The carriage slowly moved along the main road.
They were already forty or fifty li away from Wuxiang City, but the sun had just risen overhead, showing how early they had departed.
In fact, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Zhao Ya had quietly left Wuxiang City with Zui'Er and his senior sister Meng Shiwen before dawn.
There was no other reason.
It was simply because the people of Wuxiang City were too enthusiastic.
Since most of them were saved by Zhao Ya, they were immensely grateful to him.
Despite the chaos they experienced, Wuxiang City was greatly weakened, but Zhao Ya still received gifts from all sides every day.
Though it might just be a basket of eggs or a piece of bacon, it expressed the people's heartfelt sentiments.
Zhao Ya could only accept them helplessly, but when he left today, he discreetly left those gifts behind.
He no longer wanted to trouble the people, so he chose to leave quietly.
At this moment, Zhao Ya looked back toward Wuxiang City, feeling a sense of melancholy.
To know, in a certain sense, Wuxiang City should count as his second home.
But now, there was no longer anything in this city worth his nostalgia.
After all, his master had died, the Escort Agency disbanded, and even the Song Family had fled to distant lands.
Yet for some reason, upon leaving, Zhao Ya still felt a faint sadness.
Maybe it's saying goodbye to his past.
Because they departed so early, Zui'Er fell into a deep sleep after getting on the carriage.
However, Meng Shiwen did not sleep.
She lifted the curtain and came to sit alongside Zhao Ya on the carriage shaft.
"Feeling unhappy?" Meng Shiwen asked.
She was keenly aware that Zhao Ya's mood seemed somewhat downhearted.
"No, I just feel that after this departure, it might be long before I return again," Zhao Ya said softly.
Meng Shiwen looked at the somewhat wistful young man before her and suddenly smiled.
"Why are you smiling?" Zhao Ya asked, somewhat surprised.
"It's nothing, just that you look very... very adorable now!" Meng Shiwen thought for a long time and finally came to such a conclusion.
Zhao Ya felt amused and exasperated.
What does adorable even mean?
Meng Shiwen laughed and explained, "How to say, before, you always seemed so composed and insightful, that state often made people overlook your age. Even I sometimes felt you should be my senior brother."
"But just now, when you frowned with a touch of sadness, it instantly made you seem real. This is more like how a boy under twenty should be."
Zhao Ya blushed with embarrassment.
If praised for being smart, Zhao Ya could accept it, but being called adorable was a first, so he felt unusually shy.
Yet the more he acted this way, the more the smile on Meng Shiwen's face grew, and her eyes became increasingly bright.
Like a little girl finding a new toy.
"Want a hug from your sister?" Meng Shiwen suddenly asked.
Zhao Ya couldn't help but feel mischievous and then jokingly said, "Sure."
As he spoke, he extended his hand.
He intended to tease Meng Shiwen, but completely unexpectedly, when he opened his hand, Meng Shiwen didn't refuse. Instead, she naturally held him close.
The softness and the scent of the woman instantly froze Zhao Ya.
Then Meng Shiwen softly whispered in Zhao Ya's ear.
"Feeling better now?"
Zhao Ya quickly sat upright, took a deep breath, and said, "Hmm, much better."
Actually, Zhao Ya was only slightly sentimental just now; it wasn't a big deal.
But Meng Shiwen clearly took it seriously.
And after this embrace, both of them fell silent.
A moment later, they exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.
The elusive distance that had lingered between them completely vanished, replaced by a warm mutual understanding.
"To be honest, the other day, when Hong Xu came with Yang Sansi to find you, I truly thought you would kill both of them," Meng Shiwen said.
"Am I really that bloodthirsty?"
"At least, not that forgiving," Meng Shiwen thought for a long time, reaching this conclusion.
"Actually, it's not about being unforgiving. I am just more clear-cut on matters of gratitude and grudges compared to others. After all, if you've done wrong, you should admit it; if you get beaten, you must stand upright. That's a truth that holds anywhere. As for Hong Xu and Yang Sansi... "
"It was the Hong Family that caused my master's death. The Yang Family wasn't involved in this, and when they later besieged the Song Family, their Yang Family didn't gain any benefit. Moreover, he's aged, poisoned, and won't live for long. I was just too lazy to kill him."
"Although Hong Xu is a person of the Hong Family, he hasn't done anything evil. He had a decent reputation in Wuxiang City, and this time he was quick to see the situation, and kneeled thoroughly, so sparing him doesn't mean much."
After hearing Zhao Ya's words, Meng Shiwen nodded thoughtfully.
Zhao Ya smiled, "Alright, sister, everything is now behind us. We have to hurry on, or we won't make it back to the Commandery before the New Year."
With that, Zhao Ya flicked the whip, and the two horses sped up, advancing quickly toward the Commandery.
It was already the lunar twelfth month, and though there was no snow this winter, the weather was exceptionally cold.
Especially in the wilderness during the night, it could simply freeze someone to death.
Fortunately, after a day's rush, Zhao Ya successfully found a deserted land temple.