After all, he would never let her leave unless he could completely unravel these mysteries.
Ling Mo untied her restraints and led her away from the camp. When they reached the roadside, Ling Mo asked, "Where do you plan to go? Are you returning to Wanfu County or heading to the capital?"
"The capital city."
Jiang Huaiyu answered without hesitation.
Now that she was being watched, even if she escaped back to Fushun Town, she couldn't be sure she wouldn't encounter danger again. Besides, she was eager to uncover the true identity of the mastermind behind it all.
Ling Mo looked at her with some surprise. "Those people who were tracking you came from the capital. If you go back to the capital, aren't you just walking into a trap?"
Jiang Huaiyu responded with a smile, "Since even you think so, they must also think that even if I escape, I would never have the courage to return to the capital. In that case, it will actually make me safer."
"Do as you please," Ling Mo replied calmly.
After taking a few steps, he noticed that Jiang Huaiyu hadn't followed, and he frowned. "Dawn is about to break. We're only ten miles from the capital, and it will only take another hour to get there. We'll be able to catch the first wave of people when the city gates open. Why aren't we moving?"
Jiang Huaiyu clutched his abdomen tightly with one hand, his voice tinged with weariness and helplessness: "I've been exhausted from traveling for days, and I'm already struggling to walk. How about we find a place to stay nearby for the night, and then head into the city when night falls?"
"Are you crazy? The kidnappers are still lurking nearby, how dare you stay here?"
"There are only two of them. Do you think they'd search every house for us?"
Ling Mo stared at her with unwavering eyes, his tone resolute: "This trip is too dangerous. You haven't answered my questions yet, and I absolutely cannot let you fall into the hands of others again."
He pointed to a patch of grass not far away and said, “My mount is over there. I’ll take you away and make sure you don’t suffer from the bumpy ride.”
Left with no other choice, Jiang Huaiyu could only point to her abdomen and tell the truth.
"To be honest, my physical condition no longer allows me to ride a horse."
Ling Mo immediately understood her situation, and his eyes showed even greater astonishment. "As a pregnant woman, how exactly did you offend those powerful and influential people in the capital?"
Who can say for sure?
Jiang Huaiyu smiled bitterly and shook his head gently. "My decision to stay here temporarily is not an impulsive one, but a well-thought-out one."
Once the two kidnappers wake up and find me missing, they will surely search for me again. They might think I wouldn't risk entering the city, but this place is only a stone's throw from the capital. After they wake up, there's no guarantee they won't rush to the city gates to check. If the gates aren't open, won't we be in danger again?
“But they would never imagine that I would dare to lie in wait right under their noses. Therefore, they will definitely not bother to search the houses in this area. When night falls and the light is dim, we can sneak into the city without any trouble.”
This plan was meticulous and flawless, and Ling Mo couldn't help but admire the woman's wisdom.
A decisive glint flashed in his eyes. "Alright, we'll do it your way."
After strolling for about fifteen minutes, the two arrived at a house and knocked on the door. After a while, an elderly woman with white hair slowly came to open the door. She looked them up and down warily, asking, "Who are you looking for?"
Jiang Huaiyu smiled and said gently, "Grandma, I'm so sorry to bother you so late at night. However, we are not here to look for anyone. We are travelers who have missed our lodging and are now in the middle of nowhere. We would like to ask to stay here for the night and buy some hot soup to warm ourselves up. I wonder if you could do us a favor?"
"Want to stay overnight?"
The old woman frowned. "It's almost dawn, and this place isn't far from the capital. Why don't you choose to go into the city and instead come knocking on my door? It's really puzzling."
"Hmph, my house doesn't accommodate outsiders. You'd better find somewhere else to stay!" the old woman snorted coldly, about to close the door.
Ling Mo reacted quickly, bracing himself against the rickety doorframe. The elderly woman with a full head of silver hair glared at him, her tone reproachful, "What do you mean by this, young master? Do you really intend to be violent towards this old woman?"
Ling Mo instantly dropped the cold expression he had just shown towards Jiang Huaiyu, replacing it with a gentle smile. He said softly, "Grandma, how could I dare to be disrespectful to an elder? The reason we haven't entered the city is because we've been traveling through the night, hoping to reach the capital as soon as possible. However, my wife is currently six months pregnant, and she's simply too exhausted to continue this journey. I humbly beg you to grant us shelter for the night. The cost is negotiable..."
Jiang Huaiyu was still surprised by the term "my wife" when Ling Mo gently nudged her arm, signaling her to take out some silver.
After hearing this, the old woman carefully examined Jiang Huaiyu.
Although her belly was not yet showing, her face was slightly swollen, which did indeed reveal a hint of pregnancy.
Jiang Huaiyu then revealed a vulnerable expression, "Grandma, as the saying goes, it is best to avoid overexertion in the early stages of pregnancy. I am worried that the journey may harm the fetus in my womb, so I dared to bother you. I hope you will be understanding."
After saying that, she handed a string of copper coins to the old woman.
The old woman took the copper coin, looked the two of them up and down, and finally opened the door, saying, "You two young couple look kind and don't seem like wicked people, so come in."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaiyu looked slightly embarrassed, while Ling Mo remained calm and walked into the house chatting and laughing with the old woman.
The old woman led them into the room, then turned to start a fire to prepare food for them.
Jiang Huaiyu glanced at Ling Mo with some displeasure, "I'm already married, how can you pretend to be my husband?"
Ling Mo's voice turned cold again, "If that weren't the case, wouldn't our late-night outing raise even more suspicion? Why would Grandma have let us in so easily?"
Jiang Huaiyu scoffed lightly, "Just give me more silver."
Ling Mo scoffed, "Compared to the silver you offer, ordinary people are even less willing to cause trouble."
Besides, if you really try to lure her with a large sum of money, she'll probably report us to the authorities as soon as she takes us in. Don't forget, this is the capital city, the most secure area in Tiansheng. Anyone suspicious could be reported and investigated by the authorities.”
"I'm upright and honest, why would I be afraid of being investigated?"
“You said we were staying here to avoid suspicion. Do you want to cause a huge uproar? If you insist, then so be it. Anyway, it’s not me who will be investigated. At worst, I’ll just tell Grandma that we’re not husband and wife and have her kick us out.”
Jiang Huaiyu knew that this person's personality had always been so resolute, and although she had lived through two lifetimes, she was too lazy to argue with him.
A faint blush gradually appeared on her face, and her voice trembled slightly, with a hint of reserve, "However, it is somewhat inappropriate for us to be alone in a room, a man and a woman by ourselves."
Ling Mo, however, had already calmly taken his seat and said casually, "People in the martial world don't care about trivial matters. Are you really worried that I would do something inappropriate to someone who is six months pregnant with your child?"
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