"We will stay for one night in this town", said that familiar voice. Although she didn't bother to show her face, her voice is loud enough for the guards to hear the order clearly. "Remember to lay low", she added. They must keep their identity hidden as to not attract any additional attention. With the chaos near the border, any bandit bound to be active.

"Yes, Princess Consort!", answered Jie Yi. Showing up his wooden plaque, they gained access into the little town called DuXun easily. The entourage started to slow their pace, all the while being careful not to bump into other people. Contrary to the town of Anren, the people in DuXun are still in high spirits. Along the street, the market is bustling, people are laughing and gossiping; it's like, the war is nothing but an overactive imagination. At one side, it's good that people are not panicking but on another, these people won't be ready for any emergency heading their way.

The entourage stops at the front of a large building and Jie Yi raises his hand indicating the group to stop. He leapt from his horse and signaled the others to do the same. "Madam, we have reached Fuyun Inn", informed Jie Yi. The dark large building against the pale blue sky, the large mahogany sign board on top of the door showcases the name of the inn in large letters.

With a wave of her hand, the guards started to move into the inn and making sure that they will have rooms to stay for a night. Slowly, Li Xi Rui making her way down the carriage without waiting for any assistance.

*Step* the sound of the fur boot made a certain man turns his head to her direction. The sound of her movement is enough to catch that man's attention despite the fact that he had been seeing her every day.

Maybe it was due to being confined in a limited space for a long time, her feet weakened the moment she steps out of the carriage. 'Oh!', Li Xi Rui exclaimed in her mind. She is falling so fast that she didn't have time to even shout for help.

"Be careful!", Mu Gu Heng raised his voice while leaping from his horse and catching the falling figure. Instantly, as his hand touch her falling body, his senses pick up her fragrance making his hand linger over her figure.

"Your hand", said Li xi Rui in a low voice pulling him back to reality. "Let go", she once again warned him. Maybe it's his wounded pride, but he didn't want to let go, he didn't want to comply with her wish. Taking a second longer to hold her in his embrace, he finally decided to let her go. Putting her down slowly, he let her feet touch the ground; making sure she didn't slip on the thin ice.

"Shouldn't you thanked me?", asked Mu Gu Heng. Watching her unchanging expression, he smiled, guessing that Li Xi Rui would not thanked him. He knew from the first day that Li Xi Rui didn't particularly like him. So it would not be unusual for her to keep being hostile towards him. Not to mention how he had been behaving in her presence, Mu Gu Heng is sure that she would act haughtily again. Contrary to his expectation, the words he had least expected come out from her mouth.

"Thanks", said Li Xi Rui, straightening her clothes.

The insincere smile he painted on his lips falter with that word. That one word was so sharp it stabbed into his chest, materializing and taking root without him knowing; just like a tree, rooting in the earth, gripping it tightly so it wouldn't fall. As he let it grows, he kept on staring at Li Xi Rui's elegant form; walking away from him and distancing herself from him further away.

Thanks- it is not an unordinary word. In fact, it was not special, it is just a common word one used to satisfy another's vanity. But for Mu Gu Heng, that one word almost crumbled his world.

"Mr. Mu, are you alright?", QiQi asked him. Watching the man standing under the fallen snow, staring at her madam's back, QiQi felt uncomfortable. She has defied and begged the madam to save this man. If this man proven to be a bigger problem than it already is, then her effort would be a waste. She should never have saved him in the first place; and that itself is not something a physician should ever thought about. A physician should never discriminate between any patient, be it a criminal or even peasant, everyone should be treated equally. "The Princess is not someone, just anyone could covet", QiQi offered an important advice.

Mu Gu Heng turns toward QiQi. His smile is back on his lips, "I don't understand what Miss Bai is talking about".

"It would be great if you would never understand", QiQi left Mu Gu Heng alone, walking into the large inn following the madam's footsteps. 'I hope you know what is good for you Mr. Mu', thought QiQi. If he keeps up with his interest on the madam, nothing good will come from it, it is rather the opposite.

***

In front of the large inn, a man stood still watching the falling snowflakes. He reached out his hand, catching the snowflakes; but instantly upon contact with his warmth, the snowflakes turn into droplets of water -an innuendo suitable for his current situation; making fun of his situation.

"Since when?", he asked himself while clenching his fist making sure the droplets disappear like his thought. If only he could convince his heart, maybe it wouldn't remind him of their encounter, on how she didn't care about him; on how he met her in the forest almost seeing her crying face; and how she finally trusted him to do something on her behalf.

"She is arrogant", he spat out. Not realizing the cold started to replace the warm.

"She is pregnant. Ridiculous!", he hated that. He is interested in a pregnant woman? Ridiculous!

She never tried to go out of her way to speak to him, in fact, she ignores him most of the time. She never cared about him. She never smiles at him. She never did anything. But why did his attention always drift towards her?

'I shouldn't stay here a moment longer', thought Mu Gu Heng. Whatever it is, he will never let himself be swayed! 'It was just a momentary clouded of judgement!', he reasoned. Turning his back on the inn, he walked to a very lavishly decorated building.

"Young master, come, we have many pretty ladies here, young, beautiful, skinny, fat and ugly? You're free to choose anyone~", a middle age lady with a pair of big chest calling out to him and clinging on to his arm. "Young Master, if you want me to serve you, I am still able to 'perform'. My skills won't lose out to those young ones~" the middle aged lady with heavy painted face, fans her long fluttering lashes.

Smiling, Mu Gu Heng teased the lady, "I'm afraid, this lady will be the first one to surrender".

Blushing, the woman fans her reddened cheeks, "Aiya, young master~ Then I would send you some ladies. Expert~". She winked and pulled him into the building.

Inside a tackily decorated room, Mu Gu Heng sit behind a desk while being served with wine.

"Lai Lai, come on ladies. Faster! Stand properly, let young master see your face", the middle aged lady come back with several young women. "Young master, they are still new. They have not yet been broken, is young master satisfied?", the lady asked talking as if these young women are a pair of shoes.

"Rather than these young meats, call your top entertainer", showing his displeasure, he is not in the mood to entertain the amateur entertainers. He should be the one being consoled and it's not the opposite.

"But, young master, our top entertainer is not w..e...l..l... Alas, I will call her now", the middle aged lady left hastily after being stared with a pair of malicious eyes, taking her baby chicks away.

In the previously filled room, left a man alone drinking from his small cup. He couldn't chase that particular feeling away. He is not new to that kind of feeling but he still didn't want to succumb to it; he didn't want to lose.

"Jianyu", a melodious voice called out to him.

Moving his attention towards that voice, he didn't show any expression. He keeps being silent.

"Jianyu, I miss you", the woman sat beside him not daring to touch him. "I didn't dare to call out to you before... but I still really miss you. Please, believe me", she keeps harping the same words.

"Oh. Are you not afraid being found out that the crown prince's consort is attending this kind of establishment?", he lazily replied. He keeps on drinking the wine without offering it to her.

"I'm Cheng You now. No one could recognize me in this outfit", she argued, still not taking her eyes off him.

"I'm Mu Gu Heng now, so call me Mr. Mu", he corrected, finally looking at her.

"Mu... Isn't that my family name? Jian... eh, no...Mr. Mu Gu Heng, this name is not bad", Cheng You blushed while throwing him flirty smiles. If he uses her family name, then didn't it means that she has been constantly in his mind. She is indescribably happy, ecstatic even.

"Is that so...", he replied while giving her the wine in his cup.

Cheng You took the cup and slowly sipping the content. Showing her elegant side to him. But a woman elegantly sipping wine in a man outfit is far cry from attractive. Mu Gu Heng didn't really care about a woman's attire, but he preferred a more attractive woman. 'Just like Li Xi Rui', his thought unconsciously flew towards her again.

He stares at the woman in front of him again, 'They're really different. Mu Jiu Jiu could be seen as upright on the outside, but inside, she is as fragile as a porcelain. She has been in the army, serving the country alongside the crown prince. In the eye of other people, she is kind and innocent while holding a high morale value. While Li Xi Rui look cold and elegant; clean and harsh. Both hot and cold packaged in a person. But in reality, rumor couldn't be more wrong'. An ordinary woman would not travel so far to her spouse during war while being pregnant. Hiding her tears from everyone and crying alone in the wood is not something a lady would do. Being hostile and angry towards him but thanked him when it is warranted, is something only she had done to him.

Realizing his thought take a dangerous turn, Mu Gu Heng take the porcelain wine bottle and downed the content, making Cheng You stares at him agape.

P/s: Hello~ I miss everyone. Sorry for the lack of update. So who guessed that Mu Gu Heng is Jian Yu? I saw those comments before but I obviously cannot reveal anything. Wuhuuuu... finally its out and I can move on with the finishing plot.