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Chapter 21 — Hot Springs
Separated by a single stone, Xie Zhuoguang lowered his gaze, as if tinged with a blush…

The midnight wind rustled softly, and the campfire cast a warm glow.

Yu Mingyao and her companions sat around the fire. Thin flatbreads paired with freshly heated lamb soup sent warmth through the body with every bite.

Everyone ate heartily, even Lady Shi Luo had an extra helping or two. Only Yu Mingyao looked weary; after a couple of mouthfuls, she put her food aside.

Her gaze lingered in the impenetrable darkness of the night. Even after Yan Yue helped Lady Shi Luo to the carriage to rest, she did not look away.

In front of the now empty campfire, only Yu Mingyao and her brother Yu Jinnian remained.

When Yu Jinnian looked up, he noticed her cold, somber expression. Ever since they set out at dawn, he had not seen her smile once.

“What’s on your mind, sister?”

He set his food down and followed her gaze.

Not far away, the escorts from the Pei family, like them, were drinking and eating. Beyond that, there was only a vast emptiness—nothing else.

“It’s nothing,” Yu Mingyao replied without even turning her head.

Under the night sky, her face looked pale, her brows tightly knitted, almost like a beautiful, ghostly figure.

“You’re worried about the safety of the journey, aren’t you? Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. When we came here, we didn’t even have the Pei family’s guards and we were fine. Now that we have escorts, we have even less to fear.”

Yu Jinnian comforted her, his smile pure and carefree.

At this, a faint bitter smile touched Yu Mingyao’s lips.

She understood his meaning—Pei family guards hailed from a noble and reputable household and should not be doubted.

But no one else had experienced what she had. Precisely because these were people sent by the Pei family, she could not let her guard down.

The villain had yet to show his true colors, but in her heart, Yu Mingyao felt as though a sword was suspended over her head—the farther from the capital they traveled, the closer that sword edged to her vital spot.

She sighed deeply and turned her head to instruct Yu Jinnian,
“Brother, make sure our men stay alert at night. The world isn’t as safe as it seems. Even if the capital still appears peaceful, we need to stay cautious.”

She paused, then added,
“Also keep an eye on our food and carriages—don’t let us stumble over something small.”

Her voice was soft. Yu Jinnian quickly responded,
“Don’t worry, sister. I’d stake my life to protect you.”

“I don’t need your life,” she said, turning away to glance again at the nearby men. After a long while, a faint sigh drifted in the wind.

A hundred meters away, behind a concealed hillside, Cheng Qing peered out and saw Yu Mingyao’s group gradually retreating into their carriages, leaving only two bearded guards on watch.

He turned back and reported to Xie Zhuoguang, who had his back to him,
“Your Lordship, Miss Yu has turned in for the night, and the Pei family escorts show no signs of oddity. What do you think?”

His attitude was respectful, without a trace of suspicion toward Xie Zhuoguang’s unexpected behavior.

The faint firelight reflected on Xie Zhuoguang’s face, his expression cool and detached as always.

After a moment, his voice, cold and smooth like jade, rang out,
“I’ll keep watch. You go rest.”

Hearing this, Cheng Qing—who had been half-bent awaiting orders—looked troubled.
“But…”

Straightening up, he looked at Xie Zhuoguang, more taciturn than usual, and a flash of concern crossed his face.

“Go,” Xie Zhuoguang said succinctly.

With no choice, Cheng Qing retreated awkwardly. As he leaned against a tree to close his eyes, he couldn’t help but peek open an eye again. The figure of Xie Zhuoguang, back turned, radiated deep loneliness.

What was all this about?

Cheng Qing’s mind was knotted with worries. Today, His Lordship didn’t even go bid farewell to Miss Yu. After following for ten li, Cheng Qing had thought they might reconcile.

Who would have thought His Lordship would suddenly declare that the Pei family escorts seemed suspicious and insist on observing further?

And how long would this observation take? Cheng Qing shook his head and reluctantly went to sleep.

Though spring had warmed the air, the night chill still crept in.

To avoid attracting attention, Xie Zhuoguang had only built a tiny flicker of fire before him—one gust and it might go out.

In the ink-darkness, dressed only in a thin robe, he sat with his head bowed, his eyes reflecting a deep, lonely light.

Even Xie Zhuoguang did not understand what he was doing.

It was as though he was punishing himself, forcing his mind to chase away the image of her that lingered endlessly.

She and Pei Shang—how well-matched they were!

Before the entire Pei household, in front of so many people, they still had to tug at each other and whisper endlessly.

Xie Zhuoguang didn’t know why he couldn’t look away!

Even though his chest felt suffocated, as though constricted by some great beast, he still didn’t want to miss a single scene of their intimacy.

He had told himself that once she left, everything would be fine. But somehow, his horse kept following her carriage, mile after mile.

Earlier in the day, among the Pei family escorts, there had been a burly man with a beard who, under the cover of secrecy, had cast her a malicious look.

Xie Zhuoguang had happened to witness this.

Startled, without further thought, he left a brief note and had Cheng Qing accompany him to secretly follow her.

As he gazed at the dim fire before him, her tear-streaked face seemed to float into view once again.

She was so proud, so confident in her beauty—if she were ever humiliated by someone so lowly, Xie Zhuoguang didn’t dare imagine what would become of her.

Let’s hope he was simply overthinking…

Under the deep night sky, everyone harbored their own thoughts.

Yu Mingyao and her party retraced the same road as before on their return. From bustling towns to desolate wilderness, seven days passed without incident.

Now at the Qicang Mountain, on the border of the capital—they only needed five more days to reach the waterway and head south. At that point, the Pei family escorts could end their duties.

Even Yu Jinnian, like Yu Mingyao, gradually relaxed.

“Didn’t I say there was nothing to worry about?”

After lunch, Yu Jinnian glanced around, and seeing no one nearby, pulled Yu Mingyao aside and eagerly shared his observations from the past few days.

With animated gestures and a beaming face, he practically shouted how much effort he’d put in.

Yu Mingyao saw through him but didn’t call him out. She only smiled inwardly—if only her brother could stay this carefree forever.

“All right, all right. I’ll remember. Once we’re back in Suzhou, I’ll thank you properly.”

She smiled and reminded him to stay vigilant a bit longer. Yu Jinnian readily agreed.

Her words should have ended there.

But for seven days straight—aside from briefly washing at inns at the start of the trip—she hadn’t bathed properly.

When they departed, the weather had been cold, and she’d managed, but now it was getting warmer. Especially at noon, under the sun, the carriage grew stifling. Being someone who loved cleanliness, she found it unbearable.

“Brother…” Yu Mingyao’s voice dropped. “I remember there’s a hot spring nearby…”

She lowered her gaze, avoiding the distant mountains.

Seeing her hesitant demeanor, Yu Jinnian at first didn’t understand.

When he noticed her blushing and glaring at him after waiting too long for a response, realization finally dawned.

“Oh—yes, yes, there is a hot spring nearby. You want to go?”

Yu Mingyao originally intended to have him scout ahead with her. After all, Yan Yue was also a woman—if something happened, neither of them would escape easily.

But looking around, aside from the sturdy Pei family guards, their own party consisted of mostly the old, weak, or infirm.

“This…”

Yu Jinnian saw her hesitation.

“It’s fine. I’ll scout ahead for you. It’s only two li from here on horseback—very quick. Just make sure I don’t fall off the horse.”

“As for here, we have our people, and it won’t take long—not to worry.”

After some deliberation, Yu Mingyao’s desire to bathe finally outweighed her caution.

She nodded in agreement.

Not far away, Cheng Qing, munching on a biscuit, was startled when he saw the siblings heading in the same direction Xie Zhuoguang had gone earlier to bathe.

He shivered, dropping the biscuit from his mouth.

No way… surely Miss Yu wouldn’t stumble upon His Lordship bathing?

Yu Jinnian, whom Cheng Qing was counting on, entered the cave and saw this scene:

A hot spring pool about twenty to thirty zhang wide, with jagged rocks along the shore. A large stone jutted out from the center. Aside from the flat entrance where one could enter the water, the far end was inconvenient to access.

He stretched out an arm and tested the water depth—shallow near the entrance, just below his forearm, growing deeper farther in.

To be safe, he went to the central area and tested it again.

Satisfied with his careful inspection, he left cheerfully, not sparing a glance at the shadows beneath the central rock.

As his footsteps faded, Xie Zhuoguang quietly emerged from under the stone.

The moment he heard footsteps earlier, he had quickly swept his clothes into the water. Except for the shoes hidden in the rock crevice that he couldn’t cover in time, he held his garments, held his breath, and leaned against the rock.

Using the sulfurous water and the shape of the rock, he concealed himself and avoided exposure.

The danger narrowly passed, and Xie Zhuoguang exhaled deeply—but halfway through, his expression suddenly froze.

No good—the person coming next is her!

Outside the cave, Yu Mingyao listened as her brother happily assured her that he had scouted ahead and she could relax.

Though still slightly worried, her trust in her family outweighed her concern.

She nodded and asked Yu Jinnian to stand guard at the entrance. She intended to be quick.

Upon entering, the hot spring came into view. Stalactites hung from the cave ceiling; the large pool was divided by a massive rock, with sulfurous waters emitting gentle steam.

In her past life, Yu Mingyao had read about Qicang Mountain’s hot spring in Xie Zhuoguang’s travelogues.

Straddling the border between the capital and Longnan, Qicang Mountain was known for this hot spring at its edge.

Situated in the wilderness, aside from occasional travelers, few would come to such a remote place for a soak.

Thus, after a quick glance, Yu Mingyao felt reassured and began to undress.

Recalling her brother’s advice, she did not go far—she bathed near the entrance.

As soon as she entered the water, the warm, soothing spring washed away the stickiness on her body. Yu Mingyao felt her pores open and her exhaustion of several days vanish completely.

She scooped up water to wash her face, rubbed her neck, and finally reached down to her chest.

Raised in a wealthy household, carefully nourished since childhood, Yu Mingyao had always developed well. At only fourteen or fifteen, her chest was already full and heavy. Yan Yue blushed every time she helped her bathe.

Having not bathed properly these past days, Yu Mingyao felt her chest tight and uncomfortable.

She untied her undergarments and reached her hand inside to wash.

Just a stone’s width away, Xie Zhuoguang lowered his gaze—his face seeming tinged with crimson.

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