Pei Yunxi didn't want Jing Zhe to see her in such a disheveled and helpless state, so she decided to try again on her own.

Therefore, when Jing Zhe spoke, she was trying to stand up and did not answer.

And all of this began to show results; although her legs were still a little numb and she couldn't feel anything, at least she was able to stand up...

At that moment, Jing Zhe's last words came through.

I've turned around!

Pei Yunxi was startled. She had been so focused on standing up that she hadn't even had time to pull up her underwear and pants, which were down to her knees. If he turned around at that moment—

So Pei Yunxi shouted "No!" and then her legs went weak, causing her to fall backward with a "thump" and "Ouch!"

When Jing Zhe turned around, the scene was a complete mess.

The moonlight was bright, and it was clear that the spot where Pei Yunxi had just stood was now muddy from the rushing water. Fortunately, Pei Yunxi was lying on her back and hadn't touched any mud.

Her skirt fell to her waist, and at the back of her legs were still the underpants and trousers she had just seen. However, even when she fell, she still managed to clamp her legs together. The sight was something Jing Zhe could only imagine.

"Fourth Sister, what's wrong?"

Without thinking too much, Jing Zhe quickly walked up. Pei Yunxi had already closed her eyes in embarrassment. She really didn't know how to face such an awkward scene, let alone open her mouth to speak.

At this moment, Jing Zhe couldn't care less about anything else. He first picked Pei Yunxi up by the waist, patted her snow-white dress, and fortunately, because of the cold weather, the ground was frozen hard, so the dress didn't get too dusty.

His hand touched Pei Yunxi's bare, cold, and stiff thigh, and he already guessed what was going on.

"Fourth Sister, are your legs numb from squatting?"

Pei Yunxi nestled in his arms, not saying a word, but simply nodding slightly.

"I'll carry you back."

Pei Yunxi remained silent, nestled obediently in his arms.

Things have progressed to this point, and it seems the best way is to just carry Pei Yunxi into the car. But Jing Zhe's purpose in coming out this time is to get closer to Pei Yunxi. He has already used unconventional methods, so he shouldn't miss this opportunity!

Then he said, "It's cold outside, let me help Fourth Sister pull up her pants first!"

"..."

Before Pei Yunxi could even speak, Jing Zhe's hand reached down, first pulling up her underpants, then her trousers...

As she moved, her hands naturally touched places they shouldn't have, and Pei Yunxi's body trembled.

...

Back in the car, I finally warmed up.

After covering Pei Yunxi with a quilt, Jing Zhe asked, "Fourth Sister, is your leg feeling any better?"

"..."

Pei Yunxi remained silent because she didn't know how to deal with the current situation.

"Then I'll rub it for Fourth Sister!"

"No--"

Before she could even utter the word "want," Jing Zhe's hand slipped under the covers and rested on her legs, kneading Pei Yunxi's thighs.

"Are you feeling better, Fourth Sister?"

"alright…"

After Jing Zhe picked her up, Pei Yunxi's leg felt better. She was afraid that if she didn't speak up, he might do something else outrageous!

"Okay!"

Jing Zhe reluctantly took his hand out. In the darkness, he couldn't see Pei Yunxi's face clearly, but without a doubt, it was flushed and she looked stunning.

"Fourth Sister, shall we go to sleep?"

"Um…"

"It's too cold, I'm hugging my fourth sister!"

"..."

Inside the cramped car, with a quilt, Jing Zhe lay with Pei Yunxi in his arms.

Pei Yunxi had no idea how he had gotten into her arms.

Fortunately, he kept his hands and feet still; he only put his arm around her shoulder and didn't do anything inappropriate.

Oh well, never mind.

The situation just now was far worse than this one. After all that, what does this hug matter?

Pei Yunxi reassured herself, closed her eyes completely in the darkness, and listened to the gradually even and calming breathing beside her. Suddenly, she felt very at ease and closed her eyes as well…

...

When Jing Zhe opened his eyes, Pei Yunxi was no longer there.

The carriage was swaying; Pei Yunxi must have been driving it from outside.

Last night, he did not do anything dishonest because he knew that haste makes waste, and that Pei Yunxi needed time to process some things.

"Good morning, Fourth Sister!"

"Um."

Pei Yunxi responded softly, and no one mentioned what happened last night again to avoid embarrassment.

Jing Zhe sat outside the carriage, chatting casually with Pei Yunxi. Two hours later, near noon, an inn came into view.

Hanhan was standing outside the door looking this way, and when he saw their carriage, he hurried over to greet them.

"Young Master, you've finally arrived!"

"Okay, come and have some food. Take some dry rations and water with you, and let's continue on our way!"

"Zhe'er!"

Just as Jing Zhe finished speaking, Pei Yunxi pulled him from behind.

"We have enough water and dry food to last until Liangzhou, and it's already past night, so there's no need to stop here for a meal!"

The journey from Jinxi to Liangzhou is bound to be dangerous, barring any unforeseen circumstances; the only question is where the danger lies.

The most likely place to hide danger is an inn like this, because you don't know if there are people lying in ambush in other rooms. Even if no one is lying in ambush, who can guarantee that they won't poison the water or food?

Pei Yunxi's worries stemmed from this, and Jing Zhe had already guessed it. When he heard last night that there was a post station ahead, he was worried that someone might set up an ambush there. However, he still sent Hanhan alone. It wasn't "taking a risk with Hanhan," but rather because he knew that even if someone really wanted to make a move here, they certainly wouldn't target a minor character like Hanhan first.

If we alert the enemy, wouldn't that be a greater loss than a gain?

Jing Zhe didn't speak, but instead carefully examined the inn. Because it was built in the middle of nowhere, the place wasn't very big, and there was a fence around it made of branches as thick as a forearm.

Judging from its appearance, both the fence and the inn itself bear the marks of many years of operation, indicating that it has been in business for many years and was not built temporarily.

This alleviated some of Jing Zhe's concerns.

"Fourth Sister, we've been traveling for over a day, eating only cold rations and drinking cold water. I don't mind, but I can't bear to see you eat like this! So we should eat some hot food and drink some hot water here. Who knows if there's another inn ahead where we can get a hot meal again!"

This wasn't made up. Pei Yunxi is his fourth sister and his future wife, so it's normal for Jing Zhe to feel sorry for her.

Pei Yunxi was somewhat moved, but she still dissuaded him, saying, "Zhe'er, a few more days won't make a difference! Leaving aside whether anyone is lurking here, who can guarantee the quality of the food—"

"Young master, would you like to eat or stay at an inn?"

"..."

————