Leaving the city required a travel pass, but when Hua Zhi presented hers, the guard didn't even take it—with a wave of his hand, he let their entire party through. After all, who in Yinshan Pass didn't recognize the eldest daughter of the Hua family now?
Hua Zhi expressed her thanks and, once outside the city gate, immediately mounted her horse. She whipped the reins and rode into the wind and snow, beginning her journey home.
Yet no matter how eager she was to return, the harsh weather made it impossible to travel quickly.
It was bitterly cold—a pervasive, overwhelming chill.
Suddenly, Gu Yanxi moved. He crouched halfway on his horse's back and, to the astonishment of the others, leaped behind Hua Zhi. Before her horse could panic, he took control. "Kick off the stirrups."
Hua Zhi instantly understood his intention and complied without hesitation. In the next moment, she felt as if she were soaring through clouds and mist, landing on Shadowtreader's back.
A thick, pure black cloak enveloped her, and in an instant, she was surrounded by a familiar scent. The warmth from behind beckoned to her, and Hua Zhi almost resignedly leaned back against him.
Her hands were already too stiff to grip the reins firmly, and her legs could no longer cling to the horse. Even if Lu Xiansheng hadn't intervened, she wouldn't have lasted much longer before asking for his help.
A faint smile tugged at Gu Yanxi's lips as he gently wrapped his arms around Hua Zhi through her padded cloak. He whispered in her ear, "Tighten the cloak's opening—don't let the wind in."
Hua Zhi did as instructed, leaving only her small face exposed to the elements.
"Giddyap!"
The wind and snow battered against them, and the cold persisted, yet her hands and feet gradually began to thaw. The human body maintains a constant temperature of 37 degrees; even if two people embraced naked, it wouldn't raise it to 38 degrees. But in such frigid conditions, a simple embrace like this could warm them both.
Amid the vast, swirling snow, Hua Zhi's thoughts drifted aimlessly.
She wasn't without doubts about Lu Xiansheng's identity, and this trip had only confirmed her suspicions. Yet she couldn't bring herself to blame him. Aside from never verbally explaining himself, he had hardly concealed anything in her presence—whether it was his familiarity with Yinshan Pass, his nights away from home, or the cloak he wore now. She recognized it as sable fur, something money couldn't buy and whose true owners would never part with.
But Lu Xiansheng had worn this very cloak the day after she forcibly purchased his previous one. She couldn't deceive herself into thinking an ordinary person could manage that.
Then there was his demeanor. She wasn't blind—how could she not see that Lu Xiansheng wasn't the type to be subordinate to others? He was likely someone with immense authority, perhaps second only to one and above many.
Yet none of this concerned her, and she had no desire to dig deeper.
It was enough that they understood each other without words. When they eventually reached a crossroads, they would each go their separate ways, never to intersect again.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Hua Pingyang used the excuse of the old master's cough to invite Shaoyao into the residence.
Shaoyao was naive but not foolish. She had been overseeing the old master's health and knew his condition inside out—it was impossible for it to relapse so quickly.
Still, since they called for her, she went. After all, she was Hua Hua's friend, and these were people Hua Hua cared about.
The old master was waiting in the study.
The Hua family was a family of scholars. Even after being exiled to this remote borderland, they had set up a study, going to great lengths to acquire books—some even transcribed from memory by family members as calligraphy practice.
Waiting with the old master was Hua Pingyu; the others had gone to work.
Hua Pingyang led Shaoyao inside and stood by the door, leaving it wide open.Hua Yizheng wore a solemn expression, speaking slowly as if weighing every word, "I've presumptuously invited the physician here to inquire about my granddaughter's physical condition."
Shaoyao's heart sank. How could they know? Hua Hua wouldn't have told them, she hadn't said anything...
Yan Ge?
Hua Pingyang's words confirmed her suspicion, "Lu Xiansheng mentioned something to me, which is why we've invited the physician to learn more details."
Shaoyao remained silent, her expression hidden behind the curtain.
Hua Yizheng, having judged countless people, had seen through Shaoyao during their first meeting. He knew exactly what she was thinking and didn't resort to tricks. He let out a long sigh, his tone growing more sincere.
"Even separated by thousands of miles, though we cannot do anything for her and must keep our heartache hidden, we need to know what she has done and what she has sacrificed. These are things we should remember. If any unfilial descendant of the Hua family treats her poorly in the future, when I break his legs, I can tell him about the hardships Zhi Er endured for the Hua family."
Shaoyao picked at her fingers with her right hand, though she actually wanted to bite them.
Hua Pingyu stood up and bowed deeply to Shaoyao. "Please inform us, physician."
Shaoyao quickly jumped back as far as she could. "I can't say. When Hua Hua left, she specifically told me not to speak carelessly with you."
This statement essentially revealed that Zhi Er had kept many things from them. Everything she had said over the past few days had been positive, and even when she mentioned a few negative things, they were trivial matters. They weren't unaware, just reluctant to press further.
They only wanted to indulge the young woman who, despite evident exhaustion in her eyes, still wore a gentle smile to reassure them.
"But we already know she was injured. It was because of her injury that you two met," Hua Pingyang coaxed her unhurriedly. "Just tell us how she was injured, how severe it was, and how her recovery is progressing. That wouldn't violate your promise."
Shaoyao understood Hua Pingyang's intention, but she genuinely wanted to speak. Hua Hua had done so much, endured such hardship—of course people should know. They couldn't tell the women of the Hua family for fear of frightening them, but these were men; surely they could handle such matters.
"Then you must pretend not to know after I tell you."
"Naturally. Whatever Zhi Er doesn't want us to know, we'll act as if we don't."
Shaoyao immediately opened up, describing the events of that night in detail. Though she hadn't witnessed it herself, she had questioned several people thoroughly and could imagine how brutal the scene must have been.
Standing up, she patted several spots on her own body and continued, "Hua Hua was injured here and here. She protected herself well—no vital areas were harmed, but she lost too much blood. Afraid her family would find out, she stayed at the manor for a month before returning. Even now, she hasn't fully recovered."
Seeing the grim expressions on the three men's faces, she quickly added, "Don't worry, there won't be any lasting effects. I used the finest herbs in her medicine. However, blood injuries differ from flesh wounds—they require gradual nurturing to fully recover. I will definitely help restore her health."
As the father, Hua Pingyu represented the three men in the study and bowed to Shaoyao once more. "Thank you.""No need, Hua Hua is my friend. She treats me extremely well, and I will treat her extremely well too. Between her and me, there's no need to say thank you."
Hua Yizheng kept his eyes closed the entire time, and no one knew what was going through his mind. However, Hua Pingyang, sharp-eyed, noticed that his father—who hadn't even frowned once during their exile—was now trembling.
PS: Asking for votes at the beginning of the month
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