Whether Xiao Qiyu wanted her help or wanted her to leave quickly, Xi Fuhong had already made up her mind.
She would wait until Xiao Qiyu was settled before leaving.
During dinner, Xi Fuhong, feeling embarrassed about freeloading off Xiao Qiyu, decided to help the plump woman by washing some vegetables and preparing a simple meal for when Old Man returned.
Earlier, Old Man had gone out to buy wine and gather some information after settling the ox cart.
“Are you that girl’s servant?”
the plump woman asked, glancing at Xi Fuhong while holding a bowl of soup.
Xi Fuhong quickly shook her head.
“No! I just happened to be traveling with Miss Xiao.”
The plump woman shrugged, and when they heard the door open, they knew Old Man had returned.
The three of them sat at the table, and Old Man placed the wine he bought on the table.
He asked the plump woman a few questions in a language Xi Fuhong didn’t understand.
The woman glanced at Xi Fuhong with disdain and answered, after which Old Man thoughtfully stroked his chin and asked, “Oh? I thought you and that girl were from some noble family, but it turns out you’re just Jianghu wanderers.”
Xi Fuhong didn’t understand Old Man’s intentions.
He just wanted to serve Xiao Qiyu well and hoped to earn some money by sending them back to their family.
But it turned out they weren’t master and servant, nor were they noble ladies.
His plans were all wrong.
Xi Fuhong just shook her head again, reiterating that she had no connection to Xiao Qiyu and had just met her by chance.
“Forget it! Just accept it.
Why isn’t that girl coming down to eat?”
Old Man asked as he opened the wine jar.
Xi Fuhong immediately replied, “Miss Xiao said she’s not feeling well and is resting. She told us to eat without her.”
Old Man didn’t say much more, took a swig of wine, and started eating.
Xi Fuhong, seeing the table full of delicious dishes, was already drooling with hunger and began to eat as well.
The atmosphere at the table was harmonious.
After a few drinks, Old Man’s face turned red, and he slurred, “Strange, really strange!”
“What’s strange?”
Xi Fuhong asked, picking up some vegetables.
“It’s what I heard when I went to buy wine. I thought something happened in the city, but it turns out it’s those Jianghu people causing trouble. Hmph, they’re so capable, making such a mess that I had to walk three streets to buy wine,” Old Man said, taking another big gulp.
Xi Fuhong was stunned, pausing her chopsticks to look at Old Man.
“That…Baili! Hmph, that official Baili is out of luck. The whole city’s Jianghu people are after him. It’s strange, they say Baili’s ancestral grave was robbed, and something called a ring was stolen? Just that broken ring, how much could it be worth? If you ask me, I wouldn’t touch something from a dead person’s grave.”
Ring?
Xi Fuhong instinctively touched her chest, realizing her ring was missing.
She suddenly stood up and looked around, but found nothing.
“What are you doing? Look! You’ve spilled the wine!”
Old Man shouted in dissatisfaction.
“My, my ring is gone,” she said, frowning and thinking about when it went missing.
Old Man, seeing her anxious expression, suddenly laughed and said, “So what if your ring is gone? Is it more important than Baili’s ring? Maybe their burial ring is inlaid with gold and silver. How much is your thing worth?”
Hearing this, Xi Fuhong didn’t argue, just sat down heavily.
Old Man was right; her ring had no gold or silver, but she had grown attached to it over time.
She regretted not noticing it was gone.
It must have fallen off during their travels…
As she was troubled, the candlelight on the table flickered without wind.
Suddenly, Xi Fuhong’s shadow on the wall split in two, and one part slithered to the second floor unnoticed by the three.
The shadow crept into the bedroom, where Xiao Qiyu was meditating on the bed.
Her hair lifted slightly, and the eerie shadow approached her.
After a moment, Xiao Qiyu waved her fingers lightly, and the shadow seemed to receive a command, retreating into the darkness.
“Black Dragon Ring…”
she murmured, “Could it be this person?”
Meanwhile, Xi Fuhong was still upset about losing her ring, unaware she was already caught in a bigger whirlpool.
She remained naively innocent, like a loyal puppy, following Xiao Qiyu to bid farewell to Old Man and his wife the next day and lodging at an inn.
Although Xiao Qiyu told her not to delay her own business, she insisted she couldn’t leave a weak woman alone outside.
So she became Xiao Qiyu’s servant, staying by her side, taking care of her.
When she asked the waiter for a room and led Xiao Qiyu to sit by the window, she seemed to understand Xiao Qiyu’s eating habits.
She didn’t eat meat, only vegetables, and ate very little and lightly, no wonder she was so thin, as if a strong wind could blow her away.
“What would you like to order, guest?
How about trying our braised pig’s trotters or yellow peach wine?”
The waiter approached with a water jug, smiling, his eyes fixed on Xiao Qiyu, never giving Xi Fuhong a proper look.
“Miss Xi, you eat.
I’m not hungry, just some tea will do,” Xiao Qiyu smiled gently at Xi Fuhong.
The smile captivated the waiter.
Recently, many Jianghu people had come to Wang E City, but he hadn’t seen such a pure and elegant woman.
The faint lotus-like fragrance she exuded made people want to take a few more breaths of such a scent, even wanting to be by her side day and night.
“Then… just a few plates of vegetables,” Xi Fuhong said awkwardly to the waiter.
Traveling alone, she had no money, and everything she spent and stayed was paid by Xiao Qiyu.
How could she order expensive braised meat?
Even though her stomach was growling in protest, she suppressed the urge to indulge in a feast.
The waiter glanced at Xi Fuhong and turned away.
“Miss Xi, are you being polite? If you’re hungry, don’t hesitate. I’m grateful for your care, and I shouldn’t be stingy with this money,” Xiao Qiyu said, sipping some cool tea from a ceramic cup.
“No, no, it’s not that. I’m just not that hungry. I definitely don’t want to eat braised pig’s trotters or anything!”
A clear denial.
Xiao Qiyu just smiled, while Xi Fuhong awkwardly lowered her head.
She knew Xiao Qiyu couldn’t see her blushing, but she still instinctively wanted to avoid her gaze.
Soon, the fragrant stir-fried vegetables were served.
Xi Fuhong happily inhaled the aroma, just about to invite Xiao Qiyu to eat some, when the other suddenly stood up.
“Where are you going, Miss Xiao?”
Xi Fuhong asked, holding two pairs of chopsticks.
“I want to go upstairs and rest. Miss Xi, don’t mind me,” Xiao Qiyu declined Xi Fuhong’s help and went upstairs on her own.
Xi Fuhong, seeing this, looked down at the food on the plate, feeling it wasn’t as appetizing as before.
She felt a bit frustrated, wondering why Xiao Qiyu seemed to be avoiding her.
Last night was the same, and today too.
Ever since they entered the city, she often stayed in her room and didn’t come out.
Really!
Miss Xiao must be too tired to act like this!
Xi Fuhong shook off the strange thoughts in her mind.
Miss Xiao had no reason to avoid her.
She must be eating too little, so her energy was low, needing rest every day.
Once she resolved her doubts, Xi Fuhong’s stomach growled, and she picked up her chopsticks to eat.
Just as she took a few bites, four burly men entered the inn.
“Waiter! Bring three jars of strong wine!” one of the shirtless men shouted.
The men sat two tables away from Xi Fuhong, and even at that distance, she could feel their intimidating presence, making her legs tremble.
Since leaving the valley, she hadn’t encountered such burly men, except for the bandits that day, and now they were sitting so close.
“Damn it! Making me dig graves under the blazing sun, the Baili family are all bastards!”
The shorter man brushed the dust off himself, grabbed the teapot, and poured it over his hands, splashing cold tea all over the floor.
