After provoking the holy maiden of Miao territory, she was infected with a love curse.

The streets were quiet.

The daytime vendors had already packed up their stalls, and the cold night wind made Yin Huaixi feel much more awake.

The pier is not far away.

She proceeded cautiously, sneaking away unnoticed.

"Hurry! This shipment needs to be moved tonight, or it'll all go bad!"

"yes!"

There were still men directing traffic on the dock; they were probably Han Chinese who had come to resell and transport goods.

It must be said that the Miao king went to great lengths to send Sang Che to this place to hide him.

This place is remote, located at the border between the Miao and Han ethnic groups, and even government officials and soldiers are unwilling to venture deep into it.

Who would know that Sang Che was here?

In the mountain stream, the chirping and hissing of insects filled the air.

Yin Huaixi was completely unaware of the tiny black insect following behind her as she arrived at the place where salted fish were sold during the day.

Behind the brown haystack, a woman wearing a raincoat and with messy hair sat up.

"The matter is urgent, so let's get straight to the point."

The woman lowered her voice, patted the grass clippings off her clothes, and her nonchalant expression vanished, replaced by a dignified and upright demeanor.

"I am here on Lord Yin's orders to investigate the disappearance of merchants around Lingshui City. Huaixi... it's probably not convenient to take you away tonight."

as expected.

Yin Huaixi did not show any disappointment; she nodded slightly.

"I know."

"Leaving here quietly is not something that can be done overnight."

Seeing that she was calm and composed, and with the firelight illuminating the distant dock, the woman carefully examined Yin Huaixi's face.

They discovered that she had no bruises on her face, and didn't look like someone who had been abducted to a remote mountain village to be a wife.

I noticed the other party's hesitation.

Yin Huaixi said helplessly, "You don't need to worry too much about me. I'm keeping myself around because I'm useful to them. They won't make a move against me for the time being."

Being anxious won't solve anything.

She understands this principle.

The woman nodded, and then handed Yin Huaixi a delicate little bird whistle.

"This is something our informant in the Miao village made. If you want to send a message, just blow on it gently."

"Just remember...not too often."

"If these Miao people notice something is wrong, we'll have no choice but to cut off contact."

Yin Huaixi took the bird whistle made of green bamboo, said nothing more, and got up to leave.

Her dress fluttered, and she blended into the night breeze.

The little insect that had always followed Yin Huaixi did not return to its master's side with Yin Huaixi's footsteps.

Instead, it folded its wings and quietly perched on the dark-skinned fishmonger.

...

I dare not linger outside.

Yin Huaixi rushed back without stopping.

The inn was lit only by a dim oil lamp, and the innkeeper was still fast asleep, slumped over the counter.

There was absolutely no sign of him regaining consciousness.

He pressed his hand against his pounding chest.

Yin Huaixi went upstairs. She cautiously observed her surroundings like a thief. When she touched the edge of the door, her fingers just slipped inside.

Yin Huaixi listened to the sounds by the door for a while, then peeked inside through the crack.

Apart from the rustling sounds at night, there was nothing unusual in the room.

With her tense body relaxing, Yin Huaixi was no longer filled with anxiety and pushed open the door.

The moment they came into view, countless blue butterflies fluttered out, dancing eerily in the night.

Sang Che sat on the bench with his legs crossed.

She was relaxed.

The question she asked made Yin Huaixi's throat dry and tight.

Sang Che: "Where did you go?"

"Why haven't you come back for so long..."

"Huaixi...do you know how heartbreaking it is to leave me here all alone?"

With a slight bend of her fingers, Yin Huaixi's body, like those butterflies, involuntarily moved closer to Sang Che.

Biting her thin lips, the faint smell of rust spread between her teeth, and Yin Huaixi regained a moment of clarity.

She quickly explained, "I just... went out to get up in the middle of the night, I didn't mean to leave."

Such a statement is too weak.

Yin Huaixi wasn't sure if Sang Che would believe her, so she tensed up, and the butterflies landed on her shoulders.

At night, except for moths.

How come there are butterflies?

There's only one answer... These butterflies aren't real butterflies, they're "poison"!

With her fingers braced against the edge of the table, Sang Che stood up. The clinking of her silver ornaments was no longer as cheerful as before; a dull sound echoed in Yin Huaixi's ears.

Feeling their way forward, Sang Che advanced step by step, while Yin Huaixi gasped for breath and tried to back away, but her whole body was stiff and she couldn't even lift her legs.

And what about escaping?

With a gentle sniff, brushing against Yin Huaixi's collar, Sang Che's delicate and handsome brows furrowed slightly.

She smelled that salty, fishy smell again, as well as the scent of Han people.

But Sang Che didn't expose Yin Huaixi on the spot. Instead, he asked, "Did you really go to get up in the middle of the night, or did you sneak out to see someone you shouldn't have?"

Take her out for a walk to clear her mind.

Sang Che had anticipated this day would come.

But it's too early to say; she's still confident that Yin Huaixi will stay by her side forever.

For her eyes to regain their sight, and for her to recover from the stubborn cold poison in her body, she also needs Yin Huaixi.

Yin Huaixi is now in a dilemma; he has no choice but to admit it, whether he likes it or not.

"He really did get up in the middle of the night..."

"What? Does the Holy Maiden even need to investigate this?"

Yin Huaixi pretended to be wronged and innocent, feeling extremely aggrieved.

"I'm all alone here. They all speak Miao, which I can't understand... I can only exchange a few words with you."

Are you going to question me like that too?

"If I wanted to run, why would I come back here? I could just jump onto a boat at the dock and go with them!"

As she spoke, the grievances she had accumulated over the past few days surged up like a tide, and tears welled up in Yin Huaixi's eyes, falling down in a steady stream.

Her originally small courage became enormous.

She didn't know if crying would work on Sang Che. If it didn't, Yin Huaixi was already prepared to stop crying at lightning speed.

Completely unexpectedly, Sang Che reached out and touched Yin Huaixi, feeling a cool sensation on his fingertips – Yin Huaixi's tears.

The suspicion that had been rising in her heart gradually subsided. At least one thing Yin Huaixi said was true: she had not left her side under the cover of night.

Sang Che gently wiped away Yin Huaixi's tears with his thumb. This sudden movement made Yin Huaixi, who was "fake crying," freeze. She didn't even have time to react.

Sang Che opened his red lips and held her tear in his mouth, the sour and salty sensation filling his mouth.

"What...what are you doing?"

Yin Huaixi was shocked. On such a dark and windy night, doing something so ambiguous... Was she going to be detained tonight?

This damn plot, is it finally going to have a climax?!

"You cried..."

"I did this to comfort you."

What kind of lame excuse is that?

Yin Huaixi wasn't buying it: "Comfort...who comforts like that?"

Sang Che maintained his tilted and bent-over posture as he retorted with reason and evidence.

Have you ever owned a dog?

Yin Huaixi: "..."

There must be a deeper meaning behind these words!

Yin Huaixi: "Have you ever raised... Is there any connection between the two?"

Sang Che pressed her forehead against Yin Huaixi's and whispered, "That's how puppies comfort their owners."

"I'm doing these things for you because I want to comfort you."