By the time they finished disposing of the three bodies, it was almost dawn.
As the hazy dawn light shone into the inn, the misty blue sky was damp and chilly, with faint rumbles of thunder. The piled-up leaden clouds appeared a deep, rich color, as if weighing a thousand pounds.
Having stayed up all night burying the body, Zhan Xinjia sat by the window, lost in contemplation and confusion about life.
Judging from the sky, it will probably rain. There's no time for them to rest for a few more days. We need to hurry and set off for the ferry today to catch a boat, otherwise it won't be safe once the river rises and becomes turbulent.
After changing back into her own clothes, Qiao Niang walked awkwardly to Zhan Xinjia's side.
She twisted the hem of her dress with both hands, muttering to herself, her face flushed.
"Miss Azhi, are you leaving?"
“Yes, we have important business to attend to and it might be inconvenient to take you with us. Besides, your injuries require rest and you shouldn't travel too much… How about you take over this inn and become the owner yourself?”
As he spoke, Zhan Xinjia frowned and fell into deep thought.
"I'll go scout out the area later to see if there are any remaining foes. You can stay here without worry; no one will dare to cause trouble."
Qiao Niang looked somewhat disappointed, but then she smiled shyly, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Miss Azhi, could you help me choose a new name? I don't remember what my original name was... This name was given to me by that old woman, and I don't want to be called this name anymore."
Naming?
Zhan Xinjia really isn't good at this.
If it were Master Shen herself who came up with the name, she could definitely come up with something elegant, meaningful, and pleasant-sounding. But with her, it's a bit abstract.
Actually, the character "乔" is quite good, it's just that the character "娘" seems too soft.
Zhan Xinjia turned his rusty, stuck brain around.
"How about you call yourself Qiaoqiao from now on?"
"Qiaoqiao?"
"Believe me! None of the people named Qiaoqiao are weak; they are all nearly invincible."
Zhan Xinjia gave two thumbs up, strongly recommending it.
Not far away, Lord Shen was already packing his luggage and preparing to leave, while Fu Shou'an angrily kicked everyone's buttocks hard in the lobby on the first floor, distributing the kicks evenly.
Zhan Xinjia walked a few steps toward them, then suddenly turned back, smiling and waving at Qiaoqiao, whose face was even redder.
"I'll come back to see you when I return! I've remembered everything you told me before. Don't worry, I'll try to find out about your background and your parents along the way."
The Flower Festival, a maidservant, Qiao Qiao must have been a young lady from a wealthy family before.
I'll probably go looking for my daughter since she's lost. I'm sure I'll get some clues if I ask around.
As dawn broke, the carriages departed the inn and headed towards the ferry. Zhan Xinjia knew how to ride a horse, but she didn't want to; having spent the night awake, she needed to snuggle up in the carriage and catch up on some sleep.
The awkward thing is that there was only one carriage in the group, and it was only to accommodate Lord Shen, a weak scholar who couldn't lift a finger or carry anything heavy.
Although Fu Shouan and Zhao Jiu were both skilled martial artists with excellent physique and energy, and could ride horses or walk without any problem, they couldn't very well force Shen Suqing, a civil official, to walk with them.
This has resulted in Zhan Xinjia now being forced to awkwardly face-to-face with Lord Shen in the carriage.
The carriage lurched and swayed slightly as it moved, and Zhan Xinjia awkwardly placed her hands neatly on her knees.
She was very sleepy, but with such a big, fragrant beauty next to her so close, damn it, who could fall asleep! Her eyes were glued to her, and her mind was completely fogged up.
The young man seemed to be resting with his eyes closed. From her angle and distance, his features were so exquisite that they resembled a statue carved in a temple, with deep-set eyes and a high nose, without a single flaw.
The car was filled with the faint scent of books emanating from him, which made Zhan Xinjia feel a little fluttery and infatuated.
She was trying hard to control her lust and not do anything lewd when the young man suddenly opened his eyes.
His eyes were long and narrow, with pupils that were a pure, unblemished black, as clear as an inkstone filled with thick ink. The corners of his eyes naturally curved upwards, giving him a touch of haughty nobility.
Normally, Master Shen always has a gentle smile and treats people with kindness and warmth, making it easy for people to subconsciously overlook that his appearance is not actually "gentle and refined".
Upon closer examination, it even appears somewhat arrogant.
Zhan Xinjia was engrossed in reading when a soft white light flashed before her eyes, instantly pulling her back to reality.
It turned out that it was Lord Shen who had been waving that white handkerchief in front of her.
She tilted her head in confusion, while the young man's ears turned slightly red.
Shen Su cleared his throat a few times.
Despite his serious tone and deliberately aloof expression, his slightly evasive eyes betrayed his turbulent emotions and unsettled state.
“I remember throwing this handkerchief away. How did it end up with you?”
"..."
Zhan Xinjia was stunned, her expression turning to disbelief.
Oh no, she forgot about that!
Holy crap, will Lord Shen think she's some kind of perverted scumbag who picks up other people's personal belongings, covets him, and has ulterior motives towards him...? Although all of these are true, if Lord Shen, who has always maintained a gentlemanly demeanor, were to reveal his pure and innocent nature, he would definitely feel offended, hate her, fear her, and stay away from her.
Her thoughts were indeed not entirely innocent, but she also knew very well that Master Shen had always treated her only as a junior, a little sister, or even a daughter, and had absolutely no romantic feelings for her.
A little heartbroken, Zhan Xinjia blinked gently.
"I picked this up. You know my family was poor when I was little, so I developed the habit of picking up trash. When I saw you throw it away, I thought if I picked it up, it would be mine..."
Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, until she finally lowered her head and spoke almost inaudibly.
Damn! She thought she had long since overcome her inferiority complex as a poor person, but she never expected that being asked such a sensitive question by someone she liked would still make her feel uncomfortable and unable to lift her head.
After all, her family's circumstances weren't even those of ordinary people; they were at least poor...
It's practically targeted poverty alleviation that Master Shen took her in.
Shen Suqing didn't understand why the little girl was suddenly acting strangely, but then he thought that perhaps she remembered some bad childhood memories. After all, her life had been full of hardships and setbacks, which was regrettable.
Reaching out to touch her soft hair, Shen Suqing suppressed the inexplicable disappointment in his heart and finally just sighed and patted her head.
"Don't pick it up next time, things on the ground are dirty. Just tell me what you want, wait... you've never picked up something from the ground to eat, have you?"
Zhan Xinjia: "..."
Zhan Xinjia: "It's not that stupid."
Shen Suqing breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, he frowned and fell into deep thought.
"Why did that shopkeeper keep covering his...lower body before he died?"
How could Canon possibly respond to this letter? Did she dare to tell Lord Shen that she had generously sent the shopkeeper to practice the Sunflower Manual? Her persona in front of Lord Shen was that of a pure, gentle, and innocent little white flower!
After thinking for a moment, Zhan Xinjia frowned mysteriously.
"Perhaps he was a disciple of the 'crotch-covering' school."
"..."
The two fell into an eerie silence.
Just as Zhan Xinjia was awkwardly wondering whether she should bring Fu Shouan in so she could ride a horse, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
The dark clouds deepened, a storm was brewing, and the masts of the ferry crossing ahead were already faintly visible.
A group of masked men in black jumped out from all directions.
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