Lin Xihe was awakened in a daze; by then, it was already completely dark outside.

She slowly woke up and was surprised to find that she had occupied most of the seat in her sleep, squeezing Ji Zhuo to the edge.

"Let's get off the carriage and find an inn to rest for the night. We can continue our journey tomorrow," Ji Zhuo said, breaking the silence.

Lin Xihe stretched lazily, muttering, "This carriage is shaking so badly, I feel like my whole body is going to fall apart. It's all your fault for insisting on taking me to the capital."

“What’s the use of complaining? If you’re not getting off, you might as well spend the night in this carriage.” Ji Zhuo raised an eyebrow in response.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe immediately perked up and quickly jumped off the carriage.

Upon seeing the group of four, the waiter hurriedly and warmly greeted them, "Sirs, are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"

"Let's stay at an inn," Ji Zhuo's attendant answered first.

"How many rooms do you need?" the waiter asked immediately.

Ji Zhuo replied without hesitation, "Three rooms."

After taking the key from the waiter, the group went straight upstairs.

"Give me a key," Lin Xihe said, extending her hand to the servant.

The servant quickly took out a key and respectfully handed it to Lin Xihe: "Here you are, Miss Lin."

Lin Xihe opened the door and was about to go in when Ji Zhuo followed closely behind like a shadow.

Seeing this, Lin Xihe asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Come inside and rest," Ji Zhuo replied matter-of-factly.

"Don't you have your own room?" Lin Xihe's eyes widened.

“Isn’t your room my room? They’ve been driving the carriage for so long, you can’t expect them to squeeze together like this, can you?” Ji Zhuo argued vehemently.

"Then I won't get tired from riding in the car?" Lin Xihe retorted, unconvinced.

"I'm here to take care of you, aren't I?" Ji Zhuo said innocently.

Lin Xihe was speechless: "When we were at home, we had no choice but to sleep in the same room. Why are you still like this now that we're out here?"

“The inn is a mixed bag of people. Although we lock the doors and windows at night, if there’s any sleeping gas or robbers, I can protect you in time. Fine, if you don’t want to, I won’t force you.” Ji Zhuo finished speaking and made to walk out.

Seeing this, Lin Xihe grabbed him and said, "Let's go together then. Go and get the blankets from the carriage and put them on top of the blankets on this bed."

“No need. If we sleep together, it would seem like I’m forcing you.” Ji Zhuo frowned slightly.

"I'm not forcing you, I'm willing, it's my own choice." Lin Xihe sighed helplessly, thinking that one more night wouldn't make a difference.

Ji Zhuo nodded in satisfaction, then turned and went downstairs to bring up the bedding.

In the past, when he stayed at an inn, he never thought there would be so many rules. But when he thought about the different kinds of people who stayed at the inn, and what they might have done in bed, and whether the sheets had been changed, he felt that his bed with Lin Xihe had to be clean. So he quickly made the bed.

After settling their luggage, the two went downstairs to prepare for their meal.

Lin Xihe didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to selecting the best dishes in the restaurant, ordering all the fish and meat dishes that she rarely got to taste.

After finishing her meal, she was still not satisfied and went to the street with great enthusiasm to buy a lot of clothes and jewelry.

Ji Zhuo thought that she was naturally fond of beauty and material things, but he didn't know that Lin Xihe had other plans in mind.

She secretly thought that she might as well enjoy the abundance of these few days and then sell these valuable items for cash when the female protagonist returned.

Only in this way can one avoid ending up losing both money and personal possessions.

Upon returning to the inn, Lin Xihe was in a great mood as she looked at the room full of dazzling items.

"Following me is much better than following that doctor, isn't it?" Ji Zhuo originally intended to take the opportunity to criticize Lin Xihe for her fickleness, his tone tinged with a hint of sourness.

"I've never actually spent any time with him, how would I know? If you really want to know, why don't you let me go back and spend a few days with him?" Lin Xihe replied slyly.

Ji Zhuo's face instantly darkened, and he said coldly, "Throw all of these away."

“I’ll just buy another one if I lose it. If you don’t buy me one, then I’m not going anywhere.” Lin Xihe retorted without backing down.

Ji Zhuo sighed helplessly: "How did you develop such a thick skin?"

“You’ve never experienced poverty. If you had, you’d know how important money is. I’m poor and lack ambition, so what can you do about it?” Lin Xihe said confidently.

She took each of the newly bought clothes behind the screen to try them on. By the time she finished trying them on, Ji Zhuo was already lying on the bed, seemingly asleep.

Lin Xihe quickly finished washing up and quietly got into bed.

Ji Zhuo thoughtfully reserved a spot for her on the inside of the bed.

Lin Xihe was about to step past Ji Zhuo when their eyes met unexpectedly.

"It's rare to see you so willing to get into bed, I don't want to miss this moment." After saying that, Ji Zhuo leisurely lifted the quilt and waited for Lin Xihe to get into bed.

As soon as Lin Xihe lay down, Ji Zhuo naturally put his arm under her neck, murmuring, "You've tried on so many clothes, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

"It's been so long since I've worn such nice clothes, I just couldn't resist," Lin Xihe explained with a hint of shyness.

"If you like it, you can go and buy it again tomorrow." Ji Zhuo turned to the side and gently embraced Lin Xihe, his hand softly resting on her back.

Lin Xihe felt that the way the two of them were getting along at this moment was like that of an old married couple, and a ripple of emotion stirred in her heart, causing her heart to beat faster involuntarily.

"Ji Zhuo, are you this affectionate with all the maids?" Lin Xihe asked softly.

“I have no maids by my side, you are the only exception. Apart from my mother, you are the only one who accompanies me.” Ji Zhuo’s voice was deep and gentle.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe felt a surge of warmth in her heart and was deeply moved.

"Have you forgiven me?" Lin Xihe asked cautiously.

“No, I’m going to be angry for ten years first. During that time, I’ll punish you by making you warm my bed every day,” Ji Zhuo said, feigning anger.

“Ji Zhuo, I am willing to stay by your side now. But if you have someone else by your side in the future, you will no longer be able to keep me.” Lin Xihe’s tone was firm, her gaze fixed on Ji Zhuo, as if waiting for his response.

After a long while, Ji Zhuo finally mustered up his courage and asked softly, "Do you... have me in your heart?"

There was a hint of tension and anticipation in his voice.

Lin Xihe lowered her head slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly uttered two words: "I dare not."

Ji Zhuo's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "What are you afraid of?"

Lin Xihe raised her head, a hint of loneliness flashing in her eyes, and said with a bitter smile, "I'm afraid that if you meet another woman in the future, you will discard me like trash. Since this ending is inevitable sooner or later, it's better to restrain yourself from the beginning and not get involved. If you don't fall in love, you won't be heartbroken."

Ji Zhuo stared at her, his gaze now filled with inquiry: "So, you're saying you haven't fallen for me?"