Lu Zhidao followed Qi Shouyi to the main hall, where wine and food had already been prepared. The two sat down casually and began to chat.
Lu Zhidao poured a cup of wine and handed it over. “Thank you for this time.”
Qi Shouyi waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. Besides, I managed to squeeze a good sum out of that Centurion Jia.”
“Is he from the Provincial Surveillance Commission?”
“Yes.”
The Provincial Surveillance Commission dealt with criminal law and justice. Usually, their paths rarely crossed. Lu Zhidao couldn’t understand why people from that office were hounding Chu Ning so relentlessly.
“Once we leave, they might come looking for trouble with you,” Lu Zhidao warned.
“Let them come. Do you think I’m afraid of them? I’m a Mountain King now,” Qi Shouyi laughed heartily. “It’s much cleaner than working for the government.”
Lu Zhidao nodded and refilled their cups. “In any case, you should remain vigilant.”
Qi Shouyi didn’t seem bothered. Instead, he lowered his voice and asked, “How did Miss Chu offend the Surveillance Commission? Does she have a criminal record?”
“Probably not. They’ve been operating in plain clothes.”
If there were an official warrant, they would have arrested her with great fanfare. This went unsaid, as both understood the implication.
“What is your mission?” Qi Shouyi asked, tossing back a cup of wine.
“Escort Chu Ning to the capital.”
“Just you?”
“The convoy was attacked. The others are likely all dead,” Lu Zhidao replied, her tone remaining flat.
“What is she doing in the capital?”
“Her maternal grandfather’s family is there.”
“It must be more complicated than that.”
“I don’t concern myself with the rest.” Lu Zhidao had long had her suspicions, but she was unwilling to pry, nor was it her place to do so.
Both were well-acquainted with the private dealings of officialdom, so they tacitly dropped the subject. They spent the time drinking and reminiscing about old times—mostly Qi Shouyi talking while Lu Zhidao listened in silence.
After several rounds of drinks, Qi Shouyi grew more relaxed. He leaned in toward Lu Zhidao and asked with a smirk, “That Miss Chu… does she have feelings for you?”
“No,” Lu Zhidao blurted out. “She is simply kind-hearted.”
“Tending to your wounds is also ‘charity’?”
Recalling the heavy thud of her heart when the girl leaned in close, Lu Zhidao found it even harder to explain. She could only argue, “She felt guilty.”
“If she felt guilty, then you are the one with ulterior motives!”
“I am not!” Lu Zhidao corrected him hurriedly.
“A minor injury like this,” Qi Shouyi grabbed her hand, gave it a shake, and tossed it back. “A minor injury like this is only good for coaxing a sheltered young lady.”
Lu Zhidao withdrew her hand and looked at it. The wound had been cleaned perfectly. Looking back, even injuries several times more severe had never received such treatment. She felt a wave of unease, feeling she didn’t deserve such care.
She let out a helpless sigh and downed a full cup of wine before saying, “Once I get her to the capital, that’ll be the end of it. We are not from the same world, after all.”
“From now on, it’s just the two of you traveling together. How are you not ‘from the same world’?” Qi Shouyi teased.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I see you can’t even speak properly when you’re in front of her.”
Lu Zhidao scratched her head, neither confirming nor denying it.
“Let Brother Qi teach you,” Qi Shouyi patted her shoulder, looking confident. “Next time she helps you with your medicine, say this to her: ‘I have a cut kouzi on my hand; why don’t you go make a cut on yours too? That way, we’ll be a couple liang-kou-zi.'”
“Disgusting.”
“Disgusting or not, it works. If you say that, she’ll understand. She’ll definitely blush and hit you with her little fists,” Qi Shouyi said, mockingly clenching his own large iron fist and tapping Lu Zhidao playfully. “That’s just how girls are.”
“No wonder you don’t have a wife,” Lu Zhidao exposed him coldly.
“And you’ll have one?”
They drank and chatted until midnight. Qi Shouyi wasn’t finished and wanted to call for more wine, but Lu Zhidao insisted on stopping since they had to travel the next day.
Qi Shouyi finally let her go, his interest dampened. As Lu Zhidao stood up, she realized she had drunk too much; the alcohol was going to her head.
Staggering back to her room, she wondered how she would explain herself to Chu Ning. She had promised to drink less before leaving, and had forgotten almost immediately.
She pushed the door open, only to find the room empty.
She sobered up instantly. She instinctively turned to look for her, only to remember she was in the room next door. Having been together day and night for several days, the sudden separation felt unusual.
Lu Zhidao shook her head to clear her mind. She figured this was for the best; it saved her the explanation. However, sitting on the bed, she felt a slight sense of loss, a hollow feeling.
Driven by some inexplicable impulse, she walked to Chu Ning’s door. She thought that if the girl was still awake, she would go in and tell her she was back—because she had promised to give an account of everything.
Lu Zhidao gently pushed the door open a crack and peeked inside. She saw that Chu Ning was already sound asleep.
She lay there, the picture of peace, while Lu Zhidao reeked of alcohol. Lu Zhidao couldn’t imagine how someone like herself had ended up tied to someone like her.
But then she thought: Chu Ning’s patience and kindness weren’t just for her. She was even like that with a wild rabbit, let alone a living person. Realizing that her kindness was directed toward all living things, Lu Zhidao felt much more at ease and returned to her own room.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Lu Zhidao returned from practicing her sword just as Chu Ning pushed her door open.
“Good morning,” Chu Ning greeted first.
“Morning.”
“You came back quite late last night,” Chu Ning paused. Lu Zhidao felt like she had been caught red-handed and was trying to think of an excuse, but then she heard Chu Ning say with a smile, “I didn’t wait up; I went to sleep first.”
Lu Zhidao felt inexplicably guilty. This was the first time someone had said they were waiting for her to return.
“I, last night…”
Seeing Lu Zhidao’s uneasy expression, Chu Ning quickly explained, “It wasn’t for anything else. I just wanted to ask you yesterday, when you were fighting Centurion Jia, did you see that small bamboo tube I carry?”
“Ah…” Lu Zhidao scratched her head, realizing she had been overthinking. She quickly pushed her extra thoughts aside and replied, “I think I saw it.”
After a moment of careful thought, Lu Zhidao said with certainty, “Centurion Jia did have a bamboo tube in his hand, but I didn’t pay attention at the time, and he took it with him.”
“Oh.” Chu Ning lowered her eyes in thought, feeling glad she had taken the letters out beforehand.
“If it’s important, I’ll go chase him down and get it back.”
“It’s not important.” Chu Ning smiled at her, her eyes curving.
Just then, Qi Shouyi sauntered over and hollered at them, “Good morning! Did you sleep well?”
“No dreams all night, thank you for your hospitality,” Chu Ning nodded to him.
Qi Shouyi grabbed Lu Zhidao and pulled her aside, whispering, “Did you say that thing about being a ‘couple’?”
“Nonsense. I didn’t say it,” Lu Zhidao pushed him away with a look of disgust.
Qi Shouyi kept his word and saw them off. The three of them left the stronghold and walked for a long distance.
“Cross this mountain peak, and you’ll be out of Zhejiang Province and into Suzhou City,” Qi Shouyi said, pointing at the peak ahead. He then cupped his hands toward them. “All good things must come to an end. I can only take you this far.”
“Thank you,” Lu Zhidao returned the gesture.
Qi Shouyi looked at Lu Zhidao and said earnestly, “Don’t just listen to every order from your adoptive father. I am a cautionary tale.”
“He showed me kindness,” Lu Zhidao replied flatly.
“He just gave you a bite to eat—what kind of ‘kindness’ is that! Did he ever give you anything else?”
Lu Zhidao waved her hand. “Regardless, it was he who pulled me out of the mire.”
Qi Shouyi sighed. “You’re too stubborn.”
“One should be the wings of an eagle, not the claws of a tiger. I know,” Lu Zhidao said with a feigned depth, using the phrase she had just learned. Chu Ning, listening nearby, stifled a laugh.
“Oh? Look at you, speaking in grand phrases now.”
“Freshly learned,” Lu Zhidao stole a glance at Chu Ning. Seeing her hiding a smile behind her hand, Lu Zhidao suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
Noticing the interaction between the two, Qi Shouyi turned to Chu Ning and said meaningfully, “Miss Chu, she doesn’t speak well, but she’s not a bad person. Please look after her in the future.”
“It’s Lu Zhidao who has been looking after me,” Chu Ning said with a smile.
“Taking care of each other, taking care of each other,” Qi Shouyi winked at Lu Zhidao, but she didn’t understand what he meant.
Qi Shouyi, never one to pass up an opportunity for mischief, decided to add fuel to the fire. He looked at Chu Ning and said, “By the way, she has something to say to you.” As soon as he finished, he winked frantically at Lu Zhidao. “You know, the thing about ‘one cut for me, one cut for you, a couple’…”
Lu Zhidao finally realized what he was referring to and raised a fist as if to punch him.
“Until we meet again!” Qi Shouyi hollered and turned to run back.
Lu Zhidao watched him disappear before turning to Chu Ning. “Let’s go.”
The two began their slow trek along the winding mountain path.
“Once we cross this mountain, can we take a boat?” Chu Ning asked, out of breath.
“Once we reach Suzhou, we should be able to.”
Chu Ning gathered her spirits and walked on. Suddenly remembering what Qi Shouyi had said before leaving, she asked curiously, “Mumu, what were you going to say?”
“Hmm?” Lu Zhidao turned back, looking at her blankly.
“The thing the Chief mentioned. One cut, one cut, couple… what does it mean?”
Lu Zhidao stared at her, unsure of how to explain. She hadn’t expected Chu Ning to remember Qi Shouyi’s nonsense. She only wished she could drag Qi Shouyi back for a beating.
Lu Zhidao decided to keep walking, pretending she hadn’t heard.
“What does it mean?” Chu Ning quickened her pace to walk beside her and asked again.
“It’s just…” Recalling those words, Lu Zhidao felt as if her mouth were glued shut. “Never mind him!”
“Just tell me, what’s the harm?”
Lu Zhidao buried her head and walked forward, as if walking faster could leave those greasy words behind. Chu Ning rushed forward and grabbed her hand. She accidentally brushed against the wound on Lu Zhidao’s hand, heard her instinctive grunt of pain, and quickly let go.
“Why are you being so stingy? Clearly, you had something to say,” Chu Ning murmured.
“It wasn’t me who wanted to say it.”
“The Chief said you had something to tell me.”
“You won’t want to hear it,” Lu Zhidao said with absolute conviction.
“There’s no harm in listening…”
The more she tried to hide it, the more Chu Ning wanted to know. She pestered her with indirect questions all the way down the mountain. The dull and long mountain path actually became somewhat lively because of their back-and-forth.
Aside from the difficult terrain and Lu Zhidao’s unspeakable secret, everything went smoothly.
“If you only tell me half, I won’t be able to sleep well for days,” Chu Ning said pleadingly.
With Suzhou City in sight, Lu Zhidao was finally worn down by the pestering. She turned to face her and reminded her word for word, “Qi Shouyi said this, not me.”
“Mm,” Chu Ning nodded seriously, looking at her expectantly.
“He said… he said…” Lu Zhidao shook her head and spoke as fast as possible, her tongue tripping over the words, “I-cut-you-cut-couple…”
“Straighten your tongue and speak properly.”
Lu Zhidao looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. “I have a cut on my hand, and you go make a cut on yours, then we’re a couple.”
“Hahahahaha!” Chu Ning doubled over with laughter. Seeing that she didn’t take offense, Lu Zhidao let out a long sigh of relief and relaxed.
Halfway through her laughter, Chu Ning suddenly realized the implication. Her face flushed red. She gave Lu Zhidao a glare, lowered her head, and marched off on her own.
Lu Zhidao was left standing there like a fool, not knowing if she was happy or upset. She recalled Qi Shouyi’s affected voice saying, “She’ll definitely blush and hit you with her little fists.” Lu Zhidao realized he only got half of it right—she had blushed, but she had walked away without looking back. Qi Shouyi hadn’t said anything about what to do after that.
Lu Zhidao was at a total loss, her heart filled with regret. She silently cursed Qi Shouyi. If she had known this would be the result, she wouldn’t have said it even if her life depended on it. Now she was in a real dilemma. She could only quicken her pace and follow silently by her side.
“You two drank until midnight and spoke of nothing but this? You were making fun of me?” Chu Ning questioned angrily.
Lu Zhidao hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully, “That was the only bit of nonsense.”
“Even you know it’s nonsense!”
“You insisted on hearing it,” Lu Zhidao murmured a defense to the ground, not daring to look at her.
“So now it’s my fault? My mistake for not knowing you two were so casual!”
Knowing she was in the wrong, Lu Zhidao lowered her head and stayed cautiously by her side. The previously noisy journey was suddenly surrounded by a low-pressure atmosphere. They entered Suzhou City in silence.
By the time they reached the city, dusk had already fallen. When Chu Ning stopped talking, the two fell into an endless silence. Their stillness was at odds with the bustling excitement of Suzhou.
As soon as they entered the city, Lu Zhidao instinctively looked around. Only after confirming there were no pursuers nearby did she feel somewhat at ease. She figured that after Centurion Jia was wounded, he had likely retreated to Jiahe Prefecture and wouldn’t catch up so quickly.
Once safe, Lu Zhidao relaxed her guard. She stole a glance at Chu Ning to see if her anger had subsided. She asked carefully, “Should we go straight for a boat?”
“If there is one, we take it!” Chu Ning snapped.
Lu Zhidao, not knowing how to break the awkwardness, took this as an order and actively began asking locals for the location of the pier. Chu Ning, seeing her so proactive for the first time, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When Lu Zhidao turned back toward her, Chu Ning quickly put on a cold face, intentionally showing her displeasure.
“The pier is that way,” Lu Zhidao pointed in a direction. “There are still boats.”
The two walked toward the pier, each with their own thoughts. They both took it for granted that once they reached the pier and boarded a boat, they could finally rest easy. But life often fails to meet expectations.
They reached the pier and found a boatman to buy tickets. The fare was calculated by distance—four hundred wen per person to North Tongzhou. Lu Zhidao searched her entire body and pulled out all her loose silver, barely scraping together eight hundred wen.
Chu Ning felt she could finally relax. She was about to board excitedly when she was stopped.
The boatman said meticulously, “There’s also a food and sundries fee—two hundred wen per person.”
Lu Zhidao turned her coin pouch inside out. it was cleaner than her face; not a single wen left. She could only stare blankly at Chu Ning.
Chu Ning was also helpless. “I’m out of money too.”
“You had some last time,” Lu Zhidao reminded her. Back in the cave, they had pooled their money to count it. At that time, Chu Ning had quite a bit of loose silver. Over the past few days, Lu Zhidao had spent a lot of money on maps, rations, and mountain gear, but Chu Ning had had no reason to spend anything.
Seeing Lu Zhidao staring at her, Chu Ning pulled out her coin pouch and shook it in front of her.
“I spent it on the books,” Chu Ning explained.
Lu Zhidao was a woman of few words, but she wasn’t stupid. “They couldn’t have cost that much.”
“I had the waiter buy them. The rest was given to him as a tip.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Chu Ning realized her mistake. She explained with a bitter face, “I’m just used to it…”
Lu Zhidao pursed her lips and said nothing more. She was a high-born young lady; tipping servants was just a daily habit for her.
Lu Zhidao didn’t scold her. Instead, she turned to the boatman to haggle. “Forget the food fee. We have rations.”
“That won’t do!” The boatman refused sternly. “It takes over a month to get to North Tongzhou by boat. Do you have that much food? Besides, there are eight customs checkpoints along the way. If you haven’t prepared the toll fees, you won’t get through.”
Lu Zhidao wanted to say more, but the boatman grew impatient. “If you aren’t taking the boat, get going. Don’t block the way.”
“Give me back the money!” Lu Zhidao grumpily took the ticket money back from the boatman.
They had been full of hope about the boat, but this sudden accident left Lu Zhidao frustrated. Stuffing the returned money back into her pouch, she marched forward with her head down.
“Mumu…”