Yusang laughed inwardly—if she was truly worried, why didn’t she go look for her? Instead, she was here having a pleasant conversation with Yan Qige. Her words had hidden meanings—ostensibly expressing concern, but subtly implying that Yusang had been gone too long.

“I bought the things back, here you go.” Yusang handed the small package containing clothes to Mingran.

“Thank you for making the trip, Miss. Please come in and have some crispy tea.” Mingran spoke gently with a smile.

“I’m not hungry, I won’t eat.” In a bad mood, Yusang didn’t want to be entangled in pleasantries with her. She casually stuffed the clothes into Mingran’s hands and turned to leave, but unexpectedly, Mingran reached out and grabbed her arm.

Yusang turned back to see that Mingran had already put on a tearful expression, saying, “Is Miss angry with Mingran? Mingran knows I should have died in the river—it was Young Master Yan who saved my life. I should serve as a slave to repay the great kindness of Young Master and Miss, yet I’m still troubling Miss to work for Mingran… It’s Mingran’s fault. I hope Miss Yusang won’t hold it against me…”

Although Yusang indeed didn’t want to run errands for Yan Qige, she had never blamed Mingran in her heart. Seeing her posture and words, Yusang understood that Mingran was saying this for Yan Qige inside to hear—first to appear more pitiful, and second to subtly make Yan Qige think that Yusang disliked her. What careful scheming to win Yan Qige’s sympathy.

She thought Yan Qige was just an unworldly young master who would sympathize with her upon seeing such an appearance and then become overwhelmed with compassion? Then she was mistaken. Yusang secretly laughed, thinking Mingran had miscalculated this time. If it were any other ordinary man, she might have won him over completely, but this was Yan Qige—he had seen how many beautiful women transformed from demons and still eliminated them without hesitation.

But just when Yusang thought Yan Qige wouldn’t pay attention to her act, Yan Qige inside had already stood up and walked over. With his hands behind his back, he looked at Yusang with slight anger on his face, saying, “You’re merely a maidservant, yet you took so long to do a simple task. Mingran kindly offered you tea, and if you don’t appreciate it, that’s one thing, but why are you being so rude? You’re punished to kneel facing the wall for half an hour.”

“I…” Yusang was indignant and just about to speak in her defense when Mingran had already spoken before her.

“Young Master, please don’t be angry. It was Mingran who troubled Miss Yusang—Mingran has burdened Young Master… If Young Master must punish someone, then punish me instead. Don’t blame Miss Yusang.” Mingran spoke with deep emotion, her innocent, tearful eyes combined with her delicate figure swaying like a willow in the wind, perfectly portraying a pitiful appearance of someone whose life was adrift and helpless, who had fortunately been saved but was now unwelcome. She truly deserved the description of being “pitifully charming.”

“Since Mingran speaks for you, your punishment is changed to no lunch. Go away.” Yan Qige said, waving his hand to dismiss Yusang, as if he didn’t want to see her anymore.

Yusang felt a belly full of anger, standing at the door, staring at Yan Qige with no intention of leaving. Mingran saw this as a perfect opportunity to add fuel to the fire. Knowing that Yusang now hated her for stirring up trouble, she still pretended to be innocent and reached out to take Yusang’s hand, smiling, “I hope Sister Yusang won’t be angry. If you must blame someone, blame Mingran. I’m willing to offer tea to apologize to Sister.”

“No need!” Yusang shook off Mingran’s hand, glared fiercely at Yan Qige inside the room, and quickly left.

Watching Yusang’s indignant departing figure, Mingran glanced sideways at Yan Qige as he turned to enter the room. An imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of her lips, and a flash of pale green light flickered in her pupils. But it was only for an instant—then everything returned to normal as she gracefully turned and walked toward Yan Qige with her gentle demeanor restored.

Having been wronged by Mingran, Yusang ran out of the inn. By the time she left, it was past noon with blazing sun and few pedestrians on the street. The vendors had mostly packed up their stalls and gone home, making the narrow street appear very empty.

After walking around the street twice, Yusang felt her legs getting sore. When she felt tired, drowsiness set in. She happened to see a thick sophora tree at an alley entrance—thick-trunked with abundant foliage and tangled branches. She looked around and, seeing no one paying attention, lightly leaped up and landed on it, finding a thick branch extending outward to lie down on.

“Sleeping is still the most comfortable,” Yusang sighed as she found a comfortable position, casually taking a silk handkerchief from her sleeve to cover her face, preventing mosquitoes from bothering her while she slept.

She slept for an unknown length of time until she felt sunlight swaying and shining into her eyes. She squinted slightly and turned her head to look, discovering that someone seemed to be standing on the tree branch in front of her. The person stood against the light, making their features indistinguishable. They wore golden armor and held a long sword, appearing extraordinarily imposing and majestic, exactly like the person from her memory who had led troops into the Fengjian Palace.

Yusang’s drowsiness immediately vanished. She wanted to sit up and get a clear look at the person, but found she couldn’t move. As if under a paralysis spell, she could only lie on the tree branch looking at the person who had caused her country’s destruction and family’s ruin standing right in front of her.

“Who are you? Who are you…” Yusang struggled to shout at the person, trying to sit up and see his face clearly, but because of the backlighting, she could only see the dazzling light from his golden armor and couldn’t make out his face at all.

Gradually, the light around the person became blinding. His figure began retreating and dissolving into the light until he disappeared. Yusang anxiously struggled even harder while shouting, “Don’t go! I want to kill you for revenge, revenge…”

Finally, Yusang woke with a low cry, suddenly opening her eyes as her body tumbled from the sophora branch. Not having time to think much, she quickly reached out to grab the tree trunk for leverage, her feet rapidly stepping on nearby branches, using the momentum to flip and lie back on the trunk sideways. Rubbing her eyes, she saw only fine sophora leaves swaying before her, with sunlight casting dappled shadows through the leaves—there was no trace of any person. It was all a dream.

“That was close.” Yusang breathed a sigh of relief. Her gaze casually swept below the tree and discovered someone standing there at some point. The person had a handsome face, wore white robes, and stood with his hands behind his back, slightly tilting his head up to look at her in the tree—it was none other than Yan Qige.

“Why is it you? Don’t you need to accompany your beauty?” Yusang asked without good humor while lying sideways on the trunk.

Yan Qige didn’t respond to her words. He lightly leaped up and landed on a tree branch beside her, looking at her for a while with his hands behind his back, actually showing some amusement.

“What are you laughing at? Can’t you see this demon is angry?” Although Yan Qige truly looked good when he smiled, Yusang was still very annoyed with him.

“Then I’ll disturb your anger. Please continue.” With that, Yan Qige leaped down and landed back on the ground, walking away with his hands behind his back without looking back.