Early that morning, Miss Shen arrived at the villa. Lu Zhidao had only just fallen asleep, but she hadn’t dared to sleep soundly. As soon as the door was pushed open, Lu Zhidao heard the movement. With a shua, she leapt from the bed, deftly grabbing her sword.
“What’s there to be nervous about?” Miss Shen waved her hand dismissively.
Seeing that only she had entered, Lu Zhidao lowered her sword and casually threw on her outer robe.
“I’m free today. I’ll take you somewhere; this place is boring.”
After washing up, the two left the Shen estate. Following her scouting the previous night, Lu Zhidao was now intimately familiar with the layout of the Shen mansion, though she had yet to find any useful information or determine their true goals.
To avoid arousing suspicion, Lu Zhidao had no choice but to follow Miss Shen and prepare to leave the estate.
This time, there wasn’t a crowd following them—only Lu Zhidao and a young personal maid. Before they could exit the gates, they bumped into the housekeeper. “If the Young Mistress is going out, it’s better to take more attendants, just in case.”
“Too many people are an eyesore,” Miss Shen said with a wave.
The housekeeper cast a wary glance at Lu Zhidao, signaled Miss Shen to step aside, and whispered, “Her origins are unknown. It’s better to be careful.”
Hearing this, Miss Shen looked back at Lu Zhidao, who was glancing around aimlessly, and asked provocatively, “Why is it that everyone I bring back has ‘unknown origins’?” However, knowing the housekeeper meant well, she explained patiently, “Her only requirement was not to do anything illegal. She’s not a bad person.”
Little did she know that the small moral baseline Lu Zhidao had temporarily set for Chu Ning’s sake would inadvertently make her a “person of noble character” in the eyes of others.
“Careful sails the ship of ten thousand years. No matter where you go, take a few boys with you; it’s easier to run errands.”
“So wordy…” Miss Shen grew impatient. Ignoring him, she turned and beckoned Lu Zhidao. They boarded the carriage together and drove away.
With the personal maid included, the three of them sat in the carriage as it kicked up dust down the road.
The housekeeper remained behind. Even after they left, he was still uneasy. He gestured for a servant to come over and whispered instructions into his ear, shielding his mouth with his hand. The servant listened patiently, nodded, and ran off.
The carriage passed through the marketplace and headed toward the outskirts of the city.
Lu Zhidao’s mind was occupied with Chu Ning. She thought that no matter what happened today, she had to warn her to be careful and stay away from the docks.
Fortunately, Miss Shen hadn’t brought many people. If push came to shove, she could easily overpower them. But before that, she hoped to glean more information.
She felt forced to take the initiative and test the waters.
“Where are we going?”
Miss Shen acted mysterious. “You’ll know in a moment.”
“Are the passenger ships at the docks also owned by your family?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Curiosity. What other businesses do you have?”
“How is it that after one night, you’ve changed and become so talkative?” Miss Shen swayed her folding fan, avoiding a direct answer.
Lu Zhidao paused, quickly fabricating an excuse to make it seem like she was only interested in money. “Your family is very large; I didn’t expect it. Since you’re so rich, why can’t I be paid daily?”
Miss Shen closed her fan with a smile and looked at her. “What if you take the money and run?”
“Do you also do business with the government?”
“A little.”
“Legitimate business?”
“Of course!”
Lu Zhidao spent the journey cautiously probing. She suspected they might be helping the government capture Chu Ning. Since the docks were their property, finding someone there would be easy.
The carriage soon left the city, and the surroundings grew desolate.
Realizing she couldn’t get any more useful information out of Miss Shen, Lu Zhidao began to weigh her options for escape. Should she leave openly, slip away secretly, or simply tie them all up?
Just then, the little maid grew restless. She gently lifted the carriage curtain and peeked outside.
Lu Zhidao took the opportunity to look through the curtain as well. Outside were green mountains and lush trees. There were many mulberry trees along the road; though wild, they were growing well. On the path, only a few scattered people were carrying shoulder poles toward the city.
Looking further ahead, she saw a ruined temple. In front of the temple, a small figure was lazily stretching.
Lu Zhidao looked closely. That small figure was none other than the little beggar she had met the day before.
Lowering her head in thought, an idea formed.
“Stop the carriage,” Lu Zhidao said to the driver, pushing open the door.
Miss Shen looked at her in confusion. “For what?”
“I’m tired. I want to rest for a bit.”
“Fine. Stop the car.”
The driver pulled the reins and the carriage came to a halt. With one hand on her sword hilt, Lu Zhidao lightly leapt down.
The little maid followed, turning to help Miss Shen, but she was refused.
Miss Shen held her fan and pointed at Lu Zhidao. “You, come help me.”
Lu Zhidao curled her lip. She thought that if it were Chu Ning, she would have hopped down herself, looking much more adorable.
However, much later, Lu Zhidao would realize that if Chu Ning were on the carriage, she wouldn’t have let her get down alone—because Lu Zhidao would have reached out to catch her instantly. Unless rejected, she would have wanted nothing more than to gently carry her down.
So, Lu Zhidao’s current hypothesis was fundamentally flawed.
But for now, Lu Zhidao could only reach out helplessly to receive Miss Shen, feeling secretly annoyed.
The three of them stood outside, breathing the fresh air of the countryside.
From the corner of her eye, Lu Zhidao kept watch on the ruined temple, wondering how to call the little beggar over without drawing attention.
“Go pick some mulberries,” Lu Zhidao said intentionally to the maid.
The maid looked at the trees and flatly refused. “No!”
“I’d like to try some too; it’s rare to eat wild fruit,” Miss Shen said with a smile.
“My clothes are new; I can’t get them dirty.” The maid stepped back and pointed at Lu Zhidao. “If you want them, you go.”
Lu Zhidao feigned reluctance but seized the opportunity. She shouted toward the little beggar in front of the temple, “Hey, kid… come here.”
Hearing the voice, the little beggar walked toward the carriage. Once she recognized Lu Zhidao, she ran over quickly.
“Eh… aren’t you.
Lu Zhidao stepped forward to meet her and made a subtle “hush” gesture.
The little beggar understood and immediately shut her mouth.
“Pick some mulberries for us, and I’ll give you money,” Lu Zhidao said, patting her. She was about to say more when she noticed a piece of candy in the girl’s mouth. The cloth bag hanging from her waist was also filled with yellowish-white candies.
Lu Zhidao instinctively knew that Chu Ning had given them to her—and that it was likely her own portion of candy.
She felt a bit unhappy about it.
Pointing at the candy, she whispered, “Did she give those to you?”
“Yeah!” the little beggar replied proudly, tightening the drawstring of her bag.
“Go pick mulberries, hurry up,” Lu Zhidao said crossly, giving her a shove.
The little beggar tucked her clothes into her waistband and climbed a tree with practiced ease, quickly gathering a lapful.
After climbing down, she held out a hand to Lu Zhidao. “Money.”
Lu Zhidao pulled out a single copper coin and gave it to her.
“Only one coin…”
“I’m bargaining with her,” Lu Zhidao explained to Miss Shen, then pulled the beggar aside.
“How much do you want then?”
Then, lowering her voice so only they could hear:
“Go to the inn. Find the lady who gave you the candy. Tell her not to go to the docks.”
The little beggar realized the situation was serious and nodded earnestly.
“Two coins, not a penny more!” Lu Zhidao shouted intentionally.
“If I don’t get five, I’ll throw these on the ground and stomp on them!”
“Tell her there’s danger. Don’t wander around. Wait for me to get away—one or two days at most,” Lu Zhidao whispered rapidly.
She figured that even if she couldn’t get information from the Shen family, she could at least steal some money. That way, even if they couldn’t take the water route, they could hire a carriage to leave by land.
As long as the enemy was focused on the docks and Chu Ning didn’t show her face, she wouldn’t be easily found.
Once the little beggar delivered the message, Chu Ning would be on guard and wouldn’t be caught off-guard.
Lu Zhidao knew she herself was safe; her only worry was Chu Ning.
Seeing Lu Zhidao’s serious expression, the little beggar looked worried.
“Five coins? You might as well rob me!” Lu Zhidao yelled.
She wanted to say more, but Miss Shen and the maid were walking over.
The two immediately stopped whispering and began to “argue” over the price in earnest.
“Don’t fight over it, just give it to her,” Miss Shen said helplessly to her maid.
The maid pulled out a piece of broken silver and gave it to the beggar in exchange for the mulberries.
The little beggar looked at Lu Zhidao with concern, wanting to say something, but was interrupted.
“Hurry up and go!” Lu Zhidao urged, her words carrying a hidden meaning.
The little beggar took the money and ran off in a hurry.
“You’d even argue with a little beggar?” Miss Shen teased.
Lu Zhidao waved her hand as if annoyed. “Carrying a bag of cargo at the docks only earns one coin.”
“As long as you’re happy. It’s not worth wasting your breath over a little money.”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the little beggar sprinted back to the city and headed straight for the inn where Chu Ning was staying.
She slipped inside and knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. Looking down, she realized the door was locked.
Uneasy, she peeked through the crack in the door to confirm the room was empty.
Becoming even more worried and remembering Lu Zhidao’s mention of the docks, she decided to head there.
She ran frantically toward the docks.
Fortunately, her luck held. Just before reaching the docks, she spotted Chu Ning.
Chu Ning was indeed walking toward the harbor. Because Lu Zhidao had previously said she was working at the docks, Chu Ning thought she would look for her there first.
The little beggar caught up to her and, without a word, grabbed her hand to pull her away.
Chu Ning was startled and hurriedly wrenched her hand back.
Once she saw it was the little beggar, she relaxed. “Why are you in such a panic?”
“Quick… come with me!” the little beggar panted.
Though she didn’t know exactly what was happening at the docks, she knew it was dangerous. Without thinking, she pulled Chu Ning and ran all the way back to the inn.
Once inside the room, the little beggar was so out of breath she could hardly stand. Chu Ning poured a cup of water and handed it to her.
“What happened?”
The beggar gulped down the water, tried to speak, and accidentally choked, coughing violently.
Chu Ning gently patted her back. “Don’t rush, speak slowly.”
“Don’t… don’t go to the docks! Cough, cough…”
Chu Ning was confused, but seeing the girl’s state, she didn’t push and waited for her to catch her breath.
After a while, the little beggar finally recovered.
However, since she had only heard a general summary and had been sprinting, she had long since forgotten Lu Zhidao’s exact words. She could only relay what she remembered in fragments.
“The cold-faced one said… don’t go to the docks.”
“What else did she say?” Hearing it was from Lu Zhidao, Chu Ning’s worry intensified. She was certain Lu Zhidao had discovered something wrong.
“She also said… she said she’s in danger, and she can’t leave.”
“She’s in danger?!” Chu Ning stood up abruptly.
The little beggar tilted her head, thought about it, and nodded seriously.
“She said she’s thinking of a way to get away. It’ll take a day or two. Or else…”
“Or else what!”
“Or else… let me think how she said it…” The beggar scratched her head, thinking hard, but she couldn’t remember the “or else.”
She went over the whole memory again, making Chu Ning incredibly anxious, though she didn’t dare interrupt her thoughts.
Chu Ning gripped the hem of her clothes, her brows furrowed as she sat in restless silence.
“Oh, right!” the beggar suddenly remembered. “Then that Miss Shen came over, and she stopped talking and told me to leave quickly.”
Using her scattered memories and a bit of mental filling-in, the little beggar finally delivered the message.
Although she used all the right words, the meaning was completely different…
Hearing this, Chu Ning’s heart felt like it was being squeezed. Her only thought was: Lu Zhidao is in danger and cannot get away.
“Where did you see her?”
“Outside the city. By the City God Temple, where I live. They seemed to arrive in a carriage and stopped there for a while.”
Chu Ning asked every question she could think of, but the little beggar knew nothing beyond the message.
She only said that Lu Zhidao had whispered the words to her secretly, making sure to avoid Miss Shen and the others.
This made Chu Ning even more anxious.
From the beggar’s inconsistent words, Chu Ning deduced that Lu Zhidao had discovered something and knew the docks weren’t safe, so she sent word to warn her. Meanwhile, Lu Zhidao was currently trapped in trouble.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt Lu Zhidao’s behavior at the docks yesterday had been strange. Perhaps she was already under duress then, which was why she hadn’t caught up and hadn’t returned all night.
Thinking of this, Chu Ning hated herself for being so temperamental, leaving Lu Zhidao to face this alone.
Her heart was filled with worry and immense guilt, mixed with a trace of relief—relief that Lu Zhidao hadn’t simply abandoned her, but had been acting out of necessity.
Rather than sitting around waiting for death, it was better to take the initiative; perhaps she could help Lu Zhidao.
Using the few clues she had, Chu Ning quickly organized her thoughts. Staring at the floor, she brainstormed ways to help.
“Wait here for a moment, I’ll be right back.” As soon as she finished speaking, she hurried out.
She went to a clothing shop and bought a set of men’s clothes. Thinking she might have already attracted attention, she felt it would be safer and more convenient to disguise herself as a man.
Men’s clothes were usually much larger, and Chu Ning finally found a set that fit—a moon-white long robe, a simple scholar’s outfit.
She rushed back to the inn, tied up her long hair, and changed.
“Take me to where you saw them,” Chu Ning said to the beggar while adjusting her clothes.
“But… it might be dangerous outside…” The beggar stared at her blankly. If she hadn’t seen the transformation with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have recognized her.
“She only said not to go to the docks, didn’t she?” Chu Ning checked herself in the bronze mirror. She didn’t think she looked much like a man; her features were too soft. But she couldn’t worry about that now; her heart was too full of worry for Lu Zhidao.
The little beggar thought for a moment and answered seriously, “Right.”
The two left the inn and, under the beggar’s guidance, arrived smoothly at the spot where Lu Zhidao had stepped off the carriage.
But the place was deserted, with only the lonely mulberry trees remaining.
“I know where they might have gone!” The beggar pulled Chu Ning further away.
The little beggar was very familiar with this area. Since a Shen family carriage had come here, it was very likely they went to that villa.
The Shen family villa was far from the hustle and bustle, and few people knew about it. Although the estate was large, very few people came and went, except for Miss Shen, who stayed there occasionally. Having lived nearby since childhood, the little beggar knew all of this by heart.
She successfully led Chu Ning to the Shen family villa.
“You go back first. Don’t come in with me,” Chu Ning whispered, leaning down.
“But…”
“Be good. Once things are settled, I’ll come find you.”
She had no idea what kind of trouble Lu Zhidao was in, and the villa could be dangerous. Chu Ning couldn’t let the little beggar take the risk with her.
After the little beggar had walked far away, Chu Ning took a deep breath and refined the cover story she had prepared in her mind.
Carefully suppressing her worry for Lu Zhidao to appear as calm as possible, she raised her hand and knocked three times. Pang, pang, pang.