Two days later, they arrived at the entrance of the security escort agency in two horse-drawn carriages.

Shen Xingmian's horses were all very intelligent. They would follow the caravan even without a driver, requiring no one to worry about them.

If it weren't for that, she really wouldn't have been willing to get two carriages and have two people act as drivers.

This way, the five people can have their own private spaces for men and women, and if that person becomes the brother-in-law in the future, there will be a place for them to stay when they come back.

The escort agency provides carriages, but you have to sit with strangers, which can be quite crowded if there are many people.

The journey was short, so they could bear it, but following the caravan back to the North would take at least twenty days, so they decided to get their own carriages.

Shen Xingyan asked with some concern, "What if we fail to strike up a conversation with him on the way? Wouldn't all our efforts have been for nothing?"

As soon as she said it, she quickly shook her head and denied it: "No, no way, even if there's no chance, I'll create one myself!"

Shen Xingmian patted her shoulder and said disapprovingly, "How can a young lady do this kind of thing herself? There are so many brothers and sisters, this is the time for them to contribute."

After saying that, she winked playfully at her sister.

Shen Xingyan immediately understood what she meant. Yes, as a young woman, it was not appropriate for her to have too much contact with him, but what was wrong with her brother going over to make friends?

It's only natural that men of similar age would travel together, admire each other, become friends, and then he would bring her back to his spacious carriage to spend time with her. No one would suspect anything.

After learning that her cousin's surname was Shen, she no longer suspected him of having ulterior motives towards her, but rather felt pure admiration.

The two girls stayed in the carriage while Xiao Yanyue and Shen Zheng drove, keeping a close eye on the other employers before simultaneously recognizing their target.

There was no way around it; just from their descriptions, they already knew that the person was quite handsome.

Looking around, there was only one conspicuous person in the entire group.

Judging from appearance alone, both of them were satisfied. This "appearance" refers not only to physical appearance but also to a person's eyes and demeanor.

They had met many people, especially Xiao Yanyue, who had been by Luo Qi'an's side every day and had developed a knack for judging people.

He glanced at the person and was somewhat surprised to find that his cousin had pretty good taste.

Of course, Mianmian has better taste.

For the past two years, he has been on high alert, fearing that a man with ulterior motives might get close to her and steal her attention before he could win her heart.

So far, it seems to be quite effective.

It seems that Mianmian has really stopped paying attention to other men. Even when she's helping someone, she always asks her to do it herself.

Now that this person is his cousin's target, he feels much more at ease.

As long as no one tries to take Mianmian from him, he can still make friends with people. Xiao Yanyue narrowed his eyes and inappropriately thought of the Emperor of Lin Yue.

He has learned so much that he can secure his position.

But……

If he were to deliberately trap her in the palace, would Mianmian be willing to stay with him? She has always had a very bad impression of the palace, and having her live there indefinitely is no different from being imprisoned.

That's why he hasn't sought revenge.

He was terrified that if he saw the emperor, he would kill him without hesitation, and if that happened, the capital would be in chaos, which he could not ignore.

Master wouldn't allow it either.

In that situation, it would be difficult for him to stay with Mianmian forever.

Alternatively, he could discuss with his master whether he could relinquish the throne to the most capable person, while he himself could stay by Mianmian's side and accompany her throughout the long years.

Xiao Yanyue was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the carriage had started moving on its own. When she came to her senses, the horses were already following the caravan and were about to leave the city gate.

Shen Zheng was absolutely concerned about his sister's affairs. After receiving the instructions, he kept an eye on the man's movements, noting which carriage he was riding in, and was ready to get closer to him at any time.

As noon approached, the convoy stopped by a small river outside the city to rest, so that the people could eat and the horses could be fed.

Everyone got off the carriage to stretch their legs. They swayed around in the carriage for a while, and some of the weaker people were already dizzy and had to be helped off the carriage by their families.

Although He Huazhang was a scholar, he did a lot of work and was quite strong compared to ordinary scholars.

He hadn't planned to bring much with him when he went out, but his sister insisted on preparing a lot of dry food and side dishes for him, and even some fruit.

His sister's cooking skills were impeccable. He could smell the fragrance even before opening the package, and once he opened it, the fragrance became even more overwhelming.

Shen Zheng, who had deliberately moved closer, smelled the aroma and asked with a smile, "Young man, what kind of food did you bring? Why does it smell so special?"

He Huazhang looked up and saw an extremely handsome young man with a heroic air about him, who was looking at him with a smile in his eyes.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill and replied with a faint smile, "These are some dishes my older sister made. If you like them, I can share some with you."

Shen Zheng was even more satisfied with this person. Some people are pleasing to the eye just by looking at them, and they become even more likable as soon as they open their mouths.

"Alright, then let's take turns eating, young man. Come on, don't be shy with me, try my sister's cooking."

Shen Zheng spent every day with his father and grandfather in the military camp, so he was quite adept at talking to men.

The two chatted like that, and by the time Shen Xingmian dragged his sister to play in the water, the two had become so familiar with each other that they were almost like brothers.

Seeing this from afar, Shen Xingyan couldn't help but gasp in amazement: "Brother, you're amazing! In such a short time, you've already won over the person I couldn't handle?"

Shen Xingmian chuckled and joked, "You haven't even started yet, so how can it be considered not done?"

The two girls were laughing together, their voices not loud, but Shen Zheng, who had a keen eye, noticed them. He immediately pointed at them and said, "Those are my two little sisters. They're both very cute, aren't they?"

Logically speaking, he shouldn't have asked a man like that, but praising his sister had become a habit, and he didn't notice anything amiss for a moment.

He Huazhang looked in the direction he was pointing and saw the two people he expected. Although he hadn't seen them that morning, but...

When they parted that day, she said "see you in two days." It was just a polite remark, but for some reason, he would think about it from time to time.

He had never seen a girl smile so brightly and boldly, without the slightest hesitation or timidity, but with such grace and poise.

Whenever he thinks of her, a string of compliments comes to mind, and he can't stop thinking about it. He doesn't understand what's wrong with him.

But when the older brother next to him asked, he nodded as if possessed.