“Y-You…” Qin Jiu shrank back slightly, her face showing just the right amount of surprise and panic. “Who are you? Why are you in my room?! Don’t come any closer… If you take another step, I’ll call for help!”

The young man’s ink-black pupils seemed able to see through everything. He curled his lips into a smile and said, “Little girl, putting on an act like that is no fun.”

His voice was gentle as water, yet his words made one’s scalp prickle. “That smell of blood… heh, that was my carelessness.”

Qin Jiu felt like crying without tears.

In truth, she had only caught the faintest trace of blood.

At first, she thought it was a lingering illusion from her nightmare, but when the scent refused to dissipate, she realized something was wrong.

The only places in the room where someone could hide were the tall cabinet in the corner and under the bed. By the light of the candle, Qin Jiu had the bad luck to spot a drop of blood on the cabinet door that hadn’t yet dried.

In that instant, she weighed her options and, without hesitation, chose to run.

But she was still a step too slow.

She… she was really terribly unlucky!

Filled with regret, Qin Jiu weakly pressed a hand to her forehead and asked, “What do you want?”

She didn’t believe for a second that he had set his sights on her scrawny little body to rob or assault her. More likely, he was hiding here after making an enemy of someone. He might even be some fugitive!

It was already bad enough that she transmigrated into the role of a vicious supporting female character. If she died even earlier than the original owner of this body, wouldn’t that be too tragic?

The young man answered her question with another, “You’re going to Longzhou, aren’t you?”

Qin Jiu blinked. How did he know she was headed for Longzhou?

Unless…

“You were at the escort agency today too?” Though phrased as a question, Qin Jiu was already almost certain.

The young man raised an eyebrow and, instead of answering, asked, “Little girl, how about giving me a lift along the way?”

Qin Jiu pressed her lips together and said nothing.

This man was sneaking around and was injured; chances were high that he was being hunted. Taking him along would be asking for trouble!

Her silence was the best answer.

Facing the little girl whose face clearly spelled out “unwilling,” the young man didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled. In the dim yellow candlelight, his handsome face took on an extra touch of allure.

Qin Jiu had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, in the next instant, a dark-gold dagger appeared in the young man’s left hand. He flipped it deftly between his fingers, as though it were an extension of his body, his movements casual and unhurried.

As he toyed with the dagger, he calmly repeated: “Since we’re going the same way, how about giving me a ride?”

Qin Jiu’s heart instantly felt as if it had been plunged into icy water.

This was basically forcing her to choose between “die right now” and “maybe die later”!

If she could live, of course she would choose to live.

Qin Jiu instantly caved, “Fine.”

The young man smiled as he withdrew the right hand pressing against the door. He didn’t seem worried that Qin Jiu would seize the chance to run. Sitting down at the square table, he pointed to the other chair beside it and, taking charge as if he were the host, said: “Sit.”

Qin Jiu numbly walked back, pulled out a chair, sat down, and poured herself another cup of water to steady her nerves.

“Tell me your plan,” Qin Jiu said after finishing the water, sounding as though she had resigned herself to fate. Meanwhile, she thought to herself: if it really gets too dangerous, she still has to find a way to run.

The young man poured himself a cup of water as well and said with a smile, “My surname is Xiao, given name Ze.”

“I’ve been tracked all the way here from the northern regions by several enemies. They haven’t managed to kill me, and I haven’t managed to shake them off either.”

“Along the way, I’ve been traveling alone. As for them… they have their misgivings and don’t dare conduct an open search. If you and I pretend to be siblings, then with a bit of luck, we can avoid their notice.”

In just a few sentences, the young man explained his predicament, speaking lightly as if it were nothing.

Qin Jiu immediately seized on the key point and asked flatly, “And if we’re unlucky?”

Xiao Ze curved his lips, his words half-joking, half-serious: “Aren’t you quite clever?”

“…” Qin Jiu’s eyes widened slightly.

Fine. Now she understood. It was precisely because she was too clever that she’d attracted this troublesome lord.

After finishing the cup of water in her hand, Qin Jiu had a rough grasp of Xiao Ze, Of course, it was only surface-level understanding. Every sentence he spoke was perhaps three parts true, three parts concealed, and of the remaining four parts, she couldn’t tell how much was real.

In short, for the time being, she was probably stuck with Xiao Ze.

Just thinking about it made Qin Jiu feel like life had lost all meaning.

She regretted it now. Earlier, she should’ve just pretended she hadn’t noticed anything. Maybe after one good night’s sleep, this great Buddha would have already left.

The more she thought about it, the more her head hurt. Finally, in a smash the broken pot manner, she blurted out, “You sleep on the floor!”

Xiao Ze laughed despite himself. Seeing her brood over it for so long, he’d thought she was figuring out how to get rid of him!

Qin Jiu ignored him and went back to the bed, pulling the curtains shut.

That night, she drifted in and out of sleep, never resting soundly.

When she once again jolted awake from the nightmare of an arrow piercing her chest, the sky was already bright.

Her head throbbed dully, and her whole body felt exhausted, as if she really had been chased all night.

“Awake? If you’re awake, get up and have breakfast.” The young man’s gentle, warm voice sounded by her ear.

Qin Jiu’s headache worsened.

On the square table were already laid out bowls of plain porridge and three or four kinds of pastries. Xiao Ze sat at the table, a faint smile at his lips. His appearance was outstanding: elegant and noble, like a pampered young master raised in a grand aristocratic household. His entire bearing exuded refinement, with a hint of aloof distance.

He had clearly already tended to his wounds; the smell of blood on him was much lighter.

Qin Jiu didn’t stand on ceremony. After washing up, she dug in heartily.

After eating two pieces of red bean cake in one go, she asked without lifting her head, “You still haven’t said—how did you know I was going to Longzhou?”

Xiao Ze casually pushed a basket of soup dumplings in her direction and said considerately, “Careful, they’re hot.”

In a mild tone, he continued, “It’s a long story. Yesterday, I hid beneath one of Longwei Escort Agency’s carts to enter the county. When I was preparing to leave the agency, I happened to see you hiring escorts and overheard a sentence or two.”

That was supposed to be a long story?! Qin Jiu complained silently. She took a fierce bite of a soup dumpling, only to be scalded by the broth. Her brows knitted together as she mumbled impatiently, “And then?!”

Xiao Ze replied, “After leaving the escort agency, I almost got spotted again. And then I came here.”

That was basically the same as saying nothing at all. Qin Jiu slowly chewed the dumpling she’d picked up with her chopsticks and couldn’t be bothered to ask further.

“Eat slowly,” Xiao Ze said, thoughtfully ladling her another bowl of porridge. Every movement he made was inexplicably elegant, as though measured with a ruler.

In truth, he only happened to be hiding in this inn. He hadn’t expected such a coincidence—running into this little girl again, and even being discovered by her. On a whim, he’d decided to use her as cover.

Qin Jiu never wronged herself. She ate like a whirlwind, and nearly seventy percent of the pastries on the table ended up in her stomach.

Xiao Ze tasted each dish lightly, two or three bites at most. If he hadn’t sampled them himself and confirmed that the food was perfectly ordinary, he would’ve thought she was eating some rare delicacies from the mountains and seas.

This girl looked skinny and frail, yet her appetite was remarkably good.

And her temperament was refreshingly straightforward. She ate when she could eat, slept when she could sleep… He’d originally thought she would toss and turn all night, unable to rest. Instead, she’d slept even better than he had, sleeping straight through until late morning.

When the agreed time with Longwei Escort Agency arrived, Qin Jiu went out, with Xiao Ze accompanying her in the role of her elder brother.

Xiao Ze walked at Qin Jiu’s side wearing a bamboo hat. At this time of year, the midday sun was scorching, and there were plenty of people on the streets wearing such hats, so he didn’t stand out at all.

After learning that one more person would be added to the escort mission, the head escort asked no questions and simply demanded an additional one hundred taels of silver. As a result, another banknote disappeared from Qin Jiu’s purse.

Clutching the precious travel permit as they left the escort agency, Qin Jiu suddenly stopped and said with a beaming smile to Xiao Ze, “Big brother, I want to buy some rouge and face powder.”

She smiled until her eyes curved into crescents, a pair of faint dimples appearing at the corners of her lips adorably.

“Then my little sister should certainly choose some good rouge and powder,” Xiao Ze replied gently, every bit the refined and courteous young gentleman. “Girls should dress themselves up properly.”

Qin Jiu stared at him and, still smiling, wagged her index finger. “No, no. This rouge and powder is for big brother to use.”

Xiao Ze froze for a moment, then laughed and chided her lightly, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

With a smile on his lips and an air of noble elegance, he looked just like an older brother patiently indulging his mischievous sister.

Qin Jiu knew full well that he was far from as harmless as he appeared. A strong sense of danger flared up in her, and she immediately said, “I want to buy some rouge and powder to darken big brother’s complexion a bit. To disguise you.”

If not for Xiao Ze, then she had to put in some effort at least for her own life.

Xiao Ze raised his brows slightly, an indescribable look flickering in his eyes, and lifted a hand to press the bamboo hat lower.

Since the cosmetics were for Xiao Ze, Qin Jiu didn’t stand on ceremony and had him pay. She bought a whole pile of little bottles and jars before returning to the inn.

Qin Jiu worked deftly. In the time it took to burn a stick of incense, she had adjusted Xiao Ze’s complexion to a healthy wheat color.

She examined Xiao Ze’s face carefully.

She had to admit that Xiao Ze’s face was far more beautiful than that of most women.

Brows like distant inked hills, eyes like cold stars, lips as if painted vermilion—his features seemed blessed by heaven itself, beyond the reach of brush and ink, flawless in every way, so handsome it was impossible to look away.

Xiao Ze’s original fair skin lent him an air of noble aloofness, elegant yet cool.

Now, his complexion was much darker than before, but rather than diminishing his looks, it softened his features and made him appear more approachable.

It was like…

Like a celestial fairy descending from the Nine Heavens into the mortal world!

With a mischievous glint, Qin Jiu suggested, “Big brother is peerlessly beautiful, born with such looks. You’d definitely look amazing in women’s clothing, want to try?”

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, the title “big brother” already rolling smoothly off her tongue.

After a brief pause, she added, “It’d also be perfect for avoiding attention.”

Xiao Ze slowly turned his head to look at Qin Jiu. His vividly red lips curled slightly, forming a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, his gaze sharp and blazing.

A chill instantly surged through Qin Jiu’s heart, as though she’d been locked onto by a ferocious beast.

Qin Jiu caved immediately: “I was wrong!”