At least it didn't turn into a Cat Fight

"Send word to the master, the one that left is indeed the lady that follows the Crown Prince around."

Two men hid, in a tall tree, in the woods as they watched the carriage depart.

"Big bro, should we follow them?" the other asked.

"There's no need, Master has already asked us to redraw in case we get discovered. The prince eyes are all over, it would be bad if he realizes he's being watched"

"…" The other took another look at the carriage that was disappearing among the trees. He couldn't help but feel that it would have been better to follow it.

The journey was relatively peaceful after that, they didn't meet any more trouble along the way. And though Zhao Xing and Xiao Qi didn't speak much, the hostility Xiao Qi had towards the young girl had significantly reduced for some reason.

"Where is this place?" Zhao Xing was finally allowed to look out the window, as they crossed through the gates of a bustling city. When they arrived it was already evening but the streets were still full of people.

"It's Little Merchant Valley, this place didn't really get affected by the drought, since it mostly relies on commerce, it's close to the border." Xiao Qi explained.

"We're close to the border?" Then she remembered the Crown Prince had told her about the poison master's whereabouts. "Oh, of course." She nodded in understanding.

They stopped at an inn where they would spend the rest of their stay, according to Xiao Qi.

"Sister Qi is here." The inn owner came to greet them with a big smile on his face. He was a chubby middle aged man that gave off a very uncomfortable feeling.

Xiao Qi only nodded.

The inn owner quickly counted them with his eyes and smilingly said, "I've prepared an extra room for the young lady, Sister Qi, since you left we've maintained your room well, no one entered, no one touched a thing…" As they went in, he continued to fawn over the tall lady.

Zhao Xing couldn't help but give Xiao Qi a few looks. 'Was Xiao Qi jie really that formidable?' She didn't know if she should be surprised, since she had seen what she did to the bandits.

It had been a while Zhao Xing was able to feel relaxed, and have a nice bath. She remembered Nuo Nuo and Lan'er at the Crown Prince's manor and suddenly missed them. These days there was no one to wake her up in the mornings and help her get dressed, walk with her in the garden or listen to her stories with so much attention.

After her bath she dried her hair first. Then turned to the bag that had been kept on her bed. It was the one the Crown Prince gave her. Thinking that she had already arrived their destination, she could open it now. She reached out to it and was just about to open it when she heard a knock at the door.

"Kid, when you're done come down for dinner." It was Xiao Qi.

"Ah, yes I'm coming." She pouted as she really wanted to see what was inside. But she could do that after dinner. So she got ready and left.

Downstairs at the inn restaurant, Xiao Qi and the Horseman sat side by side, as the waiter placed the food on the table one by one.

Xiao Qi saw her and beaconed with a frown, "We've been waiting for you, what took you so long? Don't you see I'm starving?"

Zhao Xing arrived and this was the first thing she uttered.

"They just brought the food…." The horseman said, but was quickly silenced.

"Shut it, you." The man shrugged and said nothing more.

Zhao Xing thought it was already settled between them, why did she suddenly act up again? But Zhao Xing could understand Xiao Qi's character more or less by now, and was no longer surprised. Well she asked for it.

"Xiao Qi ah, don't blame me for being ruthless.' She was THE Zhao Xing, no one has ever gone score free when they bullied her!

Zhang Zhengyang was an exception and she would get even with him in the future. She has already promised herself.

She smiled widely and sat down and brought her seat closer to Xiao Qi's side, "Xiao Qi jie, I was wrong, forgive me, ok?" She leaned in and blinked twice acting cute.

Pfft. The horseman held back his laughter as he covered his mouth with his hand.

Speechless. Xiao Qi had no words.

"Xiao Qi jiejie forgive me ok?" Zhao Xing continued with her act, if she wasn't embarrassed, Xiao Qi was embarrassed for her as well as herself. Zhao Xing idn't stop there, she went forward to hugging her waist. "If you won't forgive Xing'er, then Xing'er would be sad, wu…"

The commotion on this end of the restaurant caught the attention of people around, as they cast curious glances their way.

'What's wrong with this girl?'

In the end she pushed the girl away with her hand, as she looked around. "S..stop it you're embarrassing me…"

"No, I won't."

"…" Could anyone be this shameless?

"Dear ancestor of mine, would you be so kind to let go of me, I promise I won't hold you accountable for anything you've done or will do in the future."

Zhao Xing wasted no time and immediately let go. "That's more like it." She said with a scoff.

"You…" Xiao Qi couldn't believe she had done all this intentionally.

"What? I didn't mind when you tried your best to annoy me during the journey, because I had other things to worry about, but now that we're here, I can't continue to let you have your way, especially when you do it so obviously."

"Ha!" Xiao Qi hit the table in anger and turned to the horseman, "Brother Mo, what did I tell you? She had yet to show her true colors!"

The Brother Mo, said nothing, he seemed hungry and he stared intently at the food.

"Sister Qi, Why don't we eat first?"

Xiao Qi hit him on the arm without giving a care in the world. "I say why are you even following me around in the first place? 8 years, brother Mo, 8 years, I suffered in your hands because of how lazy you are! When it's time to fight, you either run away leaving me to do all the work or you just drag me down with your shitty fighting skills…" She forgot about Zhao Xing and was now attacking the horseman, Brother Mo.

The scolding took a while, Zhao Xing could no longer be bothered with the two, and began to eat. Brother Mo could only watch her with envy.

The evening ended like, Zhao Xing watched as they argued while savoring the hot food she hadn't been able to eat in a while. It was hard during the journey, and to be able to arrive on time, they had minimized their stopping time.

Xiao Qi would shift form scolding Brother Mo and herself. She shrugged and didn't mind her, as long as she was eating she was content.

After that day Xiao Qi no longer hid her hostility towards Zhao Xing, the later also didn't hold back.