"You seem to know quite a lot." Mu Ruoyan slowly picked up his chopsticks after Lin Xihe sat down, his gaze lingering on her for a moment.
"I also have children, so I learned a little bit," Lin Xihe said calmly, seemingly unconcerned.
She kept her head down and continued eating, completely unaware that Mu Ruoyan's gaze had subtly changed.
Although Mu Ruoyan was the third prince of the Northern Territory, he was not born in the palace.
His mother had taken him through a very difficult period before they were brought back to the palace.
During those days, he experienced the harsh realities of life and encountered almost no kind people. His mother also developed health problems during that difficult time, and even after life improved, she still needed to rely on herbal medicine to maintain her health.
As she prepared to leave, Lin Xihe thought of the mother and child. She deliberately found a secluded corner where no one was around and gave the woman some loose silver: "Sister, keep this silver safe. Find a stable village, buy a house, and there will be hope for the future. As long as you are willing to work hard, things will gradually get better."
The woman's hand trembled slightly when it touched the purse. She was too excited to speak for a moment and could only nod vigorously.
For Lin Xihe, this amount of silver was just a drop in the ocean, insignificant. But for the mother and son who had been struggling in hardship for a long time, it was undoubtedly a beacon in the darkness, carrying their boundless hope for the future.
In the afternoon, they resumed their journey.
Along the way, Mu Ruoyan unusually refrained from making things difficult for Lin Xihe.
Night fell as quickly as ink, enveloping the earth in complete darkness, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.
After searching for a while, they finally found a very small inn.
Upon inquiry, it was learned that the inn had only one room left.
Lin Xihe glanced around the rather simple lobby, and, unwilling to give up, asked again, "Is there really only one left? It's okay if it's almost empty, as long as it's a habitable room."
"Yes, sir. You've come far too late; this is the only room left," the innkeeper said, his face full of apology.
Still clinging to a sliver of hope, Lin Xihe asked, "Are there any other inns nearby?"
"No, that's all. My inn is the only one for miles around. But we do have a storeroom with two beds inside."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe lowered her head slightly and frowned gently.
"Alright, stop being so picky. It's settled then. If you don't want to stay here, you can sleep in the carriage." Mu Ruoyan said impatiently from the side, while waving her hand to signal the servants to settle the room.
Lin Xihe knew that the outside world was a mixed bag, and staying in a carriage was really unsafe.
Given Mu Ruoyan's personality, there is absolutely no way he would demean himself by living in the warehouse.
After dinner, Lin Xihe carefully followed behind Mu Ruoyan.
"Why are you following me?" Mu Ruoyan noticed the movement behind her, couldn't help but stop and turn around to ask.
Lin Xihe bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then mustered up her courage to say, "Can I sleep on the floor in your room?"
"In my room? Didn't you used to insist on the separation of men and women?" Mu Ruoyan raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes, and looked at her with a half-smile.
Lin Xihe chuckled twice, grinned, and said somewhat awkwardly, "It's an emergency, so we have to act expediently. The situation is special right now."
She knew in her heart that Mu Ruoyan had no other feelings for her, and living with him at this moment was the safest option.
"You certainly know how to bend and stretch." Mu Ruoyan's smile deepened, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing.
"I promise I will not disturb you, young master. It's freezing cold. If I sleep in the carriage all night, I'll definitely get sick tomorrow. If I infect you, young master, that would be a terrible mistake." Lin Xihe smiled ingratiatingly, her tone full of flattery, her eyes fixed on Mu Ruoyan, afraid that he would refuse.
Mu Ruoyan did not respond, but simply turned and continued walking towards the room.
Seeing this, Lin Xihe quickened her pace and hurriedly said as she passed the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, could you please send an extra quilt to our room?"
After saying that, he jogged to catch up with Mu Ruoyan.
Upon entering the room, Lin Xihe immediately felt the crampedness of the inn.
The room was very cramped. As far as the eye could see, the only place that could be used to sleep on the floor was the narrow passageway next to the bed, which was barely enough for one person to lie down.
At this moment, Mu Ruoyan seemed oblivious to everyone else, and began to undress and prepare for bed. His expression was natural, as if he was completely unaware that there was a woman in the room.
Seeing this, Lin Xihe turned her head slightly away, a blush rising on her face, feeling both nervous and uneasy.
However, seeing that Mu Ruoyan did not make any other moves or say anything more, she felt a little relieved.
Before long, the shopkeeper finally delivered the bedding.
Lin Xihe hurriedly stepped forward, took the bedding from the shopkeeper, and thanked him softly.
Then, she carefully spread the bedding on the floor beside the bed. After spreading it out, she gently blew out the candle, and the whole room was plunged into darkness.
Lin Xihe, dressed, slowly lay down in bed.
Even through the thick blankets, she could clearly feel the chill emanating from the floor, the cold seeping through the bedding and slowly seeping into her body. She couldn't help but shiver slightly, but she forced herself to endure it, silently reassuring herself: at least this way I'm safe.
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