably the person they had been talking about having just returned. Yuan Guo tried to listen in, heart still not very reassured about the matter just now, and wondered if she should be more alert during the evening.

On this side, carrying a full pot of hot tea as he returned, Jian Yin closed the door and immediately reported to Ye Shen. “Fifth Master, our neighbor Miss Xiao hasn’t recognized us. Unexpectedly, there were even people sent by the Xiao Family’s Second Master to escort them. Just now in the lobby, I saw her bodyguards eating meat and drinking alcohol and recognized some people. Weren’t the Xiao Family’s two brothers always at odds? This is very strange. That Miss Xiao is dressed as a man and I also don’t know where she’s going to go.”

Ye Shen didn’t even lift an eyelid, took the tea he poured, glanced at it, and immediately put it back.

Jian Yin knew his family’s master’s picky habits had returned, and helplessly said, “Fifth Master, the water is not very good, but I washed the pot a few times. The tea is the one we brought with us, you will be fine.”

A moment after he said those words, Jian Yin saw his fussy master once again reach out his hand, reluctantly take two sips, then put it down with no intention of touching it again.

Jian Yin felt that having this kind of master was also difficult.

Since childhood, he had lived a life of luxury. It was not at all an exaggeration to say that, compared to the prince inside the palace who was just as precious as gold, he was raised from head to toe with everything all having to be carefully clear of defects. Although when going outside he would come across moments where he’d have no alternative but to endure, but fussy was still fussy. Not only could the bad temper be worse than usual, but he also couldn’t be provoked even the slightest.

“She probably wants to go to Da Tong,” The fussy gentleman suddenly said, getting up and walking to the bedside. Using two fingers, he pinched a corner of the quilt and flung it to the end of the bed, then laid down while dressed.

Feeling apprehensive in his heart for quite a while, Jian Yin stared blankly for a moment, later realizing that his master was answering his question just now, his expression became odd.

Their family’s Fifth Master’s mood seemed like it wasn’t that bad, unexpectedly he put up with his insignificant words!

——

Xiao Youning was rushing all over the place from early morning, sitting in the carriage the entire afternoon, tired from head to toe and wanting to fall apart from exhaustion. Hastily having the relay station worker come deliver the evening meal, she simply washed her face and rinsed her mouth, falling asleep on the nearest pillow.

Her dreams weren’t peaceful at all. One moment the fires of war reached the skies with flames and blood-curdling shrieks everywhere, another moment was covered in blood and someone fought at close quarters with her father and elder brother, many people facing them brandishing swords. She shouted at them with all her might, asking them to run away, but could only watch helplessly as they fell into a pool of blood. At a split second, her father and elder brother collapsed.

She woke from the nightmare with a start, gazing at the pitch-dark void, drenched in cold sweat from head to toe. She clenched her hands in the dark, comforting herself with the fact that dreams and reality were entirely different.

After a long period of self-hypnotic chanting, Xiao Youning escaped from her startled state when she heard the sound of snoring from Yuan Guo, who was sleeping outside. Feeling more at ease, she closed her eyes.

When she closed her eyes, she felt something pull at the thin quilt she covered herself with, and in the quiet night, it produced a gnawing sound.

Feeling her blood run cold, she thought of something, kicked her legs, and shouted: “Yuan Guo!”

Yuan Guo woke up with a start at her shout and immediately got up, holding a dagger firmly in hand across the front of her body.

After Xiao Youning kicked off the quilt, a very small shadow flashed before her eyes, and immediately following that the shadow fell to the ground with a bang, squeaking sharply twice.

… A rat?!

Xiao Youning heard the sound clearly, it made her quiver with goosebumps rising all over her body. Yuan Guo had already gotten off her bed to light the lamp, just in time to see the rat attempting to sneak under the wardrobe. One foot on the scampering rodent’s tail and she had trapped it in place. It squeaked in confusion, and no matter how much it struggled, it could not free itself.

Yuan Guo was a daring person, she simply wasn’t worried about such a small thing. Originally she thought one dagger could finish this, but she was also afraid the smell of blood would scare Xiao Youning. She just bent over, picked up the rat by its tail, and opened the window to throw it out.

Who would have thought that, as soon as she peeked out, Yuan Guo discovered that the neighbor’s window was unexpectedly not closed?

She lowered her head to look at the struggling black rat, smiled grimly, directly aimed the rat in her grasp, and tossed it over. After that, she quietly closed the window and lowered the grate.

Xiao Youning saw her turn around and go wash her hands. With some trepidation lingering in her heart, she asked, “Did you throw it far away? It’s unlikely that it’ll crawl back, right?”