Chapter 015: There Aren't So Many What-Ifs

"Why are you all in such a hurry?" Jinyu turned back with a hint of confusion and asked.

"Heh, it's nothing important," came the reply.

Hearing such an obvious brush-off, Jinyu couldn't help but pout in displeasure. Nothing important? Then why were they rushing so much? Last night they'd traveled a long way through the darkness, and now, they even had to eat breakfast on the road.

Seeing the disbelief written on her face, Nangong Che couldn't help but chuckle again. "Alright, I suppose there's no harm in telling you. There's a group of rebels near Junzhou. I need to go assist in dealing with them."

"Rebels?" Jinyu looked at him in surprise. "Are they the ones trying to restore the former kingdom?"

He nodded, and Jinyu responded with a thoughtful "Oh," then fell silent. Who would have thought there were still such loyalists in the Mu Kingdom? It was rather unexpected.

"What's wrong? Are you worried?" Nangong Che tilted his head slightly, his eyes fixed on her with an inscrutable smile. It was impossible to tell whether he was pleased or displeased.

His question startled Jinyu, and she quickly shook her head. "No, no, why would I worry about them? I have enough trouble worrying about myself. Besides, the emperor and the court of the Mu Kingdom are so incompetent—perhaps it would be a blessing for the people if they were overthrown."

Nangong Che was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily.

After a good while, he finally stopped, his gaze resting on Jinyu with obvious admiration. "I wouldn't have guessed—a girl so young, yet you have courage and insight."

His laughter left Jinyu thoroughly baffled, and now, hearing his praise, she was at a loss for words. So young? If you really did the math, she might even be older than him—hmph!

They hurried on for another day. That night, the group sat around a campfire, waiting for dinner.

Before dusk, Nangong Che’s men had caught a few wild chickens and rabbits. After skinning and butchering them into large pieces, they skewered the meat onto branches and roasted them over the fire. Because the meat wasn't roasted whole, it cooked much faster, and soon, the rich aroma of roast filled the air.

A short while later, one of Nangong Che’s men brought over two skewers of the first cooked chicken wings. Nangong Che took them and, turning, handed one to Jinyu.

"Master..." the subordinate protested, clearly dissatisfied.

Jinyu remembered him; he was the one who'd once shouted at her and even tried to drive her to the roadside with a whip.

"You're a grown man, why are you fussing with a child? How petty." Nangong Che rolled his eyes at the man, then simply handed the other skewer to Jinyu as well.

The rest of the men around the fire laughed. Jinyu watched as the man's face turned red and then white with resentment. Feeling quite pleased, she shot him a fierce glare, and without hesitation took both skewers from Nangong Che, eating contentedly.

Though she didn’t look up, she could feel a gentle gaze resting on her. It didn’t make her uneasy—instead, she felt a subtle warmth inside.

After two years of inhuman hardship, she had finally met a good person. If she had met him back then, surely he would have taken her in. She wouldn’t have had to endure those two dreadful years.

As these thoughts drifted through her mind, Jinyu unconsciously paused, raising her eyes to his profile, a quiet ache blooming in her heart. But soon, she frowned and reproached herself in silence.

Why dwell on what ifs? If life were filled with second chances, there would be no such words as "mistake" or "regret." Besides, hadn’t she warned herself before? Never entrust your fate to someone else, especially a stranger met by chance.

With that, Jinyu took a deep breath, and the odd feeling faded. Yet, her gaze lingered on his flawless profile, unable to look away.