Chapter 6: The First Night Away from Home

  The carriage rumbled swiftly through the streets of Moling City, its wheels grinding against the stone-paved roads, producing a low, heavy hum like the city itself murmuring in the dark. Lanterns swayed along the sides of the streets, their dim yellow light casting fleeting shadows across the ground. Few pedestrians remained, just the occasional merchant pushing a handcart home, their footsteps and wheels echoing briefly before fading into the distant alleys.

  Inside the carriage, Xu Sanbao leaned against the soft cushions, gently lifting the curtain to gaze at the scenery rushing past. Her heart was a swirling sea of emotions.

  She had finally left home.

  This estate, this city—both held eighteen years of memories. And now, she had left them behind. She had thought she would feel liberated, but instead, an indescribable complexity weighed on her chest.

  Ahead, the city gate loomed in the night, torches casting a wavering glow over its tall stone archway. The guards stood at their posts, their spears glinting faintly under the firelight. They looked somewhat weary—after all, few carriages passed through the gates at this te hour.

  As the carriage approached, a soldier stepped forward, lifting the curtain for inspection. He blinked in surprise.

  Inside sat three young girls, one of them clearly a noble-born dy in fine clothes. His eyes swept over Sanbao and then briefly over the driver before he spoke in a perfunctory tone, "Traveling so te? Where are you headed?"

  Before Sanbao could respond, the driver respectfully answered, "These young dies are hurrying to the next town. Their lord has instructed that they must leave as early as possible."

  The soldier gnced again at the pin merchant’s carriage—there was no noble family crest—then waved them through. "Alright, go on."

  The carriage rolled through the city gate and onto the wide official road leading to the countryside.

  Sanbao lowered the curtain, watching the gates recede into the night. Her heart grew heavier. She couldn't help but wonder how her parents would react. Would her father rage and send men to search for her? Would her mother weep and beg her to come home? Or would they simply sigh and accept her choice with resignation?

  Closing her eyes, she found herself thinking of her previous life.

  Her father had drowned himself in tobacco and alcohol, indifferent to anything concerning the family. Perhaps he had once been ambitious in his youth, but the man she remembered was always a middle-aged figure slumped on the sofa, eyes dull, voice hoarse, offering nothing but occasional scolding. Even after a heart attack and hospitalization, he hadn't changed—still smoking, still drinking, living each day as a meaningless repetition.

  And her mother? She was forever chasing after photography and travel, barely paying attention to the trivialities of home life. Her camera was filled with ndscapes from around the world, but never a single family portrait. Even when her father was critically ill, her mother was somewhere abroad, unreachable. It was Sanbao who had rushed back from another city, staying by her father's side through surgery and recovery. And her mother? She had only returned on the day of his discharge, unaffected, as if none of it concerned her.

  A bitter smile tugged at Sanbao’s lips. Perhaps her death had left little mark on them.

  Her gaze drifted back to the present—to the two maids sitting beside her.

  Compared to her past life, her parents in this world had been far better. They had loved her, protected her, and raised her in luxury. Yet when the time came to sacrifice her for the family's interests, they hadn't hesitated to arrange her marriage, pushing her toward a destiny she had no say in.

  She had once believed she could be the exception.

  But in the end, she was not.

  "Miss, what are you thinking about?" Xiaon’s voice pulled her back to the moment.

  Sanbao shook her head and forced a small smile. "Nothing."

  Xiaon hesitated, then said carefully, "Maybe… we should go back? Honestly, Young Master Wang isn’t that bad. The Wang family is one of Haicheng’s great houses, and he’s the eldest grandson..."

  Sanbao chuckled softly. "You’re praising him so much. Why don’t you marry him yourself?"

  "Exactly! I think Xiaon’s been smitten with Young Master Wang ever since the engagement was announced!" Yuyu chimed in, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

  "You two bullies! Ganging up on me again!" Xiaon’s face flushed bright red, and she pounced at Yuyu.

  "Ah! You dare hit me? I'll tickle you to death!" Yuyu nimbly dodged, counterattacking with pyful tickles at Xiaon’s waist.

  "No! Help, Miss!"

  Sanbao watched her two maids tumble around the carriage, ughter bubbling up uncontrolbly. She shook her head, smiling. Their lively banter filled the carriage with warmth, easing some of the mencholy that clung to her heart.

  After a while, Xiaon colpsed against the carriage wall, panting. "Miss, you’re so unfair. You just watched!"

  Sanbao shrugged with a grin. "I was afraid the carriage might actually tip over."

  "Miss is a coward!" Yuyu teased, sticking out her tongue.

  The carriage sped onward through the night, the rhythmic rumble of wheels mixing with bursts of ughter, creating a rare sense of coziness.

  None of the three noticed that the driver had turned his head slightly, peeking through a gap in the window.

  His gaze slithered over the three young girls inside—over their fresh, beautiful faces—and a glint of greed flickered in his eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and a thin, sinister smile crept across his lips.

  The night deepened.

  And in its silent embrace, danger quietly approached.