The next day.
Caiyu woke up early, preoccupied with her thoughts.
However, by the time she opened her eyes, Song Yinghuai had already left.
The outer side of the bed still retained his warmth.
Caiyu quickly got up and stretched her body.
Thankfully, over the past eight or nine days, Song Yinghuai had taken good care of her, allowing her to rest in the carriage. Coupled with the miraculous pills gifted by Master Guangzhi that she always carried with her, her sprain had almost healed.
As long as she didn't overexert herself, there was hardly any pain.
Han Fen brought in breakfast and said, "Miss Caiyu, let's have a quick bite and then get on the road. Although the prince has set off ahead of us, we can't fall too far behind. Otherwise, if the prince reaches the capital and we encounter danger on the way..."
Caiyu naturally understood.
Even without Han Fen's urging, she knew they had to hurry.
At this moment, another bodyguard named Ning Shi walked over and reported, "Brother Han, there's a young woman sitting downstairs. It's the girl who sold herself to save her younger brother yesterday. Her name is Cao Qingqing."
Han Fen frowned. "What's she doing here?"
Ning Shi replied, "It seems she never left. After we entered the inn yesterday, she followed us all the way. When she saw us go in, she spent the whole night sitting on the stone bench outside."
Han Fen said angrily, "What does she want? Isn't three hundred taels of silver enough?"
Ning Shi said, "No. I just asked her. She said she wants to repay us for saving her life and is willing to be our maid..."
"Reject her!" Han Fen said warily. "The prince said yesterday that we're not taking in anyone. Go and send her away!"
Ning Shi had no choice but to go out again to talk to her.
After all, Cao Qingqing was a weak woman, and they couldn't use force.
Caiyu rushed out after washing up and saw Ning Shi and the others surrounding Cao Qingqing, trying to persuade her with worried looks on their faces.
But the girl seemed stubborn. No matter how hard they tried to persuade her, she refused to leave.
In the end, she simply sat down and stayed there motionless.
"Ning Shi, let's go," Caiyu said calmly as she passed by downstairs, glancing at Cao Qingqing.
Ning Shi and the others heaved a sigh of relief and quickly went to prepare the horses.
When Cao Qingqing saw Caiyu, her eyes suddenly lit up. She got up and ran forward, kneeling down.
"Miss, please take me in!"
Caiyu was blocked at the door and had to stop. Frowning, she said, "Miss Cao, I think you've got the wrong person. Actually, I'm just a maid, not a young lady from a noble family."
"So I can't take you in. Please leave quickly. I'm in a hurry."
Cao Qingqing was stunned for a moment and looked at Caiyu in disbelief.
Not a young lady?
She was dressed in fine silk, more beautiful than any young lady from a noble family. She entered the city in a gorgeous carriage, and that noble young master seemed to indulge her.
How could she be just a maid?
What kind of powerful family would treat their maids like this?
If being a maid meant having such a good life, she was even more eager to follow them.
"Miss," Cao Qingqing made up her mind in an instant. "No matter what your status is, Qingqing only knows that you're the benefactor of the Cao family."
"My father once taught me that a person without integrity cannot stand. Since I publicly sold myself to save my younger brother in front of the whole city, and now my brother has recovered after taking the medicine, I must fulfill my promise."
"I heard that there are different ranks among the maids in a wealthy family. You seem to be a high - ranking maid, as the young master treated you so well yesterday. Qingqing is willing to follow you and be the lowest - ranked third - class maid. I'll be content."
Caiyu raised an eyebrow and looked at her in surprise.
Clear - minded, neither overbearing nor humble, eloquent, and determined...
She was just worried about how to escape to save someone. Now, Cao Qingqing in front of her might be a good opportunity.
Caiyu sneered and said, "Do you think my young master is an ordinary person who can take in maids at will? Let me tell you, my young master has very high requirements for taking in maids. A young woman from an ordinary family like you doesn't even catch his eye!"
She said to Ning Shi standing beside her, "Guard Ning, please move her aside. She's blocking my way!"
Although it was just a maid giving the order, Ning Shi and the others didn't find it inappropriate at all. They unconsciously followed the order and moved Cao Qingqing aside.
Han Fen and the others had already prepared the carriage. Caiyu got into the carriage without looking back, and the group quickly left Pengcheng.
Caiyu secretly lifted the curtain and looked back several times. Sure enough, Cao Qingqing was still stubbornly following the horse team.
She was a weak woman and stumbled several times, but she stubbornly got up from the ground and gritted her teeth to keep following.
Ning Shi whispered to Han Fen, "Brother Han, this Cao Qingqing is really stubborn. Should we speed up and shake her off?"
Before Han Fen could answer, they heard Caiyu calling from inside the carriage, "Guard Han, I need to go to the woods to relieve myself. Stop the carriage."
Han Fen had no choice but to wave his hand to signal everyone to stop.
Caiyu got out of the carriage, glanced at Cao Qingqing, and then walked into the woods.
She had no intention of relieving herself. Instead, she stood there waiting.
If Cao Qingqing was smart enough, she would surely follow her in.
Sure enough, Cao Qingqing soon gasped and followed in. "Miss, please take me in!"
She was indeed a smart and capable girl!
Caiyu said with satisfaction, "Just call me Caiyu. Do you really want to follow me?"
Cao Qingqing nodded. "Really."
"My young master is not from Suzhou. Think it over. If you follow us, you'll have to leave your hometown and go to the north."
Cao Qingqing knelt down, her face firm and her eyes shining. "Qingqing's family is poor. I only have a younger brother. Qingqing can tell that your young master comes from a noble family, and it's very difficult for a girl from a small family like me to enter."
"Moreover, both the young master and you are kind - hearted people. Qingqing knelt in the marketplace for three days to save her younger brother, but no one in Pengcheng was willing to lend the three hundred taels of silver. Only the young master and you helped us without asking for anything in return."
"But a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. So as long as I can repay your kindness, Qingqing doesn't care where I go."
"Good," Caiyu said briefly. "I need you to do something for me now... We'll exchange clothes."
Cao Qingqing was really quick - witted. "Are you trying to escape, miss?"
Caiyu said, "Well, something like that. But I'll come back. I just need to get rid of them to handle an urgent matter."
"After you put on my clothes, just remember one thing: go along that road."
Caiyu pointed to a small path in the opposite direction of the city. "Do whatever you can to make them find you later and give me time to leave. Understand?"
"Understand!" Cao Qingqing quickly changed clothes. "Don't worry, Miss Caiyu. I'll make sure you can leave smoothly!"
Cao Qingqing put on Caiyu's clothes and left. She walked lightly and nimbly, shuttling through the woods with the help of the tree shadows. She managed to reach the small path without alerting Han Fen and the others.
It was only when she reached the small path that she deliberately made some noise.
Han Fen and the others were resting in place. When they heard the noise in the distance, they looked up and saw Caiyu's back running towards the small path.
Han Fen was stunned and shouted at the top of his voice, "Miss Caiyu, you're going the wrong way! We're here!"
However, the person ignored him and ran even faster, disappearing into the small path in an instant!
Han Fen finally realized something was wrong. His face changed. "No! Miss Caiyu is trying to escape?"
Ning Shi and the others were also completely confused.
Why was Caiyu running away?
They were there to protect her!
Han Fen grabbed the sword beside the tree. "She must be trying to catch up with the prince! Hurry! Go and bring her back!"
The others didn't even have time to mount their horses. They used their light - footed skills and chased after her!
After they were gone, Caiyu ran out of the woods, led a horse, and mounted it.
She no longer pretended to be a gentle lady in front of Song Yinghuai.
"Yah!"
She whipped the horse hard and galloped straight towards the small path leading to the capital, raising a cloud of dust behind her!