As evening fell, the group found a spot at the foot of a mountain to make camp for the night.

They settled with the mountain at their backs, a flat plain stretching before them, with no wild forest or heavy brush nearby.

Aside from the mountain rising behind them, the bandits had no other position from which to launch a surprise attack.

So Mu Mu, having eaten a few pieces of dried ration, set off with Jian Yi — each leading a unit of men — to take positions at two points on the mountainside, guarding against a night raid by bandits.

Long Eleven and Long Yi each commanded a unit of men to hold the two ends of the flat plain.

The only position left undefended was the river at the front.

This river’s source lay somewhere high in the mountains, flowing down from the heights, so the current ran swift and strong.

Should anyone attempt to wade across and launch a surprise attack, they would in most cases be detected immediately.

With the main force dispersed, the camp grew noticeably quiet.

Feng Jiu’er had just finished taking stock of the remaining provisions with Qiao Mu, and when she returned, she found Yanu collecting tree branches and fashioning something with them.

“Are you making a tent?” Using tree branches for a tent — she hadn’t expected it, but what Yanu was putting together actually looked quite lovely.

“The night may bring rain, and even if it doesn’t, the cold dew settles heavily in the night hours — getting damp is not good.”

Yanu smiled at Jiu’er, his voice gentle. “Don’t worry. It will be ready very soon.”

“You’re making it for me?”

Feng Jiu’er blinked, then immediately shook her head. “No, no, no — Yanu, there’s no need for all this trouble. I don’t need it.”

They were all traveling together, all on the same road — how could she accept this kind of special treatment?

If it rained, there was always the carriage, wasn’t there?

In truth, Jiu’er understood — Yanu was making this to give her a more comfortable place to sleep, and to preserve a little private space for her.

After all, the carriage floor was hard, and sleeping in it was genuinely uncomfortable.

This makeshift tent of woven branches had leaves collected by Yanu spread thickly across its floor — one glance was enough to tell it would be soft.

But this sort of privilege was something Feng Jiu’er truly felt she had no need to enjoy.

“Yanu, stop fussing. Sit down and rest for a while.”

Everyone else was sleeping out under the open sky — they should all face the wind and rain together. Having special treatment only for herself made her feel bad.

“Since this is a kind gesture from Yanu, why refuse? Whatever he gives you, accept it.”

Qiao Mu glared at Feng Jiu’er, highly displeased.

All that hard work Yanu had put into making her this cozy little nest — Qiao Mu didn’t know how envious she felt watching.

But even though it hadn’t been made for her, anything that came from Yanu was something Qiao Mu treasured.

The fruits of Yanu’s labor could not be let Feng Jiu’er simply brush aside like this.

Jiu’er looked at her, nearly unable to hold back from rolling her eyes.

Ever since she had seen Yanu’s true face, this woman had completely become his most devoted admirer.

Whatever Yanu did, in Qiao Mu’s eyes, was right. Everything Yanu did, Qiao Mu could not stand to see rejected by anyone.

Feng Jiu’er let out a breath, and though she couldn’t quite hold it in, she rolled her eyes at Qiao Mu anyway — then turned to look at Yanu.

“All right then. Thank you. Let me go check in with Xuegu first, and I’ll come back in a moment.”

“I’ve made a pot of chicken soup for you. I’ll bring it over when you return. Go ahead.” Yanu said gently.

Feng Jiu’er had the odd feeling that they weren’t on an urgent journey at all — but out on a leisurely excursion through mountains and streams.

She couldn’t imagine how Yanu had managed to prepare everything — chicken soup, pastries — he had all of it.

And meanwhile, what was everyone else eating? Mu Mu and Jian Yi — they had both been gnawing on dried rations just a moment ago.

The brothers really must have had no resentment toward her, and that itself was no small thing.

“All right then. Let me go find Xuegu first.” Feng Jiu’er nodded, moved to leave — but then noticed that Qiao Mu was staring at Yanu without blinking, fixed on his busy figure, with not the slightest intention of budging from the spot.

“Seen enough?” Jiu’er reached out a foot and nudged her on the shin.

“Hm? Seen — haven’t seen enough…” Of course she hadn’t seen enough. But Qiao Mu’s face reddened all the same.

She shot a fierce glare at Feng Jiu’er, then fell into step beside her.

“You undressed Jiuqing yourself today, and I do nothing more than look, yet you call me out — you act and then have the nerve to criticize others!”

“I…” Jiu’er’s face went red in an instant. This matter was, in truth, a stain on her personal history that she wished to forget entirely.

“I only…”

She wanted to explain, but had no idea how to explain.

Her suspicions about Jiuqing were something she absolutely could not tell anyone.

Not because she didn’t trust Qiao Mu — but because the fewer people who knew, the safer it was.

Who could say whether this chatterbox might, in the middle of a dream, blurt it all out in her sleep?

“Forget it. Let’s go check accounts with Xuegu first.”

Feng Jiu’er decided to abandon the topic.

But Qiao Mu stared at her retreating back and muttered to herself, “So secretive — I have no idea what she’s up to.”

To say Jiu’er was betraying the Ninth Prince — Qiao Mu didn’t believe that for a moment.

A man like the Ninth Prince — which girl could bear to betray him?

She liked Yanu now, but that didn’t mean she had ceased to admire the Ninth Prince.

Her feelings for the Ninth Prince were a kind of reverence.

One-sided reverence was naturally never going to amount to anything, so she had long since stopped harbouring hope for it.

Yanu was different. Yanu was someone she could see and touch, someone tangible. Yanu — he was the one with real possibility.

Qiao Mu was a practical person, and what she wanted was a plain, practical life. Everything considered, Yanu was the most fitting person for her.

Of course, on the condition that Yanu was willing.

Xuegu was sitting on a stone not far off, exchanging words with Tuoba Keyan about something.

Seeing Jiu’er and the others coming over, Xuegu spoke first. “You’ve come at the right time. Yan just told me something…”

“About the food supplies.” Tuoba Keyan spread a small ledger open on the stone.

“I went to check just now. Some of the dried meat we brought has spoiled. I’ve kept everything that was still salvageable, but what couldn’t be saved had to be discarded.”

They were not only pressing on through the journey — they also had to be ready for the forces that kept attacking them. If the brothers ate spoiled dried meat and fell ill, they might not be able to hold off a bandit raid when it came.

On this point, Jiu’er was in full agreement. But… “Is the remaining food enough to get us through this mountain range?”

“It isn’t.” Even traveling only along the outer edge of the range, the journey would take at least five or six days.

Five or six days — at the rate they were currently consuming supplies, it truly would not be enough.

“Back at the river just now — weren’t there quite a few fish?”

“Even if we caught them, it might not be enough to feed everyone. Our people went to try earlier — the current is too strong. They couldn’t catch a single one.”

Jiu’er looked down, deep in thought.

Qiao Mu said, “There’s no dense forest anywhere nearby either. Everywhere is open flatland — there probably aren’t many game birds or animals either.”

This was exactly what troubled Tuoba Keyan most. He pulled out the terrain map and held it open for them.

“Look — we’re traveling along the outer edge of the mountain range. Essentially, the whole way will be terrain like this, all flat ground.”

Qiao Mu and Feng Jiu’er exchanged a glance. If it was flat terrain the entire route, there truly would not be much in the way of game.

The food was running out. What were they to do?