Jia Fu’s suspicions were confirmed that very night.

The carriage stopped, and a sturdy middle-aged woman climbed aboard, carrying a lamp. Despite the dim light, Jia Fu recognized her immediately. This woman was from the Prince of Yunzhong’s household, surnamed Zhu. She was skilled in martial arts and possessed immense strength—able to defeat one or two ordinary men with ease. Previously, she had served the late Princess and held considerable seniority among the household servants. In her past life, when Jia Fu had just been violated by Xiao Yin Tang and brought back, there was a period when her emotions were very unstable. By then, Xiao Yin Tang was already married, and his wife was Zhang Feng Tong, who later became the Empress. Upon learning that Xiao Yin Tang had secretly kept a woman, she showed no displeasure at her husband taking another woman. When she heard that Jia Fu was not compliant, she came to earnestly persuade her multiple times. To prevent Jia Fu from taking her own life, she had assigned this woman to watch over her for a time.

The woman boarded the carriage and remained silent at first, only secretly glancing at Jia Fu. Seeing that this young girl was indeed breathtakingly beautiful, she recalled the instructions she had received before departing. Knowing that if anything went wrong during the journey, she would likely be unable to account for it upon her return, she decided to intimidate the young girl first to eliminate any thoughts of escape. She hung up the lamp, took out a hard walnut from her sleeve, placed it in her palm, and with a casual squeeze, “crack!” The walnut shattered. Opening her hand with a stern face, she said: “Now that you’re on this carriage, you must behave yourself. If you don’t listen, be prepared to suffer.” Then, switching to a smiling face, she continued, “Of course, young lady, don’t be afraid. When we arrive, you’ll understand that this is a tremendous blessing for you, something others could only dream of. My surname is Zhu, you can call me Mama Zhu. I’ll be taking care of you during our journey.”

Jia Fu huddled in the corner of the carriage, motionless.

After this woman came aboard, the carriage continued forward until deep into the night before stopping again at an inn. Before disembarking, the woman untied the ropes binding Jia Fu’s feet but left her hands bound and the gag in her mouth. She completely covered Jia Fu’s head and face with a large cloak, keeping her surrounded by their group as they entered. At dawn, they set off again.

This group of seven or eight people, disguised as a family of masters and servants traveling, hurried westward with Jia Fu, making no stops. At first, during the day, they sometimes avoided the main roads, deliberately choosing remote, bumpy paths. At night, they stayed in small inns or roadside homes. But after half a month, they switched to the main roads, traveling without hindrance. At night, they lodged in post houses, always staying in the best rooms. The post house managers were extremely respectful to this group, providing attentive and thorough service.

Jia Fu knew they must have entered Yunnan. She figured that after a few more days of travel like this, she would be delivered to the Prince of Yunzhong’s mansion in Wuding Prefecture. Despite this, Mama Zhu hadn’t relaxed her vigilance at all. Although at Jia Fu’s request, she no longer bound her hands and feet at night, she took away Jia Fu’s clothes and placed them under her pillow while sleeping, only returning them when they arose at dawn, to prevent her from escaping while she slept.

After being abducted and taken farther and farther from Quanzhou, Jia Fu had given up on the idea of escaping en route. Even if she were fortunate enough to seize an opportunity to escape, the risks she might face alone on the road would be unpredictable.

The only plan she could think of was the same path from her previous life: find Pei You An as quickly as possible. Only with his help would she have a chance to escape.

She was quite certain that Pei You An should have been in Yunnan these past few years and had an extraordinary relationship with the Prince of Yunzhong. But she didn’t know if he was there at this moment, and she couldn’t ask Mama Zhu, who never left her side day or night, for fear of arousing suspicion.

Jia Fu estimated that they should be nearing Wuding Prefecture. Mama Zhu also seemed eager to arrive early. Today, they had traveled the entire day, continued into the night, and finally stopped.

Based on the experience of these past days, Jia Fu knew they must have reached the post house where they would lodge tonight. Someone from their group would go in first to arrange rooms, and then she would be brought in directly through a side door by Mama Zhu.

Mama Zhu was already very hungry and didn’t want to eat the dry rations they had in the carriage. Seeing that the guard who went inside hadn’t come out yet, she grew impatient, got up, and opened the carriage window, poking her head out to look. Just then, she saw the person coming out and asked, “What’s going on?”

The guard replied, “There’s only one private courtyard inside, and it’s already reserved for someone, though they haven’t arrived yet. I asked the post house manager to give it to us, but he refused!”

“Who is it for?” asked Mama Zhu.

The guard leaned in and whispered something in her ear.

Mama Zhu was startled.

The post house manager had seen their travel documents and knew this group came from the Prince of Yunzhong’s mansion. Although they appeared to be on official business, since they were from the Prince’s household, he didn’t dare to slight them. He had personally followed the guard out and ran up to them with a bow and an apologetic smile: “Madam, even if I had the greatest courage, I wouldn’t dare disrespect you. It’s just truly unfortunate that the private courtyard has been reserved for Master Pei. I do have another superior room with side chambers on both sides. Apart from not having a courtyard, everything else is excellent and very quiet, perfect for your group. Let me show you all in to rest, how about that?”

In the past few days since entering Yunnan, the rooms they had stayed in at post houses were always the best. Even when officials had already checked in, upon learning that people from the Prince’s mansion had arrived, they would invariably give up their rooms.

Mama Zhu was somewhat displeased, but this trip was not meant to attract attention, and she didn’t dare forcibly occupy that person’s room. Plus, she was hungry. Frowning, she said, “Fine, arrange it quickly, and bring hot dishes and rice!”

The post house manager sighed with relief and agreed, just about to make arrangements when Mama Zhu called him back and said in a low voice, “We’ll leave early tomorrow morning. Don’t mention our group to that surname Pei!”

The post house manager didn’t quite understand but repeatedly agreed before running back inside.

Mama Zhu turned and handed the large cloak to Jia Fu, saying, “Get down now.”

Jia Fu took it and silently covered her head and face, saying nothing. But suddenly her heart began to race violently, and her hands trembled slightly, causing her to fail several attempts at fastening her collar.

She had heard clearly when the post house manager mentioned “Master Pei.” To her knowledge, within the sphere of influence of the Prince of Yunzhong, besides Pei You An, there was no second person surnamed Pei who could make this overbearing Mama Zhu from the Prince’s household so cautious.

If she hadn’t guessed wrong, this “Master Pei” was very likely Pei You An.

Throughout this journey, she had thought countless times about how to quickly get a message to Pei You An once they arrived. Unexpectedly, it all came without effort—before even reaching Wuding Prefecture where the Prince’s mansion was located, she had now heard news of Pei You An.

More importantly, tonight they would be staying in the same post house!

Mama Zhu waited beside her, and seeing that she still hadn’t fastened her collar after a long while, gave her a stern look.

Fearing that Mama Zhu would notice something amiss, Jia Fu struggled to steady herself, finally finishing dressing. She softly said, “I’m ready.”

Mama Zhu examined her, pulling the soft hat she wore further forward to cover most of her head and face. Only then did she open the carriage door, getting down first before helping Jia Fu descend.

It was very late in the night. Two lanterns burned in front of the post house gate, displaying the large characters “Chengjiang Prefecture.” A night breeze had risen, causing the lanterns to sway back and forth, casting a dim yellow glow on the ground.

Jia Fu’s legs felt weak. She had just stepped down from the carriage and was steadying herself when Mama Zhu urged her forward. Just at that moment, in the darkness of the night road, the silhouettes of four or five riders appeared. They rode swiftly toward them, creating a clear sound of hoofbeats. Soon, they slowed down near them, passing by the carriage and stopping nearby, no more than ten steps away from Jia Fu. The man in the middle at the front dismounted, handed the reins to his attendant, and walked forward. As he reached the gate, the lanterns illuminated half his profile. Though the light was dim, Jia Fu recognized him at a glance.

Pei You An!

Mama Zhu also recognized him. Never expecting to speak of Cao Cao and have him appear, she didn’t want him to see her group. She immediately pulled Jia Fu back, hiding behind the carriage.

The moment she saw Pei You An, Jia Fu’s blood suddenly boiled, her heart beating uncontrollably. Instinctively, she began to struggle, turning her head about to call out loudly to him, but Mama Zhu grabbed her mouth with one hand and yanked her back. The woman’s eyes flashed with anger as she twisted Jia Fu’s arms behind her. Jia Fu gasped in pain, unable to move.

The woman brought her mouth close to Jia Fu’s ear and hissed in a low voice, “What are you trying to do?”

Jia Fu stiffened.

Even if she continued to struggle and the commotion attracted Pei You An’s attention nearby, Mama Zhu would not give her another chance to speak, let alone allow Pei You An to see her.

Jia Fu stopped struggling.

Pei You An had reached the door, when suddenly he stopped and looked back, seeing an ordinary carriage parked quietly by the roadside, a dark, indistinct shadow.

“Master Pei, you’ve arrived?” The post house manager, seeing him, hurried out to greet him.

Pei You An nodded slightly to the manager, looked back once more, and finally stepped inside.

Mama Zhu only knew that this girl came from Quanzhou, the daughter of a merchant family. She could never have imagined that Jia Fu knew Pei You An, much less that they had such a relationship. However, she was extremely dissatisfied with Jia Fu’s earlier behavior. After bringing her to the room, she didn’t even bother to eat, but fixed her with a gloomy stare: “What were you trying to do just now? I saw you wanted to call out to that person. Do you know him?”

They had been so close, yet she could only watch helplessly as he walked past her.

Having missed the best opportunity, Jia Fu was overcome with immense disappointment. But it wasn’t over yet—if she couldn’t dispel this woman’s suspicions, after tonight, once he had left and she was delivered into Xiao Yin Tang’s hands, who knew when she would have another chance to get a message to him?

Jia Fu cried, “He is my brother! I originally had two brothers, and one got lost when he was little. Just now when I saw that man, I recognized him! There’s absolutely no mistake, he’s my brother who was lost in childhood! Mama, no matter how good that place you mentioned is, I don’t want to go! Please, I just want to go home! I beg you, please be kind and take me to see my brother! I want my brother to take me back to Quanzhou!”

She covered her face, tears streaming through her fingers.

Mama Zhu had been suspicious earlier, but now she snorted in contempt. She thought to herself that this girl was indeed still young, probably raised in seclusion, and somehow caught the Young Master’s eye. Encountering such a situation, she must have been frightened out of her wits during this journey, desperate enough to claim any random person as her brother. Since when had Pei You An become the son of a merchant family from Quanzhou? She sneered, “Young lady, I’ve been more than considerate to you throughout this journey, and I’ve said all the kind words I can. I advise you to stop these wild thoughts. We’ll arrive in two more days. Let me tell you, this is Yunnan, not a place where you can run wild. If you dare cause trouble for me again, be careful of the consequences!”

Jia Fu curled up on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees and sobbing continuously. The woman, having dismissed her suspicions and feeling hungry, ignored her and went to eat first. Halfway through her meal, she glanced sideways at Jia Fu, saw that she had gradually stopped crying and was sitting there in a daze, and called her over to eat.

Jia Fu slowly walked over. The woman looked at her and saw that her eyelids were red and swollen from crying. In the lamplight, it made her appear even more pitifully beautiful. Thinking that if this girl earned the Young Master’s favor in the future, it wouldn’t be good to have offended her too much now, she extraordinarily ladled a bowl of rice herself, pushed it in front of Jia Fu, and said with a smile, “We’ve already reached Chengjiang Prefecture. In two more days, we’ll arrive at our destination. Then you’ll know that what I told you earlier wasn’t the least bit false. This good fortune of yours, countless women in the world would dream of but never attain.”

Jia Fu laughed coldly inside but asked aloud, “May I ask, Mama, where exactly are you taking me?”

Mama Zhu replied, “You’ll know when we get there. Don’t ask.”

Jia Fu said no more, just lowered her head and ate silently. The woman called someone in to clear away the dishes, then ordered water to be brought. After washing hastily, she went out to instruct the guards to take turns keeping watch. Jia Fu, inside the room, could faintly hear her voice: “…we’ll arrive in two days, everyone stays alert! If anything goes wrong at the last minute, none of you can bear that responsibility!”

Traveling all day had been exhausting. Having arranged everything, the woman now wanted to lie down and rest early. Upon returning to the room, she told Jia Fu to undress down to her undergarments, took her clothes and placed them under her pillow, ordered Jia Fu to lie down, and then extinguished the lamp and lay down outside her.

The night deepened, and the post house finally grew quiet. A pale moonlight shone through the window lattice.

Mama Zhu fell into a deep sleep, emitting thunderous snores. Jia Fu slowly opened her eyes, turned her head, and gazed at the blurry silhouette of the woman lying beside her. The thought in her heart grew increasingly strong.

She had stayed in this post house in Chengjiang Prefecture several times with Xiao Yin Tang in her previous life and knew the location of the private courtyard where Pei You An was lodging tonight. When they entered earlier, she had purposely noted the way, which wasn’t far from where she was staying. Once outside, she would only need to cross a long corridor to reach his lodging.

She couldn’t let such an opportunity slip by; she had to try, no matter what. Even if she didn’t succeed, the worst outcome would merely be getting caught by this Mama Zhu and watched more closely.

Jia Fu hesitated no longer. She silently crawled off the bed, circling the sleeping woman’s feet, and got down. Tiptoeing to the table, she found the oil lamp and fire striker, returned to the foot of the bed, held her breath, and slowly poured the lamp oil onto the curtains. After emptying it, she lit the fire striker and held it to the curtains.

The flame ignited and quickly flared upward. Soon, half the curtain was ablaze, then it caught the bed frame. The fire spread with crackling sounds, and the smoke gradually thickened. Mama Zhu slept so deeply, or perhaps was already overcome by the smoke, that she remained lying there, not waking.

Jia Fu covered her mouth and nose, enduring the choking smoke until the fire grew. Then she hastily wrapped the cloak she had grabbed around herself, ran to the door, opened it, and just as she exited, encountered the night guards who had heard the commotion. Jia Fu pointed behind her and said, “There’s a fire in the room! Mama is still sleeping on the bed! Quick, go check!”

The guard rushed to the doorway and, seeing the smoke billowing out and the flames, was startled. He immediately ran inside. Jia Fu instantly turned and dashed away. Just as she reached the corridor, she heard the sound of pursuing footsteps behind her. Another night guard had spotted her and was giving chase.

Jia Fu didn’t look back but ran with all her might toward the courtyard across the long corridor, constantly hoping in her heart that Pei You An was inside—he was inside, and he would open the door himself.

But ultimately, she didn’t make it to the courtyard gate.

With just a small distance left, the guard took a long stride and caught up, blocking her path. Then, from behind, came a series of curses accompanied by violent coughing.

Mama Zhu had caught up too.

“Elder Cousin! Save Ah Fu!”

Jia Fu shouted with all her might toward the direction of the courtyard ahead.

“Gag this little slut’s mouth, quick, take her back!” shouted Mama Zhu, whose eyebrows and hair had been singed black by the fire. She came running up disheveled, coughing while yelling at the guard.

Although the guard had traveled with them for over half a month and knew they were transporting a girl in the carriage, he had never seen Jia Fu’s appearance. Unexpectedly confronted with her now, he was momentarily stunned and hesitated, reaching toward Jia Fu, who screamed and pulled off the shoe that hadn’t fallen off during her run. She threw it at his face, blocking him briefly, then turned and clutched a railing tightly, calling out again: “Elder Cousin—”

The guard, holding the shoe Jia Fu had thrown, was momentarily at a loss. Mama Zhu, beside herself with rage, rushed forward and covered Jia Fu’s mouth with her hand, shouting at the dumbfounded guard, “Hurry up and help!”

The guard came to his senses and hurried over. Just then, the door to the courtyard at the end of the corridor creaked open.

“Release her.”

A voice followed.

It was just a brief sentence of three words, but to Jia Fu, it sounded like heavenly music.

She hadn’t yet clearly seen the person, but she had already recognized the voice.

It was Pei You An’s voice.

He had finally come out!

Jia Fu’s nose stung with emotion. She opened her mouth and bit Mama Zhu’s hand hard. Mama Zhu cried out in pain and let go. Jia Fu immediately released the railing, turned, and ran wildly toward the silhouette in the moonlight, throwing herself at him without reservation, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, never to let go.

“Elder Cousin! Save me…”

She whimpered, raising her face, and opening her tear-filled eyes wide to look up at Pei You An, who was looking down at her.

Pei You An staggered slightly from her impact, not yet having regained his composure. He felt a soft, seemingly boneless body pressed tightly against his own, his waist held in her firm embrace. His entire body involuntarily stiffened, his hands fixed at his sides, unable to move. After a moment’s hesitation, he slowly exhaled and said gently, “Don’t be afraid. Release me first. We can talk about what’s wrong.”