Chapter 134 Trust

Guan Yi'an remained calm and nodded slightly, saying, "It was nothing, nothing to mention. Now that we've found the girl, you should notify the other team as soon as possible and tell them to come back early so they won't worry."

Chen Luo immediately responded, "Chen Ling is not going in the same direction as us. We'll go back to the inn first and then notify them immediately."

Guan Yi'an nodded and smiled, displaying a gentle and refined demeanor.

Seeing that this person had managed to make his maid and guards lower their guard and obey his orders in such a short time, Meng Lingge became even more wary.

But now it seems he really did help, so he nodded slightly to him to express his gratitude.

Guan Yi'an gave a faint smile, said nothing more, and quietly followed behind the others.

A knowing glint flashed in those peach blossom eyes.

He knew that Meng Lingge still didn't trust him.

Guan Yi'an didn't know how to play the flute before, but his months in the princess's mansion were not wasted. To please the princess, he diligently learned many musical instruments and became proficient in several of them.

This effort allowed him to live a very comfortable life in the princess's residence. Now that he has left the princess's residence, he is able to appear in front of Meng Lingge with a completely new identity and a completely new appearance.

It doesn't matter if Meng Lingge doesn't believe him now. He has the patience and confidence to make Meng Lingge give her heart back to him completely.

The group returned to the inn. Qiu Lan and Dong Qing were still worried about leaving Meng Lingge alone, so the three girls squeezed into one bed. Chen Luo and Chen Ling continued to take turns keeping watch, and they changed their watch location to outside Meng Lingge's room.

Meng Lingge couldn't persuade them otherwise, and she was indeed tired and sleepy, so she said a few words of advice and went back to her room to rest.

The next morning.

Meng Lingge woke up earlier, and as soon as she sat up, the two maids also woke up.

After the three of them tidied up, they opened the door, only to find that Chen Luo and Chen Ling were not there. Instead, standing outside the door was a spirited Guan Yi'an.

Qiu Lan asked in confusion.

"Young Master Zheng, what are you doing here?"

Guan Yi'an pointed to the next room, his expression calm.

“I’m staying in this room. When I got up this morning, I saw that Brother Chen Luo was too tired, so I told him to go and rest first, and I’ll keep watch for him for a while.”

Meng Lingge frowned. Chen Luo was always prudent in his actions, but now he was entrusting the security issue to this person he had only known for less than a day. She wondered if this person was eloquent or had clever methods.

If he saved and searched for people yesterday because of his kindness, that would be somewhat understandable. But for a young master to come and guard her door early in the morning is just too strange.

Unsolicited kindness is either a sign of malice or theft.

He definitely has something on his mind.

Meng Lingge remained calm and said indifferently.

"Thank you for your hard work, Young Master Zheng. Dongqing, give Young Master Zheng some loose silver so he can buy some tea."

Dongqing didn't know why Meng Lingge did this.

This young master Zheng is well-dressed and has a dignified appearance. He is clearly not here to ask for a reward. Why would you, Miss, insult him with loose silver?

But she always listened to Meng Lingge, and although she didn't understand, she still took out a handful of loose silver from her purse and handed it to Guan Yi'an.

"This..." Guan Yi'an blushed deeply. "Miss Meng, you've misunderstood. I just saw that Brother Chen Luo was really tired, and since I had nothing else to do, I decided to stay here and keep watch for a while. It wasn't for..."

Meng Lingge said with a serious expression, "Young Master Zheng and I are not related, so how can I help you for no reason? I don't like to owe favors to others. If Young Master Zheng accepts the money, I can rest assured. But if he insists on not accepting it, it will inevitably make people suspect that he has other intentions."

Guan Yi'an's attempt to circumvent the situation backfired; accepting the offer was problematic, but not accepting it was equally problematic.

He explained, his face flushed.

“Miss Meng said she had ulterior motives, and she wasn’t wrong. I am also going to Jiangnan this time, and I will travel with you. However, I have a poor sense of direction and can never tell east from west. I have already taken the wrong path several times along the way. Therefore, I would like to ask you to allow me to travel with you. I can assist your guards in their duties, and you can help me reach Jiangnan as soon as possible. We can also look after each other.”

Seemingly afraid of causing a misunderstanding, he added, "I have my own carriage, and I will ride in mine. You can ride in your own carriage, but you can allow me to follow behind you. I will absolutely not tarnish your reputation."

He spoke sincerely, but his expression was cautious, as if he was extremely afraid of being rejected.

No wonder Chen Luo was persuaded by him. Yesterday's gentle enthusiasm, coupled with today's show of weakness, is indeed very easy to move others.

Meng Lingge didn't know whether what he said was true or false, but she had her own principles. Regardless of whether what he said was true or false, she had no obligation or need to help him.

She resolutely refused, saying, "Although I have brought guards, I am still a woman, and it is improper for me to travel with you, young master. You can buy a map or hire a guide familiar with the terrain, which will solve the problem. If you don't have enough money, I can give you that amount."

Guan Yi'an looked disappointed and gave a bitter smile, saying, "What you say is right, young lady. I have overstepped my bounds."

He glanced at Meng Lingge with regret, then turned and left, returning to his room.

Looking at his somewhat desolate figure, Dongqing put the loose silver into her purse and couldn't help but say, "Young Master Zheng is a very kind person. Yesterday, everyone else in the inn complained that we were making too much noise while looking for someone, but only Young Master Zheng accompanied us to look for Miss and even comforted the other guests."

Qiu Lan also said, "Miss is so kind to everyone else, why is she so hostile towards Young Master Zheng?"

Meng Lingge said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "When you're traveling, you can't be too careful. We've only known him for less than a day, and you two are already siding with him. Chen Luo also trusts him and even told him about our trip to Jiangnan. You're all so naive; I'm afraid he'll sell you out, and you'll be counting the money for him. Besides, do you really think someone so smart wouldn't be able to find his way to Jiangnan?"

This is completely illogical.

Of course, her suspicions may not be correct, but she has always trusted her own feelings.

This young master Zheng's fox-like eyes made her very uncomfortable, and she always felt that this man was cunning and treacherous.

Qiu Lan and Dong Qing were mainly grateful to Guan Yi'an for his help yesterday, and after Meng Lingge's guidance, they quickly came to their senses.

The young lady is the person they trust most. How can they question her because of outsiders?

Moreover, it is already quite unreasonable for a grown man to ask to accompany a prostitute.

The two maids tugged at Meng Lingge's hands and pleaded, "Miss, we were wrong..."

Meng Lingge wasn't angry with them at all. Hearing this, she raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "Alright, I'm not blaming you. I just originally planned to travel around and slowly make my way to Jiangnan, but we've already encountered danger twice in just a few days. It seems we need to speed up our journey. Once we get to Jiangnan, we'll stay at my maternal grandmother's house and then we'll be safe and sound."

Chen Luo had already noticed the commotion outside, but after hearing what Meng Lingge and Guan Yi'an were saying, he knew he had done something wrong and was a little embarrassed to face Meng Lingge. That's when he peeked out.

“Miss, Young Master Zheng also came from the capital and is heading to Jiangnan. I think he is from the same hometown as us, and he helped us out last night, so I relaxed a bit.”