When they said move out, they moved out.

Xie Zhifei was the first to jump from the carriage, rushing over to draw his sword and cut the reins from the horses.

He tossed one rain cape to Yan Sanhe, one to Li Buyan.

“You two wear these to block the rain.”

Pei Xiao instinctively asked, “Hey, what about mine?”

Yan Sanhe threw her rain cape into his arms. “You wear it. I don’t need it.”

“Pei Mingting?”

Xie Zhifei raised his hand and smacked Pei Daren on the scalp.

Pei Daren cried out miserably, “Ow! Xie Wushi, you’re assaulting an official!”

“Shut up. Want to attract bandits?”

For the first time, Xie Wushi felt the urge to bury this “ancestor” in the ground.

Pei Daren wanted to rub his scalp and cover his mouth, but his hands were holding a rain cape—he couldn’t manage it all.

“Mount up.”

Yan Sanhe secured her bundle tightly. “Let’s go.”

Li Buyan donned the rain cape and nodded to Yan Sanhe. “Follow me.”

Xie Zhifei saw their swift movements and quickly led over a horse. Turning his head, he saw Pei Xiao still standing dazed, clutching a rain cape, and roared, “Ancestor, put it on!”

“What am I putting on? This is for you, you short-lived wretch.”

Pei Xiao thrust the rain cape into Xie Zhifei’s arms and muttered, “Who catches a cold from a little rain as a kid, huh? And you hit me… Are you even human?”

“…”

The inhuman Xie Sanye wiped his face, threw the cape over himself, and softened his voice. “Once we’re on the horse, you can duck inside my cape too.”

Obviously!

That’s exactly what I, Pei Daren, was thinking. Rain and horseback riding—who are you trying to freeze to death?

The two mounted. Pei Xiao ducked inside the cape and suddenly asked, “By the way, Li Buyan usually guards her mistress so fiercely. Why isn’t she being courteous this time?”

Xie Zhifei squeezed the horse’s flanks with his legs, answering only in his heart:

It’s not that she’s being discourteous—that girl simply isn’t afraid of cold.

Three horses galloped wildly through the rainy night.

Except for that slender figure ahead, the wind and rain gradually faded from Xie Zhifei’s senses.

It was a strange feeling. He felt as though he’d been chasing that figure for a very, very long time.

After racing for who knows how long, Li Buyan’s startled cry came from far ahead.

“Look quickly—there’s an official post station ahead.”

Everyone looked up. In the distance, a faint glimmer of light appeared.

“Bodhisattva!”

Pei Xiao’s tears gushed forth with excitement. “My bottom is saved!”

This ancestor—can’t he think about something else?

Xie Zhifei grimaced in a bitter smile.

…

The four dismounted. Hearing the commotion, the station attendant rushed out.

With one look, he was dumbstruck.

Four people, completely soaked from head to toe, water dripping everywhere.

Pei Xiao shook out his official token from his wet clothes and flashed it before the attendant’s eyes. “Four of the best rooms, hot water, hot food. Quickly now.”

“Also, four sets of clean clothes and footwear.” Yan Sanhe added.

The clothes in their bundles were all soaked through.

The young attendant could tell at a glance that Yan Sanhe and Li Buyan were women disguised as men. He said awkwardly, “I’m afraid we don’t have sizes for the two honored guests.”

“Cut the nonsense!”

Xie Sanye’s arrogant energy returned. “When I tell you to bring four sets, you bring four sets. Also, light a fire so we can dry our clothes.”

Pei Xiao glared. “Still not going to prepare?”

“Honored officials, please come inside. This humble one will prepare immediately.” The attendant ran off, shouting as he went.

Li Buyan smiled. “Third Master and Pei Ye certainly have impressive official authority!”

“What do you know?”

Pei Xiao shook his wet hair. “Post station attendants are experts at judging people. If you’re not harsh with them, they won’t even give you a second glance.”

Li Buyan laughed. “If I put a blade to his throat, wouldn’t he remember me for life?”

“Don’t always resort to blades. We’re officials, not bandits.”

Pei Xiao flicked his wet sleeve and walked in first.

“Officials and bandits are all one family—haven’t you heard that?”

Li Buyan retorted, about to follow when someone grabbed the back of her collar. As her body tilted backward, Yan Sanhe had already stepped through the threshold.

Li Buyan turned to see it was Xie Sanye who’d grabbed her. She wasn’t annoyed at all but lowered her voice instead.

“Third Master, I’m not trying to push ahead. As a servant, I must walk before my mistress to shield her from danger.”

“This time it’s not your turn to shield anyone.”

“What, afraid my young mistress will stand in the cold wind a moment longer?”

Xie Sanye laughed shortly and tossed back two words without looking back.

“That’s right!”

Li Buyan watched his retreating back and smiled rather than getting angry.

In the carriage when she’d said “two spring chickens, two who aren’t,” she’d been testing this Xie Sanye.

Did she, Li Buyan, seem blind?

Always sneaking glances at my young mistress!

Hmph!

With all your trips to pleasure houses to hear songs, you shouldn’t even think about pursuing my young mistress!

Xie Sanye had absolutely no idea that in Li Buyan’s heart, his image had already collapsed.

“Yan Sanhe.”

As he reached the stairs, he suddenly called out.

Yan Sanhe stopped and looked back at him.

Xie Zhifei bit his lip and steeled himself. “How much silver do you and she still have?”

Yan Sanhe didn’t hide it. “We brought eight hundred taels total when we left.”

Xie Zhifei looked around, then stepped forward. “Mingting and I only have fifty taels on us.”

So!

The official gentlemen who’d just been throwing their weight around actually had hardly any money in their pockets?

So!

From now on, meals and lodging expenses would have to come from her.

No, wait!

Yan Sanhe’s eyes suddenly widened.

Xie Zhifei, seeing her eyes widen, let out a long breath of relief.

Talking with smart people is so effortless!

On this trip, Zhu Qing and the others had assumed they’d return to the capital immediately after seeing Mama Chen, so they’d only brought a hundred or so taels.

As for Xie residence’s Third Master and the Pei family’s Eldest Young Master, when going out they usually only carried a few taels of loose silver for tips.

Their official authority was on display, but what if they couldn’t pay the bill tomorrow? Wouldn’t that be laughable?

“Cancel two rooms. I’ll send you the silver shortly.”

Yan Sanhe dropped this line and shook her head as she left.

Traveling the roads requires ample funds—what were these pampered young masters thinking?

What were they thinking?

Wasn’t it all circumstances forcing their hand!

Xie Zhifei casually touched his chin, not feeling guilty in the slightest.

…

Four rooms became two. The young attendant’s expression immediately soured. When serving food, his face was ugly, his movements rough—everything short of pointing his nose at the sky.

Before the two official gentlemen could react, Li Buyan drew her soft sword and hurled it at a pillar.

The blade sank in halfway.

The attendant’s legs went weak with fright. His attitude made a complete one-hundred-eighty-degree turn, becoming so servile he practically wanted to call the four of them “grandfather.”

Xie Zhifei and Pei Xiao exchanged a glance and reached a consensus—

When it comes to being ruthless, that young lady still takes the prize!

But Yan Sanhe thought of something else from this.

On the journey to Yunnan Prefecture, at every post station they’d passed, the attendants had all worn smiling faces. Besides Xie Zhifei’s minor official authority, silver had likely played a crucial role.

She coughed once and placed the small bundle wrapped with silver on the table. “It’s all in here.”

Xie Zhifei was slightly stunned.

He hadn’t asked for all of it!

Under the table, Pei Xiao kicked him: What are you standing there for? Take it!

Xie Zhifei accepted the bundle and placed it at his side, gazing deeply at Yan Sanhe.

In that gaze was gratitude.