Quick Recap (spoilers if you haven't read chapters 1-41!):

Feng Yao has escaped from the Wei Kingdom after bringing disaster upon their Emperor, Long Yi. After Ru Qiang brings her to the Zheng Kingdom and hides her in the main Jun Estate, it's revealed that Ru Qiang was the the current Zheng Emperor's most loyal guard and friend until something happened during the Great War. Currently, he is hated by many citizens after he becomes a suspect for the murder of the imperial nephew, but he doesn't seem too concerned. 

One of Ru Qiang's many assassins suddenly appear and attempt to kill him, but is unable to succeed. However, because of the mystery assassin's strange personality and obsession with his sword that Feng Yao stole, both Feng Yao and Ru Qiang have doubts about his true identity. Just before Feng Yao is about to leave the city, she also has a run-in with a mysteriously veiled young master. But although his name is never spoken out loud, Feng Yao has a feeling that she knows who this person could be...

Now, enjoy the chapter!

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As Feng Yao walked back towards the estate, she noticed Bai Qing waiting for her at the entrance. Seeing her finally return, Bai Qing quickly went over towards her, reminding Feng Yao of a little puppy. 

"Young Miss, you're back! Did you already find what you were missing?"

Feng Yao almost forgot the lie that she had came up with on the spot earlier. Luckily, she remembered in time and nodded as her usual grin appeared on her lips.

"Yep! I found it along the path heading back towards the city, so luckily I didn't need to go all the way back."

The two of them walked into the estate, going past the two stationed guards that were silently standing on either side of the gate. 

Casually, Feng Yao glanced around, but she didn't see the figure of a certain person.

"Is your Young Master around?"

Bai Qing shook her head. "I heard from the other maids this morning that the Young Master returned to his study last night and hasn't come out since."

"...He's already left, huh?"

Bai Qing thought that she heard Feng Yao murmur something, but before she could ask, Feng Yao had already let out a soft laugh.

"Is that so? That's a pity then. I guess I won't be able to say goodbye." 

They reached the Winter Garden and Bai Qing followed Feng Yao inside who had already begun packing up the last of her things. When Bai Qing realized what Feng Yao was currently folding, a confused expression appeared on her face.

"Ah? Young Miss, you're packing that set of clothing?"

Feng Yao looked down at the ragged and torn cloth robe in her hands that Bai Qing was staring at strangely. 

They were the original clothes that Feng Yao had worn when she had escaped Long Yi's palace back in the Wei Kingdom. Although they were now almost completely transformed into tattered strips of cloth, they still were quite useful.

A chuckle escaped Feng Yao's lips. 

"You never know when you'll need to dress up."

Bai Qing didn't seem to understand, but she didn't say anything else after seeing Feng Yao's secretive smile. 

As they walked back down the winding paths towards the entrance, Bai Qing couldn't help but worriedly ramble on.

"Young Miss, take care not to scare too many people out there. Don't think that I haven't noticed how you like to suddenly disappear when I look away! If anyone else witnesses your disappearing acts, they might even try to exorcise you like a ghost!"

"Mhm, I know, I know--"

"And make sure to take care of your health! Do you have any idea of how many times I've had to fix the blankets on you at night because of your terrible sleeping habits? Each time, I can always  hear you mumbling something about steamed buns and sweet cake. It's really quite hard to avoid being whacked by your flailing arms, you know?"

Feng Yao immediately stopped walking as she clutched her heart with a wronged expression on her face.

"...Is it so bad that my stomach wants some loving in my dreams too?" 

But Bai Qing didn't notice her strange mutterings and continued rambling on passionately. 

"And speaking of food! You have to be sure not to accept food from just anybody! Don't think that I haven't noticed you sneaking in snacks! People out there might even try to take advantage of your gluttonous appetite, you know!"

"..."  

Feng Yao wanted to object, but oddly enough, she couldn't figure out any way to refute Bai Qing's claims. Sighing, she resigned herself to her fate as being labelled as a gluttonous riceball who apparently was never able to resist the voice of her stomach. 

I'm not that hopeless...right? Right?

Feeling dejected at the thought of having her title change from being a beautiful and pure maiden to a hopeless riceball that cannibalizes on its own rice family, she let out another sigh.

At that moment, however, she suddenly heard a familiar voice call out behind her.

"Leaving?"

Feng Yao turned around only to widen her eyes with surprise at the unexpected sight in her vision.

Ru Qiang, dressed in a plain black outfit that matched the color of his tied-up hair, was walking steadily towards her. His face was calm like an undisturbed pond, the exact opposite of the bright grin on Li Yue's face who followed closely behind.

"You...You're still here?"

Didn't you already leave?

Ru Qiang, however, didn't answer her question as he made his way over towards her. Feng Yao watched curiously as he reached inside of his sleeve to pull out a small pouch. She couldn't quite figure out why it seemed so familiar until he had already placed it securely into her hands.

Ah? Isn't this...?

Suddenly realizing what it was, she couldn't help but let out a little chuckle before wrapping her fingers around the pouch. 

"Thank you." 

She smiled and met his eyes before giving a slight bow of her head.

"I'm glad that I was able to see you before leaving. If it wasn't for you coming to find me and allowing me to stay here this entire time, I don't think I would have had as good of an outcome as I did."

Her eyes twinkled as she gave a little laugh.

"And of course, being around you was quite fun too."

Ru Qiang looked at her with his usual poker-face, but somehow, it seemed as if his eyes were a bit softer than usual.

"Mhm. Me too."

Li Yue spoke up at that moment, giving her a warm smile. 

"Young Miss, you'll have to take care of yourself. And please, try not to get into too much trouble out there."

Hearing his words that sounded almost just like Bai Qing's, Feng Yao couldn't help but grin. 

"Haha, don't worry. I'll be fine. Just make sure to take care of your troublesome Young Master. Our stomachs think alike, so I feel like I can understand his pain when he doesn't get the chance to eat."

She glanced over at Ru Qiang and laughed when she saw that a frown had appeared on his lips.

Lightly, she reached over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Take care okay?"

His eyes automatically looked up at her touch, and he hesitated as if he wanted to say something else. In the end, however, he simply nodded before giving a short response.

"You too."

Their eyes locked for only a short second, but that was all that was needed for a mutual understanding to be silently conveyed between the both of them. An unknown emotion seemed to flash in his gaze when he looked at her. But as soon as he blinked, it all silently vanished and sunk deep into the two pools of ink in his eyes.

Feng Yao was the one who forced herself to look away first. Turning towards Bai Qing, she pretended not to notice the questioning look in the young girl's eyes that wandered back and forth between her and Ru Qiang.

"Bai Qing."

At the sound of her name being called, Bai Qing snapped out of her daze and quickly answered.

"Ah, y-yes!"

Feng Yao smiled at the girl before patting her head.

Softening her voice, she whispered, "Take care of yourself too, okay?"

Bai Qing looked stunned for a full moment before tears once again flooded her eyes.

"Young Miss..."

Seeing this sight, Feng Yao could only sigh as she removed her hand. "You're already crying again?"

But despite saying that, her lips couldn't help tilting upwards into a warm smile at the young girl. It was impossible to hate someone who was still so pure.

Bai Qing quickly rubbed her red eyes before nervously looking over at her. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before finally deciding to blurt out her question.

"Then you...will you ever come back?"

Taken aback by the question, Feng Yao paused. Her eyes flickered to the side only to see Ru Qiang still silently waiting at the side. Although he wasn't looking at her anymore, it almost felt as though he was carefully listening to their conversation.

"I..." Feng Yao trailed off before turning back to meet Bai Qing's gaze. Her smile that had slightly faltered earlier had already been flawlessly restored to her usual teasing one.

"...If fate has a few tricks up its sleeve, perhaps we will run into each other once again."

A laugh escaped her lips, but it didn't seem to quite reach her eyes. 

But hopefully, things won't have to come to that point.

Because if they did, then that means that our situations have really become bad.

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed Li Yue slightly lean in towards Ru Qiang's ear and whisper something. Li Yue's cheerful grin from earlier had already vanished and was instead replaced by a expressionless look with eyes that could chill a person to his bones. 

Feng Yao could only make a vague guess about what had happened as she watched Ru Qiang wordlessly give a single nod in reply. There wasn't single in change in his expression as he glanced towards his guard and gave a silent order with his eyes. 

Perhaps it was because Feng Yao was used to seeing Ru Qiang's hair carelessly let down, but the way that he had expertly tied it up today seemed to have changed the entire feeling around him.

Paired together with his plain but neat black attire, it made you want to look longer at the elegant scene that he naturally created just by standing there. Yet at the same time, it almost felt as if there was something lurking silently behind the deadly-calm aura that surrounded him. 

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Ru Qiang suddenly looked up. The moment he met her eyes, the strange feeling around him abruptly disapperared making Feng Yao wonder if it had just been an illusion. If it wasn't for the faint realization in the back of her mind that Li Yue had already vanished without even a hint of a sound, she would have questioned about whether there had even been a problem.

Ru Qiang simply watched for a moment as she studied him before quietly speaking.

"Will you be okay leaving on your own?"

Seeing that the look in his eyes had not changed from his usual, Feng Yao finally allowed her lips to turn up into a smile.

"Of course." 

The twinkle that Ru Qiang was now quite familiar with appeared in her eyes as she laughed. 

"I'm Feng Yao, aren't I?"

Ru Qiang gazed at her for a moment, perhaps also studying her expression in the same way that she'd done to him earlier. Feng Yao didn't know what he saw, but she could see by the way that his eyes had slightly softened that he was saying goodbye for real this time. 

"Mhm. You are."

No more words were needed to be said. His silent encouragement in his last reply was all that he had left that he could give to her.

Feng Yao accepted it with a smile, watching as Ru Qiang turned around and left. Just as suddenly as he had appeared, he also similarly disappeared like a quietly blowing wind. 

As she followed his departing figure with her gaze, an unknown emotion slowly emerged in her eyes. 

It's hard to live life when you're forced to walk an unknown path created by stepping on top of poisonous flowery lies and the bloodthirsty blades of others waiting hungrily for your slightest misstep.

All it takes is for the smallest rose thorn to catch onto you during a moment of carelessness to make you fall, delivering yourself straight onto the merciless blades all pointed at your weary heart. 

Many people don't survive for long from having to live such a tiring life. But every once in a while, some poor soul will be able to walk such a path until the very end.

For you Ru Qiang...I dearly hope that you have some way out. 

Because if you don't...that would truly be too tragic of a fate to think about.

Feng Yao sighed as her mood suddenly turned a bit melancholy, but there was nothing she could do. Perhaps just like him, the only thing she could do was quietly disappear like the wind. 

After sending off Bai Qing, Feng Yao's complicated gaze slowly scanned around the Jun Estate for the last time. With no one left watching, she closed her eyes for a brief moment as if wanting to rest. 

But as soon as they opened, the dullness from before had already vanished. In its place was a clear and calm light that mirrored the undisturbed brilliance of the shining moon. Despite a small breeze blowing coldly against her face, there were no ripples in her expression.

And then, just like that breeze, her figure very quickly disappeared from view.

Feng Yao let out a yawn as she stretched out her arms above her, trying to soak up any warmth that the fading sunlight had to offer. After a little over a month of travelling along dirt roads, the weather had already begun the slow transition into the cold months of winter. Even just a small exhale would now create faint white puffs in the air.

Although she was wearing a relatively well-made cloak that she'd bought during a brief stay at a nearby town, she couldn't help but shiver. Especially since she was travelling north to look for the wandering village, each day that passed made it feel like it could start snowing at any second. 

Glancing up at the sky and seeing the sun slowly making its way down into the horizon, Feng Yao estimated that she had a few hours remaining before the skies became completely dark. 

According to the maps that she had looked over earlier, appearing soon in her vision would be a seaport that was the most northern city in the Zheng Kingdom. In other words, this city was the closest populated area that a person could travel to before finally reaching the forbidden land where the wandering village was located. 

Gu Ting had mentioned before that the village was often hard to track down, so this seaport held the best chances of helping her find information about the village's current location.

Her reasoning for wanting to find the wandering village wasn't just because she was looking for a quiet and secluded place to settle down. She was actually quite curious about it.

For a place that was known to be home to members chased out of society, she was sure that she'd run into many interesting people. 

I might even find you, Mu Yun...

She briefly paused.

Although...I have to admit, I'm actually a bit scared of finding you after all of these years. I don't even know if you'd want to see me after what happened.

Feng Yao let out a bitter sigh before continuing alone along the deserted path.

Occasionally when she'd feel her stomach begin to growl, she'd wordlessly reach into her sleeve and take out a sugar cube from the pouch that Ru Qiang had given her. 

Popping it into her mouth, she allowed it to gradually melt on her tongue and cover her taste-buds in a pure teeth-numbing sweetness. Even though she still couldn't quite figure out how Ru Qiang could have stomached eating so many of these all of the time, she couldn't help but admit that they were slowly growing on her.

By the time that she reached the edges of the busy seaport, most of the sun had already disappeared in the horizon. Where she was standing at the top of a small hill allowed her the perfect spot to see some of the last orange rays scatter over the vast waters and create and illusion of glittering stars. 

Feng Yao couldn't help but admire it for a few seconds before quickly descending down towards the gates of the city.

 As she stepped foot into the city and began walking down the streets, it was as if a whole new world had opened up. Countless people bustled around her like happily buzzing bees as they strolled around stalls that were filled with items ranging from raw fish to new outfits for sale. 

In the distance, she could also see many workers still working hard at transporting and moving goods from the docks onto land. Every once in a while, their loud shouts and laughter would drift over towards her like wisps of wind blending together with the rest of the voices she heard chattering around her pleasantly. 

Perhaps it was because this town was used to seeing travelers that Feng Yao was able to walk unnoticed down the busy streets despite her messy and slightly dirty attire. If anything, it seemed that the sight of noblemen and noblewomen were more of an unusual event.

Glancing around curiously, she noticed that the crowds of people showed no signs of dispersing despite the darkening skies. Maybe it was because they wanted to stay out and enjoy the laughter of their friends longer. Or maybe they simply just wanted to indulge in the warm of belonging with such a lively community. 

Feng Yao shook her head and chuckled. That was a feeling that she couldn't fault anyone for having at all. 

Turning at a branching off road, the sign of a small inn suddenly caught her eye. It was located near the end of this road and was still relatively close to the center of the city without too many people around it. Feng Yao immediately began walking in that direction, intending to find a room to stay for the night.

But just as she passed by an alley, her steps imperceptibly slowed. 

...Is someone watching me?

She casually glanced around her, but she couldn't find anyone in the crowds that seemed out of place. But just as she shifted her eyes, she suddenly locked eyes with a young girl watching her warily from the corner of the alley. 

As soon as they made eye contact, a flash of panic took over the girl's features before she turned and fled into the darkness between two buildings. No one other than Feng Yao seemed to have seen the child.

Hesitating, she looked at the area where the girl had disappeared into. 

The young girl had been covered in dirt and was wearing mismatched old clothing as if she'd picked them up from various piles of trash throughout the city. That combined with her sunken eyes and frail arms had immediately given her away as one of the beggar children seeking refuge in this area. 

Feng Yao knew that it was probably better to just walk away. After all, there were too many orphaned children who took to the streets to find food.

But...she just couldn't do it. 

She reminds me too much of myself.

Feng Yao glanced around once more before finally deciding to carefully follow the girl. Of course, this could have very well been a trap, but at this point, she would rather take her chances and find that young girl.

But luckily for her, she didn't have to go far. As soon as she