The night was deep and still.
A hazy moon hung above the sleeping estate, casting a pale silver glow over the rooftops and courtyards.
Everything was quiet except for the occasional chirping of insects carried by the night breeze.
Bai Yanzhou moved silently through the estate, his steps so light that even the fallen leaves beneath his feet barely stirred.
By the time he reached Shen Qinglan’s window, not a single servant had noticed him.
He raised a hand and tapped twice against the wooden frame.
Tap.
Tap.
After a brief pause, Shen Qinglan’s quiet voice came from inside.
Only then did Bai Yanzhou push open the window and slip into the room.
“Everything packed?” “Mm!” Shen Qinglan was already fully dressed, with a small bundle secured against her back.
Her hair was neatly tied, and although she was trying to look calm, the brightness in her eyes betrayed her nervousness and anticipation.
She had clearly been waiting for him for quite some time.
Bai Yanzhou looked her over and nodded.
“Good.” He walked toward her.
Shen Qinglan had just opened her mouth to ask what they were doing next when Bai Yanzhou suddenly bent down.
One arm slipped behind her back while the other went beneath her knees.
Before she could react, her feet left the ground.
Shen Qinglan stared at him in surprise.
Bai Yanzhou, however, seemed completely unconcerned by her reaction.
A faint smile touched his lips.
“Then let’s go.” He adjusted his hold on her slightly.
“Hold on tight.” Shen Qinglan barely had time to process his words before Bai Yanzhou pushed off the ground.
In the next instant, they shot upward.
Her eyes widened, and her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck as the ground suddenly dropped away beneath her.
Cold night wind rushed past her face, whipping loose strands of hair against her cheeks.
Her heart pounded so hard that for a moment, she thought it might leap straight out of her chest.
This was the first time Shen Qinglan had ever experienced qinggong firsthand.
She had seen it before and had even wondered what it would feel like, but watching someone use qinggong and actually being carried across rooftops in the middle of the night were two entirely different things.
Her entire body tensed at first.
But once the initial shock passed, her eyes gradually lit up.
This was actually kind of fun.
Unable to resist, Shen Qinglan looked around.
Beneath them, Bai Manor lay quietly under the moonlight.
Rows of rooftops were washed in pale silver, while the courtyards below blended into the darkness.
Bai Yanzhou carried her as though she weighed nothing.
His feet touched one rooftop only briefly before he pushed off again, landing on another a moment later.
His movements were swift and smooth, almost as though he were riding the wind.
Roof ridges passed beneath them one after another, yet his breathing remained steady, and so did the arms holding her.
Shen Qinglan slowly looked up at him.
His expression was perfectly calm, without the slightest trace of strain.
Was carrying someone while crossing rooftops at this speed really that easy for him?
Just how strong was this guy?
A faint sound suddenly came from behind them.
Tap.
Tap.
The scrape of boots against roof tiles.
Shen Qinglan’s expression changed immediately.
She had heard it.
Almost at the same moment, Bai Yanzhou tightened his arm around her waist and increased his speed.
With one step, he crossed several lengths of rooftop.
With another, they were already on the next ridge.
The scenery flashed past so quickly that Shen Qinglan’s heart jumped into her throat.
She instinctively clung tighter to him.
What kind of qinggong was this?
Was this seriously the real-life version of leaping ten feet into the air?
Then movement flickered at the edge of her vision.
Shen Qinglan turned her head.
Several black-clad men were racing across the rooftops behind them.
Their faces were covered, and their fitted clothing blended almost completely into the night.
A cold glint flashed briefly in their hands.
Hidden weapons.
The playful thoughts in Shen Qinglan’s mind disappeared at once.
Her eyes narrowed.
“They’re…?” “Are you scared?” Bai Yanzhou’s low voice sounded beside her ear.
Shen Qinglan looked up at him and, for the first time since they had left Bai Manor, noticed something unusual in his expression.
A faint crease had appeared between his brows, and his arms tightened slightly around her.
He had known this journey might be dangerous.
He had also known that once they left Bai Manor, there was no telling what they might encounter.
But now, with Shen Qinglan in his arms and danger following close behind, he found himself questioning whether he had made the right decision.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought her along so soon.
If he hadn’t given in after seeing that pitiful look in her eyes, she wouldn’t be caught in this situation now.
“I’m not afraid!” Shen Qinglan answered without hesitation.
Bai Yanzhou glanced down at her.
Her gaze was steady.
“What scares me more is you taking me back to Bai Manor.” His eyes shifted slightly.
“If you send me back now, I’ll lose my chance to search for my biological parents.” Before Bai Yanzhou could respond, Shen Qinglan added seriously, “I can help you deal with them!” He looked down at her.
She clearly wasn’t joking.
Her eyes were bright beneath the moonlight, without any sign of fear or panic.
All he could see was her determination to leave behind the life that had already been arranged for her and search for the truth about where she came from.
Something stirred faintly in Bai Yanzhou’s chest.
The corner of his lips lifted.
“You…” A soft laugh escaped him.
“You’d risk your life just to find your family.” He shook his head helplessly.
“I really don’t know what to do with you.” Despite his words, the tension in his expression eased, and his hold on her became steadier.
His foot touched the edge of another rooftop before he pushed off again.
The night wind rushed around them as Bai Yanzhou moved faster, carrying Shen Qinglan across the rooftops beneath the moonlight.
The masked men behind them gradually began to lose ground.
Their figures grew smaller and fainter until they finally disappeared into the darkness.
Only then did Bai Yanzhou slow down slightly.
They continued through the night, and before long, the lights of Baining Town had faded far behind them, leaving only a dim glow in the distance.
They had finally left the town.
The road ahead stretched beneath the moonlight.
Eventually, Bai Yanzhou brought Shen Qinglan into a quiet bamboo forest.
Tall bamboo stalks swayed gently in the night breeze, their slender shadows shifting across the ground as moonlight filtered through the leaves.
Only after they had gone deep into the forest did Bai Yanzhou finally set her down.
Her feet had barely touched the ground when his hand reached for hers.
Before Shen Qinglan could react, his fingers had already slipped between hers.
She lowered her gaze to their joined hands, then slowly looked up at him.
Bai Yanzhou appeared completely calm, as though holding her hand like this was the most natural thing in the world.
Without explaining anything, he started walking.
Shen Qinglan could only follow.
They turned left, then right, then changed direction several more times.
The bamboo looked almost identical everywhere, and after enough twists and turns, Shen Qinglan completely lost track of where they were.
She felt more and more like she was simply being led along by the hand.
Where exactly was he taking her?
Just as she began to wonder how much farther they had to go, the bamboo ahead finally opened into a small clearing beneath the moonlight.
A carriage stood in the middle.
Its design was simple but refined, with a dark lacquered body that reflected the faint silver glow of the moon.
Two hollow-carved bamboo lanterns hung beside the carriage door, their flames flickering softly in the darkness.
But Shen Qinglan’s attention was immediately drawn to the two horses standing at the front.
Both were pure white, their coats pale as freshly fallen snow.
Their manes were smooth and glossy, and even under the dim moonlight, their eyes remained bright and alert.
One glance was enough to tell that these were no ordinary horses.
“Get in first.” Bai Yanzhou raised a hand and gently brushed the top of her head.
“I still have something to take care of.
I’ll be with you shortly.” Shen Qinglan wasn’t the type to waste time asking unnecessary questions.
She simply nodded.
“All right.” Holding her bundle, she climbed into the carriage.
Bai Yanzhou watched until the carriage door closed behind her.
Only then did the warmth fade from his expression.
He turned and walked several steps into the clearing before stopping, his hands resting behind his back.
The night breeze stirred the hem of his robe as he stood silently beneath the moonlight.
His expression had turned cold and unreadable.
He seemed to be waiting for something.
Sure enough, a few moments later, shadows moved between the bamboo stalks.
Several black-clad figures silently emerged from the darkness.
Their movements barely made a sound as they gathered around Bai Yanzhou.
One of the shadow guards stepped forward and leaned closer, lowering his voice as he reported something beside Bai Yanzhou’s ear.
Bai Yanzhou listened without interrupting.
At first, his expression remained unchanged, but as the shadow guard continued, his brows gradually drew together.
The last trace of warmth disappeared from his face.
His gaze darkened.
Only after the shadow guard finished speaking did Bai Yanzhou finally respond.
His voice was low, nearly disappearing beneath the rustling of bamboo leaves, yet the authority in his tone was unmistakable.
The shadow guards immediately lowered their heads.
A moment later, several dark figures vanished into the bamboo forest as silently as they had appeared.
Within seconds, the clearing was quiet again.
It was as though they had never been there at all.