After traveling on mountain roads for two full days, they finally left the territory of Mount Chi.
Song Yueyao pulled back on the reins and looked back. The brown horse ridden by Wu Li and Xiaomi had fallen far behind.
She had spent some time in a military camp with her grandfather when she was young, so galloping on horseback was second nature to her. For a moment, she had forgotten that not everyone could endure such a bumpy ride.
As the horse gradually approached, she looked closely and was slightly taken aback.
Xiaomi had at some point shifted to sitting sideways on the horse, leaning against the young man's chest, fast asleep.
The young man behind her held the reins with one hand.
His other arm was steadily raised in mid-air the entire time, using the crook of his arm to support her back.
Wasn't he... tired holding that pose?
Song Yueyao recalled how Wu Li occasionally spoke to her when they rested along the way. His expression was peaceful, his tone warm, and he would even quietly reach out to steady Xiaomi's shoulder when she dozed off and nearly fell.
How was he anything like what Jiang Zhiyu had secretly warned her about, claiming "this young man has a weird temper and is hard to get along with"?
He was clearly a meticulous and gentle young husband, his eyes and heart entirely filled with his little wife.
It was Jiang Zhiyu whose eyes were failing him!
Song Yueyao casually plucked a green wild fruit from a branch by the roadside, squinted, aimed at the back of the head of the person in front of her, and flicked her wrist.
"Hiss!" Jiang Zhiyu's shoulders and back trembled as he turned his head in disbelief.
In this desolate wilderness, how could he get hit on the head out of nowhere?
"What's wrong, Yaoyao?"
Song Yueyao lifted her chin toward the front. At the bend of the mountain road, a faded tavern flag was fluttering in the wind.
"There's an inn ahead. Let's rest for the night before moving on." She paused and reminded him, "After bouncing on a horse all these days, I'm afraid Xiaomi won't be able to take it anymore."
Chai Xiaomi felt her face being gently patted twice and slowly opened her eyes.
Right in front of her was the stunning close-up beauty of Song Yueyao.
After leaving the Mount Chi territory, Song Yueyao had dropped her disguise and changed back into the clothes of a Central Plains woman.
She wore a lake-blue long dress with cloud patterns, her black hair neatly pinned up with a jade hairpin. Her wide sleeves were bound into narrow ones, and a crescent short blade hung at her waist. She exuded a heroic yet delicate aura.
Chai Xiaomi sighed inwardly. As expected of the female lead raised in a military family, beauty was merely her least notable trait.
Song Yueyao was naturally competitive and trained hard in martial arts, showing the potential of a heroine who was in no way inferior to men. If her grandfather hadn't died in battle when she was eight, causing her to lose her most solid backing, she wouldn't have been sent to Lingyu Prefecture as a hostage.
If fate had favored her a bit more, given time, her figure galloping on horseback with a spear in hand would have graced the vast battlefield.
"Did you have a nightmare?" Seeing her bangs wet with sweat, Song Yueyao considerately handed her a teacup. "You're sweating all over. Have some water?"
That was no nightmare.
It was a hundred times more thrilling than a nightmare.
She had gone back to that hot spring pool.
Amidst the swirling steam, their skin touched, hugging so tightly they almost embedded into each other's flesh and blood.
After a long time, the young man finally let go, asking the same words in a hoarse voice:
"Do you want to kiss?"
It was a naked temptation. Chai Xiaomi really couldn't hold back anymore and was just about to bite onto those alluringly red lips.
Then she was patted awake.
"I dreamed of a big wild boar," Chai Xiaomi guiltily took the teacup and gulped down two mouthfuls. "It almost pushed me into a mud pit."
Only then did she notice she was in an inn room. It wasn't a high-class inn like in TV dramas; it was a bit shabby, with old and mottled tables, chairs, and cabinets. She was lying on a bed.
"Pfft!" Song Yueyao was amused by her words and reached out to rub her sweaty bangs. "Did you dream that you were a big cabbage?"
At the same time, a clear and crisp "Achoo!" came from outside the window.
The room was on the second floor, and the two of them looked down out the window together.
With just one glance, Chai Xiaomi was completely captivated.
She saw that the young man was no longer wearing Miao attire. He wore a dark, tight-sleeved martial robe outlined with golden fire-cloud patterns. His dark hair was tied up high, the ends flying in the breeze. The layers of silver collars around his neck had all been removed, leaving only a few silver ornaments woven into his hair and earrings, gleaming faintly in the twilight.
He leaned against a wooden pillar of the stable, holding a bundle of freshly cut wild grass in his arms, casually tossing it into the feeding trough.
His side profile was stunningly gorgeous to the extreme. His heterochromatic eyes were clear, yet hid a unique untamed nature. Long eyelashes lay gently over his eyes, and his straight nose seemed to reveal a stubborn personality.
Not knowing if he choked on grass dust or something else, he suddenly let out a loud sneeze and rubbed the tip of his nose.
As if sensing their gaze, he suddenly looked up toward the propped-open window on the second floor of the inn.
His line of sight collided with Chai Xiaomi's blushing cheeks.
Wu Li's eyes suddenly flickered in confusion. As if blinded by direct sunlight, he subconsciously turned his head away.
He then raised his voice toward Song Yueyao, "Sister, I fed your horse as well."
Song Yueyao leaned out, "Thanks!"
After thanking him, she sat back on the edge of the bed and smiled at Chai Xiaomi. "Xiaomi, this husband of yours is truly a good person."
"Though young, he is much more meticulous and reliable than that boy Jiang Zhiyu." She took out a soft cushion. "He knew that riding a horse for a long time chafes the legs, so he even slipped this to me. Such a considerate husband is hard to find even with a lantern. You are very lucky, Xiaomi!"
Chai Xiaomi looked at Song Yueyao's raised thumb and sighed silently in her heart.
Oh, my dear female lead... do you know that his consideration has always been reserved for you alone?
Since when is he a meticulous and reliable person? When has he ever cared for anyone else like this?
It's a miracle if he doesn't torture others.
Song Yueyao suddenly remembered something. "By the way, did you know that when you fell asleep on horseback, he was the one who—"
Her words were interrupted and came to an abrupt halt.
The door creaked open.
The inn waiter stood outside the door carrying a tray, his face full of smiles. "Dear guests, your snacks have arrived."
Song Yueyao: "Alright, put them on the table."
The waiter did as told, arranging a few plates of rough but steaming snacks, but he didn't rush to leave.
He rubbed his hands and lowered his voice. His gaze swept over the faces of the two exceptionally beautiful women for a moment before he spoke, sounding like a reminder or a warning: "When resting at night, please remember to close the doors and windows tightly."
It was approaching autumn, and the night dew was heavy and cold. Even if he hadn't said anything, ordinary people would naturally close the doors and windows.
But this extra comment seemed deliberate.
Song Yueyao raised an eyebrow, teasing intentionally, "Why, could there be mice crawling in to steal food?"
"Of course not." Seeing her respond, the waiter became enthusiastic. The innkeeper had instructed that if the guests asked, he should just say there are many mosquitoes and bugs at night.
But the two girls in front of him were truly rare beauties, especially the one leaning against the edge of the bed. Although she looked tired, it couldn't hide the liveliness in her brows and eyes.
It would be nice to just chat with them for a few more words.
He simply leaned in closer and mysteriously lowered his voice: "Our inn... is located in a remote area. I heard that in the early years, this place was a mass grave, and wandering ghosts and wild spirits often appear. Especially in the middle of the night, you can always faintly hear the sobbing of women, and... the crying of babies."
He paused and observed the expressions on their faces. Seeing that the one who had just spoken showed no obvious signs of fear, while the other had half of their face buried beneath the quilt, making it impossible to read their expression, he continued.
"But fear not, my guests. The innkeeper brought in a master to perform a ritual long ago. The inn has been cleansed of evil, and wards have been placed on the doors and windows. However, the master specifically warned that for absolute safety, they must be kept tightly shut during the night."
"Just a few days ago, a guest refused to believe the warnings and slept with his window wide open. Guess what happened? When he woke up the next morning, half of his face was completely paralyzed. Water would just dribble down the corner of his mouth when he tried to drink. Half of his life essence must have been sucked away by that ghost!"
