Feng Jiu’er lowered her gaze and glanced at the head resting against her shoulder, then lightly raised an eyebrow.

“Whether you’ve truly missed me or missed Xing Zizhou — can a few days apart really leave you this sentimental?”

Xiao Yingtao pulled her head back and gave the young woman a sidelong look.

“I haven’t been thinking about him at all. By the way — where is Mu Mu? Where have you put Mu Mu?”

“Mu Mu is in Ming City — it wasn’t my doing; it was an arrangement made by the Ninth Imperial Uncle.” Feng Jiu’er said quietly.

A brother lifted the tent flap and walked in, carrying a tray with a pile of steamed buns.

“Miss Jiu’er, please, eat!” He set the buns down on the table, looked at Feng Jiu’er, smiled, and gave a wave of his hand.

“Good.” Feng Jiu’er gave a nod, picked up her chopsticks, and speared a bun to take a bite.

“You all eat too.” She swept a look around at the few people before her.

“I’ve already eaten — you all take your time. I’ll step out first.” The brother nodded and turned to leave.

Feng Jiu’er nodded and promptly bit into the bun.

For such a small mouth, she bit off nearly half a bun in one go, eating with what was almost undisguised relish.

Watching her in such an unguarded, disheveled state, Xue Gu exhaled a quiet sigh and poured her a cup of tea.

Feng Jiu’er accepted the tea and drank half the cup, then picked up a second bun.

Jian Yi said nothing, picked up a bun, and gnawed off half in one bite.

Xiao Yingtao looked at the two of them in surprise for a moment, then quietly asked, “You two — neither of you has eaten at all?”

Jian Yi still said nothing; in the blink of an eye he had already picked up his second bun.

Feng Jiu’er glanced at him, and the corner of her mouth curved up slightly.

“It seems I’ve been neglecting our great hero Jian Yi’s stomach. Xue Gu, is there any meat? Have a brother bring some for Jian Yi.”

They had been going without pause since one o’clock in the morning, and it was now nearly twenty-four hours later.

She had not managed to eat anything in between, and had not stopped to check whether Jian Yi had found anything to eat either.

Looking at the color of his face right now, he must not have slipped away to find food on his own while she was not looking — truly unfair to him.

“Bring some for her as well.” Jian Yi said in a low voice.

Xue Gu then understood the full picture of what had happened, rose, and walked out.

“Jiu’er — you two really went the entire day without eating?” Xiao Yingtao asked softly.

“Yes.” Eating hot steamed buns, Feng Jiu’er’s complexion visibly improved. “You eat too — come with me later to check on the brothers.”

“I’m not hungry.” Xiao Yingtao shook her head and stood to pour tea for Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi.

A short while later, Xue Gu brought in a bowl of braised meat, and on the tray alongside it, two bowls of thin rice porridge.

Catching the fragrance of meat, Feng Jiu’er set down the bun she had just picked up, took a bowl of porridge, and added a piece of meat to it.

Jian Yi glanced at her sideways, picked up the bun she had put down, and took another bite of it, before casually lifting his bowl of plain porridge to his lips.

Feng Jiu’er truly stood on no ceremony — plain porridge with braised meat was her absolute favorite.

A sip of broth, then a bite of meat; every trace of the whole day’s exhaustion was almost entirely swept from her mind.

Youth had its advantages — the body recovered quickly.

From start to finish, Jian Yi did not eat a single piece of meat. He drank his porridge, gnawed at half a bun.

When he was about to drink down the last bit of porridge, Feng Jiu’er picked up the largest piece of meat from her bowl and placed it in his.

“I can’t finish it — let’s share.”

She gave Jian Yi a small smile and withdrew her gaze, returning to her porridge and meat.

He looked at her, then looked at the meat placed in his porridge; Jian Yi did not stand on ceremony either, and picked up his chopsticks to take the wonderfully fragrant piece of meat.

“Don’t wear yourself down like this in the future.” Xue Gu said, with a trace of tenderness in her voice.

“I know, Xue Gu.” Feng Jiu’er smiled and gave a nod.

After a proper meal, not only did Feng Jiu’er’s energy lift noticeably — even the color in Jian Yi’s face improved considerably.

With Xiao Yingtao leading the way, the three of them made a round of the encampment — and by the time they finished, it was already the third of the early morning hours.

“Jiu’er — come rest in my tent for a while. I’ll have the brothers arrange a place for Jian Yi to sleep.”

The deep night of late autumn and early winter was bitterly cold. Even with tents pitched all around, the cold wind howled through, and it was almost impossible not to shiver.

“We still need to make our way to the north gate and check on things there. You and Xue Gu hold your post here.”

“Jiu’er — won’t you really take even a short break first?” Xiao Yingtao looked at Feng Jiu’er, her shapely brows knitting slightly.

Most people would not have noticed, but she had followed Jiu’er for long enough — she knew full well that Jiu’er had stifled more than a few yawns.

“No.” Feng Jiu’er shook her head. “If I don’t go see for myself what things are like over there, I won’t be at ease — resting here would just be wasting time.”

“Jiu’er.” Xiao Yingtao frowned and quickened her steps to catch up. “Even just one hour of rest — one hour, then set out.”

“Go back.” Feng Jiu’er swept a glance at the people following along behind her. “I’m fine — resting once I get there is just the same.”

“How could it possibly be the same? Xing Zizhou said — from here to the north gate, even riding hard, it takes at least two hours. I’m worried about you…”

“My body is perfectly strong.” Feng Jiu’er cut off Xiao Yingtao’s words.

“Fine — then I’m coming with you.” Xiao Yingtao stepped ahead of Feng Jiu’er. “Yamu City has already surrendered anyway; this place can be left to Xue Gu.”

She had at least rested during the first half of the night; Jiu’er had been busy the entire time, without even a moment to eat, and certainly without any proper rest.

And besides — she genuinely could not bear to part from Jiu’er. She truly, truly could not bear it.

Looking back at the brothers following at a distance, Xiao Yingtao’s voice sounded again: “Tell Xue Gu that I’m seeing Jiu’er off to the north gate.”

“Of course, Miss Xiao Yingtao. Miss Jiu’er, please take care of yourself as well.” A brother responded quietly.

The brother had a rough sense of Feng Jiu’er’s situation.

Miss Jiu’er had handled things at the Nanmen Manor, then came straight here without a moment’s rest — and now was heading off to the north gate. It was as if she did not know the meaning of exhaustion.

Many of the brothers were moved by it, and ached for her — but none of them were accustomed to putting such feelings into words.

“Xiao Yingtao, I really am fine.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice sounded again.

“I’ve been thinking of Xing Zizhou — I want to go find him. Is that allowed?” Xiao Yingtao met Feng Jiu’er’s gaze and smiled with a hint of mischief.

Blinking, she pressed on: “Jiu’er, is that all right? Everyone is safe for now, aren’t they?”

Feng Jiu’er gave the figure striding ahead of her a sidelong look and narrowed her eyes slightly.

“At least go back and brief Xue Gu yourself.”

“Alright.” Xiao Yingtao gave an enthusiastic nod and broke into a run back the way they came. “Wait for me — I’ll be right back!”

Xiao Yingtao was not unaware that she was being a little unreasonable — but they had only just been reunited, and she truly could not bring herself to part from Jiu’er.

Fortunately, Jiu’er had agreed.

As long as she agreed, it meant that whether or not she was here, it would not make much of a difference.

Xiao Yingtao had barely been inside the tent a moment when she emerged to find that Feng Jiu’er and Jian Yi on horseback had already ridden some distance away.

“You two…” She looked toward the distance for a moment, then immediately rushed over and swung herself up onto her horse in one light leap.

“Jiu’er, wait for me — you said you would! You’re going back on your word!”