Gu Qingyan felt awkward for a second, then decided to strike first.

“You’re awake. Do you know how long you were unconscious? I called for you and you didn’t respond.”

He quickly climbed down, then naturally asked, “Luckily you woke up. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Want to eat something first?”

Before Pei Xuan could answer, Gu Qingyan had already dashed outside.

Once outside, he patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

The person inside had an intimidating presence; when he wore that cold expression, it was like ice.

Who exactly was Pei Xuan, to even generate a “check-in point”?

Could he be some kind of humanoid demon, a worldly Dragon Overlord, or an existence from another dimension?

Taking out the four-compartment medicine bottle, Gu Qingyan fondled it lovingly for a while.

The bottle was entirely made of silver, exquisitely crafted, and the medicines inside were very practical.

After playing with it enough, he tossed it into his system backpack and asked the storekeeper for some food.

In no time, he returned with a bowl of white porridge, two steamed buns, and a plate of pickled vegetables.

A little cold was nothing to fear — it was an active check-in point, and Gu Qingyan was determined to figure out the reason.

He put on a warm, friendly smile: “Freshly cooked white porridge, come try it.”

Pei Xuan had already stood up, his eyes holding an indescribable look.

Gu Qingyan had expected this kid to be scared after waking up, but instead, he was bold enough to ask if he was hungry or thirsty.

For a moment, Pei Xuan felt complicated.

Gu Qingyan had already put down the food and enthusiastically invited him, “Come eat quickly. You’ve been unconscious for a day and a night — you must be hungry. Start with some porridge to warm your body.”

Pei Xuan walked over and sat down.

The village food was simple, bland soup, but the rice porridge was cooked fairly thick.

“Ah!” Gu Qingyan finally noticed something was wrong.

He looked back and sure enough, there was a rope lying on the bed.

His face instantly flushed red. He had just tried to befriend this guy, only to realize the man was still tied up — no wonder Pei Xuan looked so cold.

Who wouldn’t be upset waking from a coma to find themselves being pinned down with their hands tied?

Gu Qingyan gave an embarrassed smile and explained, “I was afraid you might be a bad guy, so I tied you up just in case.”

Pei Xuan finally spoke: “What if I was?”

“Ah?”

Before Gu Qingyan could react, he was suddenly twisted around, and the rope on the bed was quickly wrapped around him tightly.

Pei Xuan’s movements were lightning fast — Gu Qingyan didn’t even have time to react before he was bound tightly and couldn’t move.

He tried to scream but was muffled.

Pei Xuan covered his mouth with his right hand, then loosened the finished knot with his left, and pushed him out.

“If you don’t have self-defense skills, don’t just go around rescuing people.”

Gu Qingyan’s face shifted between blue and red.

He thought of himself as a capable adult with self-protection, but as soon as Pei Xuan made a move, he turned into fish meat.

Luckily, this guy was just playing around.

“Quick, untie me!” Gu Qingyan struggled a couple times but the rope was too tight.

His palms grew hot, a strange burning sensation that made Pei Xuan frown.

Seeing Gu Qingyan’s face flushed with embarrassment and anger, Pei Xuan immediately felt he had been too harsh.

He had already loosened the knot earlier, but apparently, this kid still couldn’t untie it.

He could only step forward and bend down to untie it from behind.

“Pop!”

Gu Qingyan had been waiting for this moment and immediately threw a punch at Pei Xuan’s right cheek.

He wanted to throw another, but Pei Xuan quickly grabbed his wrist.

Gu Qingyan couldn’t break free, so he jumped up and headbutted Pei Xuan’s chin, while the other hand was ready to grab his hair.

Realizing what Gu Qingyan was planning, Pei Xuan hurriedly stepped back two paces, “Stop it.”

Gu Qingyan looked triumphant and cracked his knuckles, “That’s what you get for tying me up.”

His right cheek was throbbing slightly. Pei Xuan was itching to give this kid another lesson to show him who’s boss.

But seeing Gu Qingyan’s lively, spirited expression, his anger faded.

Suddenly, facing this opponent, Pei Xuan realized it was his fault. His cold and harsh temper kept him from explaining.

“Gurgle gurgle gurgle.” Pei Xuan’s stomach interrupted to save him.

Gu Qingyan raised an eyebrow and accepted the truce: “Let’s eat first.”

He boldly sat down and rested his chin on his hand watching Pei Xuan eat.

Mouth still moving, he said, “I saved your life, but you repay kindness with enmity — tying me up like that. That’s your fault. A punch is light punishment. If I really thought you were a bad guy, I’d stab you with the dagger from the Hell King’s gift pack — I have it in my backpack, ready to use.”

Even if Pei Xuan was skilled, he wouldn’t expect Gu Qingyan to suddenly pull out a dagger and attack.

“Is your face okay? I held back just now. Hmph, I’m not as heavy-handed as you. My wrist still hurts.”

Gu Qingyan carefully moved the check-in point and showed patience toward Pei Xuan. Even if Pei Xuan just ate without talking, Gu Qingyan was patient.

“My name’s Gu Qingyan. What’s yours? Where are you from? What do you do? Where are you headed?”

Pei Xuan put down his chopsticks.

By the time he spoke, he had already finished all the food on the table.

Most impressively, he ate quickly without making loud noises — not rude at all.

“Pei Xuan.”

Gu Qingyan pressed for more, “And?”

“Of course Pei Xuan knows; he knew even before signing in. His name’s right there.”

Pei Xuan looked up. “Where are you going?”

“I asked first.” Gu Qingyan wasn’t too happy.

Their eyes met for a moment. Gu Qingyan gave in—who could blame him for coveting someone else’s body?

“I’m going to Lingchuan County. Do you know Lingchuan? It takes four days to get there from here. It’s my first time going.”

Gu Qingyan looked at him. “Your turn. Where are you headed?”

“Lingchuan.” Pei Xuan raised an eyebrow, clearly a bit surprised too.

Gu Qingyan immediately got excited, banging on the table. “Fate! This is fate sent from the heavens. We’re going together, and we can keep each other company.”

“What fate?” Madam Liu asked, puzzled.

She came in and saw Pei Xuan sitting by the table, then immediately relaxed. “You’re finally awake. Now that you’re awake, you should leave quickly. Luckily, my young master Yan had the kindness to save you. Be more careful out there from now on.”

Gu Qingyan had thought the same yesterday.

But today, things were different—he had no idea the humanoid sign-in points could be reused.

He quickly gave Madam Liu a look.

But Madam Liu didn’t get the young master’s hint at all. Instead, she worried and asked, “Young Master Yan, what’s wrong with your eye? Did sand get in? Come here, I’ll blow on it.”

Pei Xuan obviously understood their situation and smiled quietly in his heart, but showed nothing on his face.

Gu Qingyan cleared his throat lightly. “Mother, Pei Xuan is also going to Lingchuan County. Since neither of us knows the area, it’s safer to travel together.”

Madam Liu frowned and pulled him aside. “No, this person’s background is unclear. It’s less safe to go together.”

“He must be a good person,” Gu Qingyan insisted.

The system wouldn’t harm him. If it killed him, the guards of the underworld would all be doomed too.

Madam Liu was helpless. “How do you know he’s good? Most people only show their faces, not their hearts.”

“Look how good-looking he is. That’s a reflection of the heart. Someone that handsome can’t be bad,” Gu Qingyan blurted.

Such a straightforward compliment made even Pei Xuan a bit uncomfortable; his cheeks and palms warmed up.

Madam Liu frowned even more, thinking the young master was not only extravagant but also judging by appearances, which was bad.

She was about to scold him when Pei Xuan got up and approached.

Madam Liu cautiously shut her mouth. She always felt Pei Xuan wasn’t an ordinary person.

Pei Xuan spoke, “On the road from Qingzhou to Lingchuan, mountain bandits often appear.”

“Bandits?” Madam Liu was terrified.

She had lived all her life in Qingzhou Prefecture and never imagined there were bandits outside.

Gu Qingyan was startled too. He hadn’t expected robbers in this peaceful era.

They were a sickly young lad and a middle-aged woman recovering from serious injury—how could they possibly handle bandits?

Pei Xuan glanced at their reactions. “I will protect you both to repay the life-saving kindness.”

Gu Qingyan thought: Finally, a life-saving favor with a seal. I’m not going to let you repay me like this—you have to sign in every day!

Madam Liu still didn’t trust him and pulled Gu Qingyan aside. “I’ll ask around after I go out. If it’s true, we’ll travel slowly. It’s best to find an escort agency to go with us—more people means more safety.”

Gu Qingyan liked the idea and said, “If I had known earlier, I would have hired someone in Qingzhou Prefecture.”

They had been in such a hurry they hadn’t even prepared a carriage. Luckily, now they had one.

Thinking of this, Gu Qingyan glanced at Pei Xuan.

Pei Xuan frowned slightly, surprised neither of them took his words seriously.

He was about to say something when he saw Gu Qingyan looking up at him.

The boy had clear, bright eyes that made one’s heart soften.

“Don’t worry, Brother Pei Xuan. I will hire an escort, and you can come with us for safety,” Gu Qingyan said warmly as their gazes met.

Pei Xuan frowned even more.

Madam Liu wasn’t happy either. She thought, this person just woke up but is so tactless, insisting on tagging along.

Gu Qingyan had it all planned out, but after asking around, the people in Changxi Village just shook their heads when they heard about an escort.

“We’re farmers. We can entertain guests but can’t do the escort agency’s work.”

“If you’re not in a hurry, you can wait a bit. Sometimes escort agencies pass through Changxi Village. If you get lucky and they’re going your way, you can just pay them a fee and travel together.”

Gu Qingyan frowned.

Waiting for an escort was easy, but waiting for one going the same way was difficult. Lingchuan County was remote, and escorts rarely went there.

He couldn’t help asking again, “Are there really bandits?”

“We’ve heard of bandits, but no one has reported trouble,” the villagers answered vaguely.

Most had never traveled far and only heard rumors from travelers passing through.

Gu Qingyan relaxed a little.

“Why don’t we stay a few more days? First, Mother can recover. Second, we can wait for an escort. If one comes this way, it’ll be safer,” he suggested.

Madam Liu was reluctant to spend more on lodging but agreed once she thought of the danger bandits posed.

Gu Qingyan urged earnestly, “Brother Pei Xuan, you just woke up, your body isn’t well yet. Stay and rest a few more days.”

Worried Pei Xuan might refuse, he added, “You fainted suddenly and slept so long. What if you pass out again on the road? Traveling together, we can look out for you.”

Seeing his genuine, unforced sincerity—and recalling that Pei Xuan had even fought earlier but bore no grudge—Pei Xuan needed to wait for others anyway, so he agreed: “Alright.”

Since he owed a life-saving favor, naturally he had to repay it. Also, this kid’s complete lack of suspicion made him worry.

Gu Qingyan was overjoyed. Great, they would sign in at the same place and travel together—no more worries on the road.

Madam Liu pursed her lips, snorted, and thought, “So shameless, and he actually agreed.”