Chapter 86

"Hiss!" The moment she regained consciousness, Lin Huan felt the pain in her shoulders and neck. She raised her hand to support her neck, tentatively straightened up, and couldn't help but let out a soft cry.

Even now, she was still closing her eyes, thinking about what happened last night. Unfortunately, she didn't forget any details. So she moved her hands from her neck to her face to hide herself. Suddenly, a light laugh was heard.

Through the gaps between her fingers, one could see Lin Xing lying on the table with her chin propped up by her hands, smiling. She felt embarrassed being stared at and quickly blocked her sight.

"Get up as soon as you're awake." A hand reached out from the darkness, and Lin Huan's vision slowly became brighter.

When she got used to the dazzling light, her first reaction was to look at the bed. Then Lin Huan asked in confusion: "Sister Xiao Xing, why didn't you go to sleep on the bed?"

"I was so absorbed in thinking last night that I fell asleep here without realizing it." Lin Xing said as she stretched to loosen her stiff body.

This is not to fool her, every word is true. Lin Xing was a little tired from standing last night, so she wanted to sit down and take a rest. She supported her chin with both hands and stared blankly. The lights flickered in her eyes, and then she lost consciousness.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Liu Lian's voice came, "Young shopkeeper, are you awake?"

"Awake, awake." Lin Xing responded while trying to get up, but her legs had lost feeling from sitting for too long. She tried twice but still couldn't move. Lin Huan beside her was in much the same situation.

Liu Lian heard the response and saw that no one came to open the door. She thought the child was staying in bed and wanted to turn around and leave, but then she remembered something and said again: "Young shopkeeper, don't sleep in. The two young masters are already waiting in the lobby."

"What?" Lin Xing shouted in surprise, stood up with all her strength, and limped to the door.

Liu Lian pushed the door open and frowned unconsciously at the two of them. The hair bun that was almost the same as yesterday, the red marks on her face, and the red eyes made her helpless. She raised her hand to tidy up Lin Xing's hair and said softly, "Why didn't the young shopkeeper rest well last night? Did you not sleep again?"

Lin Xing chuckled and said, "I slept so well last night, I slept until now."

Hearing this, Liu Lian looked at Lin Huan and saw that she looked confused. She then remembered that she had secretly drunk alcohol last night. She then glared at both of them, took two steps back to make room for them, and said quietly, "Forget it. If I say more, you will think I am nagging. Now that you are up, go and have breakfast quickly. Don't be late."

After taking two steps under her gaze, Lin Xing remembered that her strange walking posture must have been seen by Sister Lian. However, if she stopped at this moment, it would be too deliberate, so she could only bite the bullet and move forward. After a while, a sigh was heard from behind, followed by hurried footsteps approaching them, and Lin Xing was supported by someone.

She looked up guiltily and wanted to act coquettishly towards Liu Lian, but she caught a glimpse of Lin Huan opposite her from the corner of her eye, and lowered her head, trying not to laugh.

The three of them came to the lobby. Liu Lian estimated that the two had almost recovered, so she let go of their hands. She folded her arms and waited for them to speak.

Lin Huan took the lead and said, "Sister Lian, Sister Xiaoxing, I suddenly remembered that there are some things I haven't done yet, so I'll leave first." After saying that, he walked away without waiting for the two to answer.

Her back became farther and farther away until she disappeared. Lin Xing did not move at all. Suddenly, she said abruptly, "Sister Lian, thank you so much."

Liu Lian was confused and asked puzzledly, "Why is the young shopkeeper thanking me?" Lin Xing did not answer and never turned her head. She smiled and walked into the lobby, leaving the people behind her there.

It was still early at this time, and there were only a few tables of guests in the huge restaurant. Although there were not many people, each table was very lively. The quiet Yu Hang and Su Jingfeng were particularly easy to recognize among them.

Lin Xing came and sat down beside the two of them, and took the initiative to greet them, "Master Su, did you have a good rest last night?"

Su Jingfeng nodded slightly and said, "Everything is fine. Thank you Miss Lin for your hospitality."

"I can't afford it, I can't afford it. This has nothing to do with me. After all, I only found out that we were going to stay here when I was in the carriage." Lin Xing denied hurriedly, her hands swinging involuntarily as she spoke.

"Um...thank you, Lord Yu?" He said this reluctantly, and even the ending tone sounded questioning.

Yu Hang did not refuse, but accepted it generously and replied, "You're welcome."

Su Jingfeng seemed to have not expected him to say that. He was surprised and forgot what to do for a moment. The sight of the servant delivering dishes to the table brought his thoughts back to reality, and they ate in silence.

After everyone put down their chopsticks one after another, the table began to get a little angry. Lin Xing asked, "How many days will it take to get to Pengze County?"

"Within three days." They said in unison.

Then surprised expressions appeared on Yu Hang and Su Jingfeng's faces at the same time. Lin Xing, who was standing by, saw the whole process and burst out laughing. But she didn't go too far and just laughed twice before stopping.

As the sky grew brighter, the lobby became noisy with the sounds of children crying and people talking and laughing. Lin Xing and Yu Hang enjoyed it and relaxed unconsciously, but Su Jingfeng was the only one with a frown on his face.

Suddenly, a man dressed as a guard came forward and saluted, saying, "Sir, it's time for us to set off." Lin Xing remembered him. They had met each other in the money shop, but only a few times. His appearance became clearer and clearer as they got to know each other later. His name seemed to be Wei Bai.

Yu Hang waved his hand to signal him to leave, and replied: "Got it, you go and wait first."

"Yes." Wei Bai left neatly, his figure lost in the crowd.

Then Su Jingfeng stood up and said goodbye, "Then I will go to the carriage and wait for you two."

Lin Xing sighed softly and watched his figure disappear. She felt sad for no reason, but her melancholy was interrupted in an instant.

"Young shopkeeper, it's a good thing you haven't set off yet!" The shout came from far away word for word. Lin Xing hurriedly stood up to greet the breathless Liu Lian, who was holding a large bag in her hands.

The commotion here was quite loud and attracted a lot of attention, but Lin Xing didn't care. She asked anxiously, "Is it urgent? Why is Sister Lian so anxious?"

"Don't worry, young shopkeeper. It's nothing serious." Liu Lian pushed Lin Xing out of the restaurant. Although she was confused, she did not resist. Yu Hang saw the two of them leave and followed silently.

The three waiting carriages came into view, and Liu Lian behind him relaxed at the right time. She quickly walked around to Lin Xing, handed the bundle in her hand to her, and said, "This is what I prepared for you last night. I almost forgot to give it to you, but luckily I made it in time."

Lin Xing took it. The bag was heavier than she had imagined and she was pulled down a little. Yu Hang stepped forward and stretched out his hand. Lin Xing immediately understood what she meant and handed over the bag. Then he took the bag and walked towards the carriage, leaving the two of them some separate space.

A relieved smile spread across Liu Lian's face as she began to bid her final farewell, "Young shopkeeper, you must take good care of yourself and remember to protect yourself at all times."

"Don't worry, Sister Lian. I will be back in the restaurant soon." Lin Xing patted her chest to guarantee, her tone full of confidence. Then her eyes fell on the empty space behind Liu Lian and said, "Where are Guishu and Huan'er? Why don't you see them?"

"My uncle went back to take care of the sick a few days ago. I was in such a hurry last night that I forgot to tell the shopkeeper that Huan'er...she..."

Liu Lian's hesitation frightened Lin Xing. She anxiously asked, "Is Huan'er okay?"

"It's nothing. I'm just busy entertaining guests." Liu Lian's eyes flickered, and it was obvious that she was lying, but Lin Xing did not continue to ask. Since Huan'er didn't want to come, then forget it.

Finally she said, "Take care, Sister Lian, it's time for us to leave."

"Well, young shopkeeper, you don't have to worry about us too much." After saying this, Liu Lian hugged her gently, and then quickly let go.

Lin Xing turned around and got on the carriage. She did not look back until the driver whipped her horse and it fell. Naturally, she missed Lin Huan who was sneaking out of the restaurant.

The two stood there together, and the carriage drove out of their sight. After a long while, Liu Lian said, "Why don't you come and see your sister Xiao Xing off?"

Lin Huan blurted out: "I'm too busy, right? I really can't spare the time."

"Okay, now you've learned how to fool me!" Liu Lian's tone was not blaming, but relieved. After saying this, she walked straight into the lobby and said as she walked, "Since you know I'm busy, why don't you come over and help me out?"

“Here it comes!”

Lin Xing, who was immersed in sadness, suddenly felt the carriage speed up and fell backwards. She tried to steady herself. Before she could ask, a voice rang out, "Master Lin, please be careful."

Wei Bai? Lin Xing was even more confused and asked, "Why did you suddenly change to driving?"

"This place is still some distance away from Pengze County. If you want to arrive within three days, you must speed up. The previous driver was not capable of doing this, so I took over." The young man pretended to be deep and lowered his voice, which should have been clear.

After hearing this, Lin Xing stopped bothering him and began to appreciate the scenery outside. The breeze brushed across her hair, blowing the ribbons on her hair out of the window, but she didn't care.

The carriage was relatively stable, but there were always stones on the road. After a noticeable bump, a crisp sound of porcelain colliding was heard, and the source of the sound was the bag that Liu Lian brought up. Lin Xing then remembered this thing and went back into the car to check it out.

After looking at them one by one, they were all miscellaneous items, but they covered everything. There were several kinds of dried fruits alone. No wonder the bag was so heavy. I wonder how long Liu Lian took to prepare.

Hidden among the various odds and ends was an exquisite little wooden box, which was very conspicuous. Lin Xing naturally did not miss it. She picked it up curiously and turned it over to observe, but she could not see anything and had to open it.

In the box lay a pair of earrings - they were made of colored glaze with tassels hanging down, and were small and exquisite. Lin Xing had never worn earrings in Nanru. She only started wearing them when she was in the capital and her daily life was taken care of by the Yu family. At this moment, there were two pearls hanging on her earlobes, which were a low-key style specially chosen for this trip.

She might be able to guess who created it, but she didn't know when Lin Huan bought it.

Lin Xing changed her earrings almost instantly. Unfortunately, she didn't bring a bronze mirror with her, so she could only imagine what the earrings looked like on her earlobes.

The carriage was darker than the outside world, making people confused about day and night. Moreover, it was in the wilderness, which made people feel isolated from the world. Until - "Tofu for sale!"

Lin Xing was exhausted from days of traveling. She didn't even have the mood to look out the window and could only lean dejectedly in the corner. But when she heard the hawking sounds, she jumped up suddenly and opened the curtain again. The breath of life rushed to her face, making her excited.

"Sir Lin, we have arrived in Pengze County. The case is under the charge of Magistrate Lu of Pengze County, and since we have just arrived, we need to go and see the magistrate." Wei Bai knew the hardships of traveling for days, so he slowed down as much as possible and softened his voice, not as cold and hard as before.