Pei Hao continued, "They only walked this short distance just now, and some of their wounds have already reopened. If this continues, I fear it will become life-threatening."
Du Qian thought for a moment. "Do you have medicine?"
"We do. We are carrying a batch of medicinal herbs."
"Fine, as you wish."
Du Qian didn't mind doing Pei Hao a favor.
Mainly, it was because when he arrived, he saw Du Wan fleeing ahead while Pei Hao was leading a group to cover the rear. This gave him a very positive impression of Pei Hao and his men.
Du Qian said politely, "Pei Hao, thank you for protecting Wanwan this time. I will visit you to express my gratitude properly once we return to the capital."
Pei Hao spoke indifferently, "Brother Du is too kind. Wanwan is my fiancée; protecting her is what I ought to do."
"A true man!" Du Qian praised.
"Eh? You're praising him? He even tried to steal my bed once." Du Wan had woken up at some unknown point.
"...!!"
Du Qian's handsome face darkened, and he turned to glare at Pei Hao.
Pei Hao's face darkened as well.
Steal a bed? Just hearing it made one's mind wander in the wrong direction.
Hu San stepped in to explain, "At that time, our Young Master was injured and unconscious."
"Oh, and after he woke up, he gave me attitude, saying I was a meddlesome stranger," Du Wan continued to tattle.
Du Qian: "..."
Pei Hao: "..."
This little girl was truly going to run wild.
Du Qian maintained excellent composure in front of outsiders. He gave a bright laugh and said, "Young Master Pei, please do not take offense at my sister's lack of manners. I am still very grateful for the care you have shown her these past few days."
"Why thank him? It's not like he didn't receive compensation." Du Wan muttered in a small voice, "He... he even took ten thousand catties of grain from me."
Du Qian: "..."
Pei Hao: "..."
No, please let me explain!
Even Hu San secretly broke into a cold sweat on behalf of the Young Master!
Fortunately, the eldest lady's tone was light and lacked resentment.
Du Qian gave Pei Hao a meaningful look. Then, he picked up a cloak and covered his sister's small head to prevent her from further undermining Pei Hao.
Once Pei Hao went down to make arrangements with a dark expression, Du Qian lifted the cloak again, intending to have a proper chat with his little sister, only to find she had fallen asleep again.
She really was exhausted.
But even being this tired, she didn't forget to sabotage Pei Hao?
Ha!
...
When Du Wan woke up again, she was in a cave.
She was lying on a heavy cloak, covered by a black cloak. Looking toward the cave entrance, it seemed to still be broad daylight, as silhouettes were busy moving about.
The cave smelled strongly of medicine.
Not far from her lay over a dozen wounded people, including the unconscious Mu Si'an. That was right; during the journey, Mu Si'an's wound had reopened, causing him to lose consciousness and run a high fever.
She did not see Pei Hao or Hu San; there were only two familiar-looking guards carefully tending to Mu Si'an and the group of wounded.
Thinking of everything that had happened last night...
She felt a bit dazed, unsure if it was a dream or reality.
Scenes of bloodshed flashed through her mind. The book had described many slaughter scenes, and back then, she had found them quite exciting and thrilling to read. Now that she was actually experiencing it, she only hoped she would never encounter such things again in her life. The feeling of escaping death was too profound; her heart still raced with lingering fear.
Someone entered.
Du Qian handed her a water skin. "You're awake. Here! Have some water first."
"Thank you, Big Brother." Du Wan mechanically opened the water skin and took a large gulp.
Seeing her looking so dejected, Du Qian felt a pang of heartache.
He rubbed her head vigorously. "It's alright now. It's all over."
"So many people died." She lowered her head.
The hand Du Qian had placed on her head stiffened.
Immediately, he comforted her softly, "Sister, you probably don't realize it yet, but being able to have over thirty survivors is already considered a stroke of luck."
Du Wan's eyes widened. "The convoy had nearly two hundred people..."
"Yes, but if Pei Hao hadn't made the correct judgment, they all would have been lost, and they wouldn't have been able to wait for me."
Du Qian proceeded to tell Du Wan the truth.
The people who ambushed Pei Hao had intended to kill him. They had not only used obscuring smoke but had also blocked all of Pei Hao's escape routes. At that time, they only had three paths to choose from. The only forest that seemed suitable was filled with numerous traps and poisoned spikes. On the path of retreat, large boulders and massive logs had been arranged on the mountain peaks to roll down at any moment.
The only chance for survival was to retreat toward the capital.
But doing so meant facing hundreds of rebels head-on...
In truth, Du Qian was glad he had traveled through the night.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have seen the Pei family's distress signal...
Du Qian continued to comfort her, "What happened last night was not your fault. In fact, you were even implicated. I heard that you didn't just avoid being a burden, but you even helped save many people. You were truly amazing. You did your best, didn't you?"
"But Chun Tao died to save me."
"..." Du Qian sighed softly.
Since the person was gone, they should be buried well.
He spoke softly again, "I will have someone look into it and provide appropriate compensation to her family. Any more than that might bring trouble to her family; for ordinary people, having too much wealth can invite disaster. I will speak to her master and offer some benefits to ensure they treat her family well and arrange a good job for them."
"Aren't you going to help them redeem their freedom?"
"Silly sister, in this world, without protection, it is not easy for ordinary people to live a stable life."
"..."
Du Wan froze, then felt a sense of confusion.
This was not the world she came from, where people yearned for freedom.
For the common people here, the primary goal was survival!
"Thank you, Big Brother," Du Wan whispered.
Du Qian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "We are biological siblings; there is no need for thanks."
Suddenly, Du Wan realized something—now that the siblings had met, she hadn't asked about their parents.
Would this make her seem exceptionally cold-blooded and heartless?
So, she immediately feigned unease and asked, "Big Brother, how... how is Mother and Father's health?"
"Father is doing alright." Du Qian glanced at her sideways. "Mother has fallen ill. Once you return, she should recover."
Does that mean her "cheap" mother has a heartache?
Du Wan asked in a small voice, "Do... do they love me very much?"
"Hmm?" Du Qian was startled.
He then realized she likely didn't remember the past and was feeling insecure.
Du Qian couldn't help but say with heartache, "Mother and Father love you dearly—even more than I, your son. You will understand once you see them. Don't worry."
Du Wan's mouth parted slightly in surprise.
Then, she lowered her eyes and fell silent.
In her previous life, she was an only child.
She couldn't say her parents were wrong; they did love her. It was just that as big shots in the scientific research community, they were busy year-round and rarely had time to accompany her. She started boarding school once she entered middle school. As a child, she had thrown tantrums, but her parents always said they were contributing to the country, and as children, she should learn to be understanding.
She was very well-behaved and obedient.
She learned to be understanding, and she learned to be independent.
But the house was always empty. Over time, it was inevitable to feel... very lonely.
Du Qian rubbed her small head worriedly. "What are you thinking about now?"
"I've been missing for so long..."
Du Wan lowered her gaze and said nothing.
Her reputation and all that... was probably long gone.
(End of Chapter)