Feiyu raised her eyebrows at her, showing no embarrassment or annoyance, and said leisurely, “So what if I am jealous?”
“Alright, I know you women have strong possessive instincts. You don’t like your attention being divided and given to others. But didn’t you also deliberately provoke me?” Tie Ci coaxed, “Don’t worry, it’s just childhood friendship, nothing more. I’m not cut-sleeve.”
The first half of the sentence made Feiyu smile slightly, and she was about to ask “So, were you upset?” when she heard the second half. Her expression suddenly darkened.
At that moment, Tie Ci heard coughing from next door and turned to look, not noticing the change in Feiyu’s expression. When she turned back, she saw Feiyu suddenly throw herself backward, pulling the blanket over her head, lying stiff and motionless as if asleep.
Both amused and exasperated, Tie Ci rubbed her temples and walked over, grabbing the blanket to wrap Feiyu up and carry her back to her own room. But when she pulled, it wouldn’t budge. Looking closer, she saw that Feiyu was gripping the edge of the bed platform.
Tie Ci had been annoyed with her all day and really didn’t want to argue. The inn bed was small and couldn’t fit two long-legged people, so Tie Ci had to curl up pitifully on the couch by the south window. Feiyu sprawled spread-eagle on her bed, and somehow, seeing that she had given up the bed made her even angrier.
Someone knocked on the door—it was Li Zhi from downstairs, bringing a book up to ask for guidance. Li Zhi had always been diligent in his studies, but when he knocked and opened the door, before he could say much, he saw Feiyu’s burning glare and immediately felt he had come at a very inappropriate time, quickly taking his leave.
Tie Ci looked at the sky outside, thinking it seemed to be leaking like a sieve. The Sanbai River in Dongming County was one of the main rivers of Haiyou, with thousands of households upstream and downstream—they couldn’t afford to suffer disaster.
Feiyu on the bed had her back to her. Tie Ci appreciated the silhouette of the courtesan’s slender waist and long legs, feeling both frustrated and satisfied as she went to sleep.
Tie Ci didn’t sleep well. In the middle of the night, she turned over and the blanket fell off. In her drowsy state, she saw someone approaching and thought the courtesan had come to cover her with the blanket—though the courtesan was temperamental, her heart was still with her.
But she felt the courtesan didn’t pick up the blanket at all, and even kicked it aside with her foot, turning to climb onto the couch and embrace her.
Tie Ci was just thinking this crazy beauty really acted without any pattern when she suddenly felt her mind go black and sank deeply into sweet dreams.
On the couch, Feiyu held her, slowly resting her chin on her shoulder, and suddenly let out a soft laugh.
This laugh was quite sweet and clear in the quiet night. Gu Xiaoxiao next door, who was still tossing and turning, heard it, rolled her eyes and turned over, muttering, “Showing off or what? Haha, silly woman! You’ll know later, you’ll have plenty to suffer!”
…
Tie Ci rarely had dreamless deep sleep, but in this rare peaceful chaos, she suddenly felt earth-shaking tremors.
Then her mind cleared, and she opened her eyes abruptly. Everything was pitch black before her, and she heard Feiyu urgently whisper in her ear, “Get up! Enemy!”
Tie Ci sat up suddenly. The moment she sat up, the short knife and jade pen from under her pillow were already at her waist, while Feiyu had already risen, standing barefoot with her blade by the door.
Tie Ci listened quietly and from the sounds of sudden rain and fierce wind, she heard extremely subtle sounds of clothing rustling in the wind.
The next instant, these sounds became much clearer!
Tie Ci looked up sharply.
This speed!
The opponent was an absolute master!
With a flash, she was also at the door, flanking Feiyu on the left and right.
The wind sound overhead suddenly stopped.
No shadow appeared on the window paper screens.
Tie Ci and Feiyu suddenly looked up in unison and each slid three steps apart.
The next moment, with a thunderous crash, the skylight above shattered and a black shadow plummeted down.
As soon as the black shadow fell, it grabbed at the air mid-flight. With a sharp tearing sound, it literally tore apart the soft couch under the south window!
Tie Ci’s heart jumped, thinking that if she had still been sleeping there, she would have been the one torn apart by that grab.
The falling figure was quite large, short and fat, but didn’t seem to react very quickly. He landed with a thud on the torn couch, only then discovering no one was on it, and actually let out a very loud “Huh?” in surprise.
Before his questioning sound finished, blue light flashed in the darkness accompanied by white lightning. Both Tie Ci’s and Feiyu’s killing strikes arrived simultaneously.
At that moment, lightning crackled across the sky, brightening the entire room for an instant. Tie Ci and Feiyu vaguely saw a crude mask on the man’s face, while he looked at them and his gaze contracted.
The next instant, he swung his hand, and half of the couch surface flew up, blocking both Tie Ci’s jade pen and Feiyu’s blade. His whole body rolled behind the couch and crashed through the south window with a thunderous sound, disappearing into the rain curtain.
When Tie Ci and Feiyu rushed over to look, they could only vaguely see the figure bouncing like a cannonball across the rooftops as it fled into the distance.
Truly an agile fat man.
Tie Ci and Feiyu exchanged glances.
This assassin’s arrival was inexplicable, and his departure even more abrupt and puzzling.
He attacked with murderous intent, clearly going for the kill. After one failed attempt, despite clearly having exceptional martial arts and being capable of continuing the fight without fear of pursuit, he turned and fled.
Thinking back to that moment, Tie Ci felt the fat man had turned to leave the instant he saw their faces.
Could he be an acquaintance?
But why would an acquaintance suddenly come to assassinate them?
Unable to figure it out, she turned to look at Feiyu, who happened to be looking at her as well. After a long silence, Tie Ci suddenly said, “I’ve never asked you—your martial arts are clearly not weak, so why did you go to a brothel, and why did you hide your martial abilities before?”
Feiyu smiled, “I know you’ve been wondering for a long time. Why wait until today to ask?”
Tie Ci said slowly, “I felt that if someone conceals and disguises things, they must have their difficulties. Since that’s the case, I’d wait for you to be willing to tell me yourself.”
“Then why ask tonight?”
“Because I suddenly thought that if, as friends, we turn a blind eye to obvious things and maintain avoidance, doesn’t that also represent being distant and cold?”
Maintaining perfect boundaries could itself be seen as insufficient concern and care.
Night wind carried rain toward them. Feiyu pulled her away from the window, saying, “Don’t be a target… Then let me ask you first, do you also have things you’re hiding from me?”
Tie Ci said frankly, “Yes. But you haven’t asked either.”
“Then why can’t you take the initiative to tell me?”
Tie Ci fell silent.
Because she was afraid.
Before figuring out Feiyu’s identity, she didn’t dare reveal her own identity. She didn’t even dare clarify her gender.
Her identity was too special—to some extent, she could say she had enemies throughout the world. She was afraid that if Feiyu came from a hostile noble family, then they couldn’t even be ordinary friends.
After a while, she laughed with feigned openness, “Are we going to go in circles about this question all night?”
Feiyu chuckled and said, “You speak first, then I’ll speak.”
Tie Ci said somewhat defiantly, rolling her eyes, “You speak first, then I’ll speak.”
The two looked at each other and turned their heads away.
After a while, Feiyu stomped over to the bed and climbed on to sleep.
People were knocking outside the door—they’d been knocking for a while. Gu Xiaoxiao, Li Zhi, Chi Xue, and Dan Shuang were all there. Tie Ci called out that everything was fine and told them to go back to sleep.
Looking at her couch that could no longer be slept on and the leaking skylight, Tie Ci first dutifully threw half the couch board up to temporarily block the skylight, then decided to go squeeze in with Chi Xue.
As she passed the bed, a hand suddenly reached out from the bed and pulled her onto it. Feiyu’s muffled voice came from under the blanket, “Where are you going? Are you going to sleep with that fake-innocent little vixen? Are you just going to abandon me like this? Aren’t you afraid the assassin might return?”
Tie Ci thought to herself: The assassin’s attack broke the soft couch, so he was probably after me. What are you pretending to be pitiful for?
With this thought, her heart stirred and she glanced outside.
Though she inwardly scoffed, she was still somewhat worried. She had no choice but to lie down, pulling over half the blanket while casually saying, “What sleeping with a little vixen? I’m going to squeeze in with Chi Xue.”
Feiyu suddenly threw off the blanket and sat up, exclaiming in shock and anger, “You’re even sleeping with servants! You’ve already taken a maid as your bed-warmer!”
Tie Ci: “…”
This life was unbearable!
…
The night passed. Later, Feiyu was quite well-behaved, only fighting over the blanket. When she got it, she’d wrap herself up and sleep in the corner. When she couldn’t get it, she’d hug Tie Ci through the blanket as a substitute and sleep in the corner. When Tie Ci woke up in the morning, her head ached—from being pressed against the hard wooden bed edge all night.
This child—usually arrogant and playful on the surface, but deep down, very insecure indeed.
At breakfast, seeing that the rain had finally lessened somewhat, Gu Xiaoxiao had recovered a bit, and adding the assassin incident from last night, Tie Ci decided they should continue their journey.
The carriages Tie Ci and her group used were all custom-made from Master’s merchant houses nearby through Second Senior Brother—light, stable, and fully functional. But Gu Xiaoxiao’s group’s carriage wasn’t suitable, so Second Senior Brother went to arrange another carriage. This one was larger and more comfortable. Second Senior Brother drove the carriage back, having changed into new attire—a tall top hat, black silk formal wear. He stood elegantly by the carriage, bowing slightly and extending his hand to Feiyu, “My princess, you may board this new carriage.”
Author’s Note: I don’t know what happened, but there was a problem with the backend draft settings that caused repetition.
I’ve already fixed it. Those who have already read it, please read it again.
I usually don’t look back at updates, but fortunately I checked today.
Sorry, sorry, it wasn’t intentional. It couldn’t have been intentional, right?