Lu Zhao and Gu Hui discussed the final few matters to be handed over several times. After finally confirming everything, Lu Zhao finally ended all his tasks in Ning City and prepared to leave with Shen Qingyao.
As they walked out of the inn, Shen Qingyao felt a bit sentimental. Despite only staying in Ning City for a short five or six days, it seemed like a lot had happened. She had also gained too much new information, causing her to inexplicably feel a sense of impending crisis.
Just as she turned her head for the third time to look back at the plain signboard of the tavern, the system couldn’t bear it any longer and said speechlessly, [Host, can you be a bit normal? Your partner is standing right beside you. Can you stop acting like you’re in some life-and-death situation with that broken signboard?]
Shen Qingyao rolled her eyes, feeling like the ancient and elegant atmosphere she had painstakingly created was shattered. She stopped lamenting and, with a disdainful expression, she got onto the carriage with Lu Zhao’s help.
The carriage swayed as it started moving, and Shen Qingyao felt lethargic. Lu Zhao noticed this.
He came over and held Shen Qingyao’s hand, asking softly, “Didn’t sleep well?”
“Mm.” Shen Qingyao nodded, unsure if it was because of Lu Zhao’s words yesterday that had affected her. After returning last night, she repeatedly dreamed of scenes from when the original owner fell ill at the age of ten. There was no such thing in the book’s plot, and she couldn’t see clearly in the dream. It was just that the pain, as if her entire heart had been dug out, felt exceptionally real, making it difficult for her to sleep deeply all night. Even this morning, she still felt a dull ache in her chest.
Seeing her pale lips and lack of color in her face, Lu Zhao felt sorry for her. He held her hand to warm her and said softly, “Do you want to sleep for a while? We still have a journey ahead. We need to reach the river port outside the city before boarding the ship.”
Lu Zhao had mentioned this to her last night. They had spent too much time in Ning City, and they couldn’t rush openly. They had already missed the team that had been heading south along the official road. They could only take the waterway to ensure they met up with the main force before entering Lingnan City.
She leaned against him. Although she didn’t feel well, Shen Qingyao had just woken up not long ago, so even if she wanted to sleep, she couldn’t. She shook her head and lazily lifted the carriage curtain with her free hand to look outside, trying to distract herself.
Unexpectedly, with just one glance, she saw something of interest.
Outside the city, there was a small tea stall where most passersby would stop before entering or leaving the city gates, sharing their experiences along the way. It was a relatively significant place for sharing news.
At this moment, a figure sat there, delicate and beautiful, contrasting with the rough appearance of the surrounding pedestrians.
It was Gu Ziyuan’s childhood sweetheart, Lin Wan’er.
“Why is she there?” Shen Qingyao sat up slightly and looked outside, feeling puzzled.
The carriage bumped, and fearing she might fall, Lu Zhao held her hand tightly. He also followed her gaze outside, then said understandingly, “I heard that before Young Master Gu left home, he left a letter for Miss Lin as well. After the news of his departure came out yesterday, Miss Lin sat at this tea stall for a long time.”
So she was here to inquire about Gu Ziyan’s news?
Shen Qingyao was even more surprised. According to rumors, Lin Wan’er didn’t like Gu Ziyuan, right?
But upon closer inspection, Lin Wan’er, who was still wearing a veil due to pollen allergies the previous day, still had genuine worry and panic in her eyes. She occasionally glanced towards the official road outside the city as if waiting for someone to appear there.
She was waiting for Gu Ziyan to come back. Shen Qingyao thought, Even if she didn’t like him, Lin Wan’er must not really hate Gu Ziyan. Otherwise, at a time when everyone was mocking him, she wouldn’t be so worried about him.
After thinking all night, she now understood why Gu Ziyan had to leave Ning City in this way. Although the Gu family seemed prestigious and promising, every step was like walking on thin ice. Gu Ziyan was fighting for a future for the Gu family.
She sighed, thinking that Gu Ziyan was indeed not the foolish, reckless scion as rumored. Someone who could be enlightened with just a casual word from Lu Zhao, how foolish could he be?
“What are you sighing for?” Lu Zhao couldn’t stand seeing her furrowed brows, especially when those worries weren’t caused by him.
Shen Qingyao turned her head to look at him, suddenly realizing that Lu Zhao seemed to have become even more handsome recently. Otherwise, why couldn’t she ever get enough of looking at him?
Shen Qingyao smiled slowly. In Lu Zhao’s puzzled gaze, she tightly held onto one of his arms, resting her head on his shoulder, and said softly, “It’s nothing, I just feel that Elder Brother Lu Zhao is amazing. It’s great that you are so capable!”
“Hmm?” Lu Zhao was now thoroughly confused. Though being praised was nice, where did this conclusion come from?
Shen Qingyao curled her lips and gently closed her eyes, like a small pet snuggling in its owner’s arms, “Because you’re so capable, you handle everything well, everything you do is the best, you know everything. So, I don’t have to worry about anything, I don’t have to manage anything. Even if I don’t know anything, I can still follow you, right?”
Shen Qingyao paused and added, “Otherwise, it’s so sad, like Miss Lin and Young Master Gu who clearly like each other but can’t express their feelings, separated by distance despite being engaged, so many concerns, so many obstacles, it must be so difficult.”
She laughed, then sighed, “My husband is so amazing!”
So, if you could stop increasing your ‘blackening value’ and let me complete my mission properly, that would be even better. Shen Qingyao silently added in her mind.
At first, Lu Zhao was floating on air from her praise, but then he finally understood what she was trying to say amidst her disjointed words.
The young girl was expressing her trust and reliance on him, telling him of her affection for him.
Feeling soft-hearted, Lu Zhao looked at her and smiled gently, “Hmm. But Yaoyao, you’re not incapable.”
“What can I do?” Now it was Shen Qingyao’s turn to be confused. Apart from having some advantages from knowing the plot due to being transmigrated, in this era where everyone seems to be extraordinarily talented, she really was just a useless tagalong.
Lu Zhao ruffled her head and said earnestly, “Yaoyao, you make me worry, you occupy my thoughts, and you also…”
“Stop!” Shen Qingyao wanted to jump up and cover his mouth.
They were having a serious conversation, and suddenly he was spouting cheesy lines?
Lu Zhao, with a twinkle in his eyes, removed her hand from his mouth and pinched it, “Yaoyao, you don’t have to worry about anything, or be afraid of anything. As long as you’re by my side.”
Shen Qingyao quieted down, burying her head, smiling like a satisfied cat. She closed her eyes and rubbed against his shoulder, thinking, “Alright, lying flat and being a ‘salted fish’ is what I’m best at.”
Not long after, Shen Qingyao came to a painful realization – she didn’t even qualify to be a ‘salted fish’; she was just a dead fish.
She was already feeling unwell from a night of nightmares, but Shen Qingyao could only reluctantly boarded the southbound ship with Lu Zhao’s help. At first, she was somewhat spirited, finding it all quite novel. But once the ship started moving, the swaying motion turned her already unclear mind into mush. Nestled in the cabin, she felt like even calling herself a ‘salted fish’ was too generous.
She didn’t know how many times she had to suppress the urge to vomit. One hand pressed against her chest, the other holding onto the edge of the table, she felt even standing up was an effort. Hongyun, who was out preparing medicine, returned at this moment and hurriedly put down the bowl of medicine in her hand to support Shen Qingyao. Hongyun was younger than Shen Qingyao, but her eyes were filled with concern.
“Madam, are you alright?”
[Host, are you okay?]
Two voices echoed in her mind simultaneously, creating a disorienting effect that made Shen Qingyao feel dizzy. She shook her head weakly. “I’m fine.”
Before she could finish her sentence, she covered her mouth, feeling nauseous.
At that moment, the ship lurched, and Shen Qingyao, carried by the momentum, almost stumbled off her chair.
“Madam!” Hongyun exclaimed, almost failing to catch Shen Qingyao.
But Shen Qingyao didn’t actually fall. Instead, she fell into a sturdy embrace.
Lu Zhao had entered the room.
Shen Qingyao’s chaotic mind immediately had this cognition. Her tense body relaxed, allowing herself to softly collapse into the other’s arms.
“Yaoyao? Still feeling uncomfortable?” Lu Zhao’s voice was dry. Seeing her discomfort, he felt as if needles were pricking his heart. Seeing her pale face, which already lacked color, now as white as paper, yet still trying to force a smile at him, Lu Zhao felt even worse. He thought traveling by water would be stable and comfortable, but he didn’t expect that even without the jolting, the poor girl still had to endure seasickness.
Whether it was psychological or not, Shen Qingyao felt that when she was in Lu Zhao’s arms, smelling the pleasant cold fragrance emanating from him, she didn’t feel as dizzy. Even the feeling of wanting to vomit, which she couldn’t bear, lessened significantly.
Lu Zhao waved to Hongyun, who understood and left. Shen Qingyao saw Lu Zhao’s face darkening almost to the point of dripping water, and she could guess the reason. So she reached out to stroke Lu Zhao’s brow, tightly furrowed, and playfully said, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao, don’t furrow your brow like that, like an old man, not handsome at all.”
Lu Zhao didn’t ask what ‘handsome’ meant, but it was roughly understandable. He sighed, but his expression relaxed somewhat. Seeing the girl couldn’t even stand steadily now, he didn’t hesitate, bending down to scoop her up horizontally, walking towards the bed in the cabin while saying softly, “Seems like you’re feeling better? Still in the mood for jokes?”
Shen Qingyao was quite used to Lu Zhao’s princess carries by now. She wasn’t panicked at all. Instead, she reached out to encircle his neck, twisted a bit in his arms to find a comfortable angle, with the tip of her nose filled with the cold fragrance, feeling much better. Hearing his words, she shrank her neck a bit but still fearlessly replied, “Even more like an old man when you’re lecturing me!”
Lu Zhao paused his steps, his gaze gradually turning dangerous. He lowered his head slightly, his nose brushing against Shen Qingyao’s ear, his voice seductive, “Old man? Can an old man carry you like this? Hmm?”
Shen Qingyao’s ears burned, but Lu Zhao hadn’t finished with her. With that posture, he continued, “Or perhaps… Yaoyao still wants to verify from some other aspect whether I am a little old man?”
“…” She suspected that he was talking about driving in bed but she had no evidence.
Shen Qingyao was completely obedient now. She shook her head, then pretended to cover her chest, “Um… please put me down quickly! I’m going to vomit! I really am!”
Lu Zhao chuckled lightly, seeing through her poor acting. But seeing she still had the energy to act, she should be feeling a bit better. While relieved, he didn’t tease her further, taking a few steps forward and gently laying her on the bed.
“Be good, rest for a while.”
Thanks for the chapter!!!!!