—It's Shen Yebai.
8. Chapter Eight: A blissful night spent sleeping together under the same blanket.
"Young Master, are you alright?" The subordinates who had been sent to guard outside gathered around Fen Tian. The leader was shocked to see Fen Tian's disheveled appearance and quickly offered him medicine.
Fen Tian took the medicine, looked at Mo Yuan, and said with a gloomy expression, "Why did you stop me from killing that brat?"
"You've caused such a commotion. If you stay any longer, it will affect the plan. You know what will happen to you."
Fen Tian was speechless for a moment, but seeing Mo Yuan about to leave, he subconsciously asked, "Where are you going?"
"I have something to attend to." Mo Yuan left without looking back.
Fen Tian frowned, unable to think of anything more important than the plan, but since things had come to this, he could only treat his wounds and go back.
...
Qin Moyu was surprised that Shen Yebai returned so coincidentally.
Shen Yebai walked anxiously to Qin Moyu's side. His clothes were slightly disheveled, indicating that he had rushed back. He looked Qin Moyu up and down to make sure he was not injured before he breathed a sigh of relief and said with annoyance, "I should have known better than to go out today. I've made you worry so much."
"It's alright, I'm perfectly fine." Qin Moyu took it all in stride. After all, who would have thought that the protagonist would barge into her room and attract Fen Tian's attention?
"It's good that you're alright." Shen Yebai took Qin Moyu to another inn.
When Fen Tian's bag burst open, a lot of good stuff scattered on the ground floor. Everyone was busy grabbing it, which allowed Qin Moyu and his companion to slip away unnoticed.
As night fell, the two found an exquisitely decorated inn and settled in. Qin Moyu had just taken off his outer robe when he heard a knock on the door.
"Who?" Qin Moyu asked in confusion.
"It's me." It was Shen Yebai's voice.
Qin Moyu got up and opened the door, seeing Shen Yebai standing outside with his sword in his arms, and was even more puzzled: "Yebai, what are you doing here?"
"I'm still worried." Shen Yebai sighed, and Qin Moyu invited him into the room to talk slowly.
According to Shen Yebai, he was entrusted by a friend to do some business. He had just finished when he heard about the incident at the inn and rushed back. Along the way, he heard words like "Mo Yuan," "fight," and "explosion," which made him tremble with fear. Even after changing inns, he could not feel at ease and wanted to keep watch in Qin Moyu's room.
Qin Moyu was both amused and exasperated after hearing this. On one hand, he was touched by Shen Yebai's kindness, but on the other hand, he felt that it was strange that Shen Yebai would keep watch over him all night.
But since Shen Yebai meant well, Qin Moyu felt embarrassed to refuse and didn't want him to just spend the night with his eyes open, so he simply invited him to sleep side by side with him.
"This...isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Shen Yebai said hesitantly, looking at the bed.
"Oh, what are you afraid of? This bed is big enough. Go to sleep early, mmm..." Qin Moyu yawned, couldn't help but stretch, and said with a smile, "What is our relationship? We just share a bed. If you really stand all night, I'll feel so guilty. Okay, okay, I'm going to sleep. I'm so sleepy."
Shen Yebai had no choice but to accept it, so he took off his coat and went to bed.
Qin Moyu was really sleepy, and fell asleep shortly after getting into bed.
In the stillness of the night, so quiet that only the soft breathing and his own heartbeat could be heard, Shen Yebai gently turned over to face Qin Moyu.
Asleep, Qin Moyu looked very well-behaved, her long eyelashes fluttering and her mouth slightly open. It was a quietness completely different from her lively daytime self, which unconsciously captivated Shen Yebai.
This was the closest they had ever been, so close that Shen Yebai could easily reach out and pull him into his arms.
This was an unparalleled temptation, but Shen Yebai restrained his impulse and simply held Qin Moyu's hand gently, feeling the other's warm and delicate skin.
No one knew that when the explosion happened, all he could see was Qin Moyu. He instinctively shielded him from the attack. Shen Yebai was still reeling from the fear he had never experienced before.
If he lost Qin Moyu—Shen Yebai paused for a few seconds, suddenly realizing that he couldn't even imagine such a thing.
"Qin Moyu..." Shen Yebai murmured softly, his eyes filled with confusion.
These three words, as light as a feather on the heart, yet as heavy as a towering mountain, evoke emotions that arise without warning.
That night, some were happy, some were sad, and some pondered deeply but found no answer.
Qin Moyu slept soundly until dawn. When she woke up and saw the unfamiliar room, she was a little confused and it took her a while to come to her senses.
"Awake?" Shen Yebai fetched some water for Qin Moyu. Watching Qin Moyu drowsily take the wet towel and slowly wipe her face, Shen Yebai felt much better.
By the time Qin Moyu finished getting ready and came downstairs, it was already noon. This shop was much more upscale than the previous inn, with exquisite decor in the lobby and a stage set up for people to tell stories to pass the time.
At noon, a lot of people came to the shop, and the storyteller had already started his tale. At this moment, he clapped his ruler and was in the middle of his exciting story.
Qin Moyu liked listening to stories, so she and Shen Yebai chose a relatively secluded spot near the stage. As soon as they sat down, they heard someone drunk and making a lot of noise at the next table. Turning around, they found that the person looked somewhat familiar.
A young man dressed as a scholar, holding a paper fan, tried hard to appear refined, but his crooked headdress and flushed cheeks from drunkenness made him look more like a street ruffian.
"I... I'm telling you! What bad luck! Hiccup! I tripped and fell at Tengwang Pavilion that day and got hurt. My dad dragged me back home—and guess what? He actually wants to propose marriage to me!"
"Oh my, getting married is a good thing, young master, why are you still unhappy? Isn't a delicate and charming young lady more appealing than one in a brothel?" The people around laughed and teased.
The young master was displeased upon hearing this. He slammed his hand on the table: "What nonsense! That Miss Liu, the eldest daughter of the Liu family, what a joke! I, hiccup! I hate these young ladies from wealthy and powerful families the most, of course I can't agree to that—"
"Wow! It's the Liu family again, they're really top-notch... Wait, no, they're not..." When others heard "Liu family," they subconsciously thought of the most famous Liu family, but then their eyes widened as if they had realized something, their faces full of disbelief.
"It's...it's that Liu family..." The young master gasped for breath, recalling the scenes he had witnessed at the Liu family. He was so frightened that he sobered up considerably. He said with lingering fear, "Who would have thought...that such a large Liu family would be wiped out overnight? Luckily, I was lucky enough not to marry a young lady from the Liu family, otherwise I'm afraid I would have lost my life too."
"Speaking of which, this matter is really strange. First, the inn exploded, then the Liu family was wiped out... So many things have happened in one night." Someone at the table sighed. The Liu family's annihilation suggests that the long-peaceful Eastern Continent is about to undergo a major upheaval.
"Yes... life is unpredictable, who could have imagined it."
Qin Moyu was surprised after hearing the conversation at the next table: the Liu family wiped out?