Chapter 65: Feelings
At dawn, black-armored warriors gathered a few miles outside Nanfeng Town. A masked man respectfully approached the man in the silver mask, clasping his hands and saying, "Boss, we've carefully checked every room in the mansion. Aside from the County Magistrate, who was tied to a tree, and a few servants sleeping in the side hall, there's no one else. Neither the General's House nor the Third Young Lady noticed anything. Everything in the kitchen is gone. Judging by the marks on the cart shed, a cart was lost and headed towards Phoenix Mountain."
"Phoenix Mountain?" Kong Wu, wearing a silver mask, narrowed his eyes and looked at the mountain in the distance shrouded in white smoke. "Chase."
The group from the General's Mansion stopped and started. Qin Xiangnuan hadn't expected Gu Mingqi to be so enraged that he would dispatch his assassins to hunt them down, so she didn't rush. She looked at the peaks ahead, calculating how many days' journey it would take to cross them. Xu Jian saw her gaze, understood her concern, and softly explained, "Although it's a little dangerous, it's the fastest route."
"We've come to Nanfeng Town with such a high profile, I'm afraid His Majesty has already heard of it. According to our original route, we've already crossed the Xiangshui Bay River and are almost at the second official post station. Even if we delay, we must arrive within seven days. If we choose the flat road, it will probably take half a month. I'm afraid someone will find fault with us by then, which will affect the general."
Xu Jian followed Qin Xiangnuan and others all the way to the border, and was naturally won over by her character, so he would not harm her at the moment.
Qin Xiangnuan pursed her red lips and nodded, but she felt a little uneasy in her heart.
Wang Qiang looked at Phoenix Mountain and reassured Qin Xiangnuan, "This place is different from Savage Valley. The climate is cold, and many wild animals can't survive here for long. So, there shouldn't be any danger. You'll just need to light a fire at night and keep warm. At our current pace, we have plenty of time to rest, so we'll be out of Phoenix Mountain in seven days. Don't worry, Third Miss."
"Since you are here, let's keep going."
Qin Xiangnuan looked back in the direction of Nanfeng Town, her right eye twitching constantly. It had been a while since she'd sensed the group following her. Could they have already returned to the capital to report? Things were getting a little suspicious, so she had to be cautious.
"Cousin, you stay behind with Second Uncle. Remember to make some marks along the way, and then clear away all the traces we left behind, so that no one can follow the scent and avoid being tailed." Qin Xiangnuan made the arrangements and returned to Liu's side.
Liu devoted herself to caring for the old lady. Qi and the people in the general's mansion had already become estranged, and they were only barely maintaining a superficial harmony. She didn't want to continue to show filial piety to the old lady. Qi followed behind, holding Qin Xiangsong, and turned a deaf ear to everyone's tired state.
"Mom, you sit on it too. My cousin and I can push you."
Qin Xiangnuan wanted to get Liu to walk less, as she had been suffering from chilblains on her hands and feet for the past few days. Normally, in the capital, she was a noblewoman who anointed her hands with flower ointments, so she had never suffered such an injustice. The chilblains were painful and itchy all day long, and even though Liu was enduring them, her expression showed some discomfort. After Qin Xiangnuan said this, Liu hurriedly shook her head and rubbed her cold palms with her hands, "How can I do this?"
"Your hands are so delicate, please don't let them get frozen."
Liu blew hot air on Qin Xiangnuan's hands and massaged her fingers.
From childhood to adulthood, Qin Xiangnuan had never experienced the love of her family. She had been in the organization for as long as she could remember. The training for agents was dull and cold-blooded. As killing tools, they were not allowed to have emotions. Qin Xiangnuan was adept at disguise. She knew the right attitude to adopt when facing different targets, to please and confuse them, but she did not know what true love was.
Family and friends were more like luxuries to Qin Xiangnuan. She could receive many rewards from the organization, including the latest products, firearms, and space exploration. But other than that, Qin Xiangnuan was always alone, dealing with injuries on her own. She even spent her birthdays alone on the top floor of the organization. Qin Xiangnuan thought she had no emotions until she borrowed the original owner's body and arrived at the General's Mansion.
At first, Qin Xiangnuan just regarded this as a mission.
She needed to survive in the chaotic world and then take care of her family in place of the original owner. But over time, Qin Xiangnuan softened. She could feel the love of Liu and her grandmother, a warmth she had never experienced before. This warmth changed her and gave her a soft spot.
Qin Xiangnuan thought of this, looked down at Liu's cracked hands, and sniffed.
She took advantage of the pause in the team, closed her eyes, ran into the space, found the foot cream on the supermarket shelf, took out two or three bottles and put them in her arms, then returned to Liu's side, scooped out a large spoonful, and rubbed it evenly in her palm.
"What is this?" Liu watched Qin Xiangnuan rub her palms with her warm, moist hands. The dry, cracked areas seemed to be moisturized, and she felt indescribably comfortable. Her eyes widened. Qin Xiangnuan didn't know how to explain it, so she just put the blame on others and made up a story, "Doctor Gao gave it to me before he left. He stuffed a bunch of strange little ointments in it, saying we might need them on the road."
Liu was stunned when she heard this, but soon she simply believed it.
"I see, it's true that we always meet good people." Even though Liu had fallen to this point, she still had a kind heart. In the past, Qin Xiangnuan would have thought she was stupid, but now she wanted to maintain her mother's pure heart.
The mother and daughter hid in a corner and whispered for a while. Zou came over with a smile and asked, "What are you whispering about?"
"Mother and I were saying that Second Aunt has become more and more beautiful recently. Her face is so rosy." Qin Xiangnuan turned around and saw at a glance that Zou had used the rouge she bought today. She coaxed him sweetly, "No wonder when he woke up this morning, Second Uncle looked much more easy-going than usual. He always followed Second Aunt around, as if he was afraid someone would snatch her away. If he wasn't on the road to exile, I'm afraid my cousin would be jealous!"
Qin Xiangnuan winked at Zou. Although she was an unmarried maid, the words she said made Zou blush.
"You little girl, you're just talking nonsense, and every time you open your mouth you say something embarrassing!" Zou covered her face with her hands and secretly glanced at Qin Yi, her eyes and eyebrows showing an uncontrollable smile. "Is she really that beautiful?"
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