Chapter 23: Staying Overnight Together

It wasn’t that he was targeting Xia Mo specifically, but seeing the displaced commoners struggling for survival reminded him of certain things, stirring up an uncontrollable anger within him.

Xia Mo choked on her words, then waved a hand. “Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore. It’s getting late—let’s head back to town for the night.”

There was an inn in town, but only one. The conditions weren’t great, and it was always in high demand.

The wealthy folks who had fled from Tongzhou didn’t lack travel permits. They certainly wouldn’t be sleeping on the streets.

“What do we do? There are no rooms left.”

Now that it was snowing, it wasn’t like before. They had to find an inn for the night.

“Boss, is there any way you can free up a room for us? Even a woodshed would do.”

The innkeeper looked at the two young travelers—clean and handsome—and felt a pang of sympathy.

“I really don’t have any rooms left in the inn, but my house has a spare storage room. It’s small, but if you don’t mind, you can stay there for the night.”

“We’ll take it! As long as there’s a roof over our heads.”

Along the way, they had slept in shared bunks, straw huts, open-air courtyards, and even a bear’s cave. Compared to those, a storage room was a luxury—she wasn’t picky anymore.

The innkeeper had one of the shop’s assistants lead them down another street, where his house was located.

It was a well-built home with green bricks and tiled roofs, marking them as a wealthy family in town.

The assistant knocked on the door, explaining their purpose to the middle-aged woman who answered. She smiled warmly and invited them in.

“We do have a storage room, but it’s quite small—just big enough for a single bed. You two are quite slender, so you might be able to squeeze in together. That is, if you don’t mind.”

Xia Mo quickly replied, “Not at all, ma’am.”

The middle-aged woman called for a young man.

“Sis, what do you need?” he asked.

“These two young men are staying the night. Your brother arranged it. Clear out the storage room for them.”

“Got it, sis. You go on with your work, I’ll take care of it right away.”

After saying a few polite words to Xia Mo and her companion, the woman left.

The young man, meanwhile, stroked his chin as he looked them up and down. Sensing this, Xia Mo scrutinized him in return.

He seemed to be in his early twenties, sporting a thin mustache that was deliberately groomed.

Unlike the kind and honest demeanor of the innkeeper and his wife, this man exuded a different vibe—his gaze was shifty and unsettling.

She had a bad feeling.

“Wait here for a moment, I’ll have it ready soon.”

Maybe it was just her imagination, but his expression changed in an instant. He put on a smile, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work, quickly moving the clutter out of the storage room.

Then, he fetched a broom and dustpan, sweeping the room clean.

Finally, he dragged in a simple single bed—barely a meter wide.

Xia Mo was dumbfounded. Well, it was true that two small people could squeeze in… barely.

She glanced at Xiao Jingyuan, but he wasn’t even looking at the bed. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the mustached man.

“All done. You two can go in and rest now,” the man said, flashing them a smile.

Xia Mo cupped her hands in thanks. “Much appreciated.”

Then she quickly pulled Xiao Jingyuan into the room and shut the door.

The room had only a tiny window, making it dim inside. The air was damp and musty from being unoccupied for so long.

Still, it was better than sleeping on the street.

Once inside, Xiao Jingyuan immediately bolted the door.

Just then, there was a knock.

Both of them tensed up.

“Who is it?” Xia Mo asked.

“It’s me. I brought you some food.”

Xia Mo gave Xiao Jingyuan a look, signaling him not to act rashly. She opened the door.

The mustached man stood there with a grin, holding two bowls of porridge and a few steamed buns. “My sister-in-law asked me to bring you some food.”

“Please thank her for me,” Xia Mo said, smiling as she accepted the food.

Back inside, the two of them stared at the meal.

“I don’t trust him,” Xia Mo muttered. “I bet there’s something in that porridge. We shouldn’t eat it.”

“Mm. You’re the doctor—I’ll listen to you.”

Without hesitation, Xia Mo dumped the food into the trash bin from her portable store and brought out some of their own supplies.

After eating their own meal, she sprayed the room with air freshener from her store.

By now, night had fully set in, and the last traces of light faded from the room.

Xia Mo took out a couple of candles and lit them, instantly making the space feel warmer and brighter.

She also pulled out some thick mats and laid them over the bed.

The mats were clean and had a layer of soft fleece on top—far better than the old straw mattress and the musty, years-old quilt on the bed.

Not that she blamed the innkeeper—it wasn’t like they were mistreating them. In these times, even a tattered quilt was a luxury.

As for their blanket, they had bought a new one earlier and had been carrying it themselves. When traveling with the villagers, they always kept it with them. But now that it was just the two of them, Xia Mo stored it in her portable shop and took it out when needed.

“Hey, stop standing there like a log,” Xia Mo said, busy setting up the bed.

Xiao Jingyuan hadn’t lifted a finger to help, and worse, he was getting in her way.

He glanced toward the door and muttered, “That mustached guy is outside.”

Xia Mo froze. “He’s outside?”

“Mm.”

“But the innkeeper and his wife didn’t seem like bad people…”

Xiao Jingyuan was silent for a moment, then said, “That guy doesn’t seem like a good one, though.”

After climbing up and down mountains all day, Xia Mo was dead tired. She had just wanted to sleep peacefully for one night—was that too much to ask?

Frustrated, she pulled out a watermelon knife and placed it beside the bed.

“Let’s sleep first. We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”

Then, without hesitation, she sprawled out on the bed, taking up most of it.

Xiao Jingyuan’s gaze darkened.

“This is how you take care of me?” he asked.

Xia Mo: “……” Where did he get the idea that she was taking care of him?

She pulled out another mat and tossed it at him.

“Sleep on the floor. This bed is too small for both of us.”

“Hmph, fine. I didn’t want to squeeze in with you anyway—you reek of mugwort.”

Seeing that he was still recovering from his injuries, she decided to let it slide.

Mugwort?

Xia Mo realized what he meant—she was wearing a heat patch infused with mugwort to ease her cramps.

Xiao Jingyuan probably thought she had an injury and was applying medicine.

A beautiful misunderstanding.

In the middle of the night, rustling noises broke the silence.

Xia Mo had been on guard ever since Xiao Jingyuan warned her about the mustached man. Sure enough, she had never been able to fully relax.