Seeing Feng Jiu’er ignore her and keep eating, Gong Xing’er could only turn to look at her own sister.

“Sister.” After a moment, she called out.

“Jiu’er, did she agree?”

“Jiu’er likes pretty people — do you think you’re pretty?” Qiao Mu asked, swallowing a mouthful of rice.

Gong Xing’er looked at Qiao Mu, then at Feng Jiu’er, then back at Qiao Mu.

“Xing’er isn’t pretty. Jiu’er and Sister Qiao Mu are the pretty ones.”

“No, I think Xing’er is prettier than Qiao Mu,” Long Shiyi said, standing up with his bowl.

“Really?” Gong Xing’er looked up at Long Shiyi and touched her own face. “But I think Sister Qiao Mu is still prettier.”

Long Shiyi ladled himself a bowl of soup and sat back down, glancing at Gong Xing’er.

“You’re prettier. Really.” He tossed out the line, then withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to drink his soup.

Long Shiyi drank down his second bowl of soup in one go before he noticed two gazes sweeping over him from across the table.

He looked up, and sure enough, met two different pairs of eyes.

“What are you looking at me for?” Long Shiyi’s brow furrowed slightly.

Feng Jiu’er withdrew her gaze, looked at Qiao Mu, and let out a “pfft,” bursting into laughter.

“Nothing.” She patted Qiao Mu’s shoulder lightly.

“Don’t hold it against Long Shiyi — I think a man like him would just naturally like the cute type, like Xing’er.”

Qiao Mu shot Long Shiyi a look and said flatly, “Am I really that petty? I wouldn’t hold it against him.”

“Besides, Xing’er really is pretty — sweet, adorable, gentle.”

“Right, Xing’er is also a bit more gentle,” Long Shiyi nodded, agreeing with Qiao Mu.

“Thank you, Brother Long Shiyi.” Gong Xing’er nodded at Long Shiyi, then turned back to look at Qiao Mu.

“Sister Qiao Mu, actually you’re very pretty too. I really admire heroines like you and my sister, and Sister Jiu’er.”

“I hope I can be like you all someday.”

Qiao Mu looked up, meeting that innocent gaze, and waved a hand.

“As long as you work hard, anyone can be. Hurry up and eat — you need a full stomach to have strength for work.”

“Mm-hmm.” Gong Xing’er nodded and put the chicken leg in her hand into her mouth.

The topic passed, and everyone began eating, the room falling quiet.

After finishing one chicken leg, Gong Xing’er picked up another for herself.

She sucked on her fingers, picked up her chopsticks, and placed one in Long Shiyi’s bowl.

“Brother Long Shiyi, eat this.”

“Thank you.” Long Shiyi took the chicken leg and, in return, placed a piece of pork knuckle in Gong Xing’er’s bowl.

“Eat this — this gives you strength, no getting tired from work!”

“Thank you.” Gong Xing’er picked up her bowl and took the meat Long Shiyi gave her.

“Today, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

“Why stand on ceremony?” Long Shiyi tossed out the line casually and buried his head in his food.

Gong Xing’er also grabbed her pork knuckle with her hands and lowered her head to gnaw at it.

The two of them, it couldn’t be said their movements were identical — only that they were exactly the same.

The other four, besides eating, kept glancing up now and then at the two young ones.

Seeing the smile at the corners of Feng Jiu’er’s mouth, Gong Xinyue smiled too.

Hopefully — if Xing’er could be brought along, she’d have nothing more to worry about.

Feng Jiu’er watched Long Shiyi and Gong Xing’er, feeling quite pleased.

After eating for a while, she used her leg under the table to kick Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu stopped what she was doing and looked up at her.

Feng Jiu’er smiled faintly, glanced toward Long Shiyi and Gong Xing’er, and arched her crescent brows.

“A pair of little rascals?” Qiao Mu glanced at the two of them as well, tossing out the words lightly.

Feng Jiu’er kicked Qiao Mu again: “It’s a talented man and a beautiful woman — can’t you use better words?”

“Stop being so single-minded about playing matchmaker!” Qiao Mu shot Feng Jiu’er a look.

“Xing’er is still a child, and Long Shiyi never grows up either — do you want to take them in? Or help them raise children?”

Feng Jiu’er nudged Qiao Mu’s arm with her elbow.

“I want to have children with you and my third brother — when will that happen?”

“You’d better just take in Gong Xing’er.” Qiao Mu glanced at her and ignored her after that.

After the midday meal, it was already the hour of Shen, and instead of resting, everyone headed straight out the door.

Feng Jiu’er hadn’t expected that even after the money was paid and the equipment prepared, they’d be told they needed to be blindfolded to enter the forest.

Since it had come to this, there was nothing to do but comply.

Once everyone in the carriage had been blindfolded, the carriage began to move.

With her eyes covered, Gong Xing’er leaned against Long Shiyi and quickly fell asleep.

The carriage was very quiet inside; outside, only the sound of horse hooves could be heard.

Besides the coachman, there were two horses flanking the carriage, each ridden by a tall man.

Whether it was for escort or to prevent those inside from peeking out was unclear.

Once the carriage started moving, Feng Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, Gong Xinyue, Jian Yi, and Long Shiyi all held their breath in silence.

They traveled a stretch of smooth road, then the road grew bumpier.

Gong Xing’er seemed to be sleeping soundly; with each bump, her body swayed back and forth.

Long Shiyi reached out both arms and gathered her into his embrace.

Gong Xing’er, as if unaffected, gave a soft murmur and fell back into deep sleep.

After roughly three quarters of an hour, the carriage finally came to a stop.

“All right, we’ve arrived.” It was the coachman speaking.

Perhaps thinking those inside had fallen asleep, the coachman called out again.

“Honored guests, we’ve arrived, we’re in the forest now.”

Standing on the ground, the coachman saw someone lift the curtain to get out and greeted them with a smile.

“Please! Careful! The road here isn’t easy to walk.”

“Gong Xing’er, we’re here, wake up quickly.” As everyone got out of the carriage, Gong Xinyue’s voice could be heard.

Feng Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, and Jian Yi got out first, and soon Gong Xinyue helped down a drowsy Gong Xing’er.

Long Shiyi, the last to get out, also helped support Gong Xing’er.

“Honored guests, look, this is the forest — four horses, six bows.” The coachman turned to look at the group.

“Are you sure you don’t need an escort? Since you’ve come all this way, we won’t even raise the price — we’ll cut the previously agreed price in half, how about it?”

“Not needed.” Long Shiyi let go of Gong Xing’er and went to take a bow.

“You can just wait here. I can protect my own family myself.”

The coachman glanced at the swords the group carried at their waists and said nothing more.

“Very well, take care of yourselves. If you truly run into danger, fire off a signal flare.”

Qiao Mu nodded and waved a hand.

The coachman stepped back and added, “Before nightfall, you must come out. We’ll only wait until the hour of Xu, then we’ll leave.”

No one said anything more. Carrying their bows and arrows, they mounted the horses.

The two men each rode one horse; Feng Jiu’er and Qiao Mu shared one; Gong Xinyue and Gong Xing’er shared one.

The cost here was simply too high — saving on two horses meant they could eat better later.

Long Shiyi walked ahead holding the map, with the others following.

Soon they entered the depths of the jungle; all around, aside from the rustling sounds of wildlife, there was no sense of human presence.

“Jiu’er.” Long Shiyi, walking ahead, slowed his pace and turned back.

“Which direction do you think we should start searching in?”