Yan Qing was displeased when she heard this, and she gave him a reproachful look. “What do you mean ‘asking a favor of you?’ I often do this even when I’m not asking for anything.”

“Alright, alright, I’ve wronged Madam.” Shi Ting sat down and pulled her to sit beside him.

Yan Qing handed him his chopsticks and poured him a cup of wine.

“Wine too?” Shi Ting picked up the cup and took a sniff. “This wine has a rich, mellow aroma — it smells aged at least thirty years or more. Where did Madam get this?”

“It came with my dowry,” Yan Qing said, blinking. “My father said it was given to him by his mother — counting the years, it’s well more than thirty.”

Shi Ting held the cup and looked at it: “I’m a little afraid to drink it.”

“What, worried I’ve put poison in it?” Yan Qing glared at him.

Shi Ting laughed aloud: “I’m thinking that if I drink this, I might end up regretting it.”

“Would you like me to share a cup with you, husband?”

Shi Ting: “…”

Almost without thinking, he drained it in one go.

Let her share a cup? He’d rather not!

Seeing him drink the wine, Yan Qing urged him to eat as well. “These are all your favorites — I was busy all afternoon.”

Yan Qing personally brought the food to Shi Ting’s lips. This both astonished him and left him with an even worse feeling of foreboding.

“Cough cough!” Director Shi set down his chopsticks and finally couldn’t hold back. “That — Qing Qing, if there’s something you want to say, just say it.”

“I’m afraid that if I say it, you won’t agree,” Yan Qing said, smiling at him with her eyes curved into crescent moons.

A beautiful woman with exquisite features, her eyes bright and dancing — Director Shi could not refuse her, and did not want to.

“Say it, then. Whatever it is, I’ll agree.”

“Really?” Yan Qing’s eyes lit up, her whole person brightening.

Shi Ting was half-amused, half-exasperated. “Of course — has your husband ever deceived you?”

“Alright then.” Yan Qing’s nimble eyes darted around. She shifted a little closer to him before finally lifting her eyelids: “Then I’ll say it.”

“Go ahead.” Shi Ting ruffled her hair.

Yan Qing gave a light smile and tilted up her delicate, fine-featured face: “I want to go to Shuang He County with you.”

The smile that had just moments ago been on Shi Ting’s face vanished without a trace. As if he hadn’t heard clearly, he asked again: “What did you just say?”

“I said I want to go with you to Shuang He Town, to Da Gu Mountain. I want to be by your side.” This time Yan Qing’s voice was even more resolute.

“Qing Qing, I won’t agree to this,” Shi Ting said, his expression solemn. “You know this is a mission that could cost lives.”

“Precisely because I know, I must go.” Yan Qing took his hand and placed it over her heart. “Shi Ting, I said before — now that I’ve married you, from here on, through life or death, I will never leave your side. Where you live, I live; where you die, I die. This time you go into danger alone. Even though you haven’t made clear how dire it is, I know you are wagering your life. Rather than leaving me here to suffer day and night, why can’t I be beside you to face the difficulties together?”

“No.” Shi Ting was firm. He could not take her along to take such risks — it was genuinely a matter of life and death.

“No, no — tell me then, why not?” Yan Qing sniffed and put on a stern face.

Seeing her getting a little angry, Shi Ting felt his heart soften. “The bandits in the Da Gu Mountain region are not gentle sorts — even I cannot guarantee I’ll come out whole.”

“I never said I was going to help clear out the bandits — I haven’t the ability for that.”

Yan Qing saw him pause, and so she continued: “Don’t you need someone to take care of your food and drink along the way? And it’s a long journey — if you fell ill, wouldn’t you need a doctor beside you? I’m not just a free physician — I can also cook, hold a conversation, and warm your bed. Except for fighting, I can do everything. Can’t you just treat it as bringing a pet along?”

“You’re not a pet,” Shi Ting laughed despite himself. She had clearly been pushed to desperation — she wouldn’t have said something like ‘warm your bed’ otherwise. In the past, her face would have been red for half a day over something like that.

“I’m exactly a pet. Take me with you, and I promise I’ll be obedient and not cause you any trouble.”

Shi Ting looked at her quietly, though his eyes showed a fierce and turbulent struggle of complex emotions.

Yan Qing suddenly dove into his arms, her voice soft enough to squeeze water out of it: “Ting, just take me with you. I won’t go to the front lines, I won’t cause you trouble. I just want to be by your side, to know you’re safe at any moment. I don’t want to stay at home sick with worry. If I imagine what those days would be like, I’d rather die.”

“What are you saying?” Shi Ting let out a sigh.

“Then will you take me or not?”

“Let me think about it.”

Yan Qing sprang up from his arms, pointed right at his nose, and said: “The great Director Shi — when did you become so indecisive? Hmph, I really misjudged you before.”

Shi Ting: “…”

What was all this?

“Fine, fine, fine.” Shi Ting caught the pointing finger, yielding helplessly. “Isn’t taking you along enough?”

“Really?” Yan Qing was beside herself with joy and dove back into his arms, beaming with delight. “I knew you were the best.”

“So this is the reason Madam set a grand trap of a feast?” Not just a trap — this was outright coercion mixed with temptation.

“This was no such thing — have you ever seen someone this beautiful set a trap?” Yan Qing countered.

Shi Ting laughed. “Madam really is…”

He pinched her cheek.

Yan Qing was so happy she hugged him tightly again. “I’ll go get things ready right away, ready to set out with you at any time.”

Shi Ting listened, and couldn’t help but sigh softly — though he quickly let it go: “We will definitely come back safe and sound.”

“Yes.” Yan Qing nodded vigorously.

When Ling’ai heard that Yan Qing was going on a long journey, she more or less understood the peculiar questions Yan Qing had asked that day.

“You’ve really made up your mind?” Ling’ai greatly admired Yan Qing’s courage, even though she didn’t know exactly where she was going — it was certainly somewhere dangerous.

Yan Qing nodded. “Made up my mind. Not changing it.”

“Alright, then.” Ling’ai pulled something out of her pocket. “In that case, let me give you a gift.”

“What is this?” Yan Qing looked curiously at the gleaming golden object that had appeared in Ling’ai’s hand.

“It’s a pistol,” Ling’ai said. “It was specially made for me by my father’s craftsmen.”

“A pistol this small?” Yan Qing picked it up, astonished. It was no bigger than a palm, yet exquisitely crafted, and quite heavy in the hand.

“This pistol is easy to carry, and its stopping power is no weaker than a standard pistol.” Ling’ai also produced a small packet of gleaming golden cartridges. “Take these along too — better safe than sorry.”

“But this was made for you…”

“Just have him make another one,” Ling’ai said dismissively with a wave of her hand. “It’s not some rare or precious thing.”

Yan Qing smiled. “Thank you, Ling’ai.”

“Why stand on ceremony with me?” Ling’ai said. “I’ve been in Xin Guo for so many years without a single real friend. Those people — every one of them was trying to curry favor because of my father’s position. When they spoke to me, they put on this facade of naturalness, yet every sentence was flattery. I hated it.”

She shook her head and looked at Yan Qing, her gaze bright and clear as snow: “Yan Qing, you’re different from them. It’s obvious you’re not the least bit concerned about who I am — you spend time with me only because you feel we get along.”

“I don’t have many friends either,” Yan Qing said. “It’s rare to come across someone like-minded who you can actually talk to.”

Ling’ai held her hand, her palm warm: “Shall we be friends for life?”

The words sounded a little childish, like a vow made with a close friend back in school days. But coming from Ling’ai’s mouth, it was entirely sincere and full of hope.

Yan Qing thought about the old grievances and entanglements between Xin Guo and Di Guo, and of their different allegiances — how the situation would develop in the future she couldn’t say.

But she decided to cherish the present.

“Agreed.” Yan Qing smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, and she clasped her hand in return.

Ling’ai beamed with happiness too, pressing the small pistol into Yan Qing’s hand. “Find somewhere open and I’ll teach you how to shoot. If you pull out the gun and don’t know how to fire it, that would be quite the embarrassment.”

That evening when Shi Ting came home, Yan Qing showed him the small pistol.

“Di Guo’s technology really is advanced.” Shi Ting praised the pistol with admiration. “This couldn’t be made in our country.”

Di Guo was small, but its technology was advanced — and that was the primary reason it was able to extend its reach into the surrounding nations.

“Get ready — we set out the day after tomorrow,” Shi Ting handed the pistol back to Yan Qing and told her to keep it safe.

“That soon?”

“The sooner we go, the sooner we can plan ahead.”

“Then I’ll pack up.”

Shi Ting pinched her chin: “And your outfit won’t do.”

“I understand.” Yan Qing blinked. “I’ll make some preparations.”

The next day, Yan Qing came to Luo Huaimeng’s courtyard and told her she was going with Shi Ting to Shuang He Town.

Luo Huaimeng was visibly startled. “You — you’re really going together?”

Yan Qing nodded.

“Ai.” Luo Huaimeng sighed. “Xingzhi’s errand this time is no easy matter. If you insist on going with him… then go. But—” she gazed at Yan Qing with some worry: “take good care of yourself.”

Yan Qing felt warmth in her heart. “Thank you for your concern, Mother.”

“Mm, go without worry. I’ll watch over the courtyard. If anyone asks, I’ll say you’ve gone to Tai Mountain to visit your uncle.”

What Yan Qing had worried about, Luo Huaimeng had clearly thought of as well — and this excuse seemed rather good.

Luo Huaimeng then asked Xiang Xiu to fetch a jewelry box. Opening it, she took out a pendant — a jade Buddha, carved from the purest, most lustrous white jade, its sheen delicate and refined. It was clearly the finest quality jade, set in an elaborately carved gold mounting. The gold-inlaid jade craftsmanship was of the highest level, and the piece was priceless.

“This jade protects the wearer — take it with you.” Luo Huaimeng placed it in Yan Qing’s hand. “You must come home safely.”

Warmth flooded Yan Qing’s heart, and she nodded firmly.

Back in her courtyard, Yan Qing carefully instructed Murong and Jing Zhi to watch over the courtyard calmly, not to panic if anything arose, and to immediately go to Lanxiang Courtyard to find Luo Huaimeng.

To avoid arousing suspicion, she also sent Jing Zhi to one of the Yan family’s outside residences, to work there for the time being.

Once all arrangements were properly made, the day of departure had arrived.