Chapter (11): A Journey No Longer Alone (Part 1)
Yan Tangtang was jolted awake just as the sun began to rise.
She stared blankly at the kind-looking girl before her, her mind momentarily failing to function. Though it felt as if a lifetime of events had transpired yesterday, it had actually only been a single day. In the haze of waking, Yan Tangtang had briefly forgotten she had transmigrated; she was still wondering why she was in the middle of a forest instead of her college dormitory when she felt a sharp pinch on her cheek. Mu Yanxing, unable to resist the adorable sight of the dazed, sleep-deprived girl, had given her cheek a playful squeeze.
That slight sting was enough to jumpstart her brain. Seeing Mu Yanxing's face, everything that happened the previous day came rushing back.
She had transmigrated, and she had already survived a full day and night in this world.
"Hurry up and get ready, or else Chen-ge will start scolding us," Mu Yanxing warned.
Not daring to overthink, Yan Tangtang moved quickly to prepare. After spending the night with them, she realized these youths were earnest and honest; they meant her no harm. To not follow them would be to squander the chance Heaven had granted her.
However, just as she shouldered her small pack and went to lead her little donkey away like the others, Chen Zhao spoke up.
"Leave that runt of a donkey behind and get over here."
Confused and protective of her purchase, Yan Tangtang blurted out, "But... I paid four silver coins for this donkey!"
The eyebrows of Chen Zhao and the others shot up in unison. They had assumed she had brought the donkey from home when she fled; they never imagined she had actually bought the thing on the road.
Chen Zhao let out a scoffing laugh.
"Hmph. Whatever fool sold you that donkey must have been an idiot. If it were me, I'd have extorted at least ten silver coins out of a brat like you."
Yan Tangtang: "..."
The owner actually DID try to extort ten silver coins!! she grumbled silently. Though she was technically nineteen years old, she was being openly mocked by a boy four years her junior.
Chen Zhao looked at the "boy" who seemed loath to let go of the donkey and added, "It's still several days' journey to Ran City. How do you expect to keep up with us on that runt? We're taking you with us, but we aren't waiting for you. Our time is valuable!"
Yan Tangtang knew he was right. Her momentary stinginess was just a reflex. Not wanting to provoke Chen Zhao's temper further, she untied the donkey and set it free. Though she felt a twinge of sadness at the parting, she chalked it up to their lack of shared fate.
A moment later, as she was hoisted onto Chen Zhao's horse, she was inwardly screaming. For a few seconds, she considered asking to ride with Mu Yanxing instead, but she bit her tongue. Since they believed she was a boy, it would be improper—no matter how young she appeared—to share a horse with a young woman like Mu Yanxing.
She would have to ride with Chen Zhao today, and likely with Su Min or Mu Yanchan in the coming days. She felt utterly miserable, yet she couldn't reveal her true gender.
Her misery, however, did not stem solely from the seating arrangements. A new hardship soon emerged: a donkey was nothing like a horse, and the speed at which the group traveled was more than her immature body could handle. Yan Tangtang's entire frame ached with exhaustion. She wanted to cry, but she didn't dare complain, fearing Chen Zhao's sharp, merciless tongue.
They didn't rest for long during the day, taking only brief pauses to eat. It wasn't until nightfall that her small body found any relief. By the next morning, she realized she had fallen ill from the strain. She was forced to endure Chen Zhao's lecture about how "boys" should have more stamina.
Yan Tangtang: "..."
It's only because this is my first time! And this body is still young! I'll get used to it in a few days!
Fortunately, though the group continued their journey, they did not abandon her.
After three more days of travel, they finally reached Ran City toward evening. Yan Tangtang had no idea Ran City was so far away; she shuddered to think what would have happened had she not encountered this group.
After they checked into an inn, Mu Yanxing hurriedly found a physician for her. Yan Tangtang was pale and weak after three days of persistent fever. Although Mu Yanxing had looked after her every night with the medicine they carried, the root cause was sheer exhaustion. Without proper rest, the fever had lingered. Chen Zhao watched her with a heavy scowl but remained silent.
Once the physician left, Mu Yanxing looked at Chen Zhao's dark expression and couldn't help but speak up.
"Xiao Tang will be fine after some rest. I think this was just his first time traveling like this, right, Chen-ge? Don't you think so too?"
Chen Zhao raised an eyebrow at the girl trying to coax a better mood out of him. Feeling too lazy to argue, he chose to head back to his room.
However, when he found his room had been "occupied" by Yan Tangtang, he began to massage his temples.
To understand the room situation, one had to look at their relative wealth. Chen Zhao and the Mu siblings were quite well-off, but Su Min was different. While he held a certain status among commoners, he couldn't compete with the likes of Chen Zhao. Consequently, Chen Zhao always took a private room, while Su Min decided to share with Mu Yanchan. As for the Mu siblings, though they were wealthy, there were two of them; thus, Mu Yanchan let his sister have a private room while he shared with Su Min.
This left only Chen Zhao and Mu Yanxing with private rooms. While Mu Yanchan could have shared with his sister, it wasn't an issue for them—but putting Yan Tangtang in Su Min's room would mean asking a child to split the bill, which felt awkward. And since Yan Tangtang was "a boy," staying with Mu Yanxing was out of the question. Ultimately, the "little burden" ended up in Chen Zhao's room.
Chen Zhao sat on a stool in the cramped room, staring at the feverish child on the bed. Normally, he would have made the brat sleep on the floor, but he didn't have a heart of stone—not enough to fight a sick child for the bed. With a sigh, he accepted his fate of sleeping on the floor.
In truth, even Su Min, the least wealthy among them, was quite affluent. However, unsure of how long their journey would last, they always opted for the cheapest rooms. Lying on the hard floor of the tiny room, Chen Zhao mocked himself.
He had resolved to harden his heart before leaving home, believing it the only way to endure the long path of cultivation. Yet, he now deeply regretted letting Mu Yanxing join the group. Her habits must be contagious; his heart clearly wasn't hard enough.
By the next morning, Yan Tangtang's fever had broken. However, a lingering warmth remained, and her slightly tanned skin had turned a reddish-brown hue from the illness. Paired with her pale blue eyes, her current appearance was a bit homely and rather comical.
Chen Zhao couldn't help himself. "Should we stop calling him 'Little Black Bun' and start calling him 'Little Ugly' instead?"
Mu Yanchan chimed in, "Chen-ge, I think 'Little Black Bun' still fits better."
Yan Tangtang, who was sipping porridge: "....."
You people are going to be the death of me!
Determined to keep her secret, Yan Tangtang insisted on changing her clothes herself, no matter how sick she felt. She allowed no one to touch her in that regard. This had earned her another round of ridicule from Chen Zhao.
"Who would even want to see your tiny thing anyway?" he had remarked.
Because they took her for a boy, they never held back on their teasing. No matter how much she protested the name "Little Black Bun," Mu Yanchan and Su Min had adopted it; only Mu Yanxing called her Xiao Tang.
Chen Zhao, in particular, was relentless, mocking her looks, her skin, her lack of stamina, and her behavior. Occasionally, he would even snark, "Are you a girl or something?"
Whenever that happened, Yan Tangtang had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming, Your grandmother is the girl here!!
Chen Zhao didn't just treat her this way, though. He was just as blunt when Su Min or Mu Yanchan made mistakes. Mu Yanchan would sometimes talk back fearfully, while Su Min wouldn't react at all. Whether Su Min was actually listening or not, only he knew. The only person Chen Zhao showed any leniency toward was Mu Yanxing.
Tired of arguing over the nickname, Yan Tangtang finished her porridge, took her medicine, and turned to Mu Yanxing.
"Xing-jiejie, when you go out, could you take me with you? I want to find a bookstore."
Because they were both girls, Yan Tangtang naturally clung to Mu Yanxing. In the eyes of the others, however, it just looked like a bratty kid playing favorites because he knew Mu Yanxing would spoil him.