The picnic by the river came to an end. Yuan Yu and Han Liang lingered for a while before leaving, neither of them eager to break the quiet they had shared. The horses shifted beneath them as they mounted again, a faint heaviness settling in the air without either of them naming it.
As they rode along the path, Yuan Yu spoke first.
"If it works for you, let's go again in three days."
Han Liang nodded once, his gaze steady. "Okay. Where will we go?"
Yuan Yu slowed his horse and dismounted, picking up a fallen branch from the ground. With a small, easy smile, he tossed it into the air.
"Wherever it falls, that's where we go."
Han Liang watched him for a moment before glancing at the branch. It spun once, then dropped to the ground.
"West," Yuan Yu said.
Han Liang gave a short nod. "Then west it is."
"Let's ride for half a day and stop at the first town we find," Yuan Yu added.
Han Liang didn't object. His blue eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Yuan Yu, calm but attentive. Yuan Yu held his gaze for a moment longer than he intended, then turned his attention forward.
By the time they reached the edge of town, it was time to part.
"Three days," Yuan Yu said. "At dawn, I'll come for you."
Han Liang nodded once.
Yuan Yu turned his horse and rode away without looking back.
Han Liang remained where he was, watching until Yuan Yu disappeared from view. He had come to this town on an assignment from his elder brothers, yet somewhere along the way, his focus had begun to shift. The reason he had arrived no longer felt as clear as before.
A brief silence settled around him.
"…Three days," he said quietly.
He said nothing more.
When Han Liang returned to the inn that night, the Second Commander was already there. He listened in silence as Han Liang spoke, his expression unchanged and his presence steady.
He asked no questions. None were necessary.
From that moment on, he made his decision. He would follow them in secret—keeping his distance and stepping in only if necessary.
For now, three days lay ahead. Time would pass. But not quickly.
That same night, Yuan Yu returned home to find his mother waiting. Her expression carried clear concern, her gaze fixed on him the moment he stepped inside.
"Who did you spend your time with today? Wang Bo? Lin Ze?" she asked.
Yuan Yu took a moment before answering. "Neither."
His mother studied him more closely, surprise flickering across her face.
Yuan Yu was polite with many, but rarely grew close to anyone. Wang Bo, his childhood friend, and Lin Ze from the silk trade—that was all.
"Then who?" she asked again.
"Someone from the town," Yuan Yu said. "We met by chance, then again. We decided to be friends. He's from a warrior sect."
He hesitated before continuing.
"And in three days, we're planning a short trip to another town."
His mother's expression changed at once.
"Son… when did you become so reckless?" she said, her voice tightening. "What if he kidnaps you? What if he demands money from you? You come from a wealthy family. People would approach you for far less."
She stepped closer.
"And you would be far from home. What if something happens to you?"
Yuan Yu remained composed.
"He doesn't know who I am," he said. "He knows me as Gu Feng. I told him I trade with my uncle."
He added after a moment.
"In town, I kept my face covered. Only in quieter places did Han Liang see me clearly. The townspeople won't recognize me."
His gaze lifted slightly.
"He dresses well… and carries himself with discipline. Not a man who would stoop to that."
A brief silence followed.
"I'm not a child anymore," Yuan Yu said, his tone firmer. "I'm twenty-three."
His voice softened again.
"I'll introduce you to him soon. You'll understand."
Yuan Yu drew a quiet breath.
"I just want to step away from this place for a while… especially after everything being said about me and the Tiger Sect."
His mother did not relax.
"I don't know what your father will say," she replied. "Even if it's only a few days… with someone we don't know?"
Her voice lowered.
"How could I be at ease with that?"
Yuan Yu lowered his gaze slightly.
To her, he was still someone who needed protection.
Han Liang moved freely, answering to no one.
Yuan Yu had never known that kind of life.
That difference lingered in his thoughts.
That night, Yuan Yu lay in bed, staring at the ceiling for a long while before closing his eyes.
The house was quiet.
His thoughts were not.
Three days.
It felt longer than it should.