Shen Qingwan had left her window open, so she naturally overheard the conversations of the guests downstairs.

It seemed that news of the plague had already spread.

She analyzed the information she had just gathered from the conversation, particularly about the porridge shed in the west of the city.

Previously, when she sent people out to search, they hadn’t checked that area.

She suspected that the villagers might be there.

However, with the city now under lockdown, she had no way to leave at the moment.

She would have to wait until nightfall to try and sneak over.

Because of the plague, fear spread through the inn like wildfire.

But since they were all trapped inside, there was little anyone could do.

Rather than ordering food from the inn’s staff, Shen Qingwan took out some food from her personal storage space.

She still had the packed meals from the restaurant earlier, which she hadn’t had a chance to eat.

Now that food supplies were tight, even the restaurants and inns had little to offer, and their prices were exorbitant.

Though she wasn’t lacking in money, she couldn’t be bothered to go out and have someone prepare food for her.

After enjoying a hearty meal, she stored away the leftovers, then lay down to rest for a while.

When midnight arrived, she changed into her night outfit and climbed out of the inn’s window.

Just as she was about to head toward the western part of the city, she noticed a shadowy figure leaping from another window.

With a light tap of their toes, they soared into the distance.

Shen Qingwan was stunned.

Was this the legendary light-footed martial arts technique?

Watching the disappearing figure, her eyes filled with envy.

If only she could master such skills!

She was so caught up in admiring the technique that she completely overlooked the fact that the figure had emerged from the room next to hers.

Shaking off her thoughts, she agilely leaped from the second floor, landing gracefully like a nimble cat.

She moved swiftly through the darkness, careful not to be noticed.

Though she didn’t know light-footed martial arts, she was still highly skilled.

Navigating the night undetected was not difficult for her.

Upon reaching the western part of the city, she saw a large group of refugees being closely guarded. Patrol officers surrounded the area.

Due to the overcrowding, people were huddled together for rest.

At a glance, she spotted her family’s mule cart and several familiar faces. The people from Dahe Village were indeed here.

However, she couldn’t approach them just yet.

Without fully understanding the situation, she couldn’t risk getting herself trapped.

She had no choice but to retreat for now and assess things again in the morning.

After lingering for a while, she finally decided to head back.

The city’s patrols were still everywhere—it was clear that the authorities had already discovered the plague.

The question now was how Lord Hai, the official in charge of Jicheng, would handle the situation.

Lost in thought, Shen Qingwan was absentminded on her way back.

So much so that when she climbed through the window, she failed to notice that she had entered the wrong room.

As she walked toward the bed, she casually unfastened her outer robe.

The moonlight was bright enough that she didn’t bother lighting a lamp.

She was about to get into bed when she pulled back the canopy—and then she paused.

She distinctly remembered that when she left, she hadn’t lowered the bed canopy.

Could someone have entered her room?

Her mind instantly sharpened. Before she could take a closer look at the bed, a sudden gust of wind rushed toward her!

Reacting quickly, she dodged the attack just in time.

“You dare steal from me? Think again!”

With a cold laugh, she flipped her wrist and drew a dagger, striking toward the unknown figure.

Beichen Yuan hadn’t expected someone to barge in—let alone call him a thief!

In truth, he had sensed her the moment she entered.

He had been waiting for her to get close so he could deliver a fatal blow. But unexpectedly, she was quick to react and avoided his attack.

“You’re courting death.”

With a low growl, the man’s fingers curled into claws as he lunged at her.

But instead of retreating, she thrust her dagger toward his chest. Though she missed, his hand landed squarely on her chest.

For a moment, Shen Qingwan froze in shock.

Did… did he just grope her?

Beichen Yuan also realized what had just happened.

The warmth and softness beneath his fingers startled him so much that he jerked his hand back as if scalded.

Smack!

Shen Qingwan’s reaction was lightning-fast—she swung her palm and delivered a sharp slap to his face.

A fiery sting spread across Beichen Yuan’s cheek.

He had just been slapped?

A flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes, but Shen Qingwan was like an enraged lioness, launching a relentless attack at him.

“You damn scoundrel! You dare take advantage of me?!”

This time, she was out for blood, showing no mercy.

Beichen Yuan was equally furious.

If he weren’t injured and unable to use his inner strength, this woman would have been defeated long ago.

“Hmph, if you hadn’t said anything, I would’ve thought that was your back.”

His voice was laced with sarcasm.

“You bastard!”

That was a lethal insult.

Shen Qingwan nearly exploded.

As a woman, being called ugly was one thing, but being told she was flat-chested?

That was just as bad as mocking a man’s… size.

Neither of them realized how inappropriate their conversation was in the heat of battle.

Both felt deeply insulted.

A bastard?

This woman dared to call him a dog?!

For the first time, a trace of anger flickered across Beichen Yuan’s usually indifferent face.

His wounds, aggravated by the intense movement, split open again.

Blood quickly soaked through his dark clothes, though its deep color hid the stain.

Even though it wasn’t visible, Shen Qingwan had a keen sense of smell.

The sudden scent of blood made her pause.

Was he injured? Had his wound reopened?

Beichen Yuan’s face grew paler, and he was gradually losing the ability to fight back.

Seeing him waver, Shen Qingwan finally lit the oil lamp in the room.

Then, in a fit of rage, she grabbed his jaw.

“With skills this pathetic, you dare break into someone’s room to rob them?”

Her sharp eyes scrutinized him.

When her gaze landed on his face, she couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.

His features were strikingly handsome, his eyes full of a wild and dangerous allure. Just one look, and it was enough to make hearts race.

“Tsk, tsk, such a waste of a beautiful face. If you were in a brothel, you’d at least be the top courtesan.”

She still hadn’t forgotten his insult about her chest.

For a woman, being mocked for her figure was unforgivable—it was like ridiculing a man’s size.

It instantly ignited a murderous intent within her.