Ning Yan found it hard to articulate what he was feeling in that moment—part anger, part unease, part something raw and tremulous he couldn’t quite name. It was all tangled up inside him, too complicated to sort through.
He wanted Bai Qingqing to understand that the arrangements he’d made were for the best, that she should just listen to him. But she was like someone who had locked herself into a single belief—no matter what he said, she simply wouldn’t agree.
“I may be a woman, but I know what loyalty and gratitude mean. If it really comes to that, then don’t try to stop me. If something happens to me, all I ask is that you do your best to clear the White family’s name.”
She spoke with such calm conviction, as though already entrusting her final wishes. She still remembered what Fu Yi had once told her: that in her past life, the White family’s sentence was commuted to exile because the commander of the Embroidered Guards had presented her father’s blood-written plea. There had been no proof to overturn the charges, but at least the descendants of the family had been spared.
At the time, she hadn’t known who that commander truly was. Now, looking back, it seemed that even in her past life, she had already owed Ning Yan a debt too deep to repay.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Ning Yan snapped. “Your life is your own responsibility. And besides, with me here, what could possibly happen to you?”
He didn’t want to hear any more of it. His expression darkened with impatience. “Just remember what I said. That’s enough.”
What a mess. Complete and utter nonsense.
Seeing his reaction, Bai Qingqing chose not to press the matter. Still, she believed he’d taken her words to heart. Difficult as he was, she knew one thing for sure—Ning Yan was someone you could rely on.
Having spoken her mind, Bai Qingqing seemed lighter somehow, more at ease. She grew even warmer toward Ning Yan, fulfilling his requests with unhesitating cheer, which only made him feel oddly out of place.
But the peace didn’t last. Just as they neared the southwestern border, it shattered.
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Bai Qingqing hadn’t even had time to react before the carriage lurched violently. Outside, she could hear the shrill cries of panicked horses.
Her heart sank. This hadn’t happened before—until now, none of the villains had gotten close. The Scaled Guards had always kept danger well at bay.
Ning Yan’s expression changed instantly. He threw open the carriage door and jumped down without hesitation. Before leaving, he turned and said in a low, firm voice, “Follow Mu Shu when the time comes. He’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“I—”
She didn’t even get the chance to respond before the door was shut again.
Her pulse pounded in her ears. Why was Ning Yan sending Mu Shu to escort her? Was this the critical moment he had warned her about?
Even through the carriage walls, the chaos outside was deafening. The clang of steel on steel made her heart race. What if Ning Yan got hurt? Yes, he was strong—but if there were too many of them, he didn’t have three heads and six arms. And if Mu Shu was pulled away just to protect her…
In a flash, Bai Qingqing made her decision. Compared to her own life, Ning Yan’s was far more important.
She forced herself to stay calm, pressing down the fear threatening to spill from her throat. Her hand reached out, fingers trembling slightly as she pushed open the carriage door.
If she was to run, she would do it herself. There was no need to waste a man like Mu Shu on her. And if she failed—well, that was simply fate.
Once outside, she saw the scene clearly and her knees nearly buckled. The once orderly formation had devolved into chaos. The Scaled Guards were locked in brutal combat against a swarm of desperate attackers. Blood and broken bodies sprayed across her vision, so vivid and terrible it made her bones go cold.
But she dug her nails into her palm and forced herself to stay calm. Crouching low, she slipped around the edges of the melee. After so much time with Ning Yan, she’d learned a thing or two—enough to read the flow of battle. The Scaled Guards were driving the enemy in one direction, so she moved the other way, inching forward with careful, deliberate steps.