Ning Yan caught sight of her troubled little expression and leaned toward Bai Qingqing with a slight bend at the waist. “You trust me that much? Just the two of us, a man and a woman traveling alone—you’re not the least bit hesitant?”

Though the carriage was spacious, Ning Yan had leaned in too close. Bai Qingqing instinctively tried to edge away, only to bump her back against the wall of the carriage with a soft thud.

Ning Yan let out a short laugh. “What are you dodging for? Think I’m going to eat you? Did that hurt?”

Bai Qingqing winced slightly. She had always been afraid of pain, but she didn’t want to seem too delicate. She forced a shake of her head. “No, it didn’t hurt.”

She slowly eased back into her seat and answered his earlier question. “You’re willing to take me southwest. You have no idea how grateful I am. It feels like I’ve used up a lifetime’s worth of luck. Why would I hesitate?”

“Is that the truth?”

“Truer than pearls! But…”

Bai Qingqing hesitated, then began pulling out banknotes from her sleeves and pockets. In no time, a thick stack piled up between them, leaving even the well-traveled Lord Ning momentarily stunned.

Bai Qingqing stared at the silver notes with a troubled frown. “I thought this would be enough for the two of us—even if we lived lavishly, it should have covered everything. But if there are too many people… I’m afraid this won’t…”

Ning Yan was so amused by her fretting that he burst into laughter. “You planning to bankroll my whole Linyia Guard? Then no, that’s definitely not enough. It’s expensive to keep even one of them alive. This”—he gestured at the pile—“might cover one or two at best.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“It costs that much?!”

Bai Qingqing’s eyes widened in surprise. She exclaimed with genuine admiration, “Then they must be really impressive!”

Well… that wasn’t exactly wrong.

“Then here, you keep these for me first. If it’s not enough, I’ll make it up to you later.”

She pushed the entire stack of banknotes toward Ning Yan and promised with utter confidence, “I won’t default on you. I can earn money myself.”

Ning Yan wasn’t quite sure what went on inside that pretty little head of hers. He gave the servant’s bun on her head a teasing shake. “Ever heard of ‘don’t flaunt your wealth’? Can you use your brain a little? We just set out, and you’ve already laid all your cards on the table. You’re really not afraid of losing both your money and your life?”

Bai Qingqing tugged at the edge of her robe, a little embarrassed. “It’s just… too much trouble carrying it on me.”

She had originally thought it would be just the two of them. Carrying that much silver had already made her anxious. Now that she realized how tightly guarded everything was, she figured, since it was going to be spent anyway, she might as well hand it all over in advance.

“Just hold onto it for me. I kept a bit for myself too. But it’s not safe with me—what if I lose it?”

She nudged the stack even closer to him, her round eyes brimming with expectation. Ning Yan ground his back teeth. There she went again, playing the delicate act! Even dressed as a servant, she was still spoiled to the core.

“Wen Jiang!”

In no time, Wen Jiang poked his head into the carriage. “Yes, sir?”

“Here. Take care of these.”

“What are they…?”

With a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes, Ning Yan jerked his chin toward Bai Qingqing. “Her entire fortune. Too much trouble for her to manage herself.”

Bai Qingqing’s cheeks flushed red. She shot Ning Yan a quick glare before turning to Wen Jiang with a sheepish grin. “Sorry to trouble you, Brother Wen.”

Wen Jiang blinked, then quickly shook his head. “No trouble, no trouble at all. Alright, I’ll take care of it.”

He climbed into the carriage and began gathering the notes, though his ears were perked as he overheard Ning Yan’s disgruntled voice: “So he’s ‘Brother Wen’ already? You sure handed out that title fast. And what about me? Still just ‘Lord Ning’?”