Chapter Twenty-Eight: Advancing Through Retreat

On the morning of the next day, Rong Jiu told her brothers about her plans to go out and have some fun. At first, her brothers were strongly opposed, not only because of the recent assassination attempt, but also because they did not care for Song Moci. What’s more, this time the destination was Crescent Lake, outside Jing’an City—a place far more perilous than inside the city walls.

Nevertheless, despite their protests, Rong Jiu’s tears and persistent pleading finally wore them down. In the end, they relented, but not without conditions: Mo Ningshu must accompany her every step of the way.

As long as she could go out, Rong Jiu had no mind to care about the rest, and agreed readily.

But Song Moci was not at all pleased. He pointed to Mo Ningshu, who was feeding the horses not far away, and asked incredulously, “Why is he coming too?”

Rong Jiu shrugged helplessly. “Of course he is.”

“But—”

“Oh, it’s just an outing. One more person or less doesn’t matter, does it? Besides, my brothers insisted, so I have no choice.”

Rong Jiu arched an eyebrow; after all, this wasn’t a tryst with Song Moting, so she didn’t mind Mo Ningshu tagging along.

“Fine,” Song Moci sighed quietly, forced to give in.

“Alright then, let’s get going! If we delay any longer, what if my eldest brother changes his mind again?” Rong Jiu urged.

“Alright, let’s leave now.” Upon hearing this, Song Moci promptly swung himself onto his horse, then raised an eyebrow at Rong Jiu. “Xiao Jiu’er, would you like to ride with me?”

Rong Jiu rolled her eyes. “That won’t be necessary.”

She waved for Amu to bring her little red horse, took the reins, and reminded Amu, “Be good and wait for me at home, alright?”

“Princess, please be careful and return early,” Amu replied, a trace of worry in her voice.

“Don’t worry!” Rong Jiu smiled, then mounted her horse in one swift move.

The three had only ridden a short way when Song Moci stopped and asked Rong Jiu and Mo Ningshu to wait for him, saying he needed to call someone. Rong Jiu waited, somewhat suspicious, for about a quarter of an hour, growing impatient, when she saw Song Moci approaching in the distance—riding alongside Qiao Muqing.

So it was him, she thought.

“Hey, why did you suddenly bring General Qiao along too? Don’t tell me it’s for your sister?” Rong Jiu nudged her horse closer to Song Moci, lowering her voice.

“How clever you are, Xiao Jiu’er. Yes, it’s for little Yu’er,” Song Moci replied with a helpless shrug.

“No wonder she likes you so much. You really are a good brother,” Rong Jiu laughed.

“Naturally. In fact, I can be even better!” Song Moci raised his head proudly.

“Oh? Is that so? Tell me more.”

“Are you that interested in me, Xiao Jiu’er? Well, you’ll find out in time.” Song Moci grinned, keeping his secret.

“Tch.”

Rong Jiu rolled her eyes again and trotted her horse away from him. If he wouldn’t say, so be it. It wasn’t as though she really wanted to know.

Crescent Lake was neither too near nor too far from Jing’an City. After leaving the city, they rode east for ten miles, passed through a dense thicket, and followed a small path through the woods until they reached a meadow ringed by trees. In the center of that meadow lay Crescent Lake, named for its curved, moon-like shape.

Rong Jiu closed her eyes, savoring the breeze scented with sweetgrass. The soft meadow rippled with the wind, waves of green rolling one after another.

The scene before her brought back memories of her time in Xining. Her spirits lifted at once. Compared to the bustling, crowded city, this place was quiet and comfortable—a hidden paradise untouched by the outside world.

“Hey, over here! Why are you so slow? I’ve been waiting forever!” a cheerful voice called.

Rong Jiu opened her eyes and looked toward the sound. Not far off stood Meng Zigui, Shen Mingshan, Mingyu, and Yun Niang. The one calling out, dressed all in black and grinning broadly, was Meng Zigui.

Rong Jiu, feeling awkward, glanced at Song Moci. She had known they would be coming, but since she wasn’t very familiar with them, she wasn’t quite sure what to do.

Song Moci flashed her a reassuring smile, as if to say, “Don’t be afraid; I’m here.”

Rong Jiu took a deep breath and followed him over to the group.

But she was not the only one feeling awkward. Qiao Muqing’s smile was growing increasingly stiff as well. He hadn’t known Mingyu would be there—had he known, he would never have agreed to come.

Mingyu, upon seeing Qiao Muqing, was delighted but, recalling her brother’s words, restrained her urge to greet him.

“You’re so slow!” Meng Zigui clapped Song Moci on the shoulder, teasing him.

“Alright, alright. Since everyone’s here, let’s do introductions again,” Song Moci said, clearing his throat.

“This is Rong Jiu. I believe you all know her by now,” he said, gesturing toward her.

“Hello, just call me by my name,” Rong Jiu said with a smile.

“Hello, I’m Meng Zigui. Just call me Zigui, like the others. I’ll call you Jiu’er from now on!” Meng Zigui said warmly.

“Alright.” Rong Jiu nodded, smiling.

“I am Shen Mingshan. Princess, you may call me Mingshan,” he said.

“I’m Yun Niang. We met last time,” Yun Niang said graciously.

“My name is Mingyu. About what happened last time… I’m sorry.” Mingyu brushed past Meng Zigui to stand by Rong Jiu, tugging at her sleeve.

“It’s nothing, I’ve already forgotten,” Rong Jiu replied with a smile.

After everyone had introduced themselves, they began chatting merrily.

“I heard Jiu’er can ride. I’ve never seen it before—how about a race?” Meng Zigui suggested.

“Yes, let’s!” Rong Jiu perked up immediately.

“Wow, Jiu’er, you can ride? That’s amazing!” Mingyu exclaimed enviously, coming up beside her.

“It’s nothing, really…” Rong Jiu replied, a little embarrassed.

“I can’t ride at all…” Mingyu muttered, then her eyes lit up. “Jiu’er, can you teach me?”

“Ah? Well… alright!” Rong Jiu scratched her head awkwardly.

“Yay!” Mingyu bounced with delight.

Soon, except for Mingyu and Yun Niang, the others lined up for a horse race, laughter ringing out all around. When they grew tired, they gathered to share the snacks and tea Yun Niang had brought. Then Mingyu dragged Rong Jiu off to teach her to ride.

Rong Jiu’s little red horse was gentle and obedient, so she felt comfortable letting Mingyu mount. Yet during the lesson, Rong Jiu noticed Mingyu kept sneaking glances at Qiao Muqing.

It dawned on her that the two hadn’t spoken a word to each other since they arrived.

“You like General Qiao so much—why not talk to him?” Rong Jiu asked. If it were her, she’d never leave Song Moting’s side, just as she always did.

“I wish I could. I want to be close to him. But my brother said if I cling to him, he’ll only find me annoying, and I should play it cool. But… last night, I confessed my feelings, and he said he doesn’t like me that way,” Mingyu said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Is that so? But I just saw General Qiao glancing this way while you were riding…” Rong Jiu said, feigning nonchalance, though she’d been observing the two all along.

“Really?” Mingyu’s spirits lifted at once.

“Of course. Why would I lie? Honestly, I think General Qiao does care for you, but for some reason, he can’t accept your feelings. By the way, how long have you known him?”

“I grew up with Brother Qing. When we were little, he was so nice to me, always protecting me, sneaking me out to play…” Mingyu’s eyes shone at the memories.

So they were childhood sweethearts.

“I envy you. You’ve known each other since you were young.” Rong Jiu couldn’t help feeling wistful. If only she and Song Moting had grown up together—maybe they’d already be a couple.

“But maybe knowing each other so well is the problem. Brother Qing says he only sees me as a sister,” Mingyu said with a quiver in her voice. “But I don’t want to be his sister.”

“Don’t think too much. If you want to know if he cares, that’s easy—we’ll just test him!” Rong Jiu patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“A test? How?”

“Come, I’ll tell you…” Rong Jiu leaned in to whisper her plan.

“Will this really work?” Mingyu hesitated, nervous.

“Trust me. I know all the tricks from those dramas!” Rong Jiu was quite confident.

“But what if he doesn’t come?” Mingyu’s eyes dimmed.

“If he doesn’t rush over right away, it means you’re not that important to him. If that’s the case, then it’s time to let go,” Rong Jiu said, propping her chin in her hand.

“But you’ll never know unless you try. Think positive!” she encouraged.

“Alright. I’ll try,” Mingyu said with determination.

“Let’s begin. Don’t worry, the horse is gentle. Just hold the reins and stay steady,” Rong Jiu instructed.

“Okay.”

Rong Jiu helped Mingyu onto the horse, taught her how to balance herself, and then whispered to the horse, “Mumu, be good. In a moment, run slowly and don’t throw Mingyu off.”

As if understanding, the horse nodded.

Satisfied, Rong Jiu exchanged a look with Mingyu and nodded encouragingly. Mingyu gripped the reins.

Then Rong Jiu patted Mumu’s haunch, and the horse shot toward the woods.

The sudden burst of speed caught Mingyu off guard; frightened, she let out a scream.

“Oh no! The horse’s gone wild and is carrying Mingyu off—what should we do? She can’t ride!” Rong Jiu shouted toward the others.

The group, who had been laughing and chatting, turned at her cry. The incident was so sudden that Song Moci and the others were momentarily stunned, but Qiao Muqing instantly sprang up, using lightness skill to give chase.

Seeing Qiao Muqing’s worried and anxious expression, Rong Jiu allowed herself a satisfied smile.

This time, Mingyu’s gamble had paid off.

Just as Song Moci and the others were about to set off in pursuit, Rong Jiu stopped them.

At such a critical moment, she couldn’t let them spoil the mood!