Lin Xihe sent Ling Shuang to deliver a letter to Mu Ruoyan, setting the departure date for three days later.
Not long after, Mu Ruoyan replied and agreed, but he specifically stated that he could only take her on the journey alone, because there were many people and eyes on the road, which would be difficult to pass through the checkpoints, and a slight mistake could cause a lot of trouble.
Lin Xihe had no intention of taking more people on this dangerous trip. She knew that the journey would be fraught with peril, and that each additional person could mean the loss of another.
However, going alone to persuade Ji Zhuo took a lot of her effort.
In the following days, Lin Xihe and Ji Zhuo's entourage worked diligently to prepare supplies for her trip to Nanzhao.
They carefully placed the antidote pills in various hidden corners of Lin Xihe's clothes, just in case.
Ling Shuang's eyes have been red and swollen for the past two days, tears streaming down her face as she sobs repeatedly. She is truly worried about Lin Xihe, but each time Ji Zhuo forces her to leave.
Ji Zhuo knew that Lin Xihe's mind was made up and he could not stop her. He treated the past few days as if they were his last, and his eyes could not leave Lin Xihe for even a moment.
Aside from sleeping in his own courtyard, he would rush to Lin Xihe's side almost as soon as he woke up, silently keeping her company.
Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.
The moment of parting finally arrived, and everyone was reluctant to leave.
Lin Xihe gazed at her Tangbao again and again, at that tiny body and tender face. With each glance, her reluctance to part with Tangbao grew stronger.
She fought back her tears, but finally hardened her heart, wiped them away, and turned to leave.
Lin Xihe and Mu Ruoyan embarked on a southward journey by water.
After learning Mu Ruoyan's true identity, Lin Xihe knew that he would not kill her before arriving in Nanzhao, but a nameless fear lingered in her heart and could not be shaken off.
At this moment, Lin Xihe was in her cabin. She had painted her face sallow and was dressed in men's clothing. She was thin and small, looking exactly like a malnourished and underdeveloped young man.
Half a day later, a knocking sound suddenly rang out.
"Young Master Lin, it's time for your meal."
Lin Xihe immediately recognized Mu Ruoyan's voice. She slowly opened the door, and Mu Ruoyan's aloof face came into view.
Thank you.
Lin Xihe was polite yet distant as she reached out to take the food box that Mu Ruoyan had brought.
Just as she took a step back to close the door, Mu Ruoyan mistakenly thought that Lin Xihe was gesturing for him to come inside.
"I won't go in. There's a difference between men and women," Mu Ruoyan said calmly.
Mu Ruoyan's momentary expression of disgust did not escape Lin Xihe's eyes.
Lin Xihe was quite satisfied with this; she only hoped that Mu Ruoyan could stay as far away from her as possible.
"Um...you're right, then thank you very much, Young Master Mu."
After closing the door, Lin Xihe took out the silver hairpin that Tao Musheng had prepared for her, carefully tested the food, and only began to eat after confirming that it was not poisonous.
And so, more than ten days passed peacefully, and the waterway journey was successfully completed.
During this period, in order to avoid any unnecessary trouble, Lin Xihe stayed in her room and resolutely avoided going out whenever possible.
However, the land journey was over in no time. Of Mu Ruoyan's three attendants, two rode on horseback and one drove the carriage. As a result, Lin Xihe had no choice but to share a carriage with Mu Ruoyan.
Lin Xihe, her face ashen, sat down in front of Mu Ruoyan and finally couldn't help but ask, "How long will it take to get to Nanzhao?"
Mu Ruoyan raised her eyes and coldly glanced at her, as if she were examining an insignificant object. Then, she parted her thin lips and uttered a few words: "At the earliest, twenty days; at the latest, thirty days."
Upon hearing this answer, Lin Xihe's heart sank slightly, as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water.
She silently shut her mouth, the light that had been shining in her eyes dimmed instantly, and stared blankly out the window, her thoughts already drifting far away, and she didn't know what she was thinking. Only the occasional slight trembling of her eyelashes revealed the unease in her heart.
At this moment, a hint of curiosity suddenly appeared in Mu Ruoyan's eyes, which had been calm and still.
He subtly observed Lin Xihe before him, the information he had previously gathered involuntarily flashing through his mind.
This woman was Gu Qinghuai's childhood sweetheart; the two were once engaged and she even bore him a child. Yet, she also had intricate connections with another man in the court. This complex relationship made Mu Ruoyan increasingly aware that this woman was no ordinary person.
When they first met, he was indeed amazed by Lin Xihe's beauty. Her face, as beautiful as spring flowers, made him take a few more glances.
But after spending the next few days with her, he found her quite boring. Apart from occasionally asking a few questions about the itinerary, she remained silent most of the time.
He simply couldn't understand what kind of magic this seemingly ordinary woman possessed that could make Gu Qinghuai and that man so infatuated with her.
“Miss Lin,” Mu Ruoyan suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery, “We’ve been out for so long, and I haven’t seen you ask General Gu how he was poisoned. You’ve been following me around all day, aren’t you afraid I’ll lie to you?”
As he said this, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. In his mind, the woman in front of him was utterly foolish to have believed him so easily; it was laughable.
Lin Xihe inwardly grumbled, but outwardly remained calm: You're a cunning liar, why should I bother to come up with excuses to deal with you?
After a moment's thought, she looked up and asked, feigning confusion, "Does Young Master Mu know how Qinghuai was poisoned by the Gu?"
"Perhaps he offended someone." Mu Ruoyan shrugged, her tone perfunctory, her eyes full of indifference.
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