The moment Hua Zhi stepped out of the inn’s front door, she saw Gu Yanxi through the swirling snow, gently patting the head of the black stallion as though murmuring something softly into its ear.

Seeing her, the man smiled, led the horse over to her, and said, “Today, let Shao Yao ride with you.”

Hua Zhi dipped into a curtsy. “Thank you, Master Lu.”

Whether it was a concession on his part or a consideration for her — she was grateful for either.

Gu Yanxi curved his lips, said nothing more, and handed the reins over to her.

On the side, Shao Yao watched with her heart in her throat. Last time she had merely stepped a little closer and been kicked — Hua Zhi did not have her experience of such things…

Why was it that when it came to her, the horse kicked — yet with Hua Zhi it nuzzled and rubbed affectionately? Where was the king of horses’ dignity?

Hua Zhi took the reins and, unable to resist the pull of her fondness, reached out and stroked the horse gently. The coat beneath her hand was sleek and lustrous, the sensation exquisite. Her horsemanship had not been learned here — once, she had a business partner who ran a stable, and she had kept a horse there. When she was worn down or troubled, she would go and ride until the wind carried everything away.

Yet every horse she had ever known was incomparable to the one before her now. There was no single point on which to say the others fell short — the truth was simply that this one surpassed them all.

“Do you like him?”

“A magnificent creature like this — who could resist? Does he have a name?”

“Lin Ying — named on a whim.”

Named on a whim, and yet it was not a name like “Cloud Chaser” or “Moon Pursuer.” Lin Ying — if it came from the verse the full moon falls upon the bow’s shadow, the trailing stars enter the sword’s tip, then it spoke of a man who carried chivalry in his heart. A man of such character would not follow a master who was utterly corrupt. It seemed she need not worry about being made complicit in wrongdoing after all.

Gu Yanxi observed the fondness in her eyes with a quiet smile rising in his own. Women who cherished fine horses were rare enough, and those who could earn Lin Ying’s favor were rarer still. Lin Ying’s temperament — even among the finest horses — was remarkable for its ferocity. He could at most persuade the horse to accept another rider, but he had no power to make Lin Ying display the kind of warmth it was showing now.

He glanced back at Shao Yao, who was both nervous and clearly captivated. The kick she had once received had even been Lin Ying showing mercy. Lin Ying’s fiercer nature was unusual even for a horse of its caliber.

“Mount up. Today’s road is longer than yesterday’s, and the wind and snow are worse — we cannot afford to delay.”

Shao Yao tentatively reached out and touched Lin Ying’s side. Lin Ying snorted but did not kick. Shao Yao’s heart settled at once, and she grinned broadly and stroked the horse a few more times.

“Hua Zhi, you go up first.”

When Hua Zhi stepped into the stirrup and swung herself up, she noticed the saddle was slightly different from the day before — the seat was cushioned and soft, incomparably more comfortable than the hard saddle of yesterday. And there were two sets of stirrups, one for each rider. Without needing to think, she knew whose doing this was. From atop the horse, Hua Zhi inclined her head toward Master Lu.

Gu Yanxi raised an eyebrow, took hold of the horse Hua Zhi had been riding before, and swung himself into the saddle. “Let’s go.”

The further they traveled, the harder the road became. Even when the snow ceased, the cold did not relent in the slightest. Hua Zhi held on steadily throughout, no matter how weary she grew — she made every effort to hold herself with composure. But the six servants brought from the Hua household were beginning to look haggard.

Inside the relay station that evening, Hua Zhi held a cup of hot tea and stared at the map on the table, lost in thought. Three hundred li still lay ahead of them — and yet it felt as distant as if separated by a thousand mountains.

Three deliberate knocks sounded at the door, steady and measured. Master Lu.

Hua Zhi set down the teacup and rose. “Please come in.”

Gu Yanxi entered, took one look at the map on the table, then turned back to push both doors fully open. “Are you worried about the road ahead, or afraid I might lead you the wrong way tomorrow?”

Hua Zhi shook her head, gestured for Master Lu to sit, and said, “How could I distrust Master Lu? It is only that the weather has grown worse by the day. I fear those who came with me may not be able to bear it. Those in the capital — when have they ever seen snow like this? They are not people accustomed to travel and hardship. After all this time on the road, they must be exhausted to their very limits.”

And this was what astonished him most. However frail the Hua household’s servants might be, could they truly be weaker than the eldest young miss of the household? And yet it was plain that even those servants were struggling to hold on — while the young miss reared in the sheltered inner compound sat here, still composed, still worrying about others.

Gu Yanxi thought as much, yet did not voice it. He followed her lead and said, “Has the young miss come to any decision?”

“There are only two or three days of road left. I was thinking — what if we rested here one more day tomorrow, let everyone recover properly, and then set out again. What does Master Lu think?”

“The young miss shows great care for those under her — but has she considered what might happen once a taut string is allowed to go slack?”

They would lose all momentum. Hua Zhi bit her lip lightly. She was not unaware of this — and yet: “A string that is kept taut without release will eventually snap.”

The argument was sound beyond rebuttal. Gu Yanxi gave a nod. “Then perhaps the young miss might go and ask the others — whether they would prefer a day of rest, or to continue on.”

Hua Zhi considered this, then actually went and knocked on the door of the adjacent room — only for it to be the other neighboring room that opened.

“Young Miss.”

She saw the servant inside furiously trying to smooth down his hair. Hua Zhi recalled his name was Dong Zi. “Is everyone gathered in that room?”

“Yes, Young Miss — do you have instructions? Shall I call everyone out…”

“Come inside and talk — it’s cold out here.”

The others who had already edged toward the doorway exchanged glances and filed back in. Shao Yao, who had seemingly appeared from nowhere, darted over and latched onto Hua Zhi’s arm as they entered the room together. Gu Yanxi stood at the doorway with his arms folded across his chest — from the bearing of the people inside, he could already tell what decision they would make.

The Hua Family’s manner of training their household staff was something few families in all the capital could match.

“I had not anticipated snow this severe when we set out. Has everyone been managing all right?”

“If even the Young Miss can manage, how would any of us dare claim to be more delicate than the Young Miss?” Dong Zi, who had finally managed to smooth his hair down, spoke on everyone’s behalf. “In truth, after these past days on the road, we have grown used to it considerably. The Young Miss need not worry about us.”

Shao Yao pulled Hua Zhi down to sit. The servants all took a respectful step back.

Hua Zhi glanced around the room. “Everyone has been exhausted these past days. My thought was that we might rest here for a full day — what do you all think?”

Dong Zi and the others had never imagined the Young Miss would come to ask their opinion. Their hearts gave a startled leap, and they murmured hesitantly, “We defer entirely to whatever the Young Miss decides.”

Hua Zhi smiled. “My inclination is to rest. Master Lu’s view is that once we ease the tension, we will find it harder to rally afterward and the remaining journey will be more grueling. So I have come to ask you all directly — please speak plainly.”

Everyone looked to Dong Zi. This was precisely what they had been discussing just moments ago.

Dong Zi felt his newly smoothed hair threatening to stand on end again. Why did it have to fall to him to speak to the Young Miss? He was nervous too — over these days on the road, they had all come to hold the Young Miss in profound admiration. What young miss of any household could ride through wind and snow across a thousand li the way their Young Miss did? He meant no disrespect to others — but for most of them, managing even a single day of this would have been an achievement.

Hua Zhi followed their gazes to Dong Zi. “Dong Zi — you speak.”

“Yes. We were actually just discussing this very thing. We all agreed unanimously — best to hold onto this last breath of determination and see it through to the end. If that breath goes, I fear I would not be able to get back up again.”

“Then the minority defers to the majority. Rest well tonight — we continue tomorrow.”

“Yes, Young Miss.”