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Xiao Jinyan didn’t see Little Nine when he returned, and upon seeing a Palace Maid passing by, he asked, "Where is Princess Jiuyou?"

The Palace Maid replied, "Master has left the palace."

Left the palace? Xiao Jinyan had a bad feeling. He returned to his Guest Room and had just sat down when he saw a piece of paper pressed under the teapot. He pulled out the paper, opened it, and saw the familiar handwriting.

Jinyan, by the time you read this letter, I will have already left the capital.

I really miss Taotao and Susu so much, I’ve never been away from them for this long. They’re still so young and need their parents’ company the most.

I will take good care of myself, rest assured.

You take good care of yourself too.

Xiao Jinyan stared at the letter for a good while after reading it. The always obedient Little Nine had left without a word for the first time, leaving behind only a letter of over a hundred words.

The few simple sentences seemed deceptively easy, but he could feel they were different from usual.

The lines lacked the usual light-hearted playfulness.

Xiao Jinyan clenched the letter in his hand and suddenly stood up, running out.

After regaining his memory, Xiao Jinyan’s Kung Fu had clearly improved from before, his lightness skill had reached a new height.

Upon leaving the Imperial Palace, Xiao Jinyan purchased a horse and galloped directly towards the outskirts of the city.

Little Nine had never gone out alone before, no matter how intelligent she was, a delicate woman was still in great danger.

The horse carriage swayed gently, and Shen Chuwei felt a bit sleepy. Holding Xuetuan in her arms, she leaned against the carriage’s cushion, planning to take a nap.

Considering she was now old and penniless, robbing her would be considered a waste of time.

Being naturally fond of sleep, she dozed off shortly after settling in the carriage.

She did not know how much time had passed when the sound of horse hooves approached.

As the sound of hooves grew nearer, the coachman cracked his whip and urged the horses to run along the side of the road.

Xiao Jinyan lashed his whip with force, wishing his mount were a swift steed. He feared being too late to catch up with Little Nine and worried about her safety.

He didn’t know whether Little Nine had left on horseback or in a horse carriage.

Riding a horse was more likely, as it was faster, and given her eagerness to leave, she would have chosen to ride.

However, what Xiao Jinyan didn’t consider was that Shen Chuwei was lazy; even when rushing, she wouldn’t mind a few days delay. After all, she could sleep during the day and night, and continuous traveling could save time.

Xiao Jinyan whipped his horse forcefully and glanced over at the horse carriage on the Official Road before continuing his pursuit.

A horse carriage could never match the speed of riding a horse, and in a short while, a distance was opened up between them.

The coachman, watching the departing horse, exclaimed, "Indeed, riding a horse is the freest way to travel."

As the sky gradually darkened,

Shen Chuwei woke up from her sleep to find darkness inside the carriage. Rubbing her eyes, she lifted the curtain to look outside, noticing the sun had set, leaving only a trace of afterglow on the horizon.

She took out a paper-wrapped package from the Space, picked up a Pastry, and took a bite, then offered a piece to Xuetuan in front of her.

Xuetuan lowered its head to eat the Pastry, which was so crispy and fragrant that it became somewhat addictive after just one taste.

Shen Chuwei ate two pieces in succession, took out a water jug from the Space, poured a cup of water, and took a sip. She also poured some water for Xuetuan to quench its thirst.

Having walked only this little distance, she had already started to crave food, meat, vegetables - what was she going to do with so much longing?

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves approached from afar.

Shen Chuwei’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be Xiao Jinyan catching up to her?

She hurriedly lifted the curtain to look outside, listening carefully to the sound of the hooves, and realized the noise was coming from ahead, reassuring her that it probably wasn’t him.

Xiao Jinyan had searched all the way and hadn’t seen Shen Chuwei. Considering her delicate constitution, even if she had ridden a horse, he should have been able to catch up with her.

So he returned.

Upon seeing the same horse carriage on the road that he had noticed earlier, he decided to stop it.

The coachman was forced to pull the reins, about to scold someone, when he saw the person on horseback suddenly leap over, startling him into quickly jumping off the carriage.

Shen Chuwei noticed the carriage suddenly stop and, puzzled, lifted the curtain only to see Xiao Jinyan’s handsome face, leaving her unsure how to react.

Since she had left secretly and without notice, she felt somewhat guilty.

Xiao Jinyan saw a face of someone in their fifties or sixties and frowned, turning to leave.

Shen Chuwei, initially startled by his departure, then remembered her disguise as an old woman, and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

As she was feeling relieved, Xiao Jinyan returned, causing her heart to jump once again.

Xiao Jinyan suddenly remembered that Little Nine had mentioned she would disguise herself as an old granny to travel low-key, which prompted him to come back for a closer look.

"Little Nine?" he called out tentatively.

Shen Chuwei thought incredulously, could he really recognize her like this?

She cleared her throat and in a hoarse old voice said, "You’ve mistaken me for someone else."

Although it wasn’t as good as a professional voice actor’s elderly tone, it was still decent.

Xiao Jinyan furrowed his brow, could he have really been mistaken? As he was turning away, his peripheral vision caught sight of a snow-white figure inside the carriage.