Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

Mo Han poured a glass of water and handed it to Yun Chu to moisten her throat, then said, "Actually, I could have protected you and brought you out."

Yun Chu shook her head. "But what I want is for everyone to be safe and sound, everyone." She smiled, with a sense of relief at surviving a disaster.

Not long after the carriage departed, Xu Li saw Liu Da and his group anxiously waiting by the roadside, glancing back in the direction they had come from. They relaxed when they saw Yun Chu's carriage approaching and gathered around.

"Is the boss alright?"

"Master, we were just discussing whether to turn back and rescue you."

Everyone started talking at once.

"It's alright, don't worry, let's go." Yun Chu lifted the curtain to comfort her.

The carriage traveled smoothly for several days, and during this time Yun Chu clearly sensed that Liu Da and the others were paying more attention to her and the goods. This was good; people can only truly understand each other and build trust after spending time together.

After checking into the inn that day, Yun Chu had just finished her dinner when Xu Li came to say that Liu Da and the others had something to discuss with Yun Chu. Yun Chu nodded with a puzzled look on her face.

Six people standing side by side in the room did seem a bit crowded. Nine people crammed into the small room was something Yun Chu had never imagined.

"Please have a seat," Yun Chu said, and Xu Li hurriedly looked for chairs. However, there were too many people and not enough chairs.

Liu Da and the others didn't stand on ceremony and sat down on the ground.

Everyone looked at each other, but no one spoke.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Yun Chu had no choice but to break the silence.

All eyes turned to Liu Da, who had no choice but to speak up, "Master, can we follow you after we return to the capital?" he asked.

"Follow me?" Yun Chu asked, puzzled.

“Yes!” someone spoke up, and things became easier. Liu Qing said, “We want to do business with you, or we can join this caravan heading north.”

"Don't you want to be bodyguards anymore?" Yun Chu asked, puzzled.

“Actually, we’re always ostracized at the escort agency,” Liu Fugui said indignantly. “The manager of the escort agency only assigns good jobs to those who give him the most benefits. Liu Da doesn’t like flattery, and neither do we, so we often don’t have any jobs. This job was only given to us because no one else was willing to go to such a far northern region.”

"Yes, I don't want to be a bodyguard anymore. It's always a life of walking on thin ice. I want to spend more time with my child," one bodyguard said.

“His wife just gave birth this year,” Liu Da explained.

"My wedding is coming up soon, and I want to stay home with my wife," one of the bodyguards said shyly, which drew laughter from everyone.

Yun Chu understood everyone's actions. "Aren't you afraid that I'll exploit you like those unscrupulous merchants?"

“No, we all think you’re a good person,” Liu Qing said confidently. “Following you gives us hope. You’re different from the clients we’ve encountered before. To be honest, when we were robbed that day, we were really afraid you would abandon us. One of my brothers lost his life because of that.” Liu Qing’s voice trailed off at the end.

“However, if you follow me, we may still have to travel the Northern Region route, and we may still encounter bandits.” Yun Chu said, wanting to make the worst possible impression upfront.

“That’s different. This is the path we chose, and we have to bear the consequences,” Liu Da replied.

Yun Chu remained silent for a moment, and the people sitting on the ground began to feel uneasy. They were anxious and worried because they didn't know their master's answer.

Yun Chu scrutinized each person; they were all simple, ordinary people. "How about this? We still have some time before we reach the capital. You can think it over carefully. We can discuss it again when we get back to the capital, okay?" Yun Chu was afraid that they might make a decision impulsively out of gratitude or emotion.

"So there's a chance, right?" Liu Qing's eyes gleamed with hope.

“Yes,” Yun Chu said with a smile.

"It's good that there's hope, it's good that there's hope." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and encouraged each other.

"Alright, everyone go and rest." Xu Li hurriedly urged everyone to get some rest. His young lady needed to rest, as they still had to travel tomorrow. He couldn't help but feel glad that he had made the right choice to follow her.

As night fell, Yun Chu tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She hadn't expected that her unintentional actions would win people's hearts; it was like planting willows without intending to create a lush grove. Mo Han lay motionless beside her, and sometimes Yun Chu couldn't even feel her presence.

Suddenly, Mo Han sat up.

"Mo Han?" Yun Chu asked in surprise.

"Stay inside and don't move. I'll go out and take a look," Mo Han said in a low voice.

Yun Chu nodded. "Okay."

Mo Han then climbed out of the window. Soon, the sounds of fighting came from the roof above, and Yun Chu couldn't help but tense up. She swallowed hard, fumbled for a dagger under her pillow in the dark, and gripped it tightly in her hand.

Click, click, click—a sound came from the door; someone was trying to pry it open.

Yun Chu's eyes widened, her hand gripping the dagger trembling slightly. The bed was too small; she couldn't just sit there and wait to die. She tiptoed out of bed and groped her way to the door in the dark. She stared at the latch, where a dagger was being carefully moved.

Snap! The bolt slipped off, and the door was pried open.

Yun Chu held her breath, intending to stab anyone who broke in with all her might; she had to take a gamble.

But suddenly the door fell silent. There was no movement outside, not a sound. Yun Chu frowned, about to ponder, when with a soft creak, the door was pushed open, and someone stepped in.

Yun Chu had no time to think and hurriedly stabbed out, but the person who came quickly grabbed the hand holding the dagger, and her other hand was put behind her back. She was pinned behind the door by the person who came, and she struggled.

"It's me," the person said.

The familiar voice startled Yun Chu. She froze. Gu Ruoxiao? It was him! A faint sense of relief, mixed with a touch of joy, washed over her. But now, seeing the scene before her, she frowned, her eyes filled with confusion.

At this moment, Gu Ruoxiao had pressed Yun Chu against the door. The two were very close, able to feel each other's breath and heartbeat, and Yun Chu could smell Gu Ruoxiao's unique fragrance. However, in the darkness, neither of them could see the expression on the other's face.

Time seemed to stand still as Gu Ruoxiao remained motionless.

Yun Chu closed her eyes, then opened them again, and said coldly, "Let me go."

The next second, Gu Ruoxiao released Yun Chu, turned around and walked to the table to light the oil lamp. A soft and hazy halo gently enveloped the surroundings, and the flickering flames reflected the shadows of the two people, which intertwined and separated.

Gu Ruoxiao's face was bathed in a soft golden glow from the warm firelight, highlighting his features. Beads of sweat still clung to his forehead, as if he had just rushed from somewhere. He raised his hand, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

Yun Chu sat down opposite him. The situation outside was unclear, but the faint sounds of fighting could be heard from the rooftops.