Wei Jingjing, who was next door, leaned against the door frame. Seeing that Song Yi'an was about to take a bath, her eyes lit up, and she immediately turned her head to shout at Uncle Sun, "Uncle Sun, I want to take a bath too. Go and ask for hot water quickly."
Uncle Sun looked at this little ancestor of his and could only agree repeatedly, hurrying off to make the arrangements.
Because there were no extra clean clothes to change into, Madam Gu pondered that they would reach the Capital City in a few days, and she couldn't let Yili and Yi'an return to the capital wearing these clothes. She took some silver and ordered Wang Yi to buy a few sets of well-fitting ready-made clothes in the city.
When Song Yi'an saw the large barrel of steaming bathwater, her eyes lit up instantly. The bathtub in this inn was much larger than the chipped wooden basin at home; it looked like it could easily hold three or five of her.
It was rare to take a bath, so the sense of ritual was essential. She had plenty of spirit nectar these past few days and had saved up a few jars.
Song Yi'an dripped ten drops of spirit nectar into the bathtub. The hot water mixed with the spirit nectar not only had the effect of dispelling fatigue but could also whiten and soften the skin.
The moment she immersed her body in the hot water, Song Yi'an felt as if every pore on her body was breathing, and she felt extremely refreshed.
She carefully scrubbed her long hair, and a layer of grease actually floated on the surface of the water.
Song Yili next door washed extremely quickly; only a burst of crisp splashing sounds could be heard, and it stopped before long.
He had been weak since childhood, and Madam Gu always urged him not to catch a cold, so he had developed the habit of making his baths quick and decisive.
Soon, the sound of rustling clothes came from behind the screen, and within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he was already dressed and ready.
Song Yi'an, however, was not in a hurry at all.
She sank comfortably into the warm water, with only her small face exposed, enjoying the relaxation brought by the bath.
It was not until the hot water turned cold that she reluctantly stood up from the water.
Madam Gu came in with a dry cloth and carefully dried her long hair.
Song Yi'an had just finished bathing, her cheeks flushed from the steam, and the skin exposed was white with a rosy tint, completely unlike the tanned, dark appearance she had from climbing mountains and wading through rivers in Luo Town.
Madam Gu saw her little daughter's outstanding appearance, and her hand paused slightly. Her heart felt no joy, but instead sank.
The Capital City was a place that would eat you alive; such an eye-catching appearance was far less secure than being plain and unremarkable.
She silently pulled her daughter to her side and lowered her head to comb her hair.
In the evening, everyone ate dinner on the first floor of the inn. Because Song Yi'an was dawdling, the three of them came down a bit late.
As soon as Madam Gu led Song Yili and Song Yi'an downstairs, she felt many gazes cast their way.
What a pair of golden children.
The older brother, Song Yili, was born with delicate features and a fair complexion. Although he looked slightly thin due to long-term illness, one could already glimpse the appearance of a handsome scholar in the future.
As for the younger sister, Song Yi'an, her pair of round apricot eyes were clear and bright, and her skin was fair and translucent, like fine mutton-fat jade. Anyone who saw her couldn't help but secretly praise that this little girl would surely be a beauty when she grew up.
Nanny Zhou hid the surprise in her heart.
Usually, Song Yi'an was always covered in dirt, hiding most of her looks. Now that she had washed up, this face was actually so outstanding.
The brother and sister both had top-tier looks; the eldest son resembled the Second Master, while the little daughter inherited Madam Gu's beauty.
Don't look at Madam Gu's sallow skin now; despite her background in the entertainment world, she was once a beauty in the Capital City who was famous for both her looks and talent.
The little girl before her eyes had clearly inherited her mother's stunning appearance from her prime.
Back then, the Second Master broke with Prime Minister Song because of Madam Gu, causing a huge stir in the Capital City and making Prime Minister Song lose all face.
This appearance might be a blessing elsewhere, but in the Song Manor, it would only lead to more suffering. Prime Minister Song had always disliked women from the entertainment world, especially those who looked like Madam Gu.
At this moment, they did not notice that at a corner table, two burly men dressed as traveling merchants were casting sneaky glances at Song Yi'an.
The two exchanged a few subtle glances, and in silence, they had already confirmed their target.
In the middle of the night, the night was quiet.
Song Yi'an was sleeping soundly, holding the warm Xiao Bai in her arms.
Outside the guest room, a black-clothed man squatted silently outside the room where Song Yi'an and Wei Jingjing were staying.
He took a bamboo tube the thickness of a little finger from his bosom and skillfully inserted one end into the room, blowing a colorless and odorless stupefying smoke inside.
The specially made smoke only took a moment; those who inhaled it would fall into a deep sleep, and they would have no sensation even if they were moved.
After about several dozen breaths, estimating that the drug had taken effect, the black-clothed man used a thin blade to push aside the door latch and slipped inside.
Sure enough, the two small figures on the bed were breathing steadily and deeply.
Wei Jingjing even made a slight snoring sound.
The black-clothed man had a clear goal; according to the informant, the Young Miss Wei had a delicate and cute appearance.
The black-clothed man took a thick cloth from his bosom, preparing to wrap up Song Yi'an, who was sleeping on the inside, and take her away.
However, the moment he reached out, a black shadow bit him without warning.
Xiao Bai bit the black-clothed man's hand hard, its sharp little teeth instantly breaking the skin.
"Hiss!"
The black-clothed man let out a low cry of pain, not expecting a little beast to be in the way.
"Woo, woo."
Xiao Bai continued to growl, instinctively protecting its little Master, but it was simply too small and was picked up by the black-clothed man and thrown heavily to the ground.
At this very moment, Song Yi'an, who should have been drugged, suddenly opened her eyes.
She hadn't fallen into a deep sleep at all.
The nourishment of the Spirit Water made her five senses far sharper than ordinary people, and she had already woken up when the smoke was blown in.
She immediately held her breath and took some Spirit Water into her mouth to hold; the Spirit Water had the effect of detoxifying and clearing the mind.
Borrowing the moonlight leaking in from the window, Song Yi'an discovered that there was only one black-clothed man in the room, and Wei Jingjing next to her had fallen into a deep sleep due to inhaling the smoke.
No screaming, no crying.
For a seven-year-old child, the black-clothed man felt that she was eerily calm.
The black-clothed man just wanted to finish quickly, so he stepped forward, his large hand reaching directly for Song Yi'an's slender arm, intending to kidnap her by force.
Song Yi'an nimbly ducked, but the room was small; after dodging this once, there was nowhere else to hide, and the opponent was an adult man.
It looked like Song Yi'an was about to be caught.
"Woof, woof, woof, woof!"
Xiao Bai pounced like crazy, biting the burly man's trouser leg tightly and dragging him with its small body.
The black-clothed man kicked Xiao Bai angrily. Xiao Bai was kicked into the corner of the table, whimpered, and then stubbornly climbed up to growl again.
Taking advantage of this gap, Song Yi'an had already jumped off the bed barefoot, her brain spinning rapidly.
There was no chance of winning in a direct fight; she had to make noise to wake up Nanny Zhou and her mother next door, or hold out until Wang Yi and Wang Er arrived.
She aimed at the small wooden table in the room and used all her strength to push it violently toward the door.
"Clang."
The wooden table fell to the ground, and the coarse pottery teapot and teacups on the table shattered, making a loud noise in the quiet night.
Afterward, Song Yi'an got some fruit from her Space and threw it at the black-clothed man.
"Ugh!"
The fruit hit the black-clothed man right on the bridge of his nose. The force wasn't great, but it didn't hinder Song Yi'an's accuracy; the fruit was aimed at his eyes, forcing the black-clothed man to close them.
"Damn it, come and help!"
The black-clothed man was made a mess by the girl and the dog. He cursed lowly into the darkness, no longer caring about hiding his movements, and reached out to grab her.
✦✦✦