Fleeing from famine? Not a chance; the divine healer's wife made her fortune.

Suspicion lingers, danger lurks everywhere.

The biting night wind, carrying sand and dust, made Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan's clothes flutter loudly.

Torches flickered around the tents, illuminating the soldiers' vigilant faces; the atmosphere was so heavy it was suffocating.

Su Yunlan unconsciously tightened her grip on Xiao Yuhan's hand; his fingertips were icy cold.

An ominous premonition spread through her heart, wrapping around her like vines, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Xiao Yuhan noticed her unease, so he gripped her hand tightly and gave her a firm look.

As the two stepped into the tent, a strong smell of tobacco hit them, causing Su Yunlan to frown slightly.

Captain Sun sat in the main seat, his face ashen, his eyes burning with rage.

The soldiers around them, their hands on the hilts of their swords, stared at them menacingly, as if they were the most heinous criminals.

"How dare you! You dare to investigate people of unknown origin without authorization! Do you have no respect for the law? Do you even respect me as a captain?" Captain Sun slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups rattle and spill tea.

Su Yunlan's heart sank; they were indeed coming for them.

She suppressed her unease and tried her best to remain calm.

"Captain Sun, we were only concerned, worried that those people might be detrimental to the exiled troops..."

"Concern? I think you have ulterior motives!" Captain Sun roared. "When did it become your business to interfere in the affairs of the exile corps? Do you know that your actions have seriously violated the regulations!"

Su Yunlan felt a surge of inexplicable grievance welling up in her heart.

They were clearly doing it for everyone's good, but they were framed instead.

The disdainful looks from the surrounding soldiers stung her like needles.

She took a deep breath and was about to explain when Xiao Yuhan stopped her.

Xiao Yuhan stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Captain Sun, we mean no harm, we just want to..."

"No need for explanation!" Captain Sun rudely interrupted him. "Men, seize them!"

The soldiers swarmed forward and surrounded Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan.

Su Yunlan felt a rough hand grab her arm and pull hard. The excruciating pain made her gasp.

She looked up at Xiao Yuhan, only to find that he was also being held down by several soldiers and unable to move.

“Xiao Yuhan…” Su Yunlan’s heart sank to the bottom.

This is clearly a trap, a trap set against them, against the Xiao family!

Xiao Yuhan's gaze was sharp as a knife as he stared intently at Captain Sun, saying each word clearly, "Captain Sun, you'd better think this through. You will pay the price for what you've done today!"

Su Yunlan's brows furrowed slightly, but her eyes remained surprisingly calm.

She did not struggle, but looked directly at Captain Sun, her tone cold and firm: "Captain Sun, we found that those people were carrying a large number of weapons of unknown origin, and their behavior was secretive and their whereabouts were uncertain. If they were really ordinary refugees, why would they be so secretive? We are also thinking about the safety of the team, so please investigate thoroughly, Captain Sun."

Her words were clear and logical, unlike those of a panicked woman; rather, they resembled those of a strategist in charge of planning.

The atmosphere inside the tent subtly changed because of her words.

Captain Sun's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and the anger in his eyes lessened a bit.

He looked at Su Yunlan suspiciously, as if reassessing the woman in front of him.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Xiao Yuhan took out a piece of cloth from his pocket and handed it to Captain Sun: "This is a portrait of one of the people we found. This person has appeared on the border many times and has colluded with enemy countries."

Commander Sun took the cloth and carefully examined the person in the portrait.

The person in the painting has a fierce face and sinister eyes, which perfectly matches the characteristics described by Su Yunlan.

Lieutenant Sun's expression turned serious. He realized that the seriousness of the matter might far exceed his imagination.

"Captain Sun, these people have infiltrated the exile ranks; their motives are definitely not pure. If we don't investigate them in time, it could lead to a major disaster." Su Yunlan's voice rang out again, carrying a subtle warning in his tone.

Captain Sun took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and walked to Su Yunlan.

He scrutinized Su Yunlan closely, trying to find a flaw in her eyes, but found that her gaze was clear, open, and fearless.

He hesitated for a moment, then waved to signal the soldiers to release Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan.

"This matter is of great importance, and I will investigate it personally. Before that, you must not act rashly."

Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan exchanged a glance, both of them breathing a sigh of relief.

They knew they had successfully diverted Captain Sun's attention to those suspicious individuals, buying themselves valuable time.

As Captain Sun walked to the entrance of the tent, he suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at Su Yunlan, saying in a low voice, "Su, I hope you haven't lied to me."

Su Yunlan met his gaze and smiled faintly: "Captain Sun, I guarantee it with my life."

Captain Sun gave her a deep look, then turned and left.

Only Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan remained in the tent, along with the tense atmosphere that permeated the air.

“Lan’er,” Xiao Yuhan held Su Yunlan’s hand tightly. His palm was dry and warm, like a ray of sunshine in winter, dispelling the chill in her heart.

“We made the right bet.” His deep voice carried a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction.

Su Yunlan grasped his hand in return, her fingertips gently stroking his rough palm, feeling the continuous strength emanating from him.

She looked up at him; the dim light cast shadows on his angular face, making his eyes appear even deeper, like the night sky.

She knew that no matter what happened, he would stand by her side and be her strongest support.

A gentle smile bloomed on her lips, and the love and gratitude in her eyes shone like stars in the night sky.

In the tense tent, a warm atmosphere quietly spread, like a clear spring, soothing the two people's tense nerves.

Suddenly, a noisy commotion outside the tent broke the brief silence.

Shouts and the clash of weapons mingled together, exploding like thunder, causing the tent to tremble slightly.

Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan exchanged a glance, and at the same time, an ominous premonition rose in their hearts.

"What's going on?" Captain Sun's voice came from outside, tinged with panic.

Immediately afterwards, the tent flap was violently ripped open, and a group of fierce-looking thugs rushed in, carrying gleaming swords and exuding murderous intent.

The leader was a burly man with a fierce look in his eyes. He swept his gaze around and finally settled on Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan.

"That's them! Take them down!" At the man's command, the thugs swarmed forward, surrounding Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan.

"Who are you? What right do you have to arrest us?" Su Yunlan shouted sharply, her eyes flashing with cold light.

The man sneered, pulled out a wanted poster from his pocket, and unfolded it in front of Su Yunlan.

"Open your dog eyes and look! You are wanted criminals of the imperial court, why don't you surrender now!"

Su Yunlan looked closely and saw that the portrait on the wanted poster was none other than her and Xiao Yuhan!

The portrait is so lifelike that even the folds in her clothes are depicted in great detail.

"This...this is impossible!" Su Yunlan stared wide-eyed in disbelief, a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

Xiao Yuhan shielded Su Yunlan behind him, his gaze sharp as he stared intently at the man, and asked in a deep voice, "Who exactly sent you?"

The man sneered, "You don't need to know! Just come with us and you'll be spared any physical pain!" With that, he brandished his broadsword and slashed at Xiao Yuhan.

The blade sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for Xiao Yuhan's face.

Xiao Yuhan reacted swiftly, dodging the attack by sidestepping, then grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it forcefully...

With a crisp "crack," the man's wrist snapped.

"Ah!" The man screamed in agony as the large knife in his hand fell to the ground.

"Protect the lady!" Xiao Yuhan roared...

Xiao Yuhan shielded Su Yunlan behind him like a guardian deity, his piercing gaze sweeping over every approaching thug.

His movements were as swift as a cheetah, his punches whistling through the air, each strike carrying the force of thunder.

Screams rose and fell as several thugs were beaten until they coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

However, the enemy was numerous and surged forward like a tide, and Xiao Yuhan gradually felt overwhelmed.

Su Yunlan hid behind Xiao Yuhan, her heart filled with anxiety.

Although she was not skilled in martial arts, she could not stand idly by at this moment.

She picked up a wooden stick from the ground and smashed it hard at one of the thugs who was trying to ambush Xiao Yuhan.

The wooden stick struck the thug squarely on the head with a dull thud, and the thug fell to the ground.

Su Yunlan's actions enraged the remaining thugs, who then pounced on the two of them even more frantically.

Xiao Yuhan was unable to withstand the attack alone, and several wounds gradually appeared on his body.

He groaned as a thug slashed his arm, instantly staining his sleeve with blood.

"Yuhan!" Su Yunlan exclaimed in surprise, supporting him with heartache.

Xiao Yuhan gritted his teeth and endured the pain, holding her even tighter. "Don't be afraid, I'm fine." His voice was hoarse, but full of determination.

Just when the two were about to give up, an old voice pierced the night sky: "Si Lang! Lan'er! Run!"

Granny Cui stumbled into the tent, tears streaming down her face, and cried out hoarsely, "Run! They're going to kill you!"

Hearing Granny Cui's shout, Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan were startled.

Taking advantage of the moment when the thugs were stunned, they rushed out of the tent and disappeared into the vast night.

"Chase them! Don't let them get away!" the leader roared, leading the remaining thugs in pursuit.

Granny Cui collapsed to the ground, staring at the empty tents, muttering, "Run...run..."