The next morning, the sky was clear and bright, sunlight warm and gentle.
In the carriage bound for Weinan Prefecture, Shen Yujiao sat with five young women, reminding them once again,
“When we go in, stay calm inside, but look nervous on the outside. The more meek and timid we appear, the less they’ll guard against us. Don’t be afraid—my guards will be watching in secret, and the officials will arrive soon after. Once they do, those villains will be caught in one sweep, and they won’t be able to harm anyone else ever again.”
The five young women nodded after hearing the plan. “Big Sister Shen, we understand. You said it yourself—‘you can’t catch the wolf without sacrificing the child.’ You’re nobler than us and yet not afraid—then we’re even less afraid.”
“We’re all the same kind of people,” Shen Yujiao said softly. “No one’s nobler than anyone else.”
She handed each of them a small knife and showed them how to hide it in their belts. “And this isn’t about ‘sacrificing the child to catch the wolf.’ If you want to catch the wolf, you must protect yourselves even more… Hmm, this should be called ‘entering the tiger’s den to seize the tiger’s cub.’”
“The truth is, Qiu Po’s power runs too deep. With just the six of us, we can’t stir up much trouble. But if we can rescue the women who were trafficked, make a scene so large that everyone knows—then even the local officials won’t be able to cover it up. And if the imperial court in Chang’an still wants to save face, they won’t be able to turn a blind eye.”
Because of what had happened with Shenghua Pagoda and Princess Shouan, Shen Yujiao’s heart had already gone cold toward Emperor Zhaoning. She knew that expecting justice from such a muddle-headed ruler was harder than reaching the heavens.
Since that was the case, she would borrow the strength of the common folk—stir the anger of the people—and tear a hole open in the sky.
Her grandfather once told her that when he had served as the Emperor’s tutor, the very first lesson he taught His Majesty was from Xunzi · Duke Ai: “Water can carry a boat; it can also overturn it.”
She didn’t know if Emperor Zhaoning still remembered that principle after twenty years of rule. But one thing Shen Yujiao knew very well—
Emperor Zhaoning cared deeply about his reputation.
If someone dared to abduct and sell decent women right under the Emperor’s nose, it was the same as grinding the face of the “wise and virtuous ruler” into the dirt.
For the sake of that face alone, he would have to give the people an explanation.
In truth, Shen Yujiao wasn’t certain whether the plan would succeed. But when Xie Wuling heard her worries, he only smiled and said, “Jiaojiao, do you remember the story you once told me about Chen Sheng and Wu Guang’s uprising? When they shouted, ‘Are princes and nobles born of a different stock?’ did they already know they’d succeed and become emperors? Even though their rebellion failed, when people speak of them now—do they curse them as foolish and reckless, or do they praise them for their courage to defy tyranny?”
“Who isn’t afraid of death? But if everyone fears death, what great deed could ever be done? Jiaojiao, I may not have read as much as you, but I know right from wrong, justice from injustice. As long as you believe this is the right thing to do, then whatever it is—right or wrong—I’ll follow you.”
He looked at her, those usually flirtatious peach-blossom eyes now steady as stone. “Jiaojiao, don’t be afraid. Do what you wish, boldly. Even if we die for it, I’ll walk the road to the Yellow Springs beside you—you’ll never be alone.”
Shen Yujiao had never liked how Xie Wuling always spoke so easily of life and death, but this time, hearing those words, her heart softened like spring thawing after a long winter.
Before, everyone had said to her—
“Madam, you should do this.”
“Madam, you shouldn’t do that.”
“This isn’t what a woman ought to do.”
“Madam, put down your ruler, take up your needlework.”
“Madam, you must observe propriety.”
“Madam, you must know your place.”
Only Xie Wuling said to her, “Jiaojiao, if you want to do it—then do it boldly.”
He was always behind her—
Giving her unwavering support, absolute trust.
For a moment, Shen Yujiao’s nose stung.
She took several deep breaths, forcing back the surge of emotion that she called “silly,” then smiled at him. “Alright.”
Thank you, Xie Wuling, she thought.
For giving her once again the courage to follow her heart.
—
By noon, the supply wagon arrived at the first brothel on the delivery list.
The location wasn’t remote, but the place wasn’t large either.
In broad daylight, the street was quiet and empty.
Xie Wuling, now sporting a pair of fake mustaches, gave the fat man a signal. The fat man, recalling the fate of Scarface—his tendons cut and body thrown into the wilderness—and remembering the “poison pill” he’d been forced to swallow that morning, began trembling violently. He clambered down and knocked on the door.
“Riding a horse by the slanted bridge! Riding a horse by the slanted bridge!” he called.
Before long, a response came from within: “Sleeves of red flutter in the hall—who calls at our door?”
The fat man said, “Changle Brothel—Liu Mazi.”
The door soon opened, revealing a man in green silk, hair slick with oil and face thick with powder.
One glance was enough for Xie Wuling to tell—this was the brothel’s pimp.
He jumped down from the carriage, drew out the delivery token from his robe, and said lazily, “Lanxuan Brothel—two sparrows.”
The pimp recognized the fat man but saw that Xie Wuling was a stranger, so he asked, “You new here? From your accent, you don’t sound like you’re from Chang’an.”
Before the fat man could answer, Xie Wuling smiled. “Sharp ears, brother. I’m from Jinling. Ever heard of the Twelve Pleasure Boats on the Qinhuai River? Sister Hong is my godmother.”
The pimp had heard of the Qinhuai River—but not the Twelve Pleasure Boats.
Yet this young man had poise, confidence, and the easy air of someone used to such business. The pimp began to wonder if he was simply too provincial here in little Weinan.
He couldn’t afford to seem ignorant before someone from the south.
So he chuckled and cupped his hands. “Ah, a fine young brother from Jinling—no wonder, you carry yourself differently.”
Xie Wuling smiled in return and tilted his chin toward the fat man. “Well? Go fetch the goods.”
The fat man stammered, “Y–yes, sir.”
The pimp noticed the way the fat man obeyed without hesitation and asked curiously, “Little brother, why does this Shen fellow jump at your every word?”
Xie Wuling said casually, “Maybe my godmother and Qiu Po are old acquaintances—they’re just giving me a bit of face.”
The brothel keeper straightened respectfully. “So you know Qiu Po?”
“Know her? More than that. When I said I wanted to come to Chang’an to make my way, my godmother immediately wrote a letter telling me to go to Qiu Po. By seniority, I should even call her Aunt.”
Xie Wuling spoke smoothly, then gave the brothel keeper a meaningful wink. “But my relationship with Qiu Po isn’t something I talk about openly. Since I came here to get some experience, I should start by doing real work—only then will people respect me later. That’s why I’m here delivering goods.”
The brothel keeper instantly understood: an insider’s relative, here for “hands-on training.”
He looked at Xie Wuling with newfound admiration.
When the fat man had dragged the two young women off the cart, Xie Wuling instructed him coolly, “You stay out here to watch the goods. I’ll go in to collect the payment.”
The fat man didn’t dare protest, though he was uneasy inside. Just what kind of person was this “young master”?
He looked like an official, yet the way he handled this shady business—he was even more adept than the fat man himself.
Xie Wuling led the two young women through the door, scolding them along the way. “What’s the use of crying? You’re here now—forget your past. As long as you behave and make money for Madam, do you think she’ll mistreat you? Your food, clothes, and jewelry will be a hundred times better than before. And if you become stars someday, you might even have servants of your own—better than being some wild girls at home, isn’t it?”
The words he used were straight from the “training” lines of Red Sister from the pleasure boat days. His tongue was quick, the phrases coming out in seamless rhythm.
The brothel keeper was deeply impressed. “Brother Xie, you’re truly a rare talent.”
Xie Wuling waved modestly. “Not at all. All the girls on the pleasure boats in Jinling were trained this way.”
Then he glanced around the courtyard, commenting without hesitation, “Though I must say, your setup is quite simple. The girls are rather plain, too. Nothing like the Twelve Pleasure Boats of the Qinhuai River—those girls were top beauties, skilled in music, poetry, and the arts.”
“That’s true, that’s true. We’re just a small place, nowhere near your Qinhuai,” the brothel keeper said quickly. “The famous courtesans of Qinhuai and the ‘thin horses’ of Yangzhou—those are renowned far and wide. Our biggest brothel in Weinan, the Crimson Pavilion, just brought in two Yangzhou girls recently. On their first day on display, they sold for a hundred taels each!”
“Is that so?” Xie Wuling raised an eyebrow, then continued chatting idly, asking about the brothels across Weinan Prefecture.
Seeing how fluent he was in the slang of the trade, the brothel keeper was completely convinced he was Qiu Po’s trusted protégé. Eager to curry favor, he revealed everything he knew without hesitation.
By the time they reached the madam of the house, Xie Wuling and the brothel keeper were chatting like long-lost friends.
The madam was puzzled at first to see an unfamiliar face, but after the brothel keeper whispered in her ear, she immediately beamed with smiles. She counted out forty taels in payment and warmly invited him to stay for lunch.
Xie Wuling weighed the silver pouch and smiled faintly. “Madam, you’re too kind. But I’ve two more deliveries this afternoon—another day, perhaps.”
Even with a fake beard on his face, that pair of peach-blossom eyes—soft and bright—made the madam’s heart flutter. She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: as expected of a man from Jiangnan, as gentle and handsome as a poem.
If only she were ten years younger, she thought, perhaps she might have tried her luck with him.
Xie Wuling tucked the silver pouch away and put on a stern face, lecturing the two young women once more with phrases like “be obedient” and “keep your head down.”
The two girls bit their lips, tears falling, trembling with fear.
“Don’t worry, Brother Xie,” said the brothel keeper. “We’re the best at training new girls. The last batch had two stubborn ones—right now they’re still locked in the woodshed to break their temper. Won’t be long before they’re tamed.”
A flicker passed through Xie Wuling’s eyes, but his smile didn’t change. “Good. The money and goods are settled, then. I’ll be off to the next delivery. Madam, no need to see me out.”
The brothel keeper grinned and escorted him to the gate.
Once the back door closed and the carriage left the alley, Xie Wuling summoned two guards. He described the layout of the courtyard in detail: one guard took his token from the Third Prince’s Residence to report to the authorities, while the other stayed behind to watch over the two girls inside the den.
Orders given, they split up to act.
Xie Wuling then drove the carriage to the next brothel on the delivery list.
Using the same story as before, he repeated the act, chatting with the brothel keepers and madams to gather more information.
From them, he learned that within three hundred li of Chang’an, almost all human trafficking was controlled by Qiu Po. There were a few small-time smugglers, but they hardly counted.
When brothels needed new girls, they would send requests and budgets to their “contacts.” Once word reached Chang’an and there were girls ready to be shipped, they would receive advance notice to prepare for delivery.
In the Weinan region alone, over thirty brothels bought from Qiu Po. Whether northern or southern girls—so long as the price was right, she could supply them.
Southern girls were more expensive, affordable only to the larger brothels. The smaller ones mostly bought northern girls—plainer, perhaps, but cheaper.
Each cargo ship from the docks transported northern girls south once a month, earning at least five thousand taels per trip, sometimes as much as ten thousand.
Hearing that each shipment could yield such enormous profit, Shen Yujiao began to worry about something else entirely.
“Ninety percent of the Weinan yamen must be under someone’s protection,” Shen Yujiao said quietly. “If the officials and merchants are colluding, this could get difficult.”
“That’s easy,” Xie Wuling replied.
He looked up at the sky, speaking lazily, “Let’s just hope that Pei Shouzhen doesn’t disappoint me.”
The sudden mention of Pei Xia made Shen Yujiao pause. “What does this have to do with him?”
“When I found out you were missing yesterday,” Xie Wuling said, “I had the captain of the guards send someone to inform him at Lishan.”
He didn’t want to admit it, but he had to: “If he brings you back to Chang’an himself, your reputation will be better preserved.”
That was—if Pei Xia could even make it from Lishan.
Xie Wuling wasn’t sure he would come. After all, Pei Xia was accompanying the emperor on this trip—slipping away on his own wouldn’t be easy.
So while he pinned part of his hope on his rival, he had another plan in mind.
“Where’s the biggest beggar den in this city?” he asked, kicking the fat man again without warning.
The fat man had lost count of how many times he’d been kicked since last night. This young lord looked fine enough, but his temper was truly vicious.
Rubbing his backside, the fat man stammered, “S-seems it’s in the southern part of the city.”
Xie Wuling grunted. “Let’s go. Buy some steamed buns and exchange for a few copper coins. We’re heading south.”
The word “official” may have two mouths in it, but among the common people, there are millions.
If anyone had the power to silence all those mouths, then that blazing sun in the sky ought to be called the moon instead.
—
Shen Yujiao and Ah Nian boarded the cargo ship bound for the south.
The ship was set to depart at you hour (around 5–7 p.m.). Xie Wuling took the payment, then exchanged a subtle look with her, his expression calm.
Shen Yujiao pressed her lips together, took Ah Nian’s hand, and followed the cargo men as they were herded toward a hidden entrance.
At first glance, it looked like a tiny storage room—but there was more to it.
Once the barrels were moved aside, a cellar entrance appeared beneath. The ladder was a crude rope one. After the girls were sent down, the men upstairs would pull the ladder up, cutting off any chance of escape.
Seeing this, Shen Yujiao’s heart sank.
But things had come this far; she could only adapt as best she could. Steeling herself, she and Ah Nian climbed down the rope ladder.
In the dim cellar, groups of young women huddled together—some still crying softly, but most already numb, sitting silently in corners, as if they had accepted their miserable fate of being sold.
When they saw Shen Yujiao and Ah Nian, the “new goods,” they merely lifted their eyelids briefly, then lowered their heads again in quiet despair.
The sight made Shen Yujiao’s heart heavy with grief.
Before being abducted, these girls might have been the beloved daughters of their families—yet now they were crouched in a dark, foul-smelling cellar, waiting to be sold like livestock to faraway lands.
“Sister Shen…”
Ah Nian tugged at her sleeve, her voice trembling. “What should we do now?”
Shen Yujiao looked up at the ceiling, nearly half a zhang high, and after a brief silence, said, “The ship sails at you hour—we don’t have much time.”
Perhaps because she and Ah Nian were the last two to arrive before departure, their hands and feet hadn’t been tied. The others, however, had either their wrists or ankles bound.
What pained Shen Yujiao most was that none of them even tried to loosen their ropes—
—as if being tied was simply their destined fate, and they were too numb to struggle.
“Ah Nian, time to work,” Shen Yujiao said softly.
She lowered her eyes, pulled a small knife from her waist, and strode toward the girls.
Ah Nian, realizing her intent, quickly drew her own blade and began cutting ropes.
The girls in the hold stared in shock, disbelief filling their tear-streaked faces.
Shen Yujiao said to them, “If you still want to go home, then wake up and stand up.”
As each rope was severed, it was as though invisible shackles around their hearts were breaking too—their will to survive flaring to life, stronger than fear.
“Step on my back!”
From the corner, a young woman stood, went to the wall beneath the hatch, and knelt. “Step up on me—pull the ladder down.”
For a moment, silence filled the cabin.
Then came a chorus of voices:
“I’ll help too!”
“Count me in!”
“We’ll climb up together—someone has to reach it!”
“Don’t hesitate, hurry!”
One by one, the girls moved, linking hands, climbing on each other’s backs—building a trembling human ladder out of their fragile bodies.
Watching their determination, Shen Yujiao felt something burn hotly in her chest, a surge of fierce emotion that made her throat tighten. She clenched her palm hard. “Good!”
Without hesitation, she climbed up their trembling shoulders and backs, reaching for the rope ladder overhead.
When the rope ladder dropped down, it was as if the suffocating air in the cabin had been split open.
The girls—strangers from all over—hugged one another, tears in their eyes, whispering with trembling joy, “We’re saved…”
“I’ll go up first to check the situation,” Shen Yujiao said. “Then you follow, one by one—don’t rush.”
She climbed the ladder, bit her lip, and with all her strength pushed away the heavy wooden barrel above her head.
The storage room was locked from the outside, but by the wall of piled goods was a small half-open window.
Ignoring the dust and soot, Shen Yujiao crawled through the clutter and peered through the crack to observe what was happening outside.
The river’s surface was calm, the water smooth as glass. Outside, the hired thugs paced back and forth, seemingly making preparations to set sail.
Everything was ready—now all that remained was for Xie Wuling to arrive with the soldiers.
Shen Yujiao’s heartbeat quickened unconsciously.
She glanced at the young women climbing up along the ropes one after another, nearly filling the cramped storage cabin. Lowering her voice, she whispered, “Don’t make a sound yet. When I tell you to shout, then you shout and bang on the door.”
The girls covered their mouths and nodded hard.
Time slipped by, moment by moment. Shen Yujiao’s eyes stayed locked on the window, her heart feeling as though caught in an invisible hand—tightening, growing more tense.
Xie Wuling.
Xie Wuling…
Please, hurry.
She held her breath; she had never longed for that familiar figure so desperately before.
But then—the ship began to move.
The jolt as it left the dock sent panic through the women in the storage room and those in the lower cabin.
Ah Nian’s little face was full of anxiety as she leaned close to Shen Yujiao’s ear and whispered, “Sister Shen, your husband hasn’t come yet?”
Shen Yujiao bit her lip and said firmly, “He’ll come. He definitely will.”
Xie Wuling wouldn’t lie to her…
But that thought was quickly followed by another— What if?
What if he was afraid? What if he decided he didn’t want to get involved in this mess?
No. Impossible.
Xie Wuling wasn’t that kind of man. He’d given her his word—he would never go back on it.
Shen Yujiao forced herself to clear her mind. At a critical moment like this, her heart could not waver.
Yet the ship kept moving outward; she could see the sails billowing above the mast and the shoreline scenery growing ever more distant.
No. She couldn’t just sit here waiting for death—
If rescue wouldn’t come, then they would have to save themselves!
“Everyone—our reinforcements must’ve been delayed. Those of you with strength, come with me and help ram the door!”
“The ship’s only just left— the water’s still shallow near the dock. If you can swim, jump! If you can’t… then we’ll have to risk it anyway!”
It was the last resort—but desperate times left no room for hesitation.
“I’m strong!”
“I work at home, I can help!”
“Let me through, I’ll go first!”
The others stepped aside, letting the taller and sturdier girls move forward.
“One, two—go!”
Five or six young women charged the wooden door with all their might.
It didn’t give the first time, but they didn’t stop—they immediately gathered strength and rammed it again.
In dire moments, strength born of fear could multiply severalfold. On the third strike, the wooden door finally cracked open a hole.
“It broke!!”
“Quick, run! Run outside!!”
“Go, go, go—climb up!”
Shen Yujiao stood by the hatchway, helping the girls one by one as they scrambled upward—one pushing from below, another pulling from above.
When they saw the faint golden light of sunset streaming through the opening, their eyes lit up—it was freedom, it was the path home.
They surged forward, one after another, then jumped without hesitation into the water.
“Quick! Someone— the birds have escaped the cage!”
The thugs outside realized what was happening, shouting and rushing in panic:
“Catch them! Catch them, now!!”
But the first dozen girls had already leapt into the river one by one, splashing down like dumplings—plop, plop, plop!
The noise was tremendous, startling nearby boats and bystanders along the pier.
“Someone jumped into the river!”
“They’re women—so many women jumping!”
“Quick, save them!”
Good-hearted people rushed to help; fishermen and boatmen along the shore quickly rowed their boats over to rescue the young women thrashing in the cold autumn water.
Those who couldn’t help crowded at the dock, exclaiming and speculating:
“What’s going on?”
“No idea—why would so many women suddenly jump into the river?”
“Hey, look over there on that ship—it looks like someone’s fighting!”
“Heavens! Something’s not right! Quick—go report it to the authorities!”
Someone, realizing the situation was strange, turned to run for the yamen.
But after only a few steps, a great commotion came from the distance. Under the glow of the setting sun, a large troop of men appeared—dark and dense, the air charged with authority.
At their head were three striking young gentlemen.
The one on the left wore a crimson robe and sported two thin mustaches; though it took away some of his handsomeness, it added a touch of roguish charm. He rushed forward, calling anxiously, “Hurry, hurry!! Pei Shouzhen, did you forget to eat?!”
The one in the middle wore a blue-green brocade robe, his face refined like jade, his features elegant—yet his expression was dark with anger as he gritted his teeth:
“Xie Wuling, shut your mouth!”
The man on the right—his cousin, Li Dalang—had been listening to them bicker the whole way, and now his head throbbed. “Oh heavens, you two—enough already!”
“Officials are here!”
Someone in the crowd shouted, and the people immediately parted, opening a path.
Xie Wuling’s eyes swept over the scene—the ship already leaving the dock, women falling into the river one after another—and his temper flared.
“Pei Shouzhen! You see? All because you dawdled!”
Pei Xia’s temple throbbed. If this weren’t such an ill-timed moment, he truly would’ve liked to sew that loudmouth’s lips shut.
Did Xie Wuling think summoning troops was as easy as flapping one’s lips?
The garrison at Weinan didn’t answer to the Pei family!
“Men!” Pei Xia shouted. “Quickly—seize the passenger ships, block that vessel, and rescue those in the water!”
Pei Xia clenched his long fingers and gave a low, steady order.
The constables and soldiers behind him answered in unison, “Yes, sir!” — not daring to delay even a moment before quickly rowing out to rescue.
Standing on the riverbank, Xie Wuling caught sight of a slender figure entangled with thugs on the deck. His heart jolted violently. “Jiaojiao!”
Without another thought, he kicked off his black boots and dove headfirst into the river, swimming with all his might toward the boat that was drifting farther away.
Pei Xia, caught off guard, was splashed all over with water.
Once he steadied himself and caught sight of that familiar silhouette on the deck, his expression darkened.
Why hadn’t she waited for him to discuss a plan? How could she take such a risk on her own…
If anything happened to her, what would become of him — of their child?
Pei Xia stepped forward. Li Dalang, thinking he too was about to jump into the river, hurriedly grabbed him. “Shouzhen, don’t act rashly! The soldiers have already gone — they’ll surely bring Lady Yu back safely. Let’s just wait here on the shore.”
“Please, Brother-in-law, let go. I must greet her back myself.”
Xie Wuling had already seized the initiative. As Yuniang’s husband, if Pei Xia merely stood onshore and watched, wouldn’t that be as good as handing his wife over to another man?
Pei Xia decisively shook free his sleeve and strode onto a small fishing boat.
Li Dalang stood at the riverbank, glancing first at the one swimming furiously in the water, then at the one rowing hard on the boat — his face twisted in awkward frustration.
Yuniang couldn’t sprout wings and fly off the ship. Why were they both in such a rush?
It wasn’t as if this were a dragon boat race.
The setting sun bled across the sky, and the evening wind blew softly.
Almost at the same moment, drenched from head to toe, Xie Wuling and Pei Xia both boarded the ship — one at the bow, the other at the stern.
“Jiaojiao!”
Xie Wuling’s soaked beard was practically washed off. He wiped his face and ran toward Shen Yujiao, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at the thug restraining her. “You b*stard, let go of her!”
The thug recognized him as the deliveryman from before and gritted his teeth. “So it was you all along, playing tricks!”
“Cut the nonsense!” Xie Wuling’s fists bulged with veins. “Let her go and surrender — maybe I’ll let you live!”
Pinned by the thug’s arm around her neck, Shen Yujiao rasped out hoarsely, “You… you’re not the mastermind. Confess, and you’ll be treated leniently — you won’t die for this.”
The thug faltered for a moment — just enough. Xie Wuling’s eyes lit up, and he lunged forward, seizing the chance.
But just as he took a step — swish! — a feathered arrow streaked past like a falling star, straight into the thug’s left eye.
“Aaagh! My eye!”
The man howled, clutching his face and loosening his grip.
Before Xie Wuling could even process what happened, his body was already moving — he surged forward and pulled Shen Yujiao tightly into his arms. “Jiaojiao, are you hurt?”
Freed from the chokehold, Shen Yujiao collapsed against him, coughing heavily twice. “I’m… I’m fine…”
Then she looked toward the thug writhing on the ground — and lifted her gaze.
At the stern, framed against the dim sunset, Pei Xia stood in his green robe, lowering the longbow in his hand.
Shen Yujiao had always known that he excelled in all the gentlemanly Six Arts — archery was no exception.
Back when they were exiled two years ago, he had fired an arrow from horseback straight through the hand of a constable who tried to molest her sister-in-law.
That scene was etched in her memory as vividly as if it happened yesterday.
Xie Wuling hadn’t expected that arrow to have come from Pei Xia.
He’d thought Pei Xia was merely a learned man with a sharp mind — never had he imagined his archery to be so precise.
Looking down at the dazed woman in his arms, Xie Wuling’s throat tightened with a bitter ache.
This Pei Shouzhen had upstaged him yet again!
“Jiaojiao, can you stand?”
Supporting her arm, his handsome brows furrowed with concern. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
He had wanted to scold Pei Shouzhen for being slow, but saying so now would only make him seem petty and jealous.
Forget it — after that arrow, he’d hold his tongue.
“You came — that’s what matters. Not too late…”
Shen Yujiao smiled faintly, but when her peripheral vision caught Pei Xia walking toward them, she quickly lowered her gaze and slipped out of Xie Wuling’s grasp. “I can stand on my own.”
The moment Pei Xia arrived, she seemed to draw away from him instinctively…
Xie Wuling pressed his lips together tightly, his heart a tangle of bitter emotions.
But what could he do? Pei Xia was the one who held the rightful title.
“Yuniang.”
Pei Xia’s expression was solemn as he strode toward his wife. “Are you unharmed?”
Shen Yujiao didn’t know why — in front of Xie Wuling she was bold and unrestrained, but before Pei Xia she felt unsteady, a nervous flutter in her chest.
Would he blame her for being reckless?
Of course he would.
If Pei Xia had known she’d risked her life by sneaking into the bandits’ den, he’d never have allowed it.
“Langjun.”
Like a child caught misbehaving, she lifted her dirty, disheveled face and whispered, “I’m fine…”
He had been angry, seeing how she’d thrown herself into danger — but when he saw her timid, downcast eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to scold her.
Standing face to face, he pulled a clean handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped the dirt off her nose, his deep voice tinged with helpless fondness. “Didn’t we agree you’d wait at home? How did you end up looking like a little mud-cat?”
At that, Shen Yujiao frowned in confusion. “I don’t know who’s behind all this, but whoever it is — they’re truly vicious!”
The husband and wife exchanged a glance — both had arrived at the same suspicion, yet neither voiced it aloud.
“Let’s get back to shore first,” Pei Xia said, taking her hand.
If they were at home, such closeness wouldn’t have felt inappropriate. But in front of Xie Wuling, Shen Yujiao instinctively tried to pull her hand back —
Yet Pei Xia held her firmly.
She looked toward Xie Wuling, her rose-colored lips parting twice, as though she wanted to speak but couldn’t.
Seeing this, Pei Xia said calmly, “Young Master Xie, come aboard as well.”
“Gladly.”
Xie Wuling was never one to stand on ceremony — he stepped up at once. “I thought Brother Shouzhen might make me swim back. Seems I’ve misjudged you.”
Pei Xia gave him a cool, indifferent glance. “If you wish to swim, I won’t stop you. The sky is wide, the river vast — swim to your heart’s content.”
With that, he led Shen Yujiao toward the stern.
Xie Wuling quickly followed. “Now that you’ve let me ride on the boat, what would be the point of swimming? You’ve no idea how cold this river is — I didn’t feel it while swimming, but now I’m shaking all over. Brother Shouzhen, you’re wearing two layers — why not lend me one?”
Pei Xia: “…”
If there was a woman he despised most in this life, it was Shouan.
Then Xie Wuling was surely the man he found most unbearable — bar none.
“Fine, don’t lend it then. Why glare like that?”
Xie Wuling wanted to irritate Pei Xia; the more displeased Pei Xia looked, the more pleased he became.
Seeing Pei Xia ignore him, he leaned toward Shen Yujiao instead. “Jiaojiao, are you cold? If you are, tell him to lend you a layer.”
Before Shen Yujiao could answer, Pei Xia also turned to look at her — clearly waiting for her response.
Caught between them, Shen Yujiao gave an awkward little laugh. “I’m not cold.”
Though her scalp was starting to tingle.
Had she known both men would end up here, she might as well have jumped into the river herself and swum back.
Looking around the ship, she saw the soldiers had subdued the thugs. The young women locked in the cabins were being escorted out one by one, and those who had jumped overboard earlier were rescued by good-hearted townsfolk and constables.
Shen Yujiao quietly exhaled in relief — then suddenly remembered something and turned to Xie Wuling. “The young women from the first two boats — were they all rescued?”
“Don’t worry.” Xie Wuling nodded. “Not only rescued — even those abducted earlier have been brought to the magistrate’s office.”
Shen Yujiao’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful.”
Xie Wuling grinned. “They say saving one life is worth building a seven-story pagoda. You’ve saved so many this time — your virtue’s overflowing. You could ascend straight to the heavens and become an immortal fairy.”
Shen Yujiao blushed. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense. You’ll see when we get back to the yamen — they’ll all thank you from the bottom of their hearts.”
Xie Wuling smirked. “And when Fairy Shen ascends to the skies, don’t forget to take me along. I’ll be your little gatekeeper boy.”
Shen Yujiao couldn’t help but laugh. Just as she was about to reply, Pei Xia’s cold, detached voice cut in: “Forgive my ignorance — I’ve only heard of one person attaining the Dao and bringing along his chickens and dogs to heaven. Which of those would you be, Young Master Xie?”
The jab was sharp — almost too plainly so.
Shen Yujiao’s face fell slightly; she found his words biting, uncharacteristically harsh for Pei Xia.
Xie Wuling, however, was unfazed —
This pale-faced scholar wasn’t just cutting with words; when he fought, he was downright vicious. Only in front of Jiaojiao did he bother to act the gentleman.
“As long as I can go with Jiaojiao — chicken, dog, ghost, I don’t care,” Xie Wuling shot back, tilting his chin smugly. “While the virtuous Pei Shouzhen remains pure and untouched, content to stay behind in this mortal world.”
Pei Xia: “…”
Shen Yujiao: “…”
Then, from the corner of her eye, Shen Yujiao caught sight of Ah Nian being brought out. Her eyes brightened — she quickly slipped her hand free from Pei Xia’s grasp and hurried over. “Ah Nian, are you all right?”
During the escape, Ah Nian had stumbled and fallen back into the cellar, locked up again for half the day.
Now, seeing Shen Yujiao, she rushed forward and hugged her tightly. “Wuuuh, Sister Shen, I was so scared!”
Shen Yujiao comforted her with a few pats on the shoulder. “It’s all right now. It’s over.”
Glancing at the other rescued young women, she turned back to Xie Wuling. “There should be a register on this ship — once we find it, we can verify everyone’s names.”
The moment Xie Wuling heard that, the bandit in him surfaced — he grabbed one of the thugs and started questioning him on the spot.
Soon, he found the register and hurried over to Shen Yujiao like he was presenting a treasure. “Jiaojiao, here it is.”
Shen Yujiao lifted her face and smiled. “Good—”
But before she could finish, Xie Wuling’s expression suddenly changed. “Jiaojiao, watch out!”
The warning came too suddenly.
Before Shen Yujiao could react, Xie Wuling threw the register aside and lunged straight at her.
He moved too fast, too forcefully —
In the next instant, his tall body slammed into hers, shielding her tightly. Her lower back struck the ship’s railing, and with a sharp crack of splintering wood, her feet lost footing — she plummeted downwards.
“Yuniang!”
“Sister Shen! Young Master Xie!”
The others on board froze in shock.
Pei Xia saw it all with his own eyes — how Xie Wuling had blocked the hidden arrow that came from the shadows, how he’d tackled Shen Yujiao and sent them both overboard—
“Quickly — pull them out!”
He lay by the broken wooden fence, watching as the blood-red river—dyed by the dying sun—swiftly swallowed the two fading figures. A searing pain clenched his chest.
Why hadn’t he stood by Yuniang’s side?
Why had he let go of her hand?
If only he had held on—he should have been the one to protect her.
The long, elegant hand braced on the railing clenched so tightly that the knuckles turned ghostly white.
Suddenly, a flicker of cold light caught his peripheral vision. He twisted to the side just in time—a sleeve arrow shot past his ear.
He turned toward the shadow lurking by the cluttered window, bent to snatch a fallen longsword from the ground, and strode forward, his dark eyes glinting with cold, murderous fury. “Catch him alive. Don’t let him die.”
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to read 5 extra chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
![The Obsessive Shou Moves On [Rebirth]](https://i1.wp.com/lazygirltranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/download-1.jpeg?resize=151,215 "The Obsessive Shou Moves On [Rebirth]")
