“Feng Jiu’er, what did you just say?” Qiao Mu’s face flushed with agitation. She’d actually gone back on her word! This was too much!

Hadn’t she just agreed a moment ago? And now, after Qiao Mu had sent the letter — she was going back on it?

How could anyone be this unreasonable?

Absolutely infuriating!

“What’s wrong with me? I never said anything about sending Yanu to you.”

Feng Jiu’er looked at her, blinking with an expression of total innocence.

“Yanu is a person, not some object — how can he be sent from one person to another? Doesn’t he have his own will? Wouldn’t you say so?”

“He…” Qiao Mu fell silent.

That was true enough, but — Feng Jiu’er had just… wasn’t that leading her into a trap?

Qiao Mu had a distinct sense of having been played, and the most galling part was that she couldn’t even argue back.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with what Feng Jiu’er had just said.

But… how had she been so utterly foolish! Now she could cry all she wanted, and it would change nothing.

“Look at it this way — I won’t object to you pursuing Yanu. But you absolutely cannot use force. No strongarming him into anything, understood?”

Feng Jiu’er patted her on the shoulder, smiling: “You know, Yanu has no martial arts. If you were to strongarm him… he would have absolutely no means of resistance.”

Strongarm…

Actually, when all other options were exhausted, that didn’t sound entirely without merit.

“Don’t go getting any crooked ideas. If you want to pursue him, pursue him properly. I won’t object — but I won’t help either.”

Watching such a fine, handsome young man walk straight into a tiger’s jaws — choosing not to intervene in sorrow was already generous enough.

Help? Not a chance.

“Hmph. I don’t need your help.”

As long as Feng Jiu’er wasn’t causing trouble and blocking her way, that was enough!

That woman was a menace — if she counted on her for help, Feng Jiu’er would probably swallow Yanu whole herself. Where would that leave her?

“Since you don’t need it, you’ll figure it out on your own! I’m going to find Jiu Qing to spend some time with!”

She was eager to see Jiu Qing. She didn’t quite know why, but among so many people, he was the one she missed the most.

Even in moments of danger, he was the one who came to her mind.

Feng Jiu’er didn’t want to examine too closely what that longing truly meant. She only knew that she missed him — very much.

This was a waystation in Phoenix City. She had heard that Mu Mu planned to stop here for two days before continuing onward — likely to spend some time with the army and manage certain arrangements.

With nothing particular to do, Jiu’er made her way to the back courtyard, but Jiu Qing was nowhere to be seen.

She asked several people, and none of them knew where he had gone.

She felt a little deflated. She truly wanted to see him.

She didn’t know where this sense of longing came from. Perhaps it was because in her most desperate moment, the figure who had descended from above had looked so much like… the Ninth Imperial Uncle.

“Mu Mu?” On her way back from the back courtyard, she encountered the last person she expected to see.

“Aren’t you supposed to be busy at the military camp?” How was he here?

“I…” Mu Mu paused, then said: “I came to check on you first.”

“Check on me? You look completely at ease. Didn’t you say you needed to stay in Phoenix City for two more days?”

If he was this relaxed, then clearly he wasn’t needed here. So why stay? Wasn’t it just two days wasted?

Mu Mu didn’t quite know how to respond. Staying in Phoenix City had its purposes — but those purposes didn’t involve him.

Jiu’er was sharp. Trying to deceive her was not easy.

Before Mu Mu could come up with a suitable reply, Feng Jiu’er suddenly asked: “Where’s Jiu Qing?”

“He went out on some business.”

“How is it that he’s so busy while you’re completely free?” Feng Jiu’er was immediately dissatisfied.

She didn’t quite know what she was dissatisfied about. She only knew that if Jiu Qing was busy, she was displeased.

“He…” Mu Mu was a little reluctant to accept this framing. He was very busy as well, thank you very much!

“Just a few days ago, wasn’t I the one constantly out running errands? The main army — it was me who went and coordinated their arrival here.”

He felt slightly aggrieved. When he had been running himself ragged, she hadn’t seen that at all. Yet now she only had eyes for that other man’s efforts.

“That fellow just went out to meet a friend. You think he was actually doing something important?”

Though it was a bit of a disparaging thing to say, he just couldn’t stand the way that man seemed so elevated in Jiu’er’s eyes.

“He went to see a friend? A person with his personality actually has friends?” Jiu’er murmured, a little reluctant to believe it.

Jiu Qing’s temperament was such that he barely liked to say even half a word. How could he possibly have friends?

“You mean you’d rather not spend time with him yourself?” At least those words offered some comfort.

“Of course not — I actually quite enjoy spending time with him. He’s truly cold, and a total closed book, but once you find the knack of talking to him, the company is actually quite pleasant.”

Mu Mu gave a faint, unconvinced sound.

In this whole world, it was probably only Feng Jiu’er who found that man easy to be around.

“Isn’t he your friend? Why do you keep slandering him?” Really — these fair-weather brothers of hers.

Mu Mu pressed his lips together and said nothing more. Say anything else, and he’d be accused of slandering again.

“Where did he actually go?” Mu Mu turned to walk away, and Feng Jiu’er fell into step behind him.

“I don’t know.” Since they got along so well, couldn’t she just ask him herself?

“What’s the matter with you? You were perfectly fine just now — what are you suddenly in a mood about?” Men were truly unpredictable.

“I am not in a mood.” Was he really so petty?

“Honestly…”

“Go back to your room and sleep.” She had only just woken up, and her face was still pale — yet here she was running around. Did she think she was made of iron?

“I slept so long I can’t sleep again.”

“If you don’t rest properly, when that fellow gets back and sees you, he’ll have something to say about it.”

Mu Mu glanced back at her. Between her brows, beyond the air of frailty, there was a dense layer of exhaustion.

This entire journey — she probably hadn’t rested well at all.

Jiu’er thought it over, and finally gave a small nod, turning toward her room.

After all, it was Jiu Qing who had saved her. If she didn’t recover properly, wouldn’t that be a waste of his efforts on her behalf?

Still — Jiu Qing went to see a friend? She couldn’t bring herself to believe a single word of it.

Something told her that he wouldn’t genuinely have nothing better to do than go wandering out to meet someone.

Especially given that he had promised to protect her. If nothing truly important had come up, he wouldn’t have left her behind on his own.

Jiu Qing must have left for something significant. But what, exactly?

And another thing — now that they had arrived in Phoenix City, why was Mu Mu acting as though he had not a care in the world?

The Ninth Imperial Uncle’s Dragon Martial Army — below the Ninth Imperial Uncle, the one who commanded was Mu Mu.

Mu Mu was second only to one, above ten thousand others.

And yet now, back in Phoenix City, he had nothing to do? The generals here would just let him wander freely?

Unless the Ninth Imperial Uncle himself was in Phoenix City, making Mu Mu’s presence unnecessary.

But the Ninth Imperial Uncle was in the imperial capital, thousands of miles away…

Her thoughts were getting muddled.

Feng Jiu’er pressed her fingers to her temple and decided that rest came first.

When her rest was poor, even her mind stopped working properly.