"Don't worry, I just said I'd go out with you," Luo Yao said, pulling Ling Xi's sleeve as they left the inn.
Ye Ziling looked up at their retreating figures as they disappeared outside the door, feeling a little empty.
She reached up and removed the gauze, watching the two figures vanish through the door.
When traveling, she always carried some antidote with her.
Given Ling Xi's usual way of doing things, he wouldn't leave until her eyes were completely healed, but by doing so, she could also delay things.
She herself never thought she would use such a method to keep him, but if there was no other way, she wouldn't resort to such a despicable tactic.
Mu Heng climbed through the window into the room, almost startling Ye Ziling.
"Why use the window when there's a door?"
It scared her to death.
Mu Heng walked over to her, poured a cup of water, and handed it to her. He waved his five fingers in front of her face a few times and then suddenly exclaimed, "You're not blind?!"
Ye Ziling turned his hand away and said coldly, "Knock before entering from now on, and use the front door. You're acting like a thief."
"I'm used to it. Didn't I always climb through the window to find you?" Mu Heng raised an eyebrow and took a sip of water to moisten his throat.
"Never mind, since you're here, I'll give you a task."
"What task?"
"Keep close to those two."
Mu Heng "pfft"ed and sprayed the water onto the floor, his eyes wide. "No way... why should I go with them on a date? I'll be the third wheel!"
"...A date?" Ye Ziling faltered, a strong sense of crisis flooding her heart.
A date so soon?
Mu Heng knew what she was thinking and raised an eyebrow. "If not a date, then what else could it be? You said you weren't interested in this guy, why are you acting so strange today?"
Ye Ziling felt a little guilty and urged, "Hurry up, follow them, and stop with the nonsense."
Seeing her agitated look, Mu Heng couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alright, it's not like following you is any less dangerous than killing or setting fires. Peeking isn't that bad."
After Mu Heng left, Ye Ziling looked out the window. It was completely dark now, and dark clouds rolled in the sky as if they would collapse at any moment.
She didn't know if this method could keep him.
Ye Ziling sat by the window for two hours.
Although she was drinking tea, the tea on the table remained untouched.
She frowned, lost in thought for hours.
They had been out for so long, what if...
Luo Yao didn't enter the room until very late. Seeing Ye Ziling sitting motionlessly, she hesitated and called out, "Miss Ye?"
"Miss Ye, it's so late, aren't you going to sleep?" Luo Yao brought a bowl of medicine, placed it on the table, and gently helped Ye Ziling to sit by the bed.
"My eyes hurt a little... I can't sleep," Ye Ziling smiled, hiding her embarrassment.
So, telling a lie really did make one flustered.
But fortunately, they hadn't stayed out all night, which put her mind somewhat at ease.
"Why are you still brewing medicine so late? If I were already asleep, wouldn't this medicine be wasted?" Ye Ziling looked at the bowl of medicine in front of her and frowned.
Luo Yao looked puzzled, staring at her for a moment. "Miss Ye... can you see?"
The candlelight in the room was still bright, the flames flickering, casting shadows on the girl's delicate face. Those clear, almond-shaped eyes blinked at her, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Only then did Ye Ziling realize she had almost slipped up.
"No... the medicine smells too strong, I guessed."
To cover her awkwardness, she picked up the bowl of medicine and drank it down in one gulp. "It's getting late, let's rest."
"Mm."
The next morning.
When Ye Ziling got up, Luo Yao was gone.
As soon as she got out of bed, the girl brought her breakfast and helped her to the table.
"Miss Ye, it's perfect timing, let me help you check your eyes." Luo Yao smiled with innocent radiance and added, "We plan to cure your eyes first before we set off."
"Oh, and I still have two bowls of lotus seed soup to get. Wait here for me for a moment." Luo Yao turned and left.
Since there was only one inn on the road, people ate and stayed there during the day. Many travelers queued up early every morning to get rooms, and even to get something small, the wait was long.
Ye Ziling rubbed her eyes. Not even half an hour had passed before Luo Yao's figure appeared. Based on years of accumulated suspicion, she vaguely felt that something was about to happen.
Just then, the waiter hurried to knock on the door, his expression somewhat embarrassed. Seeing Ye Ziling sitting in the room, he said worriedly, "Guest, that young lady from earlier was with you, right? There's been a small accident downstairs... would you like to go and see?"
As expected.
Ye Ziling didn't have time to consider anything else. She got up and went downstairs, arriving at the scene.
No wonder she took so long to come back, she was in trouble.
As soon as Ye Ziling reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw several men dressed in tiger-skin rough cloth, carrying large sabers, surrounding the young girl. Their gazes were fierce, as if they wanted to devour her.
Two bowls of lotus seed porridge were spilled on the ground, and the surrounding tables and stools were in disarray.
"I claimed these first, how did they become yours?"
"You mortals, have you no reason?" Luo Yao put her hands on her hips, her cheeks flushed with anger, her expression extremely defiant.
The burly leader, carrying a large saber, roared, "I said, I don't care who you are, this inn is mine to stay in and eat in. Don't talk about two bowls of lotus seed porridge, everything here belongs to me!"
At this moment, the innkeeper had already knelt to the side, his arms held by two subordinates, trembling.
The once lively inn was now sparsely populated.
"Big... Big Brother, why waste words with her? She's just a little girl, isn't teaching her a lesson enough?"
After the bandit finished speaking, he brandished his saber and was about to slash at Luo Yao's shoulder.
A few wasp stings shot out from Ye Ziling's sleeve, directly sending several bandits flying to the ground.
The bandits cried out in pain, releasing their grip and clutching their wounds, their faces ashen, their lips trembling a few times as they looked at the person in front of them.
"Either get lost, or die." Ye Ziling stepped on the chest of one of the bandit leaders, her gaze sweeping over everyone coldly.
With demonic beasts rampaging through the human world, these people were still taking advantage of the chaos. They deserved to die.
"Yes... Grandmother."
Seeing the situation, the bandits panicked, scrambled to their feet, and fled, disappearing from the scene in a matter of moments.
Ye Ziling turned back and saw the young girl looking at her joyfully. "Miss Ye... your eyes are better?"
Ye Ziling smiled faintly. "Just now... it just happened."
"Really? According to my prescription, it would take until tomorrow at the earliest to see. How..." Luo Yao scratched her head, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.