That night, they slept very comfortably... except for Nie Wangqing.

It wasn't until the next morning that crisp hoofbeats rang out through the forest. Faintly mixed in were a young girl's pleasant laughter and a man's helpless voice. As the sound drew closer, a carriage convoy came into view. Two tall, handsome horses pulled the carriage forward at a slow pace, while a bald, burly man rode on horseback, bare-chested and showing off tightly honed muscles.

Stirred by the noise, Hua Zhaoxue slowly opened her beautiful eyes. The moment she woke, she saw the boy's flawless face, and her heart filled with both shyness and joy. She gave a soft smile, then gently said to the boy beside her, "Tian You, a carriage convoy is coming..."

Her beautiful eyes, fixed on him, rippled with intoxicating tenderness.

Under that soft, delicate voice, Tian You slowly opened his eyes. He still seemed not fully awake. A hazy look lingered in his purple eyes as he glanced around at their surroundings.

That slightly dazed, adorable look threw Hua Zhaoxue's heart into chaos again. After taking several deep breaths, she pulled out a mask from her sleeve and gently helped Tian You put it on.

At that moment, Nie Wangqing, who hadn't slept all night, saw that the intimate mood between the two had finally eased a little. Only then did he step out from behind the tree and say, still sounding a bit awkward, "Uh, looks like a convoy really is coming... should we go take a look?"

After helping Tian You put on the mask and straightening his long robe, Hua Zhaoxue finally turned her gaze to Nie Wangqing. After exchanging a glance with him, she nodded and agreed with his suggestion.

But while the three of them were tidying themselves up, the convoy had already drawn near. The crisp hoofbeats drifted past their ears, and that bare-chested, sturdy bald man drove the carriage right up before them. The curtain swayed back and forth, making it impossible to see inside clearly, but lively female laughter still drifted out from time to time, very pleasant to hear.

The bald man driving the carriage froze on the spot the instant he saw Hua Zhaoxue's face. His eyes went wide, and his mouth opened into a huge O.

Hua Zhaoxue was already used to seeing that kind of dumbstruck expression back at Flower Pavilion. But after what had happened last night, her state of mind had gradually changed. Now, seeing that look made her feel distinctly uncomfortable. Her body unconsciously leaned a little closer toward Tian You. Then she remembered they were asking these people for help, and that acting this way might be somewhat inappropriate.

Just as Hua Zhaoxue was about to endure her discomfort and speak, Tian You raised a hand to stop her. Then he said to the bald man, whose eyes were still blank, "Big brother, our carriage was attacked by wild beasts in the forest. If it's convenient, could you give us a ride?"

Only then did the bald man realize how rude he had looked just now. He hurriedly came back to himself and gave a fake cough to cover his embarrassment.

But inwardly, he couldn't help thinking—

Wild beasts?

They hadn't run into any beasts at all on the way here...

And while he was still spacing out, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and a black-haired girl with twin ponytails stepped out.

She looked about fifteen or sixteen. She wore a pink gauze dress, youthful and lively. Her beautiful eyes shifted slightly as she looked around, making her seem especially cute and spirited.

"Hey, Zhengbiao! Why'd you stop for no reason at all... at... all..."

As the lively girl pointed at the bald man, her bright eyes drifted toward the front...

And with that one look, she showed the exact same expression the bald man had just made...

"Wow! What a stylish little big brother!!"

Even though Tian You was wearing a mask, the aura he gave off and his tall, slender figure still seized the girl's attention completely.

Seeing the lively girl stare at Tian You with shining eyes, Hua Zhaoxue felt a little displeased. Without showing it, she moved a little closer to Tian You and lightly held onto his sleeve with one fair hand, as if declaring her claim...

Seeing the atmosphere turn awkward, Nie Wangqing quickly cut in. "Miss... it's like this. We ran into some trouble on the road. Could you take us along for part of the way? Of course, we'll pay."

"Ah, no need, no need! We're not short on that little bit of money! Little big brother, come on up! Hehe, it might be a little cramped though~"

Who would've thought that this lively girl didn't seem to care about Hua Zhaoxue's gesture at all. She still warmly invited Tian You onto the carriage.

Though Hua Zhaoxue felt a little unhappy, she still knew what mattered more. After thanking the girl, she prepared to bring Tian You and Nie Wangqing into the carriage.

"Hehe, I won't go in. Aren't there two horses out here? I'll just drive with this brother instead. Zhaoxue, you take Tian You inside." After saying that, Nie Wangqing turned to the bald man, whose gaze was still following Hua Zhaoxue, and said, "Hehe, brother, please look after me on the road, yeah?"

"Oh... oh..." Only then did the bald man pull back his gaze after Nie Wangqing spoke to him. He scratched his head and gave an honest, simple smile in reply.

Hua Zhaoxue nodded at that, then brought Tian You into the carriage.

Besides the lively girl from before, there was also a woman with short black hair falling to her shoulders sitting inside. A blue-haired man was currently resting with his head on that short-haired woman's lap, as if asleep.

Unlike the lively girl from before, this seated woman gave off a clear, lake-like calmness. Her eyes paused on Tian You for a moment, then moved away, and she gently stroked the blue-haired man's hair.

"Hehe, my name's Bai Ziting. The one sitting there is Li Yuanqian. Mm... and this pervert's name is Li Rui!"

Li Yuanqian still wore an expressionless face. She only gave Tian You and Hua Zhaoxue a slight nod.

At that moment, Hua Zhaoxue's gaze was drawn to the blue-haired man lying on Li Yuanqian's lap. She felt a little curious.

Within the Shengwu Empire, she had never seen anyone with blue hair before...

And the name Li Yuanqian... didn't sound local either...

Unable to hold back her curiosity, Hua Zhaoxue asked, "May I ask if you're from the Shengwu Empire?"

"Hehe, pretty big sis~ we're not from the Shengwu Empire~" Bai Ziting said in a sweet voice, pressing one finger to her soft lips. "As for where we're from, I'm afraid I can't tell you that~ But~ what I can tell you is that our destination is Wolfmoon Barbarian City~"