The weather was freezing cold, and heavy snow was falling. Normally, Bai Yin wouldn’t want to meddle in other people’s affairs.

He had only come out to practice his swordwork because he felt stifled inside the residence.

To get some fresh air!

But hearing it involved Duke Wangguo, he couldn’t just ignore it!

After all, when he had left the city a few days ago, it was that Miss Zhao’er who had helped him.

Now that she was in trouble, he couldn’t very well turn a blind eye.

One must repay kindness received.

He sheathed his sword and raised his eyebrows slightly. “Take me there.”

The coachman was overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Thank you, hero! Thank you, hero!”

He thanked him repeatedly.

As the saying goes, sending charcoal in snowy weather is like helping someone in a life-or-death situation!

The coachman led the horse and hurriedly guided Bai Yin over. Zhao’er’s maid saw the coachman approaching from afar, and seeing him leading the horse, she said happily, “They’re here, they’re here! Miss, the horse has been brought back.” As she spoke, she noticed there was another person behind the coachman. Her smile immediately tightened, and she shook Zhao’er’s wrist. “But… why is there an extra person?”

An extra person?

Zhao’er looked up, and her gaze settled on Bai Yin.

Huh?

How could it be him?

Earlier, hadn’t he just disguised himself to leave the city?

Why would he be here now?

Where was Big Brother Jing?

Her mind was full of questions, but the coachman had already led the horse over quickly, saying gratefully, “Miss, thanks to this hero’s help in catching our horse, otherwise it would have run off into the woods and disappeared.”

Zhao’er looked at the “hero” the coachman spoke of.

And Bai Yin also met her gaze.

Their eyes collided.

Each carried an indescribable quality.

Zhao’er lowered her eyes and curtsied slightly. “Thank you, young master.”

Bai Yin looked at the petite Miss Zhao’er, her face flushed red. The mountains were cold, and this young lady couldn’t bear it no matter how bundled up she was.

A trace of pity arose in his heart.

He said, “Miss Zhao’er need not thank me.”

The maid’s eyes widened in surprise. “How… so you know my mistress?”

Zhao’er responded, “This young master is someone from Big Brother Jing’s side.”

The maid understood and nodded.

Bai Yin asked, “How did you end up here?”

Zhao’er replied, “A few days ago I left the city to pray at a temple. I was only returning today, but unexpectedly… the carriage got stuck in the mud and can’t move.”

“Oh!”

Zhao’er didn’t mention deliberately helping him out at the city gate.

Bai Yin didn’t mention it either.

He thought that since he had been disguised at the time, this young lady before him might not have recognized him.

The coachman said, “What fate! So the hero and my mistress already knew each other.”

Bai Yin’s eyes sharpened as he asked, “Where is the carriage?”

“It’s stuck over there.” The coachman pointed toward the woods.

The group went over together and saw the carriage stuck in the muddy snow, already overturned.

And the wheel was broken too.

For the time being, there was no way to conjure up a wheel out of thin air.

Bai Yin frowned. “The wheel is unusable. There’s no way to travel.”

“Ah?” The coachman grew worried, slapping the back of his hand against his palm. “What do we do now?”

He paced back and forth several times.

Bai Yin couldn’t take them to the old residence, lest his whereabouts be exposed.

But he also couldn’t just abandon them.

He glanced at the shivering Zhao’er, then looked at the horse, saying, “There’s only one solution.”

“What?”

He told the coachman, “You ride the horse back to the city now and bring a carriage here.”

The coachman opened his mouth, embarrassed. “But… I don’t know how to ride a horse.”

What?

The coachman doesn’t know how to ride a horse?

Bai Yin really had a headache.

Then he looked at Zhao’er and asked, “What about you?”

Zhao’er shook her head.

Since birth, she had never lifted a finger, spending her days in the residence being waited upon.

How would she know how to ride a horse!

The maid’s eyes brimmed with anxious tears. “Oh dear, what do we do now? If we stay here any longer, what if Miss gets frostbite?” The coachman pleaded, “Hero, in this desolate wilderness, the carriage is overturned, the wheel is broken—we can’t move an inch, and I don’t know how to ride a horse! Since you and my mistress are acquainted, I trust you, so… I must trouble you to make this trip.”

The meaning was to have Bai Yin return to the city to fetch a carriage?

But given the current situation, he couldn’t possibly enter the city again!

He hesitated.

Seeing him delay in agreeing, the maid pleaded tearfully, “Young master, my mistress has been weak and sickly since childhood. If she can’t return to the city soon, her body won’t be able to take it. Please help us.”

Zhao’er didn’t know what to say either.

Given the current situation, they could only rely on Bai Yin.

However—

Bai Yin seemed to have thought of another plan.

Since he couldn’t enter the city, then…

He suddenly looked at Zhao’er and asked, “Are you afraid of horses?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m asking if you’re afraid of horses?”

Zhao’er nodded.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you!”

“What?”

Bai Yin suddenly mounted the horse and reached his hand toward Zhao’er. “Come up!”

“Ah?” Zhao’er was shocked.

“I’ll take you to the city gate, then you can enter the city yourself to find a carriage. You won’t have to keep freezing out here either.”

This was the only solution!

Looking at the hand extended toward her, Zhao’er hesitated.

Men and women should not touch!

The maid bit her lip but couldn’t care about all that. “Miss, you should go back with this young master first. Your health is what matters.”

“But…”

Bai Yin suddenly asked, “Are you very afraid of me?”

Uh!

Zhao’er quickly shook her head.

“Then come up.”

Zhao’er bit her purple lips, her ten fingers tightly twisted together.

She struggled inwardly for quite a while.

Finally, she extended her hand to him.

Bai Yin grasped her icy hand and pulled her up onto the horse with one effort, seating her in front of him.

He held the reins with both hands, protecting little Zhao’er before his chest.

Zhao’er’s whole body froze.

Her heart jumped.

But when her cold back pressed against Bai Yin’s warm chest, she actually felt incredibly safe.

That feeling was as if something in her heart was about to fly out of her mouth…

Were they butterflies?

She bit her lip tightly, not daring to breathe heavily.

Her heart felt tight.

So tight she seemed about to suffocate.

Bai Yin pulled out a fire starter from his waist and tossed it to the coachman, pointing in a direction in the woods and instructing, “You go over there first to gather some dry firewood and build a fire to wait.”

The coachman bowed. “Then I entrust my mistress to the hero’s good care.”

He nodded, clamped his legs against the horse’s belly.

And rode away.

But to accommodate Zhao’er, he didn’t ride too fast.

Zhao’er gripped the saddle tightly with both hands.

Her face was flushed red.

Her heartbeat quickened!

She occasionally glanced sideways at Bai Yin, yet cautiously.

Throughout the journey, neither of them spoke.

When they reached the city gate, Bai Yin stopped.

He dismounted and lifted Zhao’er down as well.

“Miss Zhao’er, I’ll see you off to here. You can lead the horse into the city yourself.”

Zhao’er lowered her eyes. “You should take the horse, young master. I can’t have you walk back.”

True!

After all, this sheltered young lady wouldn’t know how to ride a horse anyway.

Bai Yin accepted the kindness.

“Alright, I’ll take the horse.”

He took the horse and was about to mount.

Zhao’er suddenly grabbed his sleeve.