As dawn broke, the troop should have been ready to depart immediately, yet Feng Suige was nowhere to be found. Yixiao searched the camp with mounting curiosity, only to discover him leisurely bathing in the stream, the morning light glinting off the water.
“Hey!” Yixiao rushed forward, snatching Feng Suige’s upper garment from the rock and tossing it toward him. “What time do you think it is? Why are you still dawdling here? Don’t you know everyone’s waiting for you?”
Feng Suige fumbled to catch the falling clothes, one corner dipping into the stream. With a resigned sigh, he wrung out the dripping fabric. “Weren’t you the one who said we could rest if we didn’t want to leave?”
“You…” Yixiao stomped her foot in exasperation. “Is that all you heard? Hurry up and get dressed! We need to get moving!”
Feng Suige draped the garment over his shoulder, a teasing grin tugging at his lips. “What’s the rush? I thought you wanted to rest for half a day too.”
“When did I ever say I wanted to rest?” Yixiao snapped, stepping forward to yank the clothes from his shoulder. She shook them out, holding them up. “Put these on. Now.”
Feng Suige slowly slid his arms into the sleeves, still teasing. “You don’t want to rest? Are you sure you don’t want to rest?”
“You’re so annoying!” Yixiao huffed, pulling the garment tightly around him. “What exactly are you trying to do? I don’t think you just want to rest.”
“You’re right,” Feng Suige admitted, his smile brightening. “You’re getting smarter. Want to guess what I’m up to?”
Yixiao ignored him, turning to leave. Feng Suige’s smile faltered as she walked away, and he called after her reluctantly, “Don’t you want to guess?”
Yixiao spun around, hands on her hips. “You! Take your time bathing then. I’ll tell the others to rest for now!”
Nearby, Xue Ying sat lazily on a soft rug beneath a tree. Ever since her fall, everyone had treated her like fragile porcelain, forbidding her from exerting herself. The endless caution had left her restless and drowsy. If she didn’t find some diversion soon, she might go mad from boredom.
Her gaze fell on Fu Yixiao crouching a short distance away. Ever since the half-day rest had been declared, Yixiao had been acting unusually neurotic, her eyes darting constantly to Feng Suige’s every movement. He, in turn, seemed overly lively, joking with one and playfully punching another, never exchanging a word with Yixiao.
Could it be…
“Yixiao,” Xue Ying beckoned, “come here. I have something to ask.”
Yixiao approached, and Xue Ying pulled her closer. “Did you and Feng Suige fight?”
“I couldn’t be bothered to fight with him,” Yixiao replied, glancing at Feng Suige. “I just want to see what trick he’s planning!”
Xue Ying tugged at her sleeve, gesturing for her to sit beside her. She whispered, “You… um, last night I heard him shouting not to let anyone touch you. Could it be that you wanted to…”
Yixiao’s eyes widened. “What are you imagining?”
Xue Ying stuck out her tongue. “Just guessing. You don’t know how loud he shouted…”
A sharp whistle suddenly pierced the air from the perimeter. Yixiao sprang up, alert. “Stay where there are lots of people. Don’t wander off,” she instructed, hurrying toward the sound.
Feng Suige was already moving. Yixiao caught up with him in a few strides. “Which direction did the warning come from?”
Feng Suige vaguely pointed. “That way.”
Yixiao’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that the way we came?”
“Yes,” Feng Suige replied, furrowing his brow, carefully masking the amusement flickering in his eyes. “Could someone be following us?”
As if on cue, a carriage appeared around the bend, two riders ahead, four bringing up the rear. Seeing the crowd, they didn’t slow, urging their horses forward.
Yixiao’s wariness gave way to recognition as the carriage curtain lifted, revealing a familiar face. She turned toward Feng Suige, who had stepped back a few paces, chuckling. Gritting her teeth, she hissed, “You did this on purpose!”
On the sun-drenched stone road, the cart horses pawed at the ground. Yixiao dashed forward, clinging to the carriage shaft, tears welling in her eyes. “Weiran, Weiran, Weiran, Weiran—”
Xiao Weiran smiled, stopping her attempt to climb. “Let me come down instead.”
“We were following the plank road to find you,” Xiao Weiran explained to the hovering physician. “But you had changed course midway. After receiving news, we backtracked for several days before catching up…”
“There’s no need…” Yixiao interjected, her rare stern expression coming through. “After all that back and forth, you must let the physician examine you properly. How can you neglect your own health?”
Xiao Weiran shook his head, laughing lightly. “You’ve even learned to lecture people now.” He glanced at Feng Suige. “She must be quite a handful.”
Feng Suige nodded with a smile. “Manageable.”
After a few pleasantries, as the physician prepared to fetch medicine, Xiao Weiran’s expression grew serious. He recounted the situation quietly: “I had planned to send Yixiao back to Lu City for reinforcements, but your location was exposed. Given Yixiao’s current position, she can no longer act freely. Another strategy must be devised.”
Feng Suige pondered. “It’s a pity we’re so close to the Holy City. If we had more time, we could have planned better.”
Xue Ying, pale with anxiety, muttered, “I should’ve known Feng Xiyang was careless. Those lies… if she had told His Highness earlier, so much trouble could have been avoided. Are there no truly sensible people in this world?”
Feng Suige shot her a sharp glance. “Although Xiyang’s handling was flawed, she has never been involved in palace intrigues. She was momentarily deceived; there’s no need to be so harsh.”
“I’m being harsh?!” Xue Ying snapped, jumping up. “She risked Ning Fei and Yixiao for her own decisions! My words are already gentle. Do you want the harsh ones? I can give you those too!”
Feng Suige rose angrily, then noticed Yixiao nearby, her expression unpleasant. Feeling apologetic, he sat back. “I won’t argue now. The urgent matter is to rescue the person first. Advisor Xiao, do you have any suggestions?”
Xiao Weiran paused, lost in thought, then shook his head. “With His Highness in their hands, any move must be cautious…”
Feng Suige smiled faintly. “Concern clouds judgment. His actions are shady, unfit for scrutiny. Why not draw him into the sunlight? After all, rumors spread fastest in the open!”
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