Chapter 401: Nauseated and Retching, Tired of Living

But Lan Ling had also come along. Three people all calling each other siblings would be a bit too conspicuous.

A young couple traveling with the wife’s younger sister was a better cover.

Besides, Lan Ling and Si Hai didn’t know each other well. If they posed as husband and wife, it would surely arouse suspicion.

So Ji Qingwu took on the role of the village woman. After all, she was familiar with the part; it wasn’t her first time.

Qingwu quickly got into character. She brandished the flatbread in her hand, placing her other hand on her hip.

"Take it. What, have you had so much of my cooking you’re sick of it?"

To Si Hai, her words sounded more like: ’If you don’t take this... are you tired of living?’

Si Hai hastily took it. He stared blankly at the fragrant, browned flour flatbread in his hand.

Without a mask to hide behind, it was the first time in memory he had been exposed to the warm sun for so long, appearing openly before others’ eyes.

As a Hidden Guard, he was supposed to live in the shadows.

Si Hai was ill at ease. Unable to act naturally, his entire body was wound tight.

Seeing him staring blankly, Qingwu slapped him on the shoulder.

"Hurry up and eat."

Only then did Si Hai stiffly raise the flatbread to his mouth. The outside was crisp and fragrant, but the inside was soft.

Seeing him begin to eat, Qingwu lowered the carriage’s coarse brown curtain.

She and Lan Ling began talking in low voices inside the carriage.

Qingwu contemplated what came next. "Lan Ling," she said, "after we reach Longzhou, we’ll change course for the Northern Border. Do you know the way? And how long will it take?"

Lan Ling searched inside her robes and produced a sheet of oiled paper, which she handed to Qingwu.

She stammered slightly. "This is from... Big Brother. He had me bring it. He said it would be useful."

Qingwu took it and saw that on the map, the route from Longzhou to the border had been outlined in vermilion ink.

Affixed to the back of the map were several simple passage documents. The towns listed on them were all places they would need to pass through on their way from Longzhou to the Northern Border. Ji Changlin often served as an envoy to other nations, so he possessed the official passage seals for many cities in Beili.

’What a great brother!’

Ji Changlin had thought of everything.

"Big Brother is so meticulous."

Qingwu added casually, "My mother is always talking about finding someone to be by his side, someone to take care of him. She says a grown man like him, out on his own, doesn’t know how to look after himself. I think that’s completely unnecessary."

’A man as meticulous as Ji Changlin can certainly take care of himself.’

Lan Ling, who was chewing on a dry piece of flatbread, choked when she heard Qingwu’s words.

’She thought it was absolutely necessary.’

’If Mr. Ji had married sooner, her own burden would be much lighter,’ Lan Ling thought.

’If Fifth Missy knew that this noble and distinguished Mr. Ji couldn’t tell one grain from another, had terrible self-care skills, and even needed her to remind him to change his clothes for the season, she wondered if Qingwu’s opinion of her ’big brother’ would change.’

While still looking at the map, Qingwu casually handed the water flask to her.

Lan Ling accepted it, touched and surprised. Qingwu hadn’t even looked up, yet she knew she had choked.

’When it comes to being thoughtful, Fifth Missy is a cut above.’

Qingwu seemed to sense her unease. "When you’re with me," she said, "you don’t have to be like you are with Big Brother..."

’When Lan Ling had returned with Ji Changlin this time, the atmosphere between them had felt a little strange. Lan Ling wasn’t as lively as before; she had become much more reserved.’

Qingwu didn’t know what had happened, but since Lan Ling was with her now, they would have to interact according to her own preferred style.

"Don’t be so formal, and don’t worry about etiquette. Otherwise, it’s exhausting for both of us."

Lan Ling nodded.

Qingwu put the passage documents away safely and then asked, "How are your fighting skills?"

Lan Ling thought for a moment before answering honestly, "Just average."

Qingwu said, "If anything unexpected happens on the road, don’t rush to the front. As long as our lives aren’t in danger, you don’t need to risk yours."

She had said the same thing to Si Hai before they departed.

Lan Ling hesitated. "But protecting our master’s safety is our..."

Qingwu had, at some point, taken a tangerine from her pocket. She pushed a segment into Lan Ling’s mouth, cutting off the rest of her sentence.

A sweet and sour taste filled her mouth. With the fruit still in her mouth, Lan Ling mumbled, "But..."

"No ’buts.’ Nothing is more important than staying alive. Since you’ve been temporarily assigned to me, you will listen to me."

Qingwu folded the map, handed it back to Lan Ling, and then added a sterner warning.

"If you can’t do that, you can get out of the carriage and go back right now."

Lan Ling said quietly, "I’ll listen to you, Fifth Sister-in-law."

Her form of address was correct this time. Qingwu’s eyes curved into a smile as she praised her, "Good. Just like that."

’Lan Ling recalled the first time she had met Fifth Miss Ji. She had been in disguise then, too, but her eyes had been completely different from how they were now.’

’She couldn’t quite find the right words to describe exactly how they were different.’

Qingwu pushed the remaining large half of the tangerine into Lan Ling’s hands.

Only then did Lan Ling realize that Qingwu had been busy portioning out food for the two of them, but hadn’t eaten a single bite herself.

She asked, "Is there not enough food? We can’t let you go hungry. I can go hunt a pheasant or a rabbit."

At the mention of chicken and rabbit, Qingwu’s throat bobbed and her chest heaved a couple of times. She immediately pressed the tangerine peel in her hand over her mouth and nose.

After a moment, she frowned and said, "It’s not that I won’t eat. I can’t keep anything down."

No sooner had she spoken than the carriage rolled over several large stones, lurching violently.

The two women inside were thrown about. Qingwu’s face instantly went pale. The queasy feeling in her stomach instantly became a violent, churning storm.

Qingwu pressed a hand tightly to her lips and pushed aside the window curtain. Only when the cool breeze blew in did she feel slightly better.

The mountain path was not as smooth as the main road had been, and the carriage swayed and rocked along.

After traveling for a short while longer, the caravan pulled over to the side of the mountain path for a brief rest.

Qingwu scrambled down from the carriage and ran to a large tree by the roadside. She grabbed the trunk for support and began to retch.

Since she had barely eaten anything the previous night, nothing came up.

The caravan’s steward, Huang Er, was leading a few men on an inspection, walking from the front of the line to the back to check on the carriages.

When he reached Si Hai, Huang Er waved his men away and approached to ask a question.

"So you’re the distant nephew of the maternal aunt of a cook from the Lin’an Ji Family?"

Si Hai was speechless.

He averted his gaze, unsure how to respond.

He wasn’t good at lying, nor was he good at such direct conversation. Si Hai’s eyes darted about nervously.

To the steward, Huang Er, this reaction was actually reassuring. It was the normal response of a simple boy from the backwoods who had never seen the world.

Huang Er had taken the Silver to smooth things over, so naturally, he had to look after this simpleton. He decided to offer a few more words.

"The Ji Family has connections to the Imperial Family, but their influence isn’t what it used to be. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have fallen to you to come out with us on a miserable errand like this. They would’ve just found you a job in the city."