Ugh, ugh, ugh…

Feng Jiu’er hung her head, truly unable to face anyone.

She was still seated atop Zhuifeng. Zhuiyue followed close behind, step for step, not daring to stray.

As for Jiu Qing — he sat just behind Feng Jiu’er, one hand resting at her waist to steady her, the other holding the reins as he guided the horse forward.

Zhuifeng’s pace was not particularly quick — at least far slower than when Zhuiyue had gone wild and charged into the forest, with Zhuifeng thundering after it. Still, compared to an ordinary horse, it was swift.

After Jiu Qing had tended to Feng Jiu’er’s ankle, he had brought her up onto the horse and set off.

This was deep wilderness, untamed mountain and forest, and they had long since veered off the main road. What lay ahead was uncertain — there was no telling where this path might lead.

That said, Jiu Qing carried a compass with him. As long as their general direction remained sound, they could still make it back to the main road eventually.

The question was whether Mu Mu trusted Jiu Qing enough to truly leave her in his hands.

If they reached the next town and met up there, it would save them all from a great deal of needless wandering.

Otherwise, if Mu Mu and the others followed them into the dense forest, there was no telling how much time would be lost.

The horses in their convoy were nowhere near as extraordinary in speed as Zhuifeng and Zhuiyue.

Wind swept past her ears, and Feng Jiu’er couldn’t help but lower her gaze toward the large hand Jiu Qing had resting at her waist.

On the back of that hand was the wound she had bitten into. When he had been setting her ankle, she had felt something pressed to her lips — and without a single thought, she had sunk her teeth right in.

She really had been in tremendous pain at the time.

But she hadn’t known it was his hand — and she had bitten so hard that the skin had been broken and left bleeding.

She was now thoroughly mortified to face him. Yet he didn’t seem to mind, and was still willing to hold her steady for the entire ride. Such kindness was truly not something she could take lightly.

She suddenly recalled something Mu Mu had said the night before — that if she ever found herself in danger, Jiu Qing would not abandon her.

This great wandering hero, Jiu Qing, must be someone who kept his word.

Cold as he appeared, without a trace of warmth, seemingly impossible to get close to —

Yet since he had promised Mu Mu to protect her, when she found herself in danger, he had stepped forward without hesitation.

A person this true to their word was genuinely worth knowing.

“From now on, we’re friends. And if you’re ever in danger, I will never abandon you either.”

The horse was moving at a brisk pace, and the wind in her ears was rather strong. She wasn’t sure whether he had heard her or not.

But even if he hadn’t, these were words Feng Jiu’er meant for herself as much as for him.

The debt of a life saved could never be forgotten. This friendship — she had decided.

The wind continued to sweep past, and she had no idea how much time had passed. Just when Feng Jiu’er was beginning to think Jiu Qing hadn’t heard a word she said, he offered a faint, quiet response: “Mm.”

His voice was as cool and low as ever, and yet in that moment, it carried an inexplicable warmth.

They were friends now, going forward. No matter how solitary his nature, she would not find fault with him for it.

Jiu Qing gave the reins a slight tug. Zhuifeng halted at once, and Zhuiyue following behind stopped just as easily.

“What is it?” Feng Jiu’er raised her head. She saw Jiu Qing staring fixedly at something ahead, and she followed his gaze.

Jiu Qing did not answer. Without warning, he began to undo his outer robe.

“You…” In broad daylight, removing his robe — what was he doing?

Feng Jiu’er was dumbfounded — and the thing was, this man’s physique… Good heavens, what a figure! Those chest muscles were absolutely extraordinary.

But why was he stripping off his clothes in front of her? Was her appetite for such things really so obvious?

It was truly inexcusable — how could she be practically drooling over another man’s body? If Ninth Imperial Uncle found out, he’d surely wring her neck and rage at her for being a lovesick fool!

Jiu’er couldn’t quite explain it herself. His face was genuinely unappealing — one could even say it was quite ugly — and the herbal fragrance clinging to him masked his own natural scent entirely. Yet the aura that radiated off him had a way of drawing people in effortlessly.

It was as though… as though some invisible force were pulling at her, time and again.

Even Feng Jiu’er herself couldn’t understand why she, who had only ever lost her composure in front of Ninth Imperial Uncle, kept finding herself swept away by Jiu Qing’s presence.

“Seen enough?” Jiu Qing’s low, slightly husky voice drifted down from above.

Feng Jiu’er startled. Seen enough? Hadn’t quite — wait, no! That wasn’t it! She had only seen the chest muscles — the abdominal ones were still hidden!

Heavens! What was she thinking?!

“No… I mean, I’m not! I didn’t mean to look at your chest muscles, I just…”

Her face went red, and even she herself felt that she had no shame — what must Jiu Qing think of her? He must be thoroughly disgusted by now.

She truly didn’t mean anything by it. Her heart already belonged to Ninth Imperial Uncle. It was completely impossible for her to develop any interest in another man.

Truly. Absolutely impossible.

But then why had she been practically drooling at the sight of his chest?

“Jiu Qing, I really… Mmph!”

What on earth! He suddenly pressed her head against his chest — and she, caught off guard, ended up with her lips touching those enviable chest muscles!

Ahhh! What was happening?! She was not a shameless woman! Don’t do this!

The man’s wide robe wrapped around her completely, and Feng Jiu’er had no view of anything outside — only a sharp crack reached her ears, as the long sword in Jiu Qing’s hand apparently struck something down.

A hidden projectile! Good heavens! They had walked into an ambush, and she hadn’t sensed it at all — she had been sitting there thinking Jiu Qing had opened his robe to do something to her.

In truth, he was wrapping her inside his robe — was this his method of protecting her?

Then came several more sharp metallic rings, followed by Zhuifeng bursting into a run, with Zhuiyue clattering close behind in pursuit.

Inside the robe, even the sound of wind was muffled away from Feng Jiu’er’s ears.

Beside Jiu Qing, Jiu’er was small in stature, small enough that she had been swallowed entirely within his outer robe.

Outside, all manner of danger raged on, but none of it touched Jiu’er at all. The only thing that reached her was the sound of Jiu Qing’s heartbeat — strong and steady, and somehow… undeniably compelling.

She shifted her position in his arms, resting against his chest, listening to that unwavering heartbeat even as he fought. Before she knew it, a drowsiness began to steal over her.

Jiu’er let out a small yawn and slowly closed her eyes…

Though the ambushers were nothing Jiu Qing couldn’t handle, when the storm had passed and he pulled open his robe to find the girl resting against him, asleep and content — that feeling was, well… indescribable.

She trusted him so completely to keep her safe that she had fallen asleep right there, while he was still fighting off an ambush, while hidden projectiles could have struck her at any moment. She had managed to sleep soundly through all of it.

This girl — he wasn’t sure whether to call her reckless or simply fearless.

Or perhaps she truly had that much faith in him.

The sky gradually dimmed. Zhuifeng slowed its pace through the forest as the curtain of night descended.

He was not familiar with the terrain here — wild mountain forest, unmarked and untamed. After some time, he finally found a cave large enough to shelter them.

The small girl in his arms slept on, undisturbed. Jiu Qing looked down at her for a moment, then gathered her up into his arms, stepped lightly off the horse, and walked toward the cave.