Was this a case of misfortune turning into fortune?

A fierce storm, an unexpected accident — yet it had awakened this sleeping beauty who had slumbered for three days and three nights.

By now, the winds had calmed and the waves had stilled. The ship had been repaired and was sailing steadily in its intended direction.

Zhao Yusheng was still outside, keeping watch on the path ahead.

Feng Jiu’er had changed into clean, dry clothes and sat on the bed wrapped in a quilt, drinking hot broth.

Jiuqing was present, his long hair still dripping with water, yet his face had long since returned to its composed calm. At this moment, he stared at her without blinking.

Mu Mu, after watching her for a good while, left together with Jian Yi to go help the brothers clean up the aftermath.

Yanu stood by her side, personally feeding Feng Jiu’er her broth.

This time, Qiao Mu noticed Yanu attending to Feng Jiu’er and, surprisingly, felt no jealousy at all.

She could not help it — the fact that Feng Jiu’er had woken up was already enough to make her thank the heavens. How could she possibly feel jealous?

From the moment Feng Jiu’er woke up until now, she had not said a single word, and Qiao Mu was actually a little worried.

Once Feng Jiu’er finished the entire bowl of hot broth, Qiao Mu asked tentatively, “Feng Jiu’er, can you… still speak?”

Every gaze in the room fell upon her. Qiao Mu felt a chill run through her entire body, deeply uncomfortable.

She blinked, looking utterly innocent. “What? I… just wanted to make sure she… could still open her mouth.”

Feng Jiu’er merely glanced at her and said nothing.

Yet everyone began to wonder — could Feng Jiu’er… truly still speak?

From the moment she had untied the cloth herself and walked out, to now, she really did not seem to have said a single word.

Could it be that her throat… truly had a problem?

“What sort of… look is that?” Feng Jiu’er’s throat did indeed have a problem — not that she could not speak, but rather, having gone so long without speaking, her throat now ached and felt constricted.

Everyone let out a breath of relief. Qiao Mu could not help rolling her eyes. “I thought you had turned mute.”

Feng Jiu’er could not be bothered to pay her any attention. Let her try being unconscious for three days and three nights and see whether she could move freely and speak in a voice as sweet as an oriole the moment she woke up.

“Take good care of her.” After confirming that Feng Jiu’er was fine, Jiuqing turned and walked out.

Feng Jiu’er watched his retreating figure. In truth, she very much wanted to drive all the idle people out of the cabin and speak privately with her Ninth Imperial Uncle for a few words.

But the people here did not know that he was the Ninth Imperial Uncle.

Under the identity of Jiuqing, it was indeed unsuitable to linger too long in her cabin.

After all, they were neither relatives nor kin — at most, they could be considered friends.

Moreover, there were still many brothers busy outside, and it would be difficult to justify him remaining here.

“All right, let Feng Jiu’er rest a while longer. Let us not trouble her.”

Xuegu wanted to create an opportunity for Feng Jiu’er and Jiuqing to spend some time alone. As for Jiuqing’s feelings, she was not certain — after all, men’s thoughts were difficult to fathom.

But this girl Feng Jiu’er, the way she gazed at Jiuqing with such longing eyes, as though she could barely stop herself from throwing herself at him — surely she, as an elder, could see that clearly enough?

“Wait a moment.” Feng Jiu’er pushed away Yanu’s bowl and looked at Xuegu. “Have Mu Mu come over. There are some matters I need to ask him about.”

What Feng Jiu’er wished to ask Mu Mu about was the information that had been delivered by the people from the World’s First Manor that day.

“This route is nothing short of certain death. How could Master Lanyue have directed me down such a treacherous path?”

This had been the question weighing on Feng Jiu’er’s heart for the past several days. Ever since they had entered the Stone Forest, she had felt a faint sense that something was wrong.

Even formidable fighters like Mu Mu, Jiuqing, and Jian Yi had lost all sense of direction inside the Stone Forest. Where did her uncle find the confidence to believe her group could definitely make it through?

One moment of carelessness, and all of them could very well have perished on this road. Uncle would never try to harm her like this — Feng Jiu’er absolutely refused to believe it.

“Among the terrain maps they brought, there was Master Lanyue’s seal.” Even now, thinking back on it, Mu Mu found the whole affair somewhat strange.

He knew that Master Lanyue and Feng Jiu’er shared a deep friendship, and the old gentleman had even taken Feng Jiu’er as his adopted granddaughter.

But now, looking back with a clear head, he realized he had truly been deceived!

If they had truly been people from the World’s First Manor, why would they have delivered the terrain map to them only at that particular moment?

“I was far too careless!”

In truth, after entering the Stone Forest and coming to understand just how treacherous it was, he had already begun to suspect whether those people he had seen were truly representatives of the World’s First Manor.

But they had already entered by then — doubting it at that point seemed to serve no purpose whatsoever.

The only option was to press on and get out first, then reconsider the matter at length.

He had not expected that they would truly make it to the Black Abyss and actually find the path leading to the Feng Clan.

Yet the dangers and hardships along the way were not something ordinary people could endure. As with the storm and enormous waves they had just faced — they had lost several brothers in it.

“If it was not someone from the World’s First Manor, then I believe that apart from that Consort in the Imperial Palace, there is likely a powerful force working against us from the shadows.”

When Feng Jiu’er mentioned the Consort in the palace, Xuegu’s expression flickered almost imperceptibly, settling into a slight darkening.

She said in a low voice, “That person… may not necessarily be acting against you.”

“Xuegu, what are you saying?” Qiao Mu tilted her head and looked at her. Xuegu had spoken so softly that she had not caught the words clearly.

Everyone looked toward Xuegu. Only then did Xuegu raise her head to meet Feng Jiu’er’s gaze.

She said, “It is nothing. I was only thinking about who exactly is working against us from the shadows.”

“But Feng Jiu’er has only just woken up, and her body is still quite weak. Perhaps it would be better for her to lie back down and rest a while longer.”

“I will stay and keep watch over Feng Jiu’er,” Yanu said gently.

Qiao Mu would naturally have preferred to stay and watch over her herself, but there was still a great deal of physical work to be done outside. Thinking it over, she decided it was better to leave Yanu here.

At the very least, she would not have to go outside and suffer.

Tonight, several brothers had fallen into the Black Abyss and would never return, and Qiao Mu’s heart was still heavy with grief.

It was better to let Yanu stay here — going outside would mean danger.

Though this place was called the Black Abyss, it was in truth an open sea. Once a person fell into the sea, the chance of returning was desperately slim.

“Zhao Yusheng is still checking the ship’s hull. I’ll go out first and see if I can lend a hand.”

Things had come to this pass because of Mu Mu’s error, yet he did not torment himself with excessive guilt over it.

After all, they had already come this far — the only thing to be done now was to make it up going forward.

Self-pity and remorse served no purpose whatsoever.

Feng Jiu’er nodded and leaned back against the headboard.

Yanu immediately fetched a soft pillow and helped her recline against the side of the bed.

Having slept so long, Feng Jiu’er had no desire to sleep further, but sitting upright for too long was indeed quite tiring.

Qiao Mu and Xuegu left as well — the deck was still in considerable disarray and needed to be properly sorted out.

After lying down, Feng Jiu’er looked at Yanu keeping watch at her bedside, and let out a quiet sigh.

Having walked once to the very gates of death and come back, one could not help feeling a deep sense of melancholy upon waking. One always felt that life was unpredictable — and that one ought to seize joy while one could.

“Yanu, what do you think of Qiao Mu?” she asked.

Yanu paused for a moment before answering, “She is quite good.”

“Do you like her?” Though asking so directly was rather impolite, she and Yanu were already so familiar with each other that some things no longer required roundabout phrasing.

She smiled and said, “I know that Qiao Mu likes you very much.”