The shadow of the moon climbed up the branches.
Behind the low wall of the stables, three heads slowly sprouted up.
From tallest to shortest, they were Yan Xingxiao, Chai Xiaomi, and Zhu Yu.
Six eyes burned as they stared at the lonely, aloof figure not far away. Song Yueyao stood alone in the moonlight, wiping the crescent blade in her hands over and over again.
Yan Xingxiao whispered, Sigh, breaking up a pair of lovebirds... Do you think Miss Song will do something foolish?
Zhu Yu frowned. Looks like it to me. Look, she keeps wiping that dagger. It is highly likely she is going to use it to slit her own throat.
Yan Xingxiao nodded. I think so too. Listen to my command in a moment. When I say three, two, one, go, you two grab her left and right arms, and I will snatch the knife.
Chai Xiaomi glanced to her left and right, her face full of speechlessness.
How were these two even better at overthinking than she was?
She and Wu Li had only returned to the inn a little later than everyone else, yet they had actually missed such an important plot point.
She heard that Jiang Zhiyu's master, Alchemist Ji, had come looking for him to escort him back to Lingyu State, and had even pulled Song Yueyao aside for a long, private talk.
No one knew exactly what was discussed.
Anyway, the only thing Chai Xiaomi remembered was that when Song Yueyao was in Lingyu State, she was merely a helpless hostage from a neighboring country. Her romance with Jiang Zhiyu had never been accepted by Lingyu State.
And her own homeland, Liangya State, only treated her as a dispensable, abandoned pawn.
Because of this, Jiang Zhiyu had secretly escaped.
He abandoned imperial power, left his homeland, and wandered the ends of the earth with her.
The cold moonlight plated Song Yueyao's profile. Her movements as she wiped the blade were very slow and light, the edge shimmering with a lonely, cold glint under the moonlight.
Alchemist Ji's words kept echoing in her mind.
Little Song, you know better than anyone that the lord and lady are deeply in love and only have this one son. As the young master, Yu carries the empire of Lingyu State on his shoulders, and the destiny of an emperor flows in his veins.
Lingyu State and Liangya State have always been at odds. The only time we sent troops as reinforcements was in exchange for you as a hostage. You can barely protect yourself now, so what can you give him? Stability? Honor? Or will you make him become enemies with the entire Lingyu State just to protect you someday in the future?
I am sorry, Little Song, but these words are what the lord and lady asked me to convey on their behalf.
Song Yueyao lowered her eyes and suddenly let out a very light laugh.
Yes.
What could she give him?
Having escaped this marriage, all she had left was a life of wandering and hardship.
Going back now, she only wanted to use the Phantom Color Stone in exchange for her mother's freedom.
Sister Yao!
Suddenly, a crisp voice sounded from behind.
The girl's voice was soft and sweet, but not overly cloying. It was as clear and clean as melting snow in early spring. Every word she spoke seemed wrapped in a gentle, warm light, making the listener's heart brighten up as well.
Hearing that it was Xiaomi, the faint trace of sorrow in Song Yueyao's heart quietly dissipated a little.
Have some cake.
Chai Xiaomi carefully broke the steaming rice cake in her hands into two halves, handing the larger half to Song Yueyao and keeping the smaller one for herself.
This was the last rice cake in her bag, and she had been reluctant to eat it.
After all, once they left Mount Chi, this local specialty could not be found anywhere else. But Wu Li had said that this cake could only be kept for about ten days, and if she did not eat it soon, he was going to throw it away.
She had no choice but to snatch it back from him and ask the inn's waiter to steam it hot for her.
Right now, the rice cake was emitting white steam, carrying a sweet, appetizing aroma. Taking a bite, it was fluffy and soft, the sweetness seeping through her teeth.
Song Yueyao took the half piece of cake. Seeing Xiaomi eating so slowly and cherishing every small bite, she guessed that this was her last precious piece.
Xiaomi was always like this. She could never bear to finish the things she liked all at once; she always saved them for last, savoring them little by little.
But unfortunately, the last bite was often snatched away by Wu Li.
Snatching it was one thing, but he would also pretend to be disgusted and comment that it tasted terrible.
She would stomp her feet angrily and curse, while the boy would wear a triumphant smile. Seeing that she was angry enough, he would then magically produce a new snack to barely earn her forgiveness.
Thinking of this, Song Yueyao could not help but gently curl the corners of her lips.
They really were two goofballs, a pair of bickering sweethearts.
She broke off a small piece, put it in her mouth, and handed the rest back to Xiaomi. I do not really like sweets. One bite is enough for me.
Chai Xiaomi, however, shook her head disapprovingly, her voice soft but serious. Sweets are good things. When you are in a bad mood, eating something sweet will slowly make you feel better.
I am in a pretty good mood. Song Yueyao swallowed the cake in her mouth, but her tongue only tasted a faint bitterness, not sensing any sweetness.
She quietly hid the trace of disappointment in her eyes, looked up at the thin, waning moon in the sky, tugged at the corners of her lips, and spoke in a feigned relaxed tone:
That guy Jiang Zhiyu is so nagging, loves to meddle, and has no tact. He is also incredibly narcissistic, always holding a broken fan to pretend he is some elegant, dashing young master. He spends half the day figuring out color coordination just to wear an outfit, being even more particular than a woman like me. Having such a show-off hovering around all day is just a nuisance. It is a good thing he left; I am happy to have some peace and quiet!
Hearing this, Chai Xiaomi choked slightly. Her hand holding the cake paused, and she looked down at her own outfit.
She had just taken a bath and changed into a clean dress.
She wore a pink brocade lotus-silk dress, the gradient colors on the fabric like the glow of sunset reflecting on snow. A pine-flower colored soft-smoke gauze shirt loosely draped over the outer layer, and her half-dry hair was casually tied into a loose bun with a light-colored ribbon.
And that dangling hairpin was still stuck in her bun.
It looked casual, but she had actually put thought into coordinating it.
She was the type of person who would dress up a bit even just to take out the trash, because who knew if an acquaintance might suddenly appear halfway.
She immediately felt the word show-off applied to herself.
Seeing her expression, Song Yueyao was slightly taken aback, then realized something. She hurriedly let out an unnatural cough and smiled to make amends. I am not talking about you, Xiaomi.
You are like a little butterfly. Butterflies are meant to flutter among the flowers and add bright colors to themselves. It is in their nature, and it is very beautiful.
As for that guy Jiang Zhiyu, he is at best a big-headed fly that loves to buzz around!
Chai Xiaomi secretly glanced at the second floor of the inn.
Fortunately, Jiang Zhiyu was currently having his internal energy regulated by Alchemist Ji in his room. Otherwise, hearing this disparaging remark and learning that he had been compared to a big-headed fly by the woman he loved, it would be hard for him not to have a breakdown.
On second thought, she felt that Song Yueyao's words did not seem quite right.
What do big-headed flies usually buzz around...
She coughed lightly to cover up her thoughts. Oh, my dear sister, how did you end up insulting yourself as well?
Injuring the enemy a thousand times but losing eight hundred of your own, this level of sharp-tongued skill was ultimately lacking compared to Lili.
Song Yueyao did not seem to find anything inappropriate and continued in a gentle voice, Do not worry, Xiaomi. Since we promised you and Wu Li that we would go to Youquan Town together, we will definitely accompany you for the rest of the journey. Once you finish visiting your relatives in Youquan Town and are ready to leave, he will follow his master back to Lingyu State.
Mhm-hm. Chai Xiaomi looked at her feigned relaxed expression, understanding the strong-willed nature in Song Yueyao's bones. She never wanted to let anyone see even a hint of vulnerability.
"Sister Yao, don't be sad over things that haven't even happened yet. Whether the future holds parting ways or staying together, who can really say? The present is what matters most. Cherish the moments and the people right in front of you."
As she spoke, she raised the remaining half of the rice cake in her hand, her eyes clear and bright.
"Come on, here is a toast, not to yesterday, nor to tomorrow, but only to right now. Cheers... oh, wait, I mean, cheers to the cake!"
A faint glimmer seemed to stir in the depths of Song Yueyao's eyes. "Well said, only to right now. Cheers!"
With a playful chomp, the two of them stuffed the remaining pieces of cake into their mouths in one big bite.
But the bites were too big to swallow. They could only stare at each other with stuffed, bulging cheeks, before collapsing into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.
